Of the Democratic candidates who have announced or will be announcing, there are really three things that seperate us:

1. I won't play Joe Robach's game. My colleagues intend to play by Joe's rules: raise more money; spend more money. The 2006 Election returns show that spending four times more didn't earn Joe any new votes. Joe's ceiling is the Democratic candidate's floor. A campaign needs money to get it's message out, and I've articulated what I think is appropriate. (See 2008 News) But only a modest campaign can use "earned media" to embarrass Joe in the very act of over-spending, charging Joe with not knowing the value of a dollar.

The alternative is to lead and live by Clean Money, Clean Elections. I've been elected city-wide, winning three Primary and three General Elections over 10 years. In my last campaign, I spent less than 1/4 what the other incumbent School Board member spent, and had no difficulty getting re-elected. I know how to use volunteer man-power and how to invest my own time door-to-door to accomplish what money can't buy.

2. I'm the blue-collar candidate. I've worked three jobs at once to provide for my family and try to achieve the American Dream. I know how hard people are working to make ends meet in these difficult economic times. I know the value of a buck, and I won't waste people's taxpayer money on projects that don't help the vast majority of those taxpayers. I'm making the charge that Joe Robach doesn't know the value of a campaign dollar, and I'm asking people to question whether he knows the value of taxpayer dollars.

3. I have appeal in Brighton and in other areas of the district. Brighton is a wonderful town, and has really done something special for itself. I respect Brighton and residents of the Town appreciate my strong progressive positions. But coming from the city, and representing it on the School Board, I can relate to the residents of Greece, which is more like the city than Brighton, in ways that my primary opponents cannot. Also, I grew up in small towns in the Southern Tier that are a lot like the town of Parma and the village of Hilton.

In fact, the reason I'm in this race is because I'm not convinced that either Brighton Candidate speaks to the city, to Greece or to Parma.