In a desperate effort this weekend to distract voters from the real issues in this campaign for city council and get the focus on himself, Jared Rice once again, attempted to besmirch Mr. Parente. What Mr. Rice has continued to miss, throughout this entire process, is that this race for city council in District 3 is not about him, but about you, the residents and taxpayers.
This campaign for city council in District 3 is about our hard working residents who desperately need relief from the over-taxing and careless-spending policies that have been the order of the day for the current majority. A majority that has raised taxes 33.5% just in the past five years alone, and have lost touch with you the taxpayers. Just like Jared Rice, they have been more focused on party politics than on the people they are there to serve.
Thirty years of the same majority in city hall has led to stagnation, over-burdening taxes, irresponsible development, a reduction in public safety services, a lack of true sales-tax producing retail and a lack of responsible common sense budget priorities. These policies have left taxpayers, including many of our senior homeowners, in an extremely difficult position.
Mr. Rice continues to point to National or State Party politics and again he is missing the point. This is a local election in which the candidate who wins must be best qualified to bring common sense to city hall, to bring real relief to the over-burdened taxpayers and to bring a needed change in direction for a city suffering from stagnation.
Jared Rice claims to have a four-point plan. The first point of his plan involves freezing of public employee salaries, which is illegal in New York State due to collective bargaining. Mr. Rice, being an attorney should have known better. The second point in his plan involves applying for state and federal grants. Every county, village, and city across America, including New Rochelle has already been doing that for years and grant money comes from our taxes in one form or another anyway.
Throughout the entire campaign, Peter Parente has invested his time in you the people knowing that his election campaign is about you, not him. Mr.Parente has worked extremely hard reaching out to as many people and neighborhoods as possible, regardless of race or political affiliation, and will continue to do so if elected. While Mr. Parente’s efffort’s has been directed towards bringing people together, his opponent continues to make every effort to divide the community into racial and political groups.
You, the taxpayers know how desperately a change of direction is needed in this city. Jared Rice, who claims to be an independent voice is in reality aligned with the current majority and has made every effort to keep you from voting for that needed change. If you let him win you will continue to see escalating taxes, irresponsible development, careless spending and stagnation in our city.
Mr. Parente has been working hard to bring our community together and to bring common sense back to City Hall. If you help him accomplish his goal, you will be the winner. A vote for Peter Parente this Tuesday will be a vote for you the people. That important vote will bring a desperately needed change in direction to our city that will return the focus of city hall back to you the people.