DOWN TO THE WIRE

Not much going on. The calm before the storm.

The election season is almost over. Every sane person must be breathing a sigh of relief. We, of course, love the entire political season and are sorry to see it wind up.

In the interest of professional courtesy, we extend the following stories to the Times Union and The Record for the next go-around. No need to re-invent the wheel.


Fill in the Blanks

_____________, candidate for District ___ in Troy, has alleged that ____________ has stolen _____ of his/her signs. __________ denies the allegation, calling ________ a _______ __________.



__________, candidate for District ___ in Troy, wants to see safer, cleaner neighborhoods and pledges to be a more effective councilperson than _______________.

Absentee Landlords

One issue that everyone is talking about is absentee landlords. Dunne started this conversation and gets no credit. The Council was supposed to implement Mahoney's absentee landlord legislation but, like just about everything else, dropped the ball.

Absentee landlords are the target. We understand the point. People take better care of a property if it's their residence. Fine. We get it. However, last we heard, this was America and you are allowed to purchase as much property as you want. Owning things is good. Not all absentee landlords are bad. Could we please say something like negligent landlords or irresponsible landlords. Candidates shouldn't paint with such a broad brush. And no, in the interest of full disclosure, Democratus is not a landlord. God forbid.

If You Aren't Busy, Go Vote

Lets see, Tim O'Brien says don't vote if you don't want to.

Franco says every vote counts.

We take the middle view. Your vote counts, just not that much. Don't get any big ideas about participating in the democratic process. Not in New York State.

The problem in New York State are the minor lines. The Independence Party is a joke and its leaders should be sued for false advertising. It's not independent. It's a client party, currently, of the Republican Party. Same with the Conservative Party. It's a joke.

If they were real parties, the Conservative Party and Independence Party would do what most parties do, run candidates. Instead, they endorse the candidates of the party that offers the biggest payoff. Those payoffs come in the form of jobs for the party leaders and their family members. It's a huge shakedown racket and nothing more.

Franco and Talespin have pointed out that these minor lines can sometimes be worth upwards of 14% of the vote. Basically, idiots will vote for candidate A on line C but not for candidate A on line A. Essentially, it's the same mentality that finds Nascar and wrestling entertaining.

A democracy can't work when the 5% or 8% or 14% that decide elections are up for sale. If Harry looks weak for 2007, Mirch will shop the Conservative endorsement around to the frontrunner. Why? So he and his family can leach off the public some more and build up a nice pension. Wake up folks. He's laughing all the way to the bank and you don't get it.

All in the Family

Wow! We guess LoPorto won't be going to Harry's place for the Holidays. Few politicians take out full page ads (today's Record) attacking their wife's uncle but hey, we're in Troy. A lot of familys have issues. True, most don't revolve around political races and Frear Park restaurants.

Harry claims that LoPorto is pissed at him because he, LoPorto, didn't get the Frear Park restaurant deal. Well, LoPorto should be pissed. Why should Mike be the only one to suffer from Harry's "ethics".

We take that back. The Carignan Agency has suffered, and so have the Bucks, from Harry's fine ethics. So, LoPorto is in good company.

As for outsiders, we suppose Dave Mitchell will be leaving Corporation Counsel's Office sometime soon.

And what does he have against Brunswick. By all accounts it's a well-run town. He's actually a Brunswicker (Brunswickian?), born and raised. Hell, he votes in Brunswick. Trojans go to Brunswick for all their needs, Wal-Mart, Price Chopper etc. Perhaps they should have a say on the City Council.

All in all, we respect Harry. Because when a grown man is really pissed off, he did what all grown men do, took out an ad in a newspaper.

ENDORSEMENTS

How many of you have critically analyzed the issues and who will get your vote? How many of you have taken the time to read all you can about the candidates up for election? How many of you believe stepping into a voting both is almost as sacred as stepping into a confessional? Me neither. Still, here's our picks.

District 1

We choose Daniel Doran over Mark Wojcik for two reasons. Wojcik believes that Lansingburgh will become a 'Destination'. Therefore, we can't really take him too seriously (although if he really believes that, we want a dime bag of whatever he's smoking). Secondly, the Democrats may need ready access to funeral supplies and services. Therefore, Dan's the man.

District 2

Carr or McGrath? We're torn. It be nice to have a minority on the Council. On the other hand, McGrath represents a minority of sorts. He looks like every woman's first husband. They should have representation also. In the end, we don't care. Neither is slinging mud and both care about the city. District 2 can't lose.

District 3

Art Judge or Peter Ryan. Ryan all the way. He may even win. He appears to be well respected in his neighborhood, intelligent and articulate. Ryan could be a surprise here. He probably won't run from a budget vote. The minor lines will probably kill him.

