Alesi's "Hardest Job in the World"
By Mike Connery on 10/11/2010 @ 04:22 PM
Poor Jim Alesi. He's got the "hardest job in the world." That is what Jim Alesi's told the Democrat and Chronicle in a recent interview. Poor Jim.Of course some others would beg to differ. And so do New Yorkers.
Visit the new website Jobs Not As Tough As Jim Alesi's" and then head over to Twitter and help us figure out what jobs just might be tougher than Jim Alesi's by filling in the blanks:
BLANK is harder than Jim Alesi's job. #hardestjob
When you are done, head over to the website of Mary Wilmot, who is challenging Alesi, and see how you can help her win in November.
Mary Wilmot Challenges Alesi on School Control Issue
By Mike Connery on 07/13/2010 @ 02:28 PM
Earlier today, Mary Wilmot took a stand for the children of Rochester and challenged James Alesi over his hypocrisy on a hot local issue - mayoral control of the schools. Alesi has voted for mayoral control in other parts of the state when it suited him politically, but has flip-flopped on Rochester's school children, effectively locking them in to a dysfunctional school system that isn't working. Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle was on hand to report on her statement, the full text of which can be found below:
“Fewer than half of the students who entered these doors four years ago graduated this year. When New York City’s Mayor asked for Jim Alesi’s vote on Mayoral Control in New York City, Jim raised his hand and said yes. I don’t know how much Jim knows about New York City and its school system, but he should know about the need for reform in the Rochester City School District.
When Mayor Duffy asked Jim Alesi to support School Governance Reform in Rochester Jim told the Democrat & Chronicle that he had “grave concerns about destabilizing the system.” No explanation, no better idea, no nothing. Why not destabilize a system that demonstrates year after year it is already broken? I can’t imagine anyone would consider a district with a 46% graduation rate worth preserving. The students need the status quo to be to be shaken up, to be reformed and restructured so more kids who walk in our schools eventually walk out in a cap and gown.
We need accountability and we need reform in the City School District. Our students deserve that. Defending a 46% graduation rate by inaction and indifference does not serve the interests of the students. The State Assembly has already adopted School Governance Reform in Rochester; the bill will now be presented to our State Senate. I challenge Mr. Alesi to put aside special interests and to finally speak up for our children. Be a leader, Mr. Alesi, and do the right thing for the students of the Rochester City School District, stand up for Rochester’s kids and proudly vote yes for School Governance Reform in Rochester, like you already did in New York City.”
Daily Campaign Roundup: Wilmot On a Roll; Kaplowitz and Oppenheimer Deepen Commitment To Reform
By Mike Connery on 07/13/2010 @ 12:46 PM
TODAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Today's installment of campaign-related news. Mary Wilmot profiled favorably by local press, pressing Jim Alesi on mayoral control of schools. Democratic Candidate Mike Kaplowitz signs five different reform pledges. Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer signs onto New York Uprising reform pledge.
- Democratic Candidate Mary Wilmot receiving praise and pushing for education reform - Wilmot is posing a strong challenge to Republican incumbent James Alesi. She was profiled by the Rochester City Newspaper's City Blog, where she was compared favorably to Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate and current Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy. The article deemed Wilmot "business-friendly" and identified the key elements of Wilmot's platform -namely cutting taxes, controlling state spending, and cutting soaring pension costs. It also mentioned her support for mayoral control of schools - which Wilmot again called on Alesi to publicly support yesterday. “I feel like the opportunity is now,” said Wilmot during a news conference yesterday. “There has been enough conversation.”
- Democratic Candidate Mike Kaplowitz signs five pledge reforms - Kaplowitz signed all five of the major reform packages meant to clean up Albany yesterday, in an effort to fix state government and help New York's economy. He signed all of them - the Pledge for Change, Call to Action, Enough Already NY, New NY Agenda and NY Uprising — at a news conference in Bailey Park in Somers. "I'm calling it a plan for reform. The stakes are high but the time is now," said Kaplowitz.
- Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer signs New York Uprising Pledge - Sen. Oppenheimer became the latest Democratic candidate to sign on to New York Uprising's reform pledge yesterday. "New York Uprising has brought together the critical reforms needed in New York State, which I have long supported and sponsored. By securing commitments from candidates now, it is my hope that we will have the momentum to make these reforms a reality in 2011," said Sen. Oppenheimer.
