Thanks for the information, Lee.
Hopefully, the best candidate for each position wins not because of the better marketing
of a particular party but because they have the taxpayers best interest at heart in their recent past and future actions.
It is an election year that may already be considered enigmatic when:
An incumbent for Town Clerk is not endorsed by her party for re-election, but endorsed by the Republican and Conservative Parties
A registered Conservative Party council member was endorsed by the Democratic Party in 2015 is not endorsed by the Democratic Party in her 2019 run for
Supervisor, but by the Republican and Conservative Parties
A registered Republican is endorsed by the Democratic Party to run for a council seat
A newly elected Republican Party Chair is disassociating the party from the influence of Ralph Mohr and his minions – and that’s a good thing, IMHO.
A newly elected Democratic Party Chair is an individual who held that position years earlier (and for a number of years, as well).
It will be interesting who bests who in getting their candidates across the finish line to victory. Democratic Chair McCracken is returning to a position where he doesn’t have the registered Democratic voter plurality he once enjoyed, where Dems outnumbered the Reps near 2-1.
New to the game Republican Party Chair Greg Sojka needs to find an experienced support group to combat the experience of the Democratic Party old guard.
Town party voter registration implies the elective seats are up for grabs:
Democratic Party – 11,693
Republican – 9,393
Independence Party – 1,822
Conservative Party – 939
Working Family - 177
Green Party – 84
Blanks (Unaffiliated) – 6,612
9,934 votes are out there for the taking by major party candidates who are willing to work their asses off to energize voters of another political persuasion.
Thanks for the information, Lee.
Hopefully, the best candidate for each position wins not because of the better marketing
of a particular party but because they have the taxpayers best interest at heart in their recent past and future actions.
Georgia L Schlager
JUST MY OPINION:
To be sure Lee, if "politics as usual" is the evaluating metric, it certainly is "enigmatic."
But, if the Sojka comments of July 5, 2018 are taken at face value, the fog lifts:
IMHO, the Democrats are somewhat bewildered. Seemingly, they find it hard to understand, let alone effectively confront, this revitalized Republican Party, existing as it does, with a pledge to "Put Lancaster First."Quote Originally Posted by Greg Sojka
For Lancaster to be a better place, it needs two strong political parties. Up until now, the Republican Party has not been very strong, and has to change before Lancaster can become a better place. As long as the Republican Party is run by the same old closed patronage bunch, only watching out for their own wallets and perks, the Republican Party will continue to lose elections, and Lancaster will not reach its full potential.
The Republican Party should not tell the taxpayers and residents what their problems are. It needs to hear those problems directly from the people themselves, and then to offer solutions. The Republicans can do that by creating a way for the people of Lancaster, not just Republicans, but all people, to speak their minds directly to the Party, and to voice their concerns, express their ideas, and to make their suggestions, and have the party seriously listen to them.
It is simple, no more campaigns based on BS soundbites and old boy interests. It is time that the Republican Party hear the people, and address their concerns with platforms and candidates who will put the people of Lancaster first, and then, to stand by and fully support those candidates.
The political hot shots will not make Lancaster a better place, only the good people of Lancaster can do that. But, the Republican Party can help by representing the needs of the people of Lancaster, first and always.
In that connection, the Lancaster Republicans' Record:
Chairman Sojka represents the face of the "New Republican Party." His Vice Chairman, Josh Wroblewski, represents what might be termed "The face of the traditional Lancaster Republican Party." Blended together, they transparently appear as the singular coalesced face of an exciting new era in Lancaster Republican politics.
What has apparently emerged is a united Lancaster Town Republican Party. Its focus is strictly upon the needs, concerns, and the betterment of people of the Town of Lancaster. This new party, with an almost cocky calmness, struts separate from, albeit parallel to, its brethren in the Erie County Republican leadership.
It appears that for Lancaster Republicans at any rate, deliverance, from its smugly indifferent county bunch, is at hand.
Personally, I see no intrigue or mystery to the present functioning of this Republican Party. All-inclusive was promised in July; all-inclusive was delivered in February: In the broad interests of Lancaster, the party endorsed, based upon merit, a "C," a "D," and two "Rs."
I contrast that with what I perceive to be the Lancaster Democrat Party's situation.
Under the oppressive hand of the Erie County Democrat political machine, Lancaster is challenged by the re-emergence of the same old patronage trio, McCracken, Giza, and Ruffino. With them, they bring to campaign 2019, their same old bag of self-serving dirty tricks and destructive tactics. With history on their side, it is, IMHO, reasonable to assume that those same old self-serving dirty tricks and sleazy tactics will once again be weaponized, and applied against the overall interests of Lancaster.
To illustrate:
The Democrats would deprive Lancaster and its citizens a quality incumbent Town Clerk, in order to fulfill the whims and wishes of the Erie County power elite, and it local suppliants.
The Democrat candidate replacing that fine public servant, appears to hail from the pedigree world of favor and patronage, with perhaps a thin and wanting resume so far hidden in the misty forest of political protection.
