The Real Deal from Orleans County NY

The Other Bad Guy

2010-07-27T02:16:33Z

For a change, I am not the guy from the Albion area that wrote the latest column that ticked somebody off. That honor belongs to a columnist for the "other" paper in town, and inasmuch as I appreciate his predicament, a highly personal attack on a fireworks event organizer or fellow musicians is not always a good idea. Sure, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and most of the piece was the writer's opinion, but sometimes it is wise not to express it in certain terms.

Thanks to the internet, you can go online to look up the article in question; however, since I do not want to direct people to another publication's website I will summarize the contents to the best of my ability. A local band was contracted to open for a regional band at the Albion Fourth of July celebration, they essentially sub-contracted part of their set to another local band-which included the "other" columnist-that did not get to play a full set. Afterward, the event organizer winds up becoming the target of the "other paper's" columnist, as did the regional headliner, The Kid Kurry Band.

I am hardly an impartial observer in this scenario, because I consider the event organizer a friend, and the "other paper" has targeted and labeled me in the past. I realized it comes with the territory, but that did not mean I liked it. Of course, I was a candidate for public office, not a musician or volunteer organizer for an event. In addition, at least two of the members of Kid Kurry played at a Rochester club I worked at almost twenty years ago, I remember them as nice guys and the band is made up of seasoned veterans to say the least.

I also have a unique perspective, as a musician and music writer and an op-ed writer, or at least two out of three of them. Hence, on the night of the Albion fireworks I was in Lockport covering Our Lady Peace's concert. There was some question about whether Albion should have hired a local band for their celebration; after witnessing a crowd of over 25,000 for a Canadian band on July 4th weekend,( and it was their second year in a row playing Lockport on July 4th weekend) I can say that local bands usually are relegated to the opening spot at outdoor events. It is just the nature of the business.

Of course I understand the frustration of not being able to play, once this last year my musical partner and I prepped for a short set at a local club that we had been invited to play at, only to sit there with our friends and family for almost two hours and then never getting called to the stage. At least the columnist from the other paper got to play. He should also feel fortunate that the other paper lets him promote his band week after week after week after week. I mean, I write for the smaller paper and I tick people off, he writes for the paper that presents Albion as Pleasantville.

A long time ago, an English teacher of mine told me that angry letters are not meant to be sent. If people saw half the columns I've buried they would really think I was a raging lunatic or maybe they would get the wrong impression about some people I wrote about in the heat of the moment. Occasionally I have had to issue an apology, either in person or in writing, and I think that people respect that. Nevertheless, even if they don't, I do it because it is right.

If the other guy does not want to issue an apology then I will, on behalf of musicians, writers, parents and citizens everywhere. I apologize to Kid Kurry and the event organizer and I hope neither of them allow one incident to mar their work, whether it be in music or organization. As for Kid Kurry, I hope you see them at the Elks Lodge in Albion on September 24. That is a show I won't miss, no matter who is opening.

Honored

2010-07-07T02:17:39Z

Over the next few weeks, there will be many high school graduation parties. In an era when some parts of the state still have graduation rates well below fifty percent, graduating from high school is still an accomplishment that should be celebrated. Graduating from high school is the beginning of a new phase in a young person's life, and after high school, it is a time when an individual must make important decisions that will likely influence the rest of their life.

In my case, I made my share of boneheaded decisions in my youth. I certainly should have gone to college after high school rather than wait until I hit my mid-thirties. I think that is one reason why I have been so insistent that my son Thomas went right into college and lived on campus. His making the dean's list every semester at SUNY Brockport tells me that it was a good decision, and as a parent, I am blessed to share in his success.

Nonetheless, college is not the only path to happiness, nor is it for everybody. One of the alternatives is to enter the armed forces, like my nephew Josh Zeliff decided to do. Even though he is not my child, I have come to love and respect Josh and his family (I have been blessed with not only a wonderful supportive wife, but a fantastic set of in-laws as well). When Tracy and I found out he was going into the Marines we were both proud and concerned, after all, we are still a nation at war.

That concern still exists, but it is tempered by the realization that our country needs intelligent young men of high moral character to defend its freedoms. Without our armed forces we would have no way to defend the liberties we cherish, like the freedoms of speech and the press which allows me to write this column every week.

This nation has so many celebrations to honor those who serve this country in war and in peace, and rightfully so. All of the military veterans were once young like Josh, and had to decide what path to take and they made the choice that they felt was the best. Those who entered the military bring honor to their families and to their community.

As is the case with many young people that enter the service, one of Josh's most enduring traits is his humility. I almost think that being humble and selfless is a prerequisite for military service because so many veterans never ask for anything in return in spite of their sacrifice to the nation. I have no doubt that Josh will do very well in the Marine Corps, and yet he will never brag of his accomplishments.

As I wrote earlier, everyone has to choose the path that is right for him or her. For those young people who are going in to the armed forces, I thank you in advance, for I know that our nation's freedoms are being well protected.

Better The Reds

2010-06-29T21:03:23Z

On Monday, the Justice department announced the arrest of ten Russian agents that were part of a spy network. The group had established deep cover, even having children while residing in the United States. The children reportedly had no idea that their parents were spies, and why should they considering the Cold War has been over for a long time now.

A part of me read the story and pined for the old days when we hated the Russians. They were much better enemies than these suicide-bombing terrorists we have to contend with now. I mean, can anyone from my era imagine Rocky Balboa fighting an Al-Qaeda operative? Of course they can't, but Rocky beating the snot out of that evil Russian in Rocky III made me feel darn good about being an American.It also made me appreciate how underrated the band Survivor is.

