LETTER: Questions Rep. Anderson's Work Experience

To the Editor,
I fear that Rep. Sarah Anderson has been less than forthcoming regarding her work experience, as she has with other issues, and I'm wondering whether this reflects a trend. 

A week ago, one of your readers wrote a letter of support for Rep. Anderson's opponent, Audrey Britton.  In his comments, the writer lauded Ms. Britton's extensive and successful business experience, and suggested it provided a stark contrast to Rep. Anderson, who by all accounts has worked for either a political party or the state government since graduating from college.  Rep. Anderson responded the same day, saying that, "I have worked in the private sector. This fact has been public since I first ran for office in 2006." 

I found her statement curious in light of the writer's comments, so I researched her claim and was unable to verify it. Neither her government web site nor her campaign web site say anything more than, "Previous experience in business and technology," which is strangely vague, at best.

So, being a resident in her district, I sent her office a request for specifics about this, and a week later have yet to receive a response.   How hard can it be to give one's work experience?  And while I know she's busy campaigning and enjoying the end-of-summer activities, she didn't hesitate to ask the letter writer to post a correction. 

I raise this issue because I and others think it's important for people to be straightforward and honest when asked a question, and Rep. Anderson has shown a tendency to be otherwise.  I have heard from more than a few people who have been visited by her that she was misleading when they asked her about her position about the proposed ballot amendments.  Rather than answering them directly and honestly by saying that she supports them, which she does, she simply says "I'm working on it." 

So I call on Rep. Anderson to state for the record where she worked in the private sector, when, for whom, and what was her job description.

Sincerely,
Kelly Guncheon

Plymouth

(Editor's Note: Rep. Anderson responded to the inquiry about her private sector work experience in the comment section of another letter that asked about it. The comment is from her, but posted by Plymouth MN Patch Editor Stefanie Briggs on Anderson's behalf.)