Alissa Ellman: Dem for NY24 "I'm Doing this Out of Desperation to Maintain the Rule of Law"

Alissa Ellman: Dem for NY24 "I'm Doing this Out of Desperation to Maintain the Rule of Law"

Alissa Ellman [https://www.ellmanforcongress.com/about] grew up in Houghton, NY. She is the youngest of 6 children. Her first job was at Houghton College. She joined the military as a way earn money and pay for college. Alissa entered the National Guard’s Basic Training. Shortly after her return, September 11th happened and, as for so many, everything changed.  She trained for Flight Operations and her first deployment started on her 19th birthday. She did an 18 month deployment, mostly in Afghanistan, and after she came home, she was recruited as a contractor back to Afghanistan where she did airfield management and logistics. After several years, Alissa decided it was time to come home. She settled down in Western NY, married, had 2 daughters, put herself through school and became a Special Education teacher, focusing on students with behavioral issues.  In 2018 she was diagnosed with Burn Pit Cancer, which came from being exposed to toxic elements in Afghanistan. While rare, it is very curable.  Grateful and impressed with her treatment from the VA, she decided to “give back” after she recovered. Alissa processed claims for the VA. Twenty-eight days shy of her one year anniversary she was “DOGEd” in the first round of cuts – not through any fault of her own, it was because the people in the government making the decisions were “delusional narcissists”. Alissa started a political action group with a friend Stand Up Lockport [https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Stand%20Up%20Lockport] that began with having coffee once a week which grew to 300 people showing up. A movement was born. Now Alissa Ellman is running for Congress. 1)   She wants comprehensive immigration reform. It must be simple, straightforward & affordable. She wants to start with extending visas. She wants a program where: (a) an immigrant comes to the country for 10 years and works, stays out of trouble, pays their taxes, doesn’t rely on any type of social programs (b) the immigrant gets the chance at citizenship, and the cost should be something affordable to a working class person (c) one program for seasonal workers who work for farmers with crops, orchards and wineries (d) a different program for dairy farmers who need help year-round. 2)   Farmers and the people of the NY24 are upset about tariffs and the US’s current relationship with Canada. “If I win, I would meet with farmers on a regular basis because of how important they are to the local economy.” 3)   Ellman thinks the traditionally Republican district might possibly flip this year:  a)   Since being gerrymandered, NY24 is a huge district – it takes 4 hours to get from one side to the other.  b)   This area has been a Republican stronghold, but these same voters are facing higher costs and lower profits. c)   Tenney’s political success is simply because the democrats don’t run for local offices. The democratic voters keep showing up and there is no democrat to vote for, so why should they bother to vote in a mid-term election? d)   The largest group of voters in NY24 are the No Party Preference, or “NOPs”. They are Independents. They don’t show up to vote because politicians don’t knock on their doors. That’s an opportunity for the Dems. e)   Statistics have shown that if you knock on a door, regardless of party affiliation, if there is a positive interaction, there is a 65% chance of getting the vote. f) There are more reasons to run for Congress than just to win. Ellman’s campaign helps all down-ballot races because it helps to drive voter turn-out g) Securing votes means building relationships & infrastructure for a viable congressional campaign. Even the last 2 democrats who ran and lost helped to build both those things. “My life’s goal is not to be in politics. I’m doing this to maintain the rule of law and to help to develop a country I’m proud of and want my kids to participate in and that’s going to care about people over corporations.” h)   If Alissa loses the primary or the general election, her plan is to encourage younger people to become involved in politics by mentoring them. As an experienced teacher she believes she is the right person to do that. 4. Ellman believes that Claudia Tenney is vile and her voting record is horrendous. In her social media she is washing a veteran’s grave, but she voted against the PACT Act. [https://tenney.house.gov/about/my-votes-explained] Alissa calls that performative politics. 5. Regarding ICE: Stand Up Lockport was one of the first groups to encourage the local sheriff to consider the legal and financial ramifications of detaining immigrants without due process and/or cause. No screaming, no protesting, no road closures. Just a very well-written letter by an experienced immigration attorney. 6. Ellman wants to see government reform. She is in favor of term limits but is flexible about the implementation of the plan. 7. She believes there should be turnover in the Supreme Court. It should be generational. The people deserve to have appropriate representation.  8. Access to abortion is healthcare. She is 100% pro-choice.  9. Ellman is against war in nearly all circumstances. She would prefer more diplomatic solutions. 10. Release the Epstein files! 