As if Rocky was not good enough, what about Rambo? He was a true patriot from an era when we were fighting with the Afghan rebels against the Soviet Union. In fact, in Rambo III Stallone is fighting with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviets. Fact is, when we hated the Soviet Union everybody loved us, especially those Soviet citizens who had to wait in line for six hours for a roll of toilet paper.

Now it turns out that while we are eating hamburgers with the Russians, they are infiltrating our government and media with spies. According to early reports, their mission was to obtain information by becoming part of the Washington establishment and getting information from policy insiders and think tanks. They were especially interested in information about U.S policy regarding nuclear weapons in Iran and the development of bunker busting nuclear weapons.

The Russians have denied that the ten people arrested were spies, and I respect the Russians for doing that because that is what every government does when their spies are caught. This may mean that U.S and Russian relations sour, and that can only mean good things for the video game and movie industry and maybe James Bond will get back to doing what he did best, fighting Russian spies and courting lots Russian women.

Of course, there may be a downside to renewed Cold War hostilities. A whole new generation of kids will have to learn how to jump under their desk in case of a nuclear strike. We may also have to dust off some of those old "Fallout Shelter" signs. Then again, if the Russians stole the bunker busting nuclear technology, fallout shelters may not do much good.

It just goes to show you that one should never let their guard down. Just when you think somebody is your friend and you want to treat them to a burger and fries, it turns out they only want to use you for your military secrets. Sounds like the story of my life!

On a Mission From God

2010-06-16T02:00:00Z

Yesterday marked the thirtieth anniversary of one of my all-time favorite films, The Blues Brothers. It is one of those movies people detest watching with me because I say all of the lines, like the famous sequence where Elwood tells Jake "it's 600 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses."

Evidently I am not the only one that sees the intrinsic value of the movie and it's message of redemption for the "semi-official" newspaper of the Vatican, L'Osservatore Romano ( English: The Roman Observer)published an editorial commending the message of the movie and declaring it to be a "Catholic" Movie.

Of course, the editorial has caused a lot of controversy- as a good editorial should- amongst some Catholic observers that think that the newspaper is delving too deeply into pop culture. In recent years, the newspaper also weighed in on the Beatles, commending the band for their "beautiful melodies" and for "changing pop music forever." Keep in mind that this is the same group that caused a stir when John Lennon claimed the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus."

The Blues Brothers main theme is that two brothers with a troubled criminal past try to make good on a vow to the Catholic nun who raised them that they will raise $5,000 to save the orphanage from foreclosure. The movie is set in Chicago, but with Orleans County's property tax rate, it could have been set here. The foreclosure theme was way ahead of its time as well.

In order to raise the money, the Blues Brother, Jake and Elwood, attempt to get their band back together to play a one off show. Sadly, while Jake was in jail his brother Elwood had lied to him and told him the band was still together when in fact they had all taken "straight jobs." Thus, the Blues Brother set off on a "mission from God."The movie was made before PG-13 so because of the language and some gratuitous violence it earned an R rating.

Knowing and loving the movie, I understand the editorial and its purpose. As is the case with many comedy movies, there is an underlying message that is hidden beneath the laughs, The Blues Brothers movie is no exception to that rule with its message of redemption and its ridicule of "Illinois Nazis" and tax collectors, and I know that I am not a big fan of either of those groups.

As for the newspaper and its editor, I am sure this "controversy" will sell some newspapers but more importantly, it will make some people think outside the box and that is what a good newspaper is supposed to do.

Even if The Blues Brothers is not "holy," the movie has taught me many lessons. It's ok to trade a Cadillac for a microphone, find out if the beer is free before you start the gig, and always keep your gas tank full and keep a half pack of cigarettes in the glove box, because you never know when God will send you on a mission to Chicago.

A Dull Tree But a Great Picnic Table

2010-06-12T01:46:10Z

In case you missed the news, a married woman in Batavia was recently charged with the crime of adultery. Inasmuch as most normal people might have been shocked at the alleged incident - two people having sex on a picnic table in a park where children were playing nearby - most of the controversy surrounded the charge of adultery.

Some comments I have heard or read suggest that outlawing adultery is archaic and that the law should be off the books. Mind you, the crime of murder has been around since Cain killed Abel but nobody seems to think that the crime of murder is outdated. Granted, a lot of people cheat on their spouses, but I imagine a lot of people cheat on their tax returns as well, and yet nobody wants to get rid of that law.

One of the main reasons that so few people are charged with adultery is that it is hard to prove. Most adulterers do not have sex on a picnic table in full public view - even after they have been drinking. Cheaters may parade around town in the open but they tend to do the deed in private; at least, that is the case with the adulterers I have known.

Adultery is still grounds for divorce in New York state, but because of the same problems associated with the burden of proof, plaintiffs in divorce cases usually have to come up with other grounds for divorce, like cruel and inhuman treatment.

In addition, adultery has gained an amount of social acceptance. I once attended a church where the pastor was caught having an affair with a member of the congregation, but since he was popular, there were many members of the church who thought the pastor should not resign. Of course, few people took into consideration the impact on both families - both of the adulterers had children in their teens.