Daily Campaign Roundup: Wilmot Fights For Schools
By Mike Connery on 06/29/2010 @ 02:45 PM
TODAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Today's installment of campaign-related news. Mary Wilmot fights for mayoral control of schools while Republican James Alesi refuses to take stand. Tony Avella continues to stand up for Queens residents while Republican incumbent Frank Padavan is AWOL from Senate. Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins pushes more legislation through Senate.
- Democratic Candidate Mary Wilmot comes out in favor of mayoral control of schools - Wilmot announced yesterday that she is in favor of mayoral control of city schools. Such a bill is close to passage in the Senate. Her opponent, Republican James Alesi, has been too afraid to take a position on the issue yet. The time is now to stand up for the children of the Rochester City School District,” said Wilmot. “Our City School District children and their parents deserve better than the silence and indecision coming from Mr. Alesi’s office. … New York taxpayers spend $18,000 a year per student, we graduate only 46% of our incoming kids, … the silence is deafening, his year long indifference defends an unacceptable status quo.”
- Democratic Candidate Tony Avella slams Frank Padavan for missing budget session – Avella rightfully criticized Republican incumbent Padavan for opting to campaign in his district rather than travel to the Capitol for the Senate’s budget session. “Padavan’s Albany absence is a slap in the face to the hardworking taxpayers in our district,” Avella said. “When he should have been working to resolve the budget crisis and education funding, he was too worried about his own political future.”
Avella also has continued to receive press for leading a protest against MTA service cuts in Queens. One of the most controversial changes was with the Q15A, a new alternate route of the Q15 bus meant to pick up riders stranded by the elimination of the Q14. The route has now routed down a residential stretch of 10th Ave. that residents say is too narrow. - Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins pushes safe distance law through Senate - A bill sponsored by Sen. Stewart-Cousins requiring a requiring safe passing distance as a motorist passes a cyclist was passed by the Senate. The bill was introduced after Merrill Cassell was struck and killed by a Bee-Line bus Nov. 6, 2009, in Greenburgh. “The buffer zone is a reasonable and necessary safety precaution for cyclists that often need to maneuver around cracks, potholes or the hazards that cycling on our roads can present,” Stewart-Cousins said. “This legislation will serve to educate the public about the need for motor vehicles and bicyclists to share our roads safely.”
Daily Campaign Roundup: Kathleen Joy vs "the Pit Bull"
By Mike Connery on 06/21/2010 @ 04:22 PM
TODAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP... Today's installment of campaign-related news. Democratic contenders Kathleen Joy and Mary Wilmot continue to receive attention; Democratic challenger Mark Coppola take stance against 'fusion' voting
- Kathleen Joy dubbed serious contender against "pit-bull" John DeFrancisco - Kathleen Joy has been called the "first serious contender in years" against 17-year incumbent DeFrancisco by local Syracuse media. DeFrancisco is referred to as a "pit-bull" who will have to defend some questionable activities- such as opposing 12 budget extenders in the curent budget negotiations, and pushing the coup that shut down government for over a month last year.
- Democratic Candidate Mary Wilmot's campaign announcement still receiving attention- Mary Wilmot's entrance into the race in SD-55 against incumbent James Alesi has continued to garner press. Wilmot officially entered the race this past weekend.
- Democratic Candidate Marc Coppola promoting reform, shuns minor party lines - Former State Senator Marc Coppola, currently running against incumbent Republican Michael Ranzenhofer in SD-61, made the bold announcement that he will not seek any minor lines on the election ballot this November. Coppola wishes to end 'fusion voting,' as he explains: “We’re in just a small minority of states that still engage in it,” he said. “[The minor parties] hold a disproportionate amount of influence, and it’s high time we get away from this breeding ground for corruption.”
- Sen. Andrew Stewart-Cousins protecting children's health and nutrition - The Yonkers Insider ran a release from Sen. Stewart-Cousins hailing legislation she pushed through the Senate that will preserve good health and nutrition as part of early childhood development.
Daily Campaign Roundup: Democrats Fighting For New Yorkers
By Mike Connery on 06/21/2010 @ 03:22 PM
TODAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Today's installment of campaign-related news. Democrat Mary Wilmot announces she is running against James Alesi in Monroe County; Democratic efforts to help seniors and preserve libraries recognized
- Democrat Mary Wilmot declares candidacy - Mary Wilmot will be running in Monroe County, against 14-year Republican incumbent James Alesi, in SD-55. Her announcment was met with widespread enthusiasm and has received a lot of media attention.
- Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer stands up to save libraries - Leadership from 13 district libraries stood with Sen. Oppenheimer at the White Plains Public Library in an effort to save libraries whose funding is potentially at risk.
