September 10, 2009 at 7:07pm
There are legitimate reasons to oppose School Board member Cynthia Elliott's bid for re-election. But there is no legitimate reason for the anonymous attack launched against her this week.
Among a flood of campaign mail that Rochester Democratic voters have been getting this week was one aimed at Elliott. Headlined "Anyone but Elliott," the flyer included a list of charges against the candidate, accompanied by two very unflattering photographs of her.
Who sent it? Elliott's attackers won't tell you. This is the childish attribution on the flyer: "Paid for by citizens interested in electing school board members who care more about children and the community than themselves."
This is cheap. It is mean. It is despicable. It is undemocratic.
And it is cowardly.
There's not much chance that the perpetrators will be found out. The flyer was mailed with no return address. And it was mailed with first-class postage stamps, not with the bulk mailing-rate indicia that requires a permit (and thus could be traced).
This newspaper has its own concerns about Elliott, which we laid out in our endorsement article. But Elliott does not deserve this.
The people who produced this flyer and sent it should have had the courage of their convictions. They should have told us who they are.
They did not.
This campaign is the poorer for it. So is democracy.
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Comments for "TOWLER: Cynthia Elliott victim of cowards' attack" (3)
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Jr said on Sep. 11, 2009 at 5:38am
I could be mistaken, but I am fairly certain that it's against state election law to send a political mailing without a return address or otherwise disclosing who sent or paid for it..
Sandra Lake said on Sep. 12, 2009 at 9:44am
All candidates deserve dignity and respect from supporters and non- supporters. Cynthia Elliot's campaign is not the only campaign, however, which is being disrespected by this annoymous group of thugs. So, too, is the primary campaign of County Legislator Carrie Andrews. The competition, and probably the same group responsible for trashing Cynthia Elliot, tells lies about who supports them and even threatens the elderly to remove Carrie's lawn signs. Run stronger candidates with a message and who understand Monroe County issues so you don't have to stoop to the levels even below those of negative campaignig.
Cachelle Guadagnino said on Sep. 12, 2009 at 5:21pm
It is unfortunate that the same low tactics used against Ms. Elliot are also being used against Carrie Andrews, County Legislator.
Lies and smear techniques, including bad photo shopped images are flooding mail boxes by an unfair and dirty opponent.
Democracy is about debating the issues. The negative campaigns that Carrie and Cynthia are being subjected to are dishonest, low and desperate.
If the opponents really stood behind their words, they would have signed the literature and stated who it was paid by.
Kudos to Carrie Andrews, for taking the high road and focusing on what she can do for her constituents and not resorting to negative tactics.
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