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Thread: Write-In Town Board Candidates

  1. #1
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    Write-In Town Board Candidates

    Looks like there will be 2 new faces on the Town Board after Tuesday. AARG's 800+ members will no doubt put them both over the top with some help from fellow travelers. Wonder why they didn't go after any ballot lines? Probably just late deciding when they saw they couldn't miss.

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    Quote Originally Posted by AldenBob
    Looks like there will be 2 new faces on the Town Board after Tuesday. AARG's 800+ members will no doubt put them both over the top with some help from fellow travelers. Wonder why they didn't go after any ballot lines? Probably just late deciding when they saw they couldn't miss.
    What is AARG?

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    Sorry - Guess it's ARRG - Alden Residents for Responsible Growth. Basically the group formed to keep Walmart out of Town.

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    Quote Originally Posted by AldenBob
    Sorry - Guess it's ARRG - Alden Residents for Responsible Growth. Basically the group formed to keep Walmart out of Town.
    You know, I wondered what happened out there in Alden. I figured with all the fuss with Wal Mart there would be a hot election...What happened?

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    I hope voters get out and do write-ins for the Town Board positions. We deserve better representatives than we now have.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Concerncitizen
    I hope voters get out and do write-ins for the Town Board positions. We deserve better representatives than we now have.
    What is so wrong with Alden's current representatives...how about some specifics instead of your idle chatter.

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    It's the same old, same old for so long. Well you probably feel they deserve a 5% raise. I have never had a 5% pay raise and I have worked for over 25 years.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Concerncitizen
    It's the same old, same old for so long. Well you probably feel they deserve a 5% raise. I have never had a 5% pay raise and I have worked for over 25 years.
    You're right Concerned it is the same old same old...14 years of near zero town tax increases, and even better...a town tax decrease this year. All this while the Town has maintained service levels, good recreation programs for our kids. The 5% raises, realize that is for the Town Board members who haven't taken a raise since 2004 and represents a total cost of only around
    $ 2,000 or $400 per councilman; again doing so while they have reduced the overall Town Tax Rate, not to mention the return to professionalism they have brought to town government...now, how about more specifics why we should vote them out.

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    Well it looks like the ARRG write-in efforts fizzled. Their candidates lost out by a 6 to margin with them getting less than 8% of the vote. They couldn't even muster half of the votes of their reputed 800 member organization.

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    So what's your point. I think it great to see people interested in their Town to run for office. Everything today is controlled by the two major parties, so it is hard to get support and your name out there. I did see many signs supporting Michele Hoffman, good for her.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Concerncitizen
    So what's your point. I think it great to see people interested in their Town to run for office. Everything today is controlled by the two major parties, so it is hard to get support and your name out there. I did see many signs supporting Michele Hoffman, good for her.
    My point is quite simple...the election shows the all powerful ARRG being less than so. They claim 800 strong membership but couldn't muster even a majority of their members to vote for Ms Hoffman. Now, anticipating your claim that she only got 200 votes or so because she wasn't on the machine, remember the process was open, the Democrats didn't field any candidates, I'm sure their support was their for the asking. Also, please don't attempt to make the arguement that Ms Hoffman and ARRG was new to all all of this. They have done enough research on everything else the could of researched the election process, after all, she knew enough to file a campaign committee report showing her contributions and expenses. This whole thing just proves that ARRG does not speak for the majority of the Alden community.

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    Corrections, Specifics, and Quotes.

    Correction to BBB: Arlene Cooke was endorsed by the Democratic, Independent and Conservative Parties.

    Where you got the figure of 200 is interesting, since this information is not available as of yet, and won't be for approximately 25 days. You must have close ties to someone in politics. But let's assume your figure is correct (or close); 200 of 800 is 25% of the members. Arlene Cooke got 1446 votes, Ron Snyder got 1329 votes. I don't know the number of eligible voters in Alden (and don't have time to search for it now), but let's take out the prisoners, the EC Home Residents, and the kids (which total about 10,000) and say that leaves about 7500. Arlene got 19%, and 17.7%; with the endorsement, and funding from political parties.

    I assure you, Mr Boomer, that in fact, Ms Hoffman didn't decide to run until well after the deadline for being endorsed by a party. It was an 11th hour decision. And it was her decision alone. It was a good decision, despite the fact that she didn't win. After all, this is America, and she had just as much right to throw in her hat, as you do to criticize us (her) for trying.

    Yes, we (ARRG) did a lot of research (on other things); thank you for noticing. Yes, you are correct that the ARRG is not the majority of the Alden community, and we never claimed to be. But we are a large group of very dedicated people who have as much right to voice our opinions on what we'd like to see for the future of Alden, as you do. David was not bigger than Goliath either.

