Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Totally Non-Political
As candidate, District Attorney-elect Sandra Doorley promised to "keep politics out of the DA's Office" and remain "independent."
A trusted source on the Democratic side tells us she will announce appointment of Adam Bello to a high ranking, high paying post in the DA's office.
Bello has never prosecuted a homicide. Or anything else for that matter. He's not even a lawyer. Doesn't even play one on TV.
But he was, until this appointment, Executive Director of the Monroe County Democratic Party.
He now becomes Party Godfather Joe Morelle's capo in the DA's office.
Apparently our new District Attorney is on a very short leash.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Succession Planning
Monroe County Democrats plan to put up County Legislator Vincent Esposito to run for the State Senate Seat held by incumbent Jim Alesi.
Chairman Joe Morelle expects his protege Esposito to win. It's reported that Morelle recently approached Dr. Joe Carbone, Esposito's Republican challenger in last month's election, with a deal: switch parties, to become a Democrat, and you can have Vinnie's legislative seat when he goes to the Senate. Dr. Carbone is reported to have refused.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas!
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Friday, December 23, 2011
Compendium of Corruption
The DA Files
Time to collect at one reference point our pieces on Monroe County's corrupt and politicized District Attorney's office under DA Mike Green.
From the most recent piece to the earliest, you'll find this index under "Features" near the top of the sidebar column as "The DA Files." We'll update it as we do more postings on the subject.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Newt Morelle
Check out Aaron Wicks' piece in Smugtown Beacon, talking about Joe Morelle's mailings to help his pal Vinnie Esposito's reelection to County Legislature. The mailings accused Republican candidate Dr. Joe Carbone of being "liberal" and "pro-union" candidate. From Morelle and Esposito, whose campaign money comes from unions!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
"Further Issues"
• The only way a U.S. Senator, on his own, can block a nominee for federal judge is if the nominee comes from the Senator's state.
There was no Senatorial "block" on Mike Green's nomination.
But the Democratic Senate sent it back anyway.
And the President said immediately, "No renomination."
All the other District Court nominees sent back to the White House were blocked by their own Senators. But not Mike Green. So that didn't stop his nomination.
• The Republican Senate minority can keep a nomination from a vote by filibustering.
No filibuster was attempted, or threatened, to stop Mike Green's nomination.
But the Democratic Senate sent back his nomination anyway. And the President said immediately, "No renomination."
All the other nominees sent back to the White House, for both District and Appeals Courts, were either blocked by their Senators, or filibustered. But not Mike Green. So filibuster didn't stop his nomination.
Eight judicial nominations were sent back. Five were blocked by home-state senators. That left three. Of the three, two lost floor votes to stop a filibuster. That left one -- Mike Green.
Not blocked by home-state Senators. Not blocked by a filibuster. No procedural reason to not go forward. Yet sent back anyway, by the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate.
That's the same Democratic leadership that brought to the floor those nominations it wanted to, even when they expected a filibuster. It brought Appeals Court nominee Caitlin Halligan up for a vote. She was filibustered, and lost a vote to stop the filibuster.
She, like others nominees sent back, might be renominated. But not Green. The President said immediately he wouldn't nominate Mike Green again.
Renominations happen a lot. The President renominated 32 District Court nominees who were sent back to him a year ago, in December 2010. It's on the Senate Judiciary Committee's website. But the President won't renominate Mike Green.
As we asked the other day, W-H-Y-?
Specifically, what are the "further issues" that have "come to light," according to a Republican Senate staffer quoted in today's Democrat and Chronicle, that caused the return of Green's nomination to the White House?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
City Bans Menorah
A donor offered City Hall to pay for a menorah to stand in the building's atrium, next to the Christmas tree.
City Hall says: No Menorah.
Mayor Richards: either take down the tree, or put up the menorah.
What kind of mentality is it that would turn this down?
A disgrace.
Reilich Almighty
So it appears that County GOP Chairman Bill Reilich has so much power on a national level that he can stop a federal court nomination in the U.S. Senate!
Who knew?
Monday, December 19, 2011
It Wasn't Republicans Who Stopped the Green Nomination
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
And if you're a corrupt District Attorney who falsely prosecuted two people you knew to be innocent and wrecked their lives in exchange for a federal judgeship ... then, apparently, you can lose your own soul in exchange for nothing.
Sometimes there is justice in this life.