- Republicans continue to get slammed on microstamping - The Senate GOP are still getting flak for their refusel to support microstamping legislation . A Daily News Op-Ed, described the GOP vote being about "pleasing gunmakers, not protecting children." Sen. Eric Schneiderman has signaled his intention to bring the bill back to the Senate floor for another vote.
- Senate Democrats praised for helping seniors- The Senate Democratic Majority is getting kudos for last week's passage of a comprehensive package of legislation expanding and increasing access to services for senior citizens.
Mary Wilmot to Challenge James Alesi
By Mike Connery on 06/21/2010 @ 09:30 AM
This weekend, with the support of Representative Louise Slaughter and Assemblyman Joe Morelle, Mary Wilmot declared that she will challenge Republican incumbent James Alesi in New York's 55th Senate District (Monroe County).
Wilmot is a life-long resident of Monroe County who brings a strong family background of service to District 55. As Regional Director for the Governor and the New York State Senate, Wilmot has extensive knowledge of the challenges facing Monroe County. She understands the need to rein in excessive government spending and high taxes in order to preserve the local economy, and as a mother and working parent, she is committed to revitalizing our upstate community job markets. Mary will bring her passion for the environment to the Senate, championing investment in clean energy alternatives and energy conservation that will bring new industries to New York and create good jobs in Monroe County.
Her opponent, James Alesi, has been part of the problem in Albany for 14 years. He supported the failed Pataki-Bruno era of leadership, and has done nothing while corruption grew and property taxes in New York skyrocketed. With Wilmot's entry into the race, reform-minded New Yorkers have a strong chance to replace an out-of-touch Republican with a strong, independent woman dedicated to cleaning up the capital.
Mary's campaign launch was covered widely in the local news. Read more about her candidacy below, and visit her website to learn how you can help Mary win in November.
- Democrat and Chronicle: Mary Wilmot to Challenge James Alesi for State Senate Seat
- Rochester YNN: Mary Wilmot Will Oppose Alesi in 55th State Senate District
- News 10 WHEC: Mary Wilmot Announces Candidacy for 55th District
You can read the full text of Mary's announcement speech below:
Albany is dysfunctional, endless bickering fueled by the influence of special interests. I will bring new ideas and new energy to get us back on track, to promote good government serving the best interests of all New Yorkers.
Once the pride of the nation, New York State has become a national embarrassment, a state in crisis, an economy in shambles.
Out-of-control borrowing and spending, coupled with the historic failures on Wall Street, have left the state with a 9.2 billion dollar deficit. The Great Recession of 2009 served as a harsh reminder that uncontrolled government spending is unsustainable. Our ways must be defined by our means.
State leaders are incapable of passing a budget, putting critical services, human-service agencies, and school districts in jeopardy.
Property taxes … an incredible 79% above the national average and continue to drive people, and businesses, out of our state.
Some current State Senators have simply been in office too long. A train wreck on auto-pilot. They are more interested in sustaining their status quo and the perks of their job they’ve lost sight of what serving their constituents really means. It’s time for them to go.
My opponent, Jim Alesi claims to be a friend of small business. What I don’t understand and what the people of the 55th district need to know is how this public servant, who claims to be an advocate for taxpayers, could vote to effectively double the size of the state budget over the last 12 years. During the very same 12 years, the resources of our states families have certainly not doubled; in fact the incomes of most New Yorkers have stagnated. Since joining the Senate in 1997 Jim Alesi has voted to more than double our state’s debt making New York second only to California in the liabilities we taxpayers, and our children, must repay. And to make matters worse, given the crushing tax and regulatory burdens of our state, there’s now over two million less of us to pay these debts. It’s time for a change in the 55th District.
New York State must do more to retain our existing businesses and to bring in new ones … to create new and better jobs.
My family is here with me today, my daughter Kailey and my best friend husband Tim. My son Jimmy has just started his summer job and will graduate from college next year. Like far too many young people his age in our community, he may be forced to move out of state after graduation where job prospects are better and the cost of living is lower. To all of us who have, or will have, children his age, that should be unacceptable.
In my most recent role with the State, I listened to the concerns of business owners, large and small who pay high taxes and constantly have to battle Albany’s bureaucracy. We can do a better job serving the employers of New York State.
I also heard loud and clear from residents in the 55th District who are fed up with Albany … who struggle to make ends meet and to pay their mortgages and their taxes. We can do a better job serving the workers of New York State.
