Irondequoit Democrats, Republicans decry "unfair" campaign ad

Republican candidates for Irondequoit town board have denounced a political ad paid for by a group that actively criticizes town government. The ad, by Irondequoit Citizens for Better Government Inc., was the subject of a Saturday ruling by the Fair Election Practices Committee that the Report Card on Irondequoit Officials ad violated the Fair Campaign Pledge. While the Report Card ad does not advocate directly for candidates Robert J. Nottell and Robert Moore, the FEPC campaign pledge requires candidates to publicly repudiate any individual or group whose activities on my campaigns behalf (directly or indirectly) violate this campaign pledge. The ad, which ran last Thursday in the Irondequoit Post and today in the Democrat and Chronicle, targets Democratic Town Board members Stephanie Aldersley and John Perticone, claiming, among other allegations, that because they accepted cross-endorsement from the Republican party they denied voters a choice at the ballot, and that they voted to give away tax dollars to the Sea Breeze Water Authority, voted to close the Irondequoit Senior

Center, violated the open meetings law, and voted to spend tax money in a secret meeting. The committee said the ad violated the following provisions of pledge: --I will not engage in, permit or condone personal attacks upon the character of my opponents; nor will I engage in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to campaign issues. --I will not use or permit the use of any campaign material or advertisement which uses quotations or images taken out of context and to misrepresent the other candidate or other candidates message. Perticone and Aldersley, both incumbents running for their second four-year terms on the board, held a press conference today asking Nottell and Moore to repudiate the ad as the pledge requires. First of all, we want the public to know that everything in the ad is untrue, said Aldersley. The committee found that the ad was unfair and misleading and we want them to honor their pledge. Reached by telephone this morning, Nottell said he and Moore do condemn the ad. He also criticized as a buffoon longtime Irondequoit political activist Richard Barone, chairman of Irondequoit Citizens for Better Government. We both oppose his approach, him and everything he tries to do with these negative Report Cards, he said, adding that he and Moore have asked Barone repeatedly to stop running the Report Card ads, which have appeared in the Irondequoit Post weekly newspaper throughout this political season.

He is a rogue and doesnt listen to us. He does exactly what he wants to do. Barone, however, fired back at the Fair Election Practices Committee, calling Saturdays hearing a travesty. He said he stands by every allegation in the ad, and said it was unfair for the committee to rule on his work without allowing him to present evidence of its veracity. The committee violates the principals of due process and fairness by not allowing someone to defend themselves against these charges, he said. How can you have a valid decision when the defense is not even invited to the hearing when the decision is made? MCDERMOT@DemocratandChronicle.com

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Irondequoit Democrats, Republicans decry unfair campaign ad

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Score: 3 adkmnt 4:06 PM on November 7, 2011 Let's see.... Seabreeze Water Authority...remember the front page Dem and Chron story about that one..here is the IPost version http://www.irondequoitpost.com/features/x827644690/AtSept-20-meeting-Irondequoit-Town-Board-considers-redesign-for-DPW-complex Cross endorsement.... yes I remember that one.. trying to end elections in Irondequoit because they say they are working so well as a bi-partisian team. Ok...hmmmm how about that one? Sure seems like rigged elections to me. Maybe Stephanie and John can explain how they spent all our cash reserves and were soundly criticized in the NYS Comptrollers audit? "Town overspent for 3 years" Then there is the lying about why they won't pursue a solution to the worthless Medley deal they signed. http://foilsforirondequoit.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-bill.html http://www.irondequoitpost.com/opinion/x1760393098/LETTER-What-a-political-differencetwo-years-has-made Aldersley paving private property http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5YHfvNUr10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihRW_q2iUyA&feature=related Report Abuse

Score: -1 mscotty 4:33 PM on November 7, 2011 So everyone running, regardless of party, condemns these ads? And still Mr. Barone thinks they are treating him unfairly?

