Alex White Tries to Buy Midtown Tower

Green Rochester

Seed Paper

Have you gotten one of our Seed Paper Cards during the Green Rochester campaign?

  

Go to the Green Rochester website to find out how to turn this card in to basil, parsley & chives!

Transforming Rochester 21 - Why Are We Doing the Marina Project?

On this episode of Transforming Rochester we discuss the Port of Rochester Marina Project.  The project takes away public park land and privatizing it with so many grants, tax breaks and low-interest (not paid back) loans that it doesn't come close to a breaking even financial investment.  It is a giveaway of local, public money with no effect on poverty, crime or the budget.  So why are we doing it?  There only seems to be one logical reason: as a reward to builders and developers for political contributions.  Do you have a different reason?

You can listen to the podcast here or click on the link in the column on the right. 

The Truth from PE & DMC

"At the age I am now, if I can't teach, I shouldn't even open my mouth to speak."

Alex White Announces His Intention to Run for Mayor of Rochester

Transforming Rochester 20 - Close Libraries or Tax Fairly?

Alex White and Dave Atias discuss our priorities in Rochester.  How can we give six figure tax breaks to a company while close libraries? Every year there is a $30 million budget deficit to close.  Why then, do we keep giving away millions of dollars every year in tax breaks to companies who really do not create long-term jobs?  If the Mayor wants to continue this 1st Century form of economics we're all going to be in a lot of trouble.  But Alex has a solution.

Alex also talks about his recent announcement to run for Mayor of Rochester again.

You can listen to the podcast here or click on the link in the right-hand column.

Here is the link to the city-funded survey about libraries.  Tell the City that we need MORE libraries, not less.

Yes, I Am Running for Mayor

[Announcement Speech, February 11, 2013]

Good afternoon. We are all gathered here today because Rochester is a city beset by problems. There are almost 4000 vacant houses in our neighborhoods and more than 2 million square feet of empty office space in the center of our city. Crime is rampant on our streets, and many in our community do not trust the police to handle this. Less than 50% of our most precious commodity, our youth, are graduating high school. Poverty is two and half times the national average and our city runs a $30 million deficit every year.

There is much to do.

Recently I attended a Voice Of the Citizen meeting about crime in our city. I had hoped that the city administration would finally have ideas for us to review on how to substantially and sustainably reduce crime. Instead, we had 4 very specific topics which were not designed to address the root cause of crime or how we can best police ourselves. We live in a city where stop and frisk and pray for rain are the top police strategies. Rochestarians have become so disenfranchised by the policing in this city that our own police department is running ads asking people to call the police when there is a crime! I was very disappointed that this was the best that Tom Richards could offer as a better solution to the highest crime rate in the state.

There is much to do.

Since I ran two years ago I have enjoyed the experience of total strangers coming up and introducing themselves as having voted for me. I have spoken to hundreds of hard hit city residents who have asking me to consider running for Mayor again. At the VOC I met many more. Rochester has a rich and vibrant history as a hub of culture, innovation, new industries, and civic pride. Yet that proud and distinguished history has been tarnished in recent decades. Rochester deserves much better than it has had in the last 20 years. Just look at High Falls, the Fast Ferry, the hole that was once Midtown, a 50% increase in the poverty rate, a 9% decrease in population and a 25% decline in graduation rates to realize our leaders in the Democratic Machine have not served us well. After decades of struggle we need new solutions that work.

There is much to do.

It is time to build a true citizen-based government that can implement real sustainable solutions. It is time we looked at things that would help the people of the city, not the developers who prey upon us. We can intelligently fund our future by taxing the large projects appropriately, rather than providing them with huge subsidies to put up buildings which we do not need. We should be exploring a Municipal Utility to save money for every single Rochestarian, rather than subsidizing an office park for the U of R. We must concentrate upon job creation using proven techniques like import replacement, micro loans, and co-ops to create and grow local businesses rather than tax cuts and subsidies for the well connected few. And it is crucial that we change the way we police our city by using the proven techniques of restorative community policing to dramatically reduce the crime rate, instead of the misguided and superficial police policy we experience now. If we do this then all Rochestarians can share in the bounty of our government and the trends of the last 20 years can be reversed.

There is much to do.

It is time we replaced years of Party encouraged welfare with a community of ownership. It is time that we change the ambition of a Rochester high school student from running a gang to owning his own business. It is time to make Rochester a model for others to follow in terms of creating REAL solutions to the most significant problems facing our community. We deserve better and it is time to have a leader who will work to make this a Rochester for ALL of us. A Rochester where people come first and buildings come second. A Rochester government that is by and for the people, that seeks to implement REAL solutions to our problems. I feel I can help Rochester achieve this positive vision for the future.

So today I am proud to announce that I am seeking the Green Party nomination for Mayor. I intend to run in the November election and with the help of residents from all walks of life, bring a change to city hall. It is time to invest in the people of Rochester to truly grow our community! It is time to get started on a new future because there is so much to do.

Transforming Rochester 19 - Is Downtown Getting Better?

In this episode of Transforming Rochester, Alex and Dave discuss Downtown Rochester.  A recent article in the RBJ says that things are looking up.  Ken Warner agrees.  Even Alex is on board - the development is nice, but it's not done in a very forward-thinking way.  It is also not being done in a fiscally responsible manner.  What should be done?  They have the answer.

They also advocate for the City to approach Abundance Co-Op with a sweetheart deal like all the big developers get.

You can listen to the podcast here or click on the link in the right-hand column.

Rochester Needs A New Plan