11. Top 3 things she wants to do for NY24, under the umbrella of affordability: a) Scaling electric bills  b) Weatherization programs that are fully and federally funded for homes, rentals, & trailers c) An extension of public school education down to 2yo    - Screenings can be done earlier to detect potential learning issues    - Child is with a degreed teacher rather than non-professional 12. Wants to see Universal Basic Income [https://globalaffairs.org/commentary/blogs/multiple-countries-have-tested-universal-basic-income-and-it-works] implemented 13. Why vote for her over Kastenbaum?  She’s a fresh face, has better policy positions, and she’s more progressive. Alissa Ellman: EllmanforCongress.com [https://www.ellmanforcongress.com/about] If you are in the Rochester NY area and would like to be on the podcast, please send me an email and tell us what you do or what organization you represent that contributes to the bettering of the people or the Greater Rochester area. We bring local businesses to the forefront of the community and we look to keep you always informed in terms of what's happening in your community. MarciaGlenn53@gmail.com Please email your questions about today's episode or any questions you have about real estate, or buying or selling a home to glennadvantage@howardhanna.com. We will be answering these questions in our future podcast episodes. Marcia Glenn is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with has worked tirelessly since 1992 for her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home. Her team of agents brings with them experience, innovation, perspective and drive to make them part of the top 10% of all REALTORS in the Rochester NY area.  Join us next time for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team". Search for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @glennadvantage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Congressman Joe Morelle: We Want a Government that Prioritizes Stability, Affordability & Opportunity

Congressman Morelle [https://morelleforms.house.gov/contact/?form=/contact/email-me] is a former small business owner, Monroe County Legislator, and Majority Leader of the NY State Assembly. He's served the 25th District since 2018. He sits on 4 committees: his is the ranking member on House Administration; he serves on the all important House Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library and joint Committee on Printing. He also supports many caucuses and task forces [https://morelle.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses].  Joe has co-sponsored and help to pass nearly 2000 bills and cast floor votes [https://morelle.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/morelle.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2025-eoy-report_digital_final_compressed_0.pdf] in support of major comprehensive legislation and was the primary sponsor of legislation combatting drugs like Fentanyl. Joe enjoys spending time with his family, his wife, Mary Beth, of over 40 years, and their sons, Joseph and Nicholas and their wives. Joe and Mary Beth lost their daughter, Lauren, to Triple Negative Breast Cancer several years ago. She is survived by her now 2 teenage children with whom Joe and Mary Beth love spending time. They have established a tradition of Sunday Morning Breakfast where local family members and friends gather together and Joe cooks for everyone. He even cleans up afterwards! When Lauren was in treatment for cancer, after breakfast was over the family would get out their notebooks and calendars and arrange who would be taking care of the transportation for the medical appointments that following week. You never know what people are going through - give people a little grace - on the road, in the street, wherever you are. There really is no way to "wean" yourself off the death of a loved one, particularly if they die suddenly. There is a finality and absoluteness to them being gone. Be empathetic to them. Be patient with YOURSELF. Reach out to them. Follow the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Morelle has proposed House Resolution 8984 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8984/all-info] to try and curtail the actions of the DHS at the Keating Federal Building. He believes these actions are necessary, in part, because of the chaos having a processing site or detention center would bring in a building that also houses municipal offices like Bankruptcy Court, Traffic Court, Code Compliance/Violation, law firms, the Social Security Administration, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand's offices and a daycare center. Additionally, if used as a detention center, it makes it far more difficult for citizens to exert their First Amendment Right to protest and free speech. His hope is to stop it before it opens. Trump NEVER asks: * Is this Constitutional? * Is this legal? * Is this ethical? The immigration process has changed over the years. You used to be able to get into the country with $20 in your pocket, a relative who was already here, and no communicable diseases. Now it takes up to 10 years to become a citizen! Immigrants that come here, for the most part, WANT to be here, they WANT to work, they WANT to follow the rules, they WANT to pay taxes, they don't want to be demonized. The evil genius of Donald Trump is that he can get people to blame each other for his poor leadership. Morelle is a staunch supporter of women's rights [https://morelle.house.gov/issues/protecting-womens-rights] in spite of this Supreme Court. In April 2026, he launched a new task force [https://morelle.