By William "Willy" Suitor
Dear friends and fellow Porter residents: Please give me a moment of your time to share with you my Town of Porter election message. If you care for this town as I do, you will want to consider my position on topics critical to the sustainment and health of our community.
My decision to run for Town Council is twofold: to balance our community interests and to get involved with a seat at the table.
Attending Town Board meetings, it struck me that the entire Town Board was represented by the Republican Party and has been for years. Democracy is a balance of representation and perspective.
Initially supported and endorsed by the Democrats, one of my Republican opponents challenged my petitions to run, based on a petition form technicality. Rather than use the Town of Porter as their address, my supporters used either Youngstown or Ransomville. This initially disqualified my candidacy, but has since been struck down by a state judge. However, not in time for me to run on the Independence or Democratic party lines.
Rather than allow my opponent to dictate the outcome of the election, I enthusiastically decided to run as an Independent Party candidate and form my own party, the "One Majority" Party. The world of "politics" is all new to me, but I am learning fast. On Election Day, I will appear only on one line on the ballot sheet. With that in mind, on Election Day look at the ballot carefully, should you choose to vote for me, be sure to vote "One Majority." I sincerely appreciate your support and confidence.
As an important reminder, remember you are free Americans, free to choose who to vote for. You are not required to vote for the candidates who run on the party you are affiliated with; this is not Russia or North Korea.
Why am I running and why do I want a seat at the table? To provide balanced representation. The Republican Party has dominated the Town Board and the way business is run for over 20 years; "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."
For example, the egregious and deliberate violation of town zoning laws on Lake Road in favor of a former Town Council member. Large, industrial-sized buildings were built on a Lake Road property with "permits" issued after residents complained.
No such permits could legally be issued due to the fact that area is zoned for "Residential/Agricultural." Industrial-type sand blasting, spray painting and heavy equipment repair were being conducted on the property and continued, even after complaints were filed by neighbors.
Additionally on this property, a very large pond was excavated, thousands of cubic yards of clay and soil were piled on the property and in a county that is home to numerous landfills. There are town laws that prohibit pond permits without an extensive review and justification to prevent our beautiful land from once again turning into a chemical wasteland. The politics of single-party Republican domination have to stop. We need and deserve balanced party representation to provide necessary checks and balance of town business.
So, what is my platform? I will be a voice of one, but I will be a loud voice. No more backroom discussions of town business. Business needs to be aired and entered into the minutes of all meetings where town business is discussed and then published on the town's web site for all to read.
Furthermore, I fully support the new town zoning officer. He is a fair person with a thankless job and deserves our support.
Taxes and renewable energy are a top priority. Did you know CWM is no longer paying the town the large annual sums it was for years; where and how will this income loss be offset? Do we raise taxes, do we make cuts, if either, where and to whom? No one wants higher taxes, no one wants cuts to programs or services; let's talk about this, in open public forums.
I am not in favor of any "gentrification" of our town. We are a residential/agricultural community, have been for over 200 years; let's keep it that way and leave our farmers alone to take care of our land and provide this community a sustainable income. I am completely in favor of attracting clean, quiet industry to Porter ... in the areas of the town zoned for it.
As you know, we sit on the windy shore of Lake Ontario. Let's take advantage of nature's clean and quiet resources and explore alternative electrical generation.
This would not only be a win-win for our farmers, but could be advantageous for all town citizens through lower electrical rates and tax advantages. Many farmers and communities in New York have benefitted greatly from alternative electrical generation. Let's explore the pros and cons; let's work together to bring our projects to our community that will help in the sustainment and health of the Town of Porter.
The candidate, the fellow community member: I am William (Willy) Suitor, a life-long resident of the Town of Porter with roots to this community dating back to 1812 - two years before Tom Tower's family. My wife, Cheryl, and I have been married over 50 years, raised seven children in this community, and are blessed with 16 grandchildren. Four of our children have served in the armed forces, two of them "lifers" - retiring as a master sergeant and a colonel. We are all proud Americans. We are proud to be members of the Town of Porter community and care deeply about our future and the next generation.
I am known as "Willy" with a diverse history - the "Rocketman," who began flying the Bell Rocketbelt in 1964 and appeared in numerous movies, TV shows, Super Bowl I and the 1984 Olympics. I worked for the New York Power Authority, retiring in 2002 as a senior control room operator after 32 years. I am an artist with numerous accolades. Go to www.billsuitor.com for more information about my background.
It is time for change; it is time for balanced representation, and time for you to cast your ballot in the secrecy of the booth.
I ask for your support and your vote on Election Day. Remember, a majority of one can make a difference!
