Annoyed with Telemarketers: Some Advice

Dear Blog Visitors:

Having been retired from my full-time position for two weeks, I can honestly say that I made the right choice. I find that I now have the freedom to pursue my passions/interests, and have even begun the process of interviewing for part-time jobs.

While I have been home the past couple weeks, I have noticed how often telemarketers and fundraisers call on the phone. It was annoying enough getting calls during the evening hours. However, the frequency of the calls during the day have been more than annoying, to the point of being downright obnoxious.

I was inspired to make the video posted above. What I tried to do was give viewers some basic advice on how to both screen and discourage telemarketers and fundraisers.

As explained in the video, I fully realize that telemarketers are trying to make an income and fundraisers are trying to solicit funds for worthy causes. However, to the person on the receiving end of the calls, especially when the frequency is unacceptable, the solicitations are enough to cause serious consideration of phone disconnections.

If you are fed up with the steady stream of telemarketing that interferes with your daily lives, there is an option provided by the Federal Government. It is the national 'do not call' registry. The on-line address is www.donotcall.gov and the phone number is 1-888-382-1222. You can register up to three phone numbers, inclusive of both cell and land lines.

I should state that non-profit organizations are exempt from the 'do not call' registry, so they will continue to call. My solution in this case is to simply let your answering machine screen the calls. When I do speak with someone from a non-profit organization, I generally try to be courteous and simply ask that solicitations be done by mail, whereas I can better screen organizations.

I hope my video provides some useful information for you. Please don't allow telemarketers to interrupt your lives.

Peace to all,
Ray

I Am a Retired Baby Boomer

Dear Blog Visitors:

It has been a while since I posted to my blog. This is because my final few weeks at City Hall were rather busy. Due to budget constraints, I was not replaced, which necessitated the spreading of my duties to several employees in the Accounting Bureau.

I am now an officialy retired baby boomer. If you have followed my blog, you are aware that from time-to-time, I articulated my frustrations over the constant race against the clock to push paperwork through in City Hall. I am therefore very pleased that City Hall will have a brand new electronic process in place as of
July 1, which will replace much of the cumbersome paperwork that has plagued employees for many years.

It was my intention to leave City Hall quietly on my last week. However, that didn't happen. I want to take this opportunity to thank those who were involved in hosting a surprise luncheon for me on May 4. While I was generally on top of everything that happened in my office over the years, I was indeed caught completely unaware of the catered lunch that was unfolding. I was especially surprised when my wife showed up for the luncheon. It turns out that she was in dialogue with one of my co-workers over the planning.

I sent thank-you notes out to those who made my last two days in City Hall memorable. Nevertheless, I also want to extend a special thank-you here to all City workers who helped me get through the mounds of paperwork I faced each day. It got tense at times, but I survived long enough to become a retired baby boomer.

I am very appreciative of the gifts and birthday cake that were part of my official send-off. The cake is pictured above, in addition to a couple more photos.

I am now ready to begin the next stage of my life. So, while my retirement represents an ending of sorts, it is also a new beginning, whereby I will have the opportunity to pursue my many hobbies and ministries, in addition to perhaps working at a part-time job.

Thanks again to my co-workers at Rochester's City Hall, who were part of my life for the past twenty-three years.

Peace to all,
Ray

Looking for Small Faith Community

Dear Blog Visitors:

I am often asked if I am still affiliated with Spiritus Christi Church. I actually left the community several months ago, for two primary reasons: 1.) I find that as I grow older, I will be more comfortable with a small faith community; 2.) Spiritus Christi is located directly across the street from my long-time place of secular employment (City Hall), and I feel it is time to make a geographic break from that location, especially since I am retiring in five weeks.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Spiritus Christi Church for their wonderful ministries. While much is made of the fact that they are independent of the Rochester Diocese, what is more important is the dedication of Spiritus Christi to those in need in both the Rochester community and beyond. I continue to wish the community well with all their inspiring work.

Many married priests with whom I have developed friendships over the years have told me they have found spiritual fulfillment by linking with small faith communities. Not all of these communities are Catholic. However, these married priests are still able to maintain their Catholic identities via their independent ministries. It is my hope to similarly link with a small faith communnity in the town of Henrietta, suburb of Rochester where I reside. My independent ministries as a married priest will continue (weddings, baptisms, funerals).

I am grateful to the City of Rochester for providing me with employment for the past 23 years. I am also grateful to Spiritus Christi Church for the wonderful ministries they provide. However, I have come to realize that as I retire from City Hall in five weeks, it is also time for me to see where the wind blows, which is inclusive of the spiritual fulfillment I hope to find with a small faith community.