District 4

Dunne. We like a guy who can take all the lies and garbage that the Republican bosses ooze and still fight back. Besides, Bruno all but endorsed Dunne and his jail plan. Also, Dunne doesn't carry the added expense of a booster seat that comes with a Pascarell win. In the end, it's a character issue and we cannot endorse a man that has been arrested or a man that lies on campaign literature.

District 5

We're going with Bob Krogh. The follicle-challenged are a growing minority in the city and their voice should be heard. Bob's a decent sort and they need someone who doesn't get down in the gutter with the rest of the Republicans.

District 6

Collier or Hockler? Another tough one. Collier does add some testosterone to the council. Hockler seems like a decent man. We have to go with Collier. She'll be great for the future of the Troy Polloi.

At-Large

Wow, so many choices. It's like a Chinese menu. Armet is an empty suit, blowhard. The tribe should vote him off the island. He can always get a job as Harry's faux-lighthouse keeper. Campana and Martiniano are our guys here, respected, responsible and they won't be a rubber stamp for the mayor. They may actually act like a legislative branch of government. So we need a third for our menage. Marge or LoPorto? We like Marge, don't get us wrong, but LoPorto will bring an out-of-town perspective. It's a toss-up. Oops, we forgot about the disgraced Judge, Henry Bauer. We simply cannot endorse him this round and frankly, we don't believe the Republicans are going to want him on the council. The other Republicans are not of the same caliber as Bauer and he'll easily outshine them.



Campana
Martiniano
Marge or Mike


County Court Judge

We've written a lot about this so lets cut to the chase.

The one thing DeAngelis has going for her are all those innovative programs she started. Our favorite, "Let Us Pay You To Go To School Full Time" (or LUPYTGTSFT). We want that grant. Sign us up.

Robert Jacon is the only serious choice. If you can't grasp that there's no reasoning with you.

County Legislature

All the Democrats. We're tired of all the tax hikes, we're tired of the scandals, we're tired of the party that let Mary Beth Anslow go home early because she was Jack Casey's client. Throw 'em out. You won't, but you should. Someday you'll tire of being vassels.

That said, we predict a big night for the Republicans. Maybe a clean sweep in the county and 7 out of the 9 City Council seats.

This election brings us to an important fork in the road. One road leads to incompetence, the other to corruption. Make the right choice.

WORD ON THE STREET

By Huggybear

*** Disclaimer - Huggybear is an independent contractor and not an employee of the Troy Polloi. If he is stopped and detained for any pedestrian violations while in the City of Troy we are not responsible and will disavow all knowledge of his activities ***

Word on the Street is that Republicans plan an election night celebration at Positively Fourth Street. The way things look, they'll be partying into the wee hours. Knowing that crowd, we hope 5-0 has the breathalyzer polished and calibrated.

Word on the Street is that the Democrats are planning for a post-election gathering also. Calling hours will be from 8:30 - 11:30 at Bryce Funeral Home.

Word on the Street is that Miss Trish's October 30 fundraiser was a total flop, worse than the Milli Vanilli comeback tour. Huggybear's friend was on the scene. He saw twenty or thirty people, mostly family, salt-and-peppered with a few deputies from the Sheriff's Office. A lame scene. Ellis, Sober and most of the DA's office was nowhere to be seen.

Word on the Street is that Miss Trish was on WGY last week. Girlfriend was complaining that her bad PR was because.....she's a woman! Unbelievable. Right on, Trish. Female DA's get no respect in this state. Nope, they don't become Lieutenant Governor, they don't get to run for United States Senate. Times is tough, Trish. Disgraceful too, seeing that Rosa Parks died last week. Rosa puts your whining ass to shame.

Word on the Street is that some pretty interesting stuff goes on in Pascarell's HQ on Sunday nights. Sounds like a wild time but we're never invited.

Word on the Street is that Senator Bruno has pledged to leave New York for good if the Dems take over the Senate and Spitzer is elected governor. The statement is in a New York Sun interview given on October 25, 2005 to Alec Magnet. "I would move any place other than New York State," he said. "You wouldn't be able to live here." Any place else, Joe? Really? Well Joe, we got you a one way ticket to the Sudan all ready for you. Just give us a call in 2006.

WOJCIK ATTACKS BRUNO

Councilman Mark Wojcik has taken the bold move of attacking Rensselaer County Republican Satrap Joe Bruno.

Bruno recently called for the relocation of the jail. Wojcik had this to say about such a proposal:

"But, in some cases cases, the press release is created to get the official's name in the media for the simple purpose of promotion and self-gratification."

