More Magnarelli

I couldn't think of a title and liked the alliteration.

Those short on time looking for convincing toward Magnarelli should skip to my next to last paragraph, I feel it's some of my finer work.

First, a column I think we should all read. It's like 10 years old, but it still rings true today because no one's been listening to it.

There was more today about both Joanie and Bill, this time with the candidates discussing jobs. Read one side, read the other, I'm not noticing much difference. Except focus. Joanie's main issue seems to be trimming things down into one-stop shopping for businesses trying to find information on our area, Bill's seems to be job training. Both give passing glances at the other's main topic. Bill also does a decent job of stating some areas where he's had experience in this before. Bill also mentions a website that's supposed to be in the vein of one-stop shopping. I found it, www.creativecoreny.com. It's certainly a beginning to this. I think it might be hampered somewhat by the fact it's trying to encompass all of CNY. In fact, I think the two most useful things are links to the case center and to grow syracuse. Still, it is experience in an area that both candidates are talking about.

I've been asked to convince a Democrat to vote for Magnarelli. It's a tough race to decide, to be sure. All I can do, I guess, is state my personal reasons for choosing Bill. I've read up on them both as much as I can, I've listened to them both in person. Bill, both in person and in print, talks much about job training and working with local universities. Of course, Joanie talks about working with local universities too, but by being in office, Bill already has the experience of working with Nancy Cantor. The money for the connective corridor is the most recent example. And I truly think Nancy has been the most constructive force in CNY in recent years. But I don't think it should all be on her. I get the sense, from most of Joanie's speaches, that Joanie wants to "make use of local private agencies". In other words, I don't hear too much about what the County is going to do, except maybe provide a little coordination. Maybe it's just the Democrat in me, but I feel the private sector needs more of an assist than that.

Second, on the issue of job training, my current job delves much into social work. I've seen people get frustrated and give up on the job hunting process, and I think lack of training has a lot to do with it. I've seen the programs that public assistance and other agencies send them to for help, and I've seen that those programs aren't much help. Are they a slight help to those with no skills or job hunting expertise, yes, but do they do what is really needed to get a quality job, are they helpful for those who have been in the workforce before? Not even close. Clearly, Bill's job development and job training emphasis cover an area where we are surely lacking. We have SU, ESF, and Lemoyne, we've got Cornell and RIT nearby. We aren't suffering from a lack of intelligent workers. We need some skilled workers to back them up. To work on the projects those engineers and scientists design.

Finally, we really do need to end the county vs city attitude. Pirro was a huge source of that attitude, why else put a sewer plant in Armory Square? Joanie's commercials tout that it's time for a change, but electing yet another Republican County Executive isn't my idea of change. That's all I got for now. It was enough for me, hope it sways a few others. Otherwise, take a fresh look at both candidates on Syracuse.com. Browse their answers to the Post-Standard, browse their campaign releases, (don't bother checking the websites, those are both pretty useless), and see what conclusions you come to. Let me know, if you've got a minute.