Peace to all,
Ray

My Friendship with an Alaskan Husky

Dear Blog Visitors:

In recent months, I have developed a very special friendship with my next-door-neighbors’ Alaskan husky. Her name is Star, and I thought I would take this opportunity to write about the many ways this special friendship has enhanced my life.

Ever since I was a young child, I had a special love for animals. Due to my very busy schedule throughout my adulthood, it was not possible to actually have a pet of my own. However, I have always been drawn to movies that feature dogs and I never pass an opportunity to pet a dog or cat when our paths cross.

A couple years ago, my neighbors adopted Star, the Alaskan husky who was to become my very special friend. When she first arrived on the scene, it took me a while to introduce myself to her. She was a little shy at first, whereby I allowed her to sniff the back of my hand (time-honored way of introducing yourself to a dog). After Star got used to seeing me in the yard, she gradually allowed me to pet her. I then introduced Star to my wife (Brenda). Brenda went through the same ritual of allowing Star to sniff the back of her hand, which gradually led to petting.

As with the case of Brenda and me, our neighbors have very busy schedules as well, between their jobs and raising two children. So, this allows little time to take Star for walks. If you know anything about Alaskan huskies, they are very energetic dogs. If trained for sledding, they can run up to 80 miles per day. However, when raised as a house pet, a good energetic walk or run (or combination of both) each day will generally satisfy the husky’s needs.

After visiting Star in her backyard over a period of several months, Brenda and I finally asked our neighbors if we could take her for a walk. We quickly found out how much energy Star has. Our initial walk has led to almost daily exercise routines. I will generally go for a good run with Star, followed by a long walk. On days that Brenda accompanies us, she will generally run behind us and then take the leash once Star is ready for walking, as opposed to running.

Alaskan huskies are often described as being fiercely independent, while at the same time, not liking being left alone for long periods. They are also often described as being very gentle around people, but having tendencies toward aggression around other animals. So, when I take Star for walks, I tend to allow her to say hello to people, but will steer her away from other dogs.

This winter has been a new experience for me, thanks to Star. In the past, I have generally hibernated on weeknights and weekends, because I do not like the cold weather. However, since huskies love cold weather, I managed to take Star for walks on most days this winter when the weather cooperated. This has improved my physical condition, inclusive of dropping several pounds.

I learned from my friendship with Star (in addition to doing some reading) that Alaskan huskies rarely bark. However, I have learned to interpret her needs from both her facial expressions and her physical movements. I have also learned that huskies are very intelligent dogs, and I like to think that I have learned much from Star, just as I have tried to teach her to be patient with her curiosity while outdoors.

Star knows that following a long walk, either Brenda or I will give her a few treats (usually a couple pieces of salmon, followed by a couple biscuits). This has become a daily ritual that brings much joy to Star, Brenda and me.

Finally, I would have to describe my friendship with Star as highly spiritual. By this, I simply mean that I am indeed fortunate to have as one of my special friends, one of God’s four-legged creatures. I especially enjoy time alone with Star on Sunday mornings, when traffic is light and I can walk with her in wide-open spaces, where she and I can have plenty of room to run and walk in the midst of nature settings.

In closing, if you are in need of a special friend or companion, you may need to search no further than your neighbor’s back yard. Star is a wonderful friend who has touched my life immensely.

Peace to all,
Ray

Married Priests Have Reasons for Hope

Dear Blog Visitors:

If you have followed my writings in recent months, you are aware that I not only changed the title of this blog, but I have also ventured into a variety of topics of interest.

Since my blog originated as a vehicle for reform in the Roman Catholic Church, I will continue to focus on this area from time-to-time, in addition to writing on such topics as the arts, politics, social issues, etc.

As I have grown older, I have come to realize that I need to step back from my reform activities in the Catholic Church and allow the next generation's voices to be heard. At the same time, I want to offer a message of hope to the approximately 120,000 married priests throughout the world.

In 2002, married priests came to realize the great injustice they had experienced at the hands of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. This was the year the Boston Globe broke the story of the sexual abuse crisis. This was an especially hurtful time for married priests, for one simple reason. At the very basic level, married priests were driven out of their canonical ministries, while priests who committed acts of sexual abuse were routinely moved from parish to parish.

When I say there is a glimmer of hope for married priests, it is because of harsh realities the Vatican is now facing. In brief, Vatican City was not spared from the economic downturn the world has experienced in recent years. In addition, multiple parishes have closed throughout the world, due in large part to the dwindling number of celibate priests. Consequently, the Vatican is beginning to realize that if the Roman Catholic Church is to remain vital on the world stage, some immediate steps need to be taken.

Judging by the relative quiet amongst the Roman Catholic hierarchy the past few months, it is safe to assume that secretive discussions are taking place behind Vatican walls on very sensitive issues, including the hot topic of priestly celibacy.

Although I made the above video three years ago, it is fair to say that it is more timely today than it was then. So, I am posting it in the hopes members of the Catholic hierarchy will see it. I tried to utilize a blend of theology, history and present-day realities to give hope to married priests.

Let us pray that as the world moves forward that the Vatican, although locked in tradition, can find creative ways to embrace a new generation. Utilizing married priests would be a welcome step in the right direction. It would be a way of honoring the early married apostles (Peter included) and giving hope to those who have strayed from the institutional church over divisive issues.

Peace to all,
Ray

New Mass Translation is Problematic

Dear Blog Visitors:

Many of you may be aware that a new English Mass translation will be implemented in all American dioceses as of November of this year. For those of you who wish to examine the current language against the new translation, I have provided a link that will allow you to do this (or simply paste the link to your web browser):

http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml

It is not my intention to be political with my criticism of the new translation. In the photo above, I am giving a thumbs down from primarily a musical perspective. In simple terms, current musical settings of the Mass will not work with the new translation. Although composers are racing against time to modify scores in such a way that will allow the words to work, they are running into much difficulty.

My guess is that once U.S. bishops receive multiple complaints in November from Catholics who do not like the new translation of the Mass, they will perhaps be receptive to allowing optional choices that would permit either inclusive present-day versions of Novus Ordo or in special circumstances, the Latin Mass with traditional musical settings.

At a time when church attendance is at an all-time low point, changing the wording of Mass parts will only serve to complicate matters, especially when the new words don't flow very well, whether they are spoken or sung.

Peace to all,
Ray

Looking Forward to This Year's Weddings

Dear Blog Visitors:

As an independent married priest, commissioned by the Federation of Christian Ministries, I have a freedom of choices that are not available to diocesan priests. For example, I am often approached by Catholic couples who have opted for an outdoor wedding. Since diocesan priests are not allowed to officiate at weddings outside a church setting, I am delighted to be able to offer my services. In this regard, I am pleased to have a reciprocal arrangement with both diocesan priests and priests with Spiritus Christi Church (independent community). With this reciprocal arrangement, either parish priests will refer couples to me, or I will refer couples to them, depending upon the circumstances. On occasions when I have referred couples to diocean priests, it has usually been because of misunderstandings, whereby couples incorrectly assumed they could not have a diocesan wedding.

I always tell couples that my commissioning for ministry comes from the Federation of Christian Ministries (www.federationofchristianministries.org) and my ordination is judged to be valid. Since I am not a diocesan priest, any weddings for which I am an officiant are not considered to be sacramental by the powers-that be in the Roman Catholic Church, but are nevertheless recognized by municipalities in the United States. These weddings are nevertheless sacramental when couples and I desire them to be so, for the simple fact that a sacrament is defined as any important event in life at which Christ is present. Couples that contact me are primarily interested in a religious wedding, as opposed to a civil ceremony. Yet, at the same time, they have opted out of a traditional Catholic wedding in a diocesan setting.

In addition to officiating at weddings for Catholic couples, I always welcome the opportunity and challenges of officiating at weddings where couples are of different faith persuasions. For example, I have officiated at weddings where one party was Jewish and the other party was Catholic. I have also officiated at ecumenical weddings, where one party was Catholic and the other party was Protestant. In all of these weddings, what was most important was the love that existed between the bride and groom. In all cases, they were persons of faith, and it has been an honor and privilege for me to help these couples have their nuptials in the presence of God.

I look forward to a very inspring spring and summer with couples who have asked me to officiate at their weddings.

Peace to all,
Ray

Continuing to Prepare for Retirement

Dear Blog Visitors:

As you can see in the above photos, I have been very busy with the process of packing boxes, in preparation for retirement from Rochester's City Hall.

Those who know me well are aware of the fact that I often complained about the piles of paperwork I had to deal with in City Hall on a weekly basis, especially at the end of a fiscal year. Looking at the boxes in back of me in the photos will give you an idea of how much paper I accumulated over the years.

