The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Foundation, New York State
Joel Zumoff, Common Council 3rd Ward
I urge residents in the City’s First Ward to vote for Cynthia Brock for Common Council. Cynthia is smart, hard working, conscientious, diligent, and dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life in Ithaca, as her past service on the Board of Public Works demonstrates. She always “does her homework”, is detail oriented, and passionately advocates for the citizens of Ithaca. She would be an excellent Alderperson for the residents of the First Ward and the City as a whole.
Eric Rosario, Common Council 2nd Ward
Tom Hanna, former Common Council Alderperson
As a former member of Common Council I think Cynthia Brock is the best choice to represent the First Ward. She understands city government. She will be an excellent city legislator and a great advocate for the needs of her ward.
Ray Schlather, former First Ward Common Council Alderperson and Board of Public Works Commissioner
John Efroymson, former First Ward Common Council Alderperson
Ithaca Board of Public Works, Feb. 23, 2011
Cynthia’s search for improvements, long range solutions, fairness and savings led her to challenge standing procedures as well as preconceived ideas or assumptions, prior to applying her energy, education, research, and experience to help create new or improved approaches for the Board’s consideration and implementation.
William Goldsmith, Board of Public Works Commissioner
First Ward residents who want a superb advocate on the Common Council should vote for Cynthia Brock. When she was on Ithaca’s Board of Public Works, she was the very hardest working and most productive member of the Board. (I know, because Cynthia was on the Board when I was appointed.) She always did more homework than other members, brought in solid proposals, considered controversial issues carefully, and voted fairly. Because Public Works handles about 40 percent of the city’s budget – streets, sewers, public facilities, parks, and more – Cynthia’s efforts paid off for everyone in Ithaca. Cynthia always volunteered tremendous amount of extra time to work as liaison to other city boards, and she worked assiduously to develop the city’s programs, including the upcoming water system and dredging of the inlet, protection of parkland, and reform of parking and sidewalk policies. If you want good representation from an ultra-responsible citizen, vote for Cynthia Brock.
Wade Wykstra, Board of Public Works Commissioner, Joint Sewer Committee Chair, First Ward resident
I served with Cynthia Brock during her years as a Public Works Commissioner. She is a great colleague– energetic and a smart team worker. She knows the issues, the City Charter and what we need to do in this crucial time ahead. Please come out and vote her onto Council.
Govind Acharya, Board of Public Works Commissioner
I am writing to ask you to join me in supporting Cynthia Brock for First Ward Common Council. She has the experience in city government to be a passionate advocate for the ward and for the city as a whole. In my interactions with her, I’m impressed with her ability to advocate for her constituents. She has the energy to be one of the most effective common council members we have in the city.
She also has a keen understanding of livability and density in the City of Ithaca and the importance of ridding us of our dependence on cars. This perspective is especially important in county that has uncontrolled sprawl which leads to higher traffic. We need leadership in the city that can tackle this. And, I know that Cynthia Brock is that person.
Claudia Jenkins, Board of Public Works Commissioner
First Ward, you have a Gem in Cynthia. She listens to you. She will look into, investigate and find a solution that will work for everyone. Having served on several boards and the Board of Public Works she has the experience…. Don’t let this Gem get away ….
Dan Klein, Parks Commission
Residents of Ithaca’s First Ward are lucky to have the opportunity to vote for Cynthia Brock for Common Council. I worked with Cynthia on the Parks Commission, and I can say with confidence that this is the kind of person we want on Common Council.
Cynthia spent several years volunteering on the Board of Public Works and really doing her homework She understands the infrastructure of Ithaca in a way that most legislators don’t. Ithaca has major ongoing infrastructure issues: Markles Flats cleanup, Emerson cleanup, the water treatment plant Commons redesign, Collegetown zoning, Stewart Park rehabilitation, and various traffic issues. Cynthia is uniquely positioned to make good decisions on these and other issues.
Cynthia is smart, informed, dedicated, well-spoken, independent a good listener, and a good team player, an ideal candidate for Common Council. I hope you will vote for her for the First Ward.
Roberta Moudry, Parks Commission, First Ward resident
A Common Council member serves as intermediary between constituent and municipal agencies, and as an informed public official working to improve the city. Cynthia Brock as a Board of Public Works member and activist has demonstrated respect, enthusiasm and commitment. She will make an excellent advocate for the First Ward.
Ken Deschere, Community Advisory Group, First Ward resident
Cynthia Brock has contributed tremendously to our City Community Advisory Group on Cleanup Sites, researching the issues, plowing through piles of mind-numbing documents, seeking out residents’ views, and intelligently balancing alternatives. We need her diligent perseverance on Common Council. She’ll be an excellent advocate for all of us.
