The Chairs -- 6 February 2003

>> "need to know" in studio, the chairman of the Republican
party, Steve manerik and chairwoman of the democratic party,
molly Clifford to talk about what else?-
The upcoming political season.-
And voices taking center stage in Nazareth college and the
business section with the "democrat and chronicle."-
That's next on "need to know."-
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>> reaching out more.-
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>> Plus the community -- -
[captioning made possible by the u.s. department of education]-
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>> this is "need to know" -- Rochester news area's only in
depth news program covering issues, politics, education, and
current events.-
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>> "need to know" is made possible by -- -
>> Thank you for joining us.-
I'm Michael Caputo.-
Let me get some old business out of the way.-
We'd like to clarify a reference made in last week's program on
insurance coverage for birth control.-
It was the first Bible Baptist church of the Rochester area
that joined other religious organizations to other states
overturning that law.-
Let's get to the matter at hands -- politics.-
The questions only seem to grow in the most local political
years.-
Jack Doyle no longer in the campaign picture, who is seeking to
replace him as county executive?-
Bill johnson?-
County clerk Maggie brooks?-
someone else?-
Will Howard brellland say if he's running for district
attorney?-
Who will Republicans put up for that countywide job.-
How many supervisors will be contested?-
How many will have primaries.-
The Rochester city school board appears to be heading for a
primary of its own.-
Who will be running there?-
All of these questions, who better to ask them but our guest,
the Monroe county Republican chairman who's been in for a
decade and Molly Clifford who was appointed to the party's top
role a month ago.-
Thank you for coming.-
It's a little before 11:00 as we tape this program on a
Thursday and nobody has of yet announced as the candidate for
county executive.-
But let's knock out of the park, a rumor.-
Molly?-
Is mayor johnson going to in the next day or two announce he's
running for county executive?-
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>> No.-
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>> Next few weeks?-
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>> I think that remains to be determined.-
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>> But, there are folks waiting on his word.-
David coon, Sandra Frankel, these are folks waiting to hear
from the mayor.-
It's his call at this point, am I right?-
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>> It's an open process in the democratic party.-
We're fortunate to have a couple of strong candidates.-
They are out talking to their supporters.-
That's what you're suppose to do in politics.-
That's a great process for us and a strong position.-
>> Steve?-
The next day or two is county clerk Maggie brooks going to
announce she's running for county executive?-
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>> I don't think so.-
Have you heard that rumor?-
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>> I haven't heard that yet, no.-
Next few weeks?-
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>> Well, there's a process to it.-
People go out to committees, talk -- see if they're going to
run for office.-
We'll have to wait that process out.-
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>> She has been going to committees and to town Republican
committees talking to people.-
Should we take that as a sign?-
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>> I think you should take that as a sign that Maggie cares
greatly about the grassroots organization of our party and she
wants to get support before making a judgment of whether to run
or not.-
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>> Do you think that it matters to you and who your candidate
will be for county executive, who the democrats run?-
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>> It doesn't matter to me.-
I don't really care.-
I think frankly though that this is a big deal for bill johnson
to decide whether or not he's going to run.-
This is an open seat.-
He has an agenda that he likes to see for our community.-
If he chooses not to seek the office, he quite frankly becomes
irrelevant in the process.-
If you really belief in the things that you talk about, and
there's an open seat, there's no excuse not to run.-
We'll wait and see what's going to happen.-
>> You've been dying to have him run.-
It's been in the papers.-
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>> We need to settle all of the issues.-
Good to have a good community discussion through Monroe county
for the next decade and probably for the next century.-
Bill johnson talking about metropolitan government.-
We need to have a fair hearing on that.-
The only way that's going to happen, we believe, is if he
runs.-
If you believe in those goals and the vision that we have, you
ought to step forward and it will be great.-
It's a good hearing on all of the issues for our community.-
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>> I'm flattered and I think the mayor is too that Steve thinks
he's a good candidate.-
I obviously agree with him.-
>> Did you say that?-
Did you say he'd be a good candidate?-
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>> He'd be a great candidate.-
He's got the biggest mouth on all of the issues countywide,
it's important.-
Who else to better to seek that office than the one person who
pretends that he is the king of our community.-
Important to do that.-
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>> What do you mean?-
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>> He has an idea for everything that happens in the county
government.-
He can't mind his own problems in the city government, mind
you, but he has a vision for where we should be.-
Whether you agree or not, he has one.-
Put it forth in the election and he'll rise and fall depending
on what people think of his agenda.-
It's worthwhile.-