For those who remain in City Hall, they will find their lives will become much easier, for July 1 is the kick-off date for a new paperless/advanced electronic system that will streamline the manner in which the City does business internally and externally. I only wish this process had been incorporated earlier.

As stated in a previous post, I look forward to a very active retirement. Although my income will be reduced, I will nevertheless be engaged in my passions, and I feel that is what is most important.

As I retire, I continue to pray for people who have been without work due to a challenging economy. I wish I could offer an unemployed person the job I am leaving. However, the City of Rochester is also dealing with hard times, and I expect that my duties will simply be distributed amongst staff already in my department.

I hope to write on a variety of topics at this blog while in retirement. So, stay tuned.

Peace to all,
Ray

Black History Month: Remembering Calvin O. Dash

Dear Blog Visitors:

As we celebrate Black History Month, I fondly recall a man who was a huge influence in my life. I am referring to the late Dr. Calvin O. Dash, who lived from 1924-2005.

Calvin Dash excelled at a time when it was often very difficult for African Americans to pursue their chosen fields. In his case, the chosen field was operatic music. Although the world could have been his stage, he chose teaching instead, and I was honored to be one of his students.

Calvin received his doctorate from the Juilliard School of Music. Although he had hoped to teach at the Eastman School of Music, he instead taught magnificently at Franklin High School in Rochester, New York and later ran his own music school for many years in the Washington, DC area.

I was very privileged indeed to have Dr. Dash as my high school choir director, in addition to taking private voice lessons from him and singing in his church choir while I was in college. Calvin had a very strict demeanor, because he wanted his students to perform to the best of their respective abilities. When a student excelled, he helped him or her to explore options, whether it was applying to a prestigious music school or exploring performance opportunities.

Calvin and his wife, Dorothy, had magnificent operatic voices and they often performed together in the Rochester community. Their son, Michael, became an acclaimed singer with the Metropolitan Opera and other opera companies. Sadly, Michael died in 1995 at the young age of 36. Here is a link for Michael's obituary that appeared in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/16/obituaries/michael-dash-countertenor-and-baritone-36.html

Calvin and Dorothy's other son, Elliot, is doing well as a professional actor.

When Calvin Dash visited Rochester a few years ago, he called me and we had a wonderful nostalgic conversation. I am glad I had an opportunity late in life to remind him of the very large role in played in my early life.

Peace to all,
Ray

Preparing for an Active Retirement

Dear Blog Visitors:

In the photo above, you see me surrounded by the 36 boxes I packed in preparation for my retirement from Rochester's City Hall on May 6. In actuality, I still have many more boxes to pack for the City's archives, which serves as a reminder of how many documents I have processed as supervisor of the City's accounts payable unit.

My past few years in City Hall have been especially busy, because in addition to my duties as supervisor of the accounts payable operations, I was also responsible for all documents relating to the City's professional service agreements (processing and filing), thus the multitudes of boxes I am packing.

As I went about the process of emptying file drawers, I couldn't help thinking about the many trees that were destroyed to create the paper for the documents I worked on. Therefore, I am delighted that the City of Rochester will be moving toward a paperless process for both payable operations and professional service agreements. The new system should be up and running on July 1 of this year.

Since I was part of the planning process for the City's new multi-million dollar purchase-to-pay system and a new process for professional service agreements, it is understandable that many in City Hall had hoped I would either stay in my job longer or consider working under contract, so that I could assist departments with the technicalities of the new system. However, after spending 23 years in City Hall, with many of those years involving working through my lunch hours and sacrificing vacations, I am more than ready to retire.

What I anticipate is an active retirement, inclusive of doing things I enjoy and proabaly working at a part-time job for extra income. Despite media reports that many government workers receive lucrative pensions, it certainly won't be the case with me, since I was a mid-level Civil Service employee, as opposed to an administrative person with a large salary. With my pension and social security combined, I expect my income to be cut by at least a third. So, part-time work will most likely be a necessity for as long as my health remains in good shape.

Many people have asked me what my plans are for retirement, aside from a part-time job. In brief, I look forward to pursuing my hobbies, such as photography, making videos and free-lance writing, in addition to taking plenty of long walks with my neighbor's Alaskan husky. I also look forward to continuing my ministries as a married priest. The one exception will be a dramatic cut-back in my campaigning to reform the Catholic Church. It will be up to the next generation to either accept the church as it is, or to work for change.

In conclusion, it should be evident that as I move toward retirement on May 6, I look forward to a very active retirement, which will include occasional entries to this blog.

