Have fun storming the castle… Stormy East Rochester town board meeting
There was a barnburner in East Rochester tonight. The residents were out in force. All that was missing were the pitchforks. The press was there. Rnews, Fox, Channel 10, and others. I saw City News and the D&C. I’m sure the other outlets were there as well.
The place was packed. Overflow:
So, what are you going to read in today’s paper or see on the news reports?
Well - in the hour of public comment, speaker after speaker blasted Mayor Koon. I have to listen to the tape again but I recall; calls for his resignation, questioning his plan, how unfair he has been with regard to releasing the political appointees. Blah, blah, blah.
Actually if you were part of the Republican anti-Koon effort the speeches were impressive. There was as I recall a single person speaking who supported Mayor Koon and she was booed rather loudly.
Ok - based on this evidence one would think Koon really stepped on himself.
Well, guess what, upon further review - he didn’t.
I’m told by ER insiders that the local GOP packed the room with supporters. I personally spoke to several people in the packed audience who were supportive of change. One in particular stands out. She was there with her kids and when I simply asked her how she felt about the issue she said change is good. Then she drew me close and whispered to me who the people I was standing next to were. They were affected employees. She was concerned as to expressing her opinion around these people. There was another women I spoke to who expressed the same concern. Both support change. Ladkiddo experienced similar conversations as well.
So here is the deal -
Tonight was the family and friends (look them up) of the affected employees vocalizing their displeasure at Koon’s actions. How unsurprising.
The folks who actually voted for Koon were afraid to speak because they were uncomfortable airing their views publicly in a hostile environment.
Heck of a town to speak your mind…
Koon has his work cut out for him, but needs to tell his side of the story. I’m not sure that came out tonight.
Hopefully Mayor Koon will have another opportunity.
I am a bit disapointed, but not really surprised by the implication of your post.
So, the meeting was “packed” by the GOP with anti-Koon voices? Are you sure that’s not just an impression based upon your predisposition? If it was that easy to get Republicans together in ER, why didn’t they just vote for Bonnachi?
Moreover, I recall reading posts and viewing several videos regarding the hearings on F.A.I.R. which were held by Leg. Democrats and School Districts. Are you going to tell me that the speakers at those meetings were just average people without an agenda?
Once more, for the record, Koon won the election, fair and square. He is entitled to hire and fire as he sees fit (within the bounds of the laws that apply). It is reasonable to expect that he would replace some high ranking administration officials.
I just find it ironic that you guys at RT call these kind of actions cronyism when the GOP is in charge but find it quite reasonable when the Democrats are calling the shots. And I guess it doesn’t bother you that there hasn’t been such a quick and widespread government purge since Stalin “cleansed” the Soviet government in the 1930’s.
With all due respect John, You weren’t there. It was like Jerry Springer x 3. These people were loud, disrespectful and just plain beligerent and when a supporter of Koon’s spoke, she was booed loudly and mercilessly and I am willing to bet that she will find herself the subject of Republican attacks for the rest of her time in East Rochester. Nothing like that occured at any hearings I’ve been to on the unFAIR plan. Your party, my friend, at least in East Rochester, are a bunch of thugs.
Ah John, Cut the crap with the Stalin reference. Way to imply but yet remain distant that Koon’s actions are along those lines or his actions are emulating Stalin. Did all those Potemkin villages that our Ms Brooks erected regarding the unFAIR plan spark the reference?
I’m guessing only one of us was there last night.
I spoke to ER insiders who pointed out the who’s who inside the room. Because I arrived late - I was floating among the three overflow areas talking to people. I spoke to a few people off the cuff (three actually) who were in favor of change. Who were also concerned about the life in a small village if they spoke out. I saw the look in that womens face when I asked her the question and she was cagey about her answer until we could get out of earshot of a few folks I was standing next too.
That left an impression on me
One more thing.
Hearings on the unFAIR plan? Do you mean the ones the Dems held because your party jammed that plan through with out community involvement? The hearings were open. IF the majority party wanted to attempt to get their message they could have packed the room as well.
The ones the school boards held? I attended several of these, as you well know and these meetings were held because of the absence of community involvement done by OUR County Exec.
Truth be told, the GOP supporters of this plan didn’t have to because the plan was passed.
