Has anybody ever given a State of… address (State of the Union, the County, the City) and really leveled with us?
Locally, these speeches have become less a “State of…” assessment than a “Here’s What I’ve Done for You” list. So Cheryl Dinolfo’s State of the County address last week was no departure from the norm.
Dinolfo talked about the expansion of the airport and the zoo, job creation, our festivals, our golf courses, her enthusiasm about the pending arrival of Uber and Lyft, her new name for the county’s Industrial Development Agency (“Imagine Monroe”).
She talked about her vision for the county. She talked about keeping the promises she made when she took office a little over a year ago: “First and foremost: my promise to keep property taxes flat.”
And she announced an initiative that’s worth applauding: a new job recruitment and training program that, if successful, might help make a dint in the county’s crushing poverty, most of which is concentrated in the city.
But as with so many of these speeches, Dinolfo’s State of the County was mostly cheery, boosterish talk, a description of a happy, successful place where problems are overcome with enthusiasm and determination.
Well, that’s one portrait of the county, and on the surface, I guess it’s accurate. But below that surface is a harsh reality.
We are a starkly segregated community: segregated by race, by income, by political leanings. And at our core are thousands of our neighbors struggling with poverty.
Our segregation is strengthened by New York State’s unfortunate system of dividing us into small, separate communities: little towns and villages and hamlets, with a few cities sprinkled around. And so within Monroe County are 19 towns, nine villages, a town-village, the City of Rochester, and 18 school districts, each with their own elected governments.
The County Legislature is divided mostly along similar lines, with some legislators representing one or more suburbs, others representing several city neighborhoods, and only three of the 29 representing both city and suburban residents.
Since most of the county’s suburban towns are heavily Republican and the city is heavily Democratic, the geographic divisions in the County Legislature are also strongly political ones. And the Democrats are so outnumbered in the legislature that Republicans can pretty much ignore them.
Geographic divisions can build a sense of community. But they can also lead to insular thinking, a lack of a sense of the common good. For many suburban residents, the poverty in the city is the city’s problem, not theirs. The low success rate of city schools? Not their problem. Child-care needs of low-income families in the city? Legal defense for low-income people accused of crimes? Not their problem.
The principal public official elected to represent the entire county, city and suburbs alike, is the county executive. The person in this position could be a leader. In the right hands, the county executive’s position could be one that pulled all of us together to tackle our most serious problem: a poverty level that is one of the country’s worst. But that’s not happening.
The State of this County? We’re a divided, myopic, complacent community. Our poverty level’s severity, its longevity, its urban concentration, and its impacts – in education, in crime, in health problems, in economic vitality – are deadly serious. And they’re a threat to the county’s future.
I did find a little glimmer of hope in Dinolfo’s focus on job training. But so much of her speech was happy talk. There was no sense of crisis, no warning of the human destruction that poverty causes, and the threat it presents.
It will take all of us, acting together, to address that threat. Somebody has to inspire us to do that, and the ideal leader is a key elected official like Dinolfo. Sadly, she shows no sign that she sees that as her role.
This article appears in May 10-16, 2017.
How is any of this surprising? The top-down Republican response since the election has been “suck whatever’s in front of you”.
This whole presidential election cycle, i only did one real and true spit-take, where i actually spooed what i was drinking out and onto the screen. Odd, there are usually more of those moments in a quadrennial election, when things go haywire fast as various campaigns start to leak oily smoke and sputter to a stop. But this time, only once. Maybe i was sipping less in 2016.
That one spit-take came in the Spring of ’16, when i saw Trump do an interview where he says to the journalist: “I’m smart, I have a really good brain.” And i immediately lost control of my drink, trying to laugh and breathe at the same time, while trying not to breathe liquid. Did he really just say that? Yes he did, omigod, he doesn’t even know, it’s not an act!
That was a year ago. Now in the Spring of ’17, things are different. Back then, Donald “Littlefinger” Trump was just bashing a couple dozen Republicans, which wasn’t real hard to do this time around. Reagan’s ghost is still arching over the Republican party, it’s a benevolent spirit, but it’s shading out some sunlight that was overdue in the 20-aughts. Instead, we spent most of the 20-aughts with Bush II, which were essentially the fourth and fifth terms of Ronald Reagan.
So no wonder that the Republicans in 2016 were an undergrown crop. No wonder that a pre-famoused bullshitter with no political record to cover behind, over-ran all the Repubs. The funniest demise was Rubio, who spent his final week trying to sling insults in imitation of Trump but shockingly, Marco Rubio has no sense of comedic timing. Second-funniest was Jeb Bush who had all the donors wishing Jeb had bigger pockets, but he just didn’t seem all that interested in being president after all.
