By Barbara J. Rodgers
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
The recent announcement by former Niagara Falls councilman John Accardo to run for the New York State Assembly is striking on at least two fronts. First, it challenges our willingness to forget Accardo’s remarkably undistinguished career as a city councilman. There is no reference in his Assembly candidacy announcement of his accomplishments or progress in the city during his eight years in office.
Second, it’s almost silly how much Accardo’s press statement of why he’s running and his complaints about Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte mimic the remarks made by DelMonte’s Republican opponent. It’s as if both of them were in the same meeting with state Sen. George Maziarz while fashioning their campaign theme on what to say and how to attack DelMonte on two fronts (primary followed by general election). Where does such genius come from?
Accardo now asks that he be rewarded for his lackluster performance in office and his self-admitted inactivity and disinterest in community or civic affairs for the past 10 years by being elected to state public office. In doing so, he started his campaign by making misstatements of fact relative to the size of the state budget deficit (he thinks it’s only $6 billion when the published and widely known estimate is that it’s in excess of $9 billion) and compounding that lack of basic knowledge with the oft-repeated Maziarz falsehood of DelMonte’s record on the funding and protection of our local state parks.
DelMonte’s record of performance in the 138th District is seen in every community that it encompasses. From her tireless effort to free the casino slot revenue intended to be paid to the city of Niagara Falls and its local partners from the clutches of Maziarz and his squandering minions in the county Legislature, to the creation of an entirely new agricultural industry with the development of the Niagara Wine Trail. She has delivered event sustaining funds for programs and improvements at Artpark, secured substantial funding toward the construction of new roads and other public facilities in communities throughout the district. Most importantly, she has spearheaded efforts to protect our local environment and stand with the residents of this entire area to fight the onslaught from outsiders to make Niagara County their hazardous waste dumping ground. DelMonte has done everything we could ask for from our state representative.
Accardo: “Those are the facts and the ‘truth’ the residents of the 138th District deserve to know as stated in your press release. Please try not to distort it again throughout the rest of this campaign. Doing so makes this loyal Democrat wonder why you’ve chosen to run in the first place and who exactly is backing your campaign.”