Peace to all,
Ray

My Top Ten Proposals for the City of Rochester

Dear Blog Visitors:

Since I don’t meet the residency requirements for the mayoral race in Rochester, I am not a declared candidate. However, this is not to say that I don’t have ideas on how the City of Rochester should be run. After all, I have spent 23 years of my life in City Hall, and in the process of my assorted positions, I have certainly seen the ‘good, the bad and the ugly.’

As I near retirement on May 6 as a Civil Service employee with the City of Rochester, I would probably be entering my name amongst the several persons running in the special election for Mayor if I were a City resident. While I did in fact spend most of my years within city limits, I am currently a resident of the Town of Henrietta (south of Rochester), which disqualifies me from the current mayoral contest.

Since the mayoral election is only a few weeks away (March 29), the media has correctly stated that candidates need to state their positions very clearly and SOON!

Although I am not a mayoral candidate, I have put together my top ten proposals for the City of Rochester:

My Top Ten Proposals for City of Rochester:

1.) Limit compensated employee travel to emergencies only. 2.) Cut back on non-emergency professional service agreements. 3.) Investigate the frequency of ‘change orders’ on construction projects, whereby initial bid quotes become greatly increased/inflated once projects are underway. 4.) Look into consolidation of City departments whenever possible. 5.) When considering job cuts, re-negotiate with the AFSCME so that cuts are not strictly based on seniority. ‘Slackers’ (non-performers) should be released first, whereby top-achievers would be retained. 6.) Thoroughly investigate illegal gun trafficking in Rochester. (While illegal guns are not the root source of violent crime, they become the primary means.) 7.) Initiate frequent dialogue with Monroe County on potential governmental consolidations. 8.) Encourage more dialogue between City administration and talented employees, so as to eliminate the top-down model that currently exists. (When the brains of talented employees are used, the necessity for outside consultants would be greatly reduced.) 9.) Enter into dialogue with suburban entities for the purpose of evaluating the potential of a metro school system. 10.) There needs to be more transparency with the media. This helps to keep local government honest and the public remains informed on important matters. (Mayor Bob Duffy began his first term with weekly briefing sessions in City Hall’s atrium for the media and City employees; this practice was gradually discontinued.)

I truly love the City of Rochester, and I hope candidates for Mayor will at least take some of my proposals (or perhaps all of them) into serious consideration for their own campaigns.

Peace to all,
Ray

The Need for Civility in American Politics

Dear Blog Visitors:

Ever since the recent tragedy in Tucson, we have been saturated with commentaries about the need for more civility in American politics. In this regard, I have been thinking of role models, past and present, who had a special gift of generating friendship with those they either agreed or disagreed with on social or political issues.

I am writing this on what would have been Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Since I have already posted a couple tributes to him during the past week, I won't be repeating myself today. However, I will simply restate that I respected his ability to be a brilliant communicator, in addition to his ability to reach across the aisle, in a spirit of friendship, to those who didn't always share his viewpoints.

Throughout much of my life, I have been immersed in a variety of political arenas. In a traditional sense, I had my day in the sun with both Democratic and Republican politics. Later in life, I became embroiled in the politics of the Roman Catholic Church, especially when I became an advocate for married priests and the rights of women. While I tried to be civil in all my interactions, there were admittedly a few occasions when things got a little testy.

Someone I greatly admired was the late Jack Kemp. I was privileged to know him when he was a New York Congressman. I was also privileged to work on his presidential campaign. Like myself, Jack was in many respects a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Some knew Jack when he played football with the Buffalo Bills. Others knew him primarily from his days in politics. I think it is safe to say that anyone who knew Jack would readily refer to him as a true gentleman and a man who cared about all his constituents. As Secretary of HUD (Housing and Urban Development), he was an advocate for the poor and he was passionate about racial equality in America.

I have posted a couple mementos from Jack Kemp that I am sharing with you. Let us pray that American politics becomes more civil. This would be Jack's prayer as well.

Peace to all,
Ray

Sainthood for John Paul II

Dear Blog Visitors:

A few months ago, I articulated my reasons for opposing the canonization of Pope Pius XII. However, in the case of John Paul II, I find that I am favor of his canonization process, which seems to be on the fast track.

I was recently asked to sign a petition being circulated by a variety of Catholic reform organizations that are opposed to the canonization of John Paul II. While initially tempted to sign, I ultimately decided not to.

It is quite obvious that I was in disagreement with John Paul II's fierce defense of mandatory celibacy for priests. However, I found this was not a good reason to sign a petition in opposition to his canonization.

