>> Just ahead on "need to know" how do you fight public apathy
toward politics?
How about a campaign academy aimed at exciting Latinos about
the political process?
We'll look to see if this is an answer or just shouting into
the wind.
We'll also have the business section with the "Democrat and
chronicle."
Unless you've been involved in the public realm unless you get
involved in politics you and I have no right to complain.
[captioning made possible by the u.s. department of education
and wxxi]

>> Thanks for joining us.
I'm Michael caputo.
In the last local election year 2001 less than half of the
people in Monroe county registered to vote did so.
There are a great many more adults who aren't even registered
and we all know that Latinos are the fastest growing segment of
our population in the country and in the region but Latinos are
also lagging in political participation according to a
nationwide study done last winter by the pew Hispanic center
only 57% of Hispanic adults filled out a voter registration
form.
Lack of naturalization by immigrants is part of the reason but
another part is the general American problem of political
apathy.
All this goes a long way to explaining why the Latino advocacy
coalition, Republicans and Democrats alike, joined together to
create a campaign academy.
Since April, members of the coalition have held seminars to
teach interested Latinos how to run for office.
By demistifying the political process, the coalition hoped to
ignite civic engagement.
So how did the campaign academy do in this battle against
public cynicism toward government and politics and in this
concept of an academy enough to battle the apathy that exists?
Alicia causele gives us an overview of the just concluded
academy.

>> A very exciting announcement ---

>> Back in March the Latino advocacy's coalition campaign
academy was introduced with fanfare.
Republicans and Democrats talking about how this effort would
involve more Latinos running for and winning elected office.

>> We have to have a democracy that is inclusive and that hears
all voices so it is my pleasure to return to those roots today
once again and to work with the members of the Latino advocacy
coalition to create the campaign academy.

>> Since that time, 38 people have taken classes with the
academy.
Which just concluded.
Among them was Ricardo Martinez a middle-class Realtor from
penfield.
The thing is Martinez says he's not planning on being a
candidate any time soon.

>> I probably would not be running for office because I feel
that I wouldn't be able to make the commitment that would be
required.
Financially or maybe the commitment as far as time.
But I would want to participate in helping another Latino be
elected by working on their campaign or doing whatever I could
do.
At the same time, I would be showing an example to my two sons
on what needs to be done to be a good citizen.

>> That's just fine with members of the Latino advocacy
coalition.
Like its president, John Rodriguez who was part of a team of
Latino lead horse created the academy.

>> The idea is to make sure that Latinos interested in public
life and interested in working in political campaigns one of
the key ways to make a contribution in the county of Monroe and
city of Rochester that they in fact have that opportunity.

>> Participants came from the city and suburbs, from the west
side and the east side.
They participated in sessions that taught them how to plan for
a campaign, how to raise campaign money and then budget those
funds, how to conduct polling and research, how to deal with
the media.

>> The media is ubiquitous.
Nothing is off limits.
That is a departure.
The -

>> There were plenty of first time candidates who took the
classes including ivonne Martinez running for the school
board.

>> I thought it was necessary for Latinos from to have a voice
within the school district because there are so many Latinos
attending the schools at the present time.

>> But there were others like mariana Santiago who plans on
leaving Rochesterest to study abrought for her M.B.A.

>> I definitely want to come back to Rochester but right now
I'm looking at the process and seeing what I want to do with
it.
I'm not so sure I want to run but I would definitely like to be
a part of the campaign process working for someone else.
That would be ideal for plea I think.
>> As the fastest growing minority group in Monroe county and
in the nation they are drawing attention.
They put aside their differences to roun this academy.
How did these normally partisan instructors maintain their
objectivity -

>> Party label means very little to me.
Actually it's quite easy to step back like many of the people
here I'm entranced by the mystique and the gamesmanship and the
exciting and mistakes of politics.
In that sense it's easy to put a party label in the background
and talk about the great game of politics for people who love
it as I do as well.

>> I don't think it's about who is Democrat and who is
Republican.
You really need a mix.
It's about Latinos supporting other Latinos.
It's not about who wins the race.

>> The public has long had a perception about political
involvement that it takes lots of money and plenty of
connections.
And sometimes those who succeed have to bend the rules to get
ahead.
But Martinez says he doesn't leave the academy feeling this
perception about politics is reality.

>> I don't feel that we necessarily have to lower ourselves to
be involved in anything that's not ethical.
That in the past that has been part of politics but I don't
feel that anyone from our academy needs to be looking at that
aspect of it.
We need to be looking at being involved in politics in order to
help our own peep.
-- people.

