Geoff Kelly of Artvoice has an eye opening piece this week on John Scanlon. I will be publishing it in the next few days. In honor of Chris Scanlon's appointment to the Buffalo Common Council, I thought I'd share this story on my former committee partner (his father). I don't have anything against Chris. He's not a bad guy at all. I just think the way the whole thing went down this week is going to have a lot of people talking...
Years ago in a past life, I was a democratic committee member. My partner in South 25 was none other than John "Scanoots" Scanlon. For those of you who don't know, each district is represented by two members (the top two vote getters). I actually lived in the district I represented. Mr. Scanlon's neighborhood was already represented by two other political hacks, so he was forced to go elsewhere, specifically to a neighborhood where most don't rely on government jobs to get by.
Unbeknownst to either of us, we had a challenger. A third person, unhappy with an endorsement letter I had sent out in favor of his opponent, had decided to challenge my seat. Mr. Scanlon knew that he only knew about six people in my neighborhood. He knew he could be in jeopardy of losing his seat. If he lost the seat, he also lost his Zone Chairmanship. I received a phone call from him telling me that we needed to work together to defeat this villain, who dared rock the boat.
I honestly couldn't have cared less. My family had lived in the neighborhood for over 40 years and we knew most of the voters personally. I agreed to go door to door with Mr. Scanlon the week before the election. I asked my neighbors to vote for myself and Scanlon and we passed out cue cards. Most people said, "Sure, Mike. no problem." Most wouldn't have known John Scanlon from John Lennon (just like most people in his neighborhood wouldn't have known me). Like I said, he did know 5 or 6 older neighbors from the Griffin era. We stood outside School #28 all day reminding voters to support us. What I didn't know, was that Scanlon had told his 5 or 6 loyalists to vote for HIM only. What a loyal friend. The results came in. The challenger received less than 10 votes. John ended up with around 61 votes to my 58. I had been "plunked" by a scam artist.
Revenge is sweet, however. Two years later, myself and the City Hall Rooster ran a whole slate of candidates against Scanlon and the rest of the "tourists" he had pretending to represent our neighborhood. In my race, my neighbor and I worked as a team, and we asked the people to support the two of us who actually lived in the district. I even worked with Brian Higgin's people to get all the lists we needed. At one point Scanlon said "You better pull out. Brian will be mad that you are running some of your people against his people." I said, "Really? He's the one who gave me the lists to run against you!" Classic. We trounced Scanlon and the rest of his stooges, winning 7 out of 9 seats.
For every person that sends me a negative comment for telling the truth in this post, I'm going to write a new post describing more scams I witnessed him perpetrate. There's plenty more where this one came from. Believe me.
He asked you to campaign with him for the 2 seats and you did. Bothe you and scanlon beat the 3rd runner and secured your seats. Democracy at work, right ? How did he scam you?
ReplyDeletePlease... Had it been a close race, he guaranteed that he'd at least finish 2nd. He threw me under a bus. What happened two years later?
DeleteIs this election going to be a referendum on Chris Scanlon or John Scanlon circa 1999? Put the petty stuff aside that no one cares about and start talking about issues. No one cares that John Scanlon told people to plunk; they care about Seneca Street looking like crap or how young people are moving out of South Buffalo in droves. If you are going to be a candidate against Kennedy what are you going to say he’s fat, a bad guy, he lied to me once, he’s a hack, and Higgins thinks for him? That will work. People know you coached soccer in the city for 21 years and ran for council, and sign your name to everything you write on this blog, great. There are a lot of people in South Buffalo that do a lot of things but they don’t think they have the right to make a blog, talk about people, and make our community look like we are crazy because we have people who need meds talking politics.
ReplyDeleteYou played soccer forever do you know who tripped you every time too? Get over it and start acting like a contributing member of our community instead of a whiner that makes South Buffalo look bad through this blog. In life people get slighted and if you are in politics you will get slighted even more, deal with it. Quit the righteous BS that you have been preaching to everyone and start talking issues.
"Is this election going to be a referendum on Chris Scanlon or John Scanlon circa 1999?"
DeleteChris Scanlon wouldn't even be a candidate if he wasn't John Scanlon's son. Seneca St looks like crap because guys like Scanlon have been in charge for last 40 years.
"If you are going to be a candidate against Kennedy what are you going to say he’s fat, a bad guy, he lied to me once, he’s a hack, and Higgins thinks for him?"
