The following is an article from a NY 23rd resident who has requested to remain “anonymous”. The article is a reaction to the announcement that Tompkins County’s Leslie Danks Burke will be running for State Senator for the 58th Senatorial District (Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Yates and the western portion of Tompkins Counties) against incumbent Tom O’Mara. We will have more articles about all State races that affect the people of the NY 23rd.
In my young life, I have seen the victory and fall of Democrats across the country, I have seen rural areas, working class folk that Republicans count as their own pull the lever for a man named Barack Obama not once but twice. I have seen underdogs win in places where others would give up. Often I’ve been frustrated with both parties, but I can tell you that America is greater than the corruption and cynicism we see.
I write to you not to tell you that we can win, I’m writing to tell you that we need to win.
I’m tired of people both young and old saying that Congress, is corrupt, we must elect leaders that can change the very rules of American Politics and bring about the needed revolution to give our politics back to the people of the Southern Tier. We need restore our faith in democracy, so that every child from the children of factory workers in Elmira and farmers in Owego to the son of Corning executives can both have the ability to engage in democracy and have the same opportunities just as the founding fathers wanted.
In my mind this election is about reviving the greatest generation idea of service to country and community, and rejecting the politics of cynicism and neglect to say let’s elect leaders who will stand up for the American people and the people of the Southern Tier.
We need to reject the idea that every issue is right and left, but that there is a right and wrong beyond partisan bickering. We must bring back those values of the greatest generation of service to community and country.
While these remarks may seem celebratory, I write to tell you that this election will not be 
decided by fancy fundraisers in Manhattan or Caviar receptions in DC, they are decided by us the people.
We need to elect leaders to congress like John Plumb, Zephyr Teachout (who is considering running for Congress from the Hudson Valley area), and Utica’s Anthony Brindisi (who will probably run for the NY-22’s open congressional seat). Proven Leaders who will not only go to Washington to bring our hopes and dreams but to fight for our communities. To bring economic development to places like Chemung County so that families no longer need to be broken up due to lack of job opportunities. We need to stand with John Plumb and send him to DC, so that we have a fighter for our shared values and communities.
We need to elect leaders like Leslie Danks Burke, and Hudson Valley’s Terry Gipson who will fight for our communities so that the Southern Tier and Upstate New York will get a fair shake. Leaders who will go to Albany to end the endemic corruption and make sure we get a fair shake for our region, and do what others can’t by having the political will to put the Southern Tier and upstate New York before party.
We always hear, that every election nothing is going to change, but I’m here to tell you that it does change, that money can only buy ads and not people. That the next 11 months are crucial to bring back our democracy, and bring back that god given democracy that America was founded on. Lets bring back people powered politics.
As my President Barack Obama once said “Change does not come from Washington D.C. change comes to Washington D.C.”
Let’s Stand with John Plumb and Leslie Danks Burke, let’s stand for our Southern tier and Upstate New York values.
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