Rachel Barnhart
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rachbarnhart.com
Rachel Barnhart
@rachbarnhart.com
2.6K followers 400 following 2.8K posts
Former journalist. Current Monroe County Legislator. Posts are personal views unless noted as official. Not allowed: threats, defamation, obscenity, harassment or spam. Rochester, N.Y.
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rachbarnhart.com
Good morning from North Winton Village
Penny and Prudy
November 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Good morning from North Winton Village
November 10, 2025 at 12:33 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Your annual warning never to click because these articles almost never include Monroe County 😂❄️
The D&C Clickbait telling us there is a winter storm warning in the Rochester region
November 9, 2025 at 10:01 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Light Sunday morning reading
2026 Monroe County Budget
November 9, 2025 at 1:08 PM
rachbarnhart.com
This is the way 💪
Councilmember Michael A. Patterson sent a letter signed by all nine members of Rochester City Council on Wednesday, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to step in and fully fund SNAP benefits for New Yorkers in November. “The federal administration is holding funding hostage for Rochesterians, New Yorkers and all Americans who receive SNAP benefits,” Councilmember Patterson said. “The residents of my Northeast District are in crisis, and we have a duty and a responsibility to help in any way we can. To be clear, I would not have to make this ask of our Governor if the federal administration did its job to properly fund SNAP — but the gap in funding fabricated by Donald Trump will leave thousands of residents in my district hungry.”
November 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM
rachbarnhart.com
A right wing guy filed a complaint against me for conduct unbecoming an elected official relating to my comments about ICE. The Monroe County Board of Ethics actually investigated. Needless to say, I'm pretty disturbed.
rachbarnhart.substack.com/p/bellos-eth...
November 7, 2025 at 12:40 AM
rachbarnhart.com
Food banks alone simply cannot meet the need. Governor Hochul should fund November's SNAP benefits.
Dear Governor Hochul, We urge you to take immediate action to ensure that New Yorkers do not go hungry this month. As you know, the federal suspension of SNAP benefits will leave nearly three million residents without the modest assistance that helps them buy food — an average of just $6.70 per person per day. New York has the resources to act. The state is projected to end the fiscal year with a multi-billion-dollar surplus. Other states, including Virginia, Vermont and Louisiana, are using their own funds to continue SNAP benefits during the federal shutdown. Virginia is covering all recipients through the same EBT system, while Louisiana is funding benefits for elderly, disabled, and child households. Vermont is covering benefits for 15 days. There is no reason New York cannot take similar measures. The $106 million recently announced for food banks, while welcome, covers only a fraction of the monthly need. It is not a substitute for SNAP. These dollars will be quickly exhausted by logistics, distribution, and overhead — and many families will never see direct help, as the stores in their neighborhoods are more accessible than food pantries. Monroe County alone has 108,000 SNAP recipients, costing $5.1 million per week in benefits. The most efficient and effective way to help them is to replace their benefits. The state should immediately authorize the use of surplus funds to maintain SNAP benefits for the month of November, distributed through the existing EBT system. This would be the fastest and most equitable and direct way to prevent hunger and economic disruption. Food banks and community groups will continue to do their part, but philanthropy cannot fill a $650 million gap. Only the state can ensure that every family in New York continues to eat. We urge you to act swiftly to prevent needless hardship and to demonstrate that New York stands with its most vulnerable residents during this crisis. Sincerely,
November 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Nice tidbit. Mazzullo and Morelle are friends!
This proved too much for Richard Bianchi, a 40-year member of the county’s Conservative Party executive board. He resigned from the party in the fall, citing a deviation from the party’s values. He first became concerned four years ago, he said, when the Conservative Party declined to endorse Republican Rory Fitzpatrick in the race for Irondequoit town supervisor. Fitzpatrick won that race against Democrat Joe Morelle Jr, the son of Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle. “It was just not right,” Bianchi said. “Rory Fitzpatrick was a great candidate, and as a matter of fact, he won without the Conservative nod. That was my concern.”
November 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Merry Christmas
Wegmans has holiday decorations up
November 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
rachbarnhart.com
My dogs are Democrats. 🐾 Good morning.
November 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
rachbarnhart.com
There was no need to make any corrupt deals with the Conservative Party. Democrats really need to run on their values and trust voters.
open.substack.com/pub/rachbarn...
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 AM
rachbarnhart.com
Thank you, Monroe County BOE, for a great new reporting system for results. Love the map. Here you see the Sheriff, who ran unopposed on D & C lines. Westside precincts voted for him on C line. Thousands of people skipped the line, many in protest of the C endorsement, I'm sure.
November 5, 2025 at 4:47 AM
rachbarnhart.com
Highly recommend both candidates!
Vote for Lind and Siguenza for state Supreme Court.
November 4, 2025 at 7:54 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Voting complete. Find your polling place and get out and vote: www.monroecounty.gov/elections-vo...
November 4, 2025 at 12:33 PM
rachbarnhart.com
If Maryland can do it, so can NY.
Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) has announced the release of $62 million to ensure full November SNAP benefits for people in Maryland, per state announcement
November 4, 2025 at 1:04 AM
rachbarnhart.com
Good afternoon from North Winton Village
Eat the rich Lawn flag
November 1, 2025 at 6:44 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Thank you Town Council member Ann Cunningham! Please vote for Ann - she’s doing great work and is so dedicated to community.!
November 1, 2025 at 1:19 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Here til 10! Thanks to all who have stopped by so far!
November 1, 2025 at 12:36 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Leaving something important out there… he’s also running as a Conservative.
Also his campaign is finally sending stuff telling Democrats he is a… Democrat (registered anyway).
Can’t wait to see how trying to be everything and nothing works.
October 31, 2025 at 10:34 PM
rachbarnhart.com
This is encouraging. Also - this map shows NY could do more, as some other states are, but chooses not to.
apnews.com/article/snap...
October 31, 2025 at 6:48 PM
rachbarnhart.com
New York is actively choosing not to provide SNAP recipients with direct funds.
rachbarnhart.substack.com/p/other-stat...
October 31, 2025 at 1:17 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Please join me on Saturday for a food drive at the Irondequoit Community Cupboard. Hope to see you! Here is more about their work and other ways to help: irondequoitcommunitycupboard.org?fbclid=IwY2x...
Food drive at 2841 Culver Rd Saturday 8 a.m. -10 a.m. Items needed: Here is our current Top 10 list: Canned fruit; fruit cocktail, peaches, applesauce Canned meals; hash, stew,chili Soup; broth, begetable soup, ready to serve chicken noodle Crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes Beans; red, pink, black Mashed potatoes Pancake mix and syrup Flour and sugar Oatmeal; original and quick (not instant) Money so that we can purchase the shortfalls
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
rachbarnhart.com
Good afternoon from North Winton Village
October 29, 2025 at 6:26 PM
rachbarnhart.com
I wish Monroe County Democrats showed the same principles and told MCDC to kick rocks after supporting this crap.
October 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM
rachbarnhart.com
It was a pleasure to present Annmarie Depoian with a proclamation congratulating the Primerica Depoian Team Financial Services for 25 years in business in Irondequoit.
Also, Happy Birthday, Annmarie (Halloween baby!) And we discovered my dad was her math teacher at Marshall.
October 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM