A New Village of Lancaster Political Party?

[mark blazejewski]

Just Asking For Information:


A friend received what appeared to be an invitation, illustrated below, to attend a purported "Meet and Greet" meeting of a what may be a developing new political party in the Village of Lancaster.


Does any reader have any information about any such purported party, its organizers, its leadership, and any follow-up meeting to the purported "Meet and Greet?"

If any such a party actually has been formed, how does one investigate its philosophy and purpose, and perhaps join that new party?


If you do not want to post the information on this thread, please send me a private message.

Since 1993 the Citizens Party has controlled village government.
Isn't it time for a change?


On Tuesday March 16th, 2021 village voters will head to the polls to elect a mayor, (2) trustees and the village justice. The office of mayor has not been contested since 1997.
Isn't it time for a change?


We recently formed the Integrity Party to give village voters a voice in village government, a voice that has been silent for too long.
Isn't it time for a change?


Government functions best under a two party system, there hasn't been an opposition party in nearly 25 years.
Isn't time for a change?

On Wednesday September 23rd the Integrity Party of the Village of Lancaster will hold our first meeting at Skoob's beginning at 6:00pm.


This is a meet and greet with no formal agenda planned.


We will provide Pizza, Wings, Beer and Pop in appreciation for everyone taking the time to join us. We pledge to only hold meetings when necessary, elect the best and the brightest candidates, no bylaws, membership dues or mandatory attendance.


Everyone is welcome regardless of your political affiliation or beliefs. We are a diverse group of Republicans, Democrats, Independents concerned about the future of our community - joining together to bring change to village government.


So please find time to stop in and join us as we plan the future of Lancaster Village Government.
We promise an enjoyable evening of friendship, food and drink!

[shortstuff]

Hey Mark, if my memory serves me correct, didn't Russ Sugg organize a new party back in the day for the Village of Lancaster?

[mark blazejewski]

I do not know how Russ Sugg's past political activity can possibly have any relevance to this thread, but in the interests of testing the history teacher's memory, yea, I think, if my memory is correct, that you may be right that Russ formed a true reform party intended to stand in opposition to the existing "power" party that existed at that time.

If I also remember correctly, Russ was pretty much a one-man movement; a truly noble, principled, and well-intentioned maverick, with perhaps an opportunistic tag-along in 2013, do I have my facts correct shortstuff?

Perhaps of more relevance to this thread and the 2020 world in which we live, is my understanding and opinion that the "power party" and structure that Russ challenged had its origins with Peoples Party, that brought Cansdale into power in 1993, am I not correct?

Since 1993, I understand that the Peoples Party has re-branded itself, perhaps in the interests of opportunism, perhaps in reaction to some members held in the ruling clique's disfavor, or perhaps just to create mischief, under various labels, but with the same old core-power players, clique if you will, running things, am I correct on that understanding?

Does that answer your question?

What that said shortstuff, the intention of this thread is to gather information about this new party, not to resurrect past noble attempts at reform.

Now, more relevant, do you have any information about the subject of this thread, this purported new party?

[shortstuff]

I do not know how Russ Sugg's past political activity can possibly have any relevance to this thread, but in the interests of testing the history teacher's memory, yea, I think, if my memory is correct, that you may be right that Russ formed a true reform party intended to stand in opposition to the existing "power" party that existed at that time.

If I also remember correctly, Russ was pretty much a one-man movement; a truly noble, principled, and well-intentioned maverick, with perhaps an opportunistic tag-along in 2013, do I have my facts correct shortstuff?

Perhaps of more relevance to this thread and the 2020 world in which we live, is my understanding and opinion that the "power party" and structure that Russ challenged had its origins with Peoples Party, that brought Cansdale into power in 1993, am I not correct?

Since 1993, I understand that the Peoples Party has re-branded itself, perhaps in the interests of opportunism, perhaps in reaction to some members held in the ruling clique's disfavor, or perhaps just to create mischief, under various labels, but with the same old core-power players, clique if you will, running things, am I correct on that understanding?

Does that answer your question?

What that said shortstuff, the intention of this thread is to gather information about this new party, not to resurrect past noble attempts at reform.

Now, more relevant, do you have any information about the subject of this thread, this purported new party?

Well the reason I mentioned it was perhaps that is the party you might be asking about, since you asked about a new party. So I thought, maybe it is that party. Russ Sugg was an amazing person. He would have made a great Mayor.

[mark blazejewski]

Well the reason I mentioned it was perhaps that is the party you might be asking about, since you asked about a new party.

Nah, that's an old party shortstuff.

Russ Sugg was an amazing person.

"Was?"

Yikes, I am pretty sure that he still is.

[mark blazejewski]

In the last four hours or so, I have received information from multiple sources concerning Supervisor Ruffino, Vice Chair Giza and Trustee Ruda.

IMHO, Ruffino's presence would be very perplexing.

Is anyone aware of suggestions such attendees, or, can anyone actually confirm their presence at the meeting?

Also, from sources, I understand that a high-level VOL official was denied participation in that meeting. Any information on that?

[shortstuff]

Nah, that's an old party shortstuff.




"Was?"

Yikes, I am pretty sure that he still is.

How silly of me, yes I agree I meant "is" .. I was referring to the past tense when expressing my thoughts. BUT another error of mine, he ran for Legislator against Monica L. How I wished he had won that race. I am not sure if he ran for Mayor at some point. I know he was thinking about it.

[gorja]

Hey Mark, if my memory serves me correct, didn't Russ Sugg organize a new party back in the day for the Village of Lancaster?

That was the "Integrity of Choice" party

[Lee Chowaniec]

Re-branding itself? Clarification please. I am not a resident of the Village of Lancaster, have no standing, but interested in what context you use the word as I have never heard of the Citizen’s Party referred to by any other label.

However, like you infer, will this be a new party devoid of all current Citizen’s Party board members, or an attempt to oust a current member in the coming March election?

I ask because as a Town of Lancaster resident I received my first absentee ballot and was disappointed to see that I would have to vote for my Town Council candidate choice on a major party line (which I abhor doing) because the endorsed Conservative Party candidate was challenged by the endorsed Democratic candidate in the primary and lost the endorsement by less than 20 votes.

Dawn Gaczewski was interviewed by the Conservative Party Committee, vetted, and endorsed because she was found to hold conservative values. Mike Wozniak, a registered Democrat who up until his recent registration change to the Conservative Party that would allow him to challenge Gaczewski for the Conservative ballot line, served as a Democratic Committee member for years. Wozniak who claims now to be the ‘official’ endorsed Conservative Party candidate never petitioned the Conservative Party committee for an interview, was not vetted, and not considered deserving of being labeled a conservative.

I would vote on the Independence Party line, but Wozniak has been endorsed by that party, which was quite surprising, and supposedly as a favor to a high-ranking county operative. Oh well, that’s politics!

As a lifelong ‘blank’ I abhor voting for a candidate on either the Democratic or Republican line, however, I find it even more disturbing when a voter chooses party affiliation over candidate qualifications / agenda.

BTW- The reference to one party Village rule sine 1993 is interesting in that the town has been likewise under Democratic Party control since 1996, and in fact, with the exception of one Republican Party administration (1992-1996) for the past 70 years.

[mark blazejewski]

Re-branding itself? Clarification please. I am not a resident of the Village of Lancaster, have no standing, but interested in what context you use the word as I have never heard of the Citizen’s Party referred to by any other label.

Lee,

I think I have my history correct, so bear with me.

The village has always been controlled by two organizations consisting of major party players. Each of those parties appeared to be a blend of Democrats and Republicans. Each village party seemed to serve as a bi-partisan bastion of the competing wings of each party.

