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Ranzenhofer responds to ham-handed mailer from teachers union

By Howard B. Owens

Perhaps you've seen this campaign mailer attacking Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer. 

The Ranzenhofer campaign issued a statement about it today:

Albany's special interests are at it again. This time, a powerful teachers union is attacking a legislative idea suggested by a group of fourth-grade students and their teacher. It's ironic that the union representing teachers is attacking a legislator for getting a law passed to make yogurt the official state snack when students at Byron-Bergen Elementary School first requested it. What is even more bizarre is that the political mailing is filled with a myriad of spelling errors. It misspells loses ("looses"), Ranzenhofer ("Razenhofer"), the Town of Batavia ("Batvia") and the yogurt manufacturer, Alpina ("Aplina"). If the union handed in this political attack to be graded, it would be returned with red ink all over it with a note to keep practicing spelling. Teachers union candidate Elaine Altman should give it a failing grade.

Brian Graz

This mailer was probably produced offshore in some place like Indonesia because it's much cheaper. Maybe if GCEDC would spread more corporate welfare around the county there would be local print shops who could compete...

Oct 28, 2014, 9:49am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Have any of you "thebatavian" readers received this mailer? As Jennifer asked, where is the teachers union logo? On the opposite side? The only thing HERE that points to the union is (Howard's) headline (and Ranzenhofer's placing the blame). The union's logo would attach it to them.

Oct 28, 2014, 11:16am Permalink
Jennifer Keys

I have not received this one, but have received many others from the Altman campaign paid for by NYSUT. What I see here isn't even in the same design as the other mailers and everything NYSUT pays for has their logo on it.

Oct 28, 2014, 12:12pm Permalink
Cheryl Saville

I have that mailing right here in front of me. On it it says:
"Paid for by VOTE-COPE. Not authorized or requested by any candidate's political committee or any of its agents"

Below the return address is the AFL-CIO Union symbol printed so tiny my husband and I had trouble reading it even with a magnifying glass. Perhaps someone with younger eyes can look at it?

Oct 28, 2014, 12:55pm Permalink
Bea McManis

Nothing like that in the mail for me either. It is not the quality of mailing received from any candidate from any party. Normally, when a group takes the time to support a candidate they don't hide their light under a bushel. The tiny trade marks make me wonder.

Oct 28, 2014, 2:58pm Permalink
Brian Graz

Maybe the Ranzenhofer campaign put it out so they could blame it on the opponent... ? Ya know nothing is beyond politics today.

Oct 29, 2014, 2:09am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"Maybe the Ranzenhofer campaign put it out so they could blame it on the opponent... ?"

Which has been done before.

Oct 29, 2014, 8:32am Permalink
Randa Williams

It seems odd that those who believe that Senator Ranzenhofer sent this mailer himself also deny seeing the AFL-CIO printed on it. The issue is whether or not jobs were created when the yogurt plants opened. Somehow it is that piece of information that is being hidden under a bushel basket. One could assume the improper use of the English language could be traced to Common Core. It is the Union who should be ashamed, not the Senator.

Oct 29, 2014, 7:37pm Permalink

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