Scott Steve's Message to Voters in the Second Ward

Many people have said that I’m not a good politician. And you know, they're right.

I’m not a politician at all. I’m a husband and father, a neighbor, a friend, a taxpayer, a volunteer - and I’m a worker.

When I asked for your vote in 2001 and 2003, I promised to work for the good of the county. Not for a political party, not for special interests, not to gain popularity - but to work for you.

I promised that I would work with 18 other legislators to improve our situation and put an end to the huge tax increases. And that’s just what we did - as a team.

I know that change is never easy, but change is inevitable.

When the legislature's leadership changed two years ago, we were faced with a lot of problems. We had to make tough decisions.

We knew from the start that the decisions that simply had to be made were not going to be embraced by everybody. Some eggs have to be broken to make an omelet, after all.

Now some "bad eggs" want you to make a decision based not on what has been accomplished, nor on what is planned. They want you to share their anger and punish me for having made the tough decisions that have led to a brighter future - for all of us.

I am proud of what our team has accomplished. I am proud that we accomplished everything that I promised you that I would work for. I am proud that the achievements have been bipartisan.

Positive change takes hard work, it requires accountability, and it takes time. There will always be those who say it should have or could have been done differently. Maybe. But arguing over how it might have been done differently contains an admission on their part: that what we accomplished was worth it.

Ignore the insults and anger coming from my opponents for just a second. Have you heard even one idea regarding a plan for our county's future? Can you think of even one positive thing they have offered? Have they attended meetings and forums where they put forth these ideas so that you could compare them to mine? No - they offer only bitterness.

I am offering a 4-year record and a plan for not just the next two years, but for the county that our children will one day inherit.

When you vote on Tuesday, ask yourself whether Cortland County is a better place than it was two years ago. Ask yourself if your taxes are holding steady. Ask yourself if rewarding those who offer only slander and character assassination is in the best interest of you, your family, or your neighbors and friends.

I have made good on the promises that I made you. I hope you remember this when you vote on Tuesday. Vote to endorse the good things that have happened and the good things yet to come.