A previous post details the background for this one, but here is the short version:
In 2010, Rochester Councilwoman Manuela Michailescu announced her running for a Republican Committee seat. Imre Beke Sr. went bananas via demagoguery. David O’Halloran made clear his disapproving of Republicans challenging Republicans’ petitions, and asked for identical petition forms for him and Manuela.
- David O’Halloran to Manuela Michailescu:
Let’s make sure our petitions are identical. I will give you a copy of mine and vice versa. Then Tom Turco will be asked to insure either or both are correct and challenge proof.
A sneaky plan cooked by Imre Beke, Sr., Imre Beke, Jr., and both Bernardos – with help from Tom Turco at the Board of Elections – succeeded in having Manuela’s petition denied. David O’Halloran accepted full responsibility:
- David O’Halloran to Manuela Michailescu:
You are right; I accept full responsibility for your petitions being thrown out. I assured you that your petitions would be identical to mine and that they would be challenge proof. It will be my responsibility to make up for this error.
- David O’Halloran to Manuela Michailescu:
You were confirmed on October 5, 2010 by the UC GOP Executive Board as an appointed member of the UC GOP Committee representing the Town of Rochester. Congrats!
Next day or so, Rondout Valley GOP website showed all ten Rochester Republican Committee members, by election districts:
Imre Beke in District 1. Manuela Michailescu in District 2. No two ways about it.
I immediately published the members’ list on Rochester Republicans website.
On September 12, 2011, the night before the Republican Primary, I personally witnessed David O’Halloran splitting the District 2 Summary Voter Master Call List (below) with his fellow District 2 member Manuela Michailescu. No two ways about it.
I also witnessed David asking Manuela: “If you win, are you going to forgive us?”
Manuela Michailescu did not win the Primary. Sure enough, a change popped up on Rondout Valley GOP website:
Imre Beke in District 2. Manuela Michailescu in District 1.
When Manuela raised the issue in a Committee meeting, David & Co. dismissed her: “You are confused.”
Those familiar with Manuela’s activity as Councilwoman, her attention to details and her annoying errors-discovering skills – from minutes to town’s bills – know that nothing is further from the truth. To imply that Manuela doesn’t know what District she has been representing for two years is simply insulting.
At the Republican Committee meeting in May 2012, Manuela Michailescu announced that she would file petitions for the only district she always represented, Election District 2.
She received from the GOP headquarters an error-ridden petition… for District 4!
Pushed from District 2 to 1 to 4. Funny how all these things happen only to Manuela.
Can you spell discrimination?
– Jon Dogar-Marinesco
Rochester Smoke Out 
It’s not “Funny how all these things happen only to Manuela” and yes it is a type of discrimination. What the issue boils down to is that Manuella cannot be controlled and manipulated like Beke. O’Halloran and Bernardo have an agenda……..CONTROL AND POWER !!
This is why I hate local party politics. And it’s not Rochester, it’s prevalent everywhere. If these people spend half as much time actually working against the democrats instead of insider backstabbing, we might actually get some more right thinking people elected to office.
Jon,
I’m not sure what the issue is; once I learned that Manuela’s petitions were disqualified because she made hand written corrections, I called and offered to appoint her. I personally had your wife appointed to the Rochester Republican Committee. You do not mention that this appointment was at the chair’s prerogative. I could have appointed any registered Republican but I appointed your wife because she is active in GOP politics and a hard worker. She has had a seat on the committee for two years and has been invited ( actively participated in meetings) to all meetings. All Rochester committee members represent all Rochester Republicans. Districts is purely a matter that comes up every two years when we do petitions. I’ve encouraged your wife to file her petitions and look forward to having her on the committee for years to come. Regardless of the district, we will all do our best to represent all Republicans in Rochester.
My emails have disclaimers specifically stateng that they are not to be reprinted, forward or distributed. Please honor my request and remove my private emIls from your website.
Thank you and enjoy the summer,
David O’Halloran
It is quite apparent that Mr. O’Halloran has some type of ongoing dispute with the blogger but it is quite rude, disrespectful and derogatory of him to refer to Manuela as “your wife”, she is an individual not the property of another, not once but three times he did this in his comment. Even by Mr. O’Halloran’s own admission, in his poorly worded comment, she has been a fellow Republican, hard worker, actively involved, a member of the Town’s Committee and an elected official – she deserves much more respect than to be referred to as another’s property.