>> Frankly, the county is facing such a serious budget crisis
again this year.-
Our future really is at stake.-
It is an important decision and one that the mayor is taking
seriously.-
>> Molly, let's assume -- let's assume -- that's the word I'm
going to put in bold and italics, let's assume bill johnson
will be the county executive.-
What's the strengths as a candidate?-
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>> We're making an assumption there.-
Obviously he does have a vision for this community.-
He's a fighter.-
That's what people like about him.-
And I think he would bring a lot of strengths to the table.-
>> What would his weaknesses be, assuming he's the candidate?-
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>> If you ask bill, his weaknesses will be none.-
What do I perceive his weakness is?-
His agenda.-
The agenda is not of the opinion of those people who live in
this community.-
>> Define what you mean?-
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>> A metropolitan government is not going to fly.-
Never been an issue people want to address.-
They don't want it.-
The mayor does.-
The only way we oar going to settle this, really, is through an
election where we have metropolitan Governor bill johnson and
then someone from our side who doesn't believe in that.-
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>> Was that a fair characterization of his agenda?-
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>> No.-
I think part of the agenda is a look at the consolidation of
services as seen recently wither Ronde quoit and gates and
Brighton.-
If you have 17 levels of government in Monroe county, there are
duplication of services, efficiencies to be found.-
It's something that ought to be looked at.-
>> Do you know, Molly across the state, the one community
that's looked upon to being so far advanced in consolidation is
Monroe county.-
Consolidation has been being made for years.-
The mayor would have what they do in erie county and sell the
water system to the Monroe county water authority which has
been on the table now for a few years now.-
We are on the forefront of consolidation.-
I agree, we need to do those things.-
I am very grateful that the towns and the cities work together
on those issues that we talked about.-
Building inspector.-
I think that's good.-
That's what we need to be doing.-
What we don't need to be talking about metropolitan
government.-
People in the town, in the village, in the suburban community,
they do not let the government run by the city thasm's the
bottom line.-
>> I think we need to look at the community as a true
community, not city versus suburbs as an old way of defining
things.-
We want to look at an regional approach, economic development.-
We lost 25,000 jobs in this community in the last few years.-
Our credit rating has been downgraded three times in the last
one year.-
Up heard of.-
There are serious steps we need to take.-
>> Let's assume -- I'm bolding and ayal sizing that word,
assume Maggie brooks the candidate.-
What does she bring to county executive?-
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>> Maggie brooks can stand on her own for years of public
service.-
I think Maggie brooks is well respected in our community and
clearly well liked.-
I don't know what kind of work anyone else does, but I've been
around now for almost 20 years in this community, I haven't
seen a more popular person.-
I think her strength is going to be a different kind of
leadership, frankly.-
Bill johnson, jack Doyle, you know, O.K. corral way of settling
issues not in the best interest of his community.-
Our community is crying out for leadership now.-
I think Maggie will provide -- be a good consensus builder and
bring all of the groups together -- democrat, Republican,
independents, conservative, even those not involved in politics
to work together to better our community.-
That's what Maggie brings to the table.-
>> What would her weaknesses be?-
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>> It's more of the same.-
She's closely tied to the Doyle administration for the past
four years.-
She stood in for jack at countless events.-
She voted with the Republican majority 100% of the time.-
It's not leadership, it's followship.-
>> We'll have to let the voters decide that.-
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>> Now let me ask you this -- I do, Molly, want to ask you,
doesn't it behoove the mayor to make a decision now.-
Don't you need to get a running start now in this kind of a
race?-
The longer you rate, the harder it is?-
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>> I don't think that's the case.-
I know the media would love us to have a candidate right now.-
I know Steve would too.-
This is the time line we follow every year.-
Our convention is in may.-
This is part of the process -- getting the organization
together, that's what we're doing.-
>> You're saying by may we're going to know who the democrats
are running?-
Not before may?-
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>> I don't know, but definitely by may.-
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>> Well, Steve?-
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>> Well, we would like to know.-
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>> What I would like to know is if Maggie brooks doesn't make
an announcement sooner than later, it's the same question,
really.-
Wouldn't you rather have her out there sooner than later?-
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>> I'm sitting there with the top dog, I think so, I don't have
to worry.-
Here's what I would say to you.-
Here's what I would say to you.-
That I think it's in the media's interest to have political
candidates come out so early.-
I think you get spoiled by it -- frankly Presidential races
where people are campaigning for years in advance.-
This is running for county executive here, OK?-
It's not the need to spend millions of dollars to get out the
message, if it is true that as bill johnson and Maggie brooks
were doing the assumptions today, if you -- if you assumed --
it's a speculation show, that's what it is.-
This is candidate who is are pretty well known in the
community.-
The position is well known.-
