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Blue Stone Press – September 2, 2011
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Dist. 21 candidates cite hope, concerns, and why they should be elected on 9/13
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by Sherry Chachkin
The Sept. 13 Republican primary will determine which of two contenders will have the November Republican ballot line for the newly-created, single-seat Ulster County Legislature's District 21, comprised of the Town of Rochester, and a small portion of the Town of Wawarsing.
Terry Bernardo (R-Accord), one of the four incumbent County legislators for former District 1, will face Manuela Michailescu, a Rochester town board member whose board term ends on Dec. 31.
The BSP asked each candidate for an update on her campaign and for her view on the issues facing the County and what she would hope to accomplish as a legislator in the next two years.
Bernardo responded: "The most immediate issue as I write this in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane is helping people. At this time of crisis with people still recovering from disaster, we are all reminded that government has to get back to basics. That means ensuring our part of Ulster County has quality roads and bridges, access to health care, and well-equipped fire and rescue services.
What do I hope to accomplish: First, I know our community's legislator needs to be able to work and communicate with other people in a way which ensures Rochester's and Wawarsing's voice is heard in Kingston. I can do that. We will most likely have a politically divided County legislature. I believe I have the relationships to help accomplish: (a) an overhaul of the County's failed Economic Development Department; (b) a resolution on the Golden Hill nursing home controversy; and (c) the completion of the flood buyout program to ensure our area residents who experience continuous flooding have an opportunity to participate in the buyout program.
Second, we need to ensure our community gets our fair share. Supervisor Carl Chipman and I work closely together, and will continue to work closely together, to ensure that the county invests fairly in law enforcement and road and bridge funding for our community."
Bernardo added: "During this time of hurricane-related crisis, I want to extend my thanks to our firefighters, EMS workers, utility crews, and law enforcement for helping with so many problems. The recovery is continuing and I am confident that as a community we will pull through."
Michailescu told the BSP that her campaign has been "a tiring but truly fascinating process," and expressed "my sincerest thanks to all voters I met, those who questioned and challenged me or simply said 'of course' and signed [my petition]..." She also told the BSP that she found it "most disturbing... that my electoral signs are vandalized or stolen on a daily basis."
Michailescu said that the most important issues facing the County Legislature are the funding of the Golden Hill Healthcare Center and the County Resource Recovery Agency. "When the County faces a budget deficit of $25 million (and that was before Hurricane Irene's devastation), where can we find over $100 million necessary for these projects? How is the County going to pay for 'saving' Golden Hill? What is going to be the impact on people? How much extra would residents of District 21 have to pay per year?
There is no true representation of people's interest. There is no realistic perspective in solving problems; the 'nuts and bolts' approach is missing. The most serious problem of the current Legislature is the lack of decisiveness... Elected a Legislator, I would focus on a realistic, decisive approach regarding the County's financial matters and their impact on our District's residents."
Michailescu told the BSP that she would hope to accomplish "keep[ing] our residents' taxes as low as possible." In addition, she said, she "would bring a new level of trust, honesty and involvement" to the District's representation, as a legislator with "no special interests, no deals or promises made regarding jobs or positions." Further, Michailescu said she would hope "to meet people and listen to their concerns... to become the most involved Legislator... to be like an 'extension' of the great town board... to have a fair, balanced and non-partisan approach. And to do it all with passion." Michailescu also said she hoped "to apply my marketing skills and experience to tourism and economic development... I would do my best to make a difference in that area, to the advantage of our District."
Regarding other lines on the November ballot, Bernardo will have the Independence Party line, while the Conservative Party chose not to have a ballot line after challenges by Michailescu's husband, Jon Dogar-Marinesco to Bernardo's qualifying petitions for that Party knocked Bernardo off the ballot. The Democratic Party is not running a candidate for the seat.
Michailescu is currently attempting to qualify for the independent Liberty Coalition ballot line. She submitted nominating petitions with 183 signatures on Aug. 23 and a Certificate of Acceptance on Aug. 25. Also on Aug. 25, Bernardo's husband, Len Bernardo, who is chair of the county's Independence Party filed objections to Michailescu's nominating petitions on the grounds that she is required to submit 263 signatures due to a June 1, 2011 County Board of Elections (BOE) signature requirements revision.
According to Michailescu, she received information from BOE Commissioner Victor Work on July 5 that a minimum of 137 signatures was required for independent party nominating petitions. Dogar-Marinesco told the BSP that on Aug. 31, he e-mailed Work to dispute Bernardo's claim that the signature requirement was changed, citing Work's July 5 information and stating that "There is no public information confirming Mr. Bernardo's claim" about the signature revision."