But the real story of why the U.S. Senate and the White House scuttled Mike Green's judicial nomination has nothing to do with partisan games on Capitol Hill, or action by Republicans. Quite the opposite.
What do Senate leaders and the President know about Mike Green, that the people of Monroe County do not?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Obama Won't Re-Nominate Green
The White House has announced that the President will not re-nominate District Attorney Mike Green for federal judge. Story.
Friday, December 16, 2011
New Domestic Violence Bureau Chief
We've learned that Pittsford lawyer Mary Randall will be returning to the DA's office to head the Domestic Violence bureau. A former Assistant DA, Randall is highly regarded in the legal community, where this is seen as an appointment of merit.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Green Going to DA Appeals Bureau
When his term as Monroe County District Attorney ends at the end of the month, Mike Green will be going back to the DA's office. This time in the Appeals Bureau, likely as its head. That's his parking spot as he waits for action on the federal judicial nomination, or bides his time to run for something else, maybe a state Supreme Court judgship.
Privately, Democratic insiders now don't think the federal judgship will come through. Senator Schumer's comment in last week's D&C article on Green's future certainly sounded tepid.
In other DA news, Kelly Wolford, who signed the notice of appeal of the trial judge's dismissal of all charges in the false prosecution of Andrew Moore, is going in as First Assistant District Attorney.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
What's Ours is Ours, What's Yours is Up for Grabs -- This Month's Edition
The trustees of Monroe Community College have chosen the downtown High Falls site as venue for a new City campus. This follows years of deliberation and study. In any ordinary situation, that would be the end of the decision phase.
But the community college is sponsored by the County government, which is run by Republicans. So the trustees' decision is merely the point where dialogue begins, according to James Lawrence and the rest of the Democrat and Chronicle's editorial board.
We've noted before the attitude of the local Democratic-Media Complex, that it's OK for public bodies run by Democrats to make their own decisions. But public bodies run by or affiliated with Republican branches of government are supposed to share decision-making with Democratic institutions. "What's ours is ours. What's yours is up for grabs."
Monday, December 12, 2011
Leadership of County Legislature
Leadership of the Monroe County Legislature for 2012-13:
Anthony Daniele - Majority Leader (new to this position)
Jeff McCann - Deputy Majority Leader
Steve Tucciarello - Deputy Majority Leader
Rick Antelli - Deputy Majority Leader (new to this position)
Jeff Adair - President
Mike Barker - Vice President
Dick Yolevich - Ways and Means Chairman (new to this position)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
MCC Picks High Falls Site
Excellent comment to City Newspaper's report on the Trustees' decision this weekend:
What will be interesting is to see whether City and the D&C, both of whom would be calling for investigations in a heartbeat if it were Republican officials making calls and pushing for a property owned by a major GOP contributor with millions in back taxes due, will sit on the sidelines or start calling it the way it is.And if Democrats kill the plan, either in the County Legislature or by Lt. Gov. Duffy interceding with SUNY in Albany, then just end the college's downtown experiment and consolidate all students at the main campus.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Our Politically Compromised DA's Office
Good discussion on this subject in the many comments on our post of last Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Fair Election Practices Committee Should Call it a Day
It Drives Negative Campaign Advertising
Democrats would control the Monroe County Legislature today, were it not for the Fair Election Practices Committee.
Got your attention?
Democrats would have held the legislative majority for the past four years, would have controlled the 2011 redistricting, and might have been able to make governing so impossible for Maggie Brooks that maybe a Democratic candidate could have won this year.
The last link in our colleague Lucy's comment to yesterday's posting brought this to mind.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Daniele to Lead County Legislature
Monroe County Legislator Anthony Daniele (R - Pittsford, East Rochester, Brighton) has been elected Majority Leader of the Monroe County Legislature.
He replaces outgoing Majority Leader Dan Quatro, who stepped down as leader after four years.
MCC: Close the Downtown Campus
Bob Lonsberry has a spot-on column today, illustrating the unsuitability of the old Sibley Building as a choice for a new downtown campus for Monroe Community College.
[N]oteworthy for being one of those unique places where you can see a cop and smell marijuana at the same time. ... Put another way, it’s a great place to get stabbed and pee in the street.Scarcely conducive to learning or safety, but it's where Mayor Richards and County Legislature Democrats, who can block the choice of any alternative, insist a new campus be located.
Of course their insistence has nothing at all to do with the fact that the Sibley Building, one of the most commercially unmarketable sites downtown, is owned by major Democratic contributor Tom Wilmot. Wilmot's company owes more than $20 million in unpaid taxes on the building.
