If you have no ideas...
shut out the people who do.
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/cartoons/01-26-2006.gif
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/cartoons/01-26-2006.gif
posted by Doc Paul @ 9:43 AM
0 comments
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Interesting chronology
This lengthy time line presents events germane to the situation in Iraq, going back to the 1970's.
Some other useful links:
Glenn Reynolds
National Public Radio
President Clinton
Bill Tierney (former UN Weapons Inspector)
Some other useful links:
Glenn Reynolds
National Public Radio
President Clinton
Bill Tierney (former UN Weapons Inspector)
posted by Doc Paul @ 8:13 AM
0 comments
Monday, November 14, 2005
A little Italian humor
For all the Italians out there, or those who are lucky enough to be married to an Italian!
An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian anisette sprinkle cookies wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite anisette sprinkle cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife ......
"Back off!" she said. "They're for the funeral."
An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian anisette sprinkle cookies wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite anisette sprinkle cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife ......
"Back off!" she said. "They're for the funeral."
posted by Doc Paul @ 8:38 PM
0 comments
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Smear campaign
This article was also in the Saturday (November 12, 2005) edition of The Cortland Standard; click on images for enlarged view:
posted by Doc Paul @ 7:05 PM
0 comments
Posted without further comment (at this time)
This is an article that appears in the Saturday, November 12, 2005 edition of The Cortland Standard; click on images for larger view:
posted by Doc Paul @ 1:49 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Be-FUD-dled
The latest last-minute claim of the opponents of legislative success is that we have increased spending in the budget from $71 to $83 million. They claim that this means that we have increased spending by $12 million. In a word: No.
The Administrator, who, for a period of time, our opponents wanted to seize on as the sole reason for legislative success (before deciding that they should deny that there was success!), has done many good things. One of these is to make the county budget more transparent by moving things that had been kept off budget onto the budget, where anyone with an interest could scrutinize them. In the past, they were kept off budget, essentially invisible to the taxpayers who footed the bill. Either way, the spending was there. The Administrator's way, which I wholeheartedly endorse, is a more honest and open way of showing spending.
So what is the real record? Here it is:
There are increases in this year's budget: for the increased cost of the CSEA contract, for the anticipated costs of the reclassifications that will be the result of implementation of the Management study, for retirement benefits, and for health insurance. (As an aside, the magnitude of the increase in health insurance costs is much less, thanks to Scott Steve's initiative in getting the county a new - and better - policy.) We are beginning year one of a long-term infrastructure project (check out the photos here and here if you want to see for yourself why). Some programs costs are more or less dictated to us (e.g., pre-school ed, Medicaid). The total increase in spending is about 1/6 of what our opponents claim. It is on the order of 2.5% of on-budget spending.
So we have made the budget more transparent by putting more expenditures on-budget. The downside is that it makes apples-to-apples comparisons more difficult. As the Administrator states in his budget: "Significant accounting changes were made in 2004, 2005, and 2006 capturing or excluding transactions previously reported off or on the general ledger". Our opponents have the same information, but instead of being honest about it, they are using it to sow discord - and to try to realize political gain.
It's just so much more FUD. Don't believe it.
All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indicia are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.
The Administrator, who, for a period of time, our opponents wanted to seize on as the sole reason for legislative success (before deciding that they should deny that there was success!), has done many good things. One of these is to make the county budget more transparent by moving things that had been kept off budget onto the budget, where anyone with an interest could scrutinize them. In the past, they were kept off budget, essentially invisible to the taxpayers who footed the bill. Either way, the spending was there. The Administrator's way, which I wholeheartedly endorse, is a more honest and open way of showing spending.
So what is the real record? Here it is:
YEAR..
.REVENUES.....EXPENSES.....SURPLUS/DEFICIT2001..
64,761,181.. 68,536,165.. 3,774,9842002..
59,226,967.. 59,249,580.. ...22,6132003..
63,608,425.. 61,477,372.. 2,131,0532004..
68,401,898.. 63,502,798.. 4,899,100
There are increases in this year's budget: for the increased cost of the CSEA contract, for the anticipated costs of the reclassifications that will be the result of implementation of the Management study, for retirement benefits, and for health insurance. (As an aside, the magnitude of the increase in health insurance costs is much less, thanks to Scott Steve's initiative in getting the county a new - and better - policy.) We are beginning year one of a long-term infrastructure project (check out the photos here and here if you want to see for yourself why). Some programs costs are more or less dictated to us (e.g., pre-school ed, Medicaid). The total increase in spending is about 1/6 of what our opponents claim. It is on the order of 2.5% of on-budget spending.
