105TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Amedore begins campaign for full Assembly term BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
Republican Assemblyman George Amedore Jr. kicked off his re-election campaign Wednesday for the 105th Assembly District, citing “promises made, promises kept” as the theme of his first year in office. A m e d o r e , 39, won a hardfought special election last year to complete the term of former assemblyman Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam. Tonko resigned part-way into his 13th two-year term on June 30, 2007, after he was named president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Tonko later resigned that position and is now running for Congress. This time, Amedore is running for a full term against Democratic challenger Mark Blanchfield, 41, a Schenectady city councilman and private practice attorney. Amedore is executive vice president of Amedore Homes, a company started by his father, George Sr. “My goal is to put your money back into your pockets so you can decide what is affordable to your family,” Amedore said during a news conference at Rotterdam Town Hall. He repeated his message two hours later in Amsterdam. In his first year in office, Amedore said, he rolled up his sleeves and “worked for the people,” cosponsoring or sponsoring 17 bills that passed the Assembly and bringing around $100,000 in member-item funds to the 105th Assembly District. “I have been to every corner of the district and represented all the needs of the constituents of the 105th District,” Amedore said. When he ran last year, Amedore said, he promised to bring change to Albany. A year later, he said, that change is coming. “As a businessman, I said I would fight against a dysfunctional Albany that taxes and spends too much,” he said. “I voted against $1 billion in new fees and taxes; I fought for the tax cap, which now has support in Albany; I urged cuts in gasoline taxes and the mileage ton tax.” He also said he fought against efforts to increase tolls on the New York State Thruway. Amedore said, “We need to elect more people with business experience who are used to doing more with less in Albany. Real change will not come easy, and it will not come quickly.” In a later interview, Amedore said he enjoyed serving and meeting people but found the state Legislature to be a frustrating place. “There is a ton of wasted time,” he said. “That irritates me to no end.” Amedore also said he would limit himself to a set number of terms in office. “I believe in term limits,” he said. He would not specify a cutoff date but said, “if you can’t get something done in three consecutive terms, something is wrong.” He added he remains committed to “winning the small victories people are expecting.” Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, who recruited Amedore to run for offi ce, said Amedore has “an outstanding record in his first year as an assemblyman. He won by 12 percent last time. He will win by more this time.” Amedore has the Conservative as well as Republican ballot line, while Democrat Blanchfield also has the Independence Party line. Blanchfield faces a primary against Joseph Salamone, 21, a University at Albany student and Mohonasen Board of Education member, for the Working Families line.
Have a burger - give Blanchfield $ August 18, 2008 at 4:19 pm by Lauren Stanforth, Staff writer
105th Democrat Assembly candidate Mark Blanchfield announced he’s having a fundraiser on Sunday in his effort to unseat Republican incumbent George Amedore. But he wants it to feel more like a family picnic, since his parents will be hosting the event at Wiles Park in Fort Plain.
The event, “is doubling as an opportunity for family and friends from Montgomery County to get together for one final summer picnic,” a release from Blanchfield’s camp states.Blanchfield, now a Schenectady City Councilman, has family roots in Amsterdam; his father grew up there.
You can tell it’s “that” time of year again — election season — when incumbent politicians start using their taxpayer-funded mailing privileges to fill our mailboxes with literature telling us about all the so-called good things they’ve done over the last 12 months. The latest political mailing, from Assemblyman George Amedore, is particularly galling on two levels. First, it tries to portray him as “fighting to prevent violence in our communities.” Yet, Mr. Amedore’s actions tell another story: On April 14, he voted against four separate bills drafted to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals and away from kids. Not exactly the kind of fighter I’m looking for. And from a fiscal perspective, was this mailing necessary at a time of a state budget deficit estimated to top $6 billion? Gov. Paterson wants to cut $1 billion from health care, higher education and other vital state programs. Surely, Mr. Amedore’s vanity piece could have waited until New York’s economy improved. THOMAS BELLICK Schenectady The writer is Democratic chairman for the Union and Nott Streets Committee.
Ask Mr.Bellick how Mr.Tonko contributed to the 'troubles we're in'.......robbing Peter to pay Paul----and deficit,election,flyers,fundraisers etc......we have dug our hole and now we will pull the dirt around ourselves if we dont get on the ball......BOTH PARTIES INCLUDED......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Blanchfield thanks 70 voters September 11, 2008 at 2:05 pm by Lauren Stanforth, Staff writer
105th Assembly candidate Democrat Mark Blanchfield wants to thank voters for keeping him on the Working Families party line in last Tuesday’s primary by holding a reception Saturday at 9 a.m. at his new headquarters, 122 Jay St., Schenectady.
Blanchfield won 70 votes to 30 votes against Joseph Salamone, a SUNY Albany student who’s on the Mohanasen school board. Before you snicker at the tiny number of voters, chew on this: the primary attracted 21 percent of Working Families’ voters in Schenectady and Montgomery counties, a pretty good turnout for a year in which there were no state or national primaries.
