The Monroe County Legislature Democratic minority held a news conference where they unveiled a plan to basically cut the size of the Monroe County Legislature in half.  There are 29 seats and the Democratic proposal reduces that number to 15.  The Republican Majority will redraw the districts based on the 2010 census.

Via the D&C

Democrats, who hold 13 of 29 seats, claimed the proposal, which would reduce the legislature to 15 seats, would save $500,000 per year when lawmakers’ salaries, benefits and resources are calculated.

The legislature’s total budget is $2.1 million, which the Brooks administration classifies as a “mandated expense.” Rank-and-file lawmakers earn $18,000 per year, meaning that cutting 14 legislative seats would trim $252,000 in salaries alone.

Via press release from minority leader Harry Bronson’s office

The proposal will bring Monroe County in line with peer counties in terms of the number of constituents per legislative district. Currently there are about 25,000 people  living in each district, whereas Monroe’s peer counties average slightly more than 50,000 per district. After enactment, Monroe would have roughly 50,000 people living in each district. Upon voter approval in November 2010, this proposal would take effect on January 1, 2012, following the redistricting process.

Not that it is going to ever happen because

Republican Majority Leader Dan Quatro, R-Webster, called the proposal “a thinly veiled attempt” by Democrats to regain control of the legislature.

See Dan Quatro assumes that the secret plan depends on he the Republicans to redistrict themselves out of power.  Funny that.

If anything his comments once again highlights that the Republican majority does not engage the Democratic minority in County governance.

Nevertheless, what do you think of the proposal?

If the number of legislators is reduced the cost of governing is also reduced.  On the flip side, the number of constituents served per legislator is increased. There is a higher concentration of power I suppose.  Probably the cost ot get elected increases reducing the number of people who would/could run for office.

So good or bad idea?

The D&C reported over the weekend that the Monroe County Sports Commission and the Greater Rochester Sports Authority are both sham operations, drawing off tax dollars for no good purpose. At the center of both entities, and drawing large contracts and free office space from Monroe County for his private company, is promoter Jim LeBeau, who is also a significant contributer to Republican campaigns.

While LeBeau has not paid for the space, he and his company have contributed $36,721 to local Republicans and the party since 2003, the earliest year for which county and state campaign finance records were available.

The Republican-run county government owns Frontier Field and the converted firehouse, and appoints two-thirds of the Greater Rochester Sports Authority board members.

What sort of bushiness is LeBeau conducting in his taxpayer-provided office? It turns out that he is also being paid to attract taxpayer goodies to  Scott Congel, the non-developer of Medley Centre in Irondequoit.

LeBeau, a generous contributor to Republican causes, is also a spokesman for Medley Centre developer Scott Congel, for whom LeBeau helped convince county officials this year to approve multimillion-dollar tax breaks on the promise to revive the mall.

Conducting the additional business from the office is permissible for Beau Productions “so long as said services do not interfere with (its) obligations” to Frontier Field, according to Beau Productions’ contract with the Sports Authority.

Months ago, former County Executive Tom Frey, the only Democrat serving on the Sports Authority board, resigned in protest. His concern? Frey didn’t approve of government money being wasted in this shell game to enrich Mr. LeBeau.

In light of recent comments provided on this blog by our illustrious captain of the Starship Enterprise (Second Generation)

Comments from Conservapedia on the Fort Hood shooting:

“Hours before the Fort Hood massacre, “Democratic liberals” who lead the House Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to weaken the USA Patriot Act as a tool for combating terrorism.”

How is there a link? How exactly would monitoring someone’s phones have prevented something like this?

“Liberal headlines downplay the facts about the Fort Hood massacre, but details are emerging through quotes by fellow soldiers.”

“Tragic Shooting At Fort Hood kills 13?. How many facts do you want in a newspaper headline?

And of course, the fact he is MUSLIM is so critical to this investigation!