As far as sexual crimes go, adultery certainly has the potential to be as damaging as prostitution, if not more so, and yet if a person simply solicits a prostitute and does not engage in sex, they can be charged with a crime. If a person actively pursues a married person, they have not committed a crime at all. The same concept applies to rape and child molestation; the mere attempt to commit either act is a serious crime.

It is doubtful that the adultery law will be stricken from the books any time soon, because the lawmakers who vote to decriminalize adultery could be perceived as supporting adultery. Nonetheless, it will likely not be prosecuted very often, possibly out of fear that there is not enough jail space to house adulterers. If the adulterers I have known in Orleans County were prosecuted, we would have to double the capacity of the county jail to house them and hire more prison guards. We would probably have to replace a lot of politicians as well.

With regard to the alleged adulteress in Batavia, I fear that she will be rewarded for her crime instead of punished. I would not be a bit surprised if talk shows aren't already making offers to pay for her to appear. At least we don't have to worry about Disney making a movie out of her story.

A Dull Tree But a Great Picnic Table

2010-06-12T01:46:10Z

Cuomo and Swan

2010-06-12T01:44:10Z

It is official: Andrew Cuomo and Robert Duffy are the choice of the Democratic Party in New York state to run for governor and lieutenant governor. They are both great men with great records of service, but if they win the election, they will lord over a house of horrors filled with politicians who do not have the one thing that makes a politician effective - accountability.

This is becoming more evident with the latest state budget process. Gov. David Paterson makes a threat to legislators and they do not even blink. Why should they? The sad reality of New York state's Assembly and Senate is that a candidate stands a better chance of losing their seat from dying than voters ousting them in their gerrymandered districts.

It rather reminds me of the situation I have at home with two of our dogs. The one we recently adopted is a Chihuahua mix, a teeny dog that likes to bark loudly at our Labrador mix who is much bigger. The Lab looks at the Chihuahua like, "are you kidding me," and shoves the Chihuahua across the room with his snout.

Sadly, the little dog is the governor - lots of bark and no bite. The big dog is the Senate and Assembly, both groups knowing that they have nothing to worry about and that even if the little Chihuahua bites them, they can simply shove it across the room.

Very simply stated, there is no democracy at the state level, and lawmakers know it and nobody has the money or the power to change the system, which is run by the people who benefit most from its dysfunctional ways.

In local news, one of the proposed designs for Albion's new library has the main entrance facing away form Main Street at a side angle. I know many people in the community are afraid of taking on this issue because the library board is a virtual who's who of Albion, but facing away from Main Street defeats the purpose of purchasing the Main Street location. Many people I have spoken to were aghast when they realized the old Dale's building was being razed rather than retrofitted; this latest idea of a library that does not face Main Street is simply perplexing.

One of the things I read said that the planners wanted to avoid a "strip mall" look. If that was the case, then cheaper property could have been purchased rather than taking prime real estate off the tax rolls for an unconventional design. Having a business next door that faces Main Street means the contrast between it and the library could create an aesthetic nightmare, but I will reserve final judgment until the preliminary plans are released to the public - which probably should have been done already.

This does not mean I do not support the library project, which I am sure for political reasons some people will try to spin my take on the design issue. I am just not sold on a design that does fully showcase the front of a building on Main Street.

Cuomo and Swan

2010-06-12T01:44:10Z

Progress? WhoNeeds Progress!

2010-05-18T10:50:20Z

An ad in a local trade publication noted that the Orleans County Legislature will hold a public forum and "progress report" this evening at 7:00 pm at the Trolley Building located at the 4-H fairgrounds. When I think of a progress report, I usually think of it as negative, but not everything the OC legislature has done of late has been negative, in fact holding an evening forum and a session at the nursing home are both very positive developments and indicative of better leadership.

Now people may have thought that I forgot about the county government because my topics of late have included genetic test kits, underwear laws, and open meetings. This is in addition to the fact that- as a local newsstand owner can attest to-my wife and I have recently adopted the world's cutest puppy, which has made me a little less ornery. Honestly, who can be mean when you have a puppy around?

I have been keeping an eye on some county business and following things as best as I can, and still get the occasional "hot tip" from my county insider, including the passage of a resolution dealing with gun control laws. On another positive note, the county provided me with the resolution without having to FOIL it, and it was received very quickly, much faster than the time a FOIL request would take.

The resolution in question is 169-410, entitled " Opposing Various Proposed New York Sate Legislation" states the county governments opposition to a slew of gun control bills proposed at the state level including harsher penalties for the possession of "cop-killer" bullets (A2881-S2379) and requiring the safe storage of guns in households with children under the age of 18 (A5844B-S3098A). Some of the other proposed laws are harsher and on the surface appear to be an invasion of privacy-like the establishment of an ammunition-coding database (A3200 and S2953) but the gun lobby certainly has enough power to kill it and it has not come up for a vote on the floor for well over a year.

The Shooter's Committee On Political Education (SCOPE) has issued extensive policy statements regarding many of the bills included in the county bill, and have not summarily rejected the cop killer bullet legislation, just elements of it. This leads me to question what purpose does this county legislation serve?

The answer seems to be our local Tea Party leader and sometimes guns rights advocate, Paul Rusin, who spoke at the county legislature meeting on April 29. Mr. Rusin celebrated April 15 by going to a Republican political function attended by many of our local legislators. Imagine that, the organizer of the local branch of the "Taxed Enough Already" movement rubbing elbows with elected officials of the county with the highest property tax in the nation as a percentage of home value.

