In the pilot episode of The Monroe Gazette podcast, host BJ Mendelson discusses the importance of voter turnout in New York, particularly in light of the upcoming primaries. He highlights the challenges faced by local candidates, including Councilwoman Maureen Richardson, and emphasizes the need for community engagement and activism to influence political outcomes. The episode delves into the dynamics of local politics, the significance of the Monroe Democratic primary, and the actions taken by Richardson to advocate for her constituents.
Takeaways
Voter turnout in New York is critically low, ranking 43rd out of 50 states.
Engaging voters is essential to electing better candidates.
The upcoming primaries are crucial for local political dynamics.
James G. Skoufis is a controversial figure in local politics.
The Monroe Democratic primary features a race between Maureen Richardson and David Rabbitts.
Richardson has faced significant challenges and opposition in her role.
Activism can lead to tangible changes in local governance.
Community engagement is vital for influencing political outcomes.
The podcast aims to inform and mobilize listeners around local issues.
BJ encourages listeners to participate in the electoral process.
Titles
Engaging Voter Turnout in New York
The Stakes of Upcoming Primaries
Sound Bites
"This is American politics. This is hand-to-hand combat."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Voter Engagement
02:54 The Importance of Voter Turnout in New York
05:30 Analyzing the Monroe Democratic Primary Candidates
08:15 Challenges Faced by Councilwoman Maureen Richardson
Keywords:
Monroe Gazette, New York politics, voter turnout, local elections, primaries, political candidates, Maureen Richardson, James G. Skoufis, activism, community engagement
Links:
New York State residents can request an early mail ballot here.
Eachus Chief David Rabbitts Is Endangering Your Health & Safety
Transcript:
Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of The Monore Gazette’s new podcast. Recorded from the George Carlin Memorial Podcast Studio. I’m your host, BJ Mendelson.
If you don’t like how things are going in New York State, I’ve got something you can do. There are primaries coming up in June. You can go to this handy website, linked in today’s show notes, and get yourself an Early Mail Ballot.
If I was running for office?
You better believe that every single person who signed my nominating petition is getting an email, or a postcard, or another visit to their door — preferably all three — to make sure they signed up to get their Early Mail Ballot.
New York State currently ranks 43rd out of 50 in terms of voter turnout according to data provided by the New York Public Interest Research Group .
So as you might have guessed, voter turnout for these primaries? They are incredibly low.
This is by design, according to NYPIRG’s Legislative Director Blair Horner, whom we spoke with while putting this story together.
In short, New York’s electoral system is designed to keep powerful incumbents from both parties in place.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the way to counter low voter turnout is to make sure everyone that’s signed your petition is engaged and motivated to get these Early Mail Ballots.
Why? Well because when we all vote, you don’t get crappy candidates elected. It’s really that simple.
Let me give you an example:
President Trump was not elected by an overwhelming majority in 2024. The 2024 presidential election was actually one of the closest we’ve had since World War 2.
President Trump was not elected by an overwhelming majority in 2016 either.
The 2016 election was decided by an arrogant Clinton campaign that didn’t bother to visit key battleground states.
In 2024, millions of Democrats who voted for Biden in 2020 stayed home. The reasons are a bit more complicated to explain. Other than to say, the corporations were telling Vice President Kamala Harris what to do, not the voters, and everyone saw through that. People in both parties were also understandably upset at the coverup over Biden’s failing cognitive abilities and the genocide in Gaza.
So the stakes for Southern Orange County voters in the 2025 June Primaries couldn’t be higher.
State Senator James G. Skoufis wants to be your future Congressional representative. Ideally, once Pat Ryan decides to run for Governor. (Why would Pat Ryan consider doing such a thing? The majority of New Yorkers, including Democrats and Republicans, consistently have said through polling data that they do NOT want another Kathy Hochul term, If Hochul gets re-elected next year, it’s going to be specifically the fault of the New York State Republican Party. For running someone who isn’t normal. Nobody wants to vote for a Nazi and that’s what Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is. A nazi.
In the case of Skoufis, he plans to get to Congress by selling out everyone he can to the wealthy real estate developers in our area. Which is why, if I lived in Tuxedo, I’d be especially nervous, by the way. Since the State Senator has just interjected himself into the local school board election.
A good Rule of Thumb when it comes to James G. Skoufis is that, if he put out some announcement saying he didn’t do something? The odds are good that he did it. If I lived in Tuxedo, I’d start asking around to see what else our malicious State Senator has been up to.
But here in Monroe and Woodbury, we can say factually say that Skoufis is actively involved with these primaries. After all, He has nothing else to do since Monroe Gazette readers joined other concerned New Yorkers and defeated Skoufis and Hochul’s Pro-Trump, fascist ban on masks. If you look at the new budget agreement, you’ll see instead of a mask ban, there’s now a new misdemenor charge instead.
I mean, Skoufis could be fighting to bring univeral healthcare to all New Yorkers through the New York Health Act.
