I own a small business. In business, there are always issues to be resolved. Minor emergencies I can handle within the company, however, when I need outside help I keep one number near the phone. Thomas Belenchia has solved what seemed to be major obstacles by providing a steady hand on my behalf and insisting that all parties do what is right. He built trust by listening to my concerns and has supported me in providing protection for my personal and business assets. He supports my business and refers other clients to me in support of my business.
His winning ways would be a true asset to Spartanburg. City Council would have a source of wisdom with Thomas on the team. Please vote Nov. 3, and Thomas Belenchia for City Council would be my recommendation.
Katie Hicks
Roebuck
I have known Thomas Belenchia over the past few years and have been well aware of the good work he has done in the business community. I attended the candidate forum Monday evening and fully realized that everyone in our community fully understands the immediate need for a steady hand to be at the helm of Spartanburg city government. The current economic situation is quite dire, and we may well fall further behind if corrective steps are not taken now.
Mr. Belenchia's talents and experience are such that he has dealt with similar situations in the private sector. On Monday night, he was able to articulate solutions that have already proven to be successful. This is a time for experience to take over and not relying on unproven theories that others put forward.
It is most important to vote for Thomas Belenchia for City Council next Tuesday.
Rick Beltram
Thomas Belenchia campaign consultant
I have been a SCORE member for more than 15 years. SCORE is a voluntary association known as Counselors to America's Business. Thomas Belenchia has been one of our steadfast supporters in Spartanburg for many years, providing education and mentoring to the hundreds of our clients who are interested in starting or maintaining a business.
Thomas has the business skills that would be a great asset to Spartanburg as a City Council member. As the economy is the No.1 issue both nationally and in Spartanburg, the city needs a leader experienced in economic issues. Thomas fills that bill.
Additionally, both Thomas and I have had the honor of serving this country as U.S. Marines. I know the training and discipline we received as Marines has given us a positive work ethic and an ability to get things done completely, timely and successfully. Please vote Nov. 3 for Thomas Belenchia for Spartanburg City Council, District 4.
Warren Schmitt
Campobello
One of the heartening things about the upcoming general election in the city of Spartanburg is that we have a good number of very qualified and deserving candidates for public office. We need their skills and talents in these challenging times.
I am writing this letter on behalf of one of these able candidates for City Council, Mr. Thomas Belenchia, whom I have known since he came to Spartanburg and began working toward his undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Since completing law school, he has practiced law in the city for 15 years.
I admired his good citizenship, ability and commitment to public service during the time when I served as chairman of the city's Historical and Architectural Review Board, and he was a member. We found that hearings and presentations before that board were often confrontational and difficult, and we relied heavily on Mr. Belenchia's good sense and legal background to preserve fairness and common sense in dealing with our neighbors.
Thomas Belenchia would make a fine member of City Council, and I encourage voters in Council District 4 to give him every consideration.
Doyle Boggs
Spartanburg
We are living during a time when serious problems cry out for action. Opportunities beg the intelligence, experience and effort to take maximum advantage of what they offer us.
Now is the best possible time to put into place an individual with the vision and energy to turn these opportunities into accomplishments that will benefit all of us. Thomas Belenchia, candidate for Spartanburg City Council, has a track record in our community for effective community leadership.
Thomas chose to enlist in the Marine Corps rather than wait to be drafted during Vietnam. A Marine must make hard decisions and recognize that love and negotiation cannot cure all problems. However, a Marine is "Always Faithful" (Semper Fi).
We need that type of experience. Mr. Belenchia is a business attorney frequently called upon to address critical issues facing both businesses and individuals, believing that together he and other like leaders can inspire trust and create a strategic vision on our City Council. Thomas is willing to accept this challenge and help our community continue to perform in today's economic times.
Voting is a privilege and a responsibility. Vote on Nov. 3 for Thomas Belenchia.
Jo-Ellen De Luca
Spartanburg
I support Thomas Belenchia in his candidacy for the Spartanburg City Council District 4 seat. I have worked with Thomas on several long-term projects, and I believe he would be a natural as a City Council member. He is a dedicated, level-headed businessman who works well with a wide variety of people and truly cares about the product he produces for his clients. He takes the time to do his homework and fully understand the issues that confront him.
One of the things I have always admired about Thomas is the enormous amount of positive energy he brings to every aspect of his life. As one would expect, he brings this energy to his campaign. I have witnessed Thomas working hard to gather input from the District 4 residents regarding what they think is working and what needs improvement in our city. As a longtime resident of Spartanburg, I think he fully comprehends Spartanburg's past, present and subsequently what is needed for the future growth and prosperity of our fine city.