I would like to share with you this guest post provided by an RT reader talking about the Republican’s best weapon: FEAR. And why we fail:

How do Republicans get their voters to out perform Democrats on election day?

Negative message out performs the positive.  The GOP tells their voters that their world (small as it is) will change drastically if they do not get out and vote (FEAR).  This is a major reality check:

• Higher taxes
• Gay marriage
• No jobs
• Tree huggers take over the world
• Black people have power
• Migrant workers actually get paid a decent wage for picking the rich people’s fruit
• Wind towers in my back yard

Vote, vote, vote!  Do not let the Liberals ruin your little place in Paradise.

Democrats, on the other hand, use a message that focuses more on a vision, rather than reality.  The Democratic voter is told to vote so we can make the world a better place-clean water and air, good paying jobs, clean energy, equal rights for all.  To dream of a better world.

If voters can’t embrace this vision, this is where we stumble.  Barack Obama promised change for the future, but his team did a great job of inspiring voters about the negative consequences of not getting out to vote (George Bush)

Maybe Joe Morelle has to take that smile off of his face and start talking to his Monroe County Democrats about the apathy that has crippled this party.

In jest, we titled a post, Scarey Liberals want to eat your brains, but in reality, the other side believes it.

Are you surprised?  Actually, I’m not.  There has been trouble brewing in Irondequoit for a while.  Check out the D&C Article this morning, I ignored the lame attempt to tie alleged voter dissatisfaction with Democrats across New York state (must be why Owens won in NY-23 and I think no local sitting Dems (except two supervisors) lost.

Heyman did not return phone calls Wednesday. On Election Night, she said she was done in by negative campaigning and misinformation.

But Richard Barone of Allwood Drive said there was more to it.

“They got overconfident, and a little elitist, maybe,” said Barone, a former Town Board member who is chairman of Irondequoit Citizens for Better Government, a nonprofit organization. “That showed up when they voted for the senior center. They didn’t need public input, they knew what was best.”

Board members had voted unanimously to move the town’s senior center on Pinegrove Avenue into leased space in Kings Park, a complex on Kings Highway. Barone and other residents circulated a petition and forced a vote on the issue, which was defeated in February. More than 5,000 voters turned out.

More controversy followed, including the town’s dealings with a developer who proposed sweeping changes to the beleaguered Medley Centre mall but has not produced, and a town proposal that would have mandated apprenticeship programs for contractors hired by the town.

Dave Seeley, chairman of Irondequoit’s Democratic Committee, said a lease was the most viable option at the time for the senior center.

I don’t know who Barone is other than an ex-board member.  I’m guessing he was a member of a previous regime with no love lost to the current one, or supervisor, and obviously has an agenda.  Still, the Senior Center was successfully painted as a failure and pinned on Heyman and the Democratic board members.  It doesn’t matter if some financial analysis showed that the lease was most effective - That message was not communicated and, more importantly,  reinforced to the voting population.  Couple that with the multi-acre eyesore otherwise known as Medley Centre - well, what can you expect?

Finally, in a story I’m disappointed RT didn’t cover at all (a bandwidth issue not lack of interest) - remember - there was dissension in the Irondequoit Democratic party.  There was a primary AGAINST a sitting supervisor and the two board members due to this and other local issues.

So, dissatisfaction with national and state-wide Democrats?  Bullsh*t.  A solid Democratic committee, a well funded committee I might add, who failed to win the strategic message war over local issues.   They also had to overcome the residue of the previous regime - that being Medley Centre.

Ah, Westley’s classic line from the classic, Princess Bride.

Words to live by, and I do.

The trouncing that we took last night is of Epic proportions. More painful for me, as I had poured my heart into a race in Greece.

Greece, where the words Republican and corruption have identical meanings.  Greece, where the Republicans handed us a plum by their participation in scandal after scandal. Greece, where newspaper interviews showed us rampant cronyism with lines like , “(I vote with the Republicans 100% of the time because) that’s just the way it’s done.”