Maybe the reason they didn’t get Bonnacci elected can be summed up by the guy who sat next to me last night: “A lot of people didn’t vote because they didn’t think the kid had a chance to win.”
In other words they didn’t feel enough of a commitment to this town that they supposedly love to go to the polls and vote to determine its future.
Some citizens…
I made a similar comment on Jrviper’s post, but I think that the fact that folks in power in E.R. are Republican is really besides the point: things in small towns like that run the way things in small towns run. They’re a special kind of weirdness. Koon is trying to run things professionally, and that just doesn’t fly in towns like that.
On the surface I would tend to agree not having lived in a small town. ER is small, compact, everyone knows each other.
Cut the County Budget and some County employees lose their job that could be a faceless employee -
In a small town everyone knows your name.
Still people voted out the incumbent and voted in Koon. The Incumbent and his friends are not pleased.
On a larger scale, what is known as “helping out friends” is typically called nepotism, cronyism or graft. But in little towns like this, you don’t rock the boat. “Democracy” is not well-received on the small scale.
I do wonder what the circumstances are surrounding the vote against the incumbent. Such things can be inscrutable, even if you live there. But either way, I’ll bet a lot of folks didn’t expect the vote to effect their friends and family like that.
Not that any of this is right: you elect a leader to lead, and he has to make such decisions. And it will all blow over, eventually. But Koon is going to need to make some concessions in order to make that happen. “Democracy” may not be well received, but “Diplomacy” usually is.
Koon’s trying to run things professionally? You’re kidding, right? What’s professional about an immediate housecleaning?
As I’ve said, ad nauseum, Koon won, thus he gets to replace the GOP officials and put his pals in office. I just continue to have a hard time accepting the view of most of your commentors that GOP appointees were all self-serving, partisan hacks, and Koon’s appointments are professional and selfless public servants.
The truth hurts.
As a new resident of East Rochester, I was disgustingly appalled at the way these people were treating Mayor Koon. As a registered Democrat, if the tables we’re turned, I would be ashamed if I acted like that. Former Mayor Bonacchi said after the election in regards to the people electing Jason Koon, “Shame on East Rochester.†Hmm, I wonder what he’s saying now. If actions last night were not shameful, I don’t know what they were. I never thought I would say this, but for once Bonacchi is correct – Shame on East Rochester!
People wanted a change. People voted for a change. Majority rules. Change is happening. Give Jason time to implement these changes.
East Rochester has the highest tax rate that I know of in all of Monroe County. Where else do you spend nearly $5,000 in taxes on a $100K home?! And for what?! One out of ever 4 houses there looks like it is about to fall down because of an absentee landloard…the infrastructure looks the same as it did in the 1960s…and what other suburb has a giant, visually deteriorating , boarded up industrial building right on its “main street”? The Village has more DPW workers for a 1 square mile area then ENTIRE towns do in the area!!
At which point do you begin to consider that the SAME PEOPLE in the same leadership roles with the SAME POLITICAL PARTY in control for decades is going to give you different results?!?! All the neighboring towns have enjoyed “success”…lower taxes, new shiny community centers, new libraries….and what has ER gotten under their decades long crynoism that is apparent to anyone that even reads the village employee list and sees all the “familiar” last names. Highest Taxes in the area? Detioriating infrastructure? Absentee landloards on every corner and every street? A tiny, outdated library that looks like it is straight from 1940?
Most Republican towns I can look at and can admit “I’m not sure Democrats could really change ALL that much or improve ALL that much”….but East Rochester is like the Tammany Hall of Monroe County….and the more this stuff comes out (and a little investigative reporting by the media outlets would be nice-instead of hashing out republican press releases) people are going to realize how bad it has been.
Nice on-the-ground reporting. I love to see this kind of thing.
A man sitting next to my husband at last night’s ER meeting stated “More of us would have voted but we never thought the kid had a chance in hell of winning!”
So there you go! I am of the old school…If you vote, you have a voice. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice. Exercise you right or live with the consequences, where do you get off complaining after the fact?
Yes there exist thugs. Bonacci’s own son was making threats in that crowded hallway last night…many people heard him. So I certainly understand the culture of fear in ER. I have been experiencing it for years. How sad.
Majority Rules! Out of all of those people last night were so pissed… how many do you think actually voted?
East Rochester is the highest taxed community in all of Monroe County after equalization and RANKED #4 IN THE NATION. That’s not an excuse, that’s a CRIME.