For all of these reasons, I hope you'll join me in giving Thomas Belenchia your vote for Spartanburg City Council on Election Day.
James Fisk
Spartanburg
I was present at the candidates' forum on Oct. 17. As a city resident and small-business owner, I was interested to hear about economic recovery plans for Spartanburg. Spartanburg City Council candidate Thomas Belenchia gave a very convincing talk on his balanced approach to move our city toward prosperity.
Mr. Belenchia's experience with running and advising businesses for decades, as well as his can-do spirit, give him unique knowledge to achieve the results our city desperately needs. I was impressed with his innovative ideas to renew and restore our city, and his background from Vietnam veteran to successful farmer to small-business owner and adviser gave me the peace of mind to know Thomas can make it happen.
Please join me in voting for Thomas Belenchia for City Council on Nov. 3.
Thomas Maguire
Spartanburg
Spartanburg needs an experienced business professional who understands small-business procedures and problems. We need someone who understands the government legal system's effect on a city's ability to promote business investment. Thomas Belenchia is the candidate for City Council, District 4, who can guide Spartanburg through this maze to make us better able to promote ourselves to potential new companies for Spartanburg.
He can also give advice to the city on future infrastructure as a certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional building designer. Thomas has an excellent business history as he is presently involved in business counseling and has the foresight to lead Spartanburg to a more successful future.
Please vote for Thomas Belenchia for Spartanburg City Council, District 4, on Nov. 3.
Conway Rice
Spartanburg
In late 2007 and early 2008, my family and I were faced with several traumatic events. My husband was deployed in Iraq with his U.S. Army Reserve unit when I required an emergency operation. The medical bills were astronomical, and I could not work for several months.
I had to make several difficult choices concerning the payment of our home mortgage and payment for the operation. I fell behind on my mortgage payments, and the lender started foreclosure proceedings against me.
I contacted the S.C. Bar, and it referred me to an attorney in Spartanburg who handled veterans' legal issues. My attorney's name was Thomas Belenchia, and in our first meeting, I explained that I could not pay him. He told me he was a Vietnam era veteran and that he would take the case and protect my home from foreclosure. Mr. Belenchia told me I did not have to worry about paying him.
Mr. Belenchia was able to save my home, thus giving my husband a home to return to, and he represented me knowing he would not be compensated. And he did it without any fanfare.
I have recently learned that Mr. Belenchia is now running for Spartanburg City Council. Anyone who is proud of our service members and is thankful for their gifts to our country should vote for Thomas Belenchia.
Stephanie Sands
Spartanburg
I have known Thomas Belenchia for more than five years. He has chosen the city of Spartanburg for his home and business.
Mr. Belenchia knows that grants for funding and planning are most important in a poor economy to keep the engine of economic development moving forward. We need new business and business expansions within the city in order to reduce unemployment and increase city revenue. We have to compete with neighboring cities, and an environment that will encourage business investment in Spartanburg is vital. Mr. Belenchia, with his vast business experience, can be the necessary link to bring investment to this proud city.
As an attorney for business, he knows well the challenges facing business owners on a daily basis. With that knowledge, he will be able to create an easier path for business to grow within our city limits. He has the leadership and experience needed to create this kind of business-friendly environment.
Please vote for Thomas Belenchia for Spartanburg City Council on Nov. 3.
Joe Hill
Spartanburg
Thomas Belenchia has been a friend, customer and legal business adviser of mine since 1996. I eagerly support his bid for Spartanburg City Council.
Thomas brings a wealth of experience to this position through his years of being a small-business owner. From his years of farming in Mississippi, I truly feel he knows where small-business people sit today during these tough economic times. In essence, he has been on the common man's side of government long enough to know the hardships and joy that most small businesses face. Until you have lived the life of a small-business person, you may not fully understand the relationship between the people and the bodies that govern them.
His law firm caters to those who need legal advice for their best interests as business owners. I am sure his life experiences have inspired him to work with the small-business community. He has not forgotten the working man's plight by practicing law; he has embraced it as a focus of his firm.
Finally, he has also been very involved in civic projects. He has worked to preserve historical districts in Spartanburg that cannot be replaced. He has worked with young people to help them understand the different paths they can choose when creating a small business.
For these reasons and others, I ask you to vote for Thomas Belenchia on Nov. 3.
Jay Moore
Spartanburg
As a business owner and investor, I have a deep commitment to this community.
College athletics has been a focus for many of my contributions here in Spartanburg. I believe that athletics instills accountability in young people during their formative years.
