How is it that after so many generations of people fighting for freedom of everything they can, they still just file in line to do what the next guy or gal tells them to? We held our special elections yesterday for mayor, and ended up with one of the most corrupt businessmen in the city.. I’m going to try to breakdown why this probably happened (in my own thoughts)..

First here were our choices..
Tom Richards (Dem), who used to run RG&E until he sold it off for a nice fat severance (I read 24 million dollars), leaving ~200 people jobless. ‘Nough said…

Bill Johnson (Independents & Working Family).. This guy ::sighs:: He was our former mayor, who thought it would be smart to purchase a ferry to run from here to Toronto, CA. The ferry first crashed on its maiden voyage out of a port in Australia, then crashed again in NYC. We sold it, not once, not twice, but three times, buying it back for more than we sold it twice (this means we lost more money). And then he had the audacity to say that he would purchase another ferry if it were privately invested if he won this election… Yeah, he came in second in the ballots – go figure..

Alex White (Green).. I’ve met Alex, and I’ve spent time getting to know him (prior to his campaign). He’s a highly intelligent person, who probably would have done more for the city than any mayor we’ve had in the past 30 years. This was the only one actually giving ideas and suggestions that would help build our city back up into the colossus that it once was. He went live on the net to campaign, allowing free and open suggestions and questions, without any bias, and answered honestly, without pause. Another plus? He didn’t slander – at all.

Out of the three candidates, Alex was the only one that would have brought real change to our city.. So why did Mr. Richards win? Well let’s look at the psyche of a voter.

Voters are more likely to vote for names that they have heard more. Alex wasn’t as well funded as either of the other ‘big dogs’, and didn’t get as much coverage. Johnson and Richards were both on every other commercial in this city. Richards and Johnson were both well known prior to the election. My grandmother (Dem) said something that irked me, but goes with this.. “Not too hard of a choice.. Guy [Johnson] who wants to bring another ferry, guy [Richards] who was in office with Duffy (most recent mayor), or a nobody [White].”. Obviously, she didn’t do her research on White, and just went off what others said.

A voter, especially the older ones, are diehard party voters. Since there was no Republican candidate, I assume that the percentages were split between mostly between Richards and Johnson (Based on talking to Republicans, my estimate is ~ 63% Richards and 35% Johnson, leaving 2% for White. A greater percentage were against Johnson as mayor again).

The main point of this post, is to try and rattle you out of a state of disillusion… People need to stop following what everyone else says and does and think for themselves….