MonCo Dems Won’t Challenge Brooks

Fail to Field Candidate, WBP Endorses Stainton

Joe Morelle, Monroe County Dem Chairman, kept voters waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting. Then, like a bad M. Night Shyamalan flick, the twist that we were all waiting for really was not a twist at all. The only thing missing was Ron Howard’s daughter in a supporting role.

Now MonCo Dems have the choice of supporting incumbent County Exec Maggie Brooks or . . .

Rochester Turning has part one of an interview with the only person with enough balls to mount a challenge against the massive Brooks/Minarik warchest.

As such, it is my belief that the MonCo Dem party should have endorsed Andrew Stainton in the absence of its candidate.

Which brings me to the first official Water Buffalo Press endorsement of this election cycle: Andrew Stainton for Monroe County Executive.

Someone, anyone, needs to shake the cushy pedestal that Brooks currently rests upon. Brooks has trampled the Constitution, bailed out her political cronies, participated in pay-to-play, used fear for photo-ops, engaged in questionable economic development efforts and been all too willing to take credit for successes in which she had no part.

Stainton, a career educator, has launched the type of single-issue platform campaign that we are used to seeing from local third-party candidates. While this strategy rarely results in an election night win it can facilitate a larger public discussion which, in this case, is much needed.

Stainton’s platform is mainly one of opposition to the proposed Renaissance Square project, a topic near and dear to our hearts at the WBP. Stainton is not only campaigning simply as opposition, rather, he has an alternative proposal which he believes is both logistically and economically feasible and beneficial.

Be sure to read the Stainton interview at RT and then visit our RenSquare epetition.