To the Editor:
I am writing to respectfully request your vote for Bennington County state's attorney. I am running as an independent because I am a hands-on prosecutor, not a politician. We need a leader to deal with the unprecedented opioid crisis that is devastating our community, and I have a 21-point opioid plan that I will put in place on my first day in office.
The opioid epidemic has exploded during my opponent's 12 years in office. As I talk to people around the county, they complain that nothing is being done and the current state's attorney has no plan going forward. I will change that.
My accomplishments as a hands-on prosecutor and my opioid plan show that I have the skill and the determination to turn things around.
In 8 1/2 years as the Bennington County chief deputy state's attorney, I won a case in the United States Supreme Court, tried 25 jury cases, handled 25 Vermont Supreme Court appeals, and was honored by the governor for successfully working with the Legislature to enact a new law to protect children from predators. My opponent has nothing resembling any of my accomplishments.
My opponent and I also have very different views of what the state's attorney should do. I believe the state's attorney should be a hard-working, hands-on prosecutor and leader, but my opponent admitted during our Bennington debate that she is merely an "administrator" who relies on others to do the work. In this time of crisis, we need a leader, not an administrator.
As a part of my opioid plan, I will establish a drug dourt to expedite the handling of drug cases, get addicts into treatment promptly, and get dealers off the street. Inexplicably, my opponent opposes a drug court. My plan also includes methods to support our medical professionals in continuing to reduce opioid prescriptions, including giving medical professionals immediate access to criminal drug records before writing an opioid prescription, and insuring that they have access to resources for getting opioid-seeking patients into treatment.
These are just a few of the 21 points in my plan. You can read my entire plan and read about my qualifications at christinarainville.com and at Christina Rainville for State's Attorney on Facebook.
I hope you will agree that we need a plan for change and vote for me.
Christina Rainville,
Chester