Thomas Belenchia is my neighbor and a former college athlete. I have experienced his accountability and steadfast manner through actions.
I see challenges ahead for the city of Spartanburg as we seek to revitalize our neighborhoods and commercial corridors and centers. Vacant buildings breed crime. Unemployment disrupts family stability. I want to elect a leader who is steadfast and accountable.
My neighbor has proven his accountability, and I urge you to review his credentials and formulate your own balance sheet. I will vote for Thomas Belenchia for Spartanburg City Council on Tuesday.
Cleveland Harley
Spartanburg
Fourteen years of meeting weekly gives you a sense of the character of your colleagues. As immediate past president of the East Spartanburg Rotary Club, I must speak about one member.
Thomas Belenchia, candidate for Spartanburg City Council, has been honored by the club with a Service Above Self Award for leading our golf fundraiser for eight years. When he served as president of the club, we were distinguished as the first club in the Upstate District with 100 percent Paul Harris Fellow recognition. This achievement meant getting members to support one another to achieve $1,000 each to fund the eradication of polio.
Last spring, to honor him and his wife, the club placed a bench in the Upstate Rotary Peace Park at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Thomas was honored by the club as a Distinguished Citizen.
His selflessness is a unique trait that could truly benefit the city of Spartanburg. He will represent all residents with fairness and distinction. Vote on Tuesday for Thomas Belenchia for City Council.
Ron Miller
Spartanburg
I am proud that over the years Spartanburg has invited industry from around the world to create new jobs. I am proud that our community includes many resourceful people. My family and I have grown personally by knowing many of these folks. We now have the opportunity to embrace someone offering his service that has outstanding character and a track record of helping a wide variety of businesses. The unemployment rate in the city is in excess of 20%. I would ask the voters like former President Reagan did in another recession, “are you better off now than you were four years ago”?
There is one candidate for City Council District 4 that understands how to start up new businesses and make the existing business more successful so we can continue to grow. We need more than passion we need practical and appropriate strategies to re-build our city and provide our families with the potential for prosperity.
Please consider Thomas Belenchia for City Council, a farmer, marine and business counselor on November 3. If you will be away vote absentee because every vote matters in this economy.
Benjamin Cochran
Spartanburg
I have known Thomas Belenchia for approximately 12 years. As an attorney for small businesses and individuals, he has the experience to represent District 4 well on Spartanburg City Council.
He has been active in civic work, working to preserve some of our historical areas. We need his experience on City Council. Please join me in supporting him next Tuesday.
Gaines H. Mason
Spartanburg
If one has not seen Thomas Belenchia's credentials -- including but not limited to a doctorate of jurisprudence and being an accredited LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional -- his service given to the city of Spartanburg, our community and our country is simply astounding.
He is exactly what District 4 and the entire city of Spartanburg need at the moment. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., he understands "the fierce urgency of now." I believe Mr. Belenchia understands the need for expediency and not getting mired down by internal politicking.
Spartanburg continues to have the highest percentage of people living below the federal poverty line in South Carolina, has regressive ideas like concentrating public housing in single areas, and it continues to fail, for example, to see the connection between those statistics. Our current planning and urban design standards can affect everything from poverty, crime, walkability and public health.
Winston Churchill stated, "We shape our buildings; therefore they shape us." Thomas Belenchia is not going to sit back complacently. He is a doer. He means business. Let's shape this election in his favor and have an ally in shaping City Council's District 4, the legislative branch of our city government and the city of Spartanburg for the better.
Jonathan D. Tillotson
Spartanburg
Thomas Belenchia has demonstrated a long-term respect for public safety. His family regularly hosts international students for a living experience in Spartanburg.
Few people take advantage of the Ride Along Program, which gives people the opportunity to shadow a public safety officer for a full eight hours. When I was a public safety officer, I particularly remember one young man from Italy who, over his six weeks in Spartanburg, chose to ride with me three times. He was studying law in Milan and had never been offered such an experience. He is just one of the many students whom Thomas had given this opportunity.
This is an out-of-the-ordinary demonstration of respect, which as an officer impressed me. Thomas continued to inform me of Marco's progress and still retains a friendship with him today. I will be walking the neighborhoods for Thomas, and you have the opportunity to vote for him for Spartanburg City Council, District 4, next Tuesday.
Paula Brewster
Enoree
NOTE: All letters to the editor depicted here were submitted to the Spartanburg Hearld Journal newspaper by the various readers listed above. The contents were simply copied here for ease of viewing. Please refer to Spartanburg Hearld Journal for more information.