So we have made the budget more transparent by putting more expenditures on-budget. The downside is that it makes apples-to-apples comparisons more difficult. As the Administrator states in his budget: "Significant accounting changes were made in 2004, 2005, and 2006 capturing or excluding transactions previously reported off or on the general ledger". Our opponents have the same information, but instead of being honest about it, they are using it to sow discord - and to try to realize political gain.
It's just so much more FUD. Don't believe it.
All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indicia are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.
posted by Doc Paul @ 6:25 AM
0 comments
Monday, November 07, 2005
Black Monday
There is no good reason why today should be a dark day, but given the way the opponents of the legislature's success have conducted their campaign, we suspect that they will try something underhanded. All through this campaign, they have offered rumor, innuendos, misleading statements, and personal attacks. We have offered a record of success and a plan for tomorrow.
They have a record of using the day before the campaign to sow Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD).
In 2001 - on the Monday before the election - they distributed a flyer on blue paper, known as the "Chicken Little" flyer, misleading county voters about the impending mega tax increases. We ran predicting that they were coming - a look at the budget and a little analysis showed that a huge property tax increase was inevitable. Voters didn't get the truth until after the election, which is why getting the budget out before the election became one of our main goals - a goal that we have met.
In 2003, they laid low, as the "leadership" of the Democratic party was not the same as it had been in 2001. Also, voters' memories of 2001 - and their 30+% increased property tax bill - ensured that it would be hard to run a campaign against what we had predicted, and which had (unfortunately for all of us) come true.
Now the "leadership" of 2001 is back and they are running the way they know best: personal attacks. It is so bad that one of the office holders who narrated a false and misleading radio ad thought about what he had done, and called the radio station to ask that the spot be pulled from the air. Stop and think about that for a moment...
When you vote tomorrow, focus on the important things:
I truly do not want to believe that my friends and neighbors will overlook my decade of contribution to this community because some who approach politics not as public service, but as blood sport, try some underhanded tactic at the last minute.
I have enjoyed being a part of this community for nearly ten years. I have contributed to it as best I can, giving of my time and talent. I have been successful as your representative in county government.
I ask you again for your support, and thank you for the opportunity you have given me - not just as a legislator, but to have a career, raise a family, and be a vital part of a great community.
PS: Here is today's Channel 2 schedule
11/7 @ 9:00 AM Cortlandville Legislative Forum
11/7 @ 5:30 PM Meet Candidate Paul DiGiovanni
11/7 @ 8:30 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)
UPDATE: Sein-FUD!
Well, as expected, the FUD arrived in the mailboxes of the voters today.
In my case, it takes the form of a postcard alleging bad behavior at a polling place - two months ago.
But I have this site to tell my story, so I will.
On the evening of the primary (Tuesday, September 13), I had been at the JM McDonald Center with my son at The Fitness Gap. After we finished and I brought him home, I went over to Parker School around 9 pm.
I stood outside the Madison Street entrance, with no plans to go inside, until I was invited in by an election official. She indicated that she and the other officials were having trouble turning the crank on the machine and would like some help. I took her up on her offer, and cranked the handle several dozen times, without delivery of any paper. They (and I) concluded that they had to try something else, so I backed away as they tried to unlock the machine.
At this point, Scott Steve asked me to go to the other end of the hallway and see if they had the results from the other district. I went down the hall and stood opposite the election workers' table, along with a couple of other people. One of these folks was Ken Tobin, with whom I later spoke. Behind the table was an election official whom I did not know by name, but recognized. She started asking me questions that had a certain "edge" to them. But I didn't rise to the bait, and waited along the wall for the results to be announced.
I simply observed as the officials struggled to open the machine (HAVA can't come quickly enough!). I didn't move toward the table until one of the officials, who was struggling to read the numbers on the page, made eye contact with me and asked me if I could read the numbers. I moved toward the table as she turned the pages so that the orientation would be appropriate for me (and Ken Tobin and the other person on the other side of the table), and told her that although I also was having a hard time reading the numbers, I thought the 3-digit number in question was "010".
At about this time, I noticed that a group of people had formed behind me. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic and tried to make my way out from the crush of people leaning in to see the results. I excused myself and moved away from the table. I heard Scott Steve suggest to the election official (the same one who had asked me to look at the sheet) that if she were to turn to a different sheet (there are multiple sheets), she would probably find another one with a much better imprint of the vote tally. She turned the page, and was satisfied that the number in question was in fact "010". At that point, the vote was known, and Scott and Ken Tobin started down the hall. I stayed behind for a moment, as Ken Tobin and I had a disagreement about whose numbers were whose. This disagreement wasn't spoken aloud; I just thought that Ken was inverting the columns of him and his opponent, and when the crowd thinned, I went in for a second look to see if it was Ken or I who had inverted the columns. (It was Ken.)
