Democratic Leader - Incumbent Council Candidates Fail Leadership Test

Dear Editor,

I don’t believe that the incumbents up for re-election for the Smithtown Town Council should be taking any victory laps for the job they are doing.  The people who are responsible for making Smithtown the great place that it is are the residents. It is the people who live in Smithtown who go to work, who pay their taxes and keep up their homes. The folks in Smithtown are active in their community and are concerned with the education of their children. The fact that Smithtown is a great place to live and raise a family is because the people here are hard working and engaged.  The tax-payers in Smithtown are the ones who fund the good services we receive and it is the residents who are responsible for the success and for the good character of the town.

But in those areas where the town government can exert influence and leadership our elected officials in Smithtown have not done the job that their reputations say they did. In instance after instance where the Town Board could’ve been in a leadership role and an advocate for its constituents they have delayed, referred problems to other governing bodies or have just thought small. Whether it is the Kings Park Psych Center, the flooding problem, pedestrian safety on Main Street, the response to Hurricane Irene or the growing heroin problem the town board has been behind the curve and often times happy to push the problem off to the county or the state. It is a town board that is reactive rather than proactive and this attitude does not bode well for how they will deal with creeping blight that we are all beginning to notice in Smithtown.

Re-electing the incumbents will not produce a better result and it is time for Smithtown to consider the future. Howard Knispel and Teresa Haft are not life-long public employees pulled from the same political clique as every elected official in town. They understand the challenges and opportunities in Smithtown and they have the energy and ability to work out the solutions.

Howard operates his law firm in Commack and was a member of the Smithtown Board of Ethics. Howard has the experience of running a business in Smithtown and has a particular insight into the Town Council. Teresa Haft is a volunteer with the Smithtown Fire Department and has been with the Red Cross Huntington/Smithtown Disaster Action Team for ten years. Teresa knows how to handle a crisis and understands the value of preparedness.

Remember to vote for Howard Knispel and Teresa Haft for Smithtown Town Council Tuesday November 8^th.

Sincerely,

Ed Maher, Chair

Smithtown Democratic Committee

37 Avenue A

Kings Park, NY 11754