Category Archives: Fall 2013

Slightly past 3 a.m. one night in 2011, college student Ryan Cordova huddled behind a futon in his Binghamton, N.Y.,  apartment clutching a shotgun while listening to lock picks rasping at his door. He had woken up in the night … Continue reading →

For 3-year-old Benjamin Delmonico and his mom, the Skaneateles Nursery School is a godsend. “Socialization is huge,” said mom Mary Delmonico, who serves on the nursery school board.  “I think any type of early intervention is great, in terms of … Continue reading →

Editor’s note: Lorene Dadey lost the District 7 seat by 49 votes, after the count of absentee ballots by the Onondaga County Board of Elections. In a nail-biter, Democratic challenger Lorene Dadey trailed incumbent Danny Liedka, R-East Syracuse,  by 73 … Continue reading →

In an undramatic victory, Democrat Stephanie Miner has swept into a second term as mayor of Syracuse. “I want you to all know that tonight when the poll closed at 9:01 I got a phone call from an honorary Syracusan,” … Continue reading →

Democratic incumbent Khalid Bey has won his re-election for Common Council District 4. “It’s great to know voters appreciate what I’ve already done,” Bey said. “I already have plans for next year.” As of 11:44 p.m., in the unofficial vote … Continue reading →

Democratic challenger Carol Sinesi has lost in the race for District 4 Onondaga Legislature seat to incumbent Judy Tassone, R-Liverpool, by 795 votes. “When I saw the numbers I was shocked and surprised,” said Sinesi. As of 11:22 p.m., Sinesi … Continue reading →

In his first run for political office, Green Party candidate Kevin Bott has lost the Syracuse mayor’s race. “On one hand, I feel hopeful because I got to speak with people in the city about what’s going on,” Bott said. … Continue reading →

Incumbent Judy Tassone, R-Liverpool, has won her third term as the county legislator for District 4. “Yes!  My hard work has paid off.  I’ve been going door-to-door everyday.  People realized what I’ve accomplished in four years,” Tassone said, as she … Continue reading →

His political history repeated itself for Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, who was trailing far behind incumbent Democrat Khalid Bey in the race for Common Council District 4 on Tuesday night. “We did the best we could with what we … Continue reading →

Editor’s note: Danny Liedka, R-East Syracuse, won a second term for the District 7 seat by 49 votes, after the count of absentee ballots by the Onondaga County Board of Elections. By 73 votes, Republican Danny Liedka squeaked ahead in … Continue reading →

Conservative Party candidate Ian Hunter has lost to incumbent Democrat Stephanie Miner in the race for Syracuse mayor. “I didn’t lose,” Hunter said after the unofficial vote tally assured his defeat. “Citizens in Syracuse lost because they weren’t paying attention.” … Continue reading →

Family, friends, law firms and labor unions are the major funders for Mayor Stephanie Miner’s re-election campaign. Between Jan. 1, 2013, and Oct. 25, 2013, Miner had raised $472,328 in her re-election bid, according to financial disclosure reports to New … Continue reading →

A little money from a few friend is funding his run for Syracuse mayor, says Conservative Party candidate Ian Hunter. And he’s just fine with that, he says. “I just don’t want to burn friendships by asking people for money,” … Continue reading →

Donations from friends, family and Green Party members across the country has brought the campaign funding to Green Party candidate Kevin Bott in his race for Syracuse mayor. Between Aug. 2, 2013, and Oct. 21, 2013, Bott raised $2,691, according … Continue reading →

For his campaign bank account, Democratic incumbent Khalid Bey has raised most of his cash for re-election for Common Council District 4 from individuals. That’s according to a campaign finance report that Democrat Bey’s campaign made available to Democracywise late … Continue reading →

Democratic challenger Carol Sinesi is raising most of her campaign money from some friends and labor unions in her bid for Onondaga Legislature District 4 seat. And much of that support, she said, is a pleasant. Checks of $1,000 were … Continue reading →

For his campaign cash, District 7 county legislator Danny Liedka, R-East Syracuse, gets most of his support from business associates, other politicians and a few named individuals. From Jan. 1 to Nov. 1, Liedka raised $5,103 from those key sources, … Continue reading →

To fund her re-election campaign, County Legislator Judy Tassone, R-Liverpool, in District 4 gets most of her money from businesses and fellow Republicans. “Judy has raised good money for this election,” said her husband and campaign manager Bill Tassone. Between … Continue reading →

