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In 2023 the Republicans ran three candidates for Gates Town Board (Supervisor, and two councilmen); there were no other official candidates on the ballot. In a democracy, it's healthy to have opposition, to have discussion and debate to improve and refine ideas, and to provide different perspectives and ideas. One-party rule too often leads to laziness and rubber-stamping, and, when less honorable people are involved, the risk of corruption.
Moreover, the voters should have a choice.
So as a member of the American Solidarity Party, I offered myself as a write-in candidate. The Party stands for Common Good, Common Ground, Common Sense.
Among the pledges I made:
To make sure the abortion giant Planned Parenthood does not take part in any town sponsored or financed events
To keep as much of Gates green as possible, and so I will oppose any efforts to use part of the Dolomite Forest and Wildlife area for Highway Department facilities.
To call for broadcast of all public meetings, including Town Board meetings, on some venue like YouTube. f
I checked the Board of Elections about getting a ballot line. It would require hundreds of signatures - and, of course, would be subject to challenges. Not having a team, and not having a big budget, it seems beyond my means. So if I do run this time it will likely be as a write-in again. I also need to see if there are choices for the voters. The Republicans will likely nominate someone, and that person may be acceptable, but it's not clear if the Democrats will do so. Moreover, given the Democratic Party positions on life issues, that person may not be acceptable anyway.
If the site next to the Town Hall does indeed become the new site of the Highway Department, the issue of the Dolomite Forest remains. I know many folks would like to keep it forever wild, but there might be a push from some to develop it or even sell it to a developer. Maybe a secondary (and proactive) choice might be developing it as a nature area with trails. Could a group be formed to oversee that, working with the town, securing grants, to develop some portions of it? They have a former farm down in Caledonia where they did that. The Mackay Wildlife Preserve Nature Trail -
From the Monroe County Board of Elections, the 2024 Presidential election results for Monroe County:
Kamala D Harris Democratic received 201,677
Donald J Trump Republican received 126,558
Donald J Trump Conservative received 19,382
Kamala D Harris Working Families received 13,080
Chase Oliver received 433
Claudia De La Cruz received 208
Peter Sonski received 162
Cornel West received 129
Chris Garrity received 6
Shiva Ayyadurai received 4
Raymond Anthony Scollin received 3
Andrew O'Donnell received 2
Garry Hubbard received 1
The American Solidarity Party was created in 2011, and it was incorporated in 2016, the first year it ran a Presidential candidate.
I joined the Party in 2016. I ran as an ASP write-in candidate for Gates Town Board in 2023. I got 86 votes even though I only entered the race at the end of September.
Here are the Presdiential results nationally, and in New York, where the Party so far has only been able to run its candidates as write-ins.
2020 (Brian Carroll/Amar Patel): 42,305; 999 in New York
The 2024 candidate are Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak. I voted for them this past Saturday.
We'll see the results in the coming weeks.
For a party that claims to have a number of "pro-life" candidates or office holders, it was telling that only one Republican candidate or office holder had the courage and conviction to show up at the Men's March on Saturday. This is one of the reasons why I am a member of the American Solidarity Party - a genuinely pro-life party.
New York results for the American Solidarity Party - with Monroe County among the best!
In New York, 1,544 write-in votes, up from 996 in 2020.
Best NY Counties by Vote Total
2. Erie - 151 (0.033%)
3. New York - 113 (0.017%)
4. Nassau - 89 (0.012%)
5. Queens - 85 (0.012%)
Best NY Counties by Percentage
1. Allegany - 17 (0.087%)
2. Livingston - 17 (0.055%)
3. Monroe - 162 (0.044%)
4. Orleans - 8 (0.044%)
5. Steuben - 20 (0.044%
Best NY Counties by Growth
1. New York: +51 votes (82% growth)
2. Monroe: +50 votes (45% growth)
3. Erie: +47 votes (45% growth)
4. Kings: +42 votes (127% growth)
5. Suffolk: +41 votes (121% growth)
From the November 8, 2023 Town Board Meeting Minutes. It sure doesn't sound settled; reading between the lines, it might still just go ahead despite peoples' concerns. --
Leilani McGrath, 396 Hinchey Rd. neighbors are still concerned with the possibilities of
development of the Dolomite property. She has a proposal of possibly having an informational
meeting to update everyone or make it part of the town board agenda so there isn’t a lingering
Supervisor Giunta appreciates the suggestion, but there is nothing to update. They haven’t done
anything, not even discussed further since that meeting. He continued, that they are still looking
and feels he can’t emphasize enough, it was just a proposal.
Councilman DiPonzio it was part of the original agreement, that it was used part for park and or
town purposes.
Supervisor Giunta, stated as he explained before, it was just a conceptual plan. There are grants
possibilities to help with developing, but there are no changes, it’s been put on the back burner.
Mrs. McGrath also suggested the 34 Acres of 3400 block of Buffalo Rd that’s for sale as a
possible location.
Supervisor Giunta that has already been purchased, it is part of the eight-five (85) acre project
spoken about earlier.
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Councilman DiPonzio when Mark Assini was in office he also looked at a number of spots as
well and this exploratory venture looking at the Dolomite property was all part of it and some of
the things people brought up were things they had already explored and were either flat out
turned down. The highway department is sixty (60) years old and has outgrown the need.
Mrs. McGrath asked how is going from the roughly seven (7) acres to needing twenty (20) acres
justified. How is it justifies having an eighteen thousand (18,000) square foot garage to a sixty
thousand (60,000) square foot garage?
Supervisor Giunta because it would be utilized for other town things. To have a self-serving
area, EV stations, mulch pickup or dropping things off. Looking at expanding the current use
and make it more resident friendly. Looking at other facilities throughout the county and seeing
what they have done and what would be nice for our residents. He gave an example of during
the pandemic and was invited to Irondequoit, which is a beautiful facility with the ability to do
much more and were able to have residents drive through. It could also be used as a disaster
recovery site if need be. They are looking into the future.
Mrs. McGrath is totally behind as far as promoting and progressing forward with the Town of
Gates, but also understands the concerns her neighbors have as well and askes for possibly
holding a meeting to state this.
Supervisor Giunta the informational meeting that was held was really just supposed to address
talks and rumors that were flowing out there, but it turned out to be a bashing session that was
unnecessary and doesn’t want a repeat of that, especially when there is nothing new going on.
Something like this would need to go through many meetings and a referendum.
Councilman Loughlin, if there is no movement, there is no need for a meeting
Mrs. McGrath, maybe possibly add to the cornerstone booklet
Councilman Tucciarello added, in situations like this, there are always folks out there that are
enticing you to follow them down a rabbit hole, where the only thing down there is questions.
They enjoy this, they want to keep you at the edge of your seat, they want to feed you
information that sounds so professional and endearing, but there is nothing to it. This is what
happens and how a neighborhood gets upset with something that isn’t real. So, the neighborhood
anxiety over this, shouldn’t be there at all, because there is no plan, there is nothing at all and for
them to even make a move there, the residents would need to go to the voting booth. There
would need to be a referendum. So that would be a big marker in the mind if a referendum was
called, but that’s not happening and it’s not even a thought at this time. Unfortunately, the
neighborhood is being stirred up by folks that want to stir them stirred up and feeling this way.
The neighbors will know if there is ever anything to it because they will be able to go and vote
down. There is no need to be upset about this, there has been zero discussion about this since
that informational meeting, which really was just a meeting to say, there is a lot of
misinformation out there. The residents are invited to come to the town hall at anytime and ask
questions anytime they want. This town board, the supervisor, this administration has always
been extremely open and honest. They feel it’s their mission to serve the residents as best as
they can with total openness and honesty. It’s our job, our mission, they too are residents of this
town and are proud of this town and the work they do. They certainty will not do or could do
anything underhandedly. Relax, a bulldozer will not just show up, it wouldn’t and couldn’t
happen that way.
Mrs. McGrath understands and that’s why she suggests posting that somehow, publishing it so it
would go in everyone’s mailbox and if they read the letter back in January of 2022 asking people
to go to the library and give input, which is how her first conversation started.
Supervisor Giunta they try to keep everyone informed using the website and social media and
now the cornerstone.