Election districts were established for a reason and I disagree that it doesn’t matter which district is represented by a committee person because it makes sense that a Committee Person wants to represent the district in which they live where they know their neighbors. A Committee Person position is an Elected position although not an election in the traditional sense of the word as most people think of it. Rather than voting for a Committee Person of a Political Party at the voting booth, the designating petition, which is circulated every two years for a Committee Member seat for all constituted political parties (Republican, Democrat, Conservative, etc.), is the Election.
There is a signature requirement per election district which is based on the registered voters of that party in that district and their turnout in the last Gubernatorial race. The election districts, besides affording the Committee Person familiarity with those friends and neighbors who they are representing, also brings with it the authority to vote on behalf of those registered Party members in that Election District for selection of candidates and election of officers at Party Organizational meetings and Conventions. The Election District does matter as each one has a different “weighted vote” for this purpose.
And one last thing, a Town Chair or Party Chair has no authority to “shift” committee members from district to district unless, as allowed under the Party’s bylaws, they are filling a vacancy for a Committee seat, and that process would be handled in keeping with the Party’s bylaws, but still must be in compliance with State Election Law.
Robin Vaccai Yess
aka Liberty Coalition
Jon & fellow posters,
Having discussed this site & others hosted by Jon, Manuela has assured me that she has absolutely nothing to do with the site and content. She reads it like everyone else and does not necessarily agree or disagree with statements made on the site. That said, I referred to Manuela as Jon’s wife because it’s important for readers to know that these statements and claims are not Manuelas and I doubt she supports them, if she even reads them.
Robin, as former GOP chair, you called many town committee members for assistance and support, never did the question “what district are you in” ever come up. As you know, once seated, districts have little to do with the everyday workings of a committee. I appointed Manuela to the open slot in our town committee, at the time of appointment we left the district blank. None of use were sure which district had the blank. Tom Turco researched it and placed Manuela in the vacant slot in District 4. What matters is that I followed though with my word, and appointed Manuela even though many were critical of my decision.
If I deserve a black eye on this blog for doing the right thing by Manuela, so be it. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.
Enjoy the summer,
David
you could have just referred to her as Manuela. The post signature was Jon, I don’t think there was any confusion as to whose blog this is or the author of the post.
Hmm…it seems to me that I have heard of a political couple (aka Len and Terry) who both insist that their political activities have nothing to do with each other. How funny is that?
No black eyes, David. I am aware that you appointed Manuela after her petition was challenged by, of course, a fellow Republican.
My point was about the rules for getting a seat on a political party committee and how it works. The County Chair working with Town Committee People has nothing whatsoever to do with a Committee Person running for a seat in one particular election district in their Town. Yes, it makes sense to try to fill all of the seats and at times it makes sense to encourage some to run in a different district, but sometimes because of the way people have been treated they might not be so willing to accommodate the wishes of others, which really comes as no surprise. The point of my post was that it is an elected position, not an appointed one and it is not for any Party Person to decide in which district anyone should run.
And, whether for public office or Party office, anyone who opposes primaries must then oppose democracy because primary elections give the voters the opportunity to choose.
Where’s Elliott?
Mr. O’Halloran, You’re mixing two different years, 2010 and 2012.!!
The issue you don’t seem to grasp is this current year, 2012.
The screen shots clearly indicate who is in District 4 – untill after
Primary day in September 2012; this is none other than Madam Chair
Terry Bernardo!! That explains why it was considered a “vacant seat”…
The real vacant seat situation from 2010 refers to Malena Callan’s
resignation from District 1 – that’s when you placed Imre Beke Sr. in
District 1. I live in District 1 and recall Beke gathering signatures
from voters in District 1 last year, as Committee member. And for sure
Tom Turco can research that Terry Bernardo’s petitions filed as
Committee member indicate District 4, since 2009 she is representing
District 4.
Sounds like dirty business. Next move for Mr. O’FOOLogan will be to appoint the latest town board nut to a committee seat! So transparent. Remember folks, you heard it here.
I am sure O’Halloran is running out of ” yes men” I hope there isn’t that many more idiots in Rochester.
Agree — He’s hit the bottom of the barrel with yes men. And he has issues with women.
7:18 – more than likely breaking bread with the Bernardos.
Turco is extremely overpaid for someone not competent enough to fill out an election petition for a candidate. If Manuela had missed the zip code, they would have thrown out all of the signatures. A democracy? I think not. It’s a twisted corrupt County.