Walter: I will be an independent voice for the East End

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter, running for Suffolk County Legislator, says the First District needs an independent representative who’s not beholden to western Suffolk party bosses.

I distinctly remember the Daily News headline from my childhood: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD”. Who says you can’t go back in time?

We witnessed the same harsh sentiment last week when County Executive Steve Bellone announced that our infamous sex offender trailers will not close anytime soon. Candidate Bellone came out here in 2011, with much fanfare and cameras in tow, to promise that if elected he’d close the trailers and take the exclusive burden of housing sex offenders away from our community.

Today, safely elected, Mr. Bellone whistles a different tune and thumbs his nose at eastern Suffolk. Forgive me for engaging in a bit of politics here; but this issue is political. It is political, because the county executive has cast his lot with his up-island cronies — at the expense of his vote-poor eastern cousins. This issue is political because it can only be tackled in the political arena.

This is exactly why I am running for county legislator.

Remember State Senator Brian Foley? Brian Foley was elected senator in Brookhaven. His campaign was financed by the Babylon political machine. His advisors came from Washington D.C. and Manhattan, they were paid for by the Babylon political machine. In a close election, spending a ton of Babylon money, Mr. Foley defeated a long time incumbent. What was the first thing he did in Albany? He was the deciding vote that brought us the MTA tax. Brian Foley was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Babylon political machine, they bought and paid for him and when it was time to stand and be counted Mr. Foley voted for Babylon and against the interests of his district.

Today, those same Babylon bosses are bankrolling Al Krupski in his bid for the County Legislature. On the day he announced his candidacy, as the hand picked choice of Babylon’s Richie Schaffer, Al was given a fat check for $50,000 as a boost for his campaign. The Washingtonians moved in and are camped out in hotels in Riverhead till election day. The well paid city folk go door-to-door, mispronouncing “Cutchogue” and “Aquebogue,” campaigning for Al. Al is a farmer and a nice guy, but when the chips are down and we need a strong voice to represent us out here, how do you think Al Krupski will vote?

Ed Romaine was a fighter and it is interesting that Steve Bellone waited until Ed Romaine left the legislature before he announced his East End betrayal on the sex offender trailers. I am a fighter too. If I am lucky enough to be your legislator, my first responsibility will be to fight for you. In government, it is the strong voice that gets heard and listened to. Small states like Alaska, West Virginia and Hawaii have wielded power well beyond their size, because they were represented by names like: Stevens, Byrd and the late Daniel Inoyue. If I get to Hauppauge I intend to be heard and to be a strong voice for this special place we call home.

The legislative special election is on Jan. 15. People often say, “What difference does one vote make”? Sadly, few people will vote on the 15th. Send Steve Bellone a message that his sex offender betrayal will not stand, reject the Babylon Bosses that cynically want to buy your vote and please remember if you send me to Hauppauge you’ll know I’m there fighting for you.

Sean Walter is the Riverhead Town supervisor and the Republican candidate for county legislator. He lives in Wading River.

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