When a person is nominated for sainthood, his or her entire life needs to be taken to account. I did this in the case of John Paul II. I admired what he did as a young man in Poland. During this horrible period, he worked in the underground against the Nazi regime. Later in life, he supported the solidarity movement in Poland. I only wish he had voiced similar support for the liberation theology movement in Latin America.

I truly appreciated the friendship John Paul II developed with President Ronald Reagan. The two men have been justly credited with being largely responsible for the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

I am also appreciative of the fact that Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo were once friends. Obviously, the dynamics changed following Milingo's marriage. However, during their friendship, the late pontiff supported Milingo's efforts to ease the level of suffering and poverty in Africa.

I have included with this post photos of John Paul II with Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. (Milingo ordained me a married priest in 2006.)

In conclusion, after much reflection, I support the canonization of John Paul II.

Peace to all,
Ray

Civility Needed in Public Discourse

Dear Blog Visitors:

I was both fascinated and delighted with the cover photo on the latest edition of Time Magazine. It depicts former President Reagan and current President Obama standing together in a friendly pose. If Ronald Reagan were alive today, my sense is that he would have eagerly posed for such a photo with our current president.

As mentioned in a prior blog post, I have become somewhat of a centrist in my politics, whereby I tend to favor conservative fiscal policies and liberal social policies.

When I ran for public office in 1983, I was endorsed by both the local Republican and Conservative parties. Since then, I have become a Democrat, but still hold onto conservative fiscal principles.

I wonder how much of what recently occurred in Arizona was fueled by the lack of civility in our public discourse. When we turn on our television set, we are bombarded with what amounts to hate speech and vicious verbal attacks from the left and right of the political spectrum.

In this blog post, I am appealing to those in political office to embrace the virtues of both former President Reagan and President Obama. We need more compassion and less hatred in American politics.

I have included the referenced Time Magazine photo above, in addition to a newspaper photo that goes back to 1983 (the year I ran against Rochester's popular mayor). Although Mayor Ryan and I had some differences, we treated each other with civility and respect throughout the campaign. In fact, I attended his victory party, and he in turn sent me a very nice letter.

Peace to all,
Ray

Remembering Ronald Reagan

Dear Blog Visitors:

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, I find that all my memories of him are indeed positive. He was a genius concerning his ability to bring opposing sides together toward a common cause or goal.

During the period of Reagan's presidency, I was an active Republican, which included running against Rochester's popular Democratic mayor in 1983. After Reagan left office, I switched my enrollment to the Democratic Party. If I were to describe my political philosophy today, it would be fair to say that I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, which places me somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum. Many with similar leanings were often referred to as 'Reagan Democrats.'

I thought I would share a few Reagan mementos with you. Most noteworthy is the personal letter I received from him, following my writing a song in his honor. It is pictured above. (You will need to click on it for an enlargement.)

Many historians have accurately attributed the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe to two primary individuals - Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. Both men worked tirelessly toward world peace, and heaven knows, we can certainly use voices of reason today.

In closing, I will simply say (posthumously): Happy Birthday Ron!

Peace to all,
Ray

Best Wishes to Bob Duffy

Dear Blog Visitors:

I want to take this opportunity to wish outgoing Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy well as he begins his new role as New York's Lieutenant Governor tomorrow.

It was interesting for me to notice that Bob's final act as Mayor was his signing the multiple contracts I rushed through during the past week.

A few friends have asked if I will be following Bob Duffy to Albany to be part of his team. The answer is no. I am looking forward to retirement from my long-time employment at City Hall, which will take place on May 6. As indicated in another blog post, I plan to spend my retirement years pursuing my passions and engaging more fully in my ministries as a married priest.

Bob Duffy will be a superb Lieutenant Governor, and I would not be surprised to see him in the White House in the future. I admire his ability to get things done, and I am sure he and Governor Andrew Cuomo will be a dynamic team.

My very best to all of you in 2011.

Ray

Wishing All of You a Blessed Christmas

Dear Blog Visitors:

It has been a couple months since I posted anything to my blog. This is because I have been busy with preparations for retirement from my secular job on May 6. As long as my health holds out, I am looking forward to a very active retirement, which will be inclusive of perhaps a part-time secular job, in addition to more involvement with my ministries as a married priest, such as officiating at weddings, baptisms and funerals. I also look forward to enhancing my creative passions in such areas as photography, video-making, classical music and acting.

