There’s not a lot new to report this week in the Rochester mayor’s race. I will tell you that sensitivities are remarkably high, especially considering that we still only have one candidate (James Sheppard).

I’m worried, though, with all the talk about the race being a proxy to wage old wars: white and black; Park Avenue and Parsells; that we’ll hear little on the issues.

I hope we hear about the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative. Why isn’t everybody talking about this? There was so much excitement in the beginning, but now some of the same people who cautioned us to be patient — that the group’s progress would be measured with a calendar, not a stopwatch — are tapping their feet.

Why does the effort feel so isolated? Poverty is eating away at this city’s heart and undermines so much of what we’re trying to do — everyone needs to be invested in this work.

I hope we hear about the police reorganization, too. Are we getting buildings in the neighborhoods or not? I haven’t had any luck getting an update from the city’s communications office.

What’s going on with that Cobbs Hill housing project? The developer is supposedly redoing the designs after the huge public outcry, but it’s been awhile. Is the project on or off?

What are the candidates’ visions for the Port of Rochester? A lot of people thought the first project was too big and put too much public land into private hands. And how will the new mayor get all sides to agree?

How will the new mayor deal with the crap rolling down from the Trump administration, like this Sanctuary Cities BS?

What are we going to do about the scourge of guns in the city? Buy-back programs make nice photo opps, but I’m not sure they’re all that successful in stopping gun violence.

These are just a few things off the top of my head. There are many, many more.

A weekly column

This article appears in Jan 25-31, 2017.

I'm City's news editor, which means I oversee all aspects of our news-gathering operation. I also sneak in to an occasional City Council meeting and cover Rochester's intriguing and eclectic neighbors....

6 replies on “This week in the mayor’s race: Friday, January 27”

  1. Ms. Fien,

    One thing “new to report this week in the Rochester mayors race” is the fact that you and/or Mary Anna Towler removed the vicious, racism-empathizing -article from City’s Website, which you had written — attacking Gloria Winston Al-Sarag.
    Ya’ll are famous for that, i.e., for stifling dialogue, especially when it backfires, and shows your publication in illuminating, racist light. I SAVED MY COMMENTS.REGARDING YOUR RACISM-EMPATHIZING-ARTICLE. THEY WERE AS FOLLOWS:

    http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/roch…

    Wow Gloria —

    You have become the talk of the town. It seems that your name is on the lips of many long-time-agents, and systematic-perpetrators, supporters, and upholders (conscious and unconscious) of the tripartite beast and illness:

    http://minorityreporter.net/the-tripartite…

    http://minorityreporter.net/straight-no-ch…

    All-white, or nearly all-white, so-called progressive “alternative” City Newspaper-agent, Christine Carrie Fien is the latest pundit to join the racist-chorus, which includes the likes of rabid-arch-racist, Bob Lonsberry.

    Apparently, the all-white, or nearly all-white, devilish (human embodiment of evil) publication, which once attempted to hide behind First Amendment rights, and was put in check by a group of local, Black Ministers (some of us have long memories) — relative to selling advertising space to local Nazis (the latter of whom openly utilized the space to spew vile, hateful, threatening, racist drivel) — is now attempting to pressure Mayor Lovely Warren to disavow, and/or attack you for openly, honestly, and boldly utilizing your First Amendment Rights to express your much-appreciated, thoughts, beliefs, and ideas — A-DAMN-MAZING!!! What this clearly demonstrates (in classic form and fashion) is that the feelings and sensibilities of white women/families/allies are far more important than feelings of black women/families/allies — period. The situation also represents (mainly via negropean-arguments) a classic example of how the Willie Lynch Syndrome, and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome are both still in full-affect/effect:

    https://www.reference.com/world-view/willi…

    http://joydegruy.com/resources-2/post-trau…

    So, apparently, they are upset about your article:

    http://minorityreporter.net/straight-no-ch…

    Well, you know me — I believe in giving them something to talk about. So, since they are such staunch believers in First Amendment rights — in addition to your much-appreciated article — let them chew on this:

    https://www.facebook.com/howard.j.eagle/po…

  3. Howard, I agree with you 100% (regarding Malcolm X). I’ve been saying this forever. Why then, do blacks always vote democrat? Why are cities controlled by democrats? Why are only democrats running for mayor of THIS city? Certainly the message from this entertainment (news)paper and the other one don’t help the cause.

  4. johnny,

    You need to be very careful concerning the idea that you “agree with [me] 100% (regarding Malcolm X).” I seriously doubt that that is actually the case. While I’m sure you agree with the part of Malcolm’s message about white liberals — you should NOT jump to the conclusion that he automatically, or necessarily viewed white moderates or conservatives as viable options relative to genuine, authentic, friends and/or allies. HE DID NOT.

    It is NOT true that “blacks always vote democrat.” First of all, the overwhelming majority of Black people usually do not participate in electoral politics at all, which obviously and necessarily means that huge numbers have NO CONFIDENCE in either major political party, nor any of the minor ones.

    I’m not sure why you’re asking me rhetorical questions like:

    1) “Why are cities controlled by democrats?” Obviously, the majority of the relatively minuscule, overall percentage of the Black electorate, along with whites and other Democrats outnumber Republicans in most, if not all major U.S. cities by huge margins — just as overwhelming majorities of mainly, staunch, white, conservatives and moderates control most, if not all of the counties in which the cities are located. Thus, your question, and the answer to it — are based on historical, demographic patterns.

