32 years
Monday, April 17th
Dear Friends:
We had such a wonderful time at the Blue Wave Bash this past Saturday at the Academy in Poughkeepsie! I had the opportunity to meet new folks and also catch up with my teammates after a busy week. For me, the best part was talking with our amazing Lieutenant Governor (and Rhinebeck resident!) Antonio Delgado, who stopped by to deliver some very powerful words that are, frankly, still swirling in my head as I write this letter to you.
Antonio reminded us that all across America, voters are feeling disconnected from their elected leaders. So often, he said, those leaders seem out of touch with the people they are supposed to be serving.
I look around Dutchess County, and I couldn’t agree more.
The same folks have been in charge of our county for the last 32 years. That’s too long, and you only have to peek at the local news to see the damage done. Giving away millions of taxpayer dollars to improve a baseball stadium that, ironically, is no longer named Dutchess Stadium. Purchasing a multi-million dollar property for a homeless shelter which, as they were warned many times, could never have been a viable shelter – and then waiting a year to admit their mistake. The list goes on, and it’s all evidence that our county government has lost touch with our residents. I guess when you call the shots for over three decades, you forget to listen to the folks who put you there in the first place.
Think about it: if your son turned 32 and he was still living in your basement, you would probably kick him out. I would, too.
The time for change has come. After 32 years of the same old song and dance, it’s time for fresh ideas and common sense solutions to the problems we face every day. We deserve county leaders who truly care about the people they represent. It’s time for our county government to stop serving outside corporations and start serving our county residents. We’ve been waiting too long for community leaders who work for the people – all the people.
As Antonio reminded us last Saturday, that change won’t come easy. There’s plenty of hard work ahead for all of us. But here’s the good news: we have an amazing slate of countywide candidates who are working together to bring real change in November!
But we can’t do it without you! I hope you will join our family by hosting a Team Tommy event at your home this summer, or making a monthly donation using the Act Blue link below, or simply bringing your own unstoppable energy to any of the Team Tommy events listed on our monthly calendar! There’s always a way to participate, on your own terms.
Thank you to Lt. Governor Delgado for his sobering remarks the other day. And thank you, for listening! See you next week!
Always Respectfully, Tommy