I've Seen Your Bias from the Inside
So there is no confusion in the next few weeks, I want to share my response to the Democrat and Chronicle's request for an endorsement interview. Here's my e-mail to Jim Lawrence, Editorial Board Editor:
-----Original Message-----
From: rich@richtyson.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 10:03 AM
To: Lawrence, James
Cc: Kane, Michael G. (Rochester); Magnuson, Karen
Subject: RE: interview schedule
Hello Jim,
Upon further consideration I do not believe I will be making it in to visit with the Editorial Board. After spending a year on the Board of Contributors, witnessing the difference in how Republican candidates versus Democrat candidates were questioned and finally reported, I don't feel it is in my best interest. As I had mentioned to you and Karen both, I find it unfortunate that we have a single paper here in Rochester that just isn't able to not show their bias with regards to politics.
I would be happy to prepare a response now if you like as to why I feel I am not going to be endorsed. That is, unless that is not permitted for choosing not to come in. On the off chance that I am endorsed I will only assume it is because the D&C must endorse a few Republicans each year to "prove" the lack of bias.
As I plan to stay a part of City politics, win or lose, I hope that in the future the Editorial Board will prove that it is able to set aside their personal political feelings and start advocating for what is best for this community. With that said, I do feel that the day of people needing news organizations to explain candidates is coming to a close. With social networking, websites, and the other avenues that people have today to learn more about someone looking to represent them, I feel that the endorsement of a news organization is outdated.
I wish you a great autumn and hope that the endorsement process goes well for you this year. There are many races going on so you will certainly have your hands full. Thank you for reaching out Jim.
Rich Tyson
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Why I Decline an Interview for Your Endorsement in My Race for City Council
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Stand Tall, GOP Legislators and Candidates
Today the main cheerleader for the idea that David Gantt should appoint Monroe County's Public Defender editorializes that candidates for county office should state their position on the process. Thus the D&C; serves notice on county legislative candidates that this will be part of their endorsement interviews.
Every Republican County Legislator and candidate should answer: "I will support and apply the law."
You see, the law requires that the PD be appointed by the County Legislature. That's it.
The Democratic-Media Complex doesn't like Republican bodies making public policy decisions. That's OK for public bodies run by Democrats. But Republican bodies are supposed to share decision-making with Democratic constituencies. "What's ours is ours. What's yours is up for grabs."
Today the D&C; repeats its contemptible lie from 2008, that Republicans overturned the established process for chosing the PD and did something different that year. A point-for-point inversion of the truth: in 2008 Republicans made no change in the law governing appointment of the Defender.
What upset the newspaper and Gantt was that, back in the 1970s, the then-legislature acquiesced to an elaborate extra-legal contrivance giving Assemblyman-for-Life Gantt, his hangers-on and self-appointed "community leaders" a substantial influence over the selection. That was a change to the lawful process.
The PD appointed in the late 70s stayed on until 2008. That's when the issue came up again, and the legislature rightly insisted on fulfilling its legal responsibility.
It was that insistence on respecting lawful established process that outraged the likes of Gantt,the D&C; and other enemies of the people.
Although Republicans got the policy choice right in 2008, they then completely abdicated leadership on the issue. It represents the most shameful episode in the history of the Republican majority in the County Legislature.
As local media spun a false narrative -- that the GOP was usurping a prescribed method for selecting the PD -- Republicans in the County Legislature remained silent and passive, incurring damaging negative publicity. They had the facts on their side as well as the law. Yet the public only heard from crazies like Gantt and the others who disrupted legislative meetings. For reasons still unexplained, the Republicans nearly undermined their own cause and the principle of the rule of law, by saying nothing.
Republican Legislators and candidates: You can atone for the GOP's cowardly performance in 2008. Stand tall when D&C; functionaries bully you in endorsement interviews.
"I will support and apply the law."Of course you can solicit public input, hold public hearings and ask for the view of law-related organizations. But they're not charged with responsibility for making the decision. You are.
Your duty is to do the right thing, even if that brings some controversy. If you don't see it that way, then what the hell are you doing in public office?
Experience the exhilaration of standing tall in a blizzard of lies, armed with the truth, being in the right and fighting for it. That's what leadership and integrity in public office are about.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Smugtown Beacon's Take on RBA Endorsement Fiasco
How did we miss this one until now?
Check out Aaron Wicks's excellent analysis of this subject at Smugtown Beacon.
It's not a left issue or a right issue. It's anybody with a sense of smell and an honest pen identifying something rotten in Sandy Parker's conduct in the name of the Rochester Business Association.
About Those RBA Endorsements ...
Nice work on the RBA, Philbrick, but you missed a key point.
The RBA is using the same technique as the Democrat and Chronicle in doing endorsements. In every seriously contested race they endorse the Democrat. Then they endorse some Republicans who are unopposed or certain to win; that's their fig leaf to "prove" they're not biased.