No wonder at all, that a NYC slicker elbowed past that crowd. What was a wonder, is that a slicker beat out a well qualified statesman with impeccable connections. That is what the Electoral College was designed to prevent in the first place, no? Back to the drawing board on that thing, but we have what we have. Been a couple of months, so what do we have?
By now, it’s obvious that we have a president who could be fairly gullible. An aide tells him that his Electoral College victory was historic, and Trump assumes that it was numerically superior to anything ever in history, ever. A sheepish Kel says to Donny “The crowd was great,” after the inauguration address. Trump assumes that means it was the biggest crowd to ever watch a swearing-in, big-league, tops, all-time.
An internet kook tells him that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and he spends eight years, correctly seven and three-quarters kooky years, trying to prove some racist jackass fantasy. The current President might tend towards the gullible.
Far-fetched statistics about immigrants become an article of truth to Donald, and it becomes federal policy overnight. He heard someone say once, that the gubbermint hears ever’thing anyways, and Trump extrapolated that, because he has a great brain, to mean that “Obama was watching me.” We don’t even need to talk about Russky stuff, before it becomes apparent. Even a president can be fairly gullible. Witness Taft and the first Johnson.
Someone told Donald that the Republican House of Representatives had been working on a replacement for Obamacare for 8 years already, and it was good to go. Later Trump says “Who knew health care was so complicated?” He retweeted The Onion, fergodssake. He might be a little gullible.
So far, it seems like he believes a hodge-podge of odd things and also really wants people to like him. I think that’s kinda the definition of gullible.
For the most part, you cant respect people, because most people arent worthy of respect. — Donald J Trump
Somebody, somewhere in Donny’s upbringing, taught him that lesson. Or maybe a combination of somebodys over a period. We don’t know. What we do know, is that the entire history of human religions is a struggle to overcome that very “lesson”. Animism to deism to monotheism, it’s pretty f*cking clear where this trendline is going, right?
But someone has convinced Donald that there is an underclass of unrespectables which comprises “most people”. No, maybe that is the true definition of gullible.
I’m confused. As I look around Monroe county I see quite a mess. For one, the highways are strewn with litter, overgrown grass and weeds. Even when they cut the grass 3 times a year things look like crap. I thought this was the “Flower City”?
So, let’s see…there’s sure plenty of work needed to be done. We have over 20,000 people looking for work. And these people are all getting some kind of unemployment, section 8, SNAP and who knows what. Wouldn’t it be wise to EMPLOY these people rather than giving them money to stay at home? We have the need, the people and the money. Can’t that be refocused?
johnny,
Indeed you seem confused. Apparently, you are NOT aware of the fact that the City, County, and State already employs people to take care of “litter, overgrown grass and weeds.” Are you suggesting that there ought to be provisions made to increase the number of Civil Service employees — who will earn decent salaries, have health care benefits, career opportunities, and retirement benefits? If so, I agree.
Luc Du Nord ,
Stop it — the issues raised in this article did NOT just now begin during ‘this presidential election cycle,” In fact, they are as old as BOTH, major, oppressor, political parties — period.
An Open Letter To Ms. Mary Anna Towler
Dear Ms. Towler,
First and foremost — your assertion that “our most serious problem [is] a poverty level that is one of the countrys worst” is NOT accurate. Instead, our most serious problem is clearly the tripartite beast and illness of individual. institutional, and structural racism ( http://minorityreporter.net/the-tripartite… ) — as manifested via historical and ongoing, widespread, pervasive acceptance and systematic promotion and perpetuation of white-supremacist-based policies, practices, rules, regulations, and laws, which compose the socioeconomic, sociopolitical, and sociocultural foundation and ongoing reality, which has allowed for Rochester’s “poverty level [to become] one of the countrys worst” — along with numerous other predominantly Black and brown-populated cities throughout this thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based nation-state (in every direction — North, East, South, and West) — period. This is evidenced by your own statement and assertion that “our poverty levels severity, its longevity, its urban concentration, and its impacts in education, in crime, in health problems, in economic vitality are deadly serious,” and deadly racist — again, as clearly evidenced via GROSSLY-HUGE, race-based local, regional, national, and international discrepancies and inequities in every major area of life (“education, crime, health, economic vitality,” housing, employment, wealth accumulation, etc…etc…). CURRENT, OVERALL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL REALITY AND CONDITIONS ARE NOT A MATTER OF A HUGE, LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND/OR INTERNATIONAL COINCIDENT. Instead, current overall conditions are largely a cumulative-product and outcome of past policies, practices, rules, regulations, and laws — period, ( http://newsarchive.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents… ) One point that I am trying hardest to impress upon you, as i have attempted in the past — is that you will never fully understand the SYSTEMIC origins, perpetuation, and ongoing nature and/or essence of widespread, race-based, poverty, or any other “deadly serious” socioeconomic, sociopolitical, and/or sociocultural problem and issue (unless, and until you place your examination into historical context). That’s just the way it is. I understand that you don’t want to do this. You don’t want to ‘dwell on the past.’ Instead, you just want to ‘move on,’ which is part of the problem. Please listen to Malcolm X: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGx81G5taD…
