Fund Raiser for Comptroller Candidate Harry Wilson

Sound Shore Local Office Holders, NYS Republican Chairman Ed Cox and Westchester County Chair Doug Colety welcome Wilson to Rye Town's Crawford Park Mansion

Friday, October 1, 2010 – 7:00pm – 9:00m

Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norm Rosenblum and Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor Valerie Moore O'Keeffe will be in attendance.

Candidate Harry Wilson has explained that he is running for Comptroller because, "Our elected leaders have driven this state to the brink of insolvency, and we are all paying a price for it. It is time for a tough, independent businessperson – not a politician – to force the tough choices that our state needs to get back on track."

Sound Shore elected officials are so confident that Harry Wilson has the right mix of message and experience that they have come together to organize a singular event for him emphasizing the need for strong, non partisan professional management in Albany to turn our failing state around.

NYS Republican Chairman Ed Cox exclaimed that "it's hard to believe, in the business and financial capital of the world, there isn't a single statewide Republican elected official for the first time since the 1930's."  

Cox went on to state that, in elections last fall, the Republican Party made real gains in Westchester County.  Republican candidates claimed major victories throughout various levels of government and were swept into the County and local legislature, thanks to a strong message of reform carried forth by proven business professionals who are ready and willing to apply their private sector skills to public office.

Cox has now teamed with Westchester Chair Doug Colety to bring Sound Shore Office holders together in one mega event of support for State Comptroller candidate Harry Wilson.

County Chair Colety lamented Westchester County's dubious distinction as being the highest property tax county in the nation in a state ranked 49^th out of 50 in terms of attractiveness to do business.   Colety went on to say that in Westchester we are proud of the fact that we have put in office a cadre of business professionals dramatically changing the local government landscape.  "We now need competent professionals in Albany to support these forward-looking, reform minded officials transforming their communities."

The newly elected mayor of Rye City, Doug French, has worked hard to address Rye City's financial and quality of life issues.  Mayor French said that "the only way we are going to move forward with far reaching reform in our municipality is if we can count on support from Albany for reform.   The only candidate with the experience and vision to achieve the kind of reform we need is Harry Wilson."

The newly elected mayor of the Village of Mamaroneck, Norm Rosenblum, expressed his concern "that if we do not implement fundamental reform now, the exodus of people fleeing New York State could well turn into a stampede."  He explained that "basically the villages and towns are the bottom of the pile as the state continues to pass down unsustainable, unfunded mandates.  Many villages and towns are doing everything they can do on the local level and not getting any support from the State.  Harry Wilson is one of the few candidates for statewide office that fundamentally understands that dynamic and who has committed to support reform minded local officials."

Long time Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Valerie O'Keefe said that "All too often towns and villages find themselves behind the 8 ball because of the irresponsible behavior by previous controllers either unable or unwilling to provide the kind of real pension reform needed to reduce the pension costs that continue to increase beyond local government control at worrying rates of increase.  Harry Wilson with his longstanding professional and financial experience understands the negative impact of this kind of neglect.   He has identified pension reform as a top issue and is committed to do something about it."    

Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin, who was elected in 2007 and has reduced expenditures in the Town of Rye by 25% and taxes in each year he has been in office, goes even farther.  In Carvin's view, "New York is a failed state.  We are last in business environment and first in property tax burden.  There is absolutely no way the current property burden can be sustained. I am absolutely convinced that Harry J. Wilson's election to Comptroller is essential to the economic survival of New York State."

"Harry Wilson is the most competent professional running for New York State Comptroller in my adult lifetime," he said. "The current comptroller, Tom DiNapoli, a former Assemblyman, was appointed to the job by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his Democratic majority in the Assembly, over the angry protests of then Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer. The previous Comptroller, Democrat Alan Hevesi, was forced to resign in disgrace for ethics abuses. This office has been an embarrassment to every New York citizen for more than a decade. The fact that we have a business professional like Harry Wilson willing to put his life on hold to seek this office is a something we all need to support.  For me he is exactly the kind of non partisan, pro business, professional candidate that makes me proud to be a Republican."

And so on Friday, October 1 from 7-9 PM at Rye Town's Crawford Mansion Rye City Mayor Doug French, Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norm Rosenblum Town of Mamaroneck Supervisor Valerie Moore O'Keeffe,  Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin, Westchester County Chair Doug Colety and New York State Republican Chair Ed Cox will all come together to support Harry Wilson, the candidate they all believe represents the best of Republican values and vision as well as provide New Yorkers with their best hope for serious reform in New York State government.

All are invited regardless of party affiliation, to the Wilson fund raiser, whose minimum contribution is $50.00 per person.

Wilson will speak at the fund raiser, and be available for interviews with local media. This is his first candidacy for elective office.

His most well known public service position was as the lone Republican member of President Obama's automotive task force  -the group responsible for the overhaul of General Motors and Chrysler.

As a fiscal conservative who believes in free markets, Wilson wanted a say in how the auto bailout plan was administered. If both President Bush and President Obama were going to move forward with it, he says he "wanted to make sure it was done right, and only once."

Wilson staunchly opposed the Chrysler bailout and made the case repeatedly to his colleagues. He thought the company had a low probability of turning the corner, so the bailout was not an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. He is proud, however, of his work to fundamentally restructure General Motors – its board, its management, its operations and its labor arrangements. With the revised operating and labor cost structure and capital structure created through the restructuring, Wilson believes General Motors can again become a profitable automaker.

At the fund raiser, Wilson will answer questions from the audience and media.

For more information, contact: Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin, at jcarvin@altimapartners.com or (914) 939-4254

The Wilson team can be contacted at Taxpayers for Wilson, 212-221-7809