Amazing Barrage of Expensive Mailings By Opponents of Council Districts (Wards)

[originally transmitted 12/16/09]

Amazing Barrage of Expensive Mailings By Opponents of Council Districts (Wards)

Well, I have now received four separate mailings from the powers that are opposing an increase in proportional democratic representation in the way the four members of the Town Board, or Town Council, are selected.

As previously noted, the Supervisor would continue to be elected by all of the people of Huntington, as is appropriate for all Executives, while each Council member would represent about one-fourth of Huntington, in the same way that our County Legislators, and our State Assembly members, and our State Senators, and our National House of Representatives members, are selected and serve us.

So, these builders, and union heads, and lawyers, and present and former Town Board members, and other Town Hall hangers-on and favored insiders, don't want us to enjoy the same proportional representation benefits as we have with legislators at the County, and State, and National levels of government.

Now, think carefully about all of the money that these opponents are spending, on mailings alone, to homes throughout Huntington.

According to the 2000 Census, there were 65,917 households in the Town of Huntington.

The lowest price of a Presort Standard mailing would be 14 cents, and that would mean any mailing to all of the households in Huntington would cost at least $9,228 in postage alone. If you multiply that $9,228 by the four mailings (and perhaps there were one or more that I did not receive) that would mean at least $36,912 in postage alone. That's right, $36,912 in postage alone.

When you add in the cost of printing -- and while I have misplaced the first mailing, the second and third mailings were in glossy color, while the fourth mailing was a less expensive black & white on card stock -- you are probably talking about spending of around $100,000, just for the mailings, ignoring what they have spent on all of those lovely red signs that you see all around town.

Why is it worth it, for the builders, and union heads, and lawyers, and Town Board members and Town insiders, to spend all this money?

Of course, it seems like they are afraid they will lose something now readily accessible to them.

So, do you want to believe those spending all that money, who may be willing to distort facts as much as they are willing to spend big bucks?

I find their tactics troubling and deeply offensive, and their misrepresentations insulting to the intelligence of residents of the Town of Huntington.

On December 22nd, next Tuesday, we will see the following question in the referendum (at your usual polling place for Town, or County, or State, or Federal elections):

“Shall a ward system be established for the election of
councilmen/councilwomen in the Town of Huntington?”

Previous to this fourth expensive mailing by opponents, I had said only privately that I would vote be voting "yes" on the question, although my views were clear to any person carefully reading my analyses and noting my conclusions.

However, these big-money opponents of Council Districts (or Wards) have now struck a raw nerve, and I will now very publicly say that I will vote YES on the question.

I would urge others to think carefully about the opposition's tactics, and very big spending, and also vote YES on December 22nd.

Jerry Hannon