Christine and Kevin are the ones with vision

To the Editor:

Don’t blame the Guilderland Democratic Committee if it fails to understand the concept of a primary. They’ve never done it before. This year, for the first time, registered Democrats have the opportunity of selecting candidates for the town board from four individuals who have collected the required number of signatures to be on the primary ballot as opposed to the gathering of the usual collection of the good old boys’ (and girls’) club to rubber stamp candidates selected by the small inner circle of committee members.

The openness of a primary election should not be a difficult concept. After all, when did the national committee endorse a presidential candidate in a primary election for a basic up or down vote? Plebiscites are for third world autocracies. Shame on those Democratic committee members who wrote the letter to the editor claiming that they know best who should be on the ballot!

The choice for Democrats in the upcoming primary election is clear. Christine Napierski and Kevin McDonald espouse a forward-looking concept for a town that is presently failing miserably to deal with its growing pains. They rightly want to take a hard look at expansion seemingly governed over the past years more by the developers rather than those elected and appointed to follow the directives put forth in the comprehensive plan.

Christine and Kevin see vacant and environmentally sensitive land being irreversibly decimated for unrealistically projected tax revenues while at the same time, the largest taxpayer, the Pyramid Corporation, repeatedly sues the town over its assessment, crying poverty and hardship all the while strong-arming to rip up even more land to construct more buildings for which it will most likely demand a decrease in assessment.

Both the incumbent trying to remain on the board for 20 years and the other endorsed candidate on record for acquiescing to Pyramid’s desires have no stated vision for the town as demonstrated by their silence and/or pedestrian comments made during sessions in their current positions.

Christine and Kevin have listened to the comments by townspeople, particularly in geographical areas of the town presently underrepresented on the board. They are demonstrating the courage to speak up and they will continue to do that as members of the town board.

What we have witnessed in the last several years is a top-down administration affecting not only the town board, but by extension the appointed planning board, the zoning board of appeals, and the industrial development agency. There is a total lack of checks and balances in the town governance. All we hear is “yes, yes, yes” without meaningful discussion.

The supervisor has even gone to court to argue favorably to benefit Pyramid in the appeal of the extensive ruling against the flawed planning board decision. How could the board approve such a thing? Isn’t the supervisor supposed to represent all of the residents of the town and not just those who support Pyramid’s unbridled expansion? Why do we have a paid town attorney?

Regardless of party affiliation, there is an urgent, yes urgent need for independence on the part of the four town board council people. Christine and Kevin are more than capable of providing that independence honed by their experience in their respective professions.

They have the empathy to listen and the fortitude to speak out on behalf of all residents of the town. Not only must registered Democrats exercise their right to make party selections in the newly established primary process, independents should encourage their Democratic friends to vote for Christine and Kevin to insure that the best possible candidates appear on the November general election ballot.

Frank Casey

Guilderland

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