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-joe-morelle-launches-new-task-force-crack-down-corruption] on Anti-Corruption and Democracy Reform to take on corruption and restore trust in government. There are 4 key areas the 120th Congress wants to focus on. (The initial draft is 1000 pages long!): 1. Stopping the Executive Branch from monetizing the Oval Office 2. Stopping Congress, the President, Vice President and Cabinet members from stock trading and from becoming Lobbyists immediately after leaving office 3. Reforming the Supreme Court 4. Safeguarding the Elections The Congressman had specific thoughts about the Supreme Court:  * He believes there should be term limits. They should serve for 18 years, then gain "Senior status". In the event that there is an unexpected vacancy on the active court, the "Senior" member could step in during the interim so the court could proceed as usual. * Each of the active members should be compelled to "ride the circuit [https://civics.supremecourthistory.org/article/riding-the-circuit/]" to hear appeals cases to attempt to regain the trust of the American people. As part of his task force work, Morelle is focusing on the upcoming elections: * Identifying potential threats to the elections process  * Mitigating any threats * Do we have the resources to cover it? There are networks of networks covering this all over the country. The more people know their rights, the harder it is for people to interfere in the elections. There will be midterm elections. Election administrators take their responsibilities VERY seriously. We need a War Powers Resolution Act in regard to Iran. In order to preserve democracy we need new rules because of what Donald Trump has done to the Presidency. The Epstein Files will be released. His goals for the 25th district are: 1.  build more houses  2. make it easier for people in crisis and poverty to get services  3. government reform which helps everyone For more information on Congressman Morelle, please visit his website [https://morelle.house.gov/about]. If you are in the Rochester NY area and would like to be on the podcast, please send me an email and tell us what you do or what organization you represent that contributes to the bettering of the people or the Greater Rochester area. We bring local businesses to the forefront of the community and we look to keep you always informed in terms of what's happening in your community. MarciaGlenn53@gmail.com Please email your questions about today's episode or any questions you have about real estate, or buying or selling a home to glennadvantage@howardhanna.com. We will be answering these questions in our future podcast episodes. Marcia Glenn is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with has worked tirelessly since 1992 for her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home. Her team of agents brings with them experience, innovation, perspective and drive to make them part of the top 10% of all REALTORS in the Rochester NY area.  Join us next time for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team". Search for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @glennadvantage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Meet Robin Wilt - Democrat Running for the NY 25th: Advocate, Integrator, Principled

Meet Robin Wilt [https://www.robinforus.com/]. She's running against Joe Morelle in the Democratic Primary for NY 25 Congressional seat on June 23, 2026. She is a community organizer, a self-motivator and small business owner. She is running at this time because she believes that our current leadership is lacking and to change the things she cannot accept. Do not let her quiet demeanor fool you - she is an extraordinary policy wonk! Politics is most definitely her "wheelhouse". It will be up to the voters to decide if they agree with her positions. Robin believes in single-payer healthcare and is an advocate of HR676 Medicare for All Act. [https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/676] She believes that public safety is about more than police. Robin says public safety is really about the social determinates of health creating safer communities. Investing in programs of social uplift leads to safer communities. Investing in educational systems, housing affordability and availability, will ultimately lead to the need for fewer police. In this episode Robin discusses the disparity of education between the City of Rochester and what lies just beyond its borders in areas like Penfield. She describes it as "communities of want vs. communities of wealth." The plethora of primaries can be tied to the cowardice and complicity of the Legislative Branch to the Executive Branch. The Congressional Progressive Caucus [https://shontelbrown.house.gov/media/press-releases/brown-introduces-war-powers-resolution-end-trumps-disastrous-war-iran]is a leader in trying to curtail President Trump's actions in Iran, then potentially Cuba. Robin is a strong supporter of the CPC. "We have the tools, we just have the political will." Robin shares with us her opinions on the building of the ICE detention facility in the Keating Federal Building. She points out that the building was never intended for overnight accommodations. It was meant for transfer of custody only. There continue to be questions of safety surrounding both the Social Security Office and the daycare center, both of which are housed in the Federal Building. While frequent protesting in front of the building has garnered attention to the issue, it doesn't seem to have slowed the progress. Potential impactful tactics include looking into zoning laws. One of Robin's campaign priorities is to "lower costs and expand opportunities". She is aware of the cost of housing, groceries, healthcare & utility bills. If elected she is very committed to using her legislative power to change things in Washington. She is very aligned with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. They have put out a New Affordability Agenda [https://progressives.house.gov/2026/4/progressive-caucus-announces-new-affordability-agenda] that Robin supports. Recently, Senators Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna introduced a bill to the Senate that would affect the 938 billionaires in the US. The Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act [https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Wealth-Tax-Bill-Summary.pdf]would impose a 5% tax on them to help the 60% of Americans that are living paycheck to paycheck.  