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Score: 5 jaxxx 4:45 PM on November 7, 2011 First of all, we want the public to know that everything in the ad is untrue, said Aldersley. I want the public to know that everything in that ad was true, except for "voting" to appropriate funds to the SBWD during executive session - the board discussed it openly and honestly after the executive session for quite some time before formally voting on it in public. That was the only thing that could be considered "untrue". Everything else in the ad? Absolutely 100% true. All verifiable by town board meeting minutes/videos and simple google searches for documents that prove it. Moore and Nottell do not belong to the Citizens for Better Government group, had nothing to do with the ads that were paid for by the CFBG, but yet have to repudiate the ad. Why? Politics. Just plain playing politics. The Democrats use the Fair Election Practices Committee as a tool to play political games. Morelle does it every year - in fact recently calling on all Democrats to boycott the FEPC hearings unless they become more fair, consistent, better organized, and bi-partisan. But now they think the FEPC is worthy of using for their last ditch effort to play politics before their election. Which, by the way, would have been very boring indeed if Moore and Nottell hadn't gathered enough signatures to Primary the Democrats for the Republican line (I know, confusing) in the Election. The cross endorsement ensured that there would be no choices unless people went out on their own without their party support to give the voters a choice. They know what's best for you though - right? I mean....look at Medley Cent.....er...never mind. Report Abuse

Score: 5 jaxxx 5:27 PM on November 7, 2011

I wonder if Aldersley is going to file a complaint against my comment and force Moore and Nottell to repudiate my comment publicly? Report Abuse

Score: 1 Taxed2tears 9:12 PM on November 7, 2011 Weird that Richard Barone was NOT a "buffoon" when he collected the majority of primary signatures for Moore and Notell. Moore and Notell, not Barone, signed the FEPC pledge. If elected would they also conveniently forget the oath of office? How loyal to now call a friend who helped them get this far a "buffoon". Barone thinks he should have a say at the FEPC but he isn't running for office and didn't sign any pledge. So why would he want to say anything to the FEPC or care what they think? His ad's seem to sum up what he thinks. The Post reports that Joe Morelle has been told by Mary Joyce D'Aurizio that she denies supporting Joe Carbone in an ad that ran showing her face and statements supporting Carbone for the legislature against Vinnie Esposito. D'Aurizio doesn't lodge a complaint with the FEPC and she and Carbone are both unavailable for comment. Either Carbone is really rotten to do what he is accused of, or D'Aurizio lied to Morelle. Carbone brags about raising and spending $45,000 to win a job that will pay him less than $20,000. Great return on other peoples money! And he campaigned on fiscal responsibility??!! How would he vote to spend our money? We got choices just not good ones. Report Abuse

Score: 2 jaxxx 9:43 PM on November 7, 2011 Barone "didn't sign any pledge. So why would he want to say anything to the FEPC or care what they think? " Aldersley didn't sign the FEPC pledge either - so why would or should she want to say anything to the FEPC or care what they think? She obviously "boycotted" them like Joe Morelle told her to - but then files a complaint against candidates who had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ADS.

Barone has had ads in the paper for years - report cards too - nobody ever has had to denounce those ads/report cards until now. Ridiculous. Report Abuse

Score: 4 Cheri4ever 10:03 PM on November 7, 2011 So Stephanie Aldersley didn't even sign the pledge but she has the right to make a complaint!? This UnFair election committe seems so credible... Report Abuse

Score: 4 jaxxx 10:15 PM on November 7, 2011 No no no Cheri. In September the FEPC was bad. In November they are good. In September they ruled against Morelle's peeps and Morelle said this about the FEPC: "In my view, it's disorganized, it's inconsistent and frankly it's a vast disappointment." http://www.brightonpittsfordpost.com/latestnews/x1587952864/Fair-elections-committeesissues-two-rulings-in-primary-races But now, in November, they aren't disorganized, inconsistent, and a vast disappointment. See how it all works? lol What a joke.