| Hello Everyone:
I want to take this opportunity to thank you- the voters of Airmont, Chestnut Ridge and Suffern- for giving me the opportunity to be of service to you as your next Legislator. This campaign was about you. It was about us. It was about the future of our community and our families. It was about whether we would give up or fight for our suburban quality of life.
The people have decided to fight for our future… and I will carry that fight to the County Legislature. I am proud to be the first Preserve Ramapo member elected to County government. I will take to the Legislature our message and our proposals to preserve our suburban quality of life and our environment. I will speak the truth and work for reform. Here are my top 10 priorities: 1. A resolution in the County Legislature seeking the reform of Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. 2. A county-wide general land use and infrastructure plan- not to preempt local land use regulations but to guide local municipalities to control the traffic and overdevelopment plaguing our communities and to resist special interest pressures. 3. Protection of the Ramapo Highlands from overdevelopment. The Ramapo Highlands is an important source of our water supply and an important part of our natural environment which is worthy of preservation. Too many development plans are in the works for this area including Tuxedo Reserve which will eventually add over 1,000 units of new housing- negatively impacting our roads and water supply. 4. The strengthening of the County Planning Department and its powers to prevent overdevelopment in the Towns and municipalities of Rockland. 5. Changing the County charter to provide for interim elections of county legislators when vacancies occur instead of appointment by the County Legislature. I have had some personal experience with this issue and this change is definitely needed. 6. Establishment of a Fair Campaign Practices Board to keep elections clean and fair and prevent mudslinging. Westchester has such a board and Rockland desperately needs one. Again, I have recently had some personal experience with this issue. 7. Establishment of an RLUIPA fund to help cash-strapped municipalities fighting RLUIPA lawsuits by giving them low interest County loans to pay the lawyers they need to defend themselves. 8. Reform of the Rockland Sewer District to require more transparent reporting of information to residents and municipalities on the state of our sewer system. 9. Continuing the fight against the FAA re-routing plan. Recently we achieved the goal of obtaining 1,000 signatures on a petition against the plan. You can still sign the petition at 10. Continuing the fight to get the Town of Ramapo government to be responsive to the will of its residents, not just the special interests. This means stopping the continual down-zoning, enforcing the building codes, reviewing tax exempt properties, eliminating adult student housing zones, implementing a ward system, allowing the formation of new Villages when the residents want them, and formally dedicating open space acquisitions as parkland, among other needed reforms. To help me in this mission I intend to form an advisory committee of residents within our community and will be announcing the members of that committee in the coming weeks. Although Preserve Ramapo was not as successful in its Ramapo Town-wide races as it was in my election, Preserve Ramapo articulated a positive agenda for our Town’s future and won a solid majority of the 90 election districts in the Town. Now it is up to all of us to stay involved and stay active and insist that our government listen and respond. I intend to be very active in that effort and I need all of you to stay active in that effort. Unlike many politicians, my influence in government will come not by attaining a position but by having the people on my side fighting for what is right.
Do not be discouraged. Stay the course and believe in a positive future for our suburban communities. We will get there if we stay positive and focused. You have elected me for this purpose. This is my mission and I will remain steadfast with your help. Thanks again for your vote of confidence. I won’t let you down.
|
