Late last week Mayor Elect Patrick Madden announced the co-chairs of his transition team. The people who will try to ease Madden's evolution from not-for-profit pupa to beautiful mayoral butterfly. We announced the Wallace Altes appointment earlier. The remaining co-chairs are Alisa Cahill Henderson, President of Duncan & Cahill, Inc. and James Spencer, Executive Director of Rensselaer Technology Park.
Duncan & Cahill is a general contractor and construction management firm located on Oakwood Avenue, Troy, New York. The fly-by-night firm has been in business since 1933. For those wondering about any political leanings, we do not know Alisa Henderson's politics. Duncan & Cahill has been a frequent, yet modest, contributor to County Executive Kathy Jimino's campaigns. They also contributed to Jim Conroy's 2007 campaign against Mayor Tutunjian. One of the few Inc's that backed Conroy over the incumbent Tutunjian.
In high school, Henderson was voted most likely to be co-chair of a transition team.
As the Executive Director of the Rensselaer Technology Park, James Spencer is "responsible for developing and optimizing the Translational Pathways of the Institute's Innovation Ecosystem through Strategic Innovation Asset Development. Strategic Innovation Assets include institute-owned intellectual property (IP), startups and commercial real estate that supports commercialization and off-campus basic & applied research activities."
Want to know how impressive that is? It's so impressive that we don't understand a f%$#*g thing that means. Our Corporate-to-English translator is down. Another issue with Spencer is that he graduated from Brown University because he couldn't get in to Yale. May as well have gone to Princeton. His LinkedIn page can be found here.
We've been to the Rensselaer Technology Park and no offense to Mr. Spencer but none of the rides are any good and the lines are too long.
We are encouraged by these selections and Madden's emphasis on the private sector. The answer to Troy's fiscal problems, easier said than accomplished, is simple: tax base growth. That's it. No surprises there. This will need to be tempered with a person or two who understand the limitations of the public sector.
This emphasis on the private sector is in contrast to the Council's transition team that appears weighed down with politico bloat, with that not-so-fresh feeling. However, the two groups have different concerns.
OTHER NEWS
In other news, it looks like the odds of Monica K. becoming Deputy Mayor have gone up. We hear it is all but a done deal. While we have nothing against Monica and no opinion on what position she fills, we wonder if Madden will have at least one political street fighter on his team. Someone who knows city government and the Byzantine politics of the city. Just in case the knives need to come out.
Finally, with the absentee ballots counted, Democratic At-Large candidate Carol Weaver lost to Republican Kim Ashe-McPherson by sixty votes. That a mere two votes per election district.
28 comments:
Nice last-ditch effort for keeping Bill Dunne in your story. The rumors about Monica are true and the rumors of a Dunne-less Madden administration are equally as true. Mr Madden has not been too interested about Mr Wade idea also. So if your looking for who will be the hands on political animal in city hall you're going to have to come up with some new names. It won't be Jim Conroy either. Rational and reasonable are the direction that the Madden people are heading with the city as well as the Democratic Party look for Mr Wade to be eased out of the party. New sheriff in town.
Stop obsessing. Last I looked, Bill Dunne is not mentioned. You really need help.
Kim Ashe McPherson is going to be a great addition to the council. One that will bring common sense and no political ties.
What I find most interesting is that Madden is apparently opting to have no one in this daily inner circle whose actually stood for office. He may not want to embrace Wade and Company, but he only won 40% of the vote. He's going to need to keep the supporters he has.
Lou tried to be rational and reasonable and got his ass kicked by his own people. Carmella just waiting to pounce, not to mention Mark from the block. As for Dunne, you may not like him, but he was not the problem. He was largely ignored by Lou.
Bill is bright and politically savy in an environment that requires such. Not keeping him on in some capacity is a mistake. Just this week he was tirelessly working to fix the budget gap. An employee who knows the inner workings of city hall and has the means and want to make things happen is invaluable. At least send him up to head dpw
Let's remember this is his transition team, not his administration. I think he made good picks, he chose talent and brains, not political hacks.
True. Dunne was be a good pick for Dep. Mayor. He's done a good job. Not saying there hasn't been a misstep but he juggles a lot in that position. There just isn't room for him. In his current position he can't be the mayor's bad cop/political guru and Madden has to pick a dep. he's comfortable with.
It's time for a changing of the guard. Wish all those coming and going luck.
At least with Ashe-McPherson there Teta-Sullivan will have someone who understands her.
The Democrats can't spare Wade. He fights.
More often than not, he wins.
Your right about having someone with a clue politically in city hall. If Pat thinks Carmella is going to come and sing kumbaya with him he's sadly mistaken. Hey Pat she wants your job and is coming after you in 4 years..Believe it..He ought to put somebody like Mike Sullivan in there. He knows his way around politically he's respected by people on both sides of the aisle and he's a smart guy. I worked with him for many years as a business person when he was with McNulty. They could so a lot worse and have see Dunne etc..Just my two cents and by the way I'm a Republican.
I'd like to see a transition team tug of war @Prospect Park. The winner gets to lower our taxes.
I was going to bring Bill fruitcake for Christmas but see now there is no need for that. Apparently all of his friends ARE fruitcakes!
I hope Madden heeds the call to have at least one member of the inner circle capable of playing hardball. I have to laugh at those anticipating Carmella will undermining Pat from the very beginning. I can assure you that the people you have to watch most closely are your alleged friends. Some guy named Lou could really expand on that concept in Troy politics.
What is up with the constant digs at Erin? We know who is behind them, and while intelligent, he is not the brilliant strategerist (sic) he plays in public. Even a frigging neophyte knows enough to play the absentee game in a primary.
Vespasian here. I'm not understanding any of these selections for the transition team. Not one of them were on Caitlyn Jenner's transition team, and none of them are even doctors! What kind of Mickey Mouse operation is this! The Mayor is going to end up looking like Rosanne Barr!
Vespasian
This from the same man who promised us Mayor Gordon
Carmella should know there's someone else, with a much more respected-and well known name- already making plans for the big seat in 4 years. She better pack her lunch trying to beat him. And you're right about Sully. Great guy, smart & well respected by both sides. Madden would do well by putting him in. Monica? Very self serving, and already in over her head in my opinion.
Phana, accidentally deleted your comment on Ken's Franco appearance. One two many Taliskers today. Our apologies.
One Ken Zalewski.
One Jim Franco.
One hand grenade.
Priceless.
Sully is a good man who needs to work on himself first.
If she's dumb then what's Ken? She has done as much for Troy in 2 years as ken for 8. Seriously what has he done? She's at least not out there blowing her own horn. What has Ken done?
Yeah, sure. I'm in the depths of despair after yesterday's race, and like the typical Democratic vermin, you just love kicking a guy when he is down. CB and Felix would be so proud. :)
Yeah, sure. I'm in the depths of despair after yesterday's race, and like the typical Democratic vermin, you just love kicking a guy when he is down. CB and Felix would be so proud. :)
6:58 --- embellish us with details on what exactly that either have done or accomplished. How did the landlord registry work out? Waste of space---both of them.
Mike Sullivan publishes compliments about himself. Who exactly respects him?
Yes.He looks pretty hurtin
Stop buggin' on Troy.the familys in Troy are trying to build the city so people can move back her. McPhersonand Sullivan's and Teta rule!!!go dems!
Erin with her husband did lots more for troy served on the committees and worked here years back. Sully and Erin are smart people.
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