Salina Town Republican Chairman Bill Tassone has had it up to here!

“I’ve heard all the rumors — [town judge] ‘Andy Pirano is retiring.’ ‘Andy Piraino is sick. Even ‘Andy Piraino is dying.’ I’m sick of hearing it!”

Tassone called the talk “all a lot of misinformation,” and he suspects it’s originating in the campaign of Piraino’s election opponent, Liverpool Village Justice Tony LaValle, a lifelong Republican who narrowly out-polled Piraino in September’s Democratic primary. That’s right, Judge LaValle, a Republican, is running as a Democrat against six-term incumbent Republican Town Justice Andy Piraino. 

Ambition vs. loyalty?

So Tassone’s not happy. “We have three Republican judges in this town,” he said. “Two in the town of Salina and one in the village of Liverpool, and we as an active town committee worked very hard to put them all in office, including Tony LaValle.”

In his first campaign for village justice in 2008, Tassone supported LaValle because he was running against George Alessio, who had been nominated by the Liverpool Republican Caucus even though he didn’t reside in the village.

But now LaValle’s putting his personal ambition ahead of party loyalty, Tassone said. “It’s two things with Tony LaValle,” Tassone said. “It’s ego — ‘it’s all about me!’ — and it’s greed.”

LaValle presently earns about $14,000 as village justice while the Salina judgeship pays $35,000. If he beats Piraino, LaValle plans to hold court both in Salina and in Liverpool as longtime village Judge Herm Harding did for many years.

“But when Herm served on both benches, “that was a [Republican] Party decision,” Tassone said. “Herm didn’t decide to do that on his own the way Tony is doing.”

The chairman’s upset that LaValle has turned on the Grand Old Party, and he’s also upset about the way the Liverpool jurist is conducting this year’s campaign.

Complaining to Commission 

On Oct. 16, Tassone filed an official complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct alleging that LaValle “has unethically increased fines and surcharges I order to eliminate the court’s operating deficit.” Tassone claims that the deficit was created by LaValle in the first place.

He sent the commission a copy of a LaValle campaign flyer depicting the candidate in his official robes while posing in the Village of Liverpool Courtroom. “Pursuant to your Opinion 05-101, dated Sept. 8, 2005,” Tassone wrote to the commission, “it is unethical for a judge who is running for election to use the courtroom for political purposes.”

Prior to the Sept. 12 Democratic primary, Salina Town Dem Chairman Chris Shepherd sent a letter to voters pointing out that in May 2011 the state Judicial Commission charged Piraino with violating judicial rules at least 791 times by charging between $5 and $250 more per ticket than the law allowed in 791 cases between January 2006 and May 2008. In another 140 cases the commission found that Piraino went below the minimum allowable fine or surcharge, totaling $6,404 in lost revenue, although it did not allege any intentional wrongdoing. 

Democrat ‘desperation’ 

For his part, Piraino openly admitted his mistakes, citing his court’s overwhelming load of traffic cases. Tassone called Shepherd’s pre-primary letter “a slop sheet.”

“Frankly I give Andy credit for standing up and accepting the blame,” Tassone said. “I give him credit for not blaming his clerks the way a lot of judges do. For Shepherd to try to make an issue out of $5 one way or the other on a few fines out of a caseload of 9,000, well, that’s the act of a desperate man.”

The 24-year incumbent, Piraino, has already secured four ballot lines for the Nov. 7 election — Republican, Conservative, Veterans and Independence. LaValle will run on two lines, the Democrat and Working Families.

By the way, Tassone insists, the 62-year-old Piraino is healthy as a horse.

Dem Chair responds

“Tassone is pouting about a letter sent to active Democrats last month,” responded Salina Democratic Party Chairman Chris Shepherd, “Facts sure are stubborn things, or — put another way — the truth really hurts. He’s carrying on in a way that shouldn’t be seen in a campaign, least of all in a judicial election, which are supposed to be a straight-up, dignified presentation of legal credentials without partisan sniping. 

“Tassone might not like this, but local justices are elected by all the voters. They are not merely anointed by the leadership of the Republican Party committee. (That must be why those hired GOP political consultants forced their expensive and unsuccessful attempt to raid our nomination of Judge LaValle last summer.)

“Nasty gossipy stuff about Andy really does make me crazy, too — same as in other election years. I recently cut a person off at Nichols when they brought it up. We’re all old enough to know by now that repeating that worthless stuff is just the worst way to deal with it.

“Now, here are some relevant comments I’ve heard. According to some lawyers, sheriff’s deputies and troopers often say Andy seldom replies to requests for late-night arraignments, and it makes their job more difficult.

“But, simply put, the judicial sanction of Judge Piraino is a deal-breaker for loads of persons, including me — and I’m one of many who voted for him in the past, but no longer.”

It was John Adams who said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”    

Judge Piraino’s point

For his part, Judge Andy Piraino pointed out that Salina Town Court “is the busiest town court in Onondaga County,” and he’s been on the bench there for 24 years. “I’m grateful for your past support and would appreciate your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7.” 

LaValle decries name-calling

“I view the judiciary as being above partisanship,” replied Democratic candidate Tony LaValle.  “If our judiciary cannot be above partisanship, then we are all at risk. I’m running for Salina town justice because I believe I’m the best candidate for the job.  

“It saddens me that, in a judicial race, some have decided to yet again bring partisanship and spurious allegations into the debate. Name-calling has no place in this campaign. Personal attacks against me or anyone, especially in a judicial race, are disappointing and desperate.    

“I’m confident Salina residents will not give credence to personal attacks, partisanship or spurious allegations in this race. I stand on my judicial record. I am disappointed my opponent and his allies are unwilling and unable to do the same.”

Last word

Bill Tassone responded to those responses:

“The so-called letter that Shepherd sent out prior to the primary was nothing but nasty. He has openly stated that he has previously manipulated other political parties, and then accuses us of hiring high paid political consultants. He has no idea that myself, Judge Piraino and many other Republicans recently defended Tony and played a large part in saving Judge LaValle’s [Liverpool] court. I think if someone wants to chair a political party he should be up to date on current events before he starts throwing accusations. 

“If Shepherd wants to talk about facts — Judge Piraino hears over 9,000 cases a year, nearly 225,000 over his career in Salina, and there were a few over or under charges on fines. Facts — in Judge LaValle’s small village court this year there was well over $100,000 dollars of uncollected fines. Andy waited 15 years to run for his seat because it was filled. He showed a great deal of dignity in doing so. And not only does Andy do his arraignments, he has done more than 150 for other town judges this year alone.” 

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