In 5th District, the choice is Scannell

Presented with the same two candidates who ran against each other in the last two county elections, the Herald is repeating its 2010 endorsement: We are backing seven-term incumbent Joe Scannell.

The issues this time around are familiar: The cash-strapped county needs to stimulate growth and continue to provide basic services while balancing the budget. The current economy is a backdrop against which any politician would appear lackluster. This has led many in the district to talk about making a change, but we don’t believe Chris Browne offers significant advantages over the man he would replace.

Browne’s criticisms of Scannell often ring true — Scannell focuses on things he’s done in the past, starting with clean ponds and Nunley’s Carousel. But this is more a lack of campaign acumen than a legislative failing. While it’s true that Scannell, in making his case, dwells on his early accomplishments, he has actually done considerable good in the communities he serves. He has secured more than $1 million for cosmetic and structural street-improvement projects and has delivered for schools, police, fire departments and villages. He is accessible to his constituents and prides himself on establishing regular community-outreach forums. He has organized nearly 100 town hall meetings, 25 free mammography vans and a highly laudable child-safety-seat program.

Scannell’s focus is where it needs to be when he is at work for his district. He claims to be a bit of a maverick, standing up to Republicans and Democrats alike, and we applaud this and encourage him to vote his conscience regardless of his party’s dictates.

This is a major shortcoming we perceive in Browne. As a candidate he trumpets Republican talking points while proclaiming his independence, but it’s difficult to imagine him diverging from the party line on any issue of significance.

In this time of fiscal crisis, innovative ideas are at a premium, and we would like to see Scannell generate suggestions and take a more prominent role in making them happen. Both he and Browne are qualified, intelligent and hardworking candidates who would represent the 5th L.D. well. But in a contest that recent history suggests will be close, we urge voters to re-elect Scannell on Nov. 8.