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We Endorse and Ask that You Support the Following Candidates
OFFICE CANDIDATE LINE
Governor Stephanie Miner SAM
Attorney General Keith Wofford. REP
NYS Senate 39th Dist James Skoufis DEM
NYS Senate 38th Dist David Carlucci DEM
NYS Assembly 97th Ellen Jaffee DEM
NYS Assembly 96th Ken Zebrowski DEM
NYS Assembly 98th Scott Martens DEM
NYS Assembly 99th Colin Schmidt REP
Ramapo Town Board. Robert Romanowski WRITE IN
Ramapo Town Justice David Fried DEM
Suffern Village Trustee Steve Alpert DEM
Suffern Village Trustee Paul Girard DEM
Suffern Village Justice Ernest Buonocore REP
Supreme Court Justices: Richard Reitz, Kathie Davidson, Philip Grimaldi,
Robert Freehill, William Giacomo, David Everett, Joan Lefkowitz
To look up your polling place CLICK HERE
Endorsements for the Candidates:
Stephanie Miner Governor Michael Volpe Lieut. Governor
Stephanie Miner Former Mayor of Syracuse
For Governor of New York we endorse Stephanie Minor who is running on the Serve America independent party line. Stephanie served many years on the City Council, and then two terms as the Mayor of Syracuse, NY. She is transparently honest, highly intelligent and a seasoned public servant, with the best professional resume for governor. She refuses to take donations from LLCs while Cuomo and Molinaro depend on them for their considerable war chests.
Her chances of winning the election are long, but if she receives 50 thousand votes, it will trigger the formation of a new political party that will appear on the ballot for the next four years. This is precisely what we need in Rockland. A new party line that is not controlled by the other major parties, and a place on the ballot for moderate, centrist, candidates seeking to build consensus from the middle and find practical, common sense, solutions to our many pressing issues.
We feel the outcome of the Governor’s race is a foregone conclusion but don’t waste your vote on the major party candidates. Please join us in voting for Stephanie Miner on the Serve America line to help her get 50 thousand votes and create a new political party. The two we have now are beginning to look like just one party, leaving the voters no real choice.
Stephanie Miner can be found on in the very lower left-hand corner of the ballot in Row i Box 1.
Keith Wofford for Attorney General
We are supporting Michael Keith Wofford for the vacated position of NYS Attorney General. He appears on the Republican Line.
Ellen Jaffee State Assembly 97th District
Ellen Jaffee is a real friend of children, older adults, and everyone in our community. It is with great pleasure that we endorse her for re-election in the 97th election district in the New York Assembly. As our representative since 2007 she has spent endless hours consulting with members of our community including leaders and parents in East Ramapo, New Square, and Kaser. Her efforts have resulted in a variety of state programs needed by children and adults. Despite her sincerity and real desire to fairly represent everyone in our community she was at one point attacked because she fought for a state monitor of the East Ramapo schools and she opposed the plan for a chicken slaughter house in New Square. She is no one’s puppet and not just another politician seeking to feather her own nest in Albany.
It should be noted that Ellen’s opponent in this race is likely to receive the full weight of the bloc vote because he has been very compliant to their demands. Please spread the word in your circle of friends to come out and vote for Ellen Jaffe in this important election.
Robert I. Rhodes
David Fried for Ramapo Town Justice
Please support David. His position on the ballot appears on the Democratic line at 18A.
Ken Zebrowski State Assembly
Ken is running unopposed for Assembly in the 96th District, but we ask that you show your approval of his excellent representation of the voters in his district by marking the selection for him.
David Carlucci Senate IN THE 38TH District
When it comes to the New York Senate in the 38th district we have a choice between two terrible candidates neither of which can be trusted when it comes to the most important issues facing Rockland County.
We are reading the tea leaves and it is our belief that Scott Vanderhoff will receive all of the bloc vote coming out of the Ultra-Orthodox and Chassidic community. It makes sense, for many reasons, first and foremost the fact that Vanderhoff got all of the bloc vote in 2010 when he and Carlucci faced off for the first time. Our information tells us he is likely to get all of it this time around as well. That being the case, it is likely that Vanderhoff, despite any good intentions he may harbor, will be forced to bend to the will of Ultra-Orthodox leaders when he must choose between doing what is in the best interest of everyone, or simply catering to the needs of the religious community.
We realize that David Carlucci is an opportunist with few real convictions of his own aside from political self-survival. Despite our distrust of Carlucci and disapproval of his record, the bloc vote will likely abandon him in the coming election. With six out of eight of his former IDC confederates swept away in the primaries, we feel Carlucci will be in less of a position to precipitate the mischief he has in the past. The Republicans under John Flanagan have controlled the New York State Senate for the last several election cycles and the results speak for themselves. We feel it is time to let the Democrats take the helm, and going forward, we can judge them according to their deeds.
We ask therefore that this time around you make the pragmatic choice–close one eye and fill in the little black oval in the box with Carlucci’s name in it.
Michael Parietti
Robert Romanowski Ramapo Town Council
There people in our organization who work harder at keeping track of the current government in Ramapo. Robert keeps a low profile, but for those working with him we know how important integrity and transparency are in local governance. He would be an excellent representative for all on the Town Council. You can write in your vote for Robert on your ballot. Follow the red line marked on the sample ballot (above) to the bottom of the column listed as Town Council and write in his name.
