Sansone has given Orleans communities part-time focus, and only recently made Holley his residence

Editor:

Seems there is a bit of smoke and mirrors plus a touch of deflection in Mr. Sansone’s “I Love Orleans County” campaign. According to some County Republicans, residency status does not really matter when it comes to politics but it really does matter to quite a few of us.

Owning a $78,000 assessed house in Holley for 8 years does not make you a resident of Orleans County. Finally claiming it as your new and current residence for a few months does though, specifically for advertising purposes in regards to your campaign. When you started living there, who really knows.

You do however still advertise your law practice on-line in Lockport and still work part-time in the Niagara County Court Attorney’s office.

Presently, Real Property of Niagara County and Steuben County shows your $380,000 assessed home in Lockport and that you also own three properties in Steuben County, (one of which is a house), total assessment almost $400,000.

To help clarify that you are “right here in Orleans County” may I help. You pay all those property and school taxes to those two respective counties and not one of those properties are currently for sale. When considering all the money you have earned through the years in your various part-time legal positions here in Orleans County, it seems to me you are spending that hard-earned Orleans County taxpayer money in your other counties, not here in the “county that you love.”

You have never been able to vote in an Orleans County election, only in Niagara County due to your long-term residency there.

All your past legal positions you have listed on your advertising for Orleans County were/are part-time positions. Town and Village Attorney positions were/are part-time also. As part-time Ridgeway and Kendall Special Prosecutor your responsibilities are to enforce code violations and cite multiple unlicensed vehicles.

All the above information is factual and can be easily verified on line.

In regards to trial experience, you have not tried a case in Orleans County Court as part-time ADA for over ten years, so your claimed trial experience is limited to other court venues. In other words, when was the last time you sent someone to prison working as a town or village attorney or served as the Appellate Attorney for Appeals in Orleans County? Answer: Never!

The job of District Attorney is for an individual with years of criminal prosecutorial experience and in sending criminals to prison.

When discussing endorsements for Mr. Sansone, this is my opinion and only my opinion. Political intrigue is certain to follow but that is essential in a democracy.

Your recent endorsement by the supervisors and mayor would be and should be expected. They have or do pay for your legal part-time services in their town or village. They do, to their credit, state they have not experienced your skill in a courtroom where prison time will be the result of the verdict.

Now the question that comes to my mind is in regards to the entity of law enforcement endorsements of Mr. Sansone. Endorsement statements have been made by the Orleans County Sheriffs Employees Association, The Orleans County Deputy Sheriffs Association, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s personal endorsement.

In the elections for the for the previous sheriff and the current sheriff it was well known that the DA’s office supported the opposing candidate. In today’s political climate we hear all the time about revenge and retribution upon those who do not or did not support them.

Could this be a case of justifiable “payback” or just another coincidence?

“Just saying!”

Am I questioning here the politics of professionalism or the professionalism of politics? This is strictly my opinion of course.

In regards to the endorsement by the Orleans County Republican Party. Sheriff Bourke explained in detail, in a previous letter, how the vote for endorsement was conducted. My issue was not with the standards of voting procedure but the lack of information that some committee members did not have, hence were not aware of.

The feedback and discussions later were that many committee members were under the assumption that Mr. Sansone was a long-time resident of Holley, technically not one of a few months. This did indeed bother numerous committee members who thought that should have been clarified prior to the vote.

In regards to Senator Ortt’s endorsement and of knowing him for a few years, Mr. Sansone still works for Niagara County so the Senator must cover all his political bases.

Again, this is all my opinion. Many have stated theirs and more will undoubtedly follow. Let us not lose this right as our democracy today has become very fragile.

Thank you!

Jim Pratt

Albion