The Haters are attacking Forestport. We are experiencing their scorched-earth campaign, that includes constant attacks on social media and in newspapers.
On the surface it looks like the perpetrators are attacking me.
But the reality is they are attacking any and ALL of us who want to improve our town, its image, or run for public office.
Their campaign is based on lies, distortions and an incomplete presentation of the facts.
Their intent is clear: Make the governing environment so ugly that no God-fearing family person would ever want to be subjected to its slander or serve in elective office.
This, of course, would leave the door wide open for them to retake power.
There are about six participants in this, their mouthpiece being Dave Ultsch.
They are disruptive at Town Board meetings, making noisy outbursts.
They attempt to overwhelm the majority of our public, that supports this Board’s efforts and that offer positive ideas.
Few of you come to the budget or Town Board meetings. This is typical, as voters elect representatives to do business on their behalf.
But it would be nice to see more of you in attendance as we conduct this business.
You are invited, all of you who have a stake in the Town of Forestport and its operations.
We have a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Town Hall.
It would be nice to see some of you there.
Those of you, who followed the last election, know the terrible price Joan and I paid for opposing the entrenched bosses of this town.
I did not become your Supervisor for personal gain. Nor have I done anything that, in my opinion, was not in the best interest of our town.
I operated my office for about $23,000 less than the previous Supervisor, and my first budget will show a reduction from the 2014 budget of about $126,423.
The fact is, this has made me the most unpopular person in our Town Government.
But, this is what I ran to do; and it is the RIGHT thing to do.
For way too many years, our town has been allowed to drift from other townships, spending without care, as other towns have fought to protect their taxpayers.
You don’t reset some of these injustices without upsetting a few longtime beneficiaries.
But, neither do you walk away from fiscal responsibility simply to avoid discomfort.
We are moving on a better path heading into 2015. And I thank the Board for recognizing the need for redirecting this town’s finances, and for stepping to the plate with me.
We need to retake our town from the uglies. We need to continue making Forest-port a better town.
Thank You,
Parker Snead, Supervisor
Town of Forestport