You might think New York state residents would be proud and pleased that we now have a president born and raised in the Empire State. Donald Trump is the first New York-based president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died in office a year before Trump was born.
But, no, plenty of people hereabouts are downright disappointed with Trump’s election despite his downstate roots.
“If you aren’t outraged, you’re not paying attention,” declares a recent letter from Salina Town Democratic Committee Chairman Chris Shepherd sent to local party members. “The new ‘leadership’ in Washington has some of the weirdest ideas you have ever heard,” Shepherd wrote. “Here at home we’re stuck with a congressman who refuses to speak out, and he hides out, unwilling to meet us — the very people he promised to represent and meet with!”
Dems brainstorming
If you’re a Democrat and you’re upset with Trump’s tenure, you should show up at the Salina Free Library, 100 Belmont St., in Mattydale at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 22. Salina Dems will meet to brainstorm campaign strategies for 2017 and beyond.
“Local elections are coming this fall,” Shepherd wrote — overlooking village elections set for up June 20 — “and we can definitely put better people to work for all of us.”
Republican U.S. Rep. John Katko won’t run here again until 2018, so this year’s elections won’t have much effect on doings in D.C., but nearly a dozen local offices will be determined.
In the village of Liverpool, three Republicans — Mayor Gary White and Trustees Dennis Hebert and Christina Fadden Fitch — are up for re-election.
In the town of Salina, Supervisor Mark Nicotra and the entire town board will come before voters. Nicotra and three of the four town councilors are Republicans — Colleen Gunnip, Gerald Ciciarelli and Michael Del Vecchio.
Democrat Councilor Jim Magnarelli will also seek re-election. Magnarelli is expected to speak at Wednesday’s meeting in Mattydale.
Another Republican, Salina Receiver of Taxes Alicia McCollum, likely will run for re-election, as will Republican Town Justice Andrew Piraino.
At the county level, GOP Legislator Judy Tassone is expected to seek re-election to her fifth consecutive term. Shepherd would certainly like to see a viable candidate emerge to challenge Tassone. Eight years ago, a Democrat actually held that Fourth District seat.
Village voter enrollment
Shepherd and his Democratic Committee appear reluctant to conduct a village Democratic caucus. Maybe he’ll explain why on Wednesday.
That reluctance is curious because voter enrollment figures show that Democrats actually outnumber registered Republicans in the village, 521 to 490. Another 493 independent and non-enrolled voters are also on the books here, and such voters historically tend to vote for Democrats. Village population stands at just about 2,300.
Minoa Mayor Bill Brazill recently reminded voters that the local elections “are the elections that directly impact your day-to-day life. …Today we’re faced with many challenges from the state and continued pressure from our governor and county executive to consolidate our form of government. Mayors and trustees are very important positions that need to be filled with knowledgeable people that understand the problems we face every day. These candidates are applying for a job and you are hiring them.”
With that thought in mind, the Democrats will meet Wednesday in Mattydale. Meanwhile, village Republicans will caucus on the evening of April 27 at the Village Hall on Sycamore Street, to nominate candidates — possibly the incumbents — to run for mayor of Liverpool and two trustee seats.
Whether or not the Democrats conduct a village caucus to nominate candidates for those same three offices, the village election will take place from noon to 9 p.m. on June 20.
Landline’s last laugh
My friend, Ithaca guitarist Doug Robinson, finally got rid of his old telephone landline.
“Now my cell is the only way to reach me,” he wrote in an email, “besides text, Messenger, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, email, Skype, smoke signals and a knock on the door.”
He forgot telepathy.
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