WXXI: Democrats Make A Push For NY Senate Seats (2008-09-24)

A coordinated statewide Democratic effort to win back the New York State Senate, brought their campaign message to Rochester Wednesday.

Addressing supporters at the Monroe County Democratic Headquarters, members of the State Democratic Senate Campaign Committee met with local candidates and outlined their plans to take control of the senate.

Senate Minority Leader Malcom Smith blamed the many problems facing the state on the Republican Senate leadership.

"You now live in a state where close to 47,000 people have left the upstate region;" said Smith. "You have an upstate economy that has a job growth rate of 1.4 percent, well below the national average of 5.7; you have property taxes that are through the roof; your children can not come to school and come back here and live; and now you have a Republican Senate that says give me another chance. Well, they had their chance and they failed. Forty years is enough"

But Monroe County Republican Party Chairman Bill Reilich says Democrats are just as responsible for the state's problems.

"I might remind them they have an assembly that's been overwhelmingly Democrat for many years and they also have a Governor that's a member of their party," said Reilich. "To blame all the problems on the Republicans, maybe tomorrow if their car doesn't start it'll be the Republicans' fault too, but lets be realistic, voters are smarter than that to fall for that type of rhetoric."

Reilich says the state needs a balance of power in Albany and that neither party should be in total control.