Letter: Sarah Goff
I met Mindy Domb at a campaign event last week. On paper, she was my leading choice for our district’s seat in the state House of Representatives for several reasons. I am a primary care pediatrician and internist and have worked in community health centers in Western Massachusetts for the majority of my career. Call it Healthcare for All, call it Medicare for All, call it what you will - primary care doctors across the country (and around the world) understand the need for access to affordable high quality health care to be healthy and thrive. Ms. Domb’s strong support for government ensuring this need met is high on my list of reasons to vote for her. What I learned when I went to the event last week was that her support for government’s role stems not only from her philosophical perspective, but from her career spent working to meet the health and social needs of disadvantaged populations in New York and Massachusetts, and from a recognition that social needs are health needs.
As a child of first generation college graduates (UMASS), I and my family have benefitted immensely from high-quality, affordable public education in Massachusetts. My immediate family holds a total of eight undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees from Massachusetts institutions of higher education. At a time when a college degree is necessary for procuring a job with a living wage and the cost of college is skyrocketing, Ms. Domb’s support of public education in Massachusetts is another reason I support her candidacy. When I asked Ms. Domb about her position on charter schools, she recognized both the positives and negatives of the current system and had excellent ideas for how to keep the positives while addressing the negatives.
The Mindy Domb I met in person was even more compelling, if possible than the Mindy Domb on paper. She listens, she is a coalition builder, and she has extensive experience working within and with the government during her career. She will be a highly effective legislator and will fight for the issues our district values. She has my vote.
Sarah Goff
