“Kane is Not Able”

Patch Letter LogoYorktown Resident Comments on how Testa challenger has proven on numerous occasions that he is unfit for public office and is the wrong choice for District 1. This commentary is taken from the Peekskill-Cortlandt and Yorktown Patch:

Candidate for County Legislator Michael Kane has proven on numerous occasions that he is unfit for public office and is the wrong choice for District 1 “Westchester Fair Campaign group faults claims by Democrat Michael Kane in legislator race.”

That was the headline in a Journal News article this week reporting on Legislator John Testa’s opponent in the Westchester County District 1 race. Incredibly in that very article Michael Kane maintained that the issues the Westchester Fair Campaign Practices Committee cited him for, providing misleading information, were “small in nature” and that he “was not trying to fool people”. Yet when asked by the Committee why his website and campaign literature contained information he readily conceded was inaccurate and misleading, stated “he was waiting for the Committee to tell him he needed to remove it.”

Kane’s desperate attempts to malign John Testa’s outstanding record even bizarrely extend to false claims about Legislator Testa’s attendance record. Kane was embarrassingly caught telling this lie in the Yorktown Chamber debate. He claimed Testa was absent from a meeting when he was, in fact, present. On top of that John Testa has a 100% attendance record at all regularly scheduled Board of Legislators meetings.

Michael Kane has demonstrated time and again throughout this campaign his lack of suitability for public office. Regardless of the forum, the News 12 debate, Journal News candidate interviews or most recently, the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce debate, he’s shown he has no idea as to what it means to be a legislator or have a grasp of the issues. For example his ridiculous suggestion that we could close Indian Pt. and replace it with hydroelectric power. Really, dam the Hudson River? Or the fact that during one of the debates, he wasn’t aware of how much the County budget had been cut, Legislator Testa had to supply the numbers for him! In fact Kane went on to commend John Testa saying he “worked hard and did a good job” in reducing the budget. In another venue, Kane was asked, “Given the difficult fiscal constraints of our county, how do you propose to make progress on your priorities?” Kane’s clueless answer: “I will need to read the budget….”

Clearly Mr. Kane’s lack of familiarity with the issues and experience as a local political operative and shop steward, not to mention his ethical lapses, have limited his ability to consider the best interests of Westchester’s citizens. When the Journal News sought an answer about givebacks and concessions, a topic “most voters…expect shared sacrifice on,” as they reported, “Kane said he opposed such concessions.” No doubt such stubborn and partisan thinking played a role in the Journal News’ decision to endorse John Testa as “a reliable vote for bipartisan efforts to recalibrate government services in Westchester…who has earned another term to continue those efforts.”

The voters in District 1 have the opportunity to show that principled and practical leadership does matter. That experience and integrity do make a difference, and that’s whi I am supporting John Testa this Tuesday November 8th.

Sincerely,

Robert Violante

About John G. Testa

Former District 1 County Legislator, John G. Testa is served five terms at the Westchester County Board of Legislators, spending the last 3 terms as BOL Minority Leader. John G. Testa is a lifelong resident of Peekskill who first entered elected public service as a member of the Peekskill Common Council in 1998 and then served three terms as Mayor. He previously served on the Conservation and Parks Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. John became an elected official eager to improve the City in which his family has lived for more than a century and quickly earned a reputation as a strong, independent, nonpartisan voice for fiscal responsibility. John received a BS degree in Technology from SUNY Oswego, where his academic achievements gained him induction into Epsilon Pi Tau, the International Honorary Fraternity of Technology. He earned his MS degree in Technology from the City College of New York. He began his teaching career in 1980 at Peekskill High School, his alma mater, as an instructor in Technology and Social Studies, retiring in 2013 after 33 years teaching. John has been a leader in support for the Arts Community in Westchester. He presided over the construction of the Peekskill Art Lofts, the establishment of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, and the complete restoration of the Paramount Center for the Arts, originally a 1930’s movie house and helped bring critical funding to many Westchester programs. Legislator Testa received the “Advancing the Arts in Westchester Award” by ArtsWestchester. John has a been a leader on environmental issues for two decades and has a long record of initiatives he has supported and spearheaded. His active involvement in developing and promoting environmentally friendly policies began as mayor and continued throughout his time as Westchester County Legislator. His efforts consistently earned John the endorsement of the NY League of Conservation Voters. John’s most recognizable accomplishment has been his promotion and preservation of local history and historic landmarks, bringing an unprecedented focus on the region’s rich history, and its legacy of historic Victorian architecture. His roots in historical preservation stem from his experience as a Revolutionary War re-enactor and member of The Brigade of the American Revolution for 50 years. John was instrumental in securing the preservation of the Lincoln Depot, now the Lincoln Depot Museum, where he now serves as President. The museum was recognized in 2015 as one of The Best Museums in Westchester. He also secured the preservation of historic Fort Hill as parkland, a 40-acre parcel that was originally a Revolutionary War encampment site. Under his leadership, the United States Dept. of the Interior declared Peekskill a “Preserve America Community.” John was able to establish a record number of National Register designations of local structures, including the first Downtown and Neighborhood Historic Districts and supported the preservation of the historic Miller House in North White Plains. In 2017 John was named a “Champion of History” by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill. John and his wife of 37 years, Nancy, live in Peekskill and have two adult children, John, Jr. (fiancé Courtney Kelly) and Katy (husband Mike Mearon). John and Nancy recently welcomed the arrival of their first grandchild, Lacey Mae, in 2019.
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