Looks like another Editor at the D&C is taking a stroll down Hypocrisy Lane.

As we have seen that both comments and posts have been disappearing lately from the D&C’s website, I have included screen shots at the bottom of this blog of both the bloggers profile and the text of the article in discussion.

Now the expected, if not cliche, question to ask would be “What if a white Republican were to criticize the grammar being used by a black member of the opposing party?” Especially a sitting member of Congress. I will let you all handle that in the comments yourselves.

What I would like to address is how I, along with others, were accused by both Karen Magnuson and Jim Lawrence yesterday of attacking Jim personally by bringing up the fact that his name is found in public records as to having tax issues with NYS. I am still waiting to hear from either of them how we are attacking Jim but they aren’t attacking the folks they reported on in their story. Something tells me I have a long wait ahead of me.

Now on to the hypocrisy! Kevin Frisch is listed on the D&C’s website as the “Digital Opinion Editor” since December 2011. He titled his article “Out of the mouths of Boobs”.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t calling someone a name a “personal attack” and with that against the D&C’s terms and conditions? Why no calls from Jim or Karen to have Kevin’s post removed? He goes on to say “He’s a congressional representative. Allegedly.” FYI Kevin, There is no allegedly here. He was elected and will continue to be a congressional representative until he either leaves office or is voted out.

Kevin questions whether the comments made by Rep West are deserving of a response due to the improper grammar but was willing to offer one himself. So the answer according to you Kevin is yes.

Link to the article: http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/editorial/?p=22691

Today the D&C posted a story discussing people in Monroe County that owe NYS back taxes titled “Top tax delinquents include local names”

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120425/BUSINESS/304200061?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150687647466402_21369688_10150688752341402

One alert reader commented that if the reporter wanted to interview another local tax scofflaw they didn’t need to do much more than walk down the hall. As the alert reader pointed out, Jim Lawrence is listed as having a judgement against him in the amount of $1530.58 with the plaintiff listed as “Commissioner of Taxation and Finance” filed on 11/18/2011. This is all public information that can be found at the following address:
https://gov.propertyinfo.com/NY-Monroe/

Once this was brought to light the comments pertaining to Jm Lawrence were removed from the D&C’s website. As many of you know I have had issues with the D&C removing individual comments and the ability to comment on certain stories even when people are not breaking their terms and conditions. I then posted a comment of my own which can be seen below. My comment was “So Jim Lawrence was called out for being a tax scofflaw in the comments and they have been removed. Either open up the dialogue or close it. This is garbage D&C”

Within moments I received a direct message from Jim Lawrence via Facebook which can also be seen below. From Jim: “You continue to amaze me. First, my tax obligation has long been satisfied and the state’s system simply hasn’t gotten around to updating. (I have a letter attesting to that from the state) What disturbs me most is that you would participate in this kind of character assault on me and my family. I resent it!”

My response was simple “If you are clear then state so on the comments and don’t delete the other ones. I said nothing other than you were called out and the comments disappeared. That makes you look more guilty than correcting the record.” I have received no response to that as of this post.

As can also be seen below, Karen Magnuson accuses the comments pointing out that Jim is listed in the same list of people that they are reporting on as being a personal attack. Karen, where is the attack? If you have listed people that NYS has indicated as owing money and Jim is found on the same list, then either we are not attacking him or you are attacking the other folks that you have reported on. Which is it?

This garbage with the D&C begging for the sunlight to shine in while demanding that the door be shut when the light finds skeletons that they wish not be found is disgusting.
Is there no responsibility with being “Journalists” any longer?
Lastly Jim, I hope we don’t hear any more rhetoric about people not paying their fair share.

Judge Evelyn Frazee did not grant an injunction to prevent the city from evicting the encampment. Mayor Richards, we are waiting for our park back. Please make the correct decision soon and ask them to move along. Rochester is the last city in NY to have an “Occupation”. I understand you want more people downtown but I hope that this is not what you are talking about.

The big question now is: Are the crows going to return?

After taking a few months off after the campaign for City Council I find myself urged to get back to writing. The campaign didn’t end the way I would have hoped but it was an experience that I will never regret. So many new friendships and relationships created to my surprise. Plus the 10 pounds I lost walking to all of those doors didn’t hurt either!

What have I been up to you may ask? My wife and I have decided to go into business for ourselves and are in the process of opening a boutique in the City at the corner of Winton Rd and Blossom Rd. My wife, as many of you know, is from Thailand so we are focusing on importing women’s fashion accessories (Sterling silver, silk, handmade products, and a new line of handbags not available today in the US). Check it out at Fahsye.com or on Facebook by searching for “Fahsye”. And tell the ladies in your life!

