PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Bill O’Reilly,
212-396-9117
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LATIMER WAGES DESPERATE PERSONAL ATTACK ON COHEN – Losing on Issues, So Reverts to Harsh Negative Campaigning
Westchester–Oct. 4…Assemblyman George Latimer (D-WFP), who has been strongly criticized for his record of raising county property taxes 46% — and on trying to block Governor Cuomo’s successful 2% Property Tax Cap — has lashed out with a personal negative smear attack against his state senate competitor, successful small businessman and community volunteer Bob Cohen (R-C-I), Mr. Cohen’s campaign today said.
Mr. Latimer just sent a campaign mailer to Westchester voters viciously calling Mr. Cohen, a “slumlord,” which is reminiscent of unfounded smear tactics tried against Mr. Cohen two years ago. Those attacks on Mr. Cohen, a long time community volunteer and volunteer firefighter in Westchester, were deemed a violation of fair campaign practices in 2010.
Mr. Cohen has bought and rehabilitated buildings in some of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods for more than two decades, working with the City of New York and with criminal justice officials to rid those buildings of drug dealers and other criminal elements to create safe, clean homes for low-income families. He has purchased buildings in horrific disrepair and brought them up to code for area families. During the 1990’s, he worked to clear out crack dens from buildings that were destroying young lives.
“Our campaign has taken a hard look at Mr. Latimer’s record as a politician, but we have never attacked him personally or erroneously,”said Cohen campaign spokeswoman Jessica Proud. “Mr. Latimer’s opposition to Governor Cuomo’s Property Tax Cap and mandate relief efforts are clearly in the public sphere, as are his many property tax increases as a county legislator. But what Mr. Latimer is engaged in in this mailing is pure and baseless character assassination. We are happy to have a tough and animated discussion about the issues, but these types of attacks are beyond the boundary of decency.”
Mr. Latimer’s mailing follows on the heels of a blatantly dishonest mail piece claiming that he supported Governor Cuomo’s Property Tax Cap and mandate relief efforts. Mr. Latimer opposed both. The piece also preposterously claimed that Mr. Latimer has been fighting against the job-killing MTA Payroll Tax — a tax he voted to create!
“George Latimer is a desperate career politician who’s being called to task for giving Westchester families the highest property taxes in America,” Ms. Proud continued. “And he has, as one newspaper characterized it, been “an enemy” of Governor Cuomo’s successful property tax cap. Those are the real issues in this race. Mr. Latimer has to account for his actions.”
Please feel free to contact Bob Cohen at:
Phone: (914) 682-4262
Email: info@bobcohen2012.com
Check out Bob’s website:
www.BobCohen2012.com
You can also find Bob on Facebook & Twitter!
Desperation
What we have here is a 25 year career politician, who has not had a real job like the rest of us in decades, getting desperate as he gets nervous about losing. It really is time to go George – you have been a lousy representative for New Rochelle – how dare you lift our tax cap – and how dare you think you should get a promotion.