The RBA endorsed Sandra Doorley (D) for DA. That's a competitive race and a must-win for Democrats. They also endorsed County Legislators Dick Beebe (D) and Vinny Esposito (D), the most endangered legislators for re-election, with strong opponents.
Now come the RBA's fig leaf endorsements: Maggie Brooks, who's certain to win for County Exec. County Legislators like Dick Yolevich (R), Mike Barker (R), Mike Rockow (R) and Anthony Daniele (R), who have no, or token, opposition.
The RBA can endorse who it wants. They're entitled to an opinion just like we are. But we should call out obvious bias of organizations and newspapers that pretend to be impartial, and expose their tricks to uphold the pretense. Their endorsements are strategically chosen to help Democrats and to provide camouflage to conceal that they're partial, rather than impartial.
Nothing wrong with being partial, either. But a lot's wrong with being partial and insisting you're not.
Not to say the D&C; will endorse all the same people as RBA. They'll endorse Sandy Frankel (D) for County Exec, for instance. But basically they'll follow their usual pattern of endorsing competitive Ds and giving fig leaf endorsements to Rs who face no serious contest. Then they can say, "We're not biased. We endorsed people in both parties."
There are exceptions. When a Republican candidate is overwhelmingly qualified and intelligent, and usually when there's something a little sleazy about the Dem, then sometimes the RBA under its current leadership and the D&C; will endorse the R, after agonizing debate, which they'll often reference when making their announcement. An example would be their endorsement of Republican John DiMarco for County Court Judge a few years ago. But these are the exceptions. The basic pattern is clear.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sandy Parker: OK. So I Lied. So What?
Two weeks ago we told you that the motive behind the Rochester Business Alliance's "Vote, Be Heard" campaign has nothing to do with the City School Board elections, as the RBA has claimed. We noted:
In the City, the Democratic primary is the real election. Mary Anna Towler of City Newspaper nails it when she asks, "If the RBA ... were really pushing for more voter involvement in school board races, why didn't they do this campaign before the Democratic primary ...?"
Yesterday RBA announced that it's not endorsing candidates for City School Board. This even though it claims to have been so concerned about turnout in that election that it organized the "Vote, Be Heard" campaign. Didn't even hold endorsement interviews. Moreover, RBA President and Joe Morelle crony Sandy Parker admits that Mustard Street's take on "Vote, Be Heard" is correct.
Compare Parker's own words, in the Democrat and Chronicle's online story yesterday, to the excerpt of Mustard Street's own piece, above:
"We really had no intention of endorsing," Parker said. "Whoever won that primary, you're looking at the school board. That was a done deal...I don't think any of them felt this was an endorsement process."Someone who so clearly understands the City school board race knows that explaining "Vote, Be Heard" as a means to encourage voting for school board candidates is transparently deceptive.
Sandy Parker blew her cover.
The local Democratic establishment swung into action immediately. The D&C; spiked the quote in its print edition, running instead a bland and circumlocutory "clarification" from Parker. By mid-day today it had scrubbed its online story as well. (It's great being part of the Democratic-Media Complex. You get a re-do on quotes to the newspaper!)
The paper also scrubbed from both the print and online stories the line, "The campaign did not kick off until after the primary."
Anticipating this, we got a screen shot of the excerpt of the original story showing the Parker quote.
It also shows that inconvenient line in the original story, that "The campaign did not kick off until after the primary," which followed Parker's quote, "Whoever won the primary, you're looking at the school board. That was a done deal."
Now seeking cover, RBA and its partner in "Vote, Be Heard," the Faith Community Alliance -- another dead giveaway of a liberal purpose -- say in today's sanitized print story that "the campaign aims to increase voter registration and turnout in all races." Which segues away from the stated purpose of "Vote, Be Heard" that Parker's own words revealed as false, but that confirms exactly the true nature of their campaign, as we described in our recent posting.
The purpose of "Vote, Be Heard" is to increase voter registration and turnout -- but only in the City, where it means increasing Democratic turnout in the county-wide races.
Better for Parker and the County Democratic Committee had they gone through the motions of endorsements for School Board candidates. They could have kept hiding behind the "school board" pretext. Before she can be Democratic candidate for Congress, Parker needs more instruction from Joe Morelle in the art of political dissembling.
And people, there's no more certain indicator that "Vote, Be Heard" is organized to help the Democratic county-wide races than this: the total silence of the Democrat and Chronicle and other constituencies of the local Democratic archipelago over "Vote, Be Heard's" offensive graphics showing black children and adults with their mouths taped shut.
Imagine the commotion if the same graphics appeared in a Republican election effort. Or in a campaign by a group unlike the RBA -- one that actually promotes the interests of local business.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sleeping Watchdog
Democrat and Chronicle editorialists today congratulate Mayor Richards and Police Chief Sheppard for cutting their budgets through steps such as reducing employee cellphone use, leaving vacancies unfilled, reducing travel and similar measures. Good steps to take. Well done, Mayor and Chief.