105th Assembly candidate Democrat Mark Blanchfield wants to thank voters for keeping him on the Working Families party line in last Tuesday’s primary
It must be 'experience' that decided this outcome. Cause I believe that Mr. Salamone IS registered with the WFP.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
my vote now goes to Amedore for certain and with some reservations indeed. But Georgie is a good man but has to learn to stand up to the pick - pockets a little on behalf of the tax payers over here
Many people wonder why good, hard-working, honest people do not get into politics. You can find one answer by listening to Schenectady City Councilman Mark Blanchfield’s radio ad that totally misrepresents a statement by George Amedore and insults the intelligence of the voters. Assemblyman Amedore has said repeatedly that he does not view his role as an assemblyman as his job, because he loves it so much and sees it as his privilege to serve the people of our community. A truly admirable reason, considering Mr. Amedore is a successful businessman, devoted husband and father and an active volunteer in the community. Unfortunately, Mark Blanchfield has twisted this into campaign mud and implies that Mr. Amedore does not take his Assembly position seriously. Over the years, Schenectady has been plagued by negative campaigns full of lies and distortions and Mr. Blanchfield apparently thinks that is what the voters want. His ad is deceiving and dishonest, so it comes as no surprise that Mr. Blanchfield’s party will not sign a “fair campaign” pledge for truth in campaigning. We need good people, like George Amedore, running for office because they want to serve the people, not because they want a job. Mr. Blanchfield is a politician and a lawyer and this is the type of behavior that gives each a bad reputation. PETER J. GUIDARELLI Schenectady The writer, a Republican, is a former city councilman and county legislator who ran unsuccessfully against Brian Stratton for mayor in 2003.
Amedore files complaint over opponent's ad Tuesday, September 23, 2008 By Michael Lamendola (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Republican Assemblyman George Amedore Jr. has filed an unfair campaign practice charge against his Democrat opponent for airing a “false and misleading” radio ad. Amedore said Mark Blanchfield’s ad intentionally distorts comments the assemblyman made during an interview he gave after receiving an award from the Capital District Business Review. The complaint went to the Fair Campaign Practices for the Capital Region, an independent group formed by the League of Women Voters. The Fair Practices Committee reviews complaints and issues non-binding opinions. Amedore and Blanchfield both signed a pledge to run fair campaigns for the 105th Assembly District seat. Amedore is seeking reelection to a full two-year term after winning a special election last year to replace longtime Assemblyman Paul Tonko, a Democrat and former chairman of the state Energy Research and Development Authority who is now running for Congress. Blanchfield said the ad is accurate in that it “uses my opponent’s own words and merely repeats sentiments he has expressed on several occasions.” The ad in question quotes Amedore saying he does not look at his assembly seat as his job. “I have building in my blood,” he says in the Blanchfield ad. Amedore denounced the ad during a Tuesday morning news conference at City Hall. His campaign provided a transcript of the interview. In it, he says: “I have building in my blood, that’s my job. I don’t look at the Assembly position as my job, I look at it as serving, giving back.”
105th Assembly District candidates clash over radio ad
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 1:25 p.m., Tuesday, September 23, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- Republican Assemblyman George Amedore today blasted his Democratic opponent for the 105th Assembly District seat, saying a new radio attack ad twists his words.
In a press conference on the steps of City Hall, Amedore said City Councilman Mark Blanchfield purposely chopped up the soundtrack taken from a Business Review video interview. The ad quotes Amedore, who is a home builder, saying, ``I have building in my blood, that's my job. I don't look at the Assembly position as a job.''
Amedore said in the the full interview, which is on YouTube, he goes on to say about being an assemblyman, ``I look at it as serving, giving back.''
The incumbent's campaign filed a complaint with the Schenectady County League of Women Voters' Fair Campaign Practices Committee, which can recommend that candidates take unfair ads off the air.
``I'm calling on Mark to stop twisting my words,'' Amedore said.
Blanchfield, who is an attorney with an Albany law firm, did not apologize for the ad, which began running this week. ``It's his own words,'' Blanchfield said. ``It's the same sentiment he's repeated several times.''
Good for Mr. Amedore. I really don't think that Blanchfield has a shot at this race anyway. Blanchfield is clearly a 'party' person and not a 'people person'. That is evident at the meetings. At least Amedore is a 'people person'. I don't even think Blanchfield can pretend at that one.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Quoted from bumblethru: ... I really don't think that Blanchfield has a shot at this race anyway. ...
Not sure that I agree with your assessment bumble. I have heard from many who supported Amedore last year and who are less enthusiastic now. Some of his support will be from those who simply oppose the election of his campaign opponent. George needs to spend more time with his constituents, particularly those in the hilltowns, hearing of their concerns.
And he's also got to remember that Schenectady County is actually the SMALLER part of his district. If he wants to win, I hope he's doing some work up in Montgomery County. I know that was a big part of his plan last July, including his 36 hours without sleep or whatever it was through election day.
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