I am a Republican. I wanted Cheryl Dinolfo to win.
But I can count, and I believe in America. And Adam Bello won.
And efforts by the Republican majority in the Monroe County Legislature to strip him of the conventional powers and prerogatives of his office are immoral and wrong.
Period.
It’s no more complex than that. It’s not about political strategy or competition, it’s about right and wrong.
The right and wrong you learn playing Little League, and reading the Bible.
It’s a simple matter of fair play and treating others the way you want to be treated. It comes back to the Declaration’s belief that “all men are created equal,” and the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under law. It's one set of rules, for everybody, even for Democrats.
It also has to do with respecting the voice of the voter and the will of the people.
Here’s the background: Democrat Adam Bello was recently elected Monroe County executive, breaking a 27-year Republican stranglehold on the office. In response to that, last night the Republicans in the county legislature moved to strip the county executive’s office of the authority to hire people or create positions without legislature approval. In addition, any contract over $5,000 would require legislative approval, instead of the $20,000 authorized for the current Republican county executive.
All of which is conniving, and smacks of both bad sportsmanship and a disrespect for the wishes of the people.
Because they want Adam Bello. And they want him to be county executive. Real county executive, not the hamstrung version the legislature envisioned in the new Republican proposals.
There is a decades-long understanding of what the office is and what it can do. The voters decided on Election Day who they wanted to fill that office. To reconfigure the office now, in an act of political spite and power grabbing, is shameful and dishonorable.
And it puts to lie Lincoln’s declaration that: “Right makes might.”
The simple fact is that you can’t do the right thing the wrong way, and the ends don’t justify the means. And any advantage gained by cheating is not advantage at all, as you had to buy it with your integrity.
On Election Day, the voters indicated they might be beginning to tire of the Republican brand. With this new effort to hobble the incoming county executive, the GOP is making sure to leave a bad taste in the public’s mouth, and to burn whatever bridges of respect and integrity were still standing.
In an era of tribalism and division, the Monroe County Republicans have decided to go cut throat, to trade the hand of friendship for a kick in the crotch.
And that is horribly disappointing. It's a return to the bad old days. It brings back the whiff of suspect values which typified the administration of Cheryl Dinolfo's predecessor. It taints the legacy of the current administration, which has otherwise been an example of probity and good conduct.
It turns out the bad things the Democrats said about us Republicans are true.
And it turns out that all the talk about serving the people gets flushed down the toilet when it comes to cold, partisan advantage.
But that's not the way to play.
Politics should be about patriotism, not partisanship. People should be in public office as agents of the people's will, not as hatchet men for cronies.
The Republican Party should believe in its values, and it should stand up for them. It should stay true to them, and not give in to petty vindictiveness. It should be worthy of the patriot blood shed to establish and defend our liberties -- including most importantly the freedom to chart our own course by the election of our public officials.
You can't change the rules in the middle of the game. The powers and prerogatives exercised by Republican county exectives must be available to a Democratic county executive. It is only right.
And this is simply wrong.
The Republicans in the county legislature must stop this proposal. And if they don't, Cheryl Dinolfo must have the integrity to veto it.
I wanted her to win. Because I admire her.
I hope that admiration was not misplaced.
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