The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of this newspaper.
To all parties and individuals interested,
I will state now, this letter concerns Bob Siegrist, the Connecticut State Representative of the 36th District (Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Essex).
To begin with, I have lived here in Haddam since my parents took me home from the hospital nearly thirty years ago. I graduated from the Haddam-Killingworth School System and have worked as a craftsman ever since. I consider myself simple, and I would prefer to not pay too much attention to local politics. Just like many of you, I have countless other things going on in my life. This is why, at election time, I do my best to be an informed voter so when I cast my ballot, I am standing behind an individual whom I feel best represents my community. Regardless of which candidate wins, I always hope that the individual properly expresses the popular opinion of my community. Even if it does not reflect my individual stance, I recognize that the community I am a part of holds constitutional right to enact any decision approved democratically through voting.
Back to the subject at hand, I knew Bob through mutual friends long before he held any political aspirations. There was not a single one of them who had a negative word about him; everyone spoke highly of his character. At first I almost chided at the words, thinking them boisterous, near mythical descriptions of a plain man.
Bob grew up in the same town as me, we went through the same school system, and both appreciate the community that fostered us. Bob is older than me and he attended the school system years before I did. Ultimately I became acquainted to Bob through a close friend of mine whom I have always admired and respected. This individual has always displayed a drive to learn, holds a strong work ethic, and also has very strong family values. This friend, who I will not mention in respect for his privacy, has known Bob since he moved into town decades ago. Long before I was able to witness it myself, this person always spoke highly of Bob. He described Mr. Siegrist as a man who paralleled his own process, a man who always expressed the same great qualities which I had found so noble and honorable in my close friend.
Then, one weekend night, I met Bob Siegrist. Originally I had thought to decorate my previous sentence; lauding the ‘honor,’ ‘opportunity,’ or ‘privilege’ which I had to meet Representative Siegrist. But I want to relate to you the honest experience of meeting Bob Siegrist.
It was one of the most honest conversations I have had upon first meeting a person. He was then as he is now, a member of my community. Then he spoke to me about his interests, his affection for the people of the community and our mutual friends, and mainly his love for the roots he had established long ago when he moved into town and everything it had done for him. I began to understand why those who knew him personally spoke of Bob so highly.
In retrospect, currently seeing his restless work to benefit the people he represents, I can honestly say that labeling our introduction as an ‘honor’ would be a truthful representation. Personally, he displayed a humble generosity rarely found which I found to be an exceptional act towards an individual, myself, whom he had merely heard of through friends. Knowing him now, I find no surprise when I see him give the same reception to anyone he meets. When Bob transitioned into his pursuit of politics, I witnessed his personality traits evolve. As an elected official he displays honesty, a perceptive ear, and an unshakable drive to do better for the people who make up the community he inhabits and loves. I will be frank in saying, I have more recently grown even closer to Mr. Siegrist through messaging. He answers day and night, one particular instance when he was going over a proposed bill near 2 a.m. because he felt it was his duty to look over it multiple times before its discussion the following day. This, I can honestly attest, is the sort of person I would like to see more of in our government from the community level all the way up to the federal.
In conclusion, I say this simply, at the very least, learn about the man who has already properly represented your community for one term. Read about him, look over his website, or look in your local papers. But then, I strongly urge you to take another step as a citizen represented by Bob Siegrist and contact him in person. I can guarantee you that he will answer, even if shortly due to his constant work for the people of his gathered communities. As a life long citizen of a town which Mr. Siegrist represents, I support him totally. I will not flatly tell you to vote for him; instead I urge you to see what he has done and continues to do, then contact him. He leaves no voice of those he represents go unheard. Then, I can assure you, I will have no need to tell you to vote for him, as you will see for yourself why he is the best person to represent our communities.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
John Paul Bongiovanni