Time for the community college to pull the plug on this farce. Phase out the downtown campus and provide additional transportation to bring students from the City to the main campus in Brighton.
Students in far reaches of Monroe County travel 15 miles or more to get to MCC each day. City residents can make the 4-mile trek to Brighton, especially if MCC lays on more buses.
Be sure to read Lonsberry's insightful and amusing column on the subject.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Leadership Change in County Legislature?
Had first word last night ... change may be imminent ... Republicans ... developing.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Political Purge in DA's Office
Just three weeks ago, as candidate for District Attorney, Sandra Doorley promised voters she'd keep politics out of the DA's office.
Today, as the very first action for her new administration, Doorley fired five veteran prosecutors who were either Republicans or were friendly toward her opponent in the election, Bill Taylor. Among them they had nearly 50 years of experience.
At least this action keeps one promise: to carry on the tradition of outgoing DA Mike Green. Green infamously prostituted his office to politics, buying a federal judgeship with political prosecutions of two innocent men, James Smith and Andrew Moore. Both prosecutions were laughed out of court, one by a judge, the other by a jury. But they gave a complicit daily newspaper the pretext for headlines Democrats needed before the 2009 elections.
Green's successor keeps the tradition very much alive and today christens the new administration with the same rancid stench of corruption as the old one.
Anyone with more information about today's purge is invited to contact us at:
Change at Top in County Legislature?
Speculation is rampant this week about potential change at the top in the Democratic caucus of the County Legislature. Will Joe Morelle doppelgänger Vincent Esposito take out Legislator Ted O'Brien as Minority Leader? Apparently the effort is under way.
For the Morelle-Esposito axis this makes much sense, giving the latter prime public visibility to help him slide into Morelle's Assembly seat if Morelle gets his sought-after state appointment, or to grease the skids for an Esposito run next year against politically undead State Senator Jim Alesi.
For the Legislature it would mean bad news losing Legislator O'Brien as Democratic Leader. O'Brien has gained admiration on both sides of the aisle as a true gentleman of high character, bright, thoughtful and calm, who keeps commitments and earns the trust colleagues place in him. Losing him would render only worse an already too partisan environment. Esposito's purpose as leader would be as radio receiver playing transmissions from party headquarters.
Can Morelle pull it off? The legislature's Democratic caucus is notorious as an every-man-for-himself free-for-all. Members carry nominating petitions to unseat other members. Ask soon to be ex-Legislator Saul Maneiro. Defectors to the Republican side are said to describe caucus meetings as a rollicking chaos. So who can say where anyone will be when the music pauses.
We'll know in a few weeks.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving's Timeless Lesson
Human nature. A constant through the ages. As in the timeless lesson of the first Thanksgiving.
"Once the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Plantation abandoned their communal economic system and adopted one with greater individual property rights, they never again faced the starvation and food shortages of the first three years. It was only after allowing greater property rights that they could feast without worrying that famine was just around the corner."
A reprise of our traditional Thanksgiving message. Seems especially timely now.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Elections 2011: County Legislature - Part 4
District 5: Boyce (R) vs. Bickwheat (D)
Seduced and Abandoned, Again
In the 2011 redistricting, District 5 was moved from Greece down to Mendon, south Pittsford and part of Henrietta. Republican incumbent Mark Cassetti of Greece hit the term-limit wall and couldn't run again.
The race for the open seat offered some uniquely interesting features to students of Monroe County politics, pitting against each other two members of Mendon's Town Board, Republican Karla Boyce and Democrat Moe Bickwheat.
Bickwheat is a former Mendon Supervisor. Boyce is a former County Legislator who represented most of this district before. She stepped down due to term limits about six or seven years ago. If elected, she would become the first term-limited County Legislator to return to that body after the mandatory two-year waiting period.
Elections 2011: County Legislature - Part 3
District 6: Ancello (R) vs. Beebe (D)
Seduced and Abandoned
The Monroe County GOP was stung by the loss of this seat to Democrat Dick Beebe in 2007. They hadn't seen it coming, and the deployment of downstate union members bused in to canvass the district in the last week rendered Beebe's win in some sense illegitimate in GOP eyes. This year they approached the return engagement as something of a grudge match. To fight it, they chose the right candidate.
