Make A Difference, Get Involved In Local Politics

Guest Viewpoint by Bijoy Datta, Broome County Republican Committee Chairman

When the Republican Party was founded in 1854, it fought to end slavery and grow economic opportunities. 161 years later, our Party is still dedicated to freedom above all else:  personal freedom and economic freedom.

But none of this can be accomplished without local people on the ground doing the hard work that matters. As President Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on…or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

The fight is never over and there is always work to be done, which is why the Broome Republican Committee is continually seeking new volunteers and candidates. With important local elections taking place in 2015, and the Presidential campaign and other major races on deck in 2016, now is a great time to get involved.

This year we’re putting on a renewed push to empower ordinary residents to reach extraordinary goals, as many seats are up for election throughout our County, City, Towns and Villages, including District Attorney, County Judge, all seven seats on Binghamton City Council, Vestal Supervisor and Town Board, Endicott Mayor and Village Board, and more. Plus we’re already gearing up for Federal, State and local elections in what will surely be a very busy 2016.

In our Broome County Republican Party, power comes from the bottom-up; not from the top-down. Ideas that begin in our neighborhoods often spread to Village and Town Halls, or end up in Albany and Washington. We know that local people on the ground can figure out the answers to Broome County’s problems better than out-of-town, out-of-touch bureaucrats.

All of our work begins with Committee Members, who offer insight and ideas to our elected leaders, get our candidates on the ballot, and help win campaigns every fall. They often turn into candidates for elective office themselves in the future; almost every local Republican officeholder started out as a Committee Member. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our winning team as a Committee Member or candidate for office, please contact us at 607-723-8201 or bijoy@broomerepublicans.com.

Getting good things done doesn’t happen without dedicated people who are willing to take action. Does that include you?

If you want to make a difference in what’s happening in our nation, state or local area, we’re asking you to take action and get involved. If you aren’t happy with what the government is doing (like passing the so-called SAFE Act, banning natural gas drilling, or increasing your tax rates without justification), we’re asking you to take action and get involved. If you want to join a winning team that’s making real progress locally rather than just talking about it, we’re asking you to take action and get involved.

Our local Republican Party is strong because we focus on the basics: more jobs, lower taxes, safer neighborhoods, dependable infrastructure, and quality services delivered efficiently. Focusing on these fundamentals is what has made Broome Republicans so successful over the last several years. Each year we’ve gained more momentum and won more elections. And, heading into 2015 and 2016, we’ll continue fighting to ensure our children and grandchildren can chart a path to prosperity, and we leave them a community in better condition than we found it.