Yet, we lost.

Westley: “Get used to disappointments.”

Inigo: “K”

Remember this when you go to the polls tomorrow.

The bad apple argument is best used to conveniently transfer responsibility.  Listeners best beware because it doesn’t address how the supposedly, “bad apple”, came to be.  I mean, if that were addressed, the tellers of such tales might uncover their roles in creating that bad apple.

Take ROBUTRAD, for example.   Maggie Brooks, when it first broke, used the bad apple argument that Bob Morone, independently, perpetrated this crime on Monroe County and that she acted swiftly and decisively to purge the bad apples.    That bad apple argument conveniently forgets the indictment of Jim Smith (the Deputy County Exec), Andy Moore (Penfield Town Board member), the pending indictment of their party’s Finance director.

But “Bad apples” isn’t the way to look at this.  It’s the political culture that is in place - the worms, if you will.  In this, case a political culture that has allowed and enabled worms to spoil the fruits of the tree.  The tree being the very government which is supposed to serve the people.

We got here by reaping the seeds sown by former County Executive Jack Doyle and GOP party boss Steve Minarik.  Seeds that resulted in the growth of  a culture of corruption and political entitlement.  The current crop of local GOP elected and party operatives folks were nurtured by that environment.  Frankly, how else do you expect them to behave?   All this has has enabled bitter, divisive and partisan politics.

For County Exec Brooks, the bitter partisanship is clearly evident in the ugliness of the workings of the County Government. It isn’t just about ROBUTRAD, is it?  That attitude permeated into governing - just off the top of my head recall,

• RenSquare
• Public Defender
• UnFAIR plan
• MCC President selection
• All the Scandals in Greece
• Navitech?

The common thread here?  A governing style that is opaque and closed.  One where the average citizen is not heard and in all cases, the GOP “knew” best, so, it worked in an insular world and left the public on the outside looking in.

Bad Apples? - No, it is the worms.

We need to purge the worms.

Jeepers,  where is County Legislator Rick Antelli? Last week, endorsed by the D&C, he was on top of the world. This week he was caught red-handed passing off a phony endorsement letter, then was stripped of his newspaper endorsement.

Our friends in the media tell us they’ve been trying to track him down for days, with no luck. He was a no-show Wednesday at a scheduled appearance, a neighborhood  candidates night in Greece.

If you see Rick, won’t you let us know? He likes treats and answers to “Mr. Legislator.”

Here is Rick’s WXXI video. Fast forward to :51, that’s when he describes how accessible he is.

It was either a case of massive brain cramp or massive brass ones for GOP Chair Bill Reilich on Monday. He complained that Democrats used photos of models from a stock photo service, rather than actual local voters, in recent mailings.

The problem, Republicans say, is that the photos were purchased from a stock photo service on the Internet. And the women are not known to be local Republicans, so they couldn’t have said the things they were quoted as saying.

“These reek of election fraud,” said county Republican Chairman William Reilich, during a press conference Monday. “They’re desperate.”

County Democratic Chairman Joseph Morelle called the piece “marketing.”

“It’s a literary device,” Morelle said.

Maybe the GOP Boss thinks Dems should do it the Republican way: Instead of paying for stock photos, make Monroe County taxpayers pay for the models who appear in campaign ads.

Rick Antelli was so enthusiastic about the GOP’s Navitech deal that he bragged about support Navitech was getting from a local fire district. Problem is, the fire district did not support Navitech, and Antelli never had such a letter. Three days afterwards, he begged a lower-level firefighter to write one on district stationery.

… at an Oct. 6 public forum, a week after the legislature had approved the Navitech proposal, Antelli said he had a letter of support from the Lake Shore Fire District, though he was questioned on that point during the forum by Lake Shore Fire Commissioner Ed Riley, [ Lake Shore Fire District Chairman ] Defendorf states.