If Rochester had a quality daily newspaper, the editorial might have asked, "What took City government so long?"
The Mayor and the Chief now have done what most towns in Monroe County, and the County government itself, did years ago and continue to do regularly. The County cut cellphones and cars about the time County Executive Brooks took office, and continued the by then established practice of leaving positions unfilled. Most towns have done the same.
Yet, apparently the D&C;, self-proclaimed "watchdog" of the public interest, lay asleep at its dinner bowl at the time.
We don't recall laudatory editorials about the County government or the towns, back when they cut the same costs, praising "needed changes that must become standard in managing taxpayer dollars" in places like the City.
Even more praiseworthy would have been that the County and most towns implemented these savings in budgets that didn't raise tax rates. Whereas the City's budget that draws the paper's praise today increases the homestead tax rate by 2.8% and the non-homestead rate by 1.3%.
A noteworthy disparity in watchdog praise. Explained by the fact that the County and most towns are administered by the party our biased watchdog doesn't much like. They cut phones and cars and staff and don't raise taxes but get no gushing editorials. When the City government finally catches up, and raises taxes while doing it, our watchdog wags its tail.
In an especially amusing touch, the paper praises the Police department for "using creative strategies ... to get around rules" in order to preserve a racially discriminatory hiring program.
Were a Republican County government found to be "using creative strategies to get around rules," our watchdog would be baying for investigation by the attorney general.
A sleeping watchdog, and a mangy one.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Giving Senility a Bad Name
Public nuisance Louise Slaughter calls for "retroactive recusal" of Justice Clarence Thomas from Supreme Court decisions he's joined. She says "We're working on it."
Maybe a judge can recuse himself from a case already decided. But isn't it something the judge has to do himself?
If whatever mysterious "we" Slaughter claims to be working with thinks they can do it themselves, they're saying they can overturn Supreme Court decisions. Short of a constitutional amendment, that's something that can't happen.
It's hard to find reports in the formerly mainstream media about this latest ranting of Slaughter's, made on last night's Keith Olbermann show. Which suggests they recognize this as a symptom of something not good about Slaughter's condition, and are covering up for her.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Of Human Bondage
"Vote, Be Heard" Isn't About the School Board Election
We've noted before the cozy political relationship between Sandra Parker , CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance and Joe Morelle, nominal head of the Monroe County Democratic Committee.
Under Parker's leadership the RBA's main purpose seems to be providing political cover for Morelle and other elected officials of similar ilk: the people upholding state policies that suppress upstate's economy and make life as difficult and expensive as possible for the business owners whose dues pay Parker's salary.
Now comes the RBA's curious "Vote, Be Heard" campaign, complete with offensive and even repellent graphic images of black children and adults in bondage. Its stated purpose is to encourage City residents to vote in the School Board election in November. (We'll reserve discussing whether it makes any difference to the pupil-victims of the City schools just who, or whether anyone at all, gets elected to the Rochester School Board.)
Why worry about turnout in a school board election in which, for practical purposes, the Democratic candidates are unopposed?
Parker & Co. can't imagine that boosting the vote will help Green Party candidates Howard Eagle and Wallace Smith. The opposite is true. The lower the turnout in this election, the better the Greens will do.
"Vote, Be Heard" has nothing to do with the election for school board.
It's Sandy Parker helping out her chum Joe Morelle in the county-wide races. With no race seriously contested in the City, City residents have less incentive to turn out to the polls. In the City, the Democratic primary is the real election. Mary Anna Towler of City Newspaper nails it when she asks, "If the RBA ... were really pushing for more voter involvement in school board races, why didn't they do this campaign before the Democratic primary ...?"
RBA is focusing on the general election in order to produce more Democratic votes in what appears to be for Monroe County Democrats a difficult race to hold the District Attorney's office. If City voters stay home, it hurts Democratic county-wide races for DA and County Court.
Ever the Party loyalist, Sandy Parker deploys RBA once more in the Party's interest. Once more, money from the businesses that finance RBA pays for it all.
Business types can't be this masochistic. Yet, evidently, when it comes to politics they can be this naive, this passive, and even craven enough to pay for the privilege of beng kicked in the gut again and again. The duct-taped people in RBA's "Vote, Be Heard" campaign aren't the only ones in bondage.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
And the Beat Goes On ...
Yesterday we noted that no law enforcement organization has backed the candidacy of Sandra Doorley for Monroe County District Attorney.
Today the Rochester Police Locust Club, New York State Troopers PBA, and the Monroe County Police Benevolent Association -- the three principal organizations of law enforcement officers -- endorsed Bill Taylor for District Attorney. A clean sweep.
This is becoming an uninteresting race with what's looking more and more like a predictable outcome.
The only suspense is in guessing the nature of the front-page smear against candidate Taylor that Democrat and Chronicle editor Karen Magnusen will be contriving for October.
