• Someone’s a big Paloma Campanna supporter– seen in a Henrietta parking lot:
  
• My kids and I happened to drive past the Irondequoit July 4th festival (on July 3rd), while we were picking up something off of the local Craig’s List. It looked fun so we checked it out. Of course, I had to stop at the Irondequoit Dems booth and talked to the nice woman there as long as I could before my kids couldn’t take me talking to my “Democracy friend” any more. We chatted about petitioning, and other shop talk, then I asked her if she’d gotten any interest from folks at the festival. She said there was some, but most striking was the folks who commented “You guys [the Dems] are doing so much of a better job [than the GOP did at running Irondequoit].” I asked if there were specific things that they liked about what the Dems are doing. She said “Mainly, keeping taxes down, and open government.” Open government? “Yeah, the Republicans who ran Irondequoit before, it was like an old boys network. Literally. Now there’s mostly women running the town.”
• Now this is confidence– Rick Dollinger (D), is challenging SD-56 incumbent Joe Robach (R) to a series of “Lincoln-Douglas style debates”. What would that look like? “one-on-one, absent of a moderator, just the two of us, asking and answering questions of one another”. Having had a chance to hear both of them speak and do Q&A, this format would allow Dollinger’s clarity to outshine Robach’s ability to schmooze. Hope it comes to pass, because, wow, what an opportunity to promote progressive values locally. Expect Robach to run and hide from this challenge.
• The RBJ had a snap poll Tuesday: “Will Tom Golisano’s new initiative help reform Albany?” The result? Anyone know? I can’t find it on RBJ’s website.
• The election finance reform bill passed by the Assembly last session isn’t everything we need to truly have Clean Money Clean Elections, but it’s a huge step forward and shows that folks like Metro Justice, Citizen Action, and Working Families Party are getting traction in Albany. What does the bill do? From WFP:
  

  The PFE bill passed by the Assembly does two things. It lowers how much a wealthy individual can give (from $3,800 to $2,000). Equally important, it makes low-dollar contributions (the kind powering Barack Obama’s campaign) more valuable by matching up to $250 at a rate of $4 for every $1 raised - if a candidate can demonstrate geniune support in their community. Write a $30 check, the candidate gets an additional $120. It means that you don’t need a rolodex full of wealthy contacts to serve in public office.

  It would make sure the real power behind political campaigns in New York is the grassroots power of ordinary people, not big corporations or the real estate industry.

  It would mean politicians would be able to spend their time legislating instead of fundraising.

  And it would save New York taxpayers millions by getting rid of the pay-to-play system responsible for so much corporate welfare and government waste.

  A public campaign finance system could be the difference in the fight to create an economy that works for us: universal healthcare, a paid family leave program, and a progressive tax system with real property relief for those who need it most.

• Petitioning in NY-29: The Massa campaign collected over 7,100 Democratic signatures and over 70 Working Families Party signatures. Not bad at all.
• Democrat and Chronicle prez Michael Kane is leaving to run the Indy Star. We at RT believe that BruceFan’s blistering expose’ of the D&C Ed Board’s conservative bias embarrassed him into leaving.
• Get yer red hot Bill Press tickets heah! This may be your last chance to see a progressive radio personality in Rochester for a long while, since 950 is changing their format.
  

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1. What’s Goin’ On - RT News Roundup 8/17/2008
2. What’s Goin’ On - RT Roundup 7/23/08
3. What’s Goin’ On - RT Roundup 7/21/08
4. What’s Goin’ On - RT Roundup 7/16/08
5. What’s Goin’ On - RT Roundup 7/18/08