Some Political Advice For Marty Mason Running For Cape Vincent Town Board

Before I go on I want to say, I have never official met Marty Mason, can’t recall having a private conversation with him other than possibly briefly in the official part of a meeting, and can’t say I really know him other than what I have observed over the 8 years or so of the Cape Vincent industrial wind issue.  In fact prior to the wind issue I had heard a number of positive things about Marty Mason.

And what I am about to say is NOT an endorsement of Mr. Mason or his run for office.  Just observations, even though I am not happy with many of the moves of our current CV govt.  I certainly don’t want to see an old Rienbeck style govt back in place and the disaster it brought this community.

That being said…

I see a few campaign signs for former Cape Vincent councilman Marty Mason popping up around town.  Apparently Marty is going to take a stab at running for town board (again) against Michelle Oswald who was appointed to the board after councilman Clif Schneider resigned and moved away from CV. 

I also notice that Marty’s signs say “re-elect.  Obviously the signs are from an old campaign saying  “re-elect”  and is the very operative word telling the story that Marty was voted out of office in a previous election over what the voters perceived were serious ethics issues related to his former industrial wind leases. 

However, I have some political advice for Mr. Mason. 

If Mr. Mason intends to run for office in the mode the other pro wind, diapers on the line, it’s my property I can do what I want with it, seasonals are outsiders, seasonals are involved in voter fraud and voting illegally etc. etc. etc. etc. all of which failed as political tactics… then Mr. Mason should collect his signs, put them back in the barn, and not waste his and everybody else’s time.

Oh… and this would be the same Marty Mason who voted for an illegal local voter suppression law trying desperately to prevent seasonal residents from legally voting in CV elections.  Apparently he had a rather distorted view of the US Constitution and its voter rights protections.  That would be the same Constitution he was sworn to defend when he took his oath of office!

If Mr. Mason intends to have even a chance at re-election he needs to get a quick clue that despite whether he or his local buddies might despise it, there is a very new political reality in local politics.  A reality that was actually forced into place by the very behavior he and his pro wind cronies exhibited over the last 8 years. 

That reality is seasonals, brought on by the wind issue, got sick of being marginalized, ignored, and taken advantage of after years of paying the bulk of local taxes and supporting the CV community and its businesses, and many…or at least enough to make a big difference, now legally vote here. 

THAT is why Marty Mason and many of his pro wind friends are no longer in office.

Anyone who ignores this new political reality and charges forward with the same old same old is a fool. 

Marty Mason was among the people who caused this new political reality to be forced on the community, and now he better learn how to deal with it.

If Marty has not learned, and intends to have to same old BS locals vs. seasonals political grudge conversation then as I said he is completely wasting his time. 

He needs to adjust and have a very new political conversation.  One that will actually be at odds with many of his local cronies, and one that addresses the new significant seasonal political influence in his community, and what he intends to do for ALL the residents of the community, whether they stop their mail delivery and turn off their water in the fall or not.

 I’m not sure he is capable of that.

The CV community has many struggles to face and the wind issue, which Mr. Mason help bring to this community and supported, did significant damage, and running on the left over trash, and revenge of those days is a colossal political mistake.

Mr. Mason steps up as a candidate for election carrying a lot of left over negative political baggage and probably left over grudges and it will likely bury him once again politically.

So I just laugh and shake my head because Marty Mason’s signs are popping up on the lawns of the usual suspects.

Marty…PAY ATTENTION…take a hard look and review…virtually ALL the political strategies and tactics of the former pro wind side FAILED miserably and in fact just prompted more people, even local people, to vote for a new govt. and against the old local cronyism.  Your former govt is gone…the Acciona/ BP wind issue is gone.

If you are smart, you won’t take Harold Wiley’s political advice, and will talk to ALL people in the community…even the ones Harold doesn’t know!!!