BY KEI DAVIS
Los Alamos

My response to Mark Mitchell’s letter to the editor https://losalamosreporter.com/2026/05/22/lte-its-time-to-give-hand-the-boot/. Mr. Mitchell is apparently spun up about a single issue, Hand’s vote against raising the minimum wage in Los Alamos and the possibility of a conflict of interest. I will speculate that the employees of the manufacturing/machining businesses with which she is associated are skilled workers who are paid far above the proposed new minimum wage, and that her concern is in fact for the Ruby K’s etc.

In any case, I’ve never agreed with all of the views of any politician of which I’ve been aware.  Friends either, for that matter.  But in a democratic election, ideally one votes for the best of the bunch (or the least bad of the bunch).  “Ideally” because often one must rationally vote for the best candidate that has a plausible chance of winning unless one is simply sending a message.  The playing field for Los Alamos county councilor seems relatively even, so:

Melanee has publicly documented her activities in her capacity as county councilor.  Obviously she is very dedicated to the job.  I’ll just add that she exhibits that often-wanting trait, common sense.  Based on all that information, I voted for Melanee Hand.