For example, throughout the 1960s and throughout most the 1970s, the village possessed to parties: The Independent Party, and if memory serves, The Progressive Party.

Back in those days, the Progressive Party seemed to be home to Republicans and Democrats who were disaffected with their own party(s); if you will, the rogue elements of the major parties. Successes for The Progressive Party were few and far between throughout the 1960's and early 1970's.

It was the Independent Party, with the blended talents of the major party establishment players, that held the high cards and pretty much controlled the village, actually through the 1980s.

To illustrate by examples the make-up of the Independent Party, Howard Benson, the long-time village mayor of the Independent Party wore a Republican collar; Walter Ciszewski a long-time Independent village trustee wore a Democrat collar. While the Progressive Party occasionally picked-off a VOL seat during the 1960s and early 1970s, The Independent Party seemingly held iron-fisted control in the VOL until 1973, which was the year Progressive Rozler unseated Independent Benson.

Rozler held the seat for only one term, and the Independent Party returned to power in 1977.

After the Rozler tenure, the Progressive Party seemingly became the People's Party. That new party had political talent and rose to prominence with the very close election of March, 1979 when Darlene Humphrey came within a handful of votes of ousting a long-time Independent incumbent*for a VOL Board seat.

Starting in 1981, the "Peoples Party" had a terrific run; they held board control and the Village Justice position. In 1985 the Peoples Party elected a mayor, who served for one term. However, after that election, the Peoples Party kind of crashed and burned, and in 1989, the Independent Party made a resurgence with the election of a mayor.

That new mayor in part for reasons of personality, but in large measure for reasons of ill-timed advocacy, entirely discredited himself when he prematurely pitched a police merger through popular referendum in the late spring of 1990. Village residents overwhelmingly rejected the merger, and discredited that mayor.

The Peoples Party, exploited the Independence Party screw-up, and apparently rebranded itself as the Citizen's Party and seized control in 1993.
Since then, the Citizens Party has held near-exclusive control.

IMHO, the Citizens Party since 1993, seemingly has become home to a myriad of politically well-connected residents, who it would seem, gratefully attended, and continue to attend, the whims and wishes of one controlling boss; an opportunistic sort who in my opinion, who holds no readily discernible philosophical values; whose sole purpose and* passions seem to reside in the greedy world of self-enrichment; and appears to me to be a power-obsessed actor, who posses savant-quality talents when it comes to scheming and manipulation.

William G. Cansdale Jr., the Village of Lancaster’s mayor since 1993, resigned his position on Monday night to become the village’s superintendent of public works.

Reference:https://www.lancasterbee.com/article...village-mayor/

In that connection, perhaps the label "Integrity Party" may be just an exercise in political gimmickry; a shallow, superficial illusion of reform, applied to disguise a distasteful application of raw political warfare, which can be metaphorically likened to Stalinist politics?

But why such shenanigans?

Perhaps the New Republican Party did not grant the prime village power actor its 2019 endorsement for Supervisor or Town Council, so penalize the New Republicans?

Maybe such an endeavor is undertaken to undermine and discredit the Mayor of the Village, who, as Mayor, IMHO, has been very competent, skillful, and attendant to the needs of his residents?

Or, perhaps is it just another play from the Town Democrats' tactics manual, form-fit to the 2020 Town Council campaign: a component tactic to the more broad effort to spitefully reduce the candidacy of Dawn Gaczewski, through the advancement of a disingenuous narrative touting the so-called strong conservative credentials of her opponent?

In that connection, for a new party that purportedly welcomes "all political affiliations," why does it seem that the Conservative Party has been specifically excluded from the "diverse group" which is planning the "future of Lancaster Village Government."

So please find time to stop in and join us as we plan the future of Lancaster Village Government.

Wow, could not one read that as "Come watch as our cliquey group decides your future?"

I am curious to know the roster of the Republican, Democrats, and Independents who attended that meeting, and if the planning group and its invitees included non-village residents, who really are not full stakeholders in village affairs?