Dave Garretson announces candidacy for 134th Assembly
I chatted with Dave Garretson of Greece, who will officially announce he is running for the 134th Assembly at a press conference on Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 4:15 PM at Ezzy’s Restaurant on 1260 Latta Rd in Greece.
Here are some excerpts of the interview:
Why are you running?
“We have an incumbent, Mr. Reilich, and in that time he has failed to perform. [He introduced] no major initiaves, no projects, no important bills and we can do better than that. I think I have the right combination of skill and talent in that direction and that is why I’m running.”
Any specifics that you want to change or introduce?
“The biggest work that’s ahead of us in Albany is the reforms that we need and the higher level of honest and ethical behavior that we need in government.”
If elected, do you have plans for bipartisanship?
“In order to have rules reform in the Assembly that’s gotta be done in a bipartisan fashion.
People have been in the game longer than me but I’m not a mindless partisan. People who’ve been in the game longer than me tend to be for their team. I believe we’re all in this together.”
What is your background?
“My political background is kinda brief. I’m 55. I was active up until I got into my mid-to-late 20’s and was distracted by my work life in various businesses that I’ve owned. I own Futons & More. I’m a manufacturer’s rep, I sell furniture to furniture stores in a 3-state area, NY, PA, and NJ.
The one thing that I’ve noticed from my travels is that most of the places are doing better than we’re doing here in Western NY. The big concern that we’ve got here is jobs and economic development. This area is a shadow of what it was 20 years ago.”
Why?
“The decline of manufacturing here and the U.S. in general. Twenty years ago we had over 60,000 Kodak employees and today it’s around 10,000. [That] may not be the exact number. Kodak Park is in the 134th District and they’re now using a fraction of that space for Kodak manufacturing. Part of what we need to do is get a major initiative, similar to what NY did 200 years ago when the Erie Canal was conceived and the area exploded. I don’t have the big idea but I’ll support whatever it is. Maybe it’s green collar jobs, how the state can incubate that, I don’t know. I’ll recognize the right idea when I see it and I’ll be there to support it.”
What do you want voters to know about you?
“I would ask people to judge me by the positions I take on the issues I know well. Beyond that it’s about character and integrity. This is a small town, the greater Rochester community, and I would encourage anyone to ask anybody who knows me and I’d be willing to rise or fall under that answer.”
How can you affect change?
“We need to do away with these absurd gerrymandered districts. The day to day work of course will be the state budget. I’d like to change the phrase from “3 Men in a Room” to “213 People In A Room.”
We couldn’t be prouder to have Dave running in the 134th and poised to represent Greece. We need an Assemblyperson in the majority to truly represent us in Albany. Go get ‘em Dave!
Congratulations Dave. I just read on another RT blog that you have been officially endorsed by the Working Families Party. The WFT endorsed you for the 134th Assembly district. Terrific! The WFT chose you over “what’s his name” you know that incumbent who coasted in on the coat tails of Robach who was,by the way , another of those “old boys” who was rejected by WFT this year.
What I want to tell people about Dave Garretson is he is a fantastic communicator .He is bright, thoughtful, and a problem solver. As our representative he will take the innitiative and then follow up so that we will see positive changes in the way our State Assembly affects our region.Don’t keep Dave Garretson a secret….Tell your friends about him.
Cool. Reilich always reminded me of a frog in a suit. It’ll be nice to have a human being who obviously is in touch with the real issues of this district running for office.
Mr. Toad needs a new ride! Thanks for running Garretson! I will encourage all I know to check out your campaign!
I am proud that a candidate of David Garretson’s sterling character is running for office. I too am 55 years of age and am honored to have known Dave all of my life. He has always been honest and articulate. He comes from a family that has contributed in a major way to the betterment of the greater Rochester area. His father rose from the rank and file to become a major force for good in the upper management of Kodak. It will be wonderful to have Dave representing his constituents in Albany with true concern and diligence. Only through Dave and other elected officials like Dave, will the New York State legislature return to responding to the will of the people. The people and the Assembly BOTH need Dave Garretson!
Hey, I heard about your endorsement by the WFP at the diner this morning. Way to go Dave!
What a great candidate! While I live in the 139th, I received a beautifully written announcement letter from Dave today. I will be sending him a donation, and wishing him the very best in his run against Reilich.
I’m going to put up a lawn sign for the first time in my life. Dave is a good guy and I want to see him win this race.
being the cmp mng for Harold Suhr in the 139th we are looking forward to some joint events seeing we border 2/3 of each district and hopefully after election day we can plan a huge party to celebrate our victories
I have known Dave since high school. He’s one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and he’s not afraid to speak up. He will work hard to meet his goals. I wish Dave was running in my district so I could vote for him!