Unsportsmanlike Conduct
All three of us have tried to keep any mud-slinging out of our campaign. Unfortunately, John Schaffer is pulling every dirty trick in the book.
He has bullied and threatened businesses in Vestal so none will display our lawn signs. Any that do are approached and told, not asked, to remove our signs and deny us putting up more.
He is spreading false information (I call them ‘lies’) about Maria Sexton, such as she will get rid of current workers to replace them with ‘her people’ and she takes three-month-long vacations (probably an assumption from being a school teacher in her past. Do teachers really do that?). None of which has one iota of truth to it.
He speaks of us not being qualified for the positions, so how ‘qualified’ was he when he was first elected? Besides, having an ex-teacher/ex-police sergeant (Maria), an engineer and volunteer Vestal firefighter (Robert) and a former IS worker with a Masters level education (Me) sounds like a really effective combination of skills and experience, wouldn’t you say?
He claims we are a "one-issue" candidacy (the Bunn Hill project). You are here on our website, so you must have noticed our Platform has so much more! Our 'Limit Rezoning' section includes other zoning failures done by Schaffer and the current town board as well as the Bunn Hill project. They believe they can rezone at-will for profit without considering the effect on residents. They certainly do not ask residents in the area for input before making the decision to rezone. Oh sure, you can go to a board meeting to 'comment' on the rezoning, but your words will not be heard except for the board to form a rebuttal. We know that is wrong and will absolutely take input and concerns from concerned residents while in the decision making process, not after the decision has already been made as it is done currently.
He is doing his best ‘used-car-salesman’ pitch to spread his 500 lawn signs (his number, not mine) all over Vestal, with multiple in some areas. Pretty ugly and annoying in my opinion.
All this behavior is normal for him. Just ask anyone who has brougt up a problem at a Town Board meeting.
To me, it looks like he is running scared. Maria demolished him in the Primary which is why he scrambled to get the support of the Conservative Party for the General Election, a last-ditch effort after voters in his own party (he is still a registered Democrat) rejected him.
It would just be nice if fairness was part of his platform. It is part of ours!
Best to you and yours - Glenn R. Miller