‘My candidacy is no act’

To the Editor:

I noted last week’s letter to the editor from Richard Graves (“Gonzalez is not qualified”), who admits he does not live in the 6th Legislative District.

In his letter, Graves insisted that my opponent has done a favorable job and has represented the 6th District very responsibly, but without specifying how. The only one living a fantasy is he who says driving Nassau into two fiscal crises is responsible.

Graves also claimed that my opponent has never talked negatively about any opponent, but he apparently missed last year’s campaign against Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy.  If Graves truly believes I have only talked negatively, he has not paid adequate attention to this race. I wish he had joined me even briefly on one of my many campaigns so that he would know how hard my colleagues and I worked, and how fulfilling it is to exhaust oneself for one’s convictions.

Perhaps Graves thought acting provided sufficient experience for two men to be governor of California, but my candidacy is no act.  It’s about the electorate’s desire to incentivize business growth, keep Nassau’s young people here, balance the budget and ensure fair redistricting.

My zone leader was not telling me to straighten out by asking if I would run. He was holding me to my statement that our party should never let an election go uncontested. The law, not Mr. Graves, stipulates who has business running for office — and I am old enough to serve in Congress. Graves has no idea of the serious hardships and enriching pursuits that amount to my life experience. 

The reality is that my district is in need of fresh, active representation and that a lot of people who have a big stake in this election, including the Police Benevolent Association and the Civil Service Employees Association, support my candidacy as the best choice on Nov. 8. That’s no joke.

Anthony Gonzalez

Candidate for County Legislature

Valley Stream