I think there's no hurry to this business.-
I think you all in the media would like that.-
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>> What factor does jack Doyle play?-
Is he going to stay in office for the rest of the year?-
He's going to have to make decisions.-
He's going to have to produce a budget for the coming year.-
Does that -- does that filter over to whoever your candidate
is?-
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>> Jack Doyle is the county executive.-
I respect him because he -- frankly he could have taken the
easy way out and just left -- left it to someone else to solve
these budgetary problems that are being placed on us by our
mandates, particularly Medicaid.-
Jack is going to stay on work through the budget crisis, we've
been through crises before.-
He'll survive.-
>> Does that become a problem for whoever's running for
Republican candidate?-
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>> Jack Doyle is not running.-
If he were a candidate, it would be an issue.-
I think clearly the budget becomes an issue in the campaign and
we have to comment -- candidate haves to comment on the budget
as proposed by jack Doyle.-
All candidates are going to have to talk about that involvement
-- people involved in that process and whoever's running.-
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>> Molly, what do you think?-
Is that an opportunity for the democratic party if jack Doyle
is producing the budget?-
If jack Doyle is making the desnigs -
>> Obviously the Republican haves to answer to jack Doyle for
the past 10 years.-
We'll have another nasty budget crisis ahead of us.-
I think the candidates are going to have to talk about that and
the Republicans are going to have to defend their record.-
>> I want to ask you about the district attorney ---
>> Before we go off to another point, I am so proud we will
have a record.-
There's no question in our community, the major issue job, if
you have increased tax increase, the state comptroller in here
yesterday calling for state income tax increases.-
You do property tax increase, you're going to continue to drive
businesses away.-
If you want to continue to lose jobs, that's what the democrats
want to do apparently by raising taxes.-
We will not do that.-
You will see another increase out of jack Doyle.-
I guarantee that.-
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>> If you look at the larger issues like your own blue ribbon
budget commission, they say there's structural flaws with the
way you're doing things.-
It hasn't solved the problem of driving out of Monroe county.-
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>> Everybody wants property tax increases.-
The people who don't want property tax increases, the people on
main street, the people in the suburb, the people who live in
the city, they don't want increases.-
>> I don't think that's the case.-
That's how we solved the budget crisis last year.-
>> You know what I saw?-
I saw liberal friends out there saying we want more social
services, we want more social services.-
I saw all of that.-
But I didn't see the property tax.-
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>> Will the Republican candidate run on the no property tax
increase.-
>> You have to ask the candidate that question you're the
chairman?-
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>> Doesn't matter.-
I'm not the person running for office.-
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>> Would the democratic candidate run on a no tax ---
>> We can't answer that either.-
>> Let me ask you about the district attorney.-
Howard rowan has not decided.-
Does it put your party in a difficult decision if he decides
not to run.-
>> It's early.-
We have people on the post if he doesn't run.-
I've talked to Howard about that.-
He'll make a decision shortly.-
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>> How shortly?-
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>> Weeks?-
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>> Before may.-
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>> Weeks?-
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>> Weeks, month, we have till may on that one too.-
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>> Conservative party chairman Tom Cooke came out with the ---
>> He can't be here today.-
He put out a second edition of his book criticizing Howard
rowan.-
The only new piece is page three and it goes on to criticize
mike green, the first assistant.-
Mike green wants the Republican party nomination.-
Can you go with a guy who's criticized by the conservative
party and will not get the conservative party endorsement?-
-
>> The answer is can we run candidates without conservative
party endorsement?-
The answer is yes.-
We did it a couple of years ago.-
I have to tell you something, we have three candidates seeking
the district attorney's office at this point.-
Amend and all three of them have support within their
committees.-
And I believe that this will be one of the foreflight kind of
conventions for us trying to determine who our candidate is?-
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>> The three candidates?-
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>> Jim brown, a penfield attorney, Tim Doyle, and mike green.-
>> Mike green?-
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>> Yeah, the other thing is, Michael, that there might be other
candidates as well.-
We have a plethera of Republican judges who I would like to
talk to but I really can't talk to them until the last minute
before they decide to run.-
They'll have to step down the minute they decided to do that.-
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>> Would you like to -- you're talking to the judges.-
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>> I talk to everybody in my community.-
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>> You looking beyond these three, maybe?-
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>> I'd like to see who else is interested, frankly.-
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>> There might be other lawyers.-
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>> Who might be a good one.-
