Alan Bedenko for Erie County Legislator

Legislature stays clearly Democratic
Only 3 from GOP winning, including newcomer Rath
By Matthew Spina NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 11/07/07 6:51 AM

Democrats in the Erie County Legislature will go into 2008 with their veto-proof majority intact, 12 strong against a trio of Republicans.

A few incumbents thought to have serious challenges won easily on Tuesday. For example, District 10 Democrat Michele M. Iannello of Kenmore was cruising to re-election over Republican Rus Thompson, an aggressive campaigner linked to the Primary Challenge movement. Iannello took 60 percent of the vote.

Democrat Kathy Konst of Lancaster collected 55 percent of the vote over Republican Tom Ulbrich and locked up a second term, even though District 5 leans Republican and her party had soured on her when she bucked the Democratic caucus on several issues.

In District 14, Legislator Thomas A. Loughran of Amherst, also a Democrat, easily survived a challenge from Republican Bradley W. Rowles. As returns flowed in, Loughran held 62 percent of votes cast.

District 15 sent a newcomer to the Legislature. Republican Edward A. Rath III, grandson of the first county executive and the son of State Sen. Mary Lou Rath, defeated Democrat Cheryl Knox-Whitehead. The district has a Republican edge and usually sends a Republican to the Legislature.

Barry A. Weinstein of Amherst has represented District 15 for most of the last 10 years. Weinstein chose to leave the Legislature this year so he could run for the Town Board.

Aside from Weinstein, only one other legislator will not return next year. Cynthia E. Locklear of West Seneca lost her Democratic primary contest to a party-backed challenger, Timothy Wroblewski, in District 9.

Wroblewski was a county legislator before Locklear defeated him in 2005. He was taking around 85 percent of the vote late Tuesday against Republican Julie C. Lewinski.

Here is a run-down of other County Legislature races:

Districts 1, 2 and 3 lean Democratic, and Democratic incumbents

won easily. Daniel J. Kozub of Lackawanna took almost 70 percent of the vote in District 1 from Republican Vincent Tobia. District 2’s Timothy M. Kennedy of South Buffalo ran unopposed; and Barbara Miller- Williams, running unopposed, emerged with her first Legislature victory in District 3.

Miller-Williams, a Buffalo police officer and former Common Council member, was appointed to the vacancy created this year when George A. Holt Jr. was deemed unfit for office because he had pleaded guilty to tax violations.

In District 4, Republican Michael H. Ranzenhofer of Amherst defeated Democrat Alan J. Bedenko, a lawyer and operator of the Buffalo Pundit Web site. Ranzenhofer, the Legislature’s longest-serving member, built a 72-28 percent lead.

Districts 6 and 7 in Buffalo are Democratic strongholds. In District 6, Maria R. Whyte, the Democratic majority leader, ran unopposed. So did Betty Jean Grant, who filled the District 7 vacancy created when Demone A. Smith joined the Common Council this year.

District 8 voters returned Thomas J. Mazur of Cheektowaga for another two-year term. He ran against Republican Jeffrey N. Sell and a minorparty candidate, Deborah S. Kubiak.

In District 11, Legislature Chairwoman Lynn M. Marinelli, a Town of Tonawanda Democrat, won easily over Republican Ernest J. Norman, who collected less than 30 percent of the vote.

District 12 Legislator Robert B. Reynolds of Hamburg, chairman of the Finance and Management Committee, seemed to have another term in hand. He led James Liegl, a Primary Challenge-inspired candidate, 55 percent to 45 percent with most results counted.

District 13 Democrats this summer thought they might wrest the seat from first-term Republican John J. Mills of Orchard Park, the Legislature minority leader. However, Mills led Democrat Suzann Cushman 58-42 percent late Tuesday.

Legislators this week will return their focus to the proposed 2008 budget and, sometime before the start of the year, decide their leadership.

Marinelli has been chairwoman the last two years, after Party Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan helped her through the selection process. But others are interested in the top spot, which adds $10,000 to the base salary of $42,588. Marinelli does not have a lock on the post for 2008. But the fact she won re-election so handily doesn’t hurt.

“I think this was one of my highest votes ever since running for office,” she said. “I’m honored that my voters gave me their support. And I helped us get a 12-3 majority again. I am a candidate for another term as chair.”

The Legislature’s leader will set the tone in working with the next county executive, Christopher C. Collins. Marinelli repeated that she will invite the county executive-elect to leave his stamp on the 2008 budget, because his team will have to manage it after Joel A. Giambra leaves office.

Collins had hoped for a voter mandate, and he seemed to get it Tuesday, gathering nearly two of every three votes cast. Among his priorities: Kill the Erie County law that forces contractors on county jobs to offer an apprentice-training program, a requirement panned as harmful to taxpayers because it narrows the field of firms able to bid on public projects.

He also wants to refigure the way Erie County distributes sales tax income to towns, villages and schools

Hochul Elected County Clerk, Other Races of Note
News Staff

BUFFALO, NY (2007-11-07) Incumbent Kathy Hochul was a clear winner Tuesday night in the race for Erie County Clerk, defeating Republican challenger Bill O’Loughlin by a 67 to 33 percent margin.

