Citizens Party talks about mistruths

Dear Editor,

When we began the Citizens Party campaign some months ago we pledged to give the Village of Owego a positive, 1st class campaign. I believe we have done just that by focusing on issues that matter, offering our thoughts and solutions to those issues in a detailed platform, and recruiting and running candidates that will implement those solutions.

I had hoped our opponents would also take the high road and would run a campaign focused on the issues and facts. Unfortunately, this is not the case as is evident in the bold face mistruths being put out in their campaign literature and ads in what I view as a last grasp effort to remain in office and confuse the voters. The propaganda our opponents have engaged in is the typical "gutter politics" I would expect out of Washington and Albany not in the Village of Owego.

Mistruth #1: Our opponents claim we will hire a Village Administrator to run the business of the village. This is completely false. Our candidates and I had not even discussed such a proposition until this blatant disregard for the truth was put out there by our opponents last week. The Owego Citizens Party does not support a Village Administrator position.

Mistruth #2: Our opponents claim the reinstatement of wrongfully terminated volunteer firefighters ignores state mandates for training and residency requirements and will be "illegal." They also state the terminations are some sort of cost saving measure. Once again, these claims are false. The termination of the firefighters was handled illegally by the Village Board to begin with. All terminated firefighters should have been afforded a hearing by the Village Board within five days of their terminations. None were granted this right or due process they should have received.

I personally spoke with the "state" regarding training and equipment requirements. The only firefighters who need to be trained and equipped are the ones engaged in fighting fires. Those who do not wish to engage in fire suppression but want to help the department in other ways can do so. Also, the claim that this issue is over voting within the department is false too. There is right and wrong. We believe kicking out volunteers of any organization for political reasons is wrong. I think the founder of IBM, Thomas Watson, Sr. best sums up what we believe in his People Proposition. "The People Proposition – Sales people, manager people, factory people, and service people - all based on the word people. Titles are just titles, he continues, but people - individuals - are the heart of an organization. After all it is people power that does it." We need more people in our volunteer fire department and EMS services not less.

Mistruth #3: Our opponents state Village government doesn’t need to be reformed. Anyone who has attended the Village Board meetings or tried to engage the Mayor and Board over the issues knows this is far from the truth. Respect for citizens and businesses at Board meetings are lacking, concerns are not addressed, and input from citizens is discouraged. The Owego Citizens Party will reform this on Day 1 if we are elected. The Mayor and Village Board work for the citizens not the other way around.

I hope this refutes the continuing false propaganda our opponents have chosen to pursue. Please spread this information to your family, friends and co-workers as we want to truth to be known.

I also encourage you to vote "Row B" for Better Government this Tuesday, March 16.

Sincerely,

Patrick M. Gavin

Chairperson, Owego Citizens Party

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