>> Thanks, alicia.
Now that the academy has ended the coalition hopes to link up
participants with elected officials who can serve as mentors.
To continue the conversation about political involvement are
three experts, John Rodriguez president of the Latino advocacy
coalition, John auberger the Republican Greece supervisor and
Chris Christopher a democratic activist who has worked on a
number of campaigns in western New York.
Thank you all for coming.
John, this question to you, clearly Latinos are a growing
population.
Clearly there is a desire to get them more involved.
Do you counsel Latinos to get involved in the system knowing
that some think the system isn't very good?

>> Well, we tell them to get involved no matter what.
Part of the way you fix the system is through engagement.
We can have political apathy or engagement.
We think this is a proactive and positive way to expose
people.
What people really need when they're trying to get connected
politically during contention -- contentious races they need
the tools.
It's difficult asking people to go in cold turkey and get
yourself in a public debate and battle with what tools, with
what training.
You don't -- they don't train that for you in political science
school.
You need to be trained by people who understand it and what it
means and how you engage in public discourse that raises the
debate as opposed to lower it.

>> I want to ask first about Latinos, both Democrats and
Republicans are really trying to court the Latino voter.
John, how can you do that when Latinos are Cubans, Latinos are
Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, they don't all think the same or come
from the same background.
Are they really a voting bloc that can be courted?

>> It's a very large population bloc not only in Monroe county
and rising in the United States like in the town of Greece we
have the largest Latino population of all of Monroe county.
So it is an area that we try to look at from both parties.
We try to stress involvement, try to battle the issue of apathy
amongst not only Latinos but overall everyone involved in the
system.

>> Can you track Latino voters?
Can that become a powerful voting bloc?

>> I think that whenever you go to a constituency that you want
to target you need to have a couple of things.
First you do need to have a level of cultural competency going
back to the question you raise.
No group will be monolithic and understanding what the issues
are within that group that you're targeting is important.
But I think in any case when you're looking at a targeted group
of voters you need to make clear what it is that they need to
know that they want to know.
What's that you have that may be appealing to them that you can
offer to them.
It all comes down to message.

>> I want to answer that question too.

>> It's not only about attracting voters, it's about attracting
candidates and attracting volunteers, it's about attracting
people into the governmental process.
So they need on each other.
You want more Latinos to vote there should be more Latinos
engaged in the process.

>> Let me throw this out.
You know there are people out there that say you got to have
money, you got to have connections, otherwise you're not going
to make it in politics.
Period.
True?

>> I say -- I use this example, Mike, in regard to candidates
for public office that have been successful.
I use a good friend of mine, a former Democrat Dave proud who
retired.
His first political meeting he ever went to was the night he
was nominated for county legislature in 1987.
Prior to that he was a large community activist in the school
system, in association groups in the town of Greece.
So I try to stress that you don't have to be in a sense a
creature of the system in order to get involved in politics and
government in general.
You can come from many different areas but the issue is
community involvement prior to ---

>> It is a problem.
People's perceptions of politics is a problem, is it not?

>> No doubt as mentioned in your opening you have less than --
in local elections 40% of the registered voters go to the
polls.
Usually in -- and only half of those eligible are even
registered to vote within our community and our nation.
There is a definite problem and this is what we're trying to
work on in many different areas, the Latino coalition both the
Democrat and Republican and conservative parties try to
register voters to get them into the system and through the
system we can hopefully have better elected officials and more
people interested in the process.

>> Part of that is having a credible debate within the group.
The academy enables people to talk about this issue.
You have people that signed up that were reluctant.
I don't know if I want to get involved with politics.

>> How did you get them in?

>> We did one on one reaching out, through the political
parties including the independent party and the conservative
party.
We also did some advertising.
We did some promotions some P.R., held a news conference.
We reached out to anyone that was interested and talked to them
one on one in orientation but the magic was this.
Even those people that were reluctant because we have this
cultural competency we could get them in the room.
We were able to help them transform their opinion from cynicism
to this is viable, this is important, it is messy.
So there is a reality there.
But it is also important to our society and I need to be part
of this if I'm going to be part of the solution.

>> I think what John is saying about connections is important.
I think a lot of people come into politics in a networking kind
of way.
They have a neighbor, a friend, they know somebody.
There becomes a comfort level there in getting involved in
something that may feel like it's a little more remote from
your personal experience.

>> But our connections again, I always go back to the bowling
alone theory.
Our connections have been falling apart.
Is that the root of what's happening in politics?
The connections aren't there in the neighborhood sometimes with
our neighbor sometimes.

>> I think that certainly is an issue.
Politics is a very people-driven kind of business.
You talked about money being important factor, I think people
power is just as important as the financial power.
We are I think a little more separate from each other but I
will say this in the campaigns I'm working on this year I feel
more connected to those people by e-mail, the country to --
opportunity to exchange multiple thoughts a day and I think
that will grow.
I think that those connections -- -

>> The computer you're saying.