The treatment of Koon shows how deep those pockets run that the “family” had to show up in droves to represent. Rude wasn’t the word. The last time something like this occured is when people fought to get the water changed. “The sky is falling!” was screamed from the rooftops.
Guess what? The water was changed. And nobody died, and the sky didn’t fall, and the water actually tastes somewhat better now, but more importantly isn’t loaded with contaminents and the potential of known and suspect known carcinogens leaching into the wellfield.
That place was packed with “family” members, town employees, fireman, and everyone else who has been riding on the gravy train and now the threat of real change means that they might actually have to find a job on their own merits. They have bilked and stolen from the good people of East Rochester for WAY too long.
Little elderly Italian women - the sweetest you’ll ever meet - having to pay tax bills that would force most people to throw tea in the harbor. And they did so because they LOVE their community. They came there, they raised their families there, they worked hard, and the CULTURE of East Rochester was formed as a result of the passion they have for life, living and FAMILY.
And in return, they were used. A bloated, crooked system that protects some while it threatens others.
The last Democratic Mayor elected was back in the 70’s. That was Ralph Cellantani, God rest his soul. He came home the night of the election victory, and sat down in his living room to have a cup of coffee and relax after an evening of shock and excitement from winning an election. As he was sitting there, and gunshot was fired through his picture window in his living room, shattering the window. The message was sent and delivered - that’s how they treat CHANGE in East Rochester. That’s why PEOPLE are afraid to speak. It’s “their” way or the highway. Well, those days are DONE.
Koon has an advantage NOT having been raised in the system there. He can see where the faults lie, and develop a plan that can bring about PROSPERITY to the PEOPLE of East Rochester - not just the “FEW” cronies and their families andn “INSIDERS” who profit from STEALING from the community. The PEOPLE of East Rochester DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER - and they had the courage to vote and elect Jason Koon for that change by a margin of 55%. But the powers to be last night railroaded him and still maintained control. They will use their majority VOTE to still accomplish their goals and totally ignore both the position Koon holds AND the WILL of the people AND the elected laws the govern our COUNTY.
That - is bullshit - there is no other word for it. This kind of public behavior cannot and WILL NOT be tolerated. I don’t care where you live - I don’t care what party you’re with - SHOW UP ON JANUARY 2nd and send the message in SUPPORT of the PEOPLE. Let them know that it’s OK to allow the change they voted for to occur. THROW the BULLY Pulpit back down to the level of SERVING THE PEOPLE - not DICTATING their WILL for the benefit of their finances. That’s what it’s all ABOUT - money - power - and corruption.
East Rochester is being HELD HOSTAGE - and it’s our responsibility to help FREE them. Anyone who makes a comparison of this to Stalin (JOHN DICARO) needs their head examined. This is FREAKIN’ 2007 and this isn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t DEMOCRACY - this is a Totalitarianism - and we cannot allow this to exist - nor can we leave this man there to hang alone to die. It’s our job as common, decent citizens to help allow change to happen.
I emplore everyone to bring ANYONE they know to this meeting. The light is now shining on this atrocity, and we have the ability to cut the head off this demon while it’s in our sight to do so.
This is TRUE GRASSROOTS SUPPORT - and their is such a feeling of exuberance that comes from supporting these people and their MAYOR. If you didn’t live through the 60’s, now is your chance!
HELP PROMOTE CHANGE AND UPHOLD DEMOCRACY IN EAST ROCHESTER!
Be a part of history. Be a part of humanity and decency. Do SOMETHING - Do ANYTHING - Just DO IT!
Call the Village and voice your opinion at: 586-3553
Attend the Organizational Meeting on January 2nd - be there at 6 PM or earlier to get a seat. Show up at:
Village of East Rochester
120 West Commercial Street
East Rochester, New York
Out 490 E - Exit East Rochester - straight down Commercial Street from the Exit - pass through the first light - Village office straight ahead on the right.
This isn’t a Village “right” - this isn’t “SMALL TOWN” politics - this is WRONG - and if you claim to be a part of this JOHN DiCARO - you should be ashamed of yourself. I can’t believe that any normal, logical person would condone this behavior. If you’re half the man you say you are John - come and stand with me. I dare you.
Isn’t inbreeding wonderful?
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