Letters

At this moment in time, if there’s a candidate better suited for the U.S. Congress than Bridget Fleming, I can’t think of one.

Ms. Fleming consistently fights for critical issues facing her constituents and has since she first won a special election for Southampton Town Board in March 2010. Recalling Bridget’s early days in office, and the issues confronting her and the Town of Southampton, one can discern the vision, knowledge and skills required of a true leader.

Elected to office during a time of severe fiscal problems for Southampton, Bridget quickly addressed specific problems created by past administration’s fiscal mismanagement and, with her colleagues, made the tough decisions to generate a budget surplus and restore the town’s credit rating. Thus began a decade-plus of sound fiscal management that Bridget helped birth and nurture.

Southampton Town is making progress improving water quality, and Bridget’s early leadership was critical to improve our degraded waters. In 2016, Bridget’s statement in support for the Southampton Town Coastal Resources and Water Protection Plan clarified the urgency:

“At this point, we have been in this for the long run, as our coastal resources face the triple threat of pollution, coastal erosion and sea level rise, and also overdevelopment. It is time to really look at this carefully, as we have, and make a statement that we are supportive of an intelligent and long-lasting sustainable approach to our coastal resources.”

Protecting our health from the scourge of opioid addiction is another issue Bridget has successfully addressed. She was a leader in the Suffolk County Legislature to hold Purdue Pharmacy accountable for the role it played in the opioid crisis, and she facilitated a training session for the administration of Narcan, a fast-acting antidote used on persons suspected of overdosing on heroin and other opioids.

Restoring town finances, improving water quality and finding solutions to the scourge of opioid misuse for Southampton residents barely scratches the surface of issues addressed by Bridget, but it demonstrates that she can bring a legacy of commitment and success to Congress.

Mike Anthony

Westhampton

Anthony is a former chair of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee — Ed.