Fred Ancello proved to be a hard working campaigner. A local businessman with a popular, reputable and well established small business, Ancello had gained exposure as a candidate for County Legislature in a prior election. Still, he faced an established incumbent.
Beebe, for his part, rose to the occasion as a candidate, making good use of incumbency and working extremely hard. He knocked on at least as many doors as Ancello. Both parties supported their respective candidates with a full program of mailings.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Elections 2011: Rope-a-Dope?
Tantalizing. Christine Carrie Fein speculates in the print edition of City Newspaper whether the Monroe County GOP put up an appealing and credible candidate for District Attorney as a purely strategic move.
Not because they had more than a modest expectation they'd win, but to force Joe Morelle to spend money, time and effort on a DA's race that should have been his from Day 1.
Was that the reason? Certainly it had that effect. The County Democratic Committee had to focus on preserving its grip on the DA's office. It could mount a truly full-scale effort in a only a single County Legislative district, to save Morelle protege Vincent Esposito. (All along Dem HQ planned no more than a perfunctory effort in the County Executive's race.)
We don't think Ms. Fein's speculation represents an either-or proposition. Republicans ran Bill Taylor because he was a great candidate who could mount a competitive, even winning race for an open seat. Were they aware that doing so gave them a rope-a-dope strategy, to minimize Democratic effectiveness in the County Legislature and County Executive races? Absolutely.
Our 2011 Election Analysis continues, with more County Legislative races up next.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Wonderful Iron Lady
Meryl Streep as greatest post-WWII European leader, Margaret Thatcher. Movie opens January. My hero growing up. A must see!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
All Dressed Up and No Place to Go
Mayor Gets it Right on Occupy
Mayor Richards got it right by letting Rochester "occupy" people stay in Washington Square Park. Doing it deprived them of the only coherent "issue" any of the occupy groups have.
They pick a fight with local authorities over something specific to their encampment -- whether they can stay overnight, or put up signs, or whatever. Then, when the authorities push back, it's, "To the barricades!" Suddenly they have a cause and a goal. And something to do.
As I wrote recently, "occupy" exists only in relation to the amount of police attention it gets.
Looks like the Mayor figured this out. "You want to camp in the park? ... So camp in the park."
Which leaves occupiers scratching their heads and wondering, "What do we do now?"
Monday, November 14, 2011
Windstream Announces Employees will Occupy Rochester
The City of Rochester will now be providing grants to facilitate the development that will be the office space leased for Windstream employees. As I see it, we are taking tax dollars from one to give to another that provides competition to the original tax payer.
If the goal is to get employees to work in leased office space in downtown Rochester, as opposed to leased office space in Victor I am all for it. I would welcome many former co-workers to join me in working downtown. As an Earthlink employee I enjoy working in the HSBC building with a pending move to our new facility on Monroe and Alexander.
With all of the empty office space available downtown at this present moment I feel we should facilitate filling it, rather than giving away dollars to build a new, not fully leased, building. Rushing into anything at this point to appear as though we are doing something should be avoided. Common sense development should be the way forward to our much empty downtown. We only get one chance with it.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Repoman Reports
Be sure to read election analysis from Repoman, one of our recommended commentators. The R-man drills down into results in Gates and offers an interesting take on the County Court race.
Thanks, Repoman.
Friday, November 11, 2011
11-11-11: Nigel Tufnel Day
Inspired by the iconic scene in the film, This is Spinal Tap:
And how can we leave this behind? Spinal Tap's greatest hit:
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Elections 2011: County Legislature - Part 2
District 16 - Vinny Über Alles
In an episode of the original Star Trek, hot alien women steal Mr. Spock's brain. While Kirk tracks it down for re-implantation, Dr. McCoy keeps the body going with a gadget wired into Spock's empty shell. By hand-held remote, McCoy operates Spock like a radio-controlled plane. Push the lever one way, Spock turns right; another, he lifts an eyebrow and says "Fascinating;" another, he makes that funky Vulcan peace sign with his hand.
Envision this and you understand the relationship between Democratic Chairman Joe Morelle and Morelle's paid staffer, County Legislator Vincent Esposito, with Joey playing the doctor and Vinny in the role of the temporarily inconvenienced Spock. The relationship defines Esposito's role in the County Legislature.
