I guess this was in the gazette a few days ago....
Quoted Text
Candidate says Rotterdam Democrats snubbed him
Godlewski eyes primary run for supervisor
By Ned Campbell June 3, 2015
ROTTERDAM — Bob Godlewski says he was snubbed by the Rotterdam Democratic Committee when it gave Steve Tommasone, the former Republican town supervisor, its endorsement to run for supervisor again.
Democratic Party leaders, however, say they had reason to believe Godlewski, a former Town Board member, wasn’t interested in the job.
Regardless, Godlewski says he’s running a primary challenge against Tommasone, who switched to the Independence Party last year.
“I’ve been a Democrat almost 50 years, I’ve put my time in, and I don’t even get a call?” said Godlewski, 68, who served on the Town Board for five years before losing the Democrats’ endorsement to run for re-election in 2013. “If they don’t want to endorse me, fine. But I have the right to primary.”
Godlewski is encouraging voters not to sign a petition with Tommasone’s name on it.
“Democrats should support Democrats,” he wrote in an unpublished letter to The Daily Gazette.
Schenectady County Democratic Chairman Joe Landry said he had heard Godlewski was seeking the Republicans’ endorsement. Recently elected Rotterdam Democratic Chairman Dan Garrow said it’s unfortunate that Godlewski feels disenfranchised “when that’s not really the case.”
“I had no clue that he was interested in running for office,” Garrow said. “I didn’t reach out to anybody. People come to me with interest in running, and then we set up a date.”
He also stood by the committee’s decision to endorse Tommasone, “a strong candidate” and one of three non-Democrats endorsed by the committee.
“A little diversity is good for the town,” he said.
Godlewski said he interviewed with the Republican committee, but only after hearing Tommasone would be the Democrats’ pick. He said Democrats made an assumption in not calling him.
“They [the town Republican committee] called me and I said ‘What the hell? I haven’t heard from anybody else,’ ” he said.
Tracy Donovan, the town Republican committee chairwoman, said she first met with Godlewski over coffee in March, and Godlewski was interviewed by the committee in late April. The Republicans gave their endorsement in early May to Yvonne Cleveland, a first-time candidate with nearly 30 years of experience working in the banking industry. Cleveland is a Conservative Party member.
“We didn’t have a candidate for supervisor, and I heard through the grapevine that he was interested, and I had called to see if he was interested,” Donovan said, adding that it’s not uncommon for the committee to reach out to potential candidates when the well is dry.
Godlewski criticized the Democrats for endorsing a former Republican whom they were “instrumental in throwing out of office almost five years ago.”
“It is hypocrisy at its greatest,” he said.
Tommasone served on the Town Board from 2003 to 2009, including four years as supervisor. He said he left the Republican Party to join the Independence Party last year because, at least in Rotterdam, “it’s not about party affiliation anymore. . . . I believe the Republicans have made the town government a mockery, and it doesn’t sit well with me.”
He said he didn’t switch parties with the intention of running for supervisor, but decided to seek the Democrats’ endorsement after being asked by residents who were fed up with the town government’s dysfunction to run again.
“It’s not because they’re blindly loyal to me, it’s because they remember how we were running the government,” he said.
The supervisor’s race is wide open because Democrat Harry Buffardi is not seeking re-election. Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder, another Democrat, also declined another term, and a third seat on the Town Board has been open since October when Mike Viscusi, a Conservative who often voted with the Democrats, resigned.
Viscusi’s resignation left the board split politically and gave Republicans Joe Villano and Rick Larmour, who are not up for re-election, the power to vote down the Democratic leadership’s proposals.
The Republicans only need to win one of three open seats on the board to take back the majority. In addition to Cleveland, they endorsed Stanley Marchinkowski, a former president and chief negotiator for the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Benevolent Association, and Ryan DeBrino, who works for state Sen. Catherine Young, R-Olean, for Town Board.
The Democrats endorsed Evan Christou, a Conservative, and Samantha Miller-Herrera, a Democrat, to run for Town Board. Christou is president and CEO of Tops American Grill, Bakery and Bar and Miller-Herrera is a deputy county attorney who prosecutes neglect and abuse cases in Schenectady County Family Court.
