ER Organizational Meeting News Roundup
More coverage on Wednesday night’s East Rochester Organizational Meeting. WHAM 13, interviewing Assemblyman David Koon on his take on ER (with video):
Before a crowd of 700 people Wednesday night, Mayor Jason Koon said he’d like to cut village taxes by six percent over the next four years and create a task force to combat drugs and crime in the village.
Thursday, 13WHAM spoke to his father, New York Assemblyman David Koon, who said the recent criticism of his son has been tough to watch as a parent, but he’s proud of his son for sticking to his ideals.
The video makes the point that Jason Koon’s trying to do what he promised folks he’d do when he was going door-to-door campaigning.
News 10 on the meeting (also fortified with video):
He also withdrew his termination of the deputy clerk and delayed the termination of the village administrator and the village attorney. His reason is he said he wants to show the rest of the board he is willing to work with them.
“Kind of come halfway, hopefully they’ll meet me and we can keep working through this,” said Koon.
Not everyone is satisfied just yet, including fellow board member, Mike Flanigan.
Why do I get the feeling Flanigan et al will only be happy if Koon takes his hands off the wheel and lets ER continue off the cliff? Because it seems to me that’s where the village is headed.
While there were plenty of people still not happy with Koon’s ideas, compared with the meeting two weeks ago, there were many more people willing to give him a chance.
“I think he’ll prove himself, I have great faith that he will,” said Margot Gilhart. “I also have faith in our board that they will come around and they will all work together.”
Reporters seem to be impressed with what one reporter estimated as a “60/40″ ratio in the audience of Koon supporters. This is what happens when you not only “open it to the public”, but allow enough space to actually let the public in, instead of packing it early on with your people.
Another WHAM 13 piece on “The Growing Divide” in ER (2 good videos there as well, an interview with Koon and one on the meeting):
While the mayor has supporters as well as detractors, it’s clear a growing divide is developing between those who support the new mayor’s policies and those who don’t.
East Rochester Resident Dee Massa said, “I know he’s going to do a good job, a very, very good job. And, we do need somebody new.”
Marisa Redanty, a native of ER said, “There’ve been a lot of things in this town that I’ve been concerned about, and the problem I was having with this mayor is that he wasn’t telling the truth.”
Koon said, “It’s definitely divided right now, but one of my main goals at this point is to bring us back together.”
Note how ex-mayor Bonnacci’s cousin Marisa Redanty, is featured again and again on these news segments to trash Koon. By contrast, a different Koon supporter is on-hand every time.
The media wants the narrative to be about the “divide” and the “conflict”. So does ER’s GOP establishment. As long as the focus is on that, people will be distracted from the REAL issues at stake in ER: highest tax rate in the county, unbelievable crime, blight, cronyism, and stagnation.
And the idea that– ka-blam!– all of a sudden there’s this divide is mistaken. Ask anyone in the village– that divide has been there all along, festering. The difference is, now, the folks who aren’t in ER’s elite ruling class finally have a voice in the town government.
Koon has the unenviable task of having to “bring together” people who are crying out for change, and those who got ER into this mess (or at least did nothing to stop ER’s long decay).
By all means lets keep quoating the same Ms. Ridanty that told me and every other resident who saw fit to buy a home in this ailing town that we’re not allowed to speak because we aren’t related to some one and have three generations of family here. Theres a word that begins with a D and involves vinegar and water that i’m itching to use regrding this woman but I won’t. Channel 9’s coverage of Wednsday was a discrace, but the other news stations seem to have backed off some what from thier “sensationalistic” take of the meeting of the 20th, where it was cast as a torch and pitchfork outting by the whole voting populace of ER. I hope those looking to cash in on the “divided” whined up sadly dissapointed in the end. Seeing this play out on the tube my conservative take on media bias is looking to change, these guys aren’t for one side or the other it seems they’re for “whats the worst trouble we can stir up to keep the story rolling”. To bad the real story here doesn’t really need to be poked with a stick to be worth reporting.
Another part of the CHANGE in East Rochester is the ability to stop voter fraud in its place. The election outcome had Herman Parson out by only a handful of votes. The next step logically in helping to stop manipulation and intimidation of the residents of East Rochester is to help eliminate any illegal or improper votes that may have been cast in this last election. I took it upon myself to call Herman Parson to ask what I can do to help. A complete review of the voter records vs. the names of people who voted is critical and COULD affect the outcome of the election, since Herman has not formally conceded. If anyone is interested in helping review the data, canvass some of the addresses and names on the lists, Herman has given me permission to put his email address up. He can be emailed at Herman_Parson@rochester.rr.com. If you think you can help, please email Herman and volunteer your time. You can volunteer to help even if you don’t live in East Rochester (I don’t, but I believe strongly in DEMOCRACY and CHANGE, and having lived in East Rochester, I know how oppressed and forgotten this small, overtaxed and unfairly burdened community has been). The clock is ticking on this project, so time is of the essence.
Like ALS above says, “let’s keep the story rolling”…
(…and who knows ALS - maybe MR voted too?)
Would put it outta the question Jim, wouldn’t put it outta the question.