When the enormously popular and distinguished Dr. Joe Carbone emerged as Esposito's Republican challenger, early in the game raising $45,000 at a single fundraiser, it was panic time in Morelleland.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Elections 2011: County Legislature - Part 1
District 26 -The Agony and the Ecstasy
1. Don't put pictures of your plonker on the internet.So easy to leave it at that. But it would be neglecting half the story of the District 26 race pitting artistic Legislator C. Stephen Eckel against Republican candidate Tony Micciche (rhymes with "ricochet").
2. Calling it "Art" doesn't work.
Of all its county legislative candidates in overwhelmingly Democratic districts in the City, or including part of it, GOP headquarters regarded Tony Micciche as the one with the best chance, however improbable. Micciche put his all into this race, knocking on doors and otherwise working the district as if he had an even chance.
Eckel did the opposite. Acting as if, as a Democrat in a City district he owned the place and was entitled to automatic re-election by right, he did no door-to-door legwork.
Still, in a precinct this heavily Democratic, Micciche's hard work, outstanding character and qualities as a candidate probably wouldn't have been enough to win, without the discovery that Eckel posted on a web site full frontal photos of himself naked.
On Facebook, Eckel emphasized, even celebrated, the disconnect between himself and the district's many culturally conservative Democratic voters, proudly posting each new statewide and national story about his photos as a fresh triumph.
Conversely, had Micciche not worked so hard, publicity over the photos would not have sunk Eckel's re-election.
But Micciche worked hard and the photos came to light. As a result, Micciche is the County Legislator and Eckel is a martyr to his art.
Elections 2011: District Attorney
Evaluating Monroe County elections a few years ago, we concluded that for most races it came down to candidate, candidate, candidate. In the race for District Attorney between Bill Taylor and Sandra Doorley, both parties nailed this one.
Democrat Doorley ran a solid campaign that maintained focus consistently, driving home a concept explainable in one word: experience. Republican Taylor also ran a very good campaign that hewed to message throughout: I'll keep you safe. Taylor emphasized as well the qualifications of his own experience.
In the end, voters decided either would keep them safe, but Doorley had more practice at it.
The Committee to Keep Joe Morelle as Democratic Chairman
...meets today at 460 State Street, downtown.
The DA result doesn't mask core GOP strengths in Monroe County, or the continuing benefit to Republicans of Morelle in the chair at Dem HQ -- the gift that keeps on giving.
Election analysis throughout the day from our own Philbrick, here at Mustard Street.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Favorite Son
We have word that last night, Democratic Chairman Joe Morelle was busy pulling together a literature blitz for 4:30 am today, to help return Vincent Esposito, Morelle's political bum-boy #1, to the County Legislature.
Apparently, throughout the weekend and yesterday Democratic efforts focused on no candidate for County Legislature other than favored son Esposito.
Which must leave Democratic legislature candidates Dick Beebe and Moe Bickwheat scratching their heads this morning and asking, "What about us?"
Monday, November 7, 2011
Rich Tyson for City Council
Call, email, Facebook, tweet, text, or send a carrier pigeon to everyone you know in the City to get out and vote tomorrow for a change from the status quo. Please tell them to vote for me, Rich Tyson, for City Council!
History can be made tomorrow if we get enough votes for our City Republican Candidates. Three decades of single party rule in the city hasn't worked, but it takes votes to win. Let's make it happen!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Transparency in Government
Don't you admire a politician who has nothing to hide from his constituents? We do. But we can't understand why County Legislator C. Stephen Eckel removed the nude pictures of himself that he had posted on his website.
"I invite people to look at it and judge for themselves,” Eckel told 13WHAM TV.
But how can the people see Stephen Eckel if C. Stephen Eckel has taken down his pictures?
Defend Art, Mr. Eckel! Get those naughty bits back on the web for your constituents to see.
Update - Sunday, November 6 by Lucy
Polidicks: Eckel Story Goes National
Wall Street Journal, New York Post, New York Daily News, Mediaite, Gawker
Monday Update: Story now also on the widely read Instapundit under caption, "In New York State, another Weiner problem." Also on The Huffington Post.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Democrats for Taylor
This week a former Democratic judicial candidate and current party member launched a Facebook page called "Democrats for Bill Taylor."
For reasons only he knows, the page listed names of many who pass for luminaries in the local Democratic scene, including office-holders and others. Democratic Headquarters immediately had its prodigal son take down the page. Then it went into full-throttle damage control: "How do we spin this one?"
Wednesday the party sent a message to its entire e-mail list. Now, we know Monroe Democratic HQ lies to the public a lot; that's how, every once in a while, it wins an election. Now it's lying to its own people.
