Special mayoral election would work best

Special mayoral election would work best
Lovely Warren • Guest essayist • August 29, 2010

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100829/OPINION02/8290330/1...

Months ago, gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo chose Mayor Duffy as his running mate. Come November, if the Cuomo/Duffy ticket is elected, the mayor will vacate his office, leaving it up to City Council to determine how his seat will be filled.

Various members of our community have advocated for one of the two available options: Appoint an interim mayor through November 2011, or hold a special election and have the victor serve out the remaining three years of Mayor Duffy's term.

Through careful consideration and community discussions, as president of City Council and the Northeast representative, I am advocating for a special election should the mayor become the lieutenant governor.

In my opinion, this community cannot afford to wait a year to determine who the next mayor will be. We need an elected mayor who will command the authority and respect of the community, and has influence that an appointment will not give.

An interim appointment would likely lead to important project delays. While some might say these projects may not be a priority for the next administration, some large-scale plans cannot be tabled. For example, Rochester Broadway Theatre League's desire to build a new state-of-the-art facility downtown is contingent upon state, local and private funding needed to move that project forward. Can City Council and RBTL secure necessary funding without the support of an elected mayor? Investors on all sorts of projects, both public and private, will want to move forward knowing they have the support of the mayor.

Furthermore, Rochester faces real societal challenges. We have an increased crime rate and a deplorable graduation rate in our schools. We cannot afford to wait a year, and we certainly will not benefit from a year-long campaign that will have divisive and negative impacts on our community, causing even more issues for the next mayor to overcome.
It is important that we determine who the best candidates are to run on the various party lines and have a special election. We cannot afford to be stagnant nor should we want to be. We are on the verge of a tipping point, with projects like Midtown, the port redevelopment, focused investment in neighborhoods, the new Wegmans, affordable housing projects, and programs such as PRIME and Summer of Opportunity in place to help our disenfranchised and our youngest constituents.

It is critical, in my opinion, that we determine the best person to lead our community under these circumstances and make a practical decision, not a political one.

Warren is City Council president.

.............................................
comments:

There should be an open, free for all election for Mayor to be held in the Fall of 2011 with a primary, petitions and a designating process that involves our political committees, Democratic, Republican and others. Any actions by the "powers that be" as Carla Palumbo has advocated on the mess at Main & Clinton last year,

8/29/2010 1:29:22 PM There should be an open, free for all election for Mayor to be held in the Fall of 2011 with a primary, petitions and a designating process that involves our political committees, Democratic, Republican and others. Any actions by the "powers that be" as Carla Palumbo has advocated on the mess at Main & Clinton last year, vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

Carla on ren square, 2009:
"I think there are powers that be much higher up in the food chain that need to get their heads together and figure out what is best for this community!"
http://dragonflyeye.net/carlapalumbo/2009/04/24/snaggletooth-square-ren-...

should be met with stiff opposition from the voters of Rochester. These anti-democratic actions are just another slap in the face by the established powers such as Morelle, the D&C AND CITY "newspaper, " all whom advocated for the mess this city is in.

These people in power, the small clique of 250 or so Dem committee people and their “elected” leaders, will do anything to keep the public voice to a minimum!

8/29/2010 1:28:05 PM Carla on ren square, 2009:"I think there are powers that be much higher up in the food chain that need to get their heads together and figure out what is best for this community!"http://dragonflyeye.net/carlapalumbo/2009/04/24/snaggletooth-square-ren-... should be met with stiff opposition from the voters of Rochester. These anti-democratic actions are just another slap in the face by the established powers such as Morelle, the D&C AND CITY "newspaper, " all whom advocated for the mess this city is in.These people in power, the small clique of 250 or so Dem committee people and their “elected” leaders, will do anything to keep the public voice to a minimum! vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

On the Mortimer bus barn, Lovely Warren did not give a damn to learn about helpful ways to move Rochester forward without giving in to the vanity building wishes of Mark Aesch of the RGRTA and now, the new Vanity building now financed by us taxpayers for PAETEC! They lied about losing the $52million for the bus barn. Lovely Warren said this about John Robert Smith:
“I don’t need to know about any bus barns in Mississippi. There are no buses in Mississippi.”

