Response to Andrea Rendo letter

[Since the Lewisboro Republican Chair chose to accuse me of illegality in her last letter, I hope you allow me response in the form of the this column offering,]

I had not originally planned to reply to Republican Chairperson Andrea Rendo’s letter to the editor suggesting that my work for Sustainable Westchester conflicted with my position on the Town Board. Their campaign has been primarily negative, and largely leaning on misrepresentation, and if we spent our campaign responding to this type of thing, the back-and-forth would turn off the voters and we would not have a chance to talk about the very positive and effective work of the current board and where we want to focus going forward.

But there is a theme in this that I think is important to call out. The Chairperson and their candidate have been clearly messaging that they do not believe that Climate Change and its dire and growing impacts are subjects fit for local government response. Mr LaSorsa has noted in candidate forums and in public statements that he thought it inappropriate that the Town Board spend time on this issue. Chairperson Rendo’s volley shows a willingness to threaten these incredibly critical environmental programs by turning them into a political football for short-term campaign purposes.

Try as they might to put a friendly local smile on it, our opponents can’t bring themselves to disconnect from the national crazy train that is dragging us all over the cliff. In a time when the Federal Government is dismantling environmental protections, withdrawing from global cooperation on climate and, incredibly, promoting a return to fossil fuels, it is imperative that we at the local and State level step into the vacuum.

NY State has enacted great legislation to set the course, but it can’t be executed without strong programming at the local level. Sustainable Westchester has developed award-winning, innovative programming, much of which is being adopted across the State, because of the commitment of local political leadership here in Lewisboro and our fellow Westchester Municipalities. I am proud to have been among the small group of founding individuals who met almost 10 years to form this organization. It is very important that that work remain apolitical, as it has always been.

With respect to the personal politics, Ms. Rendo’s letter follows an old GOP strategy of attacking at strengths, with the idea that introducing just a hint of suspicion into your evaluation of my record might be enough to keep you at home rather than doing your civic duty.

I'm working for an intermunicipal nonprofit consortium controlled by Lewisboro and the other municipalities in Westchester, promoting energy programs that we create at the request of, and to service those munis and their residents. This is not some third-party commercial organization trying to obtain benefits accruing to private individuals. Sustainable Westchester belongs to all of us, and now, more than ever, we need everyone to pitch in. Of course I will promote the programs that Lewisboro helped create in order to effectively address the greatest challenge of our times. Ms. Rendo calls that a conflict. I call it my moral, civic and official duty.