Blog Posts - October 2011

He Thinks Everything is Peachy Keen

By Michael Smith, on Oct 26, 2011

My opponent bristles anytime I mention the nuisance regulations and nuisance taxation that Westchester businesses need to deal with on a regular basis. He says I don't know what I'm talking about.

I say that he has not been listening to the same taxpayers of this district that I've been talking to every night.

You can vote for the person who thinks everything is just “peachy keen”, or you can vote for change. I represent the change.

Spano-Nonna Affordable Housing Settlement:Too Late To Be Making Excuses

By Michael Smith, on Oct 21, 2011

The Spano-Nonna Affordable Housing Settlement in which Mr. Nonna was the deciding vote was predicated upon his belief that the county’s financial exposure would be limited to $51 million and that local zoning ordinances would be respected. Just within the past few weeks, the regional director of HUD stated that the $51 million is only “a down payment” on the settlement. He also stated that “impediments” to integrating housing throughout Westchester County must be eliminated. Mr. Nonna had an obligation to isolate Mount Pleasant from this settlement.

When Rob Astorino was campaigning against Andy Spano, he was told in a public debate by Mr. Spano that he and Mount Pleasant were racist for not accepting the HUD funds.  Mr. Nonna should have felt compelled to protest this outrageous attack but political party constraints silenced him. He was obligated to protect Mount Pleasant from the settlement agreement since the town never accepted any HUD money but  he failed his constituents when he voted to accept the agreement without procuring an exemption for Mount Pleasant. Today, Mount Pleasant is one of the targeted municipalities that may be forced to accept affordable housing settlement units.

The Spano-Nonna Affordable Housing Settlement was a bad agreement from the outset.

It's too late to be making excuses. We deserve a legislator who will make decisions that will benefit the taxpayers of District 3.

We The Voters Are At Fault

By Michael Smith, on Oct 17, 2011

We the voters are at fault for the individuals in the county legislature. We elected legislators who thought it was a great idea to put sex offender housing right across the street from a children's hospital. This county elected a state senator from Westchester, an alumnus of the Westchester County Legislature, who thought it would be a great idea to impose a soda tax. Pepsi is one of most prominent employers and taxpayers in Westchester County. How would it impact the economic model of Westchester if Pepsi was to relocate to one of 49 other states?

We elected legislators who in the rush-rush redistricting process gerrymandered the Democratic board chairman into his real district and a Republican candidate out of his, and used as their consultant an individual who's been involved in lawsuits against Westchester County. This alleged nonpartisan consultant called the League of Women Voters “crybabies” when they thought the process was not appropriately handled. 

The future of our district lies in the hands of the voters. I ask for you to show your support for Rob Astorino’s vision and I ask for you, your families and your friends to come to the polls and vote for Michael Smith. I can make a difference.

The Right Man For The Job

By Michael Smith, on Oct 13, 2011

When your plumbing is clogged, you would typically call a plumber. My opponent, John Nonna, is a lawyer and I am a chief financial officer and a CPA. Westchester's problems now center on taxes and financial discipline. Our problems will not be solved with more laws from lawyers. Now is the time that the county legislator’s body can use a professional who has run businesses and knows that when the revenue stream is not growing, expenses should not be growing either.

Are They Representing Your Best Interests Or Their Own?

By Michael Smith, on Oct 9, 2011

There's never been a single County Legislator who elected themselves. It has been through our votes or a lack of votes that has placed each of these men and women into office. Unfortunately too many of these individuals view the Westchester County Legislature as a stepping stone into a “higher” position. Certainly I don't fault anyone for having higher aspirations for themselves, for certainly that is the American way. Unfortunately sometimes I believe these aspirations and the use of the County Legislature as a platform for the individual Legislator’s greater good does not serve the taxpayers all that well. One legislator wants to become the next chairman of legislators, another one wants the County Executive’s job, some want to be judges, some want to go to Albany and one would like to be our next Congressman.

I want to be your next County Legislator, that’s all. I have absolutely no aspirations to be anything more than a citizen legislator and make Westchester a great place to live. If elected I will enforce a term limit on myself much shorter than the prescribed legislative term limit. The Westchester County Legislative body can prospectively grow and refresh itself from fresh ideas and motivated professionals.