John Robert Smith on Transit Oriented Development: TOD
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/281

John Robert Smith submitted the above essay to the Democrat & Chronicle for publication BEFORE the Jun 15 city council vote on the Mortimer bus barn. The D&C rejected publishing this essay because, they said: "We don't need any outside opinions on Rochester."

And we wonder what is why things are very wrong in Rochester?

8/29/2010 1:26:41 PM On the Mortimer bus barn, Lovely Warren did not give a damn to learn about helpful ways to move Rochester forward without giving in to the vanity building wishes of Mark Aesch of the RGRTA and now, the new Vanity building now financed by us taxpayers for PAETEC! They lied about losing the $52million for the bus barn. Lovely Warren said this about John Robert Smith: “I don’t need to know about any bus barns in Mississippi. There are no buses in Mississippi.”John Robert Smith on Transit Oriented Development: TOD http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/281John Robert Smith submitted the above essay to the Democrat & Chronicle for publication BEFORE the Jun 15 city council vote on the Mortimer bus barn. The D&C rejected publishing this essay because, they said: "We don't need any outside opinions on Rochester."And we wonder what is why things are very wrong in Rochester? vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

Our campaign for NYS Assembly this year would have been in the Sept 14 Democratic primary but for wrong information given our campaign by the secretary of the Democratic Commissioner of the Board of Elections. That's right. The designating petition process recently completed involved the Democrat Tom Ferrarese playing a dual role both as arbitrator of who gets on the ballot AND his role as Treasurer to the campaign of Harry Bronson for the 131st NYS Assembly District! Mr. Ferrarese’s personal interests are clearly with Mr. Bronson but his secretary, Linda Martinez, gave our campaign wrong information with less than one week before petitions were due this summer.
See:
"Tammy Moody"
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/376

8/29/2010 1:25:16 PM Our campaign for NYS Assembly this year would have been in the Sept 14 Democratic primary but for wrong information given our campaign by the secretary of the Democratic Commissioner of the Board of Elections. That's right. The designating petition process recently completed involved the Democrat Tom Ferrarese playing a dual role both as arbitrator of who gets on the ballot AND his role as Treasurer to the campaign of Harry Bronson for the 131st NYS Assembly District! Mr. Ferrarese’s personal interests are clearly with Mr. Bronson but his secretary, Linda Martinez, gave our campaign wrong information with less than one week before petitions were due this summer.See:"Tammy Moody"http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/376 vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

As a result of this and the arcane rules of challenges where we only had three days to find and refute dozens, hundreds of names because they were not listed on the objection letter we received from the BOE, we were out of time, out of luck! The MCDC won their battle to remove as much opposition as they can to their rule.

And now the MCDC wants to consolidate their power even more in the Mayor's office when Duffy goes to Albany. Don't we want a vetting of ideas and candidates before we give The Anointed Person the keys to the city?

Lovely Warren lays on this ignorant bs: "Through careful consideration and community discussions..."
What community discussions? There were no “community discussions!” There ARE no “busses in Mississippi”!

8/29/2010 1:24:28 PM As a result of this and the arcane rules of challenges where we only had three days to find and refute dozens, hundreds of names because they were not listed on the objection letter we received from the BOE, we were out of time, out of luck! The MCDC won their battle to remove as much opposition as they can to their rule. And now the MCDC wants to consolidate their power even more in the Mayor's office when Duffy goes to Albany. Don't we want a vetting of ideas and candidates before we give The Anointed Person the keys to the city? Lovely Warren lays on this ignorant bs: "Through careful consideration and community discussions..." What community discussions? There were no “community discussions!” There ARE no “busses in Mississippi”! vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

And we wonder what is why things are very wrong in Rochester?

Emails: Showing Reasons For The Impeachment of ROC City Council Members Lovely Warren, Ortiz, Haag, Spaull, Palumbo & McFadden
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/302

The process Lovely Warren is advocating is cutting the community out of the process. Jblocker is right: “This is the number one, 100% MOST political way for this decision to be made. What do you think voter turnout is going to look like in February? I'm sure it is going to be a really great representation of our city.”