I caught up to Ken and Scott as they were walking toward the Madison Street entrance. Scott didn't realize that I had never formally met Ken, and introduced us. I distinctly remember Ken reaching the end of the hallway and greeting Shannon Terwilliger with "Congratulations. You win Round One", or something very similar. We then went outside and talked with Patrick Ruppe and Brian Liberatore, among others. These two reporters from the Cortland Standard witnessed everything that happened that I just described. Scott and I have asked them subsequently if anything untoward happened that night, and they both said "No".
This never would have been a ginned up issue but for an anonymous e-mail, delivered with the headers trimmed off a sheet of paper, alleging some sort of inappropriate behavior. One of the reporters, I am told, declined to write a story when given this e-mail, saying that he had observed the scene and that nothing had happened. However, the letter writing campaign was begun, and then this Seinfeld episode (a political attack about nothing: Sein-FUD!) took on a life of its own.
I didn't learn until later that the official who asked me to look at the tally sheet was a woman named Kay Smith. Scott Steve asked her, at the League of Women Voters forum on October 19, whether anything inappropriate had transpired that night. She said no.
But there are those who know they can't win without trying to destroy their opponent. And I apparently have reached the state of grace that makes me a marked man. Lying about something that never happened is the method du jour.
I would like readers to think about this: if anything truly happened that evening that merited anything even close to the hysteria that my opponents are trying to whip up, then where is the election official's formal complaint? Why did he not say anything to me when this happened, if what I allegedly did was so out of bounds? Why did the Cortland Standard not write an article about it, when they had two reporters there? Why did he wait two months to send out a postcard on election eve?
The answer is that no complaint was made and no article was written because nothing happened. It appears, though, that friendship with Scott Steve and proximity to him is apparently enough for opponents of progress to try to create a controversy.
Once again, the Election Eve FUD has been spread. Don't buy it.
All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indica are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.
They have a record of using the day before the campaign to sow Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD).
In 2001 - on the Monday before the election - they distributed a flyer on blue paper, known as the "Chicken Little" flyer, misleading county voters about the impending mega tax increases. We ran predicting that they were coming - a look at the budget and a little analysis showed that a huge property tax increase was inevitable. Voters didn't get the truth until after the election, which is why getting the budget out before the election became one of our main goals - a goal that we have met.
In 2003, they laid low, as the "leadership" of the Democratic party was not the same as it had been in 2001. Also, voters' memories of 2001 - and their 30+% increased property tax bill - ensured that it would be hard to run a campaign against what we had predicted, and which had (unfortunately for all of us) come true.
Now the "leadership" of 2001 is back and they are running the way they know best: personal attacks. It is so bad that one of the office holders who narrated a false and misleading radio ad thought about what he had done, and called the radio station to ask that the spot be pulled from the air. Stop and think about that for a moment...
When you vote tomorrow, focus on the important things:
- the record of the incumbent legislators
- the plans that we have offered
- the violence to public spirited-ness that rewarding personal attacks will do
- the hurt that our families have suffered, hearing and reading hateful things about their friends, their spouses, their moms and dads
- the fact that attacking someone else does nothing to advance what's good for the county
I truly do not want to believe that my friends and neighbors will overlook my decade of contribution to this community because some who approach politics not as public service, but as blood sport, try some underhanded tactic at the last minute.
I have enjoyed being a part of this community for nearly ten years. I have contributed to it as best I can, giving of my time and talent. I have been successful as your representative in county government.
I ask you again for your support, and thank you for the opportunity you have given me - not just as a legislator, but to have a career, raise a family, and be a vital part of a great community.
PS: Here is today's Channel 2 schedule
11/7 @ 9:00 AM Cortlandville Legislative Forum
11/7 @ 5:30 PM Meet Candidate Paul DiGiovanni
11/7 @ 8:30 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)
UPDATE: Sein-FUD!
Well, as expected, the FUD arrived in the mailboxes of the voters today.
In my case, it takes the form of a postcard alleging bad behavior at a polling place - two months ago.
But I have this site to tell my story, so I will.
On the evening of the primary (Tuesday, September 13), I had been at the JM McDonald Center with my son at The Fitness Gap. After we finished and I brought him home, I went over to Parker School around 9 pm.
I stood outside the Madison Street entrance, with no plans to go inside, until I was invited in by an election official. She indicated that she and the other officials were having trouble turning the crank on the machine and would like some help. I took her up on her offer, and cranked the handle several dozen times, without delivery of any paper. They (and I) concluded that they had to try something else, so I backed away as they tried to unlock the machine.
At this point, Scott Steve asked me to go to the other end of the hallway and see if they had the results from the other district. I went down the hall and stood opposite the election workers' table, along with a couple of other people. One of these folks was Ken Tobin, with whom I later spoke. Behind the table was an election official whom I did not know by name, but recognized. She started asking me questions that had a certain "edge" to them. But I didn't rise to the bait, and waited along the wall for the results to be announced.