"Dear Fellow Democrats," began the e-mail, a copy of which was sent to Mustard Street by one of our Democratic friends. "An operative for the Taylor campaign created a Facebook page called Democrats for Bill Taylor."
Whoah. Pants on fire. Anything to stir up the base, we suppose.
But the staffer at Democratic Headquarters who's reading this right now knows exactly who put up the Facebook page. And that it was one of their own.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Occupy This
Why are Rochester police arresting the "occupy" people? What's the point? Other than the way they think, which isn't arrestable, are they really doing anything wrong? With the crime the city has, the police are worrying about people putting up some signs?
The "Occupy" protests exist only in relation to the amount of police attention they get. Then they finally have a concrete demand: drop the charges. Arrests are the fuel to their fire. Leave them alone and they have nothing.
Whether Rochester or New York: if these people want to be left to wallow in their own excrement, let them. Seems about right.
Of the "1%":
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as “bad luck.” -- Robert A. Heinlein
Sunday, October 30, 2011
D&C Endorses Bill Taylor!
I opened the paper and almost went into cardiac arrest.
Recovering, I could only wonder what happened to Sandra Doorley in her endorsement interview.
Mr. Taylor's outstanding qualifications and leadership tower above most of his contemporaries in political life. Recently we noted,
When a Republican candidate is overwhelmingly qualified and intelligent, and usually when there's something a little underwhelming about the Dem, then sometimes the RBA under its current leadership and the D&C will endorse the R, after agonizing debate, which they'll often reference when making their announcement.True to form, this morning's editorial said, "The board reached this endorsement decision after a vigorous and angst-filled internal discussion." I'll bet.
We think the same explanation applies to the paper's unexpected endorsement of Maggie Brooks for re-election as County Executive: the overwhelmingly qualified and capable versus the underwhelming opponent.
Credit to the Democrat and Chronicle for accepting the evidence of its own eyes and ears.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
How to Write a Negative Ad Against Yourself
I'm in a cruel mood this morning, so I thought I'd post verbatim most of Sandy Frankel's answer to the following question asked in last night's County Executive debate:
Q. Tom Adams, Rochester Business Journal: Sandy, if you are elected, what would you do that is not being done now, in order to create jobs in Monroe County?No comment necessary. And I have to contrast it with the rebuttal from Maggie Brooks:
A. Sandy Frankel: I would refocus our efforts in Monroe County to create jobs here for Monroe County residents, with priority of hiring local people in public-sector jobs and encouraging that in private work as well. We need to focus on the specific strengths that we have: optics, infotonics, medical services and medical research technology, environmental sustainability and the cultural initiatives that we have here which are world-class. And we need to partner with businesses, with labor, with communities, with [the] faith community and bring people together, so that we can develop a strategic plan that isn't scattershot.
Right now, COMIDA gives abatements and exemptions to almost everyone who walks in the door. I would reform COMIDA and would put in place policies that not only create jobs by recruiting, retaining and growing jobs here in Monroe County, but I would also focus on young people, on veterans, on displaced workers and make sure that they have the training they neeed, and retraining, theough MCC and other educational outlets, so thaqt they have the skills needed when these new jobs come into our community. We've got some great opportunities, great strengths.
Maggie Brooks: What can we do better? There's one thing that drives business from this state and we can't run away from it: it's high property taxes. Property taxes are 79% above the national average in New York State. We will always lack competitiveness if we can't get to the issue of high property taxes in New York State. That's why we have held the line on property taxes for 8 straight years in Monroe County. We will continue to do so. It's an important commitment for jobs and to bolster the local economy.You can see the whole debate on Channel 10's website. What I quoted comes about two-thirds of the way through Part I.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
D&C Scrubs Story on Campaign Ad
Tuesday night an online Democrat and Chronicle story quoted from a ruling of the Fair Election Practices Committee. It said the FEPC found that Democratic candidate for District Attorney Sandra Doorley was in a positon of substantial leadership in the DA's office when the office bungled the Eric Magin case. The same story appeared in yesterday's print edition.
Now, "being in a position of substantial leadership" doesn't make someone responsible for the bungle, not by a long shot. But the D&C doesn't take chances with its favored party's candidates. Yesterday the D&C gave the online story a good political scrubbing, purging references critical of Doorley.
