Nick Paro may be new to politics, but you may recognize his face.
Paro grew up here in the village. His family lived on Sixth Street near Melvin. These days, he resides in the town of Clay and works as an aide for the Onondaga County Legislature.
And now he’s running for the state Assembly in the 127th District against four-term incumbent Al Stirpe, a Democrat.
The 127th Assembly District
The 127th District comprises the towns of Cicero, Clay, Manlius, Pompey and Tully. Perhaps to Paro’s disadvantage, the 127th does not include his old hometown of Liverpool. We’re represented in the Assembly by 128th District Democrat Pamela Hunter, who hails from Syracuse.
Stirpe, 65, of Cicero, was first elected in 2006 and won re-election in 2008. He lost in 2010 in a surprise defeat by Republican Don Miller by a mere 972 votes.
In the presidential election year 2012, Stirpe easily defeated Miller to win back the seat. In 2014 the Democrat overwhelmed Clay attorney Rob DeMarco, 53 to 47 percent.
Now making his first-ever stab at elected office, Paro, a 27-year-old Republican, is promising “passion, progress and change” — at least according to flyers he’s distributing.
On Nov. 6, however, his name will also be listed on the ballot on the Conservative and Independence party lines. Paro said he’s also been endorsed by the Libertarian Party and the Veterans’ Party, but they do not have lines on the 2018 ballot.
Checking his birthplace
Nick’s flyer quotes him: “Born and raised in Liverpool. I am the hometown guy. I love New York and I want to stay in Central New York to raise my family.”
Now I know this is a bit finicky, but I doubt that Nick was actually “born” in Liverpool. I mean, my late mother was born in Liverpool at her parents’ home on Vine Street Road but that was way back in 1929, when home births were routine. No, I suspect that young Nick Paro first saw the light of day at one of the many fine hospitals in the city of Syracuse.
Last week, the rookie candidate confirmed my suspicions via email:
“I was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital on Dec. 31, 1990,” he wrote. “My mother is a homecare nurse St. Joseph’s Hospital and my father was a U.S. Navy veteran who passed away in 1997. He was 32 and died of cancer. I grew up on Sixth and attended both Liverpool Elementary and Middle School.”
For sure, Paro’s a hometown guy, as he says. But the fact is that his actual birth took place on Syracuse’s North Side.
Paro’s passion
Anyhow, Paro’s passion certainly trumps my picayune concerns about his birthplace. Paro’s personal enthusiasm for the campaign and his stands on the issue are far more meaningful.
“More than 100,000 New Yorkers leave the state every year,” his flyer states. “That is an alarming number that needs to be addressed with real tax reform and better paying jobs.”
I hope that means that, if elected, he plans to face off against the state teachers’ unions in order to significantly lower local school taxes. That’s the only way property taxes could ever be curtailed here. And as to jobs, well, maybe he’d work in Albany to open a few more Upstate casinos. Factories sure don’t seem interested in locating here, where they’d have to pay those annually rising school taxes!
Culture of corruption
If voters send him to the Assembly, Paro may have more luck addressing the state capital’s culture of corruption that he does lowering taxes or creating jobs.
“Too many public officials have been brought up on corruption charges,” his flyer complains. “A fresh face and a new voice is necessary to bring integrity back to Albany.”
Good luck, Nick. You’re going to need it!
Last word
“If you can’t eat [it] or play with it, then pee on it and walk away.” – Sandwich sign in front of Furrever Friends Pet Boutique, at the corner of First and Tulip streets, apparently offering canine advice.
The columnist can be reached at [email protected].