I simply observed as the officials struggled to open the machine (HAVA can't come quickly enough!). I didn't move toward the table until one of the officials, who was struggling to read the numbers on the page, made eye contact with me and asked me if I could read the numbers. I moved toward the table as she turned the pages so that the orientation would be appropriate for me (and Ken Tobin and the other person on the other side of the table), and told her that although I also was having a hard time reading the numbers, I thought the 3-digit number in question was "010".
At about this time, I noticed that a group of people had formed behind me. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic and tried to make my way out from the crush of people leaning in to see the results. I excused myself and moved away from the table. I heard Scott Steve suggest to the election official (the same one who had asked me to look at the sheet) that if she were to turn to a different sheet (there are multiple sheets), she would probably find another one with a much better imprint of the vote tally. She turned the page, and was satisfied that the number in question was in fact "010". At that point, the vote was known, and Scott and Ken Tobin started down the hall. I stayed behind for a moment, as Ken Tobin and I had a disagreement about whose numbers were whose. This disagreement wasn't spoken aloud; I just thought that Ken was inverting the columns of him and his opponent, and when the crowd thinned, I went in for a second look to see if it was Ken or I who had inverted the columns. (It was Ken.)
I caught up to Ken and Scott as they were walking toward the Madison Street entrance. Scott didn't realize that I had never formally met Ken, and introduced us. I distinctly remember Ken reaching the end of the hallway and greeting Shannon Terwilliger with "Congratulations. You win Round One", or something very similar. We then went outside and talked with Patrick Ruppe and Brian Liberatore, among others. These two reporters from the Cortland Standard witnessed everything that happened that I just described. Scott and I have asked them subsequently if anything untoward happened that night, and they both said "No".
This never would have been a ginned up issue but for an anonymous e-mail, delivered with the headers trimmed off a sheet of paper, alleging some sort of inappropriate behavior. One of the reporters, I am told, declined to write a story when given this e-mail, saying that he had observed the scene and that nothing had happened. However, the letter writing campaign was begun, and then this Seinfeld episode (a political attack about nothing: Sein-FUD!) took on a life of its own.
I didn't learn until later that the official who asked me to look at the tally sheet was a woman named Kay Smith. Scott Steve asked her, at the League of Women Voters forum on October 19, whether anything inappropriate had transpired that night. She said no.
But there are those who know they can't win without trying to destroy their opponent. And I apparently have reached the state of grace that makes me a marked man. Lying about something that never happened is the method du jour.
I would like readers to think about this: if anything truly happened that evening that merited anything even close to the hysteria that my opponents are trying to whip up, then where is the election official's formal complaint? Why did he not say anything to me when this happened, if what I allegedly did was so out of bounds? Why did the Cortland Standard not write an article about it, when they had two reporters there? Why did he wait two months to send out a postcard on election eve?
The answer is that no complaint was made and no article was written because nothing happened. It appears, though, that friendship with Scott Steve and proximity to him is apparently enough for opponents of progress to try to create a controversy.
Once again, the Election Eve FUD has been spread. Don't buy it.
All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indica are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.
posted by Doc Paul @ 6:33 AM
0 comments
A few closing thoughts on future directions
Turning our plan into reality has proven successful the past two years.
Our Goals
Create a county-wide flood mitigation plan
Now let’s talk about some of our plans for a brighter tomorrow...
Our Goals
Create a county-wide flood mitigation plan
- We have met with local, state, and federal officials to assist with a county-wide plan to manage our streams and floodways
- FEMA grants for restoration of the banks of Otter Creek, Dry Creek, and Kennedy Parkway will be made available under our plan
- We were there for you with dumpsters and work crews this past April. With our plan, we hope that flooding will not be an issue in the future.
- Our plan to merge City Court into the County Courthouse will save taxpayers dollars by eliminating duplication of security, putting city officers back on the street
- By streamlining staff and consolidating offices, there will be greater efficiency for judges, officers, attorneys, and other court staff
- This frees up vitally needed space - the city would not need to build a new court for just their needs
- After an arrest is made, processing and holding until a hearing will be done by jail staff, freeing up city police officers for other duties - a far better use of their time
- Cells in the city police department will be freed up - creating more useful space in the already crowded City Hall
- Our plan is to build a new Health Center, funded by the tobacco settlement money, where agencies now in three buildings will merge - leading to greater efficiency for government and better service for you
- Some of the savings will be used for tobacco education, and some for tax relief
- We have begun implementation of a 20-year plan to address long-neglected and now crumbling infrastructure - bridges, culverts, and roads are now on schedule to be repaired or rebuilt
- We will bond for long-term projects and fund routine maintenance in the annual budget
posted by Doc Paul @ 6:22 AM
0 comments
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.
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.
posted by Doc Paul @ 5:20 AM
0 comments
