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When in need, family let down by Reed

On July 3, my father-in-law passed away while on a trip in South America. He was a longtime resident of Steuben County and a veteran. One bit of “neighborly wisdom” I’ve often heard is, if you have a death in the family overseas, call your representative in Congress.

Tom Reed boasts about his accessibility and his great care for the families in his district. “This is our primary focus. Constituent service is what representation is really all about,” he said.

Andy Goodell in the State Assembly agrees, “Both Tom and his staff are constantly accessible to talk with and address our families’ needs. Tom is who we need in Washington because he will make sure families in Western New York are put first.”

Reed stylizes himself as a friend to veterans, “We care about our veterans and they deserve our very best. Together, let’s honor what the defenders of our freedom have endured for us and our nation.”

I called Reed’s offices in Corning and in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 4. I didn’t expect an answer, but a voice on the line would have been most welcome. I understood that on a federal holiday, no one would be at work.

Thankfully there was someone at work, the Marine duty officer at the U.S. Consulate in Ecuador, CW Malinak. He was gracious and kind on the phone, detailing all the paperwork and contacts we would need to start the process.

Over the next two days, together with U.S. Consular staff and the mortician, my 18-year-old son was able to navigate the bureaucracies of two countries and bring the remains of his grandfather home.

On July 7, Tom Reed’s office called. July 7. I felt like an afterthought, a footnote.

The takeaway here, for me anyway, is that between the Internet and the kindness of strangers even the most difficult task can be resolved. Perhaps if I was a donor to Reed’s campaign, or if I didn’t live so close to Tompkins County and its “extreme Ithaca liberals” we may have been helped sooner.

We were a family in need of representation, so we thought. Turns out we didn’t need Tom Reed at all.

Thanks for nothing, Tom.

Tim Page is a resident of Spencer, which is to the east of Elmira in Tioga County.

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