One area that I plan to scale back is my involvement with efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church - an involvement that has taken up approximately twenty years of my life. I am beginning to think it is time to allow the next generation to decide what kind of church it wants, whereby they can engage in the same type of lobbying with bishops my generation has experienced (perhaps with better results).

In the video above, I sing my all-time favorite traditional Christmas Carol, which is 'Silent Night.'

My very best wishes to all of you for a very blessed Christmas season.

Sincerely,
Ray

My Blueprint for the City of Rochester

MY BLUEPRINT FOR THE CITY OF ROCHESTER
By Raymond A. Grosswirth

I want to begin by thanking a few of my Facebook friends, who have e-mailed me messages designed to encourage me to consider running for Mayor of Rochester. While I am flattered that anyone would even think of me in a mayoral position, I simply must state that I have no intention of placing my hat in the ring. Furthermore, I don’t meet the legal requirements for a candidate, as specified in the City of Rochester’s Charter. Specifically, a candidate for the Mayor of Rochester must have been a resident of the city for at least two years immediately preceding the election. (Although I spent most of my life within city limits, I have been a resident of the town of Henrietta, New York for the past 17 years.)

While I have been grateful for my Civil Service employment at City Hall for the past twenty-three years, I am also looking forward to my retirement in May of 2011. Could I be coaxed back to City Hall to work in an appointed position by a mayor I support? Perhaps. However, my plans right now are to get back to my many creative pursuits, which have been somewhat on hold during the stressful four-year period of my present position at City Hall.

Now that it is perfectly clear that I am not running for Mayor of the City of Rochester, this is not to say that I don’t have ideas for the City’s future. I will briefly outline these ideas, based partly on the fact that I am both a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Therefore, if I were a candidate for Mayor, I would be pushing for drastic cuts in wasteful spending, while at the same time, preserving vital services that are expected from taxpayers.

WASTEFUL SPENDING: TIME TO TAKE ACTION

In the context of my twenty-three years at City Hall, I have seen from the ground up how money is spent. Especially over the course of the past four years, my present position as the City’s Accounts Payable Supervisor has allowed me to view documents that have been the springboard for multi-million-dollar expenditures.

I have openly questioned (often to deaf ears) why the City of Rochester is spending literally millions of dollars each year on consultant fees. After all, isn’t there enough talent within the ranks of City employees to make decisions that are often a matter of common sense? Do we need to pay a consultant $10,000.00 to determine whether or not a proposal is a good idea? Do we need to pay a consultant to determine whether or not departmental consolidations make sense? Do we need to pay a consultant to determine whether or not a youth intervention program makes sense? In short, one consultant fee after another has cost taxpayers countless millions.

In conjunction with consultant fees, I oversee much of the paperwork associated with the City’s professional service agreements. It is fair to say that the City engages in professional service agreements with just about every outside entity imaginable, again costing taxpayers countless millions. While it is certainly important to provide City business to private vendors whenever possible, the City must also continue to look within, to see how much in taxpayer revenue can be saved by allowing City employees to perform functions that are solicited elsewhere at great cost.

I have long questioned the manner in which public works projects are put out for bid. If all legal requirements are met, it is quite common to award contracts to the lowest bidders on such projects. However, the lowest bid quickly escalates to huge dollars after ‘change orders’ are submitted by contractors awarded the contracts. Fortunately, my complaints on this matter have received an ear and perhaps methodologies will change.

CITY AND COUNTY CONSOLIDATIONS

When I ran for public office in 1983, I supported a proposal to merge the City of Rochester’s Police Department with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, which would have created a metro police force. There was widespread support for this proposal, resulting in a voter referendum. Unfortunately, the proposal was rejected. (City residents overwhelmingly supported it; County residents rejected it by a narrow majority.) I think that given the current tight budget that exists at both the City and County levels, it is perhaps time again to consider a police consolidation plan.

As with any government entity, schools swallow up a huge chunk of budget allocations. In Monroe County alone, we have multiple school districts, inclusive of the Rochester City School District. I therefore have to pose a simple question: Does a metro school system make sense, given today’s financial realities? It is certainly an idea worthy of some dialogue.

On a weekly basis, I see hundreds of taxpayers standing in line at City Hall to either pay bills or fees. The same scenario plays out on a weekly basis at the Monroe County Office Building. A simple question: Why not consolidate the City and County clerk’s offices? It would amount to one-stop shopping and paying for taxpayers.

