The bigger problem

This is a letter of support from a strong Democrat for Republican Supervisor Michael Sweeton. The fact that he’s running unopposed shouldn’t stop us from recognizing his even-handed leadership in difficult times and rewarding him with the victory he’s earned. But there’s an even bigger problem for Warwick voters to address. The Town of Warwick is dangerously close to becoming a one-party system, a Republicans-only club that systematically excludes Democrats from the critical Planning, Zoning and other Boards that make the week-to-week decisions that affect our community for decades to come. Regardless of whether it’s all-Democrat or all-Republican, a one-party system is a formula for bad governance where ideas are excluded, decisions made without full discussion and actions taken that don’t reflect the best thinking of the entire community. We can do something about this on Nov. 8 by voting for Kurt Emmerich and Bill Olsen for Town Board. Yes, they are both exceptionally qualified, but that’s not the only reason Warwick needs them and their fresh ideas. The bigger reason is that Warwick needs and deserves a vibrant, working two-party system. This is an off-year election, which means that turnout is usually very low. I urge all Democrats, all Independents and even concerned Republicans to mark Nov. 8 on their calendars with “VOTE!” circled in large, impossible-to-miss letters, so that we can wake up on Nov. 9 knowing that with Bill Olsen and Kurt Emmerich on the Town Board, our two-party system has been restored. Geoff Howard Warwick