While Messrs [Republican Assemblyman George] Amedore and [Schenectady City Councilman Mark] Blanchfield play the political game of “gotcha,” the more substantive issues of the day that face their Assembly district get sidetracked. What, if anything, do they actually stand for? Here is a list I came up with that is of present urgency for the Assembly to tackle : property tax cap/circuit breaker, urban blight, flight of college students who graduate never to return to New York state and, of course, gay marriage. If either one of them can’t answer any of these all-important issues, then they don’t deserve a seat in the state Assembly. For all their political rhetoric and nasty, run-of-the-mill ads while running for state Assembly, all their constituents would get are more of the same old same old, which is typical for the most dysfunctional legislative body in the nation — the New York state Assembly.
GERALD PLANTE Schenectady The writer is a Democratic committeeman for District 2
105TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Candidates air unfair campaign allegations Amedore, Blanchfield exchange volleys BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Unfair campaign allegations continue to fly in the increasingly divisive race for a seat in the 105th Assembly District. Democrat Mark Blanchfield leveled the latest complaints on Friday, accusing Republican incumbent George Amedore Jr. of two violations of the Fair Campaign Pledge each signed. On Sept. 23, Amedore filed the first complaint in the campaign with the Fair Campaign Practices of the Capital Region. Amedore alleges Blanchfield aired a radio ad that misinterpreted statements the assemblyman gave after receiving an award from the Capital District Business Review. The Fair Campaign Practices was scheduled to hear all three complaints Monday night and is expected to issue findings within 24 hours, said chairwoman Joan Elliott. In the latest complaints, Blanchfield said a mailer Amedore sent out last week accuses him of lying on how he put together the radio ad. He said the mailer claims he manufactured Amedore’s statement from different sources. In fact, Blanchfield said he used Amedore’s exact words taken from a clip on YouTube. Blanchfield is still running the radio ad and later sent out a flier repeating the assertion. In them, Amedore is quoted as saying he does not look at his Assembly seat as his job. “I have building in my blood,” he says in the Blanchfield ads. Amedore provided a transcript of the interview from which Blanchfield is said to have taken the quote. In it, he says: “I have building in my blood; that’s my job. I don’t look at the Assembly position as my job: I look at it as serving, giving back.” The second complaint alleges Amedore condones false and misleading information on a Web site, titled “markstaxrecord.com.” Specifically, the Web site calls Blanchfield a “union buster.” The site, which does not identify its creator, states: “As a high priced lawyer, Mark Blanchfields’s [sic] firm represents employers against the interests of unionized employees and assists employers in ‘maintaining a union-free workplace.’ ” Blanchfield, who is lining up union support for his bid to unseat Amedore, calls the assertion false. “We do not represent employers or anyone else in labor relations matters and certainly not against the interest of unionized employees,” he said in his complaint. “We are unaware of where this false information was drawn from, but it is a complete fabrication.” Blanchfield currently works for Daniel Coffey but had previously worked for Hiscock and Barclay. He resigned from Hiscock and Barclay in August; “markstaxrecord.com” was up and running at that point. Hiscock and Barclay, on its Web site, states that it advises “employers on lawfully maintaining a union-free workplace, counseling employers during union organization drives and campaigns, and representing them before the National Labor Relations Board and state labor relations agencies in representation cases, unfair labor practice litigation, de-certification cases, unit clarification proceedings and jurisdictional disputes.” Blanchfield said he never handled these types of cases when he worked for Hiscock and Barclay during the six years prior to his resignation. Amedore said he disavows the Web site and urged whomever is running it to remove the information immediately. “I call upon all of my supporters to adhere to the Fair Campaign Practices principles of fair campaigning,” Amedore said. “I understand your enthusiasm, I understand that other campaigns sling mud, but I am committed to running a clean campaign and, if you truly support me and my ideals, you will follow my lead.”
I just heard on the news that the League of Women Voter's have ruled that Blanchfield was guilty of using unfair campaign practices. Ashame there really isn't any consequence for his "crime"?
105TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Ruling issued over complaints Campaign practices panel faults both candidates BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Fair Campaign Practices of the Capital Region on Tuesday found both candidates in the 105th Assembly District race circulated distorted and misleading advertisements in two of three complaints it reviewed. It made no finding in the third complaint. The six-member panel held hearings Monday on complaints lodged by Republican incumbent Assemblyman George Amedore Jr., R-Rotterdam, and Democrat Mark Blanchfield, a city of Schenectady councilman. Both had signed fair campaign pledges. Amedore said he was vindicated by the panel’s decision regarding his complaint. He called on Blanchfield to pull the radio ad and a TV ad, saying it was time to debate the issues affecting the district. Blanchfield said he agreed with the panel’s finding concerning Amedore’s “character attack on me, and I respectfully disagree with the other portions of the findings.” He would not say whether he will pull his ads. “I don’t discuss my campaign strategy in the media.” The panel found Blanchfield’s radio ad and his subsequent automated telephone messages violated the fair campaign principle that a candidate will not permit distorted or fabricated facts regarding an opponent. It said Blanchfield used a partial quote to present the impression that Amedore did not consider elected office his top priority. The ad quotes Amedore as saying: “I have building in my blood, that’s my job. I don’t look at the Assembly position as my job.” The actual quote should have continued with the following sentence: “I look at it as serving, giving back,” the panel said. “There is a long tradition in New York state of citizen-legislators who serve as lawmakers in addition to their regular occupations. Mr. Amedore considers himself in that tradition,” the panel stated. In its second finding, the panel said a flier mailed by the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee implied Blanchfield lied by distorting Amedore’s words in the ad and phone message. The fl ier said: “Blanchfield and the Albany political bosses are distorting George Amedore’s words. Don’t believe their lies!” The flier, according to the panel, did not describe what Blanchfield had said that was untrue. The panel said the flier would violate fair campaign practices had the Amedore campaign issued it, for it contained misleading statements that attacked a candidate’s character. However, as the state committee issued it, the panel found that Amedore only violated one principle, that he did not promptly disavow the fl ier. On the third complaint, the panel issued no finding on the contents of an anonymous Web site, called “markstaxrecord.com.” The panel said Amedore disavowed the Web site, although it was unclear when he became aware of its offensive material. The panel said the offensive material called Blanchfield a “union buster,” which it called untrue. The panel said that while “these anonymous Web sites are very difficult to police, candidates have a duty to disavow such a Web site as soon as it is brought to his or her attention.” Both Amedore and Blanchfield attended the hearings. Michael Cuevas represented Amedore.
Farley, Amedore might appear at Schdy council meeting October 1, 2008 at 4:21 pm by Lauren Stanforth, Staff writer
City Councilman Gary McCarthy said state Sen. Hugh Farley and Assemblyman George Amedore have agreed to appear before City Council Monday night.
McCarthy invited them some months ago, when he wanted to talk to state Legislators about their position on a state bill that would have taken discipline authority away Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett. They never showed, but that bill has long since been squashed.
But McCarthy now wants to talk to them about how to go about giving residents incentives, tax or otherwise, to convert multiple family houses into two or single family residences. The city is trying to find a way to reduce its housing density. A program to knock down the 50 worst properties in the city has been chopped from Mayor Brian U. Stratton’s proposed budget due to financial constraints faced by all municipalities this year.
It’s unknown yet if state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco will appear as well.
I want to thank Mark Blanchfield for pointing out that George Amedore does not consider his being an assemblyman as being a job. This tells me that Assemblyman Amedore wants this position not as a good-paying job whereby he can benefit personally, but his priority in being an assemblyman is to serve his constituents and to try to do what he can to make the state Legislature more functional. It would appear Mr. Blanchfield views that being an assemblyman is self-serving employment (just a job). Many of us would like a job that pays $88,500 plus many fringe benefits, but Amedore is indicating that is not what is most important to him. Mr. Blanchfield apparently doesn’t recognize that Assemblyman Amedore is saying he doesn’t need the position as a means of financial support, but that he wants the position to make a contribution of his service. Mr. Amedore is not a politician, but rather a businessman who has had experience controlling costs and seeking satisfaction by accomplishment. I myself want a legislator who is concerned about me and not his own financial gain. If Mr. Blanchfield wants the Assembly seat just because it is a good-paying job for him, I hope he does not get it. I would rather be represented by one who has the interests of my neighbors and me in mind. George Amedore’s record so far shows that. WILLIAM ZIMMER Rotterdam
It takes a lot of courage to raise the taxes on the poor people of the City 75%? Mark "understands the importance of high taxes" and is now going to solve the high prices at the pump? Give us a break.
