Host: Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Todd Vaarwerk, Chief Policy Officer of WNYIL and your host is yours truly, Ernie Churchwell Welcome back to the program, Todd.
Guest: Always good to be here.
Host: This is a hot time of year for Todd because we're coming up hard on the elections and things preceding it. And he is our resident expert on all things political and electoral and I believe today you're going to tell us about some Meet the Candidates Days.
Guest: Absolutely. Every year WNYIL is committed to having people with disabilities being a full part of the informed electorate, isn’t that nice.
Host: Yes.
Guest: Well, in order to do that you got to know about the candidates and about perhaps what they stand for. So in order to facilitate that each of our locations runs a Meet the Candidates Day so that candidates for local office in that location will be able to come and meet with the disability community, and tell us what their platforms are and get from us information that we might want to give them about things they might want to remember once they get to public office.
Host: And if memory is accurate from the past, if the people aren't sure what some of the overarching issues are that they might want to know the answers to, you can give them a few hints can’t you?
Guest: Oh absolutely. At each Meet the Candidates Day we have a sample question list that you can look at to kind of figure out how to gauge your own questions. We have a schedule who's going to appear so that you know when they're coming and how long you might be waiting. We try to make it for you as convenient as possible.
Host: Terrific. And I believe that you're going to give us some specifics.
Guest: Absolutely, in the Erie County, that'll be on Wednesday, October 16 from 2:00 to 5:00 in our Job Club room in the Lower West Wing of our fabulous campus here at 3108 Main Street in Buffalo. ILGR’s will be next.
Host: And for those that don't know what is ILGR?
Guest: Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), and they will be at, on October 22 from 1:00 to 4:00, that's a Tuesday at their new location at 319 West Main Street, the Crickler Executive Business Center. Definitely if you live in Genesee County, you should go see them there, it's wonderful.
Host: Formerly the Pepsi building.
Guest: Absolutely. And then the other Meet the Candidates Day for our friends at Independent Living of Niagara County (ILNC) will be on the 24th, that's a Thursday from 2:00 to 4:00, at their offices at 746 Portage Road in Niagara Falls, near Pine Avenue.
Host: Very good. Well that's making it really convenient for people at the three main centers for Independent Living in Erie and Niagara County and, as well as Genesee and the adjacent counties to go to meet their potential candidates in November.
Guest: Absolutely.
Host: And it's a little too early to know who the particular invitees are going to be that accept the invitation, but I'm sure people can call here for more information and closer to the dates in question.
Guest: Absolutely they can always call my office 716-836-0822 extension 101. I do want to let people know briefly, it is a local election year, state and federal officials won't be elected again until 2020. So when you're talking about local elections, you're talking about town council people, town clerks, maybe a county executive or county sheriff. So, these are the people that, ideally would take those other positions in later years as they advance, but this year is local elections primarily.
Host: And you did say it on other shows, but it is important to remember that today's town councilman is tomorrow's state senator is who knows. I mean, with considering the field is so just about anybody can run for president on one party or other depending on who's in power.
Guest: Absolutely true.
Host: And I'm sure if our listeners have particular questions about the election, or the people that will be at Meet the Candidates, they can call you and ask. But if you could quickly mention those dates and locations again?
Guest: Absolutely, that would be October 16 from 2:00 to 5:00 in Buffalo. October 22, for ILGR at 319 West Main from 1:00 to 4:00, and October 24 at ILNC at 746 Portage Road from 2:00 to 4:00.
Host: Thanks so much for being with us.
Guest: Always a pleasure.
Host: You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Todd Vaarwerk, Chief Policy Officer of WNYIL, and your hosts was yours truly, Ernie Churchwell.