Attended a meeting of the Friends of Italian Geneology for a presentation about Human Rights Activist and Irish Patriot John Joseph "Exile" McBride by his great-nephew, Michael McBride. "Exile" fled Ireland to live in Brockport and Western New York, and is buried in Brockport. Thank you to the Gates Library for providing the space for the meeting; the Library serves the community in so many ways!
I discovered there is another write-in candidate running in Gates - Romeo Delucia is running for Supervisor. We share a common concern for how the Dolomite Forest & Wildlife area will be used.
Planned Parenthood is the leading provider and promoter of abortion - surgical and chemical. It has also become actively involved in promoting gender transition and providing medications fr this. And in both cases, it works to deny parental notification and involvement. Further, it has been implicated repeatedly in helping to conceal sex trafficking and incest. If elected to Gates Town Board, I will work to make sure Planned Parenthood is not allowed to participate in any Town sponsored or funded events.
Attended the annual meeting of the Rochester Area Right to Life Education Fund last night. Kelly Lester of Then There Were None was the featured speaker. Also heard updates from the Fund's President Anne Leblanc about life issues in the state, including efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide and the ERA that will deny parental rights.
f elected to Gates Town Board, I will seek any way possible to support local businesses rather than large corporations or chains. As the Principles of the American Solidarity Party state:
The American Solidarity Party believes that political economy is a branch of political ethics, and therefore rejects models of economic behavior that undermine human dignity with greed and naked self-interest. We advocate for an economic system which liberates people from being cogs in a pitiless machine, instead creating a society of widespread ownership, or distributism.
We believe the American economy should be reordered to place human dignity first and to recognize that the family is the basic unit of economic production. We are committed to policies that emphasize local production, family-owned businesses, and cooperative ownership structures.
Policy should encourage and incentivize families who run their own small businesses and help them to provide just wages to their workers. Government policy must not favor large corporations, help them to outcompete small businesses, or encourage administrative bloat.
Citizens in this residential neighborhood are deeply concerned about the possible quality of life and environmental harm that would be caused by moving highway facilities to this site. They want it to be used for park purposes. They contend there are other sites that would be more appropriate for the highway department.
I am not going to assume ill-intentions on the part of town leaders, but I oppose any plans to use this site for other than some sort of park/green land. If elected to the Gates Town Board, I will work to protect this land and this neighborhood.
Knowledge and information are vital for democracy to thrive.
The Town of Gates is good about holding public events and meetings. But not all people are able to get to them due to weather, health, transportation, family, conflicting events and meetings, and so on.
If elected to Gates Town Board one of the proposals I will make is that the Town look to create an on-line presence - such as a YouTube channel - on which all public meetings and events will be broadcast. Not only would this allow people to tune in, it would create an archive for people to consult as needed.
Too often candidates say they are pro-life, but when pressed they can't name one pro-life measure they have proposed or openly supported, no pro-life proposal they will put forward if elected or re-elected, and no pro-life actions they have taken. That's just paying lip service to being pro-life for campaign purposes.
There are all sorts of actions and proposals open depending on the office.
If elected to the Gates Town Board, I will propose pro-life measures, including how the town's money and support is allocated.
Too often candidates say they are pro-life, but when pressed they can't name one pro-life measure they have proposed or openly supported, no pro-life proposal they will put forward if elected or re-elected, and no pro-life actions they have taken. That's just paying lip service to being pro-life for campaign purposes.
There are all sorts of actions and proposals open depending on the office.
If elected to the Gates Town Board, I will propose pro-life measures, including how the town's money and support is allocated.
I support the Party's common sense approach to firearms, balancing individual rights and public safety.
"The American Solidarity Party recognizes that firearms are uniquely effective tools for both legitimate uses (such as hunting and personal protection) and illegitimate uses (such as criminal homicide and suicide). We also acknowledge that our country has both a long history of private firearm ownership and a current problem of gun violence, and that the root causes of such violence go deeper than access to firearms. We believe that regulations and policies surrounding firearms must be evidence-based and balance the interests of public safety and individual rights."
