A column in which we report on what Marc Molinaro does, not just what he says Our new congressman, Marc Molinaro (R-NY19), held a town hall meeting at the Dryden Fire Department on February 21. Dryden Democrats Co-Chair Joseph Wilson attended. Asked how it went, Wilson was cautiously optimistic: “To the extent that folks were worried that the Town Hall would reveal us as out of touch elitists, that did not happen. “Those of us who identified as Democrats were given a fair shot at asking questions. All questions were delivered without rhetorical flourishes, insults or innuendos. Our members brought up reasonable questions, including all of those sent us from Binghamton, and presented them respectfully.” “Molinaro, albeit a bit of a showman, talked knowledgeably off the cuff and answered questions with a reasonable degree of directness. “I think most if not all went away feeling they had presented themselves in an adult fashion, got a bit of measure of who Molinaro is, and the sense that, while we might not agree with him (and don’t like his allies’ lies), we can continue a dialogue with him in the future.” However (you knew there’d be a however, right?) six days earlier […]

Former TCDC member and Ithaca City Alderwoman Susan Blumenthal, 78, died February 16, 2023, after eight years as a Stage 4 cancer patient and an intense bout of flu and pneumonia. Blumenthal came to Ithaca to study at Cornell University, earning a Master of Regional Planning in 1978. Her career in public service began in 1984, when she was appointed to the city’s planning board; she served for 11 years, eight of them as its chair. She joined the Downtown Vision Task Force in 1990 and chaired the Downtown Revitalization Leadership Committee. A member of Common Council from 1996 to 2004, Blumenthal gravitated naturally to the Planning and Development Committee and served as its chair. Her focus on planning and economic development initiatives helped to bring about many of the public and commercial improvements we take for granted today. She oversaw the economic studies that brought “big box” newcomers such as Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot and Staples to southwest Ithaca. She was instrumental in the decision-making that led to the siting of the Ithaca Farmers Market at Steamboat Landing. With Cornell mentor and former Democratic county legislator Stuart Stein, Blumenthal developed the Tompkins County Beautification Program, and was Common Council’s […]

Get Ready: March is the start of the 2023 election cycle March is coming in like a lion: a hungry, fast-moving lion, with local candidates abounding and the array of petitions ready for signatures. It’s the start of the 2023 election cycle, and committee members and I are working night and day to prepare petition packets. So this is going to be a short message! This month the villages of Cayuga Heights, Dryden, Groton and Trumans-burg will hold elections for mayors and trustees. Village of Lansing voters go to the polls April 25. Towns and the City of Ithaca will vote November 7. Then we’ll turn around twice and it’s 2024, with races for Congress, state office and President. I’d love to say more, but it takes all of us to “Get Out and Petition.” I am grateful for your willingness to put time and energy into pulling together the signatures for serving as TCDC members, Judge Cassidy, 6th JD Delegates/Alternates and local candidates. Good luck to our candidates this month! Linda Hoffmann Chair, TCDC

by Ann Reichlin What’s Our New Congressman Been Up To? A new feature in which we report on what Marc Molinaro does, not just what he says. On December 23 Marc Molinaro (R-NY19) tweeted: “Wait … I have to STAY in Washington DC?” Actually, Congressman, you don’t have to stay there. The 2024 congressional elections are just around the corner (sort of). If you’re wondering how our freshly minted congressman has voted so far: He supported Kevin McCarthy’s marathon bid for Speaker of the House and voted yes to create the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government–yes, that weaponized committee, headed up by Jim Jordan (R-OH04). Molinaro is often characterized as a moderate Republican. Is there really such a thing as a moderate Republican? Stay tuned.

By Claudia Wheatley “How come we never see you guys until February?” asked the director of African American Studies at Cornell. We glanced at each other: Being young, white reporters, we still needed people to tell us what constituted “news” and which stories needed telling. We mumbled something and moved on. Looking back decades later, I think I’d have a different answer today. Hacky as some “months” truly are – Pet Dental Health Month, anyone? – others help break through the clutter of our over-sharing culture to focus attention on matters of real importance. Now that the Republican Party is hellbent on erasing Black history, we all need a 28-day crash course more than ever. Today, February 1, is the birthday of both Frederick Douglass and Langston Hughes. Rosa Parks was born February 4; Audre Lorde, February 18; Sidney Poitier, February 20; John Lewis and Nina Simone, February 21; W.E.B. Du Bois, February 23. Poets, writers, singers, actors, makers of good trouble, they comprise an enormous cohort of talent, energy and achievement packed into one month. I don’t know if this birthday cluster is the reason February was chosen as Black History Month, but it certainly gives us plenty to […]

The Tompkins County Democratic Committee [TCDC] held its first meeting of 2023 on January 26. It marked the start of my second year as Chair of TCDC, and I convened the meeting with some thoughts about the committee that I wanted to share with all of you. Although we are a relatively small committee in a relatively small (population-wise) county, TCDC is critically important at the local, state, and national levels. Most of our efforts go toward electing Democrats at the local, state and federal level. Locally, that means electing mayors, town supervisors, town and village lawmakers and members of Common Council and the Tompkins County Legislature. All those positions and more are at stake in this year’s election cycle. Every two years we pitch in with other county committees in the relevant districts to elect Democrats to the New York State Senate and Assembly, and to the U.S. House of Representatives. Every four years we work to elect a Democratic Governor and President of the United States. Every six years we join Democrats statewide to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate. In the 2022 election cycle we worked for candidates for State Senate and Assembly, the House, Governor and […]

Registered Democrats residing in Ithaca District 3 who are interested in running for a special election for Tompkins County Legislature in January of 2023 please contact First Ward Chair John Jackson (micropolis10@yahoo.com) and/or Third Ward Chair Ann Sullivan (annh.sullivan@gmail.com ) for more information.