To the Editor:

Until this year, I hadn’t truly believed that candidates engaged in political mudslinging. Now I see it is real. From a lame duck legislator, this mudslinging is extremely odd. The long opinion letter he wrote seems designed to promote the prospects for another office.

Kevin Acres characterizes the Conservative Party “Breaking it gently,” to a candidate not receiving an endorsement as misogynistic. The several male candidates who were also called with the bad news might find Mr. Acres adjective objectionable. And, Mr. Acres is right, someone is lying about being called, but it isn’t me.

Mr. Acres then claims John Burke had zero influence on the budget. If that is true, then Mr. Acres, despite the positions he claims on the legislative board, also had zero influence. He forgets that John Burke also held Chairman of the Board position during his tour. The budget is proposed by the County Administrator to the Legislators and voted upon. In the period he cites, it has always passed, and with Acres “Yes” vote. The County Administrator receives input from the legislators prior to proposing the budget. I am sure Mr. Acres and the other legislators all lobbied for their constituents.

“Attempted Spending” is a made-up term that is too funny to take seriously. His claims are pure fabrications.

In case Mr. Acres didn’t know, the county has had mental health and drug treatment functions for a long time. The one attempt to enlist Potsdam Hospital in providing services ended with Potsdam doing nothing in a year’s time. So, the county took it back.

Mr. Acres extracts from the Probation Budget two items and neglects to mention the overall, including the reduced caseload of probation officers, or the problems encountered at the department. His remarks cannot be addressed isolated from the bigger picture. The two individuals cited are 20 year county employees. This is not a new expense, and Kevin Acres was a participant in keeping them on the payroll in years past.

If anyone should be considered an expert on mental health and drug treatment, it should be John Burke, who had a very successful career of 35 years in that field. We don’t need Mr. Acres brand of Washington and Albany politics. St. Lawrence County deserves better. Come the primary, vote for John Burke.

Tom Daly, secretary
St. Lawrence County
Conservative Party