"The proposal set out forth by Senator Bruno concerning the relocation of the Rensselaer County Jail should be alarming to Troy taxpayers."

And Bruno's big mistake: not consulting experts.

"Any initiative that is proposed that can have a profound impact on the Troy taxpayer will include due diligence and appropriate consultation with officials who have expertise in the relevant fields."

A harsh indictment of Senator Bruno by Mark Wojcik. That took real guts, Mark.

The only problem, that was said in Wojcik's letter to the Record on March 21, 2005 when Dunne began proposing the Bruno Plan for the jail. Bruno hadn't weighed in at that time.

Over the next week, most of the other Council members weighed in, trashing the idea. Now we can't wait for them to trash Bruno. Lets hear you now, guys!

The fact of the matter is, moving the jail will cost a lot of money. Building a new jail will cost a lot of money. The fact is, if you expand the jail, it will be a permanent blight on South Troy forever. It's cheaper to do it now rather than later.

And it's not just Bruno that has adopted the Democratic initiative:

"It's a great idea," said Bruno Constituent liaison Bob Mirch. "The Senator is a true visionary."

However, County Majority Leader Bob Mirch disagreed. "It's irresponsible to the taxpayers. It would be far too costly to move the jail and it would undoubtedly endanger my salaries."

Troy DPW Commissioner Bob Mirch could not be reached for comment.




Before we forget, we at the Troy Polloi want to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween.


Happy Halloween from Harry, Joe, Dan, Bob & Trish!
Also, please check out our new Troy Polloi Halloween Catalogue. You'll love it and so will the kids.

SENATOR BRUNO....CRAZY?

We're cutting Trash Trish week for this story. It's too good to pass up.

We always thought that fighting the expansion of the County jail would be a good issue for Dems. Like Dunne, who took the lead, we were laughed at. Now, someone else has stepped forward.

Every time we think we've had enough of Uncle Joe he pulls something like this:

TROY - State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said Thursday in order to fully utilize prime waterfront property, the city's greatest asset, City Hall should be torn down and the jail should be moved.

Here's the entire article from Jim Franco.

Do we all remember when Councilman Dunne made the same argument about the jail being on prime waterfront property? Franco mentions it just as a reminder.

Now, lets see if those same Council members, if the County Sheriff, if many of the TP readers will blast Uncle Joe the way they blasted the Democratic Councilman.

Of course Dunne and Bruno are correct. Expansion should not take place and if the county can't get around the state mandate, the jail should be moved. Trojans don't think long term. We don't want a large county jail right on the waterfront, or within the city limits. Dunne was the first to speak out about this issue, now Joe's on board.

Now lets hear those brave Dunne critics react to Joe's idea. We can hear it now: "Senator Bruno's right but we don't have the resources...." Hell, Dunne was fighting a battle just to stop the expansion. Colier claimed to be against expansion (because she knows it's unpopular in South Troy) but wasn't about to stand up to the machine. Now Joe wants to tear the thing down, which sounds like a job for the Action Team.

Hell, we didn't even suggest tearing the thing down. We suggested a jail-themed Bed & Breakfast.

This could still be an issue in those South Troy races. And if it is, isn't Joe's timing interesting?

MIRCH THE TROOPER

Remember Stevie the Trooper? You may have seen him. He was rail-thin and used to walk the city dressed as a faux police officer. Stevie would try to impress people with his forensic skills and his virility ("I have ninety-nine girlfriends, I go out with one, lay low for awhile and go out with another."). Stevie used to threaten people with arrest. Stevie had some problems.

Mirch and Crawley remind us of Stevie the Trooper (no offense, Stevie). Which brings us to....

The Ryan Fitzpatrick story in Tuesday's Record. Either vandals or old age has attacked Mt. Ida cemetery.

Erin Blakeborough and her father Miles claim that vandals have damaged the cemetery. Erin Blakeborough is a candidate for Rensselaer County Legislature.

We liked two things about this story: a statement by Blakeborough and, of course, statements by Bob "The Trooper" Mirch.

Blakeborough said that, "You should care for your deceased." Of course, she's right. Our society shows little respect for the elderly and for those who are gone. We just appreciate the irony, as someone may need to care for the remains of the Democratic Party on November 9th, the day after the election. Still, we wish Erin well. It's always nice to see young people get involved and put themselves on the line, especially against the well-oiled Republican juggernaut that rules the county.

Then, there's No-Show Bob. He called Miles a liar. He's pulled out the old, "He's disgraced public employees with these allegations." Then, of course, he attacks Miles Blakeborough by making fun of Blakeborough's deteriorating health. "Well, I'd like to see Miles when he's 131 years old and see if he can stand up."

