Incumbent's Results Do Not Support Reelection - D&C Article

By Samuel R. "Sam" Trapani

With a failed economic condition in our State, particularly in Upstate, there is no reasonable basis to send the incumbent back to serve the community.

One might agree with their statement if the economic condition of our community supported their implied belief that Morelle's "experience" and "ability to build bridges" has helped us.

In the last 16 years, the period Morelle has been in the Assembly, our state has fallen to its lowest level ever. We now have the highest state and property taxes (more than 3 times the rate of North Carolina) in the country, the highest state debt in the country (over $50 Billion) and the highest annual Medicaid cost in the country + 50% above the next highest state which is California with a population double ours. Over the last 5 years more than 40% of our young productive workers between the ages of 25 and 34 have left our state causing a severe brain drain in addition to there being fewer people left to pay the ever rising tax bill. Unfortunately, the list is much longer.

Earlier this year the D&C printed an article quoting State Comptroller Hevesi effectively saying we should expect the trend of high tax rate increases to continue for several years.

All this while Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's home district, New York City, is thriving and Morelle's district continues to rapidly decline. This would tend to support the conclusion that there is no benefit of Morelle being in the majority.

Most people would sadly conclude the one "trumped" is our community. Morelle's "experience" and "ability to build bridges" has not provided the results our community so desperately needs. After 16 years of history there is no rational basis to believe he will be able to provide different results.

Sending the same people back to the Assembly will continue to empower Speaker Boss Sheldon Silver and will most certainly continue the decline for Rochester. Silver has refused to provide our community with our fair share of local government and school aid as compared to Buffalo and Syracuse. He has also prevented reform of laws to make our region competitive with other states. There is only one solution: elect non-democrats to the Assembly to put an end to Silver's unbridled power by eliminating the Super Majority (read more at SamTrapani.com). For our community's sake, I hope it's not too late.

I am a first time candidate, a non-politician. I have no political favors owed or owing. I've simply analyzed why our state and region are in decline and herein offer the results of that analysis.