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>>I don't play a speculation game.-
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>> Does it put the both of you in a difficult position, Howard
rowan, the democrat i named mike green the person who he wants
to run for Republican the first position.-
Does it put you in a difficult position, a strange position?-
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>> Particularly, Howard's been a democrat for a number of
years.-
He will continue to be.-
He'll support the democratic candidate whoever they are.-
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>> Same thing with you.-
Does it put you in a difficult position?-
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>> I don't think Howard will support mike green?-
I think mike green is the candidate, he'll support mike green?-
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>> He'll support mike green, the Republican?-
Undoubtedly.-
>> It's his guy.-
>> No, absolutely.-
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>> Howard and I have discussed that, as well as other things.-
>> He said that to you.-
That's an interesting thing.-
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>> So Howard is not going to support the Republican candidate.-
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>> Howard and I had a long discussion about mike green and a
whole bunch of other candidates.-
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>> Is it possible mike ran as a democrat?-
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>> Anything is possible, I suppose.-
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>> Is it possible?-
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>> I have no idea, a democratic chairman.-
>> Town supervisor races.-
Is there a primary for Webster?-
Henrietta, chy lie?-
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>> I saw your article?-
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>> Any of those look like ---
>> I'm a regular reader of your column, by the way.-
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>> Thank you, I appreciate it.-
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>> Clearly I think there will not be primaries -- chy lie?-
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>> Chy lie.-
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>> Chy lie -- I don't think so, Henrietta, I don't think so.-
What were the other ones?-
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>> Webster?-
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>> I don't see the incumbents.-
>> Will the incumbents running?-
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>> I think that will be the case?-
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>> Reasons are OK?-
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>> They're fine.-
Jim Reese is the best we have to offer.-
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>> Jack Drischol I guess wants it.-
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>> It's early in the -- early in the game.-
And we'll see how we get -- in Henrietta's case we'll see what
happens in may.-
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>> How do you see the Rochester city school board situation?-
There's going be a primary.-
How do you handle that situation?-
-
>> I don't know if there will be a primary.-
I think people are making a lot of speculation into that.-
But I think it will come down to the candidates themselves.-
The incumbents have a record that say we'll talk about and
challengers need to state the case, the party because of the
primary we'll stay out of it and let the voters decide.-
That's the way it will be.-
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>> Will bill johnson stay out of it?-
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>> It's his people, right?-
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>> He's not running for school board.-
>> He takes great interest in the school board.-
He's responsible.-
He sponsored the whole list of candidates.-
He doesn't like them now and he's suing the school district.-
It's interesting.-
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>> We know the schools are not a simplish shoe.-
Bill johnson is concerned about the schools.-
See where it goes.-
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>> What's going to be the overriding issue, do you think?-
This inn this community.-
What's going to be the overriding issue?-
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>> The economy, what we do for job creation and job growth.-
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>> It's probably true countywide.-
Job wills be the top issue.-
It's much different when you talk about localized races.-
The job creations things -- streets getting plowed properly.-
Are the tax rates stable?-
Services in government, fine.-
But the reason you don't see a lot of opposition in the suburbs
is the town governments are run well.-
>> The state and federal budgets, what have they done to local
-- I'm asking this from a political point of view.-
What have they don't to the way people have to approach things
locally in these races?-
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>> I think this economy is forcing what you could describe as
trickle down or thinking of it as slam down.-
The federal governments slamming the governments all over the
place, slamming county governments and bringing it down to the
cities and localities.-
It's a difficult thing.-
All of a sudden when we have a $14 billion state deficit,
that's forcing choice that is I don't think many people want to
make.-
>> Oh, I think it sends one big message -- too much
government.-
You make the cuts, grin and bear it, put the hammer done and
make the cuts.-
People don't want tax increases, they want cuts.-
We should give it to them.-
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>> The discussion continues on our web site,
Rochestertoday.Com.-
For the latest on politics and government news, log on to
nycitizens.org.-

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S
EDITION OF "THE BUSINESS
SECTION" WITH THE "THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE."

