Republican candidates for state and local offices gathered at Myers Park Saturday for a picnic hosted by the Lansing Republicans.  Floyd Rayburn, Herb Masser, and Debbie Munson showed up to meet Lansing residents, gather signatures for their campaigns, and enjoy a burger.

"We got to meet the candidates," said lansing Supervisor Ed LaVigne.  "We got to meet Herb Masser, running for Assembly, and we got to meet Floyd Rayburn, who is running in the state Senate primary for the republican nomination.  People got to meet Deb Munson, who is our Town Clerk now and is running to be elected."

Rayburn is challenging Canandaigua Town Supervisor Pam Helming in the Republican primary election.  Helming won the six County Republican Committees' endorsement when they voted on May 25th.  As a non-politician he says that Albany needs to be more business friendly, and needs to stop the exodus New York State has been suffering.

"My son is moving back up with his future wife and my two grandkids from South Carolina," he says.  "I don't mind telling you I'm starting the influx of people coming back to the State of New York.  He's been in the business.  He worked for me before he worked down there.  He is going to basically take over, and I'm going to be in Albany hopefully making it an easier place for him to do business."


Rayburn started F. G. Rayburn Mason Contractors, Inc. in 1981, hiring his first employee in 1984.  Today he employs 50 people, 30 of whom have been with the company for 15 years or longer.  Rayburn says he was asked by at least three people to consider running after Senator Mike Nozzolio announced he would not run for another term. 

Tompkins County Legislator (Lansing) Mike Sigler explored a Senate run, but withdrew from contention to support Rayburn against Helming and other candidates who are considering challenging her in the primary.  Sigler says Rayburn has the resources and support to keep Nozzolio's Senate seat on the Republican side of the aisle.

"It's not a matter of choosing who not to support," Sigler said.  "It's a matter of choosing who to support.  I just felt that Floyd is better qualified.  I like the idea that he has people who has worked for him for decades.  I work for somebody like that.  Park outdoor Advertising is a lot like that.  People come there and they never leave.  Floyd's company is run very much the same way.  You know what else I like?  I like that his name is on the company.  I it because it's a pride of ownership thing.  It says I believe in this so much that I'm putting my name on this.  I found the same kind of qualities in Floyd.  That's why I'm supporting him."

Rayburn said the number one thing he wants to do, if elected, is to defund the SAFE Act.  He also wants a more transparent budget process, and says he wats the budget to pass as stand-alone legislation without amendments tacked on, and without so-called pork.

"All legislation passes on its own merits" he said.  "I don't want back room deals where you give me this and you give me this... and we get it all together as bundled legislation.  I want each piece of legislation to stand alone on its own merits."


Rayburn also said that he believes in term limits.

"I only want to be in Albany six years," he said.  "Give me three two year terms.  I believe there should be term limits.  I think you need new blood and other eyes looking at things."

Rayburn said he has been traveling the district, and will continue to do so, if elected.  He has been to Lansing a few times for the campaign already, and says that won't change if he is elected.  He says he is used to it, noting that he travels the district regularly for business, noting his company currently has a job on the Cayuga Meadows project on West Hill in Ithaca.

Herb Masser is making his second run against Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton.  A common theme for Rayburn and Masser was ethics reform.

"Ethics reform is huge," Rayburn said.  "We have a couple of legislators who are going to jail for 12 years and five years and they're going to get their $99,000 a year for the rest of their life.  That's not right.  That's not right.  We're known for scandals.  I think Washington DC is taking a page from the book of New York.  I think they've learned from Albany."

"The first thing on my mind is corruption," Masser said.  "If people know about corruption and they don't do anything about it... they don't speak up... then they're as guilty as the people that did the corruption.  Barbara Lifton voted to keep the people that did the corruption in power even after it was exposed.  So she's as guilty -- even though she's a clean person... I don't put anything on her character -- but she didn't speak up when she should have."


Masser's other key issues mirror Rayburn's.

"Secondly I want to protect the second amendment," he continued.  "Thirdly, to reduce taxes.  Everybody's bailing out of New York because of the taxes.  The makers are leaving and the takers are coming in.  The economy can not afford this.  In a short while this economy is going to collapse, even though it looks good because of the way it's painted.  But it's going to collapse."

Deborah Munson is running for Lansing Town Clerk.   She was appointed Clerk earlier this year when Debbie Crandall retired.  Munson worked as Deputy Clerk before becoming Clerk herself.  She will reportedly be challenged in November by a Democratic candidate, unusual for Lansing where the Clerk and Justice positions have gone unchallenged when an incumbent is running.  The prospect of a challenger is still uncertain until after the Lansing Democratic Caucus in late summer.

Munson is not waiting to find out -- she already has campaign cards printed.  The cards note that she has been established in Lansing for over 40 years and raised her family here.  She points out she is the current Town Clerk and Receiver of taxes, and has over 30 years experience as a bookkeeper and office manager, as well as an accounting degree.  She says she is committed to serving the Lansing Community.


Both Rayburn and Masser also have challenges ahead.  Masser's challenge will be to defeat a popular incumbent Democrat in a district that is largely liberal.  But he insists Lifton is beatable, saying he did well in Cortland in the last race, and can do better in Tompkins County this time around.  On his campaign Web site he says Lifton has ignored Cortland, and has not represented Lansing.  "The people of Lansing need an Assembly Person who fights instead of one who makes excuses for a lack of action," he says.  When asked if he has a chance of winning, he says he will win.

"I have more than a chance," Masser said Saturday.  "The last time I built a huge base for this election.  I was only on one line last time, but I'm going to be on two or three lines this time.  If you look at the data, I did exceptionally well last time, for being on one line.  This time, being on two lines, I'm going to win."

Rayburn says that if elected, he will work hard for the people of the 54th District.  Before that can happen he will have to defeat Helming, and possibly more of the dozen Republicans who competed for the Republican endorsement last month.

"I'm passionate," he said.  "I'm very, very passionate.  I really do believe we need Albany to realize that business people, people that employ people, should be more part of our government than these career politicians who never had to meet a payroll."

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