BY JODY BENSON
Los Alamos

As an elder of Los Alamos, I’ve sat through many (many many) County Council meetings since way back in the day when Council members and the two or three attendees would yell at each other like at a Texas school board meeting—way back before the Council decided to train to become an actually governing body guided by Robert’s Rules of Order that listened to constituents as a representative democracy. 

For the past couple decades, however, we’ve had a pretty great Council that takes time at meetings to allow constituent participation to share in deciding the stunningly complex issues related to the needs of citizens of a little city with a huge international impact. 

Dealing with complexity that is both local and international is hard work.  Governing is way more than a four-hour-a-month commitment. It takes time and experience. You gotta go to trainings, do your homework, participate in statewide committees, take time to communicate with constituents, know local issues needing to be advanced nationally, and make difficult decisions to ensure we budget the huge LANL windfall for the betterment of the community.  

Randall Ryti does all that.  He thinks globally and acts locally.  As a scientist he understands that Los Alamos should be the national leader in using science to develop systems to curtail climate change.  As Council Chair he led the Council in approving the far-sighted Los Alamos Resiliency and Sustainability Task Force to create and adopt a strategic climate action plan for Los Alamos County that will—despite that some candidates believe it’s not our responsibility—contribute our bit to having a livable planet for our kids and other species.  

Chair Ryti has run the Council meetings, knowing that yes, it takes time (sometimes an insufferable amount of time) to discuss, then take action on, issues. He’s on multiple state governance committees and knows how to lobby our national delegation. He has worked on funding our values through choices made on the County budget.  He doesn’t always vote my way, but his votes are informed.

I’m voting for Randall Ryti’s informed votes.  I’m voting for his intelligence, experience, leadership, and dedication to the community.  There are many many issues in government.  Your vote will determine how these issues are dealt with. Vote.  Thanks.