Eight unions.  Four Democratic Party committees.  Two politicians.  And dozens of $20 checks. Those are paying most of Democratic challenger Lorene Dadey’s campaign costs for the Onondaga County Legislature’s District 7 seat. As of Nov. 2, campaign finance reports filed … Continue reading →

For his campaign cash, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins is tapping small donors to support his run for Common Council District 4. As of Nov. 1, Hawkins had raised $10,428, according to reports filed with the New York State Board … Continue reading →

Tearing down Interstate 81, improving education and making the city vibrant culturally and economically reflect the views some key issues by Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner. Miner, a Democrat, is seeking her second term for mayor. She faces Green Party candidate … Continue reading →

Tearing down Interstate 81 to create more livable areas and establishing local, for-profit businesses will improve the city of Syracuse, says mayoral candidate Kevin Bott. Bott is running on the Green Party ticket and face Mayor Stephanie Miner — a … Continue reading →

Making I-81 less of an eyesore and using government jobs programs to combat poverty are answers to some key issues for Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Common Council District 4. Hawkins is challenging incumbent Khalid Bey, Democrat, in … Continue reading →

Displacing people from their homes around Interstate-81 and improving Syracuse’s workforce are issues that Khalid Bey, incumbent Democratic Party candidate for Common Council District 4, cites as some of his major concerns in the city. Bey faces Green Party nominee … Continue reading →

For Lorene Dadey, it’s too soon to decide what to do with Interstate-81 through downtown Syracuse.  And to improve the local economy, she proposes more funding for education and cutting taxes for small businesses, she says. In the Nov. 5 … Continue reading →

Creating tax relief, fixing old infrastructure and building a tunnel for I-81 are three ideas that Danny Liedka, the Republican candidate for District 7 of the county legislature, says can boost Onondaga County. Liedka, R-East Syracuse, is running for a … Continue reading →

Repairing I-81, repealing the county Flow Control Law and eliminating payments in lieu of taxes are three actions that Ian Hunter, the Conservative Party nominee for Syracuse mayor, cites as solutions to some key issues facing the city of Syracuse. … Continue reading →

Drawing businesses to Onondaga County and putting more research into I-81 development are among solutions to some key issues by county legislature candidate Carol Sinesi. Sinesi, 44, a Democrat from Liverpool, is challenging two-term incumbent Judy Tassone, R- Liverpool, for … Continue reading →

Rebuilding Interstate 81 as it is and relief from taxes and from state mandates are answers to some key issues for Judy Tassone, the Republican Party’s candidate for the District 4 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature. Tassone, 61, R-Liverpool, … Continue reading →

When freshly elected Mayor Stephanie Miner wanted to change the split of city and county taxes,  representatives of anti-urban coalitions told her she wouldn’t get her way. But the opposition was no match for her, said Thomas Buckel, a former … Continue reading →

Kevin Bott lives a double life. In one life, he’s Ebenezer Abernathy — a fictitious character that Bott uses to provoke political discussion. In the other, he’s a candidate for mayor of Syracuse. And as Bott sees it, Ebenezer has … Continue reading →

Think of him as a Republican. That’s how Syracuse mayoral candidate Ian Hunter is pitching himself to voters.  Never mind him being on the ballot as the Conservative Party candidate.  Never mind him being thrown off the Republican line by … Continue reading →

Khalid Bey’s path into politics began in an unlikely place, his mother’s attic, as he witnessed his neighborhood crumble around its residents. “If I don’t like my conditions, if I don’t like the cracked sidewalks, if I don’t like the … Continue reading →

Before he was even old enough to vote, Howie Hawkins was a political activist. The year was 1967 and then-14-year-old Howie Hawkins became a recruiter for the Peace and Freedom Party. It was campaigning for racial equality, socialism, democracy and … Continue reading →

For Judy Tassone, concentrating on cleaning Onondaga Lake has been one of her priorities and a favorite accomplishment in the Onondaga County Legislature. “I have been helping with everybody to get it cleaned, and make a trail around the lake … Continue reading →

She is a mother of four kids. She’s a former machine operator and labor-union member. She’s a first-time candidate for public office. Meet Carol Sinesi, the Democratic challenger for the Onondaga County Legislature seat from District 4 in the Nov. … Continue reading →

County legislator by day.  Sports broadcaster at night. That’s the life for Danny Liedka, R-East Syracuse, who represents District 7 in the Onondaga County Legislature.  He’s running for his second term after first being elected in 2011. Being a commentator, … Continue reading →