Original Story
Of the FEPC's ruling reporter Gary Craig wrote:Scrubbed Story
Doorley said she had no hand in Magin's earlier release from jail after dismissal of an assault charge. As first assistant district attorney Doorley was in "a position of substantial leadership" when Magin was released, the committee said ...
Screenshot - Original Story
Doorley said she had no hand in Magin’s earlier release from jail after dismissal of an assault charge. The committee decided that the jail was “partly responsible” when Magin was released on July 22, and that Doorley was in leadership through July 21.
Screenshot - Scrubbed story
Thus disappears the observation that "Doorley was in 'a position of substantial leadership'" of the DA's office, scarcely a controversial comment.
Less than a day before the D&C scrubbed the story, The New York Times chastized Gannett, noting its outlets are "Never a standout in journalism performance ..."
Then in rushes D&C Editor Karen Magnuson and the paper's editorial coven, to scrub the Doorley story and to prove the Times's point.
Monday, October 24, 2011
N.Y. Times Rips Gannett
"If you were looking for bonus excess despite miserable operations, the best recent example I can think of is Gannett ..."And the story's best comment on Gannett:
"Never a standout in journalism performance ..."Tell us about it.
The Stifled Voice of the Voter
Some very long faces last week in the news editors' offices at the Democrat and Chronicle, when results arrived from the paper's "Voice of the Voter" poll.
It showed County Executive Maggie Brooks and District Attorney candidate Bill Taylor with substantial leads over the D&C's candidates, Sandy Frankel and Sandra Dorley.
You'd think the first and maybe only public poll in the two highest-profile races this year would be front page material, as in prior years.
Instead Editor, and de facto Political Director of the county Democratic Party, Karen Magnuson buried the poll results deep inside the section, on page 6.
You see, there are lots of voters who will vote for a candidate they think will win, perhaps on the basis that the candidate must be OK if a majority is behind him or her. And there are plenty of people who have held back on contributing money until they can get on board with the likely winner.
So Magnuson and company buried the story. As people who exercise power without responsibility can do.
Just a week before, the non-story of the sentencing of the last "robutrad" defendant commanded a front-page story not just about the sentencing, but a complete rehashing of the paper's spin on the robutrad matter.
Which reminds us of another disappointment for the D&C editors in the poll results. Only 8% of those polled expressed no confidence in Upstate Telecommunications Corporation and 33% "weren't sure." This despite the paper's month-long bashing of UTC, as the focus of the latest scandal contrived by the D&C/Democratic Party to slime the Republican administration of one of the best-run counties in the state.
Of course we've only seen the beginning of the D&C's anti-Republican campaign. Gannett doesn't pay those big bonuses for nothing.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
County-Wide Vandalism of Taylor Signs
Apparently word has gone forth from Democratic Headquarters.
Friday we passed along a note from a reader reporting that all lawn signs for District Attorney candidate Bill Taylor had been taken in the night from a main stretch of one Eastside town.
We now learn that in the same time frame it happened all over Monroe County, and is continuing.
No class.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Business Owners Need Not Apply
If you're a candidate and want the endorsement of Sandy Parker's Rochester Business Alliance, holding one occupation could be fatal to your chances: owner of a business.
In competitive races, the RBA's endorsement is off-limits to Republicans. No matter what kind of business they own.
- Steve Tucciarello is the incumbent County Legislator for Gates. He's also owner of Colony Cleaners, a successful drycleaning business on Howard Road. But Democrats consider Tucciarello's district winnable. As dreadful as his Democratic opponent may be on business issues, the Parker-dominated interview panel couldn't bring itself to make any endorsement in the race.
Tucciarello is just the kind of businessman whom the RBA was established to serve. But RBA in its current incarnation won't endorse Republicans in competitive races a Democrat can win.
Parker to Tucciarello: "No soup for you!"
- Fred Ancello owns Davies Seafood, a popular destination in Greece he's run for 24 years. He's the GOP challenger to County Legislator Dick Beebe, one of the Democrats' two most endangered incumbents this year.
Almost unique among Democratic members of the County Legislature, Mr. Beebe is employed in the private sector. Yet as owner of a small business, Mr. Ancello is the one who grapples daily with the issues at the core of RBA's ostensible mission.
No way la Parker and company endorse the Republican in a must-win seat for her sidekick Joe Morelle. Endorsement to Beebe.
- Dr. Joe Carbone for years has maintained a practice in Irondequoit. He's run a campaign so formidable it's driven up sales of Depends at the neighborhood grocery for incumbent County Legislator Vincent Esposito.