I have long been one of the few voices calling for fiscal conservatism at the local level and had hoped on some level that the local Tea Party's agenda included fiscal reform at the local level. Instead, it appears that they are just another group that is cozy with incumbents; it is the equivalent of the participants of the Boston Tea Party having tea and crumpets with the King after their "protest."

Also, voting to not support these bills without an explanation is a vote against the intent of the bills, which was to protect law enforcement and children, even SCOPE policy statements offered reasonable explanations for their stance so that people could make an informed decision. Besides, we have much larger problems on the local level that need to be dealt with, and that is what our county elected officials were elected to take care of.

CSI Walgreen's Style

2010-05-13T01:25:00Z

Starting tomorrow, Walgreen's will begin selling a kit that tests your genes. For a mere $30 you can mail a vial of saliva to a genetics testing firm and they claim to be able to determine risk factors for certain diseases, including the risk of spreading a disease to unborn children. The company also offers expensive, detailed reports about you genes as well.

Of course, since the report only deals with "risk factors" it is safe to say that the report only needs to be as accurate as your daily horoscope. It is not as if you can sue the company because you did not come down with cancer or some other disease you are genetically pre-disposed to get. This is supposed to help a person make better decisions so they can reduce some of those risks, so I imagine they may tell a person something a doctor may tell them like, "cut down on the fatty foods, quit smoking, exercise more and don't consume so much alcohol." That is if you are pre-disposed to certain diseases, maybe the test will come back and say, "Drink a lot of booze, smoke, sit on the couch and consume a lot of red meat and potato chips because your genes are fantastic!"

The company responsible for this breakthrough, Pathway Genomics, claimed in a press release in July of 2009 that they," can trace the path of a person's maternal and paternal ancestry back more than 150,000 years." I may not be a genetic scientist, but I am thinking that over the last 150,000 years somebody in my family has had every disease there is. Besides that, I don't even know the names of my relatives from 200 years ago or their ancestry so how could I prove they are not just making the whole thing up.

The other issue this raises is confidentiality. Do I really want some record of my health hanging around some office in California? For all I know somebody will leave their laptop at the airport one day with all my personal information on it and it will wind up in the hands of a marketing firm that will try and sell me snake oil to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Moreover, what happens if people start basing big decisions on this testing, like whether or not to have children? The next thing you know, instead of a pre-nuptial agreement, women will ask men to spit in a vial to make sure they produce healthy babies. When asked about a breakup a woman might say, "he has a history of diabetes on his mother's side during the Paleolithic period, I just could not take a chance."

I realize that people are convinced by TV shows like CSI that genetic testing is infallible, but there have been plenty of cases where material has been contaminated or just plain mishandled. I'm thinking that sending a vial of spit in the mail even if it is labeled "handle with care" is not such a good idea. Plus, if this company is getting thousands of vials a day, they are not going to take a lot of time to care for the material. Nonetheless, I am sure they will handle one thing with extra special care, your money.

Unfunded Mandates

2010-05-04T02:25:28Z

Genesee County officials recently passed a resolution objecting to the implementation of Leandra's Law, a law passed in Albany that requires anyone convicted of a DWI will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle and on any of the vehicles in the household. Genesee County used a favorite term of county governments across the state, they complained that requiring the county to pay for devices and monitoring costs amounts to an "unfunded mandate."

I think it is refreshing that county lawmakers affirm what people who actually follow politics have realized for a long time, county lawmakers do not care about our safety, and they just care about "their" money-conveniently forgetting it comes out of our pockets. It is that wonderful sense of entitlement to our tax dollars and a complete lack of responsibility for public safety that drives county governments.

Counties complaining about having to fund ignition interlocks is the equivalent of a homeowner complaining that since the state requires smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in residences that amounts to an "unfunded mandate" on our home budget. I suppose I could complain that the cost of my lawn mower is an "unfunded mandate" since I am required to cut my lawn.

County governments love to play the "unfunded mandate" card and it almost makes it seem like the money that the state government has comes from a different source than the money that the county gets. Here is an interesting tidbit; it all comes from New York State taxpayers. So when county governments get more money from the state instead of making county level budget cuts, us taxpayers wind up paying more in taxes. In other words, if the New York State government funds the ignition interlock devices, the county government may "save" money, but hard-working taxpayers in New York State won't save a dime.

If anything, this is a case of county governments being pound wise and penny foolish, especially if the interlock devices prevent even a single felony DWI involving a fatality because even a short three year sentence in a New York State prison will likely cost New York taxpayers more than the cost of the interlock devices for "indigents."

Again, it all goes back to the "unfunded mandate" argument. I suppose the alternative to the "unfunded mandate" would be to have the state government control all of the money and eliminate county governments altogether.

Most of these "unfunded mandates" have to do with public safety and health. In the case of Leandra's Law, it is designed to save innocent lives, especially children that are passengers in a car with a drunk driver. Is there really a cost problem associated with saving the life of a child? There are many things individuals and corporations are required to do in the interest of public safety. If this law has merit, which I believe it does, then county governments simply need to find a responsible way to implement it by cutting costs elsewhere just like all of the local school districts have been forced to do. If county governments want to be the leaders of reform in this state, they should stop looking for ways to spend more of our tax dollars instead of finding ways to protect its citizens.

No OML in the OC

2010-04-27T03:23:55Z

Earlier this month Governor David Paterson signed into law bills designed to strengthen New York State's Open Meetings Law (OML). One makes it easier to capture video and audio recordings of meetings, another requires government bodies to hold meetings in a facility large enough to accommodate attendees and another allows courts to enforce penalties on government bodies that violate the OML.

