Friday, December 3, 2010

The Coward's Way Out

So Tom Richards is willing to serve as Mayor of Rochester -- but only if he's spared the inconvenience of a real election!

His announcement yesterday was cleverly timed to try to interrupt the growing momentum among City Democratic committees toward an appointment now, followed by a General Election in November.   That would permit a Democratic primary in September, in which Democratic voters select their party's nominee.

Richards wants, instead, to go the route of a Special Election in the Spring, which precludes a Democratic primary.   Democratic voters and committees would have no say in choosing their party's nominee.   The nominee would be chosen behind closed doors and presented to them without choice.   In the monolithically Democratic City, the Democratic nomination is tantamount to election.

Not a bad deal for Richards, a guy who only registered as a Democrat a few weeks ago!

We've only ever heard good things about Tom Richards, and up to now have thought of him as a real mensch.   But why is he afraid of the voters?

Richards would be starting off on the wrong foot if he continues to insist on the Special Election.   While claiming his motivation is to avoid "politics," what he's doing is conniving with backroom Democratic elites in order to cut out Democratic voters; asking to be appointed Mayor without campaigning or earning it through the electoral process.

"I am committed to this City," said would-be Mayor Richards yesterday, before he went on to say, in effect, that unless he's handed the office without working for it, he's not so committed after all.

He'll only be mayor, he said, if it's through the Special Election, not if it's through the General Election that gives Democratic voters the say in who's going to be their candidate.

A perfect "Let them eat cake" declaration.

Richards has the Party's elites behind him, including the party's press organ, the Democrat and Chronicle.   On the other side are 7 of the 10 Democratic committees in the City and the Rochester Labor Council.   All support the General Election scenario.

If the Democratic elites bypass their party's voters, who knows?   Maybe the City Republicans will be smart enough to nominate Molly Clifford.

8 comments:

Rottenchester said...

I'd like to see a Republican insurgent candidacy here to keep the Democrats honest. It's going have to be an insurgency because Relich told the media that he has too much on his plate to contest the mayor's seat.

Anonymous said...

Richards will never run in an election where he had a real opponent. This is because people will start looking at his past. He took the reins at RG&E for the sole purpose of selling the company, for which he pocketed $10 million and 700 workers lost their jobs. He pressured Pataki thru the Rump Group (remember that great effort?) to finance the ferry, only to disappear when it started foundering. The Midtown project was his baby at City Hall, and now that's looking like another fiasco. The guy is a walking disaster area.

Anonymous said...

We need a Republican to run. What about this site looking at Republicans who live in the City. I would bet that there are names on the list who would surprise us. The problem is, simply, if the party will not support a candidate, what is the point? Richards may be easier to beat than most...but it still will take money! In the meantime, why not use this site to float names?

Anonymous said...

What we need is a moderate Democrat well like by both sides, with a long standing reputation for working well with both sides, to come out against this elite and arrogant move by Richards and the Party bosses....it would be nice to see the Republican Party cross endorse whoever that might be....I cannot believe that the people of Rochester are not screaming out loud about this, if it were being done by the GOP everyone would be crying foul and racism and all kinds of uproar would be going on...I can't belive the silence by Democrats in this. It is sickening...the Republicans I know are disgusted...

Harry Davis said...

ahhh, democracy. What a horrible concept. Why bother if you got Duffy, Gantt & Morelle all to vouch for you that you are better than the voters?

When we presented a way to save the $52 million for the Mortimer bus barn and the city council, Duffy & RicHards all paid no attention to it, I asked Tom Richards on the night of June 15, 2010, minutes after the 7-2 vote to go ahead with Mortimer, "Tom, Why didn't you talk to John Robert Smith & the Deputy Secretary of Transportation who all would have told you how to not do Mortimer but use Liveabilty funds to develop the Amtrak site for high speed rail and intermodal transportation, Tom told me, "We did contact DC. They said there was no way to do this."

I say this is either a lie or BS. Richards was Duffy's water boy for Mortimer and this is more than enough reason why this corporate millionaire should not be Mayor, even if Tom & I were Boy Scouts together at Massawepie Boy Scout camps in the Adirondacks together.

How about a real election? Hell, I will run as a Repub just to get this downtown development done correctly once & for all which I can DO!


Emails: Showing Reasons For The Impeachment of ROC City Council Members Lovely Warren, Ortiz, Haag, Spaull, Palumbo & McFadden | Harry Davis: "Give 'em Hell, Harry!"
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/302

Anonymous said...

It is funny how "they" didn't want to call a "special election" to fill the 29th Congressional seat, because it would cost the voters, the county and the state too much money. But now "they" want a "special election" to fill the Mayors seat. Political hypocracy at its best. Or worst...

Anonymous said...

There are Democrats ready to step up and do the job.. Just not ones who will allow their strings to be pulled by the likes of Morelle, Gantt and Duffy. It is a sad state of affairs.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately Duffy, Morelle and Gantt will do anything to keep those Democrats from getting anywhere...until enough people stand up to them nothing will change...