My name is Bennett Levine. I was raised in Lake City, graduated from LCCS in 2022, and I got my first jobs here in town (both of which I still have) around age twelve at the Mountaineer Movie Theatre and Lake City Bakery. I love Lake City and the community, and it is for that reason I am writing this letter to you all. Yes, I am Greg Levine’s son, but that is not the only reason I support him. I have a deep rooted love for Hinsdale County, and I want what is best for it. I do not support a candidate for any position because I like them; I support them because they are the best for that job.
My dad has resided in this county since the 90s, and in my lifetime has done a tremendous amount of work in Lake City. In the last thirty years, he has owned his own custom cabinet and furniture shop, operated a refrigeration business, and was the director of the Chamber of Commerce. He also worked for the Public Works Department, eventually becoming the director; and for the last four years, he has been a County Commissioner. With all that said, I can say with certainty: he is the right choice this November.
My dad does not accept any funding for his campaign; it all comes out of his wallet, not from a “Committee” or people pushing a very specific agenda. If you look closely at the election advertisements in the Silver World, you will see that one is paid for by a committee and one is paid for by the candidate. Let me ask you this Hinsdale County: who is really “working for you”, the guy being used to try to push a very specific agenda, or the guy who listens to all sides and works tirelessly to find common ground between them, while not receiving any money for his campaign?
My father’s opponent claims there needs to be “big changes,” but why and what changes? I don’t know, and I doubt he does either, because when someone has no real ideas, it is easy to say “we need change.” When someone is not connected with the community and only listens to one side they become deluded and biased. My dad, on the other hand, has been part of real change since 2020. He is open to change, but not willing to change in order to meet one extreme’s desires.
You want to talk about having honesty and integrity? Then stop using falsehoods and cherry picking stats. You say you are “not in it for the money,” then forgo the Commissioner’s salary if elected. If you care so much about entities such as the school, EMS, Public Health, and the fire department then why have you not reached out to them or attended their board meetings? You want to help increase services for seniors, but Greg Levine is the one actually doing that as part of the Senior Connections Team. Do you not think every commissioner’s goal is to “enhance the quality of life for all citizens”? If you are so “honest” and “upfront” then why are your three main issues so vague? If you think you can actually offer the county anything valuable, then be specific about what it is. All three of the current commissioners have the same concerns and are actively working on them. You think respect should be given equally? Then why are you not reaching out to people who have the opposite opinion as you? My dad’s opponent wants to build another fence; a metaphorical fence that creates more division in Hinsdale County. Commissioner Levine, on the other hand, strives for balance in this county, and balance is exactly what we need and deserve.
In my dad’s first term as Commissioner, he has worked hard with the other two Commissioners to forge many new opportunities and open new doors for us as citizens. Have you gotten hooked up to fiber broadband internet? Pretty nice huh, well Commissioner Levine was a driving force behind bringing that here. Have you attended any events put on by the senior connections team? As alluded to earlier, Commissioner Levine is an integral part of that group. Have you walked across the peninsula bridge at Lake San Cristobal? The current board of County Commissioners, which includes Commissioner Levine, made that possible. The list goes on and on. I have yet to see his opponent’s list of civic accomplishments because there are none.
Greg Levine is one of the most active members of this community, and he was before being elected. That is who deserves to be a Commissioner. The candidate who not only does his job at a high level, but can also be found in countless places doing what he can to keep Hinsdale County great and make it better. When you cast your vote this November, vote for the candidate who has the best interest of our county at heart, not the one who is clearly biased. When you vote this November, vote to reelect Greg Levine.
With Love and Respect,
Bennett William Levine
Lake City