Unfortunately, these new laws will likely not have much, if any, of an impact Orleans County because in spite of the new laws the OML is still the equivalent of one of those electronic signs in a speeding zone that tells you how fast you are going. In theory, the "your speed signs" are supposed to make drivers slow down by showing then that they are speeding and breaking the law. In short, they shame a driver into slowing down.

The OML is supposed to work the same way, if a governmental body breaks the law the media is supposed to report it and play the role of the "your speed sign" and shame the governmental body into "slowing down" and stopping them from violating the OML. That works in a major media market that can cover all the governmental bodies, but in a county like Orleans, that has no television station and three or four newspaper reporters to cover all the goings on in the county, there is no shame.

Orleans is a county controlled by a political machine that can only exist in rural areas where asking the wrong questions or accusing the wrong person can result in what amounts to banishment. At the state level, both high-level Republicans and Democrats have been brought down by the media because of scandals. Even in nearby Monroe County, politicians from both parties have been disgraced.

Yet in Orleans County, only one political official in recent memory has been involved in a political scandal, and they won running from the minority party. That means that either Orleans County elected officials, who usually run unopposed, just happen to be disproportionately perfect or there are things going on that do not get reported.

That brings us to the other essential part of the equation that is missing, in order to feel shame; a politician must have accountability to the voters. If the voters cannot vote them out, then they have no reason to stop violating the law. In fact, around here, even if you accuse certain people of violating the law and they are guilty of it, people will chastise the accuser in the same way a rapist blames the victim of the rape. Thus, many people do the same thing many rape victims do and remain silent because the rapist has intimidated them.

Subsequently, in the same way our area does not get its fair share of state funds, we will likely not reap the benefits of these new laws until people demand more of their elected officials, and it doesn't look like that is going to happen soon.

Something Smells Rotten

2010-04-20T16:18:53Z

The New York State Government may not have a budget passed but they are making progress in the area of underwear. Evidently, an expose about major retailer's practice of accepting used underwear returns and selling them as new prompted two of New York's elected officials to present bills outlawing underwear returns, and another which outlaws the practice of trying on underwear.

My first reaction was, who the heck "tries on" underwear. I mean, I have been known to try on a pair of pants and then walk out and ask my wife how they look, but I can't imagine popping out of the dressing room in underwear asking my wife, "do these make me look fat?" I guess the practice is more common amongst women because a few women I talked to were not nearly as shocked as I was that women try on underwear.

Of course, health officials are concerned about the potential health problems associated with used underwear. I guess that just is the icing on the cake because I would think that most normal people agree that once underwear hits the "nasty bits" then it is just plain nasty.

You might think that these are laws that everybody can get behind, but some retailers say that these laws could result in panty waste that will affect their bottom line. I personally think that if underwear is on a person's bottom that it should fall under the criteria, "you break wind in it you bought it." In other words, I do not want to see it on the shelf again.

Frankly, I do not think these bills go far enough to protect our butts. Even if the governor signs the underwear acts into law, neither law prohibits the sale of used underwear as used underwear and thus consignment and thrift shops can still sell used skivvies. Now I know that times are tough, but there are a few things that one should never buy in thrift shop and underwear falls into that category. Underwear should not be handled like used motor oil, can you imagine a sign saying, "we accept used underwear for recycling at no charge."

This act is a solid example of why we need government regulations. The practice of places like Victoria's Secret accepting underwear returns has put a stain on the industry. I guess we may now know what Victoria's dirty little secret is.

If this law is not passed, then I think we may have to go to Boston Harbor and dump crates of underwear into the water in protest, it could go down in history as the most important panty raid ever. We should call our state representatives right away and tell them to pass these bills to save our butts. Our movement can be called "throngs against dirty thongs."

And when they are done taking care of New York State's underwear crisis, maybe state representatives can figure out a way to pass a budget that doesn't smell like used underwear.

Coffee, Tea or Me ?

2010-04-06T03:58:38Z

Coffee or Tea anyone? That is an easy question to answer at the end of a meal but gets a little more complex when it relates to politics. In answer to the "Tea Party" movement, a new "Coffee Party" movement has emerged. This actually makes sense because the reason Americans drink coffee and Europeans drink tea goes back to the pre-revolutionary boycott of tea. Coffee houses throughout the United States owe a debt of gratitude to the Bostonians who dumped tea in Boston Harbor to protest the low price of tea.

Yes, that is right; the tea that protestors dumped in the harbor was actually lower in price than the tea colonists had been buying even with the British tax on it. What the original tea party participants were protesting was the monopoly on the tea trade that the British gave the East India Trading Company. Historians speculate that the protestors were dressed as Native Americans to symbolize the British exploitation of Native Americans.

Many people consider the original Tea party as the first tax protest, and indeed the Boston Tea Party participants rallying cry was "no taxation without representation," which should go down in history as the ultimate example of "be careful what you wish for." Today we have lots of representation along with a lot of taxes. Heck, the British may not have given us representation in Parliament, but they also did not impose a property tax, sales tax, estate tax or an income tax. Considering how few people even bother to vote for their representatives, it may have been cheaper to remain under British rule.

The modern Tea Party is supposed to be a "grass roots" and "non-partisan" movement. The "Coffee Party" makes the same claim but in reality members of the Tea Party group are mostly angry Republicans and the Coffee Party members are mostly Democrats that are angry at the Republicans that are in the Tea Party.