    We never said we were unhappy with the current town council. We've always had nothing but respect for them. They have been courteous and patient throughout the whole rezoning ordeal. And luckily for them, they never were forced to vote on this issue. Michele's late decision to run for one of the open positions would have ensured that a member of the ARRG held a position on the board for ALL matters, not just the rezone issue.

    Be thankful that you live in a country where you can choose who you can vote for; and that people don't shoot you if they're unhappy with who wins. We'll continue to be friends with and have respect for the winners, just as they hold no disrespect for the ARRG for their participation.

    "Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes".

    "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.”

    “When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.”

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    Oh Bud, Poor sad Bud,
    Nice attitude you've got there....

    How do you know that many members of ARRG didn't vote for the incumbents? You're obviously connected to have any numbers at all for the write-in's (not evidently THAT well connected because we counted 255 votes and some machines were sealed after they broke, the Board of Elections will decide on the final count in end) but you should consider this. The write-in vote wasn't for any of the more egregious members of the Planning Board or our paid ECC member (who we don't get to vote for) but was for 2 members of the Town Board who, however you feel about Wal-Mart, were open minded and listened to our concerns and the information we provided. Personally I like both of them and got the feeling from talking to them that we either changed or reinforced their feelings on what this project would likely do to our Town in the long run. If you haven't noticed, we've prevailed in that battle.

    As far as this being a massive revolt against Arlene and Ron you're totally out to lunch if you think that's what the write-in campaigns were about. We don't take or give orders as the major political parties do. We were united in stopping a giant s#$t-stain like Wal-Mart from changing our Town forever and have been successful so far. The citizens who joined together did so because they knew our quality of life and low taxes (as you rightly pointed out we enjoy) were at stake. There wasn't the animosity you seem to have toward our group for getting involved being directed at the board. Some folks wanted to run for office and some members supported them, it's as simple as that.

    Also....
    If you're as connected as your info would indicate did you know that Wal-Mart would qualify for an immediate 50% tax break from the state? Then when it's phased out they would likely take our Town to court to have them lowered as they do elsewhere. Do you think we'd have the same low taxes if that behemoth landed here and we got to pay for the services that support irresponsible growth like kind? Have you looked around and asked others about what they're paying in taxes where development of that nature has occurred?

    Look to the west Bud, think about it and then decide where you want to live. You'll have a Wal-Mart 10 miles away soon enough and it won't benefit anyone but Bentonville and China. The unfortunate citizens of Lancaster will be footing the bill as they have been since developers and retailers have descended on them.

    Is that the future you envision for Alden?

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    Nice spin Zero...but don't put words in my mouth. I never said or implied that ARRG dosen't or didn't have a right to field candidates or that your group was leading a revolt against Ms. Cooke or Mr. Snyder. For your information as a veteran I fought for your and ARRG's right to participate in our democracy.
    You claim that I am connected, well if being able to pick up a telephone and make a phone call with a question(s) is your opinion of being "connected", well then so be it. I never claimed and am fully aware any results both recorded on the machine and by write-in, at this point in time, are complely unofficial. If your numbers are correct the 250 +/- still is a far cry from the claimed 800 membership of ARRG. As a side note, Cyclops, there are approximately 4,500 registered voters in Alden {again another phone call} the voter turnout {participants} for the Alden races was between 24 and 30 percent {Erie County BOE website}, so of the voters who participated in the local election Cooke and Snyder received 52 and 48 percent respectively, still a 6 to 1 victory margin.
    My biggest problem with the write-in candidates {other than I know one of them very well and wouldn't vote for her as dog catcher} is the fact that they waited for the last minute. By doing so, they precluded any honest debate or examination of their positions, certainly a disservice to Alden voters. In my opinion a couple of issues they are now raising {as in the candidate ads and ARRG's own blog} need to be debated openly and vigorously.
    I have no complaints with ARRG, it is your right to voice your opinions, just as it is mine. Some of the comments attributed to ARRG or its members are from way out in left field. I could care less if Walmart {although I sometimes wonder what your arguements would have been if it was Target or Kmart} ever comes to Alden. ARRG members have claimed that there were secret deals, that the cost of Alden government would increase because of a retailer coming to town. My problem with your arguement is that you use data from anti Walmart sources. What services would have to be provided? Police, sewer, road maintenace. Alden doesn't have its own police force and more than likely won't in our life times {also seems like Clarence has a lot of retail and no police force of their own, they use the Sheriffs and State Police}. Sewers? we don't have any and I am certain the Town isn't going to put them in. Road Maintenance? the areas of the Town where major retail development may occur are on State and County roads, it is not going to cost any Town tax dollars to maintain those roadways.
    In closing I have noticed one thing about ARRG and it members, you do not like open debate, as soon as someone questions your positions or arguements you try to make it personal. I was born in Alden, educated in Alden, and have raised my family in Alden, all told we are talking 63 years for, more for my parents and grandparents. Just as I on't begrudge you your opinion, you shouldn't begrude me mine.

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