To challenge Republican-endorsed Highway Superintendent Larry LaMora, the Democrats tapped Jim Longo, a Democrat who served as highway superintendent from 2003 to 2013 after starting a career in the department in 1975.
They endorsed Jim Bradshaw, a retired Schenectady police detective and a Conservative, to run for town justice, a seat being vacated by Democrat Kevin Mercoglan. Bradshaw will challenge the Republican-endorsed John Mertz, who is counsel to the state Assembly’s Minority Ways and Means Committee and previously served on the Town Board.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Godlewski will be best used out of the system anyway! He knows the ropes and he's not shy....so he will serve best on the other side...imho
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
Mike and Christine are running for the newly created office of character assassination. They're eminently qualified.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
Never interested. Neither of us is registered to a party.
Guess one loss was too much for him.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
I guess this was in the gazette a few days ago....
Bob Godlewski says he was snubbed by the Rotterdam Democratic Committee when it gave Steve Tommasone, the former Republican town supervisor, its endorsement to run for supervisor again.
Democratic Party leaders, however, say they had reason to believe Godlewski, a former Town Board member, wasn’t interested in the job.
Regardless, Godlewski says he’s running a primary challenge against Tommasone, who switched to the Independence Party last year.
“I’ve been a Democrat almost 50 years, I’ve put my time in, and I don’t even get a call?” said Godlewski,...“If they don’t want to endorse me, fine. ...”
“Democrats should support Democrats,” Godlewski wrote in an unpublished letter to The Daily Gazette.
“I had no clue that he was interested in running for office,” Dan Garrow said. “I didn’t reach out to anybody. People come to me with interest in running, and then we set up a date.”
He just finished slamming Dan Garrow, who was running for the school board:
Say no on Garrow on Mohonasen's ballot
"Voters beware. On May 19, the Mohonasen School District is having elections for school board members. One of the candidates is Mr. Dan Garrow. Mr. Garrow is the current chairman of the Rotterdam Democratic Committee.
Let’s keep politics out of school boards. On May 19, vote no for Dan Garrow.
Bob Godlewski"
So much for your statement that Democrats should be supporting Democrats, Bob.
Why does Godlewski feel the democratic committee should be checking with him before an election?
Is that really how he thinks it works?
I guess he's above calling the Democratic committee chairman and telling him he was interested.
He probably didn't have time with all his facebook posts urging everyone to vote against Dan Garrow, to find time to call him and tell him he was interested.
“Democrats should support Democrats,” in a political arena is totally different than "Let’s keep politics out of school boards."...two different animals. So he took a public position to say he felt politics belong other than in school boards so is being shunned by the machine and the target of his public position. POLITICS AT ITS FINEST!!!!
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
no one is perfect....but politics is everywhere.....and to bit-- about it constantly ....well....there is no way to stop it until you find a perfect person..
but the "dark side of political hacks is the worse.......stick to their own party.....cover up what is fraud.....and just to name a few "markers" they each
create.....there is no one honest enough to expose the corruption that happens on a daily basis.....and it's all drama ...blowing smoke for what is really
going on....and all we do is talk about it.....oh well, this town is doomed and will fall just like the city.....
and say what you want about my comments.....I know more than you think I know...but you know what???....silence is golden so that the "familia" can
have their way...it will never change ....not as long as generations of same o' same o' politics continues.
Gotta love Rotterdam politics, the dems are running a "former" rebublican and a current "conservative", while the GOP is throwing out a union leader on their side........ If you switched the D and R before the names on the ballots, it would actually make more sense. Also Bob G is calling the dems hypocrites for running a former Rep as their candidate after he admits he almost ran as a Rep! LOL
Gotta love Rotterdam politics, the dems are running a "former" rebublican and a current "conservative", while the GOP is throwing out a union leader on their side........ If you switched the D and R before the names on the ballots, it would actually make more sense. Also Bob G is calling the dems hypocrites for running a former Rep as their candidate after he admits he almost ran as a Rep! LOL
Just goes to show. For most, a political party is nothing more than a vehicle that egomaniacs use to attain power.
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