Diana Richardson Weighs In On Cunningham/Eugene Race Next Tuesday

Somehow this pic captures DeeRich perfectly

From your tell-it-like-it-is neighbor Diana Richardson, your State assembly-person, whose candor is always welcome in the Q's book. I urge you to read this, remembering that is highly, highly uncommon for a sitting elected official to come out against an incumbent in another office, as incumbents usually win and having to work with someone you worked to defeat is, to put it mildly, a tad uncomfortable and a smidge prickly.

So...read carefully! Particularly if you voted for Pia Raymond, an honorable candidate from the Democratic primary who is not on the ballot this time around. Brian is, on the sneaky upstart Reform line.

Greetings PLG:

I feel as your N.Y. State Assembly Member that it is time for me to speak to you personally regarding the District 40 Elections.

1. I have heard the echos for the need for new leadership in the CD which has a underlay in my AD.
2. After looking at the election data (Please note I stated data so this is not an emotional statement): PLG SPLIT their vote totally. When you look at PLG as a whole but especially in the Manor, the votes went to Raymond and Cunningham evenly.
3. I totally understand the split because many of the candidates are good and hard working and to be honest I know them ALL personally (everyone who ran) (One of the reasons I did not get involved and let the community make their own decisions)
4. Now that the Sept results are in there is only 1 option for change: 1) Vote for the Incumbent Mathieu Eugene or 2) Vote for Brian Cunningham on the Reform line. I have watched many discussions with my name in it as far a party lines go. Let me be the first to tell you that a party line is just that: A Party Line. Did you know WFP endorsed me at 7pm the night before the 12pm deadline to get a party line? Yes, I almost didn't have that line. I created my own line "Now is the time" I was going to run on that line and the Green Party Line. (You can Google the Green Party story) - Had I not obtained the WFP line those 2 lines is where my name would have appeared. 
5. I recently saw a post where some one suggested "writing in additional names on the ballot when voting". I STRONGLY stand against  the write in of any names because that WILL NOT get you to the end result of the change that you desire.
6. I know it's difficult when the candidate we support does not win. I have personally been on the end of losing and I know how painful it is.(trust me unless you have run for public office and lost PUBLICLY you don't know how bad it really hurts) HOWEVER- we can't let our emotions cloud logic. This is a number games. 
7. Again, I've looked at the numbers, if unified again if unified PLG WILL make the difference in this race.
8. It is not enough to ppst online and engage in back an forth discussion. I am asking everyone to volunteer for they change they seek. Here are some things for you to consider doing. A) Knock on the doors of your neighbors to talk about the candidiate you support B) Make phone calls (aka phone banking) C) Put up a poster in your residential window, lawn or business D) Ask the local businesses you patronize to put up posters and assist them with doing so E) Make a list of 10 ppl and call to  remind them to vote on E-day.
9. My personal statement - I have more going on internally than you can imagine. In the face of everything I feel that I represented the 43rd AD fully. I can not personally wrap my hands on this race. However, as your elected official if you take the advice I've written above you will have a fighting chance on Nov 7th.
10. Everyone in this room is capabale of making decisions and I respect that. Note I never told you how to vote. But given the facts I think you know what to do.

- Diana Richardson

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