Paul Girard and Steve Alpert Suffern Village Trustees
For Suffern Village Trustee we are endorsing Paul Girard and Steve Alpert. They are both longtime residents of Rockland and Suffern with excellent professional experience and strong resumes. In our opinion they are guided by a sincere desire to move the village forward and act in the best interest of Suffern and its people. Paul Girard is an independent while Steve Alpert is a registered Democrat. They are running together as a ticket on the Democrat Party line–they occupy Row A Box numbers 19 and 20 on the ballot.
NOTE: “We also want to make it clear that the organization called Preserve Suffern has no connection whatsoever with Preserve Ramapo. We do not coordinate efforts or share a common purpose. As far as we know, Preserve Suffern is closely associated with the Suffern Republican Party. Preserve Ramapo is not endorsing any candidates in Suffern this election cycle who have been endorsed by Preserve Suffern.”
Robert Rhodes
Michael Castelluccio
Michael Parietti
Ernest Buonocore Suffern Village Justice
At the end of the top line on the ballot please fill in the space in 21A for Ernest Buonocore for the position of Suffern Justice.
James Skoufis New York State Senate 39th District
For New York State Senate in the 39th District we endorse James Skoufis. His political courage, integrity, and work ethic are above reproach. During his six-year tenure in the New York State Assembly, Mr. Skoufis was focused, productive, and highly accessible. He has been there for the people at the local level and has not been afraid to take on the most contentious issues including those surrounding Kiryas Joel and the Chassidic community. In this regard we cite his authorship of the Annexation Oversight bill, as well as a bill that would allow public school districts to elect board members via the Ward System, and a bill requiring LLCs involved in real estate transactions to reveal who their true owners are. James has staked out his position on these issues and we find it inconceivable to think that he would ever shift his stance simply to secure reelection. Fighting for these and other measures has gained James a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the pressing issues facing Orange County and North Rockland. We are firm in our belief that James will stand up to special interests of every stripe and stand with people from all political persuasions. For this reason and many more we endorse James Skoufis for New York State Senate in the 39th District.
Scott Martens New York State Assembly 98th District
For State Assembly in the 98th District we endorse Scott Martens. We feel Scott represents the very ideal espoused by the concept of a citizen legislature. As a craftsman he has owned and operated a successful carpentry and renovating business for many years. This provides him with real insight to the pressures and challenges that working people and small business owners face on a daily basis. As an activist and organizer at the grass roots, Scott has led the way on important environmental initiatives in the western part of Orange County. We believe that his strong work ethic, communication skills, and personable nature will enable and empower Mr. Martens to become an excellent representative in the New York State Assembly.
Colin Schmidt New York State Assembly 99th District
For Assembly in the 99th District we endorse Colin Schmidt. Schmidt’s combination of relevant work experience, interpersonal skills, and strong commitment to the demands of the position make him an ideal candidate for the New York State Assembly. Schmidt has held key positions at the state and local level that give him a unique perspective on what it takes to get things done in government. His strong stance on protecting public schools and upholding curriculum standards for private schools that receive public funding also resonated strongly with the members with us. Colin’s can-do attitude, gregarious personality, and true sense of purpose, leave us confident that he is the best choice for this the State Assembly in the 99th District.
Supreme Court Justices
When it comes to the Supreme Court Justices we have a unique request. Vote for no less, and no more, than seven Supreme Court Justice candidates, but do not vote for Thomas Zugibe. If you are interested in the explanation of the rationale behind this request, keep reading below. Otherwise you can simply use our sample ballot to guide you in the selection of seven Supreme Court Justice candidates that do not include Zugibe.
Thomas Zugibe’s is the sitting District Attorney for Rockland County. It is our feeling that during his tenure the DA’s office had a track record of leniency for offenders in the ultra-orthodox community as well as their surrogates. We believe it is not in the public interest for Zugibe to vacate his position as DA a year early or gain a seat on the State Supreme Court.
His attempt to leave office before the end of his term seems to be nothing less than a political maneuver aimed at allowing Governor Cuomo to install a new District Attorney who meets the approval of leaders in the Ultra-Orthodox and Chassidic community. One full year of incumbency as the District Attorney will give a handpicked successor a tremendous political advantage over anyone who attempts to challenge him/her in the primary or general election when the DA seat is up next year.
The next District Attorney should be selected by the people in a fair and honest election to be held in 2019. The DA is, after all, an extremely important position that holds tremendous power over the lives of every citizen in the county. We feel it is inappropriate for a sitting DA to participate in any shenanigans that might prejudice or handicap the democratic process of choosing the next District Attorney.
There is a potential countermeasure to this electoral sleight of hand. There are seven openings for Supreme Court Justice in the Ninth Judicial district and 10 candidates vying for those seven seats. When you fill out your ballot be certain to vote for no less, and no more, than seven different candidates for Supreme Court Justice. Be certain also not to vote for Thomas Zugibe. You can vote for any combination of Justices you like, on any party lines you like, but you must vote for no less, and no more than seven different Justice candidates without voting for Zugibe.
Zugibe is easy to avoid on the ballot. He is the last justice on the far-right hand side of the Supreme Court section. Pick seven justices from anyone anywhere to the left of him. Our recommendations about which specific Justices to vote for are shown on our sample ballot but you don’t have to follow them exactly.
The ultimate goal here is to have Zugibe come in 8th place in the election and thereby deny him a seat on the State Supreme Court where he would surely be a reliable scribe for the special interests behind him. This will also ensure that the process to select a new District Attorney for Rockland County will be free from the taint of manipulation by a small circle of powerful men who seem to think they are above the law.
Thank You,
Michael Parietti