Today, I pledge to fight for a cap on property taxes … so people don’t have to live in constant fear of losing their homes.
I will fight to make the Empire State more business-friendly, so we can start ushering businesses into our community and stop driving them out of state.
I will not just talk a good game about being fiscally conservative. I will work to reduce state spending and to restore government accountability, to make sure we get a valuable return on each and every tax dollar spent.
And I will work to change the culture in Albany where too many current Senators go along to get along. It is unacceptable when our leaders approve budgets year after year that spend more than we can afford and when sensible policies are crushed by lobbyists and special interests.
Clearly, the time has come for new leadership and new faces in state government. I will work for you to restore accountability and integrity in the State Senate.
I believe that my diverse mix of experience in the private and public sectors and in human services prepares me well for this challenge.
It is fitting that we are here today along the Erie Canal. The canal connects many of our towns and villages of the 55th District. It helps make us good neighbors with common concerns and common hopes for our families. Building this man-made waterway took incredible vision, diligence and hard work – it wasn’t easy.
Fixing Albany won’t be easy, either. But I’m committed to making it happen.
My family has demonstrated our investment in this community and they understand how to create good jobs in Upstate New York -- and they embrace the need to give something back to our neighbors. As a State Senator, I will look to my grandfather as my role model.
His hard work helped build a successful business from scratch.
And he taught me about the importance of giving something back to the community.
I have lived in Monroe County my entire life. I believe the best way I can contribute to our District right now is to serve in the State Senate. I look forward to a spirited debate on the issues and a competitive campaign and I look forward to serving all the residents of our great community while I’m in Albany.
New York Senate Dems Hits Republicans on Taxes and Budget
By Mike Connery on 04/16/2010 @ 05:26 PM
Yesterday was tax day, and once again hard-working New Yorkers sent too much of their tax dollars to Albany.
While New Yorkers continue to pay more than their fair share, Republicans are sitting on the sidelines, running from decades-long record of taxing, spending and borrowing away the financial stability of our state. To add insult to injury, they are refusing to participate constructively in the current budget process, and trying to blame Democrats for their own mess.
New York Senate Dems are determined to hold Republicans accountable for these actions.
Today we launched a series of robocalls into the districts of 14 Republicans who are ducking and dodging their record on taxes while the people of New York foot the bill. Calls were placed into the districts of Dean Skelos, Steve Saland, Hugh Farley, Roy McDonald, Owen Johnson, Kemp Hannon, John DeFrancisco, Tom Libous, Joe Robach, Michael Ranzenhofer, Ken LaValle, James Alesi, Frank Padavan and Joe Griffo.
Voters in each of those districts received a call informing them of their Senator's record on the budget and taxes, and asking them to call and ask their Senator to work with Democrats to resolve our state's budget crisis.
You can listen to a few of those calls below:
Dean Skelos
Kemp Hannon
Owen Johnson
Senate Republicans bear the brunt of responsibility for landing us in our current fiscal straits. They owe it to their constituents, and to all New Yorkers, to engage in good faith negotiations to help fix their mess.
We're not going to let them run from their record any longer.
Ed Note - We're still in beta and working out the hiccups, and this post was accidentally deleted from our system on Monday April 19th. A new copy was uploaded on Tuesday April 20.
Quinnipiac Poll Spells Trouble for Republicans
By Mike Connery on 04/15/2010 @ 04:26 PM
Here's some bad news for Republicans hoping to ride a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment back into the majority in the state Senate. A new poll from Quinnipiac shows that while anti-incumbent sentiment is higher than ever, that dissatisfaction is disproportionately directed towards the NY GOP.
Voters also want 50 - 39 percent to clean house in the State Senate, including voting out their own State Senator. This is the strongest anti-incumbent sentiment ever measure in New York. Democrats want to stick with their Senator 51 - 38 percent. Anti-incumbent feeling is 57 - 30 percent among Republicans and 59 - 32 percent among independent voters.
Combined with the voter enrollment data coming out of NYPIRG earlier this week, this is bad news from some Republicans. Of the five districts in which the voter enrollment shifted to Democrats in the last two years, four of those districts belong to incumbent Republicans: Alesi, Hannon, O. Johnson and Fuschillo. The fifth district that flipped belongs to Brian Foley, where more Democrats on the rolls will help shore up his base of support.
Fewer Republicans on the voter rolls combined with a GOP base and swing electorate upset with Republicans will make for a challenging campaign season for Republicans and could tip the balance towards Democrats in a few races.
