Since the Nixon era begat the “modern ‘get tough’ movement” — to use the Sentencing Project’s term — the criminal justice system has been rough on people. A new Sentencing Project study says the US rate of incarceration in 2002 hit “a record high” of 702 inmates per hundred thousand population. Russia took second place, […]
election
Posted inNews & Opinion
The great race: Maggie Brooks vs. Bill Johnson
Read more about “The great race” in the News Articles section here This year’s campaign for county executive is a crucial one. Monroe County is faced with major budget problems, a weak economy, loss of manufacturing jobs, small population growth, and a decline in the population of young adults. Because current County Executive Jack […]
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Bob feeds the elephant
You’re afraid of Bill Johnson. You’re afraid, Pittsford, that Bill Johnson wants to put city kids in your schools. You’re afraid, Fairport, that Bill Johnson wants to steal your wallet and give its contents to the city. You’re afraid, Chili, that a city mayor can’t possibly have the interests of the suburbs […]
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Boxing outside the think
One line in county executive hopeful Maggie Brooks’ platform will probably not be quoted much. It’s too abstract and unforthcoming at first blush. But it does get the mind moving. “Do we really want to turn our community into a laboratory, a place to experiment and tinker with our future?” asks Brooks. Well, do […]
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Uniters, not dividers: the towns evolve
Is “bi-lithic” a word? The play on “monolithic” may not be in the dictionary, but it should be available for this year’s elections. The word would neatly describe the city-versus-suburb dynamic that undergirds various contests — county executive, district attorney, and even some town supervisors — making this locality appear like two stone fortresses […]
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Going bust
Monroe County is in deep trouble — Marianus Trench deep. Staggering deficits, crushing taxes, youth flight, jobs vacuum, partisan bickering, and a stagnant economy spell a bleak future unless we start turning things around, and quick. How bad is bad? Business leader Tom Richards goes so far as to say that the city of […]
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Chili: exit to primary
The town of Chili has almost classically developed a “negative capability.” The town’s politics are to a large extent defined by something that’s not there, a plan that didn’t happen. The non-entity is the Chili Thruway exit, which, had it become a reality, would have brought heavy traffic onto Route 259 in the southern part […]
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Henrietta’s electoral seasoning
“We’re having a fun summer in Henrietta,” says Jim Breese, town supervisor for 18 years now. Breese is referring to a rift in Henrietta’s Republican political establishment, which definitely hasn’t been amusing itself lately. The rift will be on display in Henrietta voting booths September 9. Breese, running for re-election, is facing off in […]
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To the barricades!
So how depressed are you? The media had predicted that last week’s election would be a cliffhanger. What a hoot. But we should have seen this rout coming. The Democrats caved on Iraq so they could focus on the economy — and then had no message. No plan. No conviction. No fire. Meantime, the […]
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News Briefs 11.13.02
A new county name? There’s a movement afoot to change the name of Monroe County. A small group of local folks is dead serious that it’s time for a new name. Michael Argaman, an activist and financial advisor, is leading the effort. “President James Monroe doesn’t deserve to have the county named after him,” […]
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Advance exit polling
Since we go to press hours before the polls close November 5, I’m in a weird position as I write this. I don’t know the outcome of the election, though I’ve tried to prepare myself. Some things are as certain as conservative hatred of the “death tax” (it’s actually the most progressive one we’ve […]
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Primary time in the puppet regime
It’s a shame former Conservative Party candidate Daniel Mahony moved to Connecticut earlier this month, thereby disqualifying himself from the race for lieutenant governor. If his running mate, Rochester businessman Tom Golisano, won the governorship and subsequently abdicated to, say, goal tend for the Buffalo Sabres, Mahony would make a great Guv. He’s got one […]
