(from www.dewittdemocrats.com)
For Lorene Dadey, her coffee shop has taught her about politics.
“When you own a small business, every nickel counts,” Dadey said. “I think the same principle applies to government.”
Dadey, 54, owner of the Sunshine Coffee Shop in East Syracuse, is the Democratic Party’s candidate for the District 7 seat for the Onondaga County Legislature. She is running against Republican Danny Liedka, now the mayor of East Syracuse. Both are trying to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Tom Buckel, who decided not to see re-election. District 7 is in the central region of Onondaga County, including a small northeastern part of the city of Syracuse, most of the northern and western parts of DeWitt and all of East Syracuse.
The election is Nov. 8.
In her campaign for the legislature, Dadey is emphasizing her political and business experience. She is now registered as unaffiliated with a party. In addition to the Democratic Party’s endorsement, she is also endorsed by the Working Families Party. If elected as District 7 legislator, Dadey said she will encourage small business growth, develop a more transparent government and save the county money.
Her political resume includes: East Syracuse village trustee. Ten years on the Syracuse Zoning Board of Appeals. DeWitt town board member. First woman as East Syracuse’s mayor, elected in 2003. Deputy mayor in 2007. East Syracuse police commissioner in 2009. Chair of the transition team for the tax receiver’s Office in 2008.
As East Syracuse mayor, Dadey said, she consolidated government services and moved offices into one building to save money for the village. In 2005, Dadey was defeated by Tony Albanese for mayor.
Dadey also is the president of the St. Matthew’s Catholic Church parish council, a member of the DeWitt Senior and Disability Committee, the DeWitt Business Advisory Committee and the East Syracuse Neighborhood Watch Group.
For the Neighborhood Watch Group, Dadey was a moving force in creating it, said Russ Mitchell, president of The Neighborhood Watch Group of CNY. “Her concern for East Syracuse and the people who live there left a big impression on me,” Mitchell said. “You need someone like that to make things go.”
Dadey graduated with an associate’s degree from Central City Business Institute. She and her husband, Patrick, have four children.
Patrick Dadey described his wife as a multi-tasker, focused on staying involved in the lives of her family. Juggling a family and owning a small-business was difficult at times, he said. But Lorene Dadey, made time to spend with their family, said Patrick Dadey.
For example, Lorene Dadey made a point of going to the kids’ soccer games and always took time to talk to them, recalled Patrick Dadey.
“Multi-tasking has been her way of life, forever, not by choice,” Patrick Dadey said. “Lorene has always tried to fit everything in.”
In her campaign for the legislature, she calls for encouraging small-business growth through tax breaks. “We should offer tax incentives, if possible,” Dadey said. “They should not just be offered to major corporations. There should be some relief for smaller businesses.”
On her call for developing a more transparent government, she suggests more communication with the public about county affairs. “One of the things I would like to look at is doing some type of email to get the message across,” Dadey said.
On saving the county money, she urged the importance of consolidating and sharing services between villages. Buying something as simple as paper clips in bulk can save the village money, Dadey said.
In 1979, the Dadeys opened the Sunshine Coffee Shop on the corner of Thompson and East Molloy Roads. At the coffee shop, Dadey said, she learned to understand the challenges of owning a small-business in a difficult economy.
“I truly understand what it’s like be out there trying to make a living and feed your family,” Dadey said.
(Emily Maher is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and political science.) This story was corrected on Nov. 1, 2011, to reflect Dadey’s status as a registered voter unaffiliated with a party.
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