Don't hold special election for next mayor of Rochester

Submitted by hdavis on Sun, 09/05/2010 - 00:52

Don't hold special election for next mayor of Rochester
Anthony Plonczynski • Guest essayist • September 4, 2010
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NOTE: I posted 3 comments online at the D&C on this story yesterday, Saturday. Now, I can only see them if I log into the D&C! I think what this means is that the D&C deleted my comments but want to trick me into thinking they are there.

Can anybody else see my comments on the D&C website? I posted them here below.
Thx,
~Harry
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http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100904/OPINION02/9040313/D...

We Must Oppose Rochester's Arrogance!
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/427
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A special election leaves the community out of the process for electing Rochester's next mayor.

Our community needs to elect a new mayor using the normal election process that has served us well in the past.

As a voter and City Democratic Committee Leader, I do not support a "special" election for mayor. I oppose this despite the fact I am one of the 10 city committee leaders who will be a part of any selection process.

In a special election, the Democratic Party's Executive Committee would select a candidate to represent the party, and then that candidate will easily win the special election due to the overwhelming number of voters registered as Democrats. Other potential democratic candidates would not be able to run or share their ideas, denying voters a meaningful variety of choices for mayor.

A special election would deny voters of color access to the process since people of color are underrepresented in the Democratic Party structure. The special election would be an irrelevant contest between the selected democratic candidate and candidates from other parties who have little chance of winning. Our version of "three men in a room" should not have the final say on who should be mayor.

We need to avoid the potentially harmful effects a special election would have on the community. A special election would create an environment of distrust, leaving the public's confidence in government in shambles, making it hard to gather needed support for the mayor. This problem will go on for three years.

Citizens will not be satisfied until a truly open election can take place, creating a three-year lame duck mayor. For the sake of the progress of the city, this is an undesirable course of action.

In the spirit of community input and most importantly an open election process, City Council needs to make an interim-appointment for mayor in order to have a real election. The city will continue to operate, while not disenfranchising tens of thousands of city voters who represent the diversity of thought and culture of our city.

A real election for mayor would allow us to make a truly informed decision on the city government's leadership. The process would be open, include a free and fair election and be completed in a short but efficient timeframe, less than a year.

I am confident that the same process that saw Bob Duffy elected mayor of Rochester will serve this community well.

Anthony Plonczynski is leader of the 21st Legislative District for the Monroe Democratic Party.
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comments:

vote4harry wrote:

Anthony,

Excellent piece! You hit the nail about why this city is so dysfunctional. This is why we have a city whose voters reject the The Carla Palumbo/Mortimer bus barn by a wide majority but can't get the job done and why we have Mayor Duffy tell me personally immediately following the June 15, 2010 city council "vote" to approve this bus barn: "Harry, the RGRTA is more powerful than the city council or the Mayor!"

This past week, CITY newspaper said:

vote4harry wrote:

"Rochester City Council Member Carla Palumbo says:
"Palumbo says RGRTA and her task force are working to set up a number of public design workshops from mid September through December. RGRTA will also be meeting with cyclists, downtown development representatives, people from the disabled community, project neighbors, and others."

For ANY of the above city organizations/developers/bicyclists/disabled or neighbors (read: Warner Building residents who still remain) to participate in this "public design workshop" is falling into the un-democratic trap that the city of Rochester has used so often!

Participation by any of these groups, or ANYBODY just goes to validate the closed minded arrogance of our city government and only validates the city council & RGRTA's attempt to shut down any hopes of inter-modal transportation in Rochester, thereby dooming residential, commercial and retail development of downtown Rochester.
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vote4harry wrote:

Even the Center for Disability Rights, an historic foe of the RGRTA has to play the kiss b*** game.They won't say yay, or nay on the Mortimer bus barn. CDR won't take a clear stance on this. The problem is that CDR's allies, the mayor, Carla Palumbo and Elaine Spaull voted for the transit center. Just a few days before the vote, a CDR employee tried to convince City Council Member Elaine Spaull that the center was a bad idea, but Spaull kept going on about warm, safe places for people to wait for the bus. The reason CDR can't get any support regarding RGRTA is because they're already in their pocket in some way!

We Must Oppose Rochester's Arrogance!
http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/427
This same corrupt system will continue if Morelle, Duffy and Palumbo get their way. Say hello to Mayor Spaull.
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Lancer50 wrote:

A special election, or any other city "election" is a waste of money becuase once the Democrats choose their candidate, the election has already been decided. What is the point? The city voters are like lemmings and will vote for anyone on the Democrat line.

9/4/2010 4:19:13 PM A special election, or any other city "election" is a waste of money becuase once the Democrats choose their candidate, the election has already been decided. What is the point? The city voters are like lemmings and will vote for anyone on the Democrat line. Lancer50
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SandraToo wrote:

Appreciate your piece, Anthony. Thank you.
You have learned much and have bloomed as a leader.

9/4/2010 1:45:47 PM Appreciate your piece, Anthony. Thank you. You have learned much and have bloomed as a leader. SandraToo
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jokes wrote:

In a special election, the Democratic Party's Executive Committee would select a candidate to represent the party, and then that candidate will easily win the special election due to the overwhelming number of voters registered as Democrats...........A special election would deny voters of color access to the process since people of color are underrepresented in the Democratic Party structure.

Does anyone see the irony in these two statements? People of color overwhelmingly reelect Democrats in the city yet are underrepresented in the party! Is this exploitation, ignorance or apathy? While the D&C continues their crusade on the editorial pages for more people of color in the justice system, they don't say a word about the same situation in the political party that rules the city. Is there some cognitive dissonance here?