The Only Candidate to Miss Cortlandt Event on October 17th
Did Not Show Up for October 25th Yorktown Debate
Claims to be Attorney Despite Law License Being Suspended Since 2013
Failed to Sign Fair Campaign Pledge
County Legislator John G. Testa participating in the Yorktown Chamber Debate on October 25th.
Democratic candidate for county legislator opposing incumbent County Legislator John G. Testa, Nancy Vann, has neglected to participate in two crucial debates for the election. First, she failed to show up for the Town of Cortlandt Candidate Forum on October 17th and then she was a no-show for the Town of Yorktown Candidate Debate hosted by the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce on October 25th. When given the opportunity to commit to and sign a fair campaign pledge she refused that as well.
Speculation for the avoidance of public appearances stems from recent discovery of her law license being suspended since 2013. She was also thrown off the Working Families Party ballot line after it was discovered the petitions she submitted had a majority of invalid signatures. Despite these revelations, Vann continues to improperly claim she is endorsed by the Working Families Party and claim to be an acting attorney. By doing so Vann clearly is violating standard ethical campaign practice and in the case of claiming to be an attorney, possibly breaking the law. Her actions may explain her refusal to pledge to conducting a fair and ethical campaign.
“Many lawyers from both sides of the political aisle contacted me during the summer upset to see Vann indicating she is an attorney on all her campaign literature since she has been prohibited from practicing for the last 4 years,” said Testa. “They were outraged that their profession was being mocked and tainted in that way. It is a clear violation of The Rules of Professional Conduct and all lawyers are well aware of it. Some indicated to me it was even illegal to proclaim to be an attorney with a suspended license and that the reason for the suspension does not matter,” added Testa.
https://johngtesta.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/testa-challenger-nancy-vann-disqualified-as-candidate-on-working-families-line/
Given that these two very serious violations were bound to surface in a public debate, Vann has avoided the issues by not appearing before the public. Vann has also offered no concrete platform or reason for running against a very accomplished and experienced incumbent. Her only record is that of an anti-establishment activist.
“Nancy Vann has no idea what it takes to work in a bipartisan way to solve problems and work through issues, said Testa. “She seems to be against a lot of things but I haven’t been able to see anything she is actually in support of. That is not someone who could sit down and rationally work through issues and successfully work with others to solve problems. Protesting and holding signs seems to be her strong suit, she should stick with that,” said Testa.
County Legislator Testa signing the Fair Campaign Pledge.
The two public forums that Vann avoided were the last of the campaign season. With less than two weeks left until election day, avoiding the debates was a missed opportunity to speak directly to the voters. “I always enjoy the discussion of issues and setting the record straight during the debates,” said Testa. “The citizens look forward to the exchange between candidates and hearing what they stand for; it is a slap in their face to simply not show up. I appreciate those who organize the debates and thank those in Cortlandt and Yorktown for the opportunity,” Testa said.
____________________________________________________________________________________
John G. Testa is a four-term incumbent of the Westchester County Board of Legislators and has served the last two terms as Minority Leader of the Board. He is a retired high school Technology and Social Studies teacher of 33 years and served 14 years as a member of the Westchester Community College Board of Trustees. Testa is also a former City of Peekskill Councilman and three term Mayor of the city. For more information visit: johngtesta.com and facebook.com/johngtesta.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
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.
On Topic with John G. Testa 
John – they have no answer to you – thank
goodness because of all the good you do!!
Sent from my iPhone