No. We're going to talk about how he disrespected labor. We're going to talk about his approval of late term abortions. We're going to talk about he supported Byron Brown and Fahey. And we're going to talk to people with inside info about what he"s been up to after hours in Albany.
"Get over it and start acting like a contributing member of our community instead of a whiner that makes South Buffalo look bad through this blog."
Parents come up to me at least once a week and thank me for the blog. It is where I hold court. If ur buddies don't like my blog, they should meet with me directly. I'm no politician, but I'm preparing for this election. If that's what your friends want, I'll get on the ballot.
How can you say I'm not a contributing member of the community? I volunteer 5 nights a week in S Bflo. You might not like me, but that's a fact. Hopefully, those are the people who will support my candidacy. As soon as the petitions come out, there will be no turning back either. I'm not Chris Fahey. I will knock on as many doors as I say.
DeleteIt's a bad thing that young people are moving into South Buffalo? That is the most ridiculous statement i have ever heard. Why wouldn't you want young people staying in this neighborhood?
ReplyDeleteI am 28, a mother, i keep my property nice, and if I could afford it, I'd move to North Buffalo were it isn't full of biggots who looked at people that are a certain race, sexual preference, the way they dress or you name the way that judgement can be dealt and look down on them.
Grow up and embrace the youngins. We are your future and if you don't exclude us we will do everything that your generation didn't to save the neighborhood. South Buffalo could be the next elmwood village with all the artist that have been settling in. Yet the old guard is preventing it.
As long as this neighborhood stays the same while the rest of the world and city has changed, it will just get worse.
And as for chris scanlon. Who knows maybe he can fix what is broken in this neighborhood? Maybe he won't. Either way voters will decide in November and he has until then to prove himself.
ReplyDeleteIf he has any brains he would do something that will get him noticed like get a co op started, maybe get some kind of arts committee, or something along that line. O wait that'd be bad because it would attract youngins and maybe even ::gasp:: hipsters!!!!
"It's a bad thing that young people are moving into South Buffalo?"
ReplyDeleteI don't remember saying that or implying that anywhere in the above post. Where did you get that?
It wasn't u. It was one of the idiots that responded. young people can be a valuable asset.
ReplyDeleteNo one said "Its a bad thing that young people are moving into South Buffalo" learn how to read. The comment states "how young people are moving out of South Buffalo in droves". I can understand how that sentence threw you off, it did have to many words in it.
ReplyDeleteSeneca Street looks like crap because the city codes are old and out dated, actually do some homework before you make ridiculous statements. You honestly think John Scanlon is responsible for Seneca Street? For having a masters degree no one would ever know. Just blame anyone for anything.
mike you really sound evil. a little jealous?? ur not the only one in sb to not get what u want. the owner of jojos didnt get what he wanted...hair. your never going to get any paid county or city job(volunterring dont count) because of all this bs on the blog. if theres a list of do not hire people your at the top of the list. if u got sources how could u have up to minute inf0 on tom sullivan but didnt know a thing about scalon till it went public..?? find new rats.
ReplyDelete"your never going to get any paid county or city job(volunterring dont count) because of all this bs on the blog. if theres a list of do not hire people your at the top of the list."
DeleteI'm my own person and I have no problem being on that list. I'm sorry that you don't want to hear the truth. The people I cite on here are mostly spineless cowards.
To the 28 year old single mother, please leave our neighborhood, you and all your artsy friends aren't welcome. " this could be the next elmwood avenue". What the fuck are you smoking? If you're not Irish/catholic please don't move into this neighborhood, you will not be welcome.
ReplyDeleteIs this above post for real? Sarcasm doesn't translate to screen.
ReplyDeleteto the 28 yo mom "move". you "people" can go back to whereever u came from. we got enough "single moms" around here. check out across from rite aid on seneca, its called the "baby mama projects". full of fun stuff, bring lube
ReplyDeleteWhoever said single mother. These comments make one ashamed to be from south buffalo. A neighborhood of philistines who haven't mentally graduated from Timon.
ReplyDeleteDid the priest or some other trusted adult at Timon molest some of you and as a result,many suffer from a disassociation disorder? Ya this married mother has bachlors in social work and just found out I was accepted into law school. So I will probably end up working with your relatives when I start a family law practice.
and many of the young people moving are going west/north to the elmwood village and allen town. Hmm..
I don't want to move to elmwood, I would rather watch south buffalo gasp strings and try to hold onto a time of segregation and imbreeding. Arent we all related? To be on the safe side marry outside the neighborhood.