At the League of Women Voters Rotterdam candidates forum Tuesday, Oct. 20, a question-and-answer portion of the event was scrapped for some candidates, prompting objections from Republican Town Board candidates Joe Suhrada and Joseph Signore.
The League had originally planned to allow the public to address local candidates for county and town offices, but when they were told the town Democratic candidates would not attend the event, they decided to forgo the public questions and give the GOP candidates two minutes to state their platform.
Some people got their feelings hurt, and the League of Woman Voters squelched their [the community members] questions, Suhrada, who is finishing up a term in the Schenectady County Legislature.
The Democrats did not attend the events because of recent accusations that their candidate for supervisor, Frank Del Gallo, was illiterate and unqualified for the job.
`They are a team [the town Democratic slate], and they believe an attack on one was an attack on all,` said Bill Cooke, chairman of the Rotterdam Democratic Committee.
League representatives defended the decision to not allow questions.
`It’s not a debate if only one side shows up,` said President of the Schenectady League of Woman Voters Joanne Tobiessea. `An empty-chair debate would not reflect the League of Woman Voters non-partisan position.`
Tobiessea said the League was notified Monday, Oct. 19, that the town Democrats would not be attend the open forum. She said the chair of the state League of Women Voters told the Schenectady branch to not have an empty debate, but the local chapter decided to still allow the other candidates to at least state their platforms in the allotted two-minute period.
`The national organization said to not let any of the town candidates speak, but we thought it would be unfair to those who came,` said Maxine Borom, the moderator for the event. `We were sorry to be caught in the middle of it. We have never had this happen before.`
When they stood to discuss their platforms, the town GOP candidates spent much of the time expressing their disappointment with the League’s decision to not allow questions.
`I came to debate. The League of Women Voters let the residents down,` said Signore. `They did not let us answer their questions or voice concerns because our opponents did not show up. What does that say about the credibility of the local chapter of the League of Woman Voters?`
Tommasone said he had been looking forward to answering questions from the public.
`First of all, I think it’s shameful that the other candidates did not come to the League of Women Voters forum,` said Tommasone. `I understand that they [the League] have a protocol, but it would have been my preference to answer questions from the public regardless of who showed up.`
Most outspoken was Suhrada, who said the candidates who showed up were punished for the conduct of others.
`They’re in the tank with a group of individuals that used the crybaby card,` said Suhrada.
Tommasone said he believes it is important for voters to hear from the people running for office.
`I am disappointed as a voter and a taxpayer that we did not have a public debate,` he said. `I was hopeful that we would be able to answer questions tonight. As a candidate, if you can’t come to the LWV session, then how are you going to be effective in the government of our community?`
The candidates for Schenectady County Legislature opened the event by presenting their platforms and answering questions from the community. Republican candidates Mary Barrie and Mike Viscusi, Democratic candidates Judith Dagostino and Holly Vellano and No New Tax line candidate Bradley Littlefield all spoke at the event.
The Democratic town candidates who did not appear at the event include town board candidates Nicola DiLeva, Matthew Martin and Robert Godlewski; town clerk candidate Eunice Esposito; receiver of taxes Dawn Pasquariello; and town supervisor candidate Frank Del Gallo.
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