As Lorene Dadey sees it, her 20 years in local politics has prepared her to help govern the county. “It takes a lot of knowledge, experience, endless hours to move to that next level,” Dadey said. In the Nov. 5 … Continue reading →

Voters in nine districts for Onondaga County Legislature have choices in their candidates for legislator. All 17 county legislature seats are up for re-election.  Nine of those are contested races with two candidates running.  Republicans control the legislature, holding 14 … Continue reading →

The future of Syracuse depends on its children and their safety, say some candidates in this year’s Councilor-at-Large race. For the Nov. 5 election, two of four councilor-at-large seats in the Syracuse Common Council are open and contested. The candidates … Continue reading →

Low graduation rates and budget cuts will confront candidates for the Syracuse City School Board in the November election. Three of the seven seats on the Syracuse City School Board are up on Nov. 5. Two current education commissioners, Calvin … Continue reading →

When voting for mayor in November, Syracuse residents have three options: a high-profile incumbent, a first-time candidate and a staunch conservative. The incumbent is Mayor Stephanie Miner, a Democrat. Challenging her is Ian Hunter, a Republican businessman running on the … Continue reading →

Republicans will maintain control of the Onondaga County Legislature on Nov. 5, predicts a political scientist. For Republicans to lose control, said political scientist Kristi Andersen of Syracuse University, “There would have to be a wave of a big anti-Republican … Continue reading →

Voters in seven Onondaga County districts have only their incumbents to choose from in the Nov. 5 election. That lack of challengers is unfortunate for democracy, says Grant Reeher, a political scientist at Syracuse University. “Having many uncontested elections obviously robs … Continue reading →

Two top-rated women lawyers are on the ballot for Syracuse City Court Judge in November. They are Romana Lavalas, the Republican candidate and an Onondaga County prosecutor, and Mary Anne Doherty, the Democratic candidate and top lawyer for the city. … Continue reading →

For Syracuse voters, the Common Council election brings four contested races that will include four incumbents, three challengers and one open-seat contest. The contested races are in District 1, where incumbent Democrat Jake Barrett faces Republican challenger Joseph Carni; District … Continue reading →

“Without voting, your voice cannot be heard,” said Dustin Czarny, the Democratic elections commissioner of Onondaga County. Oct. 11, 2013, is the last day for Onondaga County residents to register to vote in the general election on Nov. 5, 2013. … Continue reading →

When Republican voters in Syracuse head to the polls on Election Day, they won’t have an eager Republican mayoral candidate to vote for. As of Sept. 22, lawyer Kevin Kuehner was – reluctantly – on the GOP’s ballot line.  But … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS.mp3] “For the majority of the population, I understand that it does sound good to have health insurance provided to everybody. But one of the things I don’t think everybody’s considered is folks like myself are gonna have to raise … Continue reading →

“I keep hearing stories about a potential second recession—we aren’t completely out of the woods—but I would really like them to come up with sound ways to stop inflating the dollar. It’s important to me because I don’t want to … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-John.mp3] “All of the health issues because I have many.  So therefore, that’s my main concern is that I’m covered the rest of my life.  I am a little upset about young people that — they need insurance and if … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Story2POS-Marwa.mp3] “There are children from ten years of age to 14 years of age pulling people off their porches at night for no reason and beating them and putting them in the hospital. And I would like to know how’re … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-Elizabeth.mp3] “I’ve been a convict…There’s a program right around the corner, actually. They help convicts. They want to change. Sometimes they just have no knowledge. Some of these guys never made it past the third grade and they don’t know … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-Maddy.m4a] “In the city of Syracuse, right now, probably jobs availability, parking…. Definitely, there’s a lot more stuff coming up around the city and there’s more things to do and stuff like that – a  lot more jobs have become … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-Valerie.mp3] “A friend of mine recently got robbed by an 11-year-old in the Near West Side – an 11-year-old, right? And I can’t begin to fathom the circumstances that pushed that kid to do that, right?  But that only tells … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-Alana.mp3] “To concentrate more on sections that would have been run down, improving our housing. We have too many absentee landlords that have allowed many tenants to trash neighborhoods, trash our lawns, our streets – that have no concern for … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS-Sean.mp3] “Now let’s face it: How many states are there still left in the United States where you can be fired for being gay? You can be thrown out of your apartment for being gay. You know if you’re a … Continue reading →

[audio:https://democracywise.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F13POS_Becca.mp3] “My concerns mainly, for the area I live in is fracking. I don’t believe in it and I don’t know how I’d be able to change it….I think I’m mainly concerned about the schools. I used to work at … Continue reading →