LOPORTO HITS BACK

Michael LoPorto, At-Large candidate for City Council, is proving to be no shrinking violet. LoPorto's business has run into problems which have made the papers. LoPorto is now fighting back.

Loporto owns the Sign of the Tree at the Empire State Plaza. According to the Times Union, LoPorto stopped paying his rent earlier in the year and owes over $40,000 in back rent and costs. LoPorto says he stopped paying rent when the state renaged on their promise to provide a certain number of parking spaces. Last week, The state's Office of General Services told LoPorto the lease was terminated and he had five days to leave.

Now, LoPorto has fired back, claiming OGS threatened to evict him if he didn't give the apparently ravenous Office of General Services employees discounts on food for special events. LoPorto also has invoices that back up the graft allegation. Invoices show that OGS was given services at $1.00 per person that normally went for $7.50 to $11.00 per person. That is called corruption.

We don't know who's right and who's wrong in this mess. We do like the fact that LoPorto hits back, hits back hard and backs up his allegations with evidence. Certain Democrats could take a lesson from this political novice. Fight back when the GOP slime machine kickes it in to high gear. Is anyone surprised that LoPorto was evicted by the Republican controlled OGS after he announced his candidacy for a Troy City Council seat? Or that the GOP dominated Dormitory Authority (Rensselaer County GOP at that) dredged up baseless allegations against Dunne? This is the way they play the game. LoPorto, novice that he is, understands that fact.

It's a shame that The Record hasn't covered LoPorto's allegations. Once again we have to rely upon the Times Union. Oh well.

Speaking of The Record, today's Region Section feautures an article about some of the Republican candidates for County Legislature. Only thing is, the writer is not named and it reads much more like campaign literature than an article. Could it be nothing more than a press release, printed verbatim? Nothing would surprise us anymore.