Szwedo, Losing on Republican Line for Mayor, Endorses Dyster

James Szwedo Republican Mayoral Candidate James Szwedo endorses Paul Dyster

 

Everyone always has a reason to justify their actions.

My reason for running for office was to show the citizens that they did have a voice in the future direction of Niagara Falls, that the true power was, and always will be, in their hands.

So what happened?

Quite a bit, actually.

While the outcome was not in my favor, the results were obvious.

New citizens chose to run for office. People listened, and began to question why things weren’t changing, why their neighborhoods were being neglected, and why longtime businesses were being ignored. This, my fellow citizens, forced an administration that preferred to study to finally act. Streets were paved; infrastructure was finally repaired, and projects to benefit the community, not just downtown, got started. Garbage got picked up, playgrounds got attention, and meetings were finally held to consult with the citizens.

Election year? Political stunt? Desperation of an administration clinging to power? Probably all of the above.

Now, I need you to listen very carefully. The reasons do not matter. Real results were finally being achieved, not just studied.

So what happened, and where do we go from here? If the primary results hold, the mayor won by only the slightest of margins. At best, close to 50% of the citizens in his own party voted against him and his administration. Paul, please wake up. This is your own political party, which you lead.

On the other side of the coin, three candidates were vying for only one slot. Votes were split, but in the end, only around 1200 Republicans chose to vote. The party-endorsed candidate raised and spent money only to garner, again, the slightest of victories.

So now what? From the beginning, I told you this was not about me, but rather, about you, the citizens of the city of Niagara Falls. With this in mind, I’m about to tell you something I thought I would never say.

The Republican Party comes with a whole new set of people, wanting to control our city and our future direction. These people work in the shadows, without the courage to show their faces, while controlling election results. They do this to prove their power and influence without once considering the citizens of Niagara Falls.

Enough is enough! Mayor Paul Dyster has shown he is capable of achieving results, even if it was only in desperation. But they were results no less. If the primary voting numbers hold, I truly believe the citizens must re-elect Mayor Paul Dyster. As much as that hurts to say, here are my reasons.

1. He proved that he can achieve results if we, the citizens, force him to do so.

2.  After almost eight years, we know all of the behind-the-scenes players on his “team”.

3. With Democrats in power in the State, some of these players wield great power and influence.

4. We cannot, as a city, afford to spend the next four years trying to pull out of the shadows a whole new set of parasites, hungering to feed off of the citizens of Niagara Falls.

5. With the state knocking at our door, perhaps Paul Dyster can use his influence to get the state to finally do something for Niagara Falls, rather than to Niagara Falls.

6. And finally, Paul Dyster, with all his faults, had the courage to stand and take the hits from his many critics. At least with Paul, I knew who I was fighting with and who I was complaining about. At least, he still chooses to live in the city, and call it home.

Paul, with me, it’s never been personal, but you needed to know that the community will hold you responsible, and the citizens need you to continue to finish what you’ve finally begun this election year. Real progress. Real results. To the community’s real problems. The citizens can no longer afford to study, rather than act on the issues facing them.

As always, I thank the citizens for listening, and I truly appreciate the time I got to spend with you.