When the fall elections come around, politicians that receive fully paid benefits and vote for pork barrel projects will show up to Tea Party Events in a limousine and dressed in a designer suit to promise the Tea Partiers they will reform the government. Coffee Partiers will likely do the same because neither of these movements are "grass roots" movements, they are both well funded by the same groups that contribute to successful political campaigns. It all amounts to putting lipstick on a donkey and an elephant.

If people really want to reform government, they would be better served showing up to government meetings and exercising their right to vote instead of going to Tea or Coffee parties. The original participants fought for representation in government and it seems as if many of us have squandered that right even though we still have young men overseas defending that right. For their sake alone, it is time for the party to be over and time to get down to business

Orleans County LWV is What it is

2010-04-04T15:35:34Z

If I just state that I am a six foot tall woman with long brown hair and I teach at Harvard University does that make any of it true? Of course it doesn't but somehow the League of Women Voters thinks that by simply stating that they are a non-partisan organization that they are one. The facts tell a very different story and that is why the league refuses to deal with the facts and continues to make blanket statements and expect the rest of us to believe them.

The facts surrounding the Village of Albion Democratic candidate's boycott of the candidate's forum are clear and well documented. For many years local democratic candidates have called the Orleans LWV a wing of the Republican Party simply based on the makeup of their membership which by my calculation is close to if not greater than 70% Republican in a county with slightly less than a 50% registered Republicans. That number alone is troubling but not surprising considering that I would estimate that more than 90% of the elected officials in the county are Republicans, proof that our government is not representative of the county' s population and that an effective branch of the LWV is desperately needed in this county.

As far as the league and their "non-partisanship" is concerned, I requested a copy of their non-partisan policy which according to the state league is supposed to be adopted each year. This was because I was concerned that the Orleans County LWV held a holiday party at the Theodorakos house in January even though Dean was a declared candidate for an election that was taking place two months later. I heard about the party from one of the few Democrats who is in the LWV and felt uncomfortable attending the event because of the location. In addition, the proposed location of the candidate's forum was the Albion Village Hall because they could not secure the LGI room at the high school, in essence giving a home field advantage to the incumbents. Of course, the LWV is so unyielding that they simply present a date and location for their forum rather than work with candidates to make sure everyone is available.

This seriously called into question the leagues ability to remain non-partisan and that is why I requested a copy of the non-partisan policy. The answer I received from the LWV representative was "As for a copy of our non-partisan policy, I don't think I can get it to you in the near future, due to other long-standing commitments." I offered to send someone to pick up a copy of it and she refused again. Frankly, I do not think the document even exists and that I was lied to and I challenge the Orleans LWV to prove otherwise and produce the document. In the age of email and scanners there is simply no reason they could not produce the document within a few days.

The lack of a non-partisan policy is just another chapter in the Leagues unwillingness to honor requests from Democrats like allowing forums to be recorded on video and hosting a Fair Campaign Pledge signing ceremony, both of which are suggested by the New York State LWV. They also offer suggestions for different candidate forums but evidently, the Orleans group feels that after five years of poorly attended forums loaded with ridiculous and often irrelevant questions that shield Republican incumbents from having to defend their record they have found the right formula and I agree it is the right formula, if you are a Republican.

Angry Emails

2010-03-30T02:47:26Z

Many years ago, I attended a Civil War letter reading at Stage 13 in Albion. The characters read correspondence between Cora Beach Benton and her husband Charlie, from a time when letter writing really was an art form, an era before e-mail.

I have a love-hate relationship with e-mail. On one hand, I love its ease of use, but on the other hand, that ease of use creates many problems. Those problems can be as mundane as being besieged by offers for male enhancement- for some reason I always seem to be on their mailing lists. I also receive offers for cheap prescription drugs and of the friend who loves to send gigantic files filled with pictures of every one of their child's milestones including the first day they discovered fuzz on the carpet.

I still remember when I got my first e-mail account in 1993 while working as a restaurant manager at The Olive Garden. It was before the days of fancy graphics and spam, but one could still communicate easily with other managers that you had gone to trainings with.

Of course, e-mails are a lot easier to write than a long letter with paper and pen, which is probably why many e-mails are filled with frivolous nonsense, as a guy who can puke out this column in about 45 minutes, an e-mail is a dangerous medium, especially when I am aggravated.

I am hardly the only abuser of e-mail; I have dealt with supervisors who use e-mail as a way to avoid confrontation. One used to put out a daily, "it has come to my attention" e-mail as a way to scold the entire department for something one person did. My co-workers and I would try to figure out who he was referencing in the e-mails, it became a wonderful source of amusement. There are the "just a reminder" e-mails to prevent things like people being late to work the day before a snowstorm. They usually say, "just a reminder, since the forecast is calling for heavy snow, please remember to leave for work early tomorrow." I used to get a kick out of those when I lived a half a mile from work.

As if those are not bad enough, invariably there is an employee whose kid is participating in a fundraiser or the co-worker who needs a sponsor for a walk, run or dance marathon. The worst may be the conspiracy theory e-mailer sending on all of the dire warnings about getting shot if you flash a car with your headlights or that terrorists have poisoned Lucky Charms and then they plan to blow up the mall.