DOWNTOWN AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Downtown Rochester is in the process of undergoing major structural change. I would certainly like to see the downtown district return to the glory of yesteryear. The New York City Times Square district is a perfect example of what can be accomplished with proper planning, combined with enhanced public safety considerations. For example, during a recent visit to the heart of New York City, I never felt endangered, due in large part to the large presence of police officers at every intersection. This will be key to the success of downtown Rochester. People want to feel that it is safe to venture downtown in the evening. Therefore, as plans continue to enhance entertainment and business venues, public safety must be a primary factor if downtown is to come alive with prosperity.

CRIME AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

As with any major municipality, most violent crimes occur at the hands of youth and young adults. I fully support any programs that deter such violent activity. However, any initiatives must begin at home. Therefore, any taxpayer funds spent on deterring crime must also be targeted toward parenting skills that will help our youth grow to become responsible adults. I have no magic solution on this topic. The City of Rochester has made great strides toward combating crime and addresses root causes. However, more must be done, whereby the dialogue must continue between youth, parents, schools, police, professional counselors, religious communities and advocacy networks.

I have provided what amounts to a very brief blueprint for the City of Rochester. I want to wish Mayor Robert Duffy well as begins his new post as Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York in January. He has done a superb job as Mayor and his shoes will be hard to fill. He has selected Tom Richards as Rochester’s new Deputy Mayor, and the expectation is that Tom will take over as interim Mayor at the appointed time. Tom will do a great job, and whether or not he decides to actually run for the office at the time of the next election is an open question. In the meantime, I hope that Democratic committees will consider Molly Clifford as well. She has enormous talent and should be given every consideration.

As I go about the business of planning for my retirement from my long-time position at City Hall, I will pray that the City of Rochester continues to thrive as one of America’s finest cities.

UPDATE - DECEMBER 16, 2010:
Molly Clifford announced today that she will not be a candidate in the special mayoral election in March. I was prepared to support her candidacy and then perhaps seek a position in her administration. However, I have no doubt that Tom Richards will do a spectacular job after winning the special election (victory is assured). My hope is that he will appoint Molly Clifford as Deputy Mayor. They would be a dynamic team.

Priests Need to Exercise

Dear Blog Visitors:

Although I minister independently of the Rochester Diocese in my capacity as a married priest, I nevertheless have considerable contact with Roman Catholics locally and beyond. In some of my conversations, I have learned that quite a few diocesan Catholics are concerned about the health of their parish priests.

As parishes continue to cluster, diocesan priests are experiencing more pressures, in terms of both increased office work and the amount of time they spend on sacramental functions. Consequently, they have very little time for physical exercise, and paying attention to their diets is something that is being tragically neglected.

You may have seen some of my videos in which I try to gently coax priests into some simple exercise, occasionally utilizing humor, but always mindful of the fact that there are serious consequences for neglecting one's physical well-being.

In the video above, I once again reprise my role as the 'dancing priest.' In this demonstration, I use barbells and a cane as props, in addition to providing a few dance steps.

Best wishes to all of you.

Ray

Remembering Jay Jason

Dear Blog Visitors:

As I continue to research my ancestry, I have been doing some writing on some of the more notable members of my family. One such person was the late Jay Jason. (His real name was Jonas Levy.) Jay's name will be familiar to those of you who used to frequent what was commonly referred to as 'The Borscht Belt.'

The Borscht Belt was a name given to a group of summer resorts that lined the area surrounded by the Catskill Mountains in New York State.

If you have been following either my blog or YouTube channel, you are aware that I have Judaism on my father's side of the family and Catholicism on my mother's side. One of my fondest memories of growing up in a mixed religious environment was our annual trek to the Prospect Inn in the Catskills. During some of these outings, we were able to see my cousin, Jay Jason, perform on stage. He also performed regularly at the well-known and popular resort, 'Grossinger's.'

The Borscht Belt resorts were created in response to anti-semitism that was sadly rampant in the United States for many years. While it may be hard to believe for those in the younger generation, the fact remains that it was difficult for Jewish families to register in hotels in many of our American cities. (Be sure to see the 1945 movie, 'Gentlemen's Agreement' that focuses on this issue.) So, the Borscht Belt was created so that Jewish families would have a safe refuge on summer vacations.

In addition to performing at Catskill resorts, my cousin Jay Jason also appeared a few times on the Ed Sullivan Show. I recall Jay telling me that Ed Sullivan was often nervous about comedians appearing on live television, so they had to assure Ed that their jokes were clean.

I thought I would pay tribute to Jay by posting the memorabilia posted above.

Peace to all,
Ray