STRONGFORGATES.BLOGSPOT.COM
What are my qualifications to run for Town Board in Gates?
Gates resident for 29 years.
Active member of Parish of the Holy Family; as a volunteer there I help to deliver food and supplies to needy individuals and families, and to agencies serving the needy.
Former President of the Friends of the Gate Public Library Board.
Long-time member of the Gates Historical Society.
Gates Blogger for the Democrat and Chronicle, covering the government of Gates, and Gates groups, news stories, and individuals
Retired English/History teacher.
Worked full-time for more than a decade as an award-winning print reporter/editor (Catholic Courier, City Newspaper), covering government, social issues, health care, and more.
Worked for more than 20 years as part-time reporter/newscaster/local host for WXXI AM 1370, covering local government and politics, health care, and more.
Following the earlier post about prositution, human traficig, abuse and more, if elected to the Gates Town Board I would support any measure that closes/suspends operating licenses/etc. for any business - including motels - that turn a blind eye to prostitution, statutory rape, human trafficking, and so on.
If elected to the Gates Town Board, i would support polices to fight these evils, and to support those seeking escape from them. I applaud the efforts of our police to address these issues, enforcing the law, but also seeking to help those harmed by them.
As the American Solidarity Party Principles state:
We believe pornography and prostitution are grave social ills deeply intertwined with human trafficking, sexual assault, and child abuse. We maintain that laws against prostitution should focus on removing those participating from the cycle of exploitation and mandating penalties primarily on those who buy sex or arrange for its purchase. We support laws that criminalize the production and sale of pornography and deny categorically that pornography is protected speech. We call for governments to aggressively combat human trafficking.
If elected to the Gates Town Board I would propose banning all lawn treatments that involve poisons and carcinogens.
If elected to the Gates Town Board, I would support measures that promote locally owned businesses - as opposed to national chains - and local rather than state control, and that seek balance in the community.
The American Solidity Party platform addresses Local Government and Housing
We support and encourage measures that allow local communities to limit the power of outside interests in managing their land. Tenant unions, community land trusts, and community-oriented development are to be supported in the effort to ensure the availability of affordable housing with rights against capricious landlords and unjust eviction. We also seek policy by local communities to build more housing units, and different kinds of housing in the same neighborhoods, in order to increase housing availability and decrease prices.
We acknowledge that state governments should support the flexibility local governments can wield in policy matters and not supplant them. We believe that higher levels of government are accountable to lower levels. We oppose “race to the bottom tax credits”, which incentivize external commercial interests to dominate communities. And we call for audits of public officials to become a matter of course. We believe that municipalities must support public, local user ownership of entertainment they subsidize, such as sports teams and art centers.
We support local planning policies that will build strong and resilient communities, including ending highway expansion and parking mandates and subsidies. We believe in state support for well-functioning public transport and sidewalks, particularly to ensure more accessible communities. We support community wealth building through incentives for neighborhood small businesses and localized financial institutions. We call for policies that privilege local production, and for the reform of zoning laws and development policies in order to discourage urban and suburban sprawl, allowing communities to thrive without the requirement of private automobiles.
We support zoning laws which favor small businesses and conservation over large-scale corporate investment and shut down vice businesses such as strip clubs and casinos. We call for local ordinances which limit the operating hours of businesses in order to promote time for rest, worship, and family and community life.
We call for job programs to prevent “brain drain” from low-income areas.
We insist that public resources must remain public, including transportation services, toll roads and bridges, community policing and parking enforcement, prisons, and energy and water utilities."
The Gates Comprehensive Plan released earlier this year says, "Protect Town green spaces to promote a livable community."
A proposed plan along Hinchey Road involving Dolomite land does call for creating/preserving green space - which is good - but the issue of placing the town's heavy vehicle storage on some of that land is wrong. That would lead to heavy vehicles such as snow plows driving down small residential streets at all hours. The neighbors oppose that. So do I. Hopefully the Town is not going to go ahead with that idea.
If elected to the town Board, I would oppose that part of the plan. People matter. Neighborhoods matter.
Write in Lee F. Strong for Gates Town Board.
Vote for the American Solidarity Party candidate.
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