Archive: News

Wednesday afternoon Democrats filled a building on Elmira Road in Ithaca to launch the new Tompkins County Democratic Headquarters for the 2006 election.  With primaries behind us, the candidates are making the final sprint to gain support before the November election. 

Starting with next week's issue we will be running interviews with candidates Lansing residents will be voting for in November, including new interviews with Arcuri and Lifton.

With a strong ticket starting at the top with Hillary Clinton and Elliot Spitzer, the room was buzzing with enthusiastic confidence as Tompkins party chair Irene Stein introduced the candidates.  "We must take back Congress," she told the crowd.  "We will take back Congress with Michael Acuri leading the way and with the help of all of you folks."

Acuri is running against Ray Meier for the US Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Sherwood Bohlert at the end of this year.  Acuri, along with State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, and Tompkins County Sheriff Peter Meskill were on hand for the ice cream event, as well as local candidates from Newfield and Dryden.  "Any way that we look at it we have to win Tompkins County," Acuri  told the crowd.  "If we don't win Tompkins County we don't win this congressional district and we all know how critically important it is to win this year.  We need to change the direction we are headed in.  We need new leadership."


"I'm very pleased with the ticket this year, said Greg Lawrence, Chairman of the Lansing Democratic Committee.  "Every one of the candidates has something very important to offer the voters."  Lawrence says that Lansing Democrats will be phoning supporters and visiting voters door to door as well as distributing yard signs.  Stacks of yard signs, bumper stickers, campaign pins, brochures, banners for all the candidates, plus several enormous Arcuri signs were heaped around the campaign headquarters.


Lifton told the crowd what she's been doing trying to make a difference in the state assembly.  "We've been fighting for a good environment," she said.  "I've been fighting for good day care.  For a new model in elder care where people can stay and age in a place with a wonderful inter-generational model.  And I've been working very hard on HAVA to make sure that we have voting machines that work, that are reliable and transparent, and allow for accurate recounts.  That's what I've been doing.  I'm hoping to go back and do it again, and I can't do it without all your help and support."

While people went for the ice cream it was obvious they came more for the politics than the treats.  Local Democrats took the opportunity to speak to the candidates and talk about strategies and local issues.  "We've got to start at the bottom and work our way up with energy," Meskill said.  Call your friends, talk to your neighbors, make a difference.  You can make a difference."


The candidates also took the opportunity to talk among themselves.  But the clear focus was to get local Democrats excited about getting out the work about their candidates and getting out the vote.  "If you think we're headed in the wrong direction, then you need to vote Democratic," Arcuri told the group.  "But if you think we have better ideas, if you think you can lead this country in the right direction, if you think you can change the leadership and change what this administration is doing, you need to go home and get your family and friends to vote, because that's the only way we're going to affect any meaningful change in this country."

Stein also encouraged attendees to sign a petition supporting Spitzer's choice for an optical scan voting machine.  But the main message was to campaign for the candidates and get them into office.  Meskill summed up the theme saying, "Your vote  matters.  Your ability to influence somebody else matters.  So please do whatever you can to influence other people in a positive way.  Carry the message and we'll all carry the day in November."

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