Blakeborough is disgracing* the employees of the Public Works Department? How about personal attacks on a Troy citizen by a Public Officer, No-Show Bob? Is that disgraceful? Does your boss like the idea of his underlings attacking citizens? Is that the job of the DPW Commissioner, to get ugly and personal with residents? Mayor Harry, admonish your DPW Commissioner. Better yet, fire him. Now if No-Show Bob was criticizing Blakeborough while wearing his County Legislator's hat, that may be a different story.

But isn't that the real point? Which part of the Mirch Trinity was it? City Bob? County Bob? State Bob? That's the problem, isn't it. The real disgrace here is Mirch**, a disgrace as a public servant. Bob, you're the one who's collecting $30,000 a year for a job you can't prove you do. How about some time sheets, Bob. We'd like you to account for your time on all three jobs. The hard work done by the DPW rank and file is disgraced by a man that collects two other public pay checks. They work hard while you collect three pay checks for one and 1/2 jobs. Who's disgracing them, Bob?

Bob, what would have been wrong with a simple statement like, "We do not believe there has been vandalism. The police department will, however, look into the matter." Don't tell us there's a political history between these two. It's no excuse. You're a class act, No-Show.

Harry, a true leader does not allow his subordinates to insult Troy residents. Mirch should be publicly admonished for what he said, if he was wearing his City Bob hat.

Which brings us back to our original point. Like Crawley recently, No-Show threatened to have Blakeborough arrested. Mirch and Crawley are like Troy's new Stevie the Trooper. They obviously have a cop fixation and are dying to go out and arrest people. Was there something preventing them from joining the force when younger? Some background problems? Perhaps the Council, instead of giving Mirch a hands-free cell phone, should deck him out in a uniform like Stevie's. He could wander the city and carry on Stevie's tradition. He's doing it anyway, just get him the uniform.


* His word, not mine

** Do all photographs of No-Show Bob make him look as if he's suffering from severe intestinal blockage?

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE

As everyone by now knows, Jen Sober has sued our soon to be County Court Judge for wrongful termination. As much as we love the drama of the Sober suit, it's likely a she-said, she-said case. Also, we're unsure about the actual claim. Sure, DeAngelis looks bad in the suit, but Sober was an at-will employee and doesn't seem to have been fired because of her race, gender, religion or any of the big no-no's. We'll let the lawyers sort that out.

What we do know is that damage at the Burden Lake Country Club exceeded $400, alcohol was involved, someone brandished a weapon and the owner did not want the ADA's to come back. That is why the START fundraiser was held someplace else this year. Obviously, the owner doesn't want a headache and we can't blame him.

Aside from that, Sober's suit seems like sour grapes. After all, no other ADA has brought a similar claim against DeAngelis.

What's that? Hold on a minute. What's this?



Trish, Trish, not another one? This one was actually paid. You're in charge for less than three years and this is the result?

It's our undertsanding that the ADA who brought the claim was David Rynkowski. Rynkowski had a good reputation and handled many of the felony DWI cases. The police respected him and he was a good, hard-nosed prosecutor able to do his job without being reversed for misconduct. As for politics, lets just say that Rynkowski had worked for a Republican Senator from the Buffalo area. No crazy, whacked out Lib like Sober, hey Abelove.

Sober, Rynkowski, twelve other defections from a relatively small DA's office in less than three years: common denominator? Take a guess.

LEBRUN HAS IT RIGHT

Just a little something to keep you busy.

From Fred LeBrun

DeAngelis a bad bet for bench

First published: Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Rensselaer County Judge Trish DeAngelis. It does have a certain unbelievable ring to it. A Valley Girl does the robes.

Even in other-worldly Rensselaer County, this turn of events would be rolling-in-the-dirt hilarious if it weren't for the depressing fact that it most likely will happen.

The looming probability of Judge DeAngelis emerging from the polls on Nov. 8 makes tragedy out of comedy in a hurry.

Any Republican candidate running countywide, especially one openly promoted by Senate Majority Leader and de facto county chairman Joe Bruno, is the odds-on favorite to beat any Democrat. Regardless of merit or lack of it.

Merit. Now, there's a word unneeded in this discussion. Even so, the thought of a Judge DeAngelis is arresting.

Where to begin? Her 28-month tenure as Rensselaer County district attorney has been like a roller coaster ride without a track under it. Reversals of convictions, emotional outbursts, a revolving door of assistant district attorneys fleeing the scene. Based on what we've seen of her as a prosecutor in the courtroom, or heard about her as an administrator, there are apparent shortfalls of maturity and temperament.

There's a bundle of enlightenment about her professional interactions contained in the allegations made in a $1 million lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court last week by a former colleague, Jennifer Sober. DeAngelis' grasp of the law is conspicuously mentioned as less than confident and precise.