The key issue in the race was Governor Spitzer’s unpopular proposal to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Hochul won by a wide margin even though both she and Spitzer are Democrats, and on a night when a Republican coasted to victory in the county executive’s race.

O’Laughlin was disappointed that his strong stance against the Spitzer plan didn’t resonate more with voters. He gave up his seat on the Amherst Town Board to run for clerk.

In the Erie County Legislature, the Democrats held on to their 12-to-three majority. There are two new legislators — Edward Rath, the third, takes over for Barry Weinstein in the 15th district. And after losing two years ago, Timothy Wroblewski is back as ninth district legislator.

The County Legislature’s longest serving lawmaker, Republican Michael Ranzenhofer, won re-election. He faced a serious challenge from Democrat Alan Bedenko, who is a local blogger known as Buffalo Pundit. Ranzenhofer said he faced the challenge like any other.

In the only two contested races for the Buffalo Common Council, Buffalo police officer David Rivera captured 61 percent of the vote to win the Niagara District seat in a four-way race. Incumbent Brian Davis easily retained his Ellicott District seat with 89 percent of the votes. Both winners ran as Democrats.

In other races, Democrat Tim Fronczyk won the Erie County judge contest, with 65 percent of the vote. Frank Caruso, James Dillon and Rose Sconiers took the three State Supreme Court seats in a five way race.

In the town of Tonawanda, Anthony Caruana defeated Robert Newman by a two to one margin. Melissa Brinson was elected town clerk, and Daniel Crangle reelected to the town board.

Scott Bylewski was elected as Clarence town supervisor, Peter McMahon is Grand Island supervisor, and Robert Giza was reelected supervisor in the town of Lancaster.

© Copyright 2007, WBFO

Same old Legislature
Lawmakers spared the anger of voters but must forge partnership with Collins

Updated: 11/09/07 6:56 AM

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That’s not the winds of change you can feel sweeping through the Erie County Legislature’s chambers this week. It’s more a sigh of relief, from the incumbents still lodged within.

Despite a county executive election driven by change and voter dismay, the Legislature emerged from Tuesday’s elections virtually unscathed. The 13 incumbents running for reelection won. In the two districts where no incumbents were running, each party retained the seat it holds in the current Legislature. The political makeup of the Legislature remains a veto-proof 12-3 Democratic, posing a challenge for Republican County Executive-elect Christopher C. Collins.

The difference between the demand for change in the executive race and business as usual in the legislative ones is remarkable. It’s also remarkable in juxtaposition to the 2005 elections, when strong public demand for change — and dismay with the county budget fiasco — roiled the Legislature.

Even in situations in which the rumor mill had incumbent Democrats in trouble, they not only came through but they came through soundly. Democrat Kathy Konst of Lancaster gained the confidence of 55 percent of district voters, defeating Republican Tom Ulbrich to gain her second term despite a Republican majority in her district.

Konst also triumphed despite Democratic Party displeasure over her going her own way on several key issues. Preserving her degree of issue independence was important, because the other independent voice in the Legislature — Cynthia E. Locklear — was ousted in the primaries by the partybacked Democrat, Timothy Wroblewski, whom she had beaten in 2005.

The one new face in the Legislature carries an old name, the one on the county office building. Republican Edward A. Rath III, grandson of the first county executive and son of State Sen. Mary Lou Rath, replaces Dr. Barry A. Weinstein of Amherst, who elected to leave the Legislature this year so he could run for Town Board.

For all of the heated campaign rhetoric about politics as usual and a need for change, voters seemed content with the Legislature they have — one that settled down after the budget and across-the-board costcutting debacle of the pre-2005 election. It has been working steadily toward improving the county’s fiscal position

and reviewing the deadline decisions made in red budget, green budget haste.

Its challenge now is to craft a working political relationship with a radically different kind of county executive — and to avoid making what should be a cooperative effort for recovery into a political battleground. Erie County can’t afford that kind of bickering. It needs real leadership and real improvement, carefully planned through thoughtful and bipartisan work toward a more efficient and more affordable government.

Yes, I lost big - pretty much right along party lines - but I thank everyone who voted for me, supported me, helped out, made phone calls, stood outside handing out lit, canvassed, strategized, designed & printed lit, and otherwise gave me the support I needed. Those people know who they are, and I couldn’t have survived the last 5 months without them.

This site will stay up. I’ll be paying close attention to the goings on in our re-worked county government. I hope you do, too.

Congratulations to Clarence Supervisor-elect Scott Bylewski.

I announced in late July, and time has flown since then. I’ve run a clean and honest race, focusing on change, hope, and action. I never thought I’d run for office, and I’ve found the whole experience to be amazing.

Thanks to all my supporters, volunteers, and contributors. Thanks to all my well-wishers and those who had a word or two of advice. Either way it turns out Tuesday night, I am very grateful to all of you.

NOW GO OUT AND VOTE!

Yesterday my campaign released my first commercial. Entitled “18 Years,” it highlights the reasons why the Buffalo News endorsed me for the Erie County Legislature’s 4th District - because of my vision for our community’s future, my plan to achieve that vision, as well as the failure of the incumbent to achieve any success during his 18 years in office.

