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In the days following former President George H. W. Bush’s death, it was impossible to ignore the mood that settled over much of the country: a yearning for the civility, dignity, and inclusiveness that the former president represented. It was a form of bipartisan nostalgia for a time when the nation seemed to work. As […]
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In the days following former President George H. W. Bush’s death, it was impossible to ignore the mood that settled over much of the country: a yearning for the civility, dignity, and inclusiveness that the former president represented. It was a form of bipartisan nostalgia for a time when the nation seemed to work.
As we start 2019, it’s equally hard to ignore the ground that this yearning sprang from: a deep-seated doubt that the system can work, and great worry that our democratic institutions are failing. Looking at American politics today, coming into what will undoubtedly be a momentous political year, what seems most apparent is an air of disappointment in our politicians and watchful concern for our way of life.
A lot of trends are feeding this. There’s the intensifying partisan divide, which is in turn stoked by disagreements over economic priorities, over environmental awareness, over issues like affirmative action, immigration, and the role of police, and over such cultural issues as abortion and gay rights. Inequalities of wealth and education exacerbate these divisions. And the rural-urban divide that featured so prominently in the midterm elections shows no sign of narrowing.
This fraying of the American fabric might not appear so threatening if we were capable of pursuing a healthy political dialogue, but that, too, seems increasingly out of reach.
We don’t get the kind of extensive, deep, fact-based discussion of the issues we once did. Our political leaders seem less skillful than their predecessors at finding the common good or negotiating their way to compromises that give all sides the chance to leave the table with something in hand. There’s a lot of excoriating one’s opponents for misbehaving, and typically no concern at all for similar misbehavior on one’s own side. Partisanship is hardening.
I’m also impressed by the number and variety of groups and interests that seek to bring Americans to their side, using multiple avenues — the internet, television advertising, “grassroots” campaigns — to persuade them to support their point of view. A lot of people are putting a huge amount of resources, time, energy, and talent into all kinds of political groups. They always identify what they want to do as a public good, but nonetheless it’s almost invariably a plea for special consideration. They want the public to see things the way they see them.
Which, not surprisingly, has made the role of money in politics ever more important, and the amount flowing into politics ever more massive. That’s been true for a couple of generations now. What seems different, though, is that ordinary Americans seem to be more aware of the role that money plays in getting things done.
At the same time all this is going on, it’s hard to miss the sense of engagement that many Americans — whatever their political beliefs — feel at this moment. We saw this in the midterm elections, of course, but we also see it in the day to day workings of community life.
Although there are some notable exceptions, many state and local governments, disappointed by what they see as either gridlock or dysfunction at the federal level, are finding ways to improve life for their citizens on their own. And citizens of all sorts are plunging into politics and into community issues with enthusiasm and vigor.
Clearly, at the federal, state, and local levels, a lot of this activity is based on citizens’ desire to improve the quality of their lives. That’s a heartening motivation. They want to see power used to get things right. Just as they want to be productive in their own communities, they want policy makers to be serious and productive, too.
This suggests, I think, that many Americans are wearying of pure ideology and rhetoric as political tools; they want tangible progress on the issues that affect the country.
So as we start 2019, there’s a feeling afoot that we’ve got a lot of work to do — and the nagging worry that our political system isn’t up to the task. That’s why this will be a momentous year: it’s our political leaders’ opportunity to prove that they, and the institutions they run, can answer to Americans’ needs.
Lee Hamilton is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years, representing a district in south central Indiana.
N.K. BHANDARI, Architecture & Engineering, P.C. (NKB) has promoted JILL M. RYAN to senior project coordinator. She has been with NKB for more than 20 years and has also served in accounting, office management, and marketing support roles.
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N.K. BHANDARI, Architecture & Engineering, P.C. (NKB) has promoted JILL M. RYAN to senior project coordinator. She has been with NKB for more than 20 years and has also served in accounting, office management, and marketing support roles.
ROB SHUTTS has joined HOLT Architects as a project manager. He comes to HOLT from SUNY Cortland where he spent seven years and was most recently the director of facilities planning, design, and construction. Shutts spent seven years on the SUNY campus, where he and his department were responsible for more than 50 projects annually.
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ROB SHUTTS has joined HOLT Architects as a project manager. He comes to HOLT from SUNY Cortland where he spent seven years and was most recently the director of facilities planning, design, and construction. Shutts spent seven years on the SUNY campus, where he and his department were responsible for more than 50 projects annually. Prior to SUNY Cortland, he worked for a national design/build construction company. Shutts’ experience also includes work at a Syracuse–based architectural firm. A licensed architect, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the School of Architecture at Syracuse University.
KeyBank has promoted RANI RISTAU to area retail leader. She will oversee 15 branches in Onondaga and Jefferson counties. Ristau has been with KeyBank for 19 years, starting as a relationship manager at the Syracuse main branch and then moving into a branch manager role at the Camillus branch. For the past 12 years, she
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KeyBank has promoted RANI RISTAU to area retail leader. She will oversee 15 branches in Onondaga and Jefferson counties. Ristau has been with KeyBank for 19 years, starting as a relationship manager at the Syracuse main branch and then moving into a branch manager role at the Camillus branch. For the past 12 years, she has managed KeyBank’s Nottingham branch. Prior to joining KeyBank, Ristau spent two years with Green Tree Financial Services.
CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA) has hired CASSONDRA RASMUSSEN as an assistant system analyst to work on electric distribution design projects. She is experienced with GIS applications and GPS technology in both academic and professional settings and a certified notary public. Rasmussen received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from SUNY Plattsburgh.
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CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA) has hired CASSONDRA RASMUSSEN as an assistant system analyst to work on electric distribution design projects. She is experienced with GIS applications and GPS technology in both academic and professional settings and a certified notary public. Rasmussen received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from SUNY Plattsburgh.
FAHRIDA MUJIC has joined JAS Recruitment as a recruitment and account manager in the Syracuse office. She brings extensive knowledge of human resources, customer service, and business administration. Mujic earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology from Elmhurst College. MARIO BENEDETTI has joined JAS Recruitment as a recruitment and account manager in Syracuse.
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FAHRIDA MUJIC has joined JAS Recruitment as a recruitment and account manager in the Syracuse office. She brings extensive knowledge of human resources, customer service, and business administration. Mujic earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology from Elmhurst College.
MARIO BENEDETTI has joined JAS Recruitment as a recruitment and account manager in Syracuse. He brings extensive knowledge of leadership, procurement, and construction contracting. Benedetti earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in logistics, materials, and supply chain management from Clarkson University.
KATHLEEN RYAN-MCLAUGHLIN has joined D.K. Griffith & Company as client-services manager. She brings four years of experience having most recently worked with another local investment advisory and financial planning firm and also has extensive experience in the insurance industry having worked for Utica National Insurance for more than 20 years. Ryan-McLaughlin is a graduate of
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KATHLEEN RYAN-MCLAUGHLIN has joined D.K. Griffith & Company as client-services manager. She brings four years of experience having most recently worked with another local investment advisory and financial planning firm and also has extensive experience in the insurance industry having worked for Utica National Insurance for more than 20 years. Ryan-McLaughlin is a graduate of SUNY Poly.
Oneida County has appointed PATRICK D. CADY as director of probation. He has been with the Probation Department for 24 years. Cady began his career with the Oneida County Probation Department in 1994 as an adult supervisor officer, and then spent time as a juvenile supervisor officer and supervisor before being named deputy director of
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Oneida County has appointed PATRICK D. CADY as director of probation. He has been with the Probation Department for 24 years. Cady began his career with the Oneida County Probation Department in 1994 as an adult supervisor officer, and then spent time as a juvenile supervisor officer and supervisor before being named deputy director of the department in 2013. Prior to his county employment, Cady worked as a PINS Diversion counselor at Family Services of Greater Utica Inc. and as a senior child care worker at the House of the Good Shepherd. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the State University College at Buffalo with a minor in juvenile delinquency.
Tops Friendly Markets recently promoted CHRIS CLARY, TOM SULSKI, MATT ROOT, and LACEY KLINKBEIL. Clary, formerly assistant store manager at Tops in Pulaski, will now serve as store manager for the Hannibal Tops. He began his career in the grocery industry in 2000 as a cart clerk for the Fairmount P&C and then joined Tops
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Tops Friendly Markets recently promoted CHRIS CLARY, TOM SULSKI, MATT ROOT, and LACEY KLINKBEIL.
Clary, formerly assistant store manager at Tops in Pulaski, will now serve as store manager for the Hannibal Tops. He began his career in the grocery industry in 2000 as a cart clerk for the Fairmount P&C and then joined Tops in 2010 as an operations manager and has held several positions over the years.
Sulski joins the corporate team as category business manager of the natural/organic category. He was previously general manager of Orchard Fresh. Sulski joined Tops in 2000 as a cart associate at the Tops located at Delaware/Sheridan and worked his way up through the ranks to hold positions as grocery manager, non-perishable operations manager, and assistant store manager.
Taking on the role of store manager at the North Boston, New York Tops is Matt Root of West Seneca. He was previously assistant store manager of the Tops on Maple Road in Amherst. Root has been an employee of Tops since 2004 where he started his career as a produce clerk. Since then he has held numerous positions in a variety of departments.
Klinkbeil joined Tops in 2008, working her way through store operations holding various management positions at stores throughout the chain in the front end, office, bookkeeping, price discipline, and floral departments. She brings a great deal of store experience to her new role as labor management scheduling specialist, overseeing the day to day management of the scheduling and functions of Tops labor management system. Klinkbeil holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Buffalo State College and an associate degree in criminal justice from Genesee Community College.
ANDREA GODFREAD-BROWN has joined the Harris Beach office in Syracuse after more than 10 years in private practice and another seven years as an in-house immigration counsel at Syracuse University. She is joining an immigration law team. In recent years she has specialized in representing hospitals and medical practice groups when they hire foreign-trained nurses,
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ANDREA GODFREAD-BROWN has joined the Harris Beach office in Syracuse after more than 10 years in private practice and another seven years as an in-house immigration counsel at Syracuse University. She is joining an immigration law team. In recent years she has specialized in representing hospitals and medical practice groups when they hire foreign-trained nurses, physicians, physician assistants, and other allied health professionals. Godfread-Brown earned her juris doctorate from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
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