(Music)

>>> With us is Ellen Rosen, editor of the business section for
the "democrat and chronicle."-
Ellen, talk about the blue cross-blue shield.-
I imagine that they said they're going raise the reimbursement
rates.-
What does that mean?-
-
>> They're going to raise the reimbursement rates for certain
medical specialties.-
What really happened is this community has lost a lot of
doctors and certain specialty, particularly rheumatologists and
endocrinologists.-
Half the rheumatologists have left the community in the last
couple of years.-
One of the main reasons is they weren't making a living.-
We did a story a year ago when we talked to an endocrinologist
making $40,000 with a big practice.-
That's not the salary you associate with a doctor with a
specialty.-
One of the reasons is the H.M.O.'s are inhibiting the ability
to make money with low reimbursements.-
Blue cross is acknowledging that issue and raising the
reimbursements.-
$80 for each additional case that fits a certain criteria based
on a diagnosis.-
Doctors say it's a good step in the right direction.-
>> In New Jersey the doctors walked out for a day because of a
strike because of reimbursement rates and a whole host of
problems.-
>> There eve been problems around malpractice problems,
particularly.-
Blue cross is stepping up to the table and taking ownership of
part of this issue.-
They've also -- they've established some funding for an
internship at the medical school for rheumatology.-
And they say they recruited a rheumatologist to see patients
here in a few weeks which is a great relief to the medical
community because there are few in specialties right now that
people are waiting up to six months to see wouven the doctors.-
>> Earlier this week, Xerox said they were going to give to
their employ year, stock options.-
What does it mean to the employees?-
-
>> The unionized workers affects 2,000 people here out of a
total 3,000 nationwide.-
It was something guaranteed this time by the contract that they
have with the union which is that if Xerox was profittable,
they would be able to share the profits.-
It could mean a lot of money for the folks depending on how
Xerox stock performs.-
There's a stock price.-
You can't sell it below that price F. the stock appreciates,
the stock price was set the last day of 2002, it's $7.35,
something like that.-
The options can't be sold.-
There's a window in which they can be sold beginning, I think,
in July, July to January, or something like that.-
And they can't have -- they can't sell them below that price
and they have to sell them within that defined time.-
If they exercise those options and the stock appreciates
greatly, they could be in for a lot of money.-
>> With the way the stock market is going, though, and it's
been f been up and down, it's the way the employees want their
bonus?-
-
>> I think they would -- it's hard to say.-
From the company's perspective, it gives the employees
ownership in a company that -- setting the employees to do
well, the stock performs well.-
Employees will take in whatever way they can get -- they won't
get in any other way so they'll take it this way.-
-
>> Our local politicer reported on that about the internet --
the internet use.-
What did they put?-
-
>> Interesting poll.-
They surveyed 2,000 adults nationwide between October and
December.-
They asked about internet use.-
While it's continued to grow, it's not growing at the
incredible rate it has in recent years.-
It's slowed down.-
The other interesting thing is that it very much mirrors the
population, the percentage of men and women in the population,
it's pretty much the same as men and women on the internet,
same with racial breakdowns.-
They pretty much mirror what's going on.-
Really the biggest growth was in people that are doing some
sort of direct dial speed or more fast connection to the
internet.-
Obviously they're using it more.-
But the other thing that was interesting is what people are
using the internet for.-
There's a great surge in on-line banking and other things.-
But things like stock trading are going down.-
-
>> Quickly, what are you going to see in this Sunday's "d&c"?-
-
>> We're taking a look at all the things you can do with
digital cameras, Kodak says that's where the future is, just in
the cameras.-
How the future is and tell people what they might be.-
-
>> There are voices being heard in Nazareth college, singing
voices as the week has begun.-
Recitals, operas.-
We want to give you a brief look at this event.-
That of Mario Martinez.-
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>> my lady-
-
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>> We put it on for the first time as kind of a celebration of
the art of singing the song -- it's a series of concert,
recitals, performances, theater and opera performances, classes
from Nazareth to the students and faculty.-
We basically want to offer the community, you know, artistic
events of high quality.-
We have a natural connection with the communities that -- the
community life here in Rochester.-
So also to show case a voice program at Nazareth.-
-
-
>> I was in the choir back in the Dominican Republic.-
It was the university of Santa domingo.-
I was a pianist when I was like 17 years old.-
I left the music.-
I went to the university.-
And then the music came back in my life, I began singing in the
choir.-
That's where I started doing some stuff.-
And then all of a sudden I was singing opera and also
conducting choir.-
Which I did for seven or eight years.-
Before coming here to the United States.-
-
>> Basically it's like having the opportunity combined doing
what I like, teaching and performing.-
It's not only the opera.-
We have two master classes and all the events are open to the
public.-
They are free.-
There are many, many different styles that are going to be
portrayed for -- for many, many different tastes.-
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>> Positive, great.-
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>> It continues until Sunday.-