In spite of all those aggravations, the thing that I hate most about e-mails is when people write terrible things about other people and then do not think that information will get out. Over the last few years, I have been unlucky enough to be the recipient of "confidential" e-mails that trash me because of something I wrote in this column or were given to me in the hopes I would disclose them to destroy someone's credibility-something I never did. I also had to FOIL e-mails once because a public official refused to disclose information I was looking for and instead told me what to FOIL.

A friend of mine once advised me to write things down when I get angry but not to send them for an angry letter is usually written in the heat of the moment. That was before the days of e-mail when it took more effort than to just click send. I still write the occasional angry rant and send it by e-mail,and you just happen to be reading one of them.

Nobody Likes a Bully

2010-03-30T02:45:22Z

On January 14 a fifteen year-old girl named Phoebe Prince killed herself in a small town near Massachusetts. Phoebe had recently emigrated from Ireland, and according to reports, not long after arriving in the United States she began dating a "popular" boy at the high school she attended. This irritated some "popular" girls and they began bullying Phoebe at the school and on the Internet at sites like Facebook and Craig's List. On Monday, Massachusetts authorities charged nine students in connection with the Phoebe's death.

I heard about the charges on a local radio station on the way home and thought it was about time a group of bullies was held accountable for their actions. As a teacher at a Residential Treatment Facility for teens, I see the damage of bullying on a daily basis. Unfortunately, even though most schools have anti-bullying campaigns, bullying remains a huge problem especially because of a culture that promotes "ditches for snitches."

As if that is not bad enough, many parents of bullies live in denial; some of the bizarre comments about the arrests I read online while doing research for this column prove this. One person wrote, "I hope nobody I insulted ever kills themselves," and another complained that a person has a "first amendment right" to say mean things to another person.

In Phoebe's case, the bullying was constant and relentless. Since a grand jury had enough evidence to charge nine people, it is likely that the bullying was not a secret. The question on many people's minds is why no one tried to stop it, especially school officials. The answer to that question may be as simple as the fact that there is strength in numbers. If these students were "popular" then other students may have feared the repercussions if they tried to stop the bullying.

Although school officials evidently knew about the bullying, they did nothing to stop it and no school officials were charged with a crime. Inasmuch as I realize that nobody could have predicted that Phoebe would kill herself because of bullying, one has to wonder how school officials avoided criminal charges.

At least part of the bullying occurred online, which unfortunately is nearly impossible to police by law enforcement or school officials. The internet is no longer just a breeding ground for pedophiles, porn addicts and identity thieves; it is the safe haven for nameless and faceless bullies of all ages who hide behind computer monitors and trample on the intent of the first amendment.

Sending a bunch of people to jail is not going to bring Phoebe back to life, but hopefully it will be a wakeup call for parents of teenage children and school officials and create a renewed awareness of the dangers of bullying both in person and online.

Phoebe's parents decided to bury her remains in Ireland, as far away from Phoebe's tormentors as possible. It is a shame that this tragedy occurred in a state that welcomed so many immigrants from Ireland, and yet was so cruel to this young girl. I hope that those that tormented Phoebe are given more than just a slap on the wrist, maybe then Phoebe will truly be able to rest in peace.

You Can be Replaced

2010-03-20T20:16:04Z

In the fall of 1987, I auditioned for a part in a play called "Feiffer's People" at Monroe Community College in Rochester NY. The play is a series of sketch comedies based on the work of satirist Jules Feiffer so actors played multiple roles, reminiscent of the television show "Saturday Night Live." The director was a woman named Dixie who directed plays at MCC for over twenty years.

I had performed in sketch comedies while in high school and in an improvisational troupe, so this project was perfect for me. Actually, at that time, I was still seriously considering pursuing a career in acting and to prepare for my life as an actor I lived in the back of a Chevrolet Chevette for a short period. Chevette's were not just great on gas; the rent was fantastic-especially when parked behind your friend's apartment. (The parking lot is located only a few hundred yards from where I am currently employed)

I was fortunate enough to land a decent amount of parts in the play, but the bulk of the male roles went to a kid named Patrick. It was Dixie's last play she was directing at Monroe Community College before she retired and she wanted to bring the show to area high schools and community organizations so she planned for about fifteen performances

We had eight weeks until our first performance, which was at a local high school and about three weeks into rehearsals a male cast member quit. Since we were already a relatively small cast of ten, this created some staging problems but I saw it as a great opportunity to seize more roles. With four weeks left until our first performance, we lost two more cast members and tensions began to run high. I took on the bulk of the male roles.

Not only had I secured the majority of the male roles, I was dating the leading lady who was also Patrick's former girlfriend. It inflated my head to the point where it almost did not fit into the dressing room and so I started showing up late to rehearsals and improvising lines because I did not want to memorize them. One day I showed up late, Patrick and I had a few heated words, and our Irish tempers got the best of us because we destroyed the dressing room, smashing nearly all the light bulbs that surrounded the mirror at the makeup table. We both had to get multiple stitches.

In order to make up for lost time Dixie called for long weekend rehearsals starting at 8:00 am on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On the Saturday before the performance, I waltzed in fifteen minutes late still feeling the effects of a wild Friday night. Dixie looked at me angrily and said, "we waited for you" and then she grabbed me and sat me in a seat in the auditorium. As I sat and watched, she restaged the entire show without me. When the rehearsal was over, she stuck her face right up to mine and said, "The biggest mistake you will ever make in your life is thinking you are irreplaceable."

