Cicero GOP not playing by the rules
To the editor:
I am a lifetime Republican and longtime member of the Town of Cicero Republican Committee. Over the years, I’ve had my share of disagreements with our committee’s leadership. However, I honestly can say I’ve always followed the committee’s rules, including supporting Republican candidates even when I was not enthusiastic about their candidacy.
Committee bylaws state, to be in good standing, committee members must support, not work against, our party’s endorsed candidates.
Unfortunately, our current committee leadership and town board candidates are ignoring that rule and are actively working against the candidacy of Mike Becallo, the endorsed Republican candidate for Cicero town councilor.
Last winter, the Republican committee endorsed William Meyer for town supervisor, and Nancy White and Dick Cushman for town councilor.
Former Cicero Town Councilor Mike Becallo followed the rules. He circulated petitions challenging the committee’s endorsement and received enough support to run in the Republican primary election in June.
Mike Becallo overwhelmingly won that primary. Dick Cushman did not.
Even though the town’s primary voters strongly favored Mike Becallo over Dick Cushman, Republican committee leaders decided to thumb their noses at their party members and continue their support of the primary loser, Dick Cushman. The leadership is financially backing his candidacy, circulating his literature and posting his campaign signs. When they campaign door-to-door, the other candidates distribute Dick Cushman’s literature as if he was running as with them. He is not. Mike Becallo is the Republican candidate.
This week the committee leadership mailed a campaign flyer to town voters prominently featuring Meyer and White with Dick Cushman. Shame on them. If they can’t follow the rules of their own party, what can we expect if they win election?
So why is the committee leadership trying to fool us into believing Dick Cushman is the Republican candidate? Why are they afraid of Mike Becallo?
The goal of the Republican committee is simple. Get Republicans elected, then step back and let them do their jobs. Perhaps that is why they are willing to violate their own rules and financially support and work for Dick Cushman’s election.
They know when Mike Becallo is elected, he will insist committee leaders step back. He will do the job voters elected him to do.
Chet Dudzinski
Cicero
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Boyke and Becallo put Cicero first
To the editor:
Our current town board under the leadership of our supervisor has no idea what a town board does, certainly at least with his administration.
Supervisor Mark Venesky and his former deputy supervisor, Bill Meyer, seem only interested with developing more commercial buildings and parking lots. Cicero should have more to offer than this. What a shame: Right now we pay taxes for what the town wants, not what the people want.
We need new leadership that will look to the future by getting our infrastructure up to date before allowing more building (maybe a building moratorium?).
Politics aside, when voting we should think about people that would have fiscal responsibility, and consider the town of Cicero first.
Bill Meyer is apparently on the same page as his boss, so same old same old.
I would recommend Judy Boyke and Mike Becallo. They both have the citizens of Cicero first, when it comes to money, accountability and infrastructure.
Please vote. It is important no matter who you decide to vote for. We can get back control only if we pay attention and vote with knowledge of the people that are running.
Don Kelly
Cicero
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Onondaga County Veterans Party endorses Cicero candidates
To the editor:
I am proud to announce that the Onondaga County Veterans Party has endorsed candidates for the Cicero Town Board this year.
The committee endorses Bill Meyer for town supervisor along with Dick Cushman and Nancy White for town council after conducting personal interviews and a very through review of their experience advocating for veterans and their families.
Bill Meyer has extensive experience helping veterans with Onondaga County, the Veterans Cemetery and Honor Flight. He has also helped officials in other towns organize outreach programs for veterans.
Dick Cushman served in the USAF during Vietnam and serves on the Cicero committee recognizing the service of Vietnam era vets.
Nancy White serves local veterans by volunteering with Honor Flight and conducting veteran constituent service at State Sen. Antonacci’s office.
The committee urges all voters in Cicero to support these candidates in November.
Linda Chew
Chair, Onondaga County Veterans Party
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Local unions endorse Hernandez
To the editor:
On behalf of the members of 1199SEIU (United Healthcare Workers East) and the leaders and delegates of the Greater Syracuse Labor Council, AFL-CIO, I am pleased to inform you of our recommendation to endorse Nodesia Hernandez for the Onondaga County Legislature’s 2nd District.
Ms. Hernandez’ distinguished record of service demonstrates her commitment to the rights of workers, quality health care, and numerous other issues of importance to the working people of Central New York, including the nursing home, hospital, and home care workers represented by 1199SEIU.
Mark Spadafore
Upstate Political Director, 1199SEIU UHWE
President, Greater Syracuse Labor Council
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White for Cicero Town Board
To the editor:
I have known and worked with Nancy White for 12 years while she was in the Onondaga County Comptroller’s Office, and I believe she will make a great Cicero town councilor.
Nancy was always willing to help anyone in the office with projects they were working on. She was a resource anyone could approach, whether a fellow employee or citizen, and she would get the answers needed and the job done.
Please join me in voting for Nancy White for Cicero Town Board.
Jacki Copani
Cicero
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The usual family names versus a hard-working go-getter
To the editor:
What a conundrum: As a former Republican now turned Independent, I am having a hard time deciding how I should vote, having rarely ever voted for a Democrat.
Do I vote for the usual political people, those family names that only seem to be able to break through in local politics or do I vote for the newcomer, a person I know as a hard working individual who goes the extra mile getting done what needs to be done?
I am talking about the town of Salina’s First Ward race between Democrat Joan Royle and Nick Paro.
I saw Nick Paro once when he was stumping for the independent line.
Now I know Joan because she is a driving force in our neighborhood quest to keep our lagoon clean so everybody can enjoy it. She took on the role of president of our group, and spent many an hour working with the former supervisor in getting the lagoon weeds cut and cleaned up as well as getting dead trees that where dangerous to civilians and cars. Organized the whole neighborhood to go to meetings and put a voice to that problem where we finally resolved it partly by getting the weeds cut so the lagoon can thrive. This will be a long-term constant battle and a threat to the thriving wildlife and the ecosystem. The alternative is allowing it to die and become a swamp.
Why do we always vote for the status quo? Isn’t it time we vote for people who will persistently fight for your needs and concerns?
Sorry, Nick, I am voting for someone who has my back. I don’t speak for the whole neighborhood, but I am putting my vote on Joan, someone who will be more than an individual in a chair on board nights.
Gary Russell
Sun Harbor Drive, Liverpool