Esposito's not merely the Dems' other most vulnerable legislator, but a staffer in the State Assembly, where he serves as Morelle's political bum-boy numero uno. The Master Plan is for Esposito to inherit the Assembly seat once Morelle gets the state sinecure he's been waiting for.
Proprietor of a local professional business versus a staffer in the State Assembly -- source and defender of every corrosive policy hostile to business. Including specific policy abominations that RBA, on paper, opposes. For today's new RBA, no contest: endorsement to Esposito, the Assembly staffer.
Running Scared
From an Eastside reader: "Every sign for Bill Taylor on Main Street in Pittsford village was pulled down last night and taken away."
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A-Bomb
Democrat and Chronicle reporter David Andreatta last week called County Legislature President Jeff Adair an "asshole."
Andreatta is assigned full-time to troll for anything that can be spun into a hatchet job against County Republicans in an election year.
After Tuesday's legislative meeting, the newsman went looking for a comment about Adair's ruling on a bill introduced by a member. Adair offered no comment. He said he'd release in the morning his letter to the legislator who made the proposal, explaining his ruling. Adair then went into his office. That's when the D&C's man exclaimed, "What an asshole," within earshot of bystanders.
Imagine the dressing down the reporter got from his boss, Karen Magnuson, Editor of the D&C and de facto Political Director of the Monroe County Democratic Party, for blowing cover by speaking in public the way D&C editors talk privately among themselves.
The reporter has since apologized to Adair.
Update: We updated this post to identify David Andreatta as the reporter.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Why I Decline an Interview for Your Endorsement in My Race for City Council
I've Seen Your Bias from the Inside
So there is no confusion in the next few weeks, I want to share my response to the Democrat and Chronicle's request for an endorsement interview. Here's my e-mail to Jim Lawrence, Editorial Board Editor:
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Stand Tall, GOP Legislators and Candidates
Today the main cheerleader for the idea that David Gantt should appoint Monroe County's Public Defender editorializes that candidates for county office should state their position on the process. Thus the D&C serves notice on county legislative candidates that this will be part of their endorsement interviews.
Every Republican County Legislator and candidate should answer: "I will support and apply the law."
You see, the law requires that the PD be appointed by the County Legislature. That's it.
The Democratic-Media Complex doesn't like Republican bodies making public policy decisions. That's OK for public bodies run by Democrats. But Republican bodies are supposed to share decision-making with Democratic constituencies. "What's ours is ours. What's yours is up for grabs."
Today the D&C repeats its contemptible lie from 2008, that Republicans overturned the established process for chosing the PD and did something different that year. A point-for-point inversion of the truth: in 2008 Republicans made no change in the law governing appointment of the Defender.
What upset the newspaper and Gantt was that, back in the 1970s, the then-legislature acquiesced to an elaborate extra-legal contrivance giving Assemblyman-for-Life Gantt, his hangers-on and self-appointed "community leaders" a substantial influence over the selection. That was a change to the lawful process.
The PD appointed in the late 70s stayed on until 2008. That's when the issue came up again, and the legislature rightly insisted on fulfilling its legal responsibility.
It was that insistence on respecting lawful established process that outraged the likes of Gantt,the D&C and other enemies of the people.
Although Republicans got the policy choice right in 2008, they then completely abdicated leadership on the issue. It represents the most shameful episode in the history of the Republican majority in the County Legislature.
As local media spun a false narrative -- that the GOP was usurping a prescribed method for selecting the PD -- Republicans in the County Legislature remained silent and passive, incurring damaging negative publicity. They had the facts on their side as well as the law. Yet the public only heard from crazies like Gantt and the others who disrupted legislative meetings. For reasons still unexplained, the Republicans nearly undermined their own cause and the principle of the rule of law, by saying nothing.
Republican Legislators and candidates: You can atone for the GOP's cowardly performance in 2008. Stand tall when D&C functionaries bully you in endorsement interviews.
"I will support and apply the law."Of course you can solicit public input, hold public hearings and ask for the view of law-related organizations. But they're not charged with responsibility for making the decision. You are.
Your duty is to do the right thing, even if that brings some controversy. If you don't see it that way, then what the hell are you doing in public office?
Experience the exhilaration of standing tall in a blizzard of lies, armed with the truth, being in the right and fighting for it. That's what leadership and integrity in public office are about.
