Letters

Well, this is a time to be judgmental, and we must compare and contrast candidates and vote for the candidate who best suits our vision of the best local government that we deserve.

So, my guidelines are: What is the candidate’s real history, and where is their strength of character? C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying, “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking.” A candidate may have charisma, be well-spoken, claim to have done many things, but I am interested not in what you say but what you have really done in life, and what you have done when the voters weren’t looking.

So, in some ways, I like to turn back the clock and see what they have really done in the community that they live in. Did they help their neighbors and others make our world a better place before politics? I also like to know where their money comes from — that tells us a lot about who they really owe. Is their loyalty to us or to that donor or party who has bolstered the campaign treasurer?

I have known Greg Robins since our teenage years — he was honest, hardworking, intelligent and community-minded back then and remains the same today. Greg and his bride, Linda, have lived and owned a home in the Town of Southampton their entire adult lives.

Greg spent 39 years as a teacher and administrator in the William Floyd School District and was a leader on that staff. Greg has been a volunteer firefighter in the North Sea Fire Department for 30 years and is currently one of the commissioners. Greg has been a Boy Scout leader, along with his wife, Linda, as long as I can remember. Greg and Linda are active volunteers in their parish at the Basilica of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton.

Many of us have brought children into this world, and that brings joy and a lot of work and dedication to be a good parent. What Greg doesn’t say on the campaign trail is that he and his bride, Linda, adopted two infant boys and nurtured them in a loving and disciplined household, and they are well-adjusted and productive adults. Their son Clint is a major in the U.S. Army, and Jarred works in a local business.

I am proud to have Greg Robins as my friend and I will vote for him on Election Day, because I believe his real history demonstrates the leadership we need.

William HughesHampton Bays