Three days later, Antelli asked a part-time district employee for a letter of support on district stationery. The letter was delivered to Antelli by the employee on Oct. 13, Defendorf states.

To review: One, The 20 year Navitech deal is a stinker… Two, Republicans such as  Rick Antelli needed to phony up support for it, because there was no genuine support beyond Republican insiders… Three, isn’t it time we wised up and voted these guys out of office? Encourage your friends in Greece to vote for Antelli’s opponent, Mark Coon.

Got to love this:

Via the D&C

Bredes is opposing Republican Ciaran Hanna, whose uncle, Michael, was a longtime county legislator until his forced retirement due to term limits in 2005.

In his first term, Hanna was most notable for refusing to toe the GOP line on switching the county budget’s submission date. He later lost his committee chairmanship.

Interestingly, there have been few signs of such independent thinking since Hanna’s freshman year. He declined an invitation by the Editorial Board for an interview.

Bredes, director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership, is a former Suffolk County lawmaker who distinguished herself as an advocate for families and the environment.

A priority would be to make the Monroe County budget process more open to the public. She supports giving timely public access to the county budget as is the case in Suffolk County, where the budget is released in September and followed by a report from the legislature’s Budget Review Office. Both the proposed budget and the review are posted online.

I’ve met Nora Bredes and what stands out in my mind is her passion for citizen involvement.  The current culture in Monroe County government is not to involve the citizens - Just look at, oh,  say, everything (RenSquare, Maggie’s FAIR plan, Public Defender, etc, etc, etc, etc).

That mentality needs to stop, and will stop, with election of someone who will offer avenues for citizen engagement.

The D&C endorsed Democratic candidate Mike Condello over John Howland for the open LD-13 County Legislature seat representing Henrietta.  The key here, per the D&C is a “new breed”

Condello, a high school history and economics teacher, will have much to learn about county operations but seemingly has the intellect to do that. He believes the legislature needs to be more open and take more time to deliberate controversial proposals. He also wants the county to find more savings through consolidation.

Condello’s opponent is Republican John Howland, retired manager of street maintenance for the city of Rochester. Howland served on the Henrietta Town Board for 10 years as a Conservative and wasn’t afraid to go against the Republican majority.

Howland also has passion and is independent-minded. But the legislature needs a new breed.

Welcome back to the weekly review of the week that was on rochesterturning.  As they say All politics is local so no surprise with an election 8 days local news topped the list of posts.  Well, turns out the Town of Irondequoit and the Democrat and Chronicle discover that all isn’t as it seems with Medley Center development.  The D&C editorial board really really want change in County government and still confusion in Health Care reform.

Let’s get started shall we.

The Local Political Scene

Told you so - Faster than than you can say Ponzi scheme, this investigative report in the D&C shows that Medley Center developer Scott Congel has failed to deliver on other similar projects.  Turns out the Town and COMIDA didn’t think to investigate previous dealings.  Ugh.  Read the article, I’d be surprised if you didn’t find yourself shaking your head in disbelief.  The stewards of your tax dollars - COMIDA has this to say.

“We normally don’t look at what a developer has done in a different city,” said COMIDA board member Robert Hurlbut, Jr. “Why would we?”

Town Races - there is an election in 8 days.  Here is a run down of races in Penfield and Perinton.   The big news is was that Andy Moore, Penfield Town board member and, courtesy of the politics of Republican entitlement, suspended Republican Executive Director had Felony charges dropped.  In other news - the misdemeanor charges remain and he still stands accused of “two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and a misdemeanor count of coercion.”

Endorsing change - Looking at the D&C editorial endorsements it is clear that they want change.  They recognize the need for change in Monroe County at both the Town Supervisor level and the County Legislature level.  We say welcome to the party.  Let’s have a look -

The Greece Supervisor race.  No endorsement.  I make the argument that someone should be endorsed.   But looking at the Greece Board races - they endorsed 2 Democratic Challengers.  These words applied to Greece Supervisor Auberger could sum up how the local GOP operates County government. “…government has become too clubby, closed and corrupt.”