I did wind up staying in the cast and was not even a minute late to another rehearsal or performance. Dixie taught me a powerful lesson that went beyond acting, one that I think about often. I have never looked at it negatively or in the sense that all people are worthless and thus can be replaced at whatever they can do, I took it as a way to approach things with a sense of humility when you are chosen to play a role, whether it is a role that your employer, your community or even your family gives you.

Upublished JR column

2010-03-20T20:13:44Z

Seneca Falls put their money where their mouth is, they voted to dissolve their village. For years, people have complained about New York's high taxes and yet many people continue to elect the same people to office and refuse to reduce the layers of government that are killing the state's economy. Honestly, how many highway superintendents does it take to maintain the roads and how many court systems do we need in a five-mile radius?

As a lover of history I appreciate the sense of loss over the name "Village of Seneca Falls," after all one of my three favorite movies of all time is "It's a Wonderful Life," which is set in "Bedford Falls" a fictitious village loosely based on the Village of Seneca Falls. Of course, the movie was also set in the 1930s, we now live in the 21st century, and the harsh reality of the matter is that we no longer need villages, and to pay thousands of dollars per person for sentimental reasons just does not make any sense.

In the case of the Village of Seneca Falls, they have a rich history as the birthplace of the Women's Rights Movement. Dissolving the village does not erase that history, after all historians continue to study the legacy of the Roman Empire thousands of years after it dissolved.

Moreover, it often seems to be sentimentality over logic that makes people vote against progress. Even my twenty one year old son joked with me that he did not want to attend the "SUNY College at Sweden" if the Village of Brockport dissolved. In reality, if the college could keep the name and maybe if some Village of Brockport residents did not get saddled with the extra one thousand dollars a year in property taxes they could afford a semester or two of textbooks for their kids.

In many ways, it is appropriate that a town put on the map because of its status as the birthplace of women's rights should be a trailblazer in a movement to eliminate unneeded layers of government. After all, there were many people that opposed the women's rights movement as well, and in retrospect we can see that they were misguided to say the least.

On another note, I will address the results of the Village of Albion election, which for lack of a better term was a blowout. In many ways, I was embarrassed, as campaign manger I thought taking the "high road" was the way to go. My friend, the late Scott Rytlewski and his mother engineered the upset victory of Mike Hadick four years ago. They did it by beating the Republicans at their own game and in part by placing their faith in candidates like Kevin Sheehan.

As it turned out, Mr. Sheehan sold his political soul and paved the way for a decisive victory for his fellow Republicans in a mere four years. In spite of his claim of "independence" he rejected an offer to run on both Democratic and Republican lines. Mr. Sheehan has now officially become the Richard Hatch of Albion politics.

On the way into town before the election, I stopped at Scott's grave and remembered the arguments we got into when I defended the likes of Sheehan. Scott used to get angry and say, "you just don't get it, you just don't understand village politics." Before I go to work tomorrow, I am going to stop at his grave and tell him the words he always wanted to hear from me, "you were right Scott."

Tribute to Scott Rytlewski

2009-11-09T23:21:00Z

A little over three years ago, I received a phone call from a person identifying himself as a reader of this column. Longtime readers of this column will remember the “early years” of it being more controversial, somewhat by design but also driven by my own personal demons I have worked to conquer. The reader, Scott Rytlewski, was no stranger to stirring the pot and, in that sense, we were kindred spirits.

Eventually Scott challenged me to “put up or shut up” and instead of sitting in front of a computer screen spouting off about what is wrong with the world, I should get off my butt and do something about it. That “something” was a run for office with Scott as my campaign manager.

Scott and I had a falling out a few months ago, and so I had not talked to him at all during the last election cycle. As the campaign wound down, I thought a lot about all we had been through together the last election and I often wondered how he was doing.

On the night of the election, as I waited to get the results, I remembered the look on his face in 2007 when he found out we had been defeated. Scott was not a person who liked to show his sensitive side, but that evening he could not hide the pain any better than I could. And in the days after the campaign when the calls stop and the loser feels an emptiness, Scott was the one of the few to call and try and cheer me up and then he vowed we would be back in two years.

Scott suffered from a condition that kept him in a wheelchair, and yet I never heard him complain about it once. He used to joke with me that if I wanted to go to an event that “the cripple always gets the best parking spot.” When Scott, Harold Suhr and I got together for Harold’s short-lived run for assembly, it had the makings of a great reality show. Harold would get Scott going and we all shared many laughs. Even then, when Scott would complain he was not feeling well, we figured he would take a short trip to the hospital for a tune up and be right back as feisty as ever.

On the Thursday after the election, I received a call from Scott’s sister asking to borrow some sound equipment and I asked how Scott was doing, she said he was “not well.” I knew that it was time to go and make peace with Scott and made plans to see him after work on Monday.

On Sunday morning, I opened up my dresser drawer and pulled out a solid blue t-shirt that Scott had given me. It was a double XL and I remember him joking with me when I tried to tell him I wore an XL. I put the shirt on went to the Albion Knights of Columbus to drop off the sound equipment. It was there I heard that Scott had passed away.

I paused for a moment and thought how weird it was to hear of his death in a place he spoke about often, for it was at the K of C building where he attended a famous sports banquet with his father. Scott loved sports and he really loved his family. In a weird way, I thought he was trying to get a message to his old friend Thom.

I suppose in some strange way it is fitting that I am saying farewell to Scott in the column that brought us together; I only wish it could have been in person. For now, I will cherish the fond memories of our brief time together and smile knowing that Scott is probably busy bowling a game with his father and getting ready to stir up the pot in heaven.