Salka Thanks Voters, Volunteers

To the Editor:

(Brookfield, NY – Dec. 2014) We live in a nation that was built on the belief that the people are the governing force that determines our future, we learn from the mistakes of the past, and we secure the present with unity and strength. Government’s job is to abide by the dictates of its citizens, and it is government that serves the people.

It should never be the other way around.

With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the thousands of people of the 121^st Assembly District for their support over the past several months. Through hard work and determination, our campaign focused on how the people want their government to respond to their needs and to their wishes, and they expressed a desire for change by going to the polls to honor us with their votes for fresh, new ideas. We ran on energy, and we never disappointed folks with our passion for better government.

I am proud to claim that we did, in fact, run a campaign that had so much input from the citizens of the 121^st. The debates that were held throughout the district were informative and respectful, and I am proud to say there was no desire to go negative, something that simply detracts from the true purpose of a political campaign. We brought the issues to the people and we were able to articulate our positions and answer their questions in a clear and concise manner.

Although we were dwarfed in comparison by the spending done by my opponent and the Albany political machine, we were still able to show an impressive result in the vote, and with our campaign taking no money from the Albany elite, we were able to maintain that it will be the people that we will be accountable to, not the power-brokers in our state’s capital.

None the less, I wish our Assemblyman the best of luck, and he has served honorably for many years.

I still get a thrill when someone tells me that they registered just to vote for me, or that they went to the polls for the first time in many years just to cast their vote for me. It is an honor like no other. Many have urged me to run again, and that will be a decision that I will make, as I did in this election, after discussion with my family, for it is they who sacrificed so much for our run.

And it is to them that I am eternally grateful.

In closing, the opportunity to run for the state assembly was one of the most fascinating and fulfilling endeavors I have ever had the honor of doing, and I had the experience of a lifetime meeting some of the nicest folks a man could meet. I would hope that our campaign generates a lasting energy and enthusiasm that will be part of a change that we so desperately need in government.

With that in mind, as our slogan states, with your help we will “Turn This Around!”

Thank you and God bless.

John Salka