Town Supervisor races - Democratic challengers in Penfield and Gates are awarded endorsements.  The rest of the sitting Town Supervisors  are endorsed including Mendon’s Ian McNabb.

County Legislature - Not a lot of Republican’s endorsed here.  Here are two challengers endorsed (Muscato and Myers) add to that list Jo Melecca Voigt in Greece and those are three seats.  Remember, the Democrats need one seat to flip the legislature.  Add to that Nora Bredes and there are 4 seats.  Mike Condello?  5 Seats.   Certainly there is a difference between endorsements and electoral victory but if you read the words behind the endorsements you usually come back to  getting rid of “clubby, closed and corrupt.”

Which is really important because our Monroe County Budget is on borrowed time.

The State Political Scene

Two word s- Hiram Monserrate.  State Senator Monserrate was convicted misdemeanor assault when he slashed his girlfriend with a shard of glass.  Frankly we don’t need purveyors of violence in the State Senate.  He either needs to resign or the State Senate needs to remove him.  This petition will help and you can join these and other notables including Rep Massa calling for Monserrate’s resignation.

NY-23 Special Election.

Airbare has been all over this race.  Dede Scozzafava’s campaign is imploding.  Sarah Palin endorsed the very conservative candidate Hoffman.  Meanwhile Bill Owens (the Democrat) surges into the lead.

Health Care reform-

What exactly does President Obama want in terms of health care reform?  Is he getting ready to toss the Public Option under the bus?  Meanwhile Rep Louise Slaughter weighs in.  What does it mean?

Quick Clicks -

Sheriff O’Flynn is sued.

Legalized Medical Marijuana takes a step forward.

Wingnuts is back.  Sarah Palin tops the list.  Still not satisfied, check out the iphone app to channel your inner GOP craziness in he House of Representatives.

That was the week that was - see you next week.

Wow, this is just great.  Check it out

Over the past two decades, Republican Jeff McCann has established himself as a likeable public servant who has learned to do a lot of different jobs, including Monroe County legislator the past six years.
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But that doesn’t mean his opponent, Democrat Jo Meleca-Voigt, is not in his league. Hardly. The freshness, passion and intelligence she’d bring to the legislature makes Meleca-Voight the Democrat and Chronicle’s choice in District 19, which encompasses portions of Greece.

McCann, a former Democrat, has been involved in politics since his days as a staff assistant to the late Democratic Assemblyman Roger Robach. He currently serves as deputy supervisor in Greece as well as deputy majority leader in the County Legislature.

Ordinarily, a resume like McCann’s might be to his favor. But when it’s considered that he is firmly entrenched in the often heavy-handed way in which Republicans run the county, and problem-wracked Greece town government, questions can be legitimately raised about whether McCann represents the leadership Monroe needs for the future.

Meleca-Voigt said she’d push for a “real plan for growth” in Monroe that is based on job creation and retention. She’d also seriously examine government consolidation where feasible.

McCann posed no new ideas. He simply hasn’t demonstrated the energy or enthusiasm for taking the county or his party in a new direction.

I had to post it in it’s entirety.  Sometimes the D&C really nails it.  Sometimes it doesn’t, as in LD-7 or, the Town of Greece, Supervisor’s race.  But, it’s good to see that they recognized a party lackey in Jeff McCann, who votes party line 100% of the time, “because that’s just the way it works”.

(Funny that the beer can collection didn’t pull more weight.)

Well, if he’s good enough for the D&C, he’s good enough for me.

This year’s supervisor race is a tough one for me.  You could run any Republican in Mendon against Ian and I would pull the lever for Ian every time, hands down.  Any Republican in Mendon, except for one,

John Moffit

Ok, everybody, hold on to your hats.  There is a Republican with whom I am friendly.  I’ve known him all my life.  His family is a pillar of the community (and not all are of the Republican persuasion).  John and his family have contributed, significantly, to the quality of life here in Mendon. They have achieved this publicly, with their BeMar Roller Skating business, and their wonderful ice cream stand-Dipper Dan’s, and quietly running things like the Crop Walk and assisting refugees from Kosovo who were trying to assimilate into our little town’s way of life.