The Democrat candidate for Town Clerk is joined by, and is linked by association to, a Council candidate, who appears to have fulfilled the "Family and Friends" requirement of the Lancaster Democrat Party.
If there was any surprise to the Democrat endorsements, it is what I perceive to be the Party's' plagiarism of the Republican playbook. In its naming of a so-called "Republican" as a candidate for Town Council, McCracken ad Giza appear, IMHO, to be a desperately cheap imitations of Sojka, Wroblewski, and the Lancaster Republicans.
Diane Terranova, transparently, was, is, and most probably will remain, a Democrat, and will definitely remain a very competent Town Clerk. But, if I understand the rather curious background of the Democrat-endorsed "Republican" candidate for Town Council correctly, he is a former Democrat Committeeman, who, went on a convenient binge, drinking temporarily out of a Republican cup, and now, in the full embrace of a political hangover, apparently has staggered his way home to his partisan roots.
A little too cozy to suit me.
Ah, but perhaps there is no surprise with the Democrat imitation tactic at all.
Is it not true that the Democrats, seemingly, have faithfully infiltrated the ranks of political parties, especially the minor parties, going back to, at least, the tragic days of Hank Gull in 2003?
Ergo, I close as I started:
Sojka, Wroblewski, and the "New" Lancaster Republican Party: A transparent promise, faithfully delivered.
The Democrats: same old intrigue, the same old patronage trio, McCracken, Giza, and Ruffino, with their same old bag of the same old dirty tricks.
Last edited by mark blazejewski; February 21st, 2019 at 10:42 PM.
Ah Gorga, this old guy has been around a long time, born and bred in the City of Buffalo and living in Cheektowaga, Depew and the Town of Lancaster in near equal periods of time. Nothing much has changed in the world of political stratagem / deception except for the mean-spirited personal and unfounded slanderous attacks to discredit and weaken one’s opponent.
Determining who the most qualified candidate is, has the community’s best interest in mind, or who is the lesser of two evils is, is near impossible for anyone in today’s world with the two major party system in place – especially so for independents and ‘blanks’.
Following politics closely in town for the past twenty years, I have witnessed dirty tricks, deal-making and dishonesty practiced by all parties in town; but practiced best by the Democratic Party.
IMHO, if there is an individual endorsed by either major party who would truly want to act independent of party hierarchy ideology and/or control in the best interest of the community, they would not receive future party endorsement / support. Sound familiar?
At this early stage where only party endorsements have been announced, petition gathering not taking place until February 26th, then a grueling June primary, the Republican Party (and some supporters) perceive themselves to be the new reform party – transparency and a party with candidates being everything to everyone.
Yet, I wonder what the candidates pledged at the interview vetting process when their mission statement contained the following:
Understanding that no process is infallible every candidate has pledged the information they provided to the committee regarding their background as well as their intent seeking the Republican endorsement is accurate. In keeping with the trust extended by the continuants I represent my support for said candidates is directly contingent on the honesty of their answers and maintains the option to be revoked should contradictory information arise. At the risk of sound presumptuous I think I can safely say that such a critical and or guarded optimistic position is mirrored by other members of the Lancaster Town Republican Committee.
"Options to revoke”, hmmm. Sounds like someone pledged their soul to the party ideology and abdicated they're independence. We shall see.
Up to primary day, this ‘blank’ once again expects to hear / read BS or outright lies, exaggerations, slander, character assassinations, or worse. Unfortunately, a BS meter is yet to be invented. And then the real ****-slinging really begins and ends on Election Day.
Focus on issues, please. Issues of today and not of the past and assigning blame. Elections have consequences and those serving in the past were put into office by an electorate that, with the exception of 1992-1996, voted into office a Democratic Party controlled town board going back to the 1950's.
And you know this for a fact? I heard a rumor that it was the chair himself that deprived our town clerk of the endorsement,Originally posted by mark blazejewski:
The Democrats would deprive Lancaster and its citizens a quality incumbent Town Clerk, in order to fulfill the whims and wishes of the Erie County power elite, and it local suppliants.
Georgia L Schlager
The emphasis in this upcoming election IMO should be on the Blanks & the Independents. The R & C candidates are assured (in theory) to already have their votes, but the Independent line considering it has been hijacked by the Democrats, should be their main target as well as the Blanks.
Never heard of Mazur.
I think Ronald Ruffino is the best candidate running for the Supervisor's position. Here is why, he has been vocal in his fiscal conservative approaches in the last 5 years. I hope that Ruffino can keep this momentum going when he wins. Now in the past when he was under Giza's spell, he was not fiscally responsible. The Colecraft situation may haunt him in this upcoming race.
I think Kristen McCracken will be a good council member. She has done well on the Planning Board.
So my prediction will be:
Ruffino Supervisor
McCracken Council member
Leary Council member
Terranova Clerk
Bruso Legislature
Dixon County Executive
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