Democrat Dave Valesky has won the race for the 49th seat in the New York State senate. He beat incumbent Republican Nancy Larraine Hoffmann and conservative Thomas Dadey in a hard-fought race in which each candidate laid claim to the "reformer" label.
Hoffmann has done much to support Madison County communities. When I talked to people in Cazenovia before the election, they were ver complimentary about Ms. Hoffmann's commitment to libraries, fire departments, and other local organizations.
Ultimately, though, her re-election bid was hurt by the reform movement. Local Republican committees worked aggressively to oust her in the primaries, in which each county committee supported Dadey's effort. Despite that support, Hoffmann won the primary and the right to be on the ballot in the general election as a Republican. Dadey remained on the conservative line, and the Republican party united -- grudgingly, it seemed to me -- behind Hoffmann.
Valesky won the election by a very small margin (he's ahead by 450 with about 300 ballots left to count), and Dadey's presence on the ticket almost certainly cost Hoffmann the election, and the Republicans control of that seat.
I hope that Valesky will be a voice for positive change in Albany - for an end to b udget uncertainty and legislative excess and gridlock. I hope that he will push for open meetings and for the rules changes recommended by the Brennan Center to change what that group calls "The Most Dysfunctional Legislative Process In The Nation".
Good luck, Mr. Valesky, and thank you, Ms. Hoffmann, for your service!
I received this message today from the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association. They're seeking a full-time Executive Director; this looks like a very interesting job.
|
Executive Director Position
The Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) is seeking applicants for Executive Director of this newly formed organization. Candidate will have a bachelor’s degree (masters preferred) and minimum 5 years experience in community development, or related field. Ideal candidate will possess proven grant writing and fund-raising experience, superior presentation and interpersonal skills, and development experience in the public or private sector. Applicants should direct inquiries to:
c/o Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce 59 Albany Street Cazenovia, NY 13035 |
In an effort to bring more tax revenue to the village of Cazenovia, the board has voted to annex land at the edge of the village on Burton St / Michigan Road. The land is the site of a proposed housing development. The town board must approve the loss of the land to the village.
It's a bitter pill to swallow. I am dreading another four years of Bush, particularly with a strengthened house and senate - and supreme court appointees - ahead of him. The death of secularism in the American political system is disheartening. My focus will continue to be on helping to make my community a better place for my family, and to help my daughter grow as strongly and securely as she can in this divided nation.
Everyone, please get out there and vote. Democracy begins at home! New York has important elections this year,
I voted in Cazenovia this morning. There was a small line - about a dozen people - waiting to vote. At 8:10 AM, I was number 181 -- it looks like there will be a good turnout in Caz just like everywhere else. For those of you "expatriate" Cazenovians, you might be interested to know that the Rotary had its usual bake sale table set up in the lobby of the village office building.
Nobody will be surprised to hear that my vote for president goes to John F. Kerry. I reject the armageddon-driven policies of the Bush administration (see http://www.retrovsmetro.org/ for a good breakdown of this situation).
I know that John Kerry is the man to lead the United States back to the path of fiscal and social responsibility at home, and restore the position of the United States as a beacon of hope and respect around the world.
So please, get out there and vote! Vote your conscience, vote your heart, vote for your community, and vote for your children and grandchildren.
The Syracuse Post-Standard has endorsed Oneida's Dave Valesky for the New York State Senate's 49th Senate seat. Valesky is challenging Nancy Larraine Hoffmann, who has held the seat for 20 years.
I had an opportunity to pass out flyers in Cazenovia yesterday in support of Valesky's candidacy. He is a powerful speaker and principled person who understands how Albany works and wants to change it. Valesky was an aide to Michael Bragman for six years; Bragman is well-known as the New York assemblyman from Central New York who tried to upset the entrenched power structure in Albany and was made a target of the powerful there as a result.
I know that Ms. Hoffmann is a supporter of many activities in our area and brings experience and power to the process. But working with the power she has now has put her in a position of being more a part of the current problem with New York State politics and her "insider" status makes her less likely to be part of the solution.
I hope you will join me in voting for Dave Valesky tomorrow and supporting openness and positive change in Albany.
This song, "1984" by Eric Lynn, finds a way to simply and clearly state the relationship between the Bush presidency and the repressed society in George Orwell's novel "1984". Eric Lynn is a talented musician, too - check out the rest of his website while you're there.