He could also be meeting with Woodbury residents to hear their concerns about the annexation of ACE Farm by the Village of Kiryas Joel. But instead, our corrupt Schumer Democrat is focusing his time and energy on petty grievances. He has a score to settle with Woodbury’s maroyr. And he has a score to settle with Monroe Town Councilwoman, Maureen RIchardson.
So In today’s episode, we’ll take a look at the Monroe Democratic Primary for Town Supervisor.
Here we have a race between Monroe Town Councilwoman, Maureen Richardson and her team, and Schumer Democrat, David Rabbitts and his team. Mr. Rabbit’s team features a man who refuses to get off people’s lawns when asked, Paul Phelan, and someone who conclusively does not live in Monroe full time, that’s Brandon Bernard. These are your James G. Skoufis candidates, and if you want to send a message to Mr. Skoufis, this ticket must be defeated.
David Rabbitts, by the way, went to his FIRST Town of Monore meeting this month. FIRST. If you can explain to me how someone, who has never been to a Town board meeting, and apparently didn’t know where the Town Hall was even located, is qualified to be your Town Supervisor, I want to know.
Please. Send me an email at BJMendelson@duck.com. I am dying to hear this explanation.
That goes double for people who like David Rabbitts: Please do email me what it is exactly that you like about him.
Because so far? He’s lied to the public, exhibited total ignorance about the position he’s running for, and endangered the health and safety of every New York State resident in his capacity as Assemblyman Chris Eachus’s Chief of Staff. For more on that story, click on the link in the show notes below.
So I gotta ask these David Rabbits fans: You like him why exactly? And listen, I know. Some of you have said, David is a nice guy. And maybe he is. But this is American politics. This is hand to hand combat. It’s been that way before the Revolutionary War, and it’ll be that way long after most of the country is uninhabitable because of Climate Change.
And for Mr. Rabbits to potentially commit fraud just to get on the ballot for this Democrstic primary? I question how nice he really is.
That brings us to Councilwoman Maureen Richardson. Some of you may just not like her. And that’s ok. You do you brother.
But I also have to ask, if you’re in that boat, what exactly is the problem?
Because I hear a lot of “BJ doesn’t write anything bad about Councilwoman Richardson” from the David Rabbitts people.
This, unsurprisingly, is something reporters here a lot when they don’t write about every single politician. But the truth is way more boring. When a politician does everything they’re supposed to do, we have very little to write about.
For example, over in Woodbury, you’ve never heard me criticize Sue Ciriello and Vic Ferrelli, two of your Woodbury Village Borard Trustees. The reason doesn’t involve any sort of conspiracy. They just haven’t done anything wrong, spiteful, malicious, or evil. Unlike some of their friends on the Woodbury Town Board like Brandon Calore.
Never forget dear listeners, Brandon Calore allegedly assaulted a disabled teenage girl in an ice cream shop, and then factually sued the mother for telling people that he did.
In Councilwoman RIchardson’s case, I just don’t have a lot to write about. And if you’re being honest with yourself, and putting personal biases away, you’d see that.
Haing watch nearly two years of Monroe Town Board meetings, here’s what I’ve observed.
Every time the Councilwoman has spoken up at Town Board meetings? She’s been shouted down. This includes behind closed doors at executive sessions. Because Cardon and Houle have been so loud, that despite these sessions being private, you can clearly hear them screaming at her.
The Councilwoman has also been bullied and outright assaulted by fellow Town Councilman, Sal Scancarello. And if you’re wondering what the deal is with some of these local Republicans physically assaulting their rivals and residents, you might want to take that up with Soft on Crime Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
Listen, Supervisor Cardone has wasted hours of town taxpayer time preventing Councilwoman Richardson from literally doing anything she was elected to do.
So again, I gotta ask: What would you like me to write about with concerning Councilwoman Richardson? Seriously. Because this has been the story, repeatedly, throughout her tenure.
The worst thing I can say about the Councilwoman is that I have no idea what kind of Town Supervisor she would be.
That’s because she hasn’t had much of an opportunity to do anything. Cardone has literally restricted who she can talk to and what parts of the Town Hall complex she can enter.
None of that is her fault. That’s Tony Cardone, Dorey Houle, and Sal Scancarello’s fault.
And let me tell you something, despite almost two years of this nonsense, that also hasn’t stopped the Councilwoman from working on behalf of Town of Monroe residents. For example, Dorey Houle and Tony Cardone knew about the dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas on the children’s playground at Airplane Park for years. They did nothing. After The Monroe Gazette broke that story? Councilwoman Richardson wrote to the DEC, and got it taken care of.
Mr. Rabbits? You know what’s going to happen if that dude loses in June? You’re never going to see him again. But the Councilwoman has already demonstrated, repeatedly, that she’s in this fight. So, as a registered Democrat, I’m going to get my Early Mail Ballot, and I’m going to vote for Councilwoman Richardson in the primary. You should too.
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