Eight Candidates for Council -- Some Worth a Second Look, Some Not / "...as hard as Davis has worked, the man deserves better...

from SmugtownBeacon.com

"...as hard as Davis has worked, the man deserves better than what the Rochester political/media elite have given him."

"...if everyone complained as much as you, the city would shut down." In other words, keep your mouth shut, we've got bigger fish to fry. If Davis comes off a little angry about these sorts of experiences, there are probably about 150,000 Rochesterians who feel the same way."

http://www.smugtownbeacon.com/news.php?viewStory=363

HARRY DAVIS

[Wilmot]

Council candidate Mr. Harry Davis is a really nice guy. I haven't known Harry long, but he is difficult not to like, and admire. He has overcome at least one very troubling health issue, with class and dignity.

Born at Genesee Hospital, Harry has lived 31 years of his life in Greater Rochester, much of it in the City. He also spent a significant period of his life in places like Washington, DC, and Colorado. Mr. Davis has worked in media and politics. He is sharp, committed, and passionate about making Rochester, especially downtown, a better place to live and work.

However, Harry has, what I would call, fundamental-institutional difficulties in the political arena. He has run for public office several times, and unfortunately has not yet won. Part of what prevents Harry from becoming an elected official is what challenges all candidates, to one degree or another: Money. Harry has none (in his campaign coffers; I did not make it my business to ask about his personal finances).

Mr. Davis will always have trouble making it over the money hurdle when it comes to running for office due to a significant lack of funding sources. Part of the problem may be attributed to his sometimes overzealous campaign style, and the impression among the media and some voters that he is too often a 'one issue' candidate (i.e. RenSquare, or high speed rail).

Which is far from the truth. Harry Davis can recite chapter and verse about a plethora of issues facing urban residents. But he came out of the box so hard and fast in his opposition to RenSquare, that I believe his intense focus on that issue drowned out his real concerns about nearly every other urban issue.

I respect Harry Davis immensely. I just don't think he will overcome certain campaign hurdles, at least not soon.

-- Christopher J. Wilmot

[Wicks]
Harry Davis has been dealt a very difficult hand in life. And while no one would argue that it entitles him to public office -- or anything else -- it does say something about this man's strength of character that he continually bounces back to fight for the ideas he believes can improve our community.

Davis can be an easy personality to dismiss. City newspaper recently did so with great dispatch, painting Davis as a crank who goes on about bedbugs and loud dogs. And while, yes, Davis did bring up those issues in our conversation, he did so with an important point in mind: quality of life issues matter to people and he "has been there." He was once told by a public servant (remember, someone who works for him, a taxpayer) that "if everyone complained as much as you, the city would shut down." In other words, keep your mouth shut, we've got bigger fish to fry. If Davis comes off a little angry about these sorts of experiences, there are probably about 150,000 Rochesterians who feel the same way.

Many Rochesterians by now know Davis as one of the most vocal and consistent foes of Renaissance Square. He deserves his fair share of credit for that. When many pols were straddling the fence, Davis took a clear position, never wavered and, guess what, he was right. Davis' newest focus is on light rail. He probably over-sells the potential impact of it, but he is right to push the issue and demand action. The city and the state need creative solutions to the economic stagnation that has settled over Upstate New York for the past 30 years; Davis' push on light-rail and bio-tech jobs might sound "trendy" but those sorts of projects will materialize somewhere, why not keep Rochester in the running?

In the end, I declined to endorse Davis because I did not feel his platform was broad enough to effectively integrate with the 8 other Council members. And while Davis can clearly be comfortable being the challenger -- sometimes the only voice of dissent -- it is still not clear what role he would play as an "insider". The thought is intriguing, but intrigue hardly seems to be the basis for a vote. That being said, this much must also be clear: as hard as Davis has worked, the man deserves better than what the Rochester political/media elite have given him.

-- Aaron E. Wicks