And there's been a repugnant vindictive quality to some of her prosecutions, such as with the Jon Romano-Columbia High shooting incident.
That leads me to question her ability to be an evenhanded referee. Which is what a judge is supposed to be.

As a sort-of neighbor who lives one town away from her, I received Patricia A. DeAngelis for Rensselaer County Court Judge literature asking for my support. It's a straightforward appeal for a vote, which is fine, but it included a mystifying line.

"The convictions I have achieved in my career have sent child molesters and murderers to prison for hundreds of years. I have won incredible victories in the courtroom, and have learned more from my failures than my convictions."

Unfortunately no elaboration is offered. I'd love to know both what she considers her failures, and what lessons she thinks she's learned. But no, we'll just have to guess, which is about where the Rensselaer County voter will be on Election Day.

I don't blame her for wanting to be a judge. After all, what does she know? She's 36 years old -- 11 years out of law school -- and still can't decide what to do with her life.
She was handed the district attorney's job by the political bosses that got her in the office in the first place, and now she's being handed a judgeship by the same people.

All fingers point to Joe Bruno for this travesty, not Trish DeAngelis. The word back in May was that a second county judgeship would be created even though arguably Rensselaer County doesn't need one, and certainly other counties like Schenectady need a second judge much more.
The word also was that DeAngelis would be tapped simply to get her out of the D.A.'s office.

Well, all of that is coming to pass as word would have it.
Aren't we lucky?

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. It's funny, so many people cannot respect this person (professionally), including LeBrun, Carl Strock, E. Stewart Jones, Democratus, not to mention those in her own office. Wonder why?

DEANGELIS WEEK

Welcome to Trish DeAngelis week at the Troy Polloi. This week we'll focus on Trish's greatest hits.

The Sober lawsuit;

Trish's misconduct;

Katrin Ellis;

Property Damage at country clubs;

Confidential letters of caution;

A 2004 Civil Rights settlement with a former ADA.

Yes, yes, yes. Thanks, Joe Bruno. You've outdone yourself this time. Making DeAngelis a judge is like putting Ted Pepper in charge of day care.

JUST SAY NO!.....TO DEANGELIS

The citizens of Rensselaer County will make a monumental decision in two weeks (no, not the legislature). They will elect a county court judge, a steward of justice for our county. It is a decision not to be taken lightly. It surely shouldn't be taken as lightly as Bruno's decision on who would be the Republican nominee.

Patricia DeAngelis is unfit for any public position, least of all that of County Court judge.

DeAngelis has less than three years experience as a District Attorney. During her stewardship, the Rensselaer County District Attorneys Office has become a joke. During her tenure, there have been ten or more defections from the office, a startling high number for an office that size. ADA's have quit before they've secured other positions. One staffer left after it was discovered she was making a full-time salary while going to school full-time.

Jen Sober, a former ADA has brought suit for wrongful termination and that's not the only former ADA to bring a claim against the office.

DeAngelis has proven to be immature and incapable of administering the office. She will trash supposed friends (Sober) in order to climb the political ladder. She has been inept in the courtroom, leading to overturned convictions for unethical behavior.

Some will argue that "She gets convictions!" First, the conviction rate around the state hovers at 95%-98%. It's her job to get convictions, just as every other prosecutor gets convictions. Second, lets say she is a good prosecutor. Does that mean she will be a good judge? Frankly, we don't think so. Not in her case because she was a lousy administrator. Anyone who attempts to argue otherwise....well it would be silly to argue otherwise.

There are too many unanswered questions about DeAngelis' reign as DA. She wouldn't look into the Weed n' Seed scandal. Conversely, the County Legislature refused to look into the Ellis matter. These matters need looking into and they don't need to happen while DeAngelis is on the bench. In fact, we believe the Ellis matter needs looking into, now. As does the likelihood of the coverup at the Burden Lake Country Club. We know the owner said it was only $400 in damages (but we have good reason to believe it was in the thousands). Recklessly damaging property in the amount 0f $250 or more is a misdemeanor. She didn't look into it because it implicated people in her office. That's a coverup friends.

For us, the biggest reason to vote against DeAngelis is the fact that she accepted the nomination. If DeAngelis had admitted that she was too young for the position, if she had said that she needed more experience, she might have salvaged a modicum of respect. Instead, her blind ambition prevailed and we'll likely be saddled with her for at least ten years.