What really urged me to get back to writing and will be part of the motivation going forward was this weeks passing of Andrew Breitbart. To say that I was a huge fan would be a stretch but I really enjoyed his work when I did catch him. 43 years old and already a huge success in the media industry. He was also a force behind so many other folks success in the industry as well, even those he completely disagreed with. Andrew picked up a torch and marched into the fight without anyone ever having to ask him. He was an inspiration to the younger generations and showed us how to use the tools of the day (social networking, blogs, twitter, etc) to fight the good fight.

So to Andrew, God bless! Know that your passion will continue on here on this earth.

The City of Rochester will now be providing grants to facilitate the development that will be the office space leased for Windstream employees. As I see it, we are taking tax dollars from one to give to another that provides competition to the original tax payer.

If the goal is to get employees to work in leased office space in downtown Rochester, as opposed to leased office space in Victor I am all for it. I would welcome many former co-workers to join me in working downtown. As an Earthlink employee I enjoy working in the HSBC building with a pending move to our new facility on Monroe and Alexander.

With all of the empty office space available downtown at this present moment I feel we should facilitate filling it, rather than giving away dollars to build a new, not fully leased, building. Rushing into anything at this point to appear as though we are doing something should be avoided. Common sense development should be the way forward to our much empty downtown. We only get one chance with it.

The news this week of the potential sale of PAETEC to Windstream and the effects that it may have on Midtown once again show that there is a need for new leadership in City Hall. In no way should the process have moved
this far along without a more binding agreement being made between PAETEC and the City of Rochester.

Strong and clear leadership was clearly left wanting while blind hope and pandering ruled the day. As we have unfortunately become accustom, City Hall proved again what happens with lack of foresight and common sense.

While I agree that Midtown mall needed to be demolished, it does concern me that City Hall was able to be towed along as far as it was without any contracts in place. Actions of this nature are unacceptable. When
elected to City Council, I will advocate for the public and oppose such willful pandering and bring the strong and clear leadership that the City so desperately needs.

http://www.richtyson.com/home/index.html

I wanted to share this with you all as one of our local high school seniors got an A on this paper. I was honored that she quoted one of the articles that I had written earlier in the year. Great job Amy Hughes!

- Affirmative action programs give preference to minority groups to make up for historical discrimination. Affirmative action is one remedy for dealing with the effects of discrimination in American history.  Supporters view affirmative action as necessary to counteract the effects of past discrimination, whereas opponents believe affirmative action is reverse discrimination. However, not only do the negative effects outweigh the benefits, but the great decrease in racial prejudice in the past years renders affirmative action unnecessary.
Supporters of affirmative action believe it is necessary to overcome the effects of past discrimination to those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. To make up for decreased opportunities for minorities in the past, we must increase their current opportunities. Affirmative action programs are based on the idea that past discrimination is passed from generation to generation, and minorities therefore continue to experience the effects of discrimination today. Moreover, affirmative action not only benefits minority groups but society as a whole. Raina Kelley illustrates this idea in her article “Affirmative Action” by stating that “diversity challenges assumptions and forces people to rely on personal experience instead of stereotype.” Diversity in any situation provides a wider range of ideas and perspectives, challenging us to expand our knowledge. For this reason, some believe diverse organizations make better decisions due to a wider variety of opinions. Another point supporters make is that due to the vast diversity in the United States, if each group is given the opportunity to interact, we can better achieve unity. Diversity is also necessary in businesses to service a diverse base of customers. In addition, supporters say diversity does not imply favor toward a particular group, as all groups may benefit from diverse perspectives.
On the other hand, opponents of affirmative action view it as reverse discrimination against whites. Although the goal of affirmative action is to make up for historical discrimination, the programs conflict with the idea of a society based not upon color but on merit. Affirmative action contradicts the goal that we should not judge people based on race, color, natural origin, or otherwise. To impose affirmative action programs is to suggest that minorities are in need of special treatment to succeed, undermining the achievements of minorities who have succeeded without preferential treatment. In his article on quotas, Rich Tyson describes the concept of affirmative action as “cheapening the successes of those who have worked hard and not looked to have the rules bent to get where they are.” Affirmative action also leads minorities to view themselves as disadvantaged, when in reality they are not, preventing them from reaching their full potential. In addition, we already have anti-discrimination laws in place which are adequate tools in addressing discrimination. Most importantly, demographics are only one aspect of diversity. This detracts from the supporting arguments regarding diversity producing a wide range of ideas, as affirmative action  does not ensure diversity of opinion.
Both sides present valid arguments, however, the drawbacks of affirmative action outweigh the benefits. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, we should not be judged on the color of our skin but on the content of our character. If the goal of affirmative action is ultimately to achieve equality, the programs themselves are completely counterproductive. Affirmative action crosses the line from promoting equality to giving minorities preferential treatment. Job positions and school acceptances should be based on qualifications rather than on demographics. Because of affirmative action, qualified whites are passed over in favor of less qualified minorities. In addition, it’s unfair to the individuals who work hard to be successful when opportunities are handed to others because of their race. True successes of minorities may be labeled as a result of preferential treatment rather than hard work. Moreover, our current generation has come a long way since the times of “Whites Only” signs and Jim Crow laws. This is not to say prejudice has vanished entirely; however, the need for antiquated policies that place certain groups over others has come to an end as society has developed over the past fifty years.
Affirmative action continues to receive both support and opposition. Supporters view it as an effective and necessary way of making schools and businesses more diverse, while opponents characterize it as reverse discrimination. Affirmative action may have been beneficial in the past, however, social advances regarding prejudice and segregation have rendered affirmative action programs unnecessary in more recent years. It is well past the time for our society to stop dwelling on the past and begin living the creed of Martin Luther King Jr.

