Rochester's citizens retain the Right to Vote; they do so at national, state and local levels. When citizens exercise that right they are saying: I prefer this individual because I think he/she can accomplish the job as I would like to see it done. Rochester's citizens voted for, and elected, Bob Duffy because they had confidence in his judgment as a leader.

Taxpayers have tried for decades to elect responsible individuals to the RCSD board; the results are in, and that method has proven to be unsuccessful. Even worse, it has been HIGHLY unsuccessful; perhaps the most unsuccessful in the entire state of New York!

It is obvious to most that the current infighting has nothing to do with the well-being of children or their educations; but, has everything to do with “turf” and political advantage whether for the Union, City Council or current board members.

I have even noted that some local ministers feign concern over Voting Rights; though, I have yet to encounter a congregation that votes on the issue of Sunday School teachers. Either Religious Ed is less important than Public Ed or the Right to Vote is only significant in secular matters and not-at-all in sacred.

Well, reverends, let's DO have our cake and eat it too!

With regard to voting rights, I recall that School Board candidate (incumbent - 2005) garnered more votes than mayoral candidate of the same year: Robert Duffy. In 2009, the top vote getter among school board candidates included almost the same universe as those who voted for the mayor. If we are unhappy with the turnout for school board candidates, we must be even more concerned over the low turnout for mayoral and city council candidates.

On the same topic (voting rights) I think it is fair to accuse the mayor of perpetrating a fraud. The public re-elected this mayor while the public believed he was still against mayoral control of schools. Would the public have voted for him if they thought a vote for this mayor would be construed as a vote in favor of mayoral control? I really question that. A late election cycle revelation might have super-charged a write-in campaign, much the same way that one school board members late election cycle antics cost her considerable support, but it would not do the mayor in. Only keeping this plan under wraps for most of 2009 (he actively denied his intentions since February 2009). Alternative candidates for the office declined to run in the face of a highly popular mayor, and no issue to oppose him on. Sunshine, they say, is a great disinfectant. I wish more sunshine had fallen on this issue in early 2009.

Forgot to mention that school board candidate was Darryl Porter.

Ms Powell, I find it curiously odd that you verbalize more concern over voters rights for an election in which you will not even be a candidate, than you do in the matter of nine city high schools are among the state's worst, a matter in which, as a member of the school board, you should exhibit some genuine interest and for which you bear considerable responsibility. Yet, on that issue, you remain mute!

The answer to that apparent contradiction may be found in my previous comment: the current infighting has nothing to do with the well-being of children or their educations; but, has everything to do with turf and political advantage whether for the Union, City Council or current board members, and, obviously, those with higher political aspirations, such as yourself.

Ms Powell, I am confident in saying that I have observed the mayor fulfilling his public duties, as both chief-of-police & mayor, more successfully than you have thus far fulfilled yours.

Though you are quite willing to point the accusing finger at the mayor; you are entirely reluctant to address disasters related to your own bailiwick. I have some reservations about you, Ma'am; I'd like to know what your real agenda is.

Quite frankly, The lady doth protest too much, methinks...

This "voting rights" argument is a ridiculous red herring, and should be obvious as such.

RCSD school board elections are always decided in Democratic primaries during off election years, which attract abysmally low voter turnout and limited press attention. Comparing school board turnout with the mayoral turnout in 2009 is absurd - the mayor was running unopposed! As a city voter, I would much rather hold the mayor directly accountable with my vote, then a rag tag group of RCSD board members who could not clearly demonstrate their impact even if we asked them. My children's future depends on it.