Shame on you, Joe Bruno! She's your creature and you chose to elevate her to this post. This isn''t like throwing a bone to Mirch or choosing who will run for County Executive. This is important and has long-term implications. There were plenty of qualified, mature Republicans and you chose the one person who has time and time again demonstrated a true gift for incompetence at every level. The person who has singlehandidly ruined the DA's office and made it a laughingstock. Joe, you need to go now. This is not your feudal playground. You're a disgrace and you should step away from public life while you still have some self-respect.

DEBATES

The history of politics is filled with memorable debates. There's the Lincoln-Douglas debate, the Kennedy-Nixon debate and the Reagan-Mondale debate. Then comes the second-tier of verbal jousting which includes the famous Greg v Marcia Brady debate for Class President, 1972. Then, way down the line is the District 4-5-6 classic of 2005.

The Troy Polloi sent our intrepid correspondant to the Wednesday night debate that featured all candidates for Districts 4-5-6. Between naps, she did get some good stuff.

First, Carolin Collier: God! And it's not just the hair (which by the way is the last known 1987 female mullett in existence). Collier is about as articulate as Helen Keller. Apparently, she's done good work the past four years and you should vote for her so she can continue to do good work.

Next, Bob Krogh. Bob is a very nice guy and we like him. We also like a good shot of Johnny Walker Black but don't want it on the council. He does win Mr. Amiability. "I agree with him, I agree with her, I agree with everybody."

Finally, William Pascarell. Bill kept on bumping his head on the table every time he stood up. He's apparently proud that his headquarters is not paid for by public funds. Of course, no political headquarters is paid for by public funds but what the hell, stand proud!

Our correspondant was however riveted by the brilliant solutions offered to combat Troy's problems.

1- Jobs are good;
2- Police help fight crime*;
3- More revenue.

* In a shocking display of bipartisanship, each candidate was against crime

Next week, we continue our search for the elusive Dan Crawley sandwich.

GOOD MORNING CITY HALL!

We'd like to welcome all of our City Hall visitors but something tells me they won't be back. Pity, now they'll be less informed than ever.

The Troy Polloi would like to thank Jim Franco and the Talespin team for the mentions we got in Monday's Talespin. Thanks, Record and Talespin. Monday's edition can be found here. Nothing like a little lovin' on a dreary Monday.

Mr. Franco had another story on the Troy Democrats cutting spree.

It looks like the Dems have found some more fat (no pun intended) in Harry's bare-bones budget. Unfortunately, that included the $12,000 a year, state mandated Bingo Inspector. Come now boys, cut all you want, but don't touch the Bingo Inspector.

In all seriousness, the Democrats have found another $300,000+ that could be cut, sparing Trojans another Harry Tax Hike. City Hall's response, none of the candidates have been to the budget meetings.

In theory, not a bad response. Why haven't they been to the budget meetings? In reality, we know why. Politics around here doesn't work that way. The Republicans are in charge and will not listen to any suggestions about the budget. They're going to do whatever they want no matter how many people show up at meetings.

Otherwise, Harry's response was non-existent. He had no response because most of those items can be cut. Harry says he cut three lawyers from his staff and that is why there is a $168,000 budget for consultants. Wait a minute, Harry: earlier you cut two Corporation Counsel attorneys for a grand savings of $70,000. Add another to those two and you have three attorneys for $105,000, a saving of $63,000.

What about Harry's 2004 State of the City speech (last paragraph, page 5, which you can access by going to our Troy link). Harry said that we would not have a full-time Corporation Counsel and that all legal matters could be handled by his talented staff? Well, Mitchell is pulling in $80,000! Is he full-time? He better be. And way isn't that talented staff handling all legal matters? Men! They promise, promise, promise and never come through.

NEW VIDEO SET FOR RELEASE

A New Video, based on a lawsuit,is rumored to be ready for release:





Michele Bolton has the full story.

Taking our lead from Republicans, we'll assume that each allegation is true. Why bother making the Plaintiff prove her case? We love this story because it has everything:

Intimate dreams and ambitions:

Court papers say the friendship that began in 1996 "evolved to the point whereby (DeAngelis) confided intimate personal as well as political information in the plaintiff. ... (DeAngelis) likewise confided her dreams and ambitions, including becoming Rensselaer County District Attorney."

Sober said DeAngelis often said, "Thank God you're here," and complimented the prosecutor for being the one staff member who knew what she was doing in the beleaguered office, which has lost 10 of its 15 assistants over the past two years.

Ass saving, and there's nothing we like better than saving a little ass:

DeAngelis heartily thanked Sober repeatedly for "saving my ass," court papers claim.

Incompetence:

In one instance, the comment "was in response to (Sober) providing (DeAngelis) with case law to support the prosecutor's position in a matter involving the 'Speedy Trial' statute,' " documents say. "Defendant DeAngelis said, 'Oh, my God; this changes everything. How did I not know that?"