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Blue Stone Press – June 17, 2011
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Rochester's Michailescu looks to challenge Bernardo
in Republican primary
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by Sherry Chachkin
On June 14, Rochester town board member Manuela Michailescu announced that she would challenge incumbent legislator Terry Bernardo in a Republican primary in September.
The primary will be for the newly created position for District 21 (Rochester and portions of Wawarsing), created by the recently completed redistricting of Ulster County. Bernardo, who has been in the county legislature for the last year, received the Republican nomination for the seat at the recent Republican Convention.
Michailescu told the BSP that she must gather 77 signatures for her qualifying petition (5 percent of enrolled Republican voters in District 21, as required by law) by the July 14 filing deadline in order to force a primary with Bernardo.
Bernardo is one of the four representatives elected at-large in November 2009 to represent then-District 1, which included Wawarsing, Rochester, and a small part of the town of
Marbletown. She is the only Rochester resident and the only Republican among the four District 1 incumbents. At their convention, Democrats failed to select a District 21 candidate.
In 2009, Michailescu, alleging that a "back room deal" cost her the Republican endorsement for a District 1 seat (the Republicans cross-endorsed the three Ellenville-based Democratic incumbents, in addition to endorsing Bernardo), forced a five-way Republican primary in District 1. Bernardo's husband, Len is chairman of the county's Independence Party.
As a result, Michailescu secured a place on the Republican line by garnering the second-highest number of votes district-wide of the five candidates. (Bernardo came in first with 336 votes; Michailescu received 295 votes, while the three Democrats received 230, 208, and 158 votes, respectively.) However, the original Republican-endorsed line-up was also the Democratic ballot offering, since the Democrats had cross-endorsed Bernardo, and Michailescu, polling the least number of votes, lost the Nov. 3, 2009 election to her four rivals.
This year, Michailescu's press release said that in the 2009 Republican primary, she "was the highest vote-getter in the town of Rochester" and "won the Republican line in all 18 local districts" of District 1 in the election. (Emphasis in original). "I feel I owe it to those who voted for me to run again," Michailescu says in her release.
"By talking to people in our District I understood what they are looking for in a legislator. I am encouraged and overwhelmed by their trust in me. I will continue to reach as many voters as possible before Primary Day on Sept. 13. My message is simple: I'm eager to listen and ready to work hard for the people of District 21."
When asked why voters should consider replacing an incumbent with a newcomer, Michailescu told the BSP: "Two years ago the incumbent was a newcomer with absolutely no experience. My four years of experience in local government provide a solid platform to move to the county level. Somebody truly involved, who knows the pulse of the town, is a good choice for voters. Starting at the local level it's the natural way. Any of our town board members would make excellent legislators. To be an incumbent is not necessarily
an asset, especially coming from a legislature mostly concerned with redistricting issues and
internal leadership problems. I met people whose only question was: 'Are you an incumbent?'
They would simply not vote for an incumbent."
Michailescu said she would bring "a totally different level of trust" to her post as county legislator as "a principled person... who would not be touched by ethics conflicts." She said she did not have "any long-term political ambitions" but did have "the desire to serve the people of our new District 21." In addition, Michailescu said,
"I would bring a 'nuts & bolts' approach to
addressing the issues, something apparently missing from the current legislature. Also, I have a real passion for marketing the county, and the
necessary skills to do it."
Michailescu added that one of her special concerns as a legislator would be to re-establish a tourism committee "as an essential tool for building the economic future of our county." She said she would also "work to keep our county's taxes as low as possible. Safety Net costs and Golden Hill issues exemplify how important it is to make sure our part of the county is not unfairly taxed."
In her release, Michailescu states that since her election to the Rochester town board in November 2007, she has been "exposed to a wide range of town issues, and is familiar with the impact county issues can have on [a] town's residents." "I am proud of my work on the Town of Rochester's town board," she adds, "and as liaison to the Historic Preservation and Youth Commissions. I've grown a lot in the last four years, staying involved, getting things done in a non-partisan manner. I've learned from the difficult issues we faced, from our accomplishments, from attending training sessions, from my fellow town board members, and from the people I was in touch with. I'm a principled fighter for what is right and I hope I can continue to serve the people in the town of Rochester as well as those in east Wawarsing." Michailescu, whose Rochester town board term of office ends on Dec. 31, told the BSP "I'm not ruling out the possibility of running for the town board in the future."
Bernardo responded to Michailescu's announcement by telling the BSP "I'm honored to serve in the legislature and honored to have won the most votes in the 2009 Republican primary. I appreciate the unanimous endorsement of the Republican Committee at last week's county convention and appreciate the opportunity to serve on the State Republican Committee. In the past year and a half since being elected to the legislature, I have successfully worked with my fellow Republicans and the County Executive to deliver a 0 percent tax increase. I will continue to oppose higher taxes, continue to fight for better jobs, and continue to fight to make County more affordable to live in."
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