And Mary Anna over at CITY wants to anoint Tom Richards as Mayor, the same man who shoved the Mortimer bus barn down our throats. Who would guess that MA said she was against the bus barn? Now she wants the power behind it to run our city?

8/29/2010 1:23:38 PM And we wonder what is why things are very wrong in Rochester?Emails: Showing Reasons For The Impeachment of ROC City Council Members Lovely Warren, Ortiz, Haag, Spaull, Palumbo & McFadden http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/302The process Lovely Warren is advocating is cutting the community out of the process. Jblocker is right: “This is the number one, 100% MOST political way for this decision to be made. What do you think voter turnout is going to look like in February? I'm sure it is going to be a really great representation of our city.” And Mary Anna over at CITY wants to anoint Tom Richards as Mayor, the same man who shoved the Mortimer bus barn down our throats. Who would guess that MA said she was against the bus barn? Now she wants the power behind it to run our city? vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
vote4harry wrote:

“The first order of business: announce that if Duffy is elected, Council will appoint a successor to serve until the end of 2011. And agree that his successor will be the one person who can step into Duffy's job easily and who will inspire confidence: the city's corporation counsel, Tom Richards.”
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CUYkOjjxZRkJ:www.ro...

"It is critical, in my opinion, that we determine the best person to lead our community under these circumstances and make a practical decision, not a political one."

A group of voters, activists and business interests in Rochester have organized to stop our city “government” from destroying what is left of downtown. Please check us out here:

"Stop Mortimer Street Bus Barn/Create Amtrak Inter-Modal"
http://bit.ly/bgUGuy

8/29/2010 1:22:42 PM “The first order of business: announce that if Duffy is elected, Council will appoint a successor to serve until the end of 2011. And agree that his successor will be the one person who can step into Duffy's job easily and who will inspire confidence: the city's corporation counsel, Tom Richards.”http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CUYkOjjxZRkJ:www.ro..."It is critical, in my opinion, that we determine the best person to lead our community under these circumstances and make a practical decision, not a political one."A group of voters, activists and business interests in Rochester have organized to stop our city “government” from destroying what is left of downtown. Please check us out here:"Stop Mortimer Street Bus Barn/Create Amtrak Inter-Modal"http://bit.ly/bgUGuy vote4harry
RecommendNew Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
GMarshall wrote:

"Through careful consideration and community discussions..." What community discussions? The process you are advocating is cutting the community OUT of the process. No primaries, no petitions, no designation process that involves our democratic committee. Jblocker is right: This is the number one, 100% MOST political way for this decision to be made. What do you think voter turnout is going to look like in February? I'm sure it is going to be a really great representation of our city.

I think if you're upset about the instability that this situation may cause, you should not take it out on our democratic processes!

8/29/2010 11:20:35 AM "Through careful consideration and community discussions..." What community discussions? The process you are advocating is cutting the community OUT of the process. No primaries, no petitions, no designation process that involves our democratic committee. Jblocker is right: This is the number one, 100% MOST political way for this decision to be made. What do you think voter turnout is going to look like in February? I'm sure it is going to be a really great representation of our city. I think if you're upset about the instability that this situation may cause, you should not take it out on our democratic processes! GMarshall
Recommend(3)New Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse
dabear2u wrote:

The best solution here is vote Republican for Governor, and send Duffy back home to clean up his own mess. A Republican Governor would check the Assembly and Senate and not getting anything done is better than raising Taxes. And Bob has to actually finish what he started.

8/29/2010 10:06:40 AM The best solution here is vote Republican for Governor, and send Duffy back home to clean up his own mess. A Republican Governor would check the Assembly and Senate and not getting anything done is better than raising Taxes. And Bob has to actually finish what he started. dabear2u
Recommend(2)New Post
Reply to this Post
Report Abuse

jblocker wrote:

"It is critical, in my opinion, that we determine the best person to lead our community under these circumstances and make a practical decision, not a political one."

How does a politician make a non-political decison. I have never gotten that concept. What is Miss Lovely's real agenda here? Hmm.