Just what we don't need in Albany another attorney, pro-taxes, who refuses to listen to the taxpayers, and votes with Shelly Silver 100% of the time. George has made mistakes but he is coming from the right place. He has tried to stop absurd Thruway toll hikes and idiotic State spending. Don't go back.
Amedore tried to use the position as a hobby and he said emphaticly that it ISNT HIS JOB so he must thinks its a game so OUT with Amedore at this point and since the economy has gotten so bad out with all repubs for the next couple of years
It takes a lot of courage to raise the taxes on the poor people of the City 75%? Mark "understands the importance of high taxes" and is now going to solve the high prices at the pump? Give us a break.
Just what we don't need in Albany another attorney, pro-taxes, who refuses to listen to the taxpayers, and votes with Shelly Silver 100% of the time. George has made mistakes but he is coming from the right place. He has tried to stop absurd Thruway toll hikes and idiotic State spending. Don't go back.
The problem with Sal's argument is that even if it were true{it isn't} the State has nothing to give. The State is facing a $5 BILLION DEFICIT-they will want to squeeze you more not reward you for voting for another Democrat. This is no contest-George Amedore in another landslide.
There is no $$ to be had anywhere.....THERE IS NO STRAW FOR THE BRICKS......our task masters have beaten us to death......told us to hurry hurry hurry,,,,,make more more more,,,,,,get more more more......sign more more more......where is moses when we need him????.......although this is quickly becoming a generational/age gap of huge proportions.........
we used to know what the straw in the bricks was for and we used to know what the apple was in apple pie.......now here we are with no place to go......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Heard another Blanchfield ad today. Now, they're playing the full comment, but still putting him (Amedore) down because he doesn't consider it a "job."
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - 2:24 PM EDT | Modified: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - 2:26 PM Business Review demands Blanchfield stop using unauthorized video
The Business Review (Albany)
Attorneys for The Business Review have demanded that Mark Blanchfield, a candidate for the state Assembly, stop his unauthorized use of copyrighted footage from the newspaper’s “40 Under Forty” 2008 video production in a campaign commercial.
Blanchfield is challenging incumbent state Assemblyman George Amedore (R-Rotterdam), who is also vice president of Amedore Homes Inc., and was honored with 39 other business people at The Business Review’s event in May. Amedore taped an interview with the newspaper as part of the event.
Blanchfield’s campaign obtained a copy of that interview and selectively edited it for use in TV and radio advertisements against Amedore.
“The Business Review owns the exclusive copyright in the 2008 “Forty Under 40” video,” said Business Review Publisher Carolyn Jones. “Our newspaper never granted Mr. Blanchfield permission to use the video for any purpose, including for a commercial for his political campaign.
“Mr. Blanchfield has edited the video in such a way that it improperly portrays the context of the video interview. Beyond that, this is a misappropriation of The Business Review’s rights and clearly constitutes copyright infringement in violation of federal and state laws.
“We have demanded that Mr. Blanchfield cease the use of the video immediately,” Jones said.
Both campaigns had posted parts of Amedore’s interview on YouTube.com, a video-sharing Web site. The Business Review requested that its copyrighted material be removed from the YouTube site.
The Blanchfield campaign had not responded to the newspaper’s cease-and-desist demand as of Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Logged
It takes a lot of courage to raise the taxes on the poor people of the City 75%? Mark "understands the importance of high taxes" and is now going to solve the high prices at the pump? Give us a break. 