She thinks one of the best ways to help reform the Supreme Court is to impose term limits. Robin also thinks that partisan gerrymandering is not the answer to "equal representation". Her answer is to have the House of Representatives change their currently capped number of 435 which is based on The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 [https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-Permanent-Apportionment-Act-of-1929/] and Congress adopted in 1941. The population of the US had nearly tripled since 1929, so it only makes sense to change how many people represent us in Congress based on the least populated state in the US (Wyoming).  She is endorsed as a Courage Candidate [https://couragefordemocracy.com/candidates/?_state=ny&_office=house&_district=ny-25] and if elected, on "Day 1" she will sign Articles of Impeachment against President Trump. Robin is also a supporter of "Move to Amend" that supports overturning Citizens United. "Money is not free speech". Robin Wilt [https://www.robinforus.com/] wants a return to civility, in politics and in general. She wants a return to facts in sharing information. She says we need to govern with facts, not fear. If you are in the Rochester NY area and would like to be on the podcast, please send me an email and tell us what you do or what organization you represent that contributes to the bettering of the people or the Greater Rochester area. We bring local businesses to the forefront of the community and we look to keep you always informed in terms of what's happening in your community. MarciaGlenn53@gmail.com Please email your questions about today's episode or any questions you have about real estate, or buying or selling a home to glennadvantage@howardhanna.com. We will be answering these questions in our future podcast episodes. Marcia Glenn is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with has worked tirelessly since 1992 for her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home. Her team of agents brings with them experience, innovation, perspective and drive to make them part of the top 10% of all REALTORS in the Rochester NY area.  Join us next time for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team". Search for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @glennadvantage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center: A Bridge Not a Barrier to a Better Life

Tiffany Paine–Cirrincione is the Director of Development & Communications for the St. Joseph Neighborhood Center. SJNC provides primary & specialty care, mental health counseling, support services & referrals, healthcare access assistance, to individuals & families who are uninsured & under-insured in the greater Rochester area. In the 1970’s the Sisters of St. Joseph [https://www.ssjrochester.org/]were actively involved in the Catholic Worker Movement. They opened the House of Hospitality [https://www.saintjoeshouse.org/blog/], Nazareth University, [https://www2.naz.edu/about/our-history/] Special Touch Bakery [https://www.specialtouchbakery.org/our-mission], & The Villa of Hope [https://www.villaofhope.org/about-us/mission-vision-values/], to name a few. The House of Hospitality dealt with housing & food insecurities. In the 1990’s the Sisters realized these people needed medical & mental health care assistance. So the Center was created. Caring for the “dear neighbor without distinction” is a tenet of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and has stayed with the Center even though it became an independent non-profit in 2012. While the SJNC does provide primary care services, they are not looking to keep patients long-term. The SJNC is meant to be a bridge from needing healthcare services to getting healthcare services.  SJNC's Care Coordinators will help with paperwork for financial aid, or to get you into a larger healthcare system, and provide referrals to community partners for housing insecurity or food stability. They can help with transportation by way of bus passes or Uber gift cards. The best way to be seen at SJNC is to make an appointment: 585-325-5260  The SJNC is not a free clinic. The fees for services in the building are based on a sliding scale from $5 to $50.  The Center provides prescriptions like a primary care physicians office might and sends it to the patient’s preferred pharmacy, providing any available coupons to minimize cost for the patient. Whenever possible longer scripts are written to minimize inconvenience and transportation difficulties for the patient. The Center has introduced a refreshed set of organizational values & a renewed strategic framework. A clever acronym has been created for the revitalized value system: B.R.A.V.E. SJNC hosts events to discuss the needs of the underserved, explore opportunities for collaboration, and find new ways to better meet those needs: Table Talk and Tastings is the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm Breakfast at the Center is the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 8am. Please register in advance. The Center is getting ready to host their annual Tasting and Auction