Wild Get-Togethers

DeAngelis also allegedly struggled to cover up that her drunken assistants crashed carts and tore up turf during a 2004 golf tournament with police at the Burden Lake Golf Course in Averill Park.

"DeAngelis told (Sober) how she had done everything in her power to convince the owner not to prosecute, to arrange for repayment by the responsible parties and to keep the incident out of the press," documents say.

Then, a month later, the district attorney prosecuted a handful of local teenagers to the full extent of the law who did the same thing, including two sons of a Democratic county legislator. When Sober brought up her concern of unfairness, she says Abelove told her that putting people in jail was the district attorney's job.

Politics:

Sober says Abelove berated her as being "a Democrat, a Liberal and a bleeding heart" and told her their job as prosecutors was to "get the most time as we could."

When Sober disagreed and said their job was supposed to be about justice, "(He) told her to mind her own business."

We can't wait for the pillow fight scene.

The golf cart incident is a badly kept secret. It occurred during a START fundraiser. Maybe her new slogan can be: "Tough on Crime unless you're a drunken ADA in a golf cart!"

The allegations against Abelove also ring true. Abelove was a well-known 1st Degree A-----e with Oakleaf Clusters.

The Romano story is one of the blackest marks on a black record of incompetence. No one likes the idea of a teenager entering a school with a shotgun. That is not the way to get invited to more parties. Romano also wounded two people. He deserved punishment. He also needs mental health services, the kind unavailable in our state penal system. Abelove and DeAngelis can talk about being "tough on crime" all they want. The fact is, Romano, if he survives jail, will be getting out in twenty years. That's twenty years to brood, twenty years without proper mental health services and twenty years of experience with hardcore criminals. We wouldn't want to live near him when he gets released.

FRIDAY FUN

Some of the Troy Polloi's detractors believe that not even a dog would be caught reading The Troy Polloi. Now, thanks to a regular reader, we now know that isn't true. Ladies and Gentlemen, the world's most well informed dog:




Tim O'Brien's column seems pretty much on point. We hate to say it but he's right: Democrats have to give voters a reason to dump the Republicans and they haven't, so far. Republicans haven't given voters any reason to keep them, other than the fact that the average voter generally has a default setting of "vote for the incumbent."

Harry's proposed budget undercut the hopes of the Democrats. Under Tutunjian, taxes have gone up 8%, but only 1.5% this year. We have a feeling and it's just a feeling, that Harry's budget represents some of the most creative fiction being written today. No new revenue sources, skewed police overtime numbers, huge increases in medical benefits and Troy only needs 1.5% to balance the budget?

Hey, if the numbers all check out, great job, Harry. We truly do not like taxes. If you can pull off a miracle like that, they should pack you off to Iraq to find those weapons of mass destruction.

Next year will be the true test. That's when we'll get hit with the real taxes that were passed on in an election year. If we're wrong, and we hope we are, we hereby pledge that the Troy Polloi will purchase the gold plaque for the Tutunjian Room at the Bruno Hotel, Troy, NY.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

ODDS AND ENDS

FREIHOFER LITIGATION

How do people in Lansingburgh and in other parts of Troy feel about demolishing the Freihofer building? Just curious. The City and Freihofer's lost round one when Justice James Canfield ruled that they did not follow proper procedure. Of course, they can appeal or go through the proper procedures so the building has a stay of execution but it has not yet received a full pardon.

Is this a big deal to people in The Burgh? In the city? Of what historical significance is the building? It has nostalgia value. That we understand. Shouldn't property owners, with limited exceptions, be allowed to do what they want with their property?

Maybe it's not a big issue anywhere but any insight would be of interest.

On a side note, chalk up another loss of Corp. Counsel David Mitchell. Damn, can he win anything without John Bailey around. We could have lost this case for a lot less than he gets paid.

DO NOTHING COUNCIL

It's that time of year again. The weather is getting chilly, the leaves are changing, the daylight hours grow short and the Troy City Council is actually proposing some things. Fall? Nope, election time. How do we know? Because that's the only time they attempt to do anything.

Collier wants to clean up the south end entrance to Troy, near the Menands Bridge. Can't figure out why she waited until now.

Armet is pushing for more money for the police. Why in October of an election year?

The best is the revitalization of Lansingburgh. For the sake of all that live there, we hope it happens. We doubt it will. We hear this stuff all the time and what happens? Nothing. Lansingburgh, don't hold your breath.

RUMOR MILL

The Troy Polloi has heard an interesting rumor but it is nothing more than that. It's a rumor and only time will tell if it's true. We invite anyone mentioned here to comment on the rumor's validity.

