For change in Cape Vincent, oust Mason

 For change in Cape Vincent, oust Mason

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

Elections will soon be upon us. We Republicans get to go first with a primary in September. We have two excellent candidates running against the incumbent. Clif Schneider and John Byrne are honest and intelligent. They also have the desire to represent the people. All the people.

I would like to welcome back all you seasonal folks. We need your help. Please register to vote in the primary and the general election. With your help we can and will win.

Marty Mason is the incumbent, who by the way, is under investigation by the attorney general's office for conflicts of interest and who knows what else.

Was it not Marty who voted to throw a petition with over 800 signatures in the trash? Does he really expect the people who signed the petition to vote for him?

Was it he who voted "no" on an audit when the new supervisor took office and originally voted "no" on paying for it? Was this the audit that found out about the $160,000 slush fund? The same audit discovered the so-called water line to nowhere that's under investigation.

Was it not Marty who used his position to get his sister the job of replacing Arlene Ingerson as town clerk? Didn't his sister resign because of missing funds? Isn't this the third scandal at the dump, with him on the board?

While being chairman or co-chair of the Republican Committee, didn't he refuse to endorse or help any of the Republican candidates in the last two town elections? Now he has the nerve to ask his fellow Republicans for support, because he is entitled?

We've always had the good old boy system in Cape Vincent. The only difference in the past, we didn't have to get involved. They looked out for the people.

Now, look what we've got: attorney general investigation, missing money, slush fund, secret meetings, secret contracts and conflicts of interest, appointing other conflicted people or friends who will agree with them (or they don't get appointed) to the Planning Board.

With the "because we can" attitude, Marty and Donny Mason with their pal Mickey Orvis are in lockstep to fill their pockets and the heck with the people. They have three votes against two. This means, as you have seen, they can appoint whomever they agree on and can pass anything they want with the majority of the votes. Only we, the people, can change this. If we don't get involved enough to vote, we deserve whatever we get. Folks, when is enough, enough?

Harry E. Landers Jr.

Cape Vincent