>> I am.

>> You point -- your point about social capital and getting
people connected, who's doing the connecting?
One of the things we were avid about it be multiparty.
Not nonpartisan, bring all the partisanship you have, agree,
disagree, let's talk about how we learn to have these
conversations.
It wasn't about leaving politics at the door.
It's using the discourse to move our community forward.
It's much better than saying to people try to forget what you
believe while we try to get along.
It's not realistic because in campaigns and in the fire of a
political campaign people get caught up in the moment and
unless they have real skills that they can use to raise the
debate to something meaningful and a meaningful issue it will
just sort of fall back to this kind of combative environment
that we've seen in the past.

>> Jack, I've got to ask you this.
You've been an elected official 14 years?

>> Going on 16.

>> 16 years.
How does it make you feel when you know that there are people
out there that take a very, very dim view of elected
officials?
They're all out for themselves, they're all out for the money,
they're all out for power?

>> I'm very disappointed obviously when someone would say that
and I do try to counteract it and combat it by saying for the
most part I think almost every elected official whether it be
Democrat or Republican or whatever party that they belong to do
work very hard for their community and the areas that they
represent.
I think there is a -- sometimes a skepticism in regards to
elected officials that they're not doing their job or whatever,
whether it's legislature or the like.
But I try to combat it and say for the most part all of our
elected officials are constituent orintered, they try to do a
good job, some obviously have a different opinion on how to get
the job done.
That's a great part of our country and our community.

>> Is Chris, the things that stick in people's minds however
are I am not a crook, Richard Nixon, I do not have -- did not
have sexual relations with that woman, Bill Clinton, Johnson
dealing with Vietnam maybe not being straight with us, these
are the messages that have been delivered to the public.
How does an academy, a small academy change that or how can
you, how can people who love the system change it?

>> Well, that's a pretty tall order.
As Curt said we are in a media ubiquitous society.
Nothing is off-limits.
The 30-second sound bite, the 10-second sound bite is always
going to get more attention than the long newspaper article.
I think that what we can do as elected officials as people who
work as activists as people who have the opportunity to
articulate what politics is all about have to have messages
that are strong, consistent, persistent and you just have to do
your best to get the other side out there.

>> It's an excellent point.
Sometimes I think the perception of politicians or elected
officials is that of your sound bites and the media.
But if you take a John auberger or town board members which
make of the majority of elected officials we do not deal in
that type of media structure.
We are definitely the road and sewer constituent oriented type
elected officials that really directly answer to the public.
So maybe that is the perception or misperception of many people
that it is all media and it is all sound bites and to myself,
you know, I'm just basically a road and sewer type elected
official.

>> You went door to door, I know you've made a reputation of
knocking on doors.
Correct me if I'm wrong the last few county legislative races,
we're talking not a huge office here, county legislature,
$20,000 spent on direct mail and things of that nature?
Again that's a message.
Isn't it?
Who out there is going to be able to raise $20,000 to run for a
city council city or county legislative seat?

>> Unfortunately that's part of the reality of politics today.
That's a public policy debate we need to have about how we're
going to be financing campaigns.
That's the reality of the moment.
There are ways to run campaigns for less money and there are
ways to run grassroots campaigns and some of those we talked
about during the academy.
To the point around ethics and the things discussed around
political behavior, one of the things that we think and we
built this into the campaign, could help is if you have the
right kind of mentoring or potential would-be candidate and
people interested in politics so they're mentored in such a way
they come to terms before they confront these heavy duty
political dilemmas.
They start thinking about what would you do in a situation that
asks to you maybe compromise some value that you have.
And examine that ahead of time and talk about that with
experienced people so that when those moments come up people
can behave in ways that the public is more supportive of.
As Michael Miller said during his presentation, when you enter
public life one of the things that's going to happen is you'll
be looked at much more carefully and you'll have to look about
everything you do and how you behave.
Don't do anything you're not willing to have reported on the
front page of the paper and I think part of that is getting
help and having someone that's been through this experience
ethical politicses and ethical people that can guide you and
help develop your political values.

>> We've got about a minute or two left.
Chris, you worked on a lot of campaigns.
What's the fun in being behind the scenes?

>> It's fun -- isn't it fun to be the candidate?

>> I don't think I'd ever want to be the candidate.
I'm sorry to say that, John.
But it certainly is life under a microscope and the fundraising
is monumental.
There is no question about it.
But there is a lot of energy around a campaign and I think that
one of the things that is good for people to know and important
for them to remember is how small a group of people it takes to
actually effect big change.
Right now in Monroe county there is give or take 900 people who
belong to democratic committees in the city and the town but
there are about 147,000 registered Democrats.
So the number of Democrats that are in a position to help
choose candidates, to help them access the ballot and decide
the direction the party leadership is going to take is
infinitesimal compared to the number of people who want to
align themselves with the party.