I actually encouraged John to change his party affiliation, but to no avail.  It’s going to be tough,but I have to stick with the Democratic ticket this time around because we are finally moving forward in Mendon, as is stated in the D&C article:

McNabb counted among his biggest accomplishments an increase in civility at public meetings and progress toward building a new library. Gone is much of the partisan strife that once characterized town government, he insisted. Instead, for example, citizens are working together to build a new library that has been talked about for years. A steering committee was created in 2008 with the goal of completing the library by summer, 2011.

Moe Bickweat, our former Democratic Supervisor in Mendon, tried for 4 years to move projects through our Republican dominated town board,but it wasn’t until the Democrats took the majority in 2008, that anything of substance could be accomplished.  We can’t go back to the local Republican quagmires of the past.  this isn’t to say that John Moffit would not be the prototype for a new Mendon Republican, but it’s not a chance I’m willing to take as I know the people on the local Republican Committee.  Guilt by association, John.

It’s nothing personal.

The D&C editorial board is finally getting on board with the change required in the County Legislature if ever so slightly and endorsing a change in the County Legislature.

Have a look - the endorsed candidate is bolded.  The Democrats need to hold their existing seats and take one of the Republican-held seats.  Here the Democrat and Chronicle endorsed  2 Democrats in races for seats currently held by Republicans.  I don’t get the LD-7 endorsement.  What is up with that?

LD2 - (Open seat Republican Held) Democrat Sheldon Myers over Republican Rockow

Meyers was elected to the all-Republican Clarkson town board on his third try, running on a platform that citizens needed an independent voice. Meyers demonstrated independence by being the only member to vote against the 2009 reassessments. Looking for new revenues, Meyers questioned the lack of grants coming to the town. That led to a partnership with a grant-writing firm, which resulted in hundreds of thousands in grant money being awarded.

LD-3 (Republican held) Republican Mary Valerio vs Democrat Michele Weaver

This page challenges Valerio, who has strong people skills, to put them to use in working to bridge gaps across the aisle to create a more positive, collaborative spirit.

I guess in a rubber stamp legislature she doesn’t have to use those skills.

LD-4 (Republican Held) Democrat Frank Muscato vs Republican Steve Tucciarello

Incumbent Steve Tucciarello, a Republican, has not distinguished himself since being elected in 2005.

…

But given the challenges facing Monroe County, citizens need much more in the way of activist legislators who look for new ways of governing.

…

Muscato, a retired educator, wants the budget process to be more open. He’s called for a thorough review of staffing and spending over the past five years. He also wants the legislature to reform the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA).

LD-7 (Republican Held Open Seat) Republican Rick Antelli vs Democrat Mark Coon

This endorsement looks like it has been phoned in.  The Democrat with 9 years of electoral experience in a different town, the other with Electoral experience on the Greece town board that did little to avert the recent School board scandals.   But the D&C hopes he is up to the task?  WTF?

Coon, an engineer, distinguished himself on the East Irondequoit School Board, serving for nine years, including as president.

But Antelli is the better candidate, with his knowledge of Greece and the issues that constituents care about. But Antelli is the better candidate, with his knowledge of Greece and the issues that constituents care about. Antelli is known for listening to citizens and working to solve their problems.

Those listening skills will be especially important in the legislature, and Antelli should commit to reaching out to constituents for feedback on major policy issues. As a newcomer, he should not just follow his party’s leadership but show that he can be an independent thinker.

Antelli, after all, was part of the Greece board during the recent scandals, which the board did little to avert. Being on the legislature, with its political wrangling, is a new experience for Antelli. He must show he’s up to the task.