The rumor is that some people are going to attempt a takeover of the Democratic Party in Troy (which is akin to taking over Uganda, you can probably do it but why bother).

According to this rumor, Steve Dworsky, Frank LaPosta and Wayne Foy, among others, may be attempting a takeover after the election.

The rumor does have a ring of truth, the takeover that is, not necessarily those particular people. If the upcoming elections go as we anticipate, the Democrats will not do well. That is when coups are undertaken. We take no position on any leadership squabbles within the Democratic Party but it would be interesting to watch.

This leads us to Mirch. He and Dworsky are still tight. Is Mirch behind this? Is he hedging his bets because Harry will have to raise taxes in the 2006 and 2007 budgets, thereby weakening his chances for a return trip to City Hall (or will it be a hotel by then?) It would be just like No-Show Bob to hedge his bets and whore himself out to get the best pension available.

By the way, does anyone have Mirch's "Bruno Constituent Services" cell phone number? We have a medical emergency here and Mirch was the first person that came to mind.

NORTH GREENBUSH BLOGGING

The North Greenbush Democratic Party has a blog! Unfortunately, you can't leave a comment. If you're going to blog, why not allow comments? That's half the fun.

**SECURITY BREACH**

The Troy Polloi has suffered a security breach. Repeat, security breach.

This is actually pretty funny. Democratus doesn't like talking about himself (except in the third person) but this is good.

Democratus received two e-mails yesterday. Both were from services utilized by the Troy Polloi. Both involved requests for passwords. It seems that the person who used to comment here, known as Tax Payer, attempted to access two Troy Polloi accounts by requesting a lost password. If you forget your password, you can have the service e-mail your lost password. Bad form, really.

Unfortunately for Einstein, the "lost" password is sent to the e-mail address in the account. That would be......our e-mail address. We did get the IP address however, 69.205.39.139, so if any computer whizzes want to track it down, release the hounds!

Troy Tax Payer, to paraphrase a line from the great Biloxi Blues, you'd need three promotions to get to be an idiot.

LAST THOUGHTS ON BAUER

Here's our last thoughts on Henry Bauer, Republican At-Large candidate for City Council.

The question voters will have to ask themselves (but we know they won't) is should a disgraced judge be running for any office? We've already knocked down the argument that the folks who removed him from office were "liberal" and "soft on crime." That is mere propaganda. In fact, a majority of people on the Commission were Republican appointees.

Should we vote for a man that systematically forced plea deals, convicted defendants in the absence of the defendant or counsel and who made up rules of law? Talk about judicial activism.

The answer is, of course not. The reality is that a Bauer candidacy would be considered a joke in most places. But we do not live in most places. We live in the Capital District.

If Bauer had acquitted himself well as judge, we'd be hard pressed not to endorse him. We simply cannot do that given the circumstances of his removal from office. Bauer apologists will find all sorts of excuses to condone his behavior but, intentionally or not, they miss the point. It wasn't, and isn't, about being tough on crime. It's not a judge's job to be tough on crime. It is a judge's job to be a fair and impartial. Like Chief Justice Roberts says, "a judge is an umpire, not a player."

Therefore, we urge you to vote no on Bauer.

We say this with a heavy heart. Henry Bauer is a bright, articulate, thoughtful man. If he is elected, we hope he will bring his best traits to the City Council, and reject the blatant partisanship that has infected our city for years. At his best, Bauer will be a good addition to the council. A much better choice than many on the ticket. If elected, we're willing to give Bauer the benefit of the doubt and watch and wait. He's certainly has more potential than many on the council, especially Armet who, on his best day, is a pompous, empty-suit blowhard.

If Bauer is elected Council President, it presents many interesting possibilities. Harry will need Bauer more than Bauer needs Harry. Bauer is smarter and more articulate than Harry. Bauer knows how to reach across party lines. If the two come into conflict over any issue, we won't be surprised if Bauer outmaneuvers Harry at every turn.

FRIDAY FUN

We here at the Troy Polloi want to provide a family friendly atmosphere. To that end, we have decided to be not only helpful to our elected officials, but to provide some fun for the kinder.

Remember a few years back when Harry lived in Troy but voted in Brunswick? Well, election day is now one month away. Parents, gather the kids and lets try and help Harry to find the appropriate polling place.*



* Helpful Hint: The Mayor lives in Troy so he must vote in Troy

POSTS THIS WEEK

Democratus is very busy this week and posting will be light.

Some have commented that the Troy Polloi could be a place for the honest exchange of ideas. In the last post we tried to encourage that exchange by asking for your thoughts and comments on how to handle the growing costs in employee salaries and benefits and the citiy's lack of revenue. Basically, if this is a bare-bones budget and costs continue to increase