>> I have to ask you what is it like being under the microscope
even on your level?
You say it's 100,000 people.
You are watched.

>> No doubt.
But it's a seven day a week job.
It never leaves you and I actually do enjoy it.
For instance if you're in the grocery store shopping there may
be five interruptions with somebody wants a road repair work
done or ask a question in regard but you never leave the job.
And it's a job I enjoy obviously.
I've been an elected official for 16 years but it never leaves
you as far as your roles and responsibility is to the
constituents.

>> We have to leave you.
Thank you very much for being here.
We invite you to participate in this conversation either on the
web at wxxi.org/ntk or e-mail us at needtoknow@wxxi.org.

>> With us is el Ellen rosen business editor for the "Democrat
and chronicle."
Summertime and the living is easy as long as you have a job.
What's the summer job market like?

>> It's like the job market in general, it's tough.
Recent college graduates are having to settle for jobs possibly
outside their field or much lower entry level than they might
have.
Companies to start are ready to hire, the economic signs aren't
there yet for people to expand so when you compound that with
the number of real people, adults out of work and you add in
the college grads the summer job market for high school kids is
really difficult.
For a lot of kids if they don't already have a job or something
lined it it could be tough going.

>> What is typically open for kids in the summertime?
What typically are they chasing after?

>> They like working in amusement parks and things like that.
College age kids may be looking at internships and they need to
be lined up early especially in an economy like this.

>> Summertime is a time for travel.
Tourism for Rochester is something we've been trying to beef
up.
The association has beefed up their efforts over the last
couple of years.
What do they see for tourism this year?

>> They're pretty optimistic.
They think things are going to look better.
You're coming off a base that's not so great.
2002, 2001 were not such great -- the aftermath of September
11, 2001, 2002 was a tough year for tourism.
I think they're expecting the numbers to pick up and we've got
big events, The PGA should bring a lot of people in and they're
trying to capitalize on the region, the wine industry, the
wineries and things like that.

>> They've been trying to do that for a long time.
The Ryder cup in 1995 did well for us.

>> Brought a lot of visitors.
They expect the same thing to happen.

>> With the PGA championship?

>> I do believe they do, yeah.
Some other complicating factors, sars and things like that and
how that might affect things.
There is nothing going on right now but watching Toronto.

>> Traveling isn't quite as easy as it used to be for good
reasons, for reasons of safety but it's not as easy to do.

>> Right.
It's hassle and basically they're finding a lot more people
will take to the roads.
They'll be vacationing.
People aren't giving up on vacations reports say but they'll
drive by car or where they're sure they can get because you're
right you've added a lot of time and hassle factor into the
flight with security checks and luggage checks and things like
that.
It's not as easy.

>> Which might not be a bad thing for come to a winery which is
60, 90 minutes away.

>> Right this 3i7ks are looking for things in a day's drive and
that's what the wineries and the local industries are trying to
cash in on.

>> You and your staff had a chance to interview Dan Carp.
Tell us what you learned.

>> We had an hour long meeting with the chairman of eastman
Kodak company and he's optimistic.
He continues to be concerned about the short term, what's going
on with the economy with sars and terrorism and other things in
the war.
People still aren't traveling as much and they're not taking
the kinds of pictures and Kodak relies on pictures both digital
and print -- film pictures and people aren't taking the number
of snapshots they had before.
So he's still concerned short term sales are down and other
things but he's very optimistic about the company long term and
the direction it's going.
He's optimistic with digital, they're ahead of where they
thought they would be and is confident they're moving in plane
of the right direction.
A lot of the other businesses, health imagesing are going very
strong.
And surprisingly one of the things he was adamant about is film
will not go away.
Digital will continue to grow and people will find new uses but
film is not going away and we shouldn't sing its death song
quite yet.

>> Hard to believe when you look at technology and how
ubiquitous technology that someday it will all be on a little
disk.
He really things film will stay?

>> He thinks a lot of the properties, it's tangible, you can
hold it, there are still some uses for film is better for
certain things than digital ever will be.

>> Tell us what's coming up this Sunday.
I understand it's a local thing.

>> We're taking a look at m&t bank in Buffalo, it's developed a
large presence.
They large bought a chain in Baltimore, the naming rights to
the ravens stadium so we'll look at how our hometown bank is
becoming a huge regional player.

>> The same thing, about ---

>> Who knows.

>> We'll have to read it.
Ellen, thank you for being with us.