Pete Meyers, Community Organizer
Standing with Verizon Workers
Cynthia has a demonstrated and longstanding commitment to the community and its’ workers. She has served in a variety of volunteer and organizational capacities throughout the community as well as serving on the Board of Public Works, which gives her insight, perspective and experience with issues that an effective Council Member needs to understand. I have always been impressed by Cynthia’s willingness to listen to a variety of concerns from a wide range of people, a skill that will be exceedingly important in her job as Council Person for the City of Ithaca’s First Ward.
Stiller Zusman, owner Abovoagogo Art Studios
I wish I could vote for Cynthia Brock, although I don’t live in the First Ward. At this time, in Ithaca, we are faced with many serious problems regarding the environment, infrastructure, finance and the social fabric of our community. Cynthia has real expertise in all of these areas. We need someone in City government, like Cynthia, who can be thorough and objective in her examination of the issues. Cynthia understands what it means to be a representative and an advocate. She is able to synthesize the myriad details of an issue and communicate clearly to all of us, so that we can make clear decisions that are based in fact and good sense. This is government at its best.
I have admired her diligence in addressing difficult issues of infrastructure during her tenure with the Board of Public Works. I have also admired her work in bringing the community together to build the BJM playground. It took great tenacity and perseverance to make this happen. She had to convince the administrators, find the resource and coordinate the workers from the ICSD and the hundreds of people who came to do hands on labor. This was a great victory that we all continue to enjoy.
A vote for Cynthia Brock will put someone on the council with her eyes open and her feet on the ground. We all need her contribution to city government, whether or not we live in the First Ward.
Neema Kudva, Associate Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University and David Driskell, Executive Director of Community Planning and Sustainability, City of Boulder, Colorado (Ithaca residents, 2002-2008)
We co-chaired the BJM Playground Committee with Cynthia some years ago. She was an amazing partner: intelligent and curious, a tireless, hard-working, tenacious problem-solver. Cynthia is passionate about making a better future for all Ithacans and has the skill and persistence to do so. We can’t imagine a better person to serve on Council.
Scott Miller, Downtown Ithaca Alliance Board of Directors, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Board of Directors, Tompkins County Bar Assoc. Board of Directors, and past Chairperson of the Ithaca Big Brothers/Big Sisters Board of Directors and Teresa Miller, Owner of Madeline’s Restaurant
Cynthia Brock will represent the First Ward and the City of Ithaca superbly.
During her tenure on the Board of Public Works Cynthia often displayed unmatched study and intellect. Cynthia’s record on such topics as aggressively pursuing environmental clean-up in our neighborhoods, and dedication to open and transparent management of city resources make her a clear choice.
Seth and Dawne Peacock, First Ward residents
Ralph (and Audrey) LaPadula, First Ward residents
I am a former Republican candidate for Common Council and Tompkins County Board of Representatives. I am supporting Cynthia Brock for First Ward Common Council on November 8th, and I hope you do too. Cynthia and Ray are my neighbors, and I can attest that Cynthia is a good mother, raising 2 fine well-behaved children, and she has been a good over-the-fence neighbor to our family and others since moving here 10 years ago. I feel that she is very qualified in serving our local government, having been a Board of Public Works Commissioner. She will serve all parties in the City equally and fairly. Join in me supporting Cynthia with your vote on November 8th.
Cynthia Massicci, West Hill resident
I am writing to support Cynthia Brock for First Ward Common Council. What immediately impressed me upon meeting Cynthia is her genuine interest in listening and understanding what people have to say. Cynthia is fully committed to taking into account public opinions regarding political issues and she has the ability to conceptualize opinions into terms which honestly reflect what the people want. This is what we need from our representative in public office. During these difficult economic times we need Cynthia’s years of experience in public service and City government – from her ongoing involvement in the West Hill Civic Association and the West Hill Community Association, to the board of GIAC and her deep participation as Commissioner of Public Works.
Cynthia considers transparent government as not just something that is in “good form” but also as an ideal that should be protocol in order to uphold the democratic process — she wishes to represent the people in the First Ward only when the voters elect her to do so. I feel she would be an excellent representative. I am honored to support her and confident in asking First Ward residents to vote for Cynthia Brock.
Tamara Loos, Dryden resident
I have not met another individual more committed to creating a sense of community than Cynthia Brock. She’s determined but also open-minded. She has substantive goals but also, crucially, cares about process and transparency. Refreshingly, she is unafraid to take the necessary stances to create positive forward momentum and change. She renews my trust in local politics.