One clear indication of your not wanting to deal forthrightly with clear, ongoing residuals of the past, or perhaps just not understanding the inseparable, race-based, historical connection, is your assertion that: “Our segregation is strengthened by New York States unfortunate system of dividing us into small, separate communities: little towns and villages and hamlets, with a few cities sprinkled around. And so within Monroe County are 19 towns, nine villages, a town-village, the City of Rochester, and 18 school districts, each with their own elected governments.” It is vital to understand (if you don’t already) that “New York States [so-called] unfortunate system of dividing us…” did NOT just fall from the sky; grow from the ground, or roll in from the sea — that is, it is NOT a natural phenomenon. Instead, it is the clear result of historical, well-organized, and well-financed insistence upon RACIAL SEPARATION/SEGREGATION by HUGE numbers of white folks. Thus, “New York States [so-called] unfortunate system of dividing us…” was put into place, and has been maintained and perpetuated — in accordance with the will, and, at times, demands of the white masses — period. There is no denying that HUGE numbers of white folks want, and always have wanted RACIAL SEGREGATION, which is why it has persisted for decades and centuries (not only within Monroe County, and throughout New York State), but within MOST of this thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based nation-state (in every direction — North, East, South, and West) — period. Again, old, old, clear patterns of racial division are NOT unique to Rochester, Monroe County, nor New York State, and this is NOT just one, big, huge, coincident. Instead, it is clearly, largely a cumulative-product and outcome of POPULAR (AMONG HUGE NUMBERS OF WHITES), past, policies, practices, rules, regulations, and laws — period. That’s just the way it is, and just the way that hundreds of thousands in Monroe County, and millions in New York State, and the thoroughly racist U.S. nation-state want to keep it. Otherwise, it would change — period.
It is very, very important for you to come to grips with the FACT that — looking to a single, so-called “ideal leader like Dinolfo” to act as the point person relative to effectively addressing/solving the types of issues, problems, and concerns raised in your article — is (to quote the Late Malik El Shabazz) like “expecting a chicken to produce a duck egg — A chicken can’t produce a duck egg. It has not the means nor the system within to produce a duck egg. And if a chicken was to produce a duck egg, it would be considered a revolutionary chicken.” The plain truth of the matter is that people like Dinolfo just do NOT have the where-with-all (required knowledge, understanding, nor — apparently — concern) to provide effective leadership regarding these particular issues, which is why “she shows no sign that she sees that as her role.” However, if she could humble herself, and become an active follower of those of us who are most qualified to lead — that would (in and of itself) be a HUGE and PROFOUND contribution relative to the ongoing, anti-racist struggle. Don’t get me wrong — I am not one who labors under delusions of grandeur. Thus, I clearly understand that the odds of people like Dinolfo humbling themselves and becoming active followers of those of us who are most qualified to lead — are about the same as the odds of a chicken laying a duck egg.
In any case — it’s past time now to move beyond old, tired, worn-out, super-liberal, super-hyper, empty rhetoric about “It will take all of us, acting together, to address that threat.” IF THIS IS IN FACT THE CASE — THEN WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR WEALTHY, SUPER-LIBERAL FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES WANT TO DO — OTHER THAN WAITING FOR A CHICKEN TO LAY A DUCK EGG, AND WHEN???
The Struggle Continues, and 2017 IS the year of reckoning: http://www.blackpast.org/1857-frederick-do…
Yes, Howard, I’m advocating for more jobs, at a pay that matches the job and the employees skill at performing that job. Yes,they can contribute to their healthcare costs as most employees do. Of course we all have career opportunities, but it’s up to us to shop our skills to the highest bidder. And yes, they can contribute to a retirement program as most of us do. There will also be drug tests
As stated, the budget will come from the massive 1/2 billion $ social service budget, so if you aren’t working and don’t truly need help you’ll have to depend on family and friends like it used to be done.
Surely you must agree with me that having a job would be much better than what they have now, wouldn’t you?