Twenty years ago I received a piece of campaign “advice” from a fellow councilor. I was endorsed by the Working Families Party and he was endorsed by the Republican, Independence, and Conservative parties. (A reminder from a previous column: in New York State, you do not register “Independent.” There used to be the “Independence” party — which cross-endorsed Republicans in local elections, which many people chose by mistake. Current forms now indicate “no party” for people who wish to remain unaffiliated, though that means they are ineligible to vote in primaries).

Anyway, this councilor and I were nice to each other, and even agreed on some things. Because I was 30 years his junior, he often shared some of his “tricks of the trade” for getting elected in Geneva. “Sweetheart,” he said “you need to tell everyone that you’re going to give them better services and lower taxes.” When I asked how that would be possible, because it didn’t seem to add up, he said, “It’s not possible, but it’s what people want.” He got reelected, so I guess he was right. I didn’t........

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