East Hampton Town Republicans: Trace Duryea
Trace Duryea, the East Hampton Republican Party Chairman, discussed the upcoming election and the vision of the East Hampton Republican Committee. “My mission, and that of our dedicated committee, is to provide for our neighbors and fellow voters the opportunity to elect successful professionals who will bring a full spectrum of views, life experiences and diversified resumes to help Supervisor Bill Wilkinson govern this town we all love so much. Together, Team Wilkinson 2011 will build upon the extraordinary success of these past two years working to restore sanity and solvency to our once bankrupted town. They will continue the reform practices of fiscal accountability, lower taxes and efficient open government. This is not the time for on the job training. We need the entire Wilkinson team for a better future.”
I asked Duryea to talk about the Republican candidates. She said, “Steven Gaines is a bestselling author, investigative journalist and media host. As co-founder of the East Hampton Film Festival he has brought international recognition to our town, which resulted in increased revenues for businesses off-season. He revitalized Author’s Night at the East Hampton Library, taking it from being a minor fundraiser to a star-studded literary event of the summer season. His experience in obtaining facts, his ability to assess a situation and his creative problem solving will be an enormous asset to the Town Board. He’s a terrific guy and makes a lot of sense.”
“Richard Haeg is already a hero,” she said, “a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Now, as a decorated veteran, he has stepped forward once again to serve. His decision to postpone retirement and run for Town Councilman, at a time when he is needed on Team Wilkinson 2011, exemplifies the valor exhibited throughout his lifetime. His decision-making abilities, which have been literally tested under fire, and his background in small business make him especially suitable for the position. We are very proud of his candidacy.”
Concerning the East Hampton Town Supervisor’s race, Duryea said, “There is simply not enough space or time anywhere to effectively describe Supervisor Bill Wilkinson. This man of high ideals and unmatched capabilities has, in 20 short months, stabilized East Hampton Town finances, given taxpayers a discernible tax cut, reduced the Town budget by $8 million and returned hundreds of thousands of dollars to the town coffers through public/private initiatives. The Supervisor is an example of a solid, honest, hard-working individual making the personal sacrifices 24/7 to get our town back on the right track with common sense solutions.”
So why is this next election important for East Hampton Town? “Simple answer: East Hampton cannot afford to return to the destructive policies of the past McGintee era by electing inexperienced officials who were McGintee appointees. They have never successfully met a payroll and they have never met a tax increase they didn’t like.”
As for her vision for the Republican Party moving forward, Duryea said, “We would like to stand up for the shrinking middle class in our community. We want to represent those who are resourceful and hard working; we would like to attract young adults to a vigorous movement to participate in their community and make a personal investment so they can continue to live and work and raise their families here. We want to provide opportunities through government and private partnerships for new thoughts and new ventures, and see established new goals from which all in the community will benefit. We would like to see civility at its best: people helping people because they are neighbors. We would like to be inclusive rather than exclusive; we need to remember that we can all learn from the past and look to the future.”