    2) “Why are only democrats running for mayor of THIS city?” Of course the answer to THIS question is directly related to the answer to question #1 above. What’s interesting though, is the fact that THIS question is purely rhetorical — unless of course — it is directed to Republican, Conservative, Independence, Green, Working Families, and/or other such minor political party operatives.

    I am unable to comment (intelligently) regarding your assertion that “the message from this entertainment (news)paper and the other one don’t help the cause” — because I am not aware of what (specifically) the statement means. With regard to your latter quote — if you would like to clarify / elaborate — I would be glad to respond.

    Lastly, before jumping to the conclusion that you “agree with [me] 100% (regarding Malcolm X)” — I would suggest that you should make sure you FULLY understand Malcolm’s THINKING about Democrats and Republicans. For starters —, see the links below.

    The Struggle Continues…and 2017 IS the year of reckoning.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3PaqxblOx…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y1jdsopdp…

  6. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/…

    I HOPE THAT Y’ALL ARE REALLY, REALLY PAYING REAL CLOSE ATTENTION.

    1. A fallacious, unsubstantiated accusation regarding so-called “bigoted statements” is a very serious charge against a public official. And it is especially problematic — coming from a group of Class-A hypocrites — who have clearly demonstrated (via their race-based, unprincipled and unscrupulous, behavior during the 2013 Mayoral Election Campaign) that they are in fact the REAL BIGOTS. So, when the low-down, ‘smutty-pot’ has the intestinal fortitude, unmitigated gall, and raw audacity to attempt to talk about the kettle (in this particular regard) — we (the unapologetically, pro-Black-sector of the Community and our allies) — ought to be ready, willing and able to stand and challenge the immoral, unethical, and unprincipled, political hypocrites — to either prove their charge, or publicly retract it — period.

    2. “Jamie Romeo, chairwoman of Monroe County Democrats, likened it to the questions and challenges that arose during the presidential primary” — DEAD WRONG. IT IS NOT — I REPEAT — NOT even close to a good analogy. AS Councilman McFadden pointed out — this is a clear situation of ” Shepard working with a group of people who [are led by predominantly white folks, and are] purposefully disenfranchising black Democrats” — period. So, if Ms. Romeo wants to establish a relevant and credible analogy — she will necessarily have to reach back farther than the 2016 “presidential primary.” If she is looking for a perfect analogy — she needs not look any further than the activity that Mother Fannie Lou Hamer led at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, N.J. . Amazingly — fifty three (53) years later — some conditions are fundamentally the same. One of Mother Hamer’s famous quotes is, “All of my life I have been sick and I have been tired. Now I am tired of being sick and tired.” AREN’T WE???

    3. Jamie Romeo was quoted as having said “there is a need for introspection, to be open and review established bylaws and practices. That is under way. The issue of residency is being discussed by party leadership, and Romeo said she expects there to be a proposal made that would address the matter. But it would not affect the current nomination process, which has already begun.” THERE YOU HAVE IT — ANOTHER CASE OF CHANGE IS ALWAYS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, BUT IT NEVER ARRIVES, AND EVEN WHEN IT DOES — IT’S TOO LATE — BECAUSE THE GAME WILL HAVE CHANGED. THE PATTERN IS OLD, STALE, AND COMPLETELY WORN-OUT. ALSO, AS USUAL, THE PREDOMINANTLY RACIST, WHITE MEDIA IS CLEARLY COMPLICIT. CONSIDER FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ALLOWED ROMEO TO RAMBLE ON AND ON ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF CITY L.D. COMMITTEES, BUT NEVER ONCE HAVE THEY ASKED HER ONE OF THE MOST NATURAL AND LOGICAL QUESTIONS THAT ANY JOURNALIST WORTH HIS OR HER WEIGHT WOULD ASK, I. E., HOW MANY CITY RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BLACK CITY RESIDENTS ARE SITTING ON TOWN AND/OR VILLAGE COMMITTEES , AND PARTICIPATING IN CHOOSING MAYORS IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES??? RIGHT — WE ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER — ONCE AGAIN THE DEAN HAS IT RIGHT: : “If you can’t vote for a person (in an election), then you ought not be voting them on the committee” — PERIOD.

    4. Councilman McFadden was also accused of so-called “hateful statements” and “inflaming racial divisions.” When I read this, all I could do was scratch my head and ask … WHAT???…..WHAT??? How in the heck does someone (single-handily) “inflame” a condition that has been burning-hot for decades — literally? If anything the thoroughly hypocritical, unabashed, race-baiting, talking-heads ought to be thanking Councilman McFadden for helping to keep a lid on things.

    5. “The letter called on Warren to publicly reprimand McFadden.” WHAT???…WHAT??? Excuse me but these race-card-playing-hypocritical- bigots must be out of their damn minds.

    6. Lastly, with regard to predominantly white, and often racist, mainstream media mentioning things like so-called “diversity of [the 25th L.D.] executive committee that includes a Latina and two black men” — they just don’t seem to get it, or don’t want to get it, i.e., as Zora Neale Hurston taught us — “All [our] skinfolk ain’t kinfolk.” In other words, all Black people are NOT created equal — particularly, and especially regarding capacity for kow-towing and buck-dancing — period.

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