on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Tickets are $60. Come dressed as your favorite Legend! St. Joseph Neighborhood Center, 417 South Ave., Rochester NY 14620 585-325-5260, sjncenter.org [https://www.sjncenter.org/] If you are in the Rochester NY area and would like to be on the podcast, please send me an email and tell us what you do or what organization you represent that contributes to the bettering of the people or the Greater Rochester area. We bring local businesses to the forefront of the community and we look to keep you always informed in terms of what's happening in your community. MarciaGlenn53@gmail.com Please email your questions about today's episode or any questions you have about real estate, or buying or selling a home to glennadvantage@howardhanna.com. We will be answering these questions in our future podcast episodes. Marcia Glenn is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with has worked tirelessly since 1992 for her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home. Her team of agents brings with them experience, innovation, perspective and drive to make them part of the top 10% of all REALTORS in the Rochester NY area.  Join us next time for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team". Search for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @glennadvantage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

A Conversation with Evan Dawson: We are Still More Alike than Different

"Connections with Evan Dawson [https://www.wxxinews.org/podcast/connections]" every weekday, noon - 2pm on WXXI-FM 105.9, WXXI-AM 1370 in Rochester and WEO 89.5FM in Geneva. Evan is originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area. Growing up, he wanted to be the play-by-play guy for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but life has a way of intervening. After recovering from a health crisis, his interests began to change. A multi-talented and wonderful teacher created a broadcast studio in the school, which afforded Evan the opportunity to do high school play-by-play sports which lead to Dawson interviewing everyone from the mayor to the local congressman. From those experiences he decided broadcasting may be his path in life. The scope of his podcast is comprehensive. There are no restrictions on what is covered. He has a great team to work with.  The calls on the show aren’t screened, but callers can’t be disrespectful of the guests. He appreciates fiery calls and emails, as long as they are respectful. “Connections” attracts an audience of all ages – from teens to seniors, which is one of the reasons its varied programming is so successful. Artificial Intelligence and technology are double-edged swords. "Connections" is a great way to get acclimated to the ROC area due to the diversity of coverage. A political discussion of “left”, “right” and “center” and how the topics of the war in the Middle East and the behavior of ICE is shaping the conversation. It is not impossible for people to change their minds about something. And, you can have productive relationships with people with whom you disagree. The Sinclair Broadcast Group operates WHAM (ABC) and WUHF (FOX), 2 pushes conservative, political viewpoints into the news and mandates “must-run” content that forced local anchors to read scripts that promoted fear-mongering crime stories. While such tactics are tacky and grotesque, they should not be confused with the people who work at the stations who are talented, ethical and hard-working. Evan is an award-winning published author! He has written Summer in a Glass: The Coming Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes. [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-in-a-glass-evan-dawson/1026475952?ean=9781402797101] It chronicles the transformation of New York’s Finger Lakes into a world-class wine region. It won the 2012 Louis Roederer Award for international Book of the Year.  Evan is a baseball fan; he also coaches his son’s team. His first memory of baseball was his Dad taking him and his twin brother on a trip to Cincinnati and Chicago to Riverfront Stadium, Wrigley Field and Kominsky Park in one trip. His Dad was his first baseball coach. His favorite team is the Cleveland Guardians. Final Thought: our neighbors are not online caricatures; they are human beings. These days we tend not to know our neighbor two doors down from us, but whether they look like us, or vote like us, we are more alike than different. If you are in the Rochester NY area and would like to be on the podcast, please send me an email and tell us what you do or what organization you represent that contributes to the bettering of the people or the Greater Rochester area. We bring local businesses to the forefront of the community and we look to keep you always informed in terms of what's happening in your community. MarciaGlenn53@gmail.com Please email your questions about today's episode or any questions you have about real estate, or buying or selling a home to glennadvantage@howardhanna.com. We will be answering these questions in our future podcast episodes. Marcia Glenn is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with has worked tirelessly since 1992 for her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home. Her team of agents brings with them experience, innovation, perspective and drive to make them part of the top 10% of all REALTORS in the Rochester NY area.  Join us next time for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team". Search for "On the Go with the Glenn Advantage Team wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @glennadvantage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.