If ever there were a prize to be given on “condescending nattering”, Jim Lawrence would be the Nobel Prize winner of the category. Today Jim Lawrence unleashed yet another piece in the Editorial Blog slamming the GOP for not putting up a candidate for the “special election”. An election, mind you, that most have voiced the opinion reduces voter influence within the city limits. Considering that a majority of Rochester’s population within the city limits are “people of color”, in the words of Jim Lawrence, I would think that he of all people would commend the GOP for taking a stand against it.

I am a City Republican, as most of you know, and am one of the many voices that have been against this “special election” from the beginning. I have also speculated that if the GOP were in control of the city and were pulling the same stunt that Morelle and crew are, there would be outrage in the streets. I will also speculate that people like Jim Lawrence would accuse the GOP of reducing the voice of “people of color” and keeping them out of the process. If the GOP were in charge it would be a much different story line than we are hearing now. Apparently if the Democrat Party is reducing voter influence it is ok with Jim and many other media outlets in this city.

So Jim, you ought to be thanking the GOP for standing up against a process that has been manipulated by a small group of party insiders in your beloved Democrat Party. I know that in your mind, any and all things that the GOP does is wrong. In your effort to paint us as being terrible, you are looking like a fool. A fool with an axe to grind and even one willing to sell out the very same people that you claim to advocate for.

I am proud that the GOP is not sending a candidate into this “special election” and I look forward to November. This year there are four district seats up on city council, the very council that allowed for this “special election” to ever take place.

I hope the voters remember.

Jim Lawrence piece:

http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/editorial/2011/03/14/the-gop-and-the-mayoral-race/

I would like to say “hello” as I am back from what ended up being a few week long celebration for my wedding. I was married here on Feb 12th in the City of Rochester at Chapel Hill on Prince Street with a reception at the Convention Center. Both locations I would recommend to anyone looking to keep their festivities local which was a goal of my wife and I. Actually, we hoped for and were able to have a wonderful wedding all within the city limits!

My wife and I along with my Father, Mother and Stepfather left Feb 15th for Thailand to celebrate in a traditional ceremony on Feb 20th. Completely different but equally amazing was the celebration there. I was excited and proud to have taken part in the traditional Thai ceremony and was thankful to my new father and mother in law for walking me through what I needed to do. In true Thai fashion the “rehearsal” took place moments before the event began.

Thailand is full of amazing food, culture, people, food, animals, food, weather, and did I mention food. It blows me away how much I ate and gained not a pound! Yay for that! We took in much of what Bangkok has to offer in the lines of shopping, temples, dining, and more shopping. My wife and I also took a three night trip to Chiang Mai in the Northern part of Thailand. Chiang Mai is a much smaller city than Bangkok but equally as exciting. We visited temples, watched a snake show, monkey show, cuddled with tigers, explored the highest point in Thailand, and visited with the Karen Tribe in the mountains and drank some of the home grown coffee. We also took and elephant ride, river raft journey, ate more food and stopped by one of the King’s projects turning what was once a large opium growing district into now fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The King has over 3,000 projects that he has helped to create all of which are making Thailand a better place than when he took the throne decades ago.

We then returned to Bangkok to spend some more quality time with her family which never lasts long enough before returning to Rochester this past Sunday.

Needless to say we could almost stand for taking a few days off after all of this. I was bummed to return to reality but happy to get back home. Any and every time I leave the country I am always surprised what it feels like to return. There is part of me that wants to stay where it is warm and sunny all day, exotic flowers are growing all year, shorts and flip flops are ok anywhere you go, you get the drift.

But here I am, a married man, new job, fresh off of some wonderful time spent cultivating relationships with my new family members, and excited about what this year has to offer. I am happy to be back!