Yea, this would fix the problems in Albany

Polanski: "If Stach Doesn't Run, I'm In!"
Written by Glenn Gramigna, Editor
LACKAWANNA MAYOR RESPECTS BILL STACHOWSKI...WON'T CHALLENGE INCUMBENT..."VERY INTERESTED IN SEAT"...WOULD BE "NO RUBBER STAMP" FOR ALBANY IF ELECTED

Lackawanna Mayor Norm Polanski told NewWNYPolitics on Monday that he is "very interested" in the state senate seat currently held by Bill Stachowski. However, he also pledged that he "would never run against Senator Stachowski. I respect him. I know he's a very decent man. But, if William Stachowski were to get out, I'm definitely in!"

Should the two term chief executive of Lackawanna run for the 58th District state senate seat, he promises to contend based on a platform of bringing change to our state capital.

"I would not be a rubber stamp for anyone in Albany," he promises. "I believe that our state needs to change and I would run as the candidate of change. We have got to get the message out that we can not keep on spending money the way we have."

Mayor Polanski believes that Legislators should not be afraid to target both the education and health care budgets of the state, despite those who say these two areas should remain sacred cows.

"With regard to education, those who work in education in our state need to get used to doing more with less just like the rest of us," he suggests. "As for health care, it is well known that our medicaid program is the most expensive medicaid program in the nation. That has got to change. We need to find ways to cut the costs connected to our health care program, while maintaining needed services."

To those who say Norm Polanski could never serve in the New York State Senate, the Mayor has a ready response.

"They said I couldnt be elected Council President of Lackawanna," he recalls. "They said I wasn't well educated enough or smart enough to be elected Mayor of the City of Lackawanna. But, now I'm in my second term. People always underestimate me and I'm happy they do. I don't think you can find many people in Lackawanna who wouldn't vote for me again, who will tell you things aren't better in Lackawanna since I became Mayor."

While describing current Stachowski challenger Legislator Tim Kennedy as "all over the place, someone who keeps taking different positions on every issue," Mayor Polanski remains proud of his own accomplishments in office.

"I'm not a professional politician," he points out. "I'm an ordinary guy who has been elected to office to do my best to serve the ordinary, hard working taxpayer of our community. I'm the guy who exposed the Collins Administration's mistakes in sending out property tax bills. I'm the guy who is turning around Lackawanna. Once I got to Albany, I feel that I could find others who also want change who would be willing to work with me to turn our state around."