Political Dirty Tricks In New Rochelle

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

As President Obama said two years ago prior to the election, “It’s silly season.” New Rochelle is no different.

On Tuesday October 19th, silly season was revealed once again. Some time during that day, a Susan Kettner campaign sign was place directly in front of Cynthia Lobo’s sign in southern New Rochelle. Kettner’s sign was placed there without the permission of the homeowner. Kettner and Lobo are both vying for City Judge.

When I spoke to the homeowner she said, “Kettner’s sign a foolish waste of signage and I threw it in the trash. I realize she’s desperate. How can you want to be a judge and be uncomfortable around people as we saw in a Youtube video. If they put up another one, it’s going wind up in the same place as the first one, the trash.”

You can’t make this stuff up, but this time, they’re busted.

If you want to see a photo of the offending signage, visit my blog at:
http://railientrails.blogspot.com/2010/10/political-dirty-tricks-in-new-rochelle.html

10 thoughts on “Political Dirty Tricks In New Rochelle”

  1. Does anyone care about New Rochelle ? Please wake up
    This whole website is a huge joke. Ms. Lobo has constantly had her people place signs on my private property and adjacent public property, in violation of City LAW. You won’t see this headline on this blog.

    Mr. Cox, Yes I am too busy to take pictures of lawn signs and I am trying to earn a real living and to honestly protect this community. Maybe you should try and do the same sometime, no wonder you have such a bad rep amongst real journalists. At one time I tried to defend you but I can’t anymore, I have a family to support and real journalists to adhere to. Honestly, Pee-Wee Herman at least discloses his interests.

  2. Hug a tree, say no to Political signs
    I find that a Good way to make someone look bad (smear)is put their sign up in front of yours and cry “look what they done”. All the Kettner and Lobo and any Political eye sore signs make sick any way. Where do they go afterward in the trash, what a waste!

    I would like to see the stats on what a waste it is, then ask a Political figures what they think about going green, if their response “I’m all for it” then I would drop a ton of sign at their feet a say BS

    You wrote “You can’t make this stuff up, but this time, they’re busted.”

    And why cant you make this up, it’s call smear campaign or just useless Information

    Hug a tree, say no to Political signs

  3. Typical Desparate Behavior
    This is typical of Ms. Kettner as her campaign did similar dirty tricks in the closing days of her failed campaign against Lou Trangucci who cleaned her clock. Ms. Kettner is uncomfortable around people when she can’t control the situation. She claims to be New Rochelle’s own but a judgeship is not a birth right. Kettner also believes a judge should invest in their community so if Kettner cares so much about New Rochelle why did she pay businesses outside New Rochelle over $3,400 to design and print her palm cards? Are there no competent designers or printers in New Rochelle? Oh and by the way her campaign has a Larchmont address. So Kettner “cares” about New Rochelle but not enough to invest her dollars in New Rochelle or run her campaign from New Rochelle. Cynthia Lobo will receive my vote because she earned her way, she wasn’t left an existing family business to inherit. Ms. Lobo’s experience and diversity make her, by far, the best candidate for New Rochelle City Court Judge.

    1. Who is Kettner???????????
      south side man
      I have lived in New Rochelle my whole life , my father had his buisness here.
      I have been doing buisness here in New Rochelle for 30 years.

      I have never once have heard a mention of Ms Kettner!
      In my buisnes dealing, political, or community involvment..

      I have never noticed her or heard her name mentioned at the christmas tree lightings or seasonal community gatherings.

      I do know Cynthia Lobo , I have been involved with community projects with her,I will vote for her!!!

      1. Political Hacks
        Susan Kettner is a Democratic operative whose only claim to fame is Chairman of the BAZ. She “got her clock cleaned” as stated above in the 2007 District 1 Council race. Kettner used her political clout to gain the Democratic nomination along with George Latimer’s influence which pissed off Jared Rice because there was a young African American seeking the position. That’s why Jared outwitted the Democratic hierarchy by soliciting support from the district leaders in District 3 prior to the Democratic convention and cut Noam off at the knees. I don’t want another political hack as my City Court Judge so I will be voting for Cynthia Lobo.

        As for Jared Rice, I certainly don’t want anyone whose favorite book is, 48 Laws of Power, a book about manipulating people for personal gain through any means possible. As a District 3 resident I will be voting for Peter Parente a true New Rochellian and the only legitimate candidate District 3.

