There were 2 articles that popped up in my google alerts this morning that have me worried about the direction Senator Patty Ritchie might be taking, but it may just be that I'm still learning the ropes of government and I may not be understanding what's going on. The first artice from the Watertown paper is here: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20101209/NEWS03/312099956 and the one from a New York magazine is here: http://www.observer.com/2010/slideshow/state-senate-slideshow
The first article scares me a bit because she says that she is going to open up three offices across her district and that has to be expensive. I'm glad that she plans on having an office in Oswego to hear our concerns, I just think it's going to cost us alot of money. On the other hand she is only hirinf three people to work for her which is good news for us Taxpayers, I just hope she doesn't use all of the $350,000 that she was given, I know she won't, no one is worth that much money on top of the salary they are already getting. It's what these people do though, they open up loads of offices and spend all of our money on mail that says they care about me so I vote for them again, well news flash I only voted because you said you weren't the type to do this. So that's my new goal for her: don't waste my money on self promotion. Because I can tell you this, if you are spending my money trying to convince me you are looking out for my money, there's no way in hell I'd ever trust you with it again.
With the next article I have already talked about how Patty shouldn't be talking to liberal lamestream media about anything, especially when they are some magazine in New York City that I'm sure advocates for my "right" to marry my shoe. So I'm all on board for Patty not playing their game, she should only be talking to the public through fair media like the Internet. She's a tech smart person, she has a friendly facebook page that she was keeping us updated on during the campaign and she'll get back into gear with it soon and that's the ONLY media she should use. Maybe she can trust the Syracuse paper they did endorse her after all because she was going to put the state on the right track, but still all papers are written by the college types who feel they need to "change" the world - change is in quotes because like Obama they feel it means taking all of my change along with my gun and freedom to make a progressive, socialist heaven right here in America.
I am not a supporter of Ritchie whatsoever, but your wrong on several things in this post.
ReplyDeleteThe district is huge, an office in each county is necessary, and they really don't cost that much. So if anything that shouldn't be of any concern.
What needs to be understood is that she will certainly be hiring many more than 3 staffers. She will most likely have upwards of a dozen. You can actually look up employee offices and salaries at the senate website now (and see how overpaid they all are).
As for how she should communicate with constituents and her dealing with the media, how is the Internet fair media? Should she be talking to people like you, a right wing blogger? Or reputable organizations, which, by the way, all endorsed her in November (Ogdensburg Journal, Watertown Times and Post-Standard).
She needs to deal with the media because that is how a representative keeps people updated on how they are working for them. Not everyone has internet access, even in the 21st century, and even less do Facebook. She doesn't deal with the media because she can't speak substantively about anything and is scared that will be exposed even if she does a softball introductory interview on TV.
Be ready to be let down in the next two years. Ms. Ritchie ran on so many great promises that she simply cannot keep as a freshman state senator. The GOP is controlled by downstate Long Islanders who will return to their old practices of funneling state money down there and leaving upstate and the north country behind.