Only in NT: We Want our City Back!

Peter Smolinski

 

Campaign signs are going up, photo ops are increasing for the incompetent ruling clique! Because media people don’t know any better, politicians think they can fool us into thinking they’re actually doing more than just posing for every photo they can get into!  Bob Welch in the Mayor’s office is working overtime taking and submitting photos and news releases!

They’ve had nothing to do with most things they pose for photos for. Previous office holders did the work! We pay the bills. They get their photos taken!

Where is that editor from the Tonawanda News who realized photo ops were free campaign materials and, at least for a period, refused to use any photos of politicians?

Stop calling them “elected officials.”

Two-fifths of the Council, the Mayor and City Clerk-Treasurer were not elected to their posts. They’re not official at anything except saying, “Cheese!” for the camera!

Those not politically “in the know” aren’t aware of fun-and-games played by the political party with the most money behind it to keep quality representatives of the people off the ballots. These incompetents are doing nothing we want them to do for us.

Their party works overtime to prevent anyone from running against them, thus taking away our choices on who we want to represent us. Even judges to whom denied petitions are referred are in the pockets of the party that put them in office and keeps them in office.

Something’s really rotten with that picture and it’s not even a photo op!

Opposing Mayor Art Pappas, is John Tylec. Like Pappas, he has School District connections, but as an employee, not a School Board member, with his emphasis on personnel. How NT needs that experience! Tylec served us in the County Legislature for more than 16 years and was chairman for a time.

Jim McGinnis, Jr. is running for City Clerk-Treasurer! How refreshing it will be to have someone competent who we actually know serve in this vital role!

Peter Smolinski, who the “powers that be” cut off at the pass for the Democratic and Republican lines, did make it onto the Working Parties line opposing Pecoraro for alderman-at-large. Smolinski served in the Legislature for 12 years. He and Tylec may be able to pull NT out of the doldrums of being the “forgotten” corner of Niagara County.

Smolinski, who listens politely to everyone, served us in the NT Fire Department for 35 years. A lifelong resident, he also served in the military—but you have to drag it out of him to learn about it.  When running for 10th district Legislator, he had a slogan, "Your friend, your neighbor, working for you."

Lori Calamita is running against Donna Braun in the Second Ward. Sweeney Payne cannot remember ever seeing her in a photo. She is a lifelong resident, married to a long-time city worker. She, like Braun, has long been active in community organizations. She’s concerned about the atrocious emergency dispatching our last decade of politicians foisted onto us and also wants to see Buffalo Bolt Park developed.

Neither Smolinski nor Calamita has strings to the School Board or to the Maziarz-Wojtaszek-Kiedrowski- Needler crowd who’ve been the kingpins of Niagara County’s and NT's Republican kingdom for years!

Smolinski is angry that Buffalo Bolt Park is still vacant and the nearly $2 million marina is mostly an over-priced hot dog stand. A model of accountability and transparency to those he served, NT needs him in City Hall.

Are we smart enough to start rebuilding our City government with public servants?

Or a public servant?