Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Republican Senators: Support Mayoral Control!

Given the raging torrent of legislative effluent that roars through the open sewer known as the New York State Legislature, you'd think State Senators of character, if there are any, would want to take the rare opportunity to vote for something that will actually do some good, for some people who need it.

So why are our Republican State Senators so stand-offish about voting for the bill on Mayoral control of Rochester's schools?

Senators Alesi, Robach, Nozzolio and Maziarz:   You should be lining up to support this bill.   Its passage easily could be the single most beneficial and useful thing you'll do in your entire Senate careers.

Don't blow it.

And don't expect continued automatic support from your Republican constituents if you do.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

If we lived in a City run by honest and sincere Democratic political leaders, mayoral control might be a good thing.

Unfortunately, turning over school financial contracts and the hiring of administrative jobs to Dave Gantt and Joe Morelle is a very, very bad thing.

You do know that this is exactly what will happen and that these are the two guys who will be running the school district, right?

A lot of City republicans are not ok with that.

Anonymous said...

sorry, I rarely disagree with this blog...but do on the issue. Mayoral control before you know who the Mayor is makes no sense!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, gotta disagree with you on this one Philbrick. Alesi's right. We don't know who the next Mayor is going to be in Rochester. When it was Bob Duffy asking, people felt some level of comfortability with him. Now with the possibility of Lovely Warren, Molly Clifford, Cynthia Elliot or Adam McFadden becoming the next Mayor (all Gantt & Morelle puppets) there's no way we can allow Mayoral Control of the city school district happen.

Everyone knows Tom Richards is the next temporary Mayor. We need to wait until we know who we're really going to have and who we'd be handing over this new power too.

Again, sorry but I'm not with you at all on this one.

Anonymous said...

I'm torn. Sandy Parker and her fake business group want mayoral control and the unions who fear losing jobs oppose it. Tough choice. At least we know the enemy we face with the unions. Parker is a wolf in sheep's clothing who acts pro-business but is really just pro-Democrat Party. And that's a fact!

Anonymous said...

I understand the frustration with the current school board, which continues to embarrass itself at every turn, but mayoral control would have meant Bill Johnson running the schools, or Tom Ryan, and in the future Joe Morelli, David Gantt, or the Duffy team of Darryl Porter, Patti Malgieri, and his former campaign chairwoman who is now in a no-show patronage job at the Fire Department ("because she is qualified"). Stick with the elected school board -- its ugly but its still better than the alternative.

Philbrick said...

Thanks, everybody, for all the comments. These, by the way, are the first good arguments against mayoral control that I've heard (although I'm still for it because I think that any change is better than the status quo).

However, nobody needs to apologize for not agreeing with us.

Mustard Street, like love, means never having to say you're sorry!

Anonymous said...

I think its smart to have a vote for the City residents to let them vote on what kind of system they want...school board or the mayor? I don't think it should be up to the people in the suburbs to dictate to city residents.

Anonymous said...

I think its takes more courage to stand on principle then it does to simply cower to either RBA or the Unions. Its a no win situation, therefore it allows those Senators to do what they think is right cause they know they're prolly gonna piss somebody off.

Anonymous said...

Hang Tough Senator Alesi.

Anonymous said...

Awesome comment Philbrick on the "love thang." Unlike the D&C at least you'll truly consider other valid points.

Here's the deal. 1. Get rid of candidates running for school board with party affiliation. 2. Take away school board pay. 3. Have them run in May like in the towns. 4. Get rid of forcing the City to fund schools and put it directly on the backs of city taxpayers and then 5. Let the city people vote on their own budget.

I'll tell you right now that if you do these things, the people will really own their school budget and you'll definitely get the people in the city to start paying attention and put in some work.

The system now stinks, but mayor control (as it's written now) is nothing more than a political power grab by Team Morelle.

Take power away from the unions but keep it outta the hands of the Democratic political bosses or else we get to meet the new boss... same as the old boss!

Anonymous said...

Hi Philbrick,

Mayoral control is just another way for liberal Democrats to say to parents and students of the RCSD that you are too stupid to deal with your kids, so we'll do it for you!
We must stop the Democrats march towards tyranny; maoyral control is just naother move in that direction, just like Obamacare, TARP; takovers of BP, GM, Chrysler and Sallie Mae, etc.
Board members must be unpaid and not affiliated with any political party. Maybe that will bring some dignity back to them.

Anonymous said...

Honest and sincere Democratic political leaders is exactly what this City needs....the next Mayor of Rochester needs to be Mitch Rowe.

Anonymous said...

Mitch Rowe would actually be a good choice for mayor, but the establishment Democrats are lining up behind Tom Richards. He is arrogant, conniving, and looks out for himself while leaving the less politically skillful with knives in their backs (ask the 700+ RG&E employees who lost their jobs after Richards sold them out, while pocketing $10 million for himself), which I suppose makes him a perfect politician.

Anonymous said...

Sorry...Sandy Parker is carrying Dutch Summers water on this project! And, worse, since Dutch is Duffy's quarterback...Sandy's agenda is much more personal than her responsibilities to the organization she represents...she is conflicted in the worst of ways....personally! Sandy should resign, Dutch should bow out, and Duffy should fold the tent. Mayoral control has been the angriest and most mismanaged debate in this community's history. worse, it was a battle fought for all the wrong reasons, with people lining up for all the wrong reasons...(get it Sandy?) and it is time for this site to pull the plug on it's support!

Anonymous said...

Sandy Parker has been bucking for a job in some administration for years. She would love to get a job in the Cuomo Admin, maybe econ dev. Sucking up to Duffy has been a good approach for her and may lead to greatness!

As for Dutch Summers, wasn't he one of the "Rump Group" leaders who pontificated about just about everything (including being the chief cheerleaders for the fast ferry) then dissolved when they realized no one was paying attention to rich blowhards who never put their money where their mouths were?