      2. Timknows knows nothing. (Dirty tricks?) And my endorsement:
        “Timknows” asserts: “Kettner used her political clout to gain the Democratic nomination … which pissed off Jared Rice because there was a young African American seeking the position.” If Timknows really knows what he is talking about, he is lying and liars cannot be trusted in any of their postings. If he doesn’t know what he is talking about but is willing to make wrong assertions anyway, well that is just as much a reason not to trust what anything he posts. Here are the incontrovertible facts:

        Six candidates presented themselves to the N. R. Democratic Committee for its designation to run as the Democratic nominee for City Court Judge. They were:

        (1) Cynthia Lobo;
        (2) Susan Kettner;
        (3) Gary Trachten (me);
        (4) Matthew Costa;
        (5) Jayni Edelstein-Allegra; and
        (6) David Lacher.

        (Greg Varian had initially presented himself and campaigned for the designation and then withdrew to run for the special election for a County Board of Legislators seat.)

        None of the candidates were African American. Timknows is not merely wrong; he is inexcusably wrong because the facts are so readily available from the many that participated in or followed the process and from responsible media outlet reports.

        More facts: For more than 3 months, the candidates presented themselves together in council district meet-&-greet fora, and separately in personal or small group in-person and telephone meetings, to the around 120 district leaders in all parts of the city. There was an extraordinary vetting process with the discussions focusing on each and every candidate’s qualifications, experience and temperament. It was very competitive, but it was also entirely civil — indeed a friendly and respectful competition.

        Cynthia Lobo (who had signed on to become a Democratic District Leader but has since said at a recent candidate forum that she didn’t realize what that meant — how is that for being a cautious judicial candidate?) dropped out very soon before the designating convention as did 2 other candidates, leaving only Ms. Kettner, Mr. Costa and me in the race. The vote was by secret ballot. On the first round, Ms. Kettner won more than 50% of the vote (as weighted, as the law requires, based on historical Democratic voting in the voter’s election district). I came in second; Mr. Costa came in third; and Mr. Lacher (despite having withdrawn) received some votes as well.

        While I cannot read minds and know why each participant cast his or her vote as he or she secretly did, I do know that many district leaders were disappointed in the level of Ms. Lobo’s personal outreach.

        Despite my personal disappointment, I am proud of the Committee’s thorough and highly democratic (small “d”) vetting process. Chairman Arnold Klugman demonstrated nothing but neutrality and even declined to cast a 1st round (which was the only round) ballot. Susan Kettner worked very hard in submitting herself to close and comparative scrutiny. That means a lot.

        As far as i can determine, there appears to have been no similar vetting on the Republican side.

        I vigorously competed with both candidates and I believe that I know well what each brings to the table. In truth, I like Cynthia Lobo and respect her experience. But I believe that Susan Kettner is the better choice. My sense is that she would be the harder worker on the Bench. She is also (as her literature says) smart, tough and fair.

        I endorse Susan Kettner for City Court Judge.

        Gary Trachten

      3. Wake-Up Kettner was ordained long before the vote
        With all due respect to Mr. Trachten, the vetting process he describes in detail is purely political. Varian “deciding” to run for county legislator was nothing more than the Democratic Party throwing him a bone to get him out of the judge race. Mr. Trachten also neglects to reveal the “pledge” every judge candidate was asked to honor. Honoring this “pledge” would deny Mr. Trachten and all other un-chosen candidates their Democratic rights to seek other nominations or run a primary. It is evident that Mr. Trachten is a devote card carrying New Rochelle Democratic shill.

      4. For the record……
        For the record, Ms. Lobo was the only candidate to interview for the Republican nomination. That proves Ms. Lobo’s intestinal fortitude and resolve. No one else had the courage and commitment to challenge Ms. Kettner on the Democratic line in a City where the Democrats enjoy a near 2 to 1 voter registration advantage. What people don’t know is that Jared Rice stole the District 3 nomination from the convention because he felt that an African American judge candidate did not receive the respect he deserved. There are many Dems supporting Ms. Lobo, many publicly. In the end we have a choice between a political operative and loyal soldier, Susan Kettner, and a woman who chose t fight for her freedom of choice to change the political landscape of New Rochelle. Cynthia Lobo has more experience, diversity and leadership and deserves our vote.

      5. Gary drinks the Kool-Aid
        Mr. Trachten, if the process was so open and fair was it done in public? Let me be more specific, I have been told that the Democratic Party holds their meetings in a place which they pay for to deny public access while the Republican Party holds their meetings in public buildings and openly invites the public to attend in their meeting notices. For the record can you respond Mr. Trachten? I know the answer but I think the public would like to hear it from you!

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