I ask you to please view the ad and forward this e-mail to all your friends who may live in East Amherst, Clarence, Newstead and Northeast Cheektowaga. If every voter in the 4th District could see this ad I know we will have a big victory on Tuesday.

Also, this Saturday & Sunday is the final weekend before Election Day. It is the last chance to help me get my message out to the voters one-on-one. If you can volunteer a few hours this weekend it will help take my campaign over the finish line on Tuesday.

We will be canvassing voters on Saturday, meeting at the Amherst Democratic HQ (2250 Wehrle Drive, Amherst) at 10:00 am, and then calling voters starting at 1:00 pm at the same location. So I ask for your help this weekend, which will help me achieve a big victory on Tuesday!

Thanks for your support.

Alan Bedenko For County Legislator from WNYMedia Video on Vimeo.

It was well-attended, and it was informative. It’s so great to see people eschew whatever nonsense is on TV to come out and listen to local candidates for office prattle on for over two hours.

First up were the candidates for Town Supervisor, Scott Bylewski (D) and Peter Vasilion (R). Vasilion thinks that commercial development is being hampered in Clarence, while Bylewski draws on his experience as a Councilman and Deputy Supervisor to explain why he’s the better candidate, and says that Clarence has to manage its growth in a rational way.

The Judicial candidates who appeared were Molly Musarra and Tim Franczyk for County Court, and Lynn Clarke and Jim Dillon for Supreme Court. Each went through their credentials and qualifications with aplomb.

My opponent and I went next. Two minutes were devoted to introductions, and then we took five questions from the audience:

1. What can be done to add deputies to county jails and restore parks and other county services in the wake of the budget crisis.
2. Do you support a countywide IDA.
3. Explain the apprenticeship law and your position on it.
4. What could be done to decrease the budget.
5. Do we need a countywide planning board.

All of the answers to these questions (except the first) are in the Partnership survery I completed, and are posted online.

My opponent talks much of his conservative record. During his closing, he took a shot at the 11 new legislators who came in after the 2004 budget crisis, and said they essentially brought us a property and sales tax rise.

What he glaringly failed to mention was that those tax hikes were due to four Giambra budgets that cut property taxes while not cutting spending, and relied on one-shot funding sources to keep budgets in balance. All of that resulted in 2005 in a $200 million+ budget gap that had to be plugged by law. The only way to do that was to increase some taxes and decrease some spending. The legislature did that - it cleaned up Ranzenhofer’s mess.

He never once gave a specific proposal outlining how the county could cut its way to balance to the tune of $200 million. He didn’t because he couldn’t. It’s so convenient to say you won’t raise taxes to clean up your own mess. It’s hard to actually sit down and hash out a way to do the cleanup in a way that’s as fair as possible to already beleaguered taxpayers. My opponent did not do that.

He’s taking credit for not cleaning up his own mess. Is that leadership?

Eighteen years.

In eighteen years a child is born, attends school and enters college. A career can blossom from the mailroom to the boardroom. After eighteen years on the job, an elected official should be able to point to specific accomplishments that have made a community better.

I’m Alan Bedenko, and I’m running for the Erie County Legislature because our nine-term incumbent doesn’t have much to show for his eighteen-year tenure in office. He eagerly promoted the county executive’s policies that led to Erie County’s fiscal crisis. I will be a different kind of legislator, and that is why I ask for your vote.

I’ve never run for office before, and I want to fix Erie County so that my two daughters can get a good job and stay in Western New York after they graduate from college. As your representative in County Hall, I will make sure that county government returns to its key priority – providing critical services as efficiently as possible.

I will work with the new county executive and the control board to ensure that performance-based budgeting is implemented, paired with a “county-stat” computerized monitoring program. With these tools, we can focus on the efficient and cost-effective delivery of county services. I’ll propose changing the way we hire county workers so we highlight experience and qualifications, at the expense of patronage and name recognition. I will be a matter-of-fact consensus-builder to help the region grow with a minimum of nonsense.

I believe that we all have a duty to participate in our community. During the height of the 2005 budget crisis, I spearheaded the effort to return the cancelled Santa’s Park to Chestnut Ridge Park. In just ten days I helped organize two days’ worth of Christmas festivities and keep a longstanding local tradition alive. I am proud to have duplicated that effort in 2006. Through our action, we raised over $2,000 and collected a half-ton of donated food for the Food Bank of WNY.

The Buffalo News recognized my vision and leadership, and I’m pleased that they endorsed me. The News and I both recognize that all communities in Erie County sink or swim together, and that the county cannot stop sharing sales tax proceeds with municipalities without causing local taxes to skyrocket. It added, “much of what the incumbent stands for … is not so much conservative as it is worn-out.”

We’re all in this together - whether Republican, Democrat, Independent - city or suburbs. With your support we can work together in a way that minimizes partisanship and parochialism, while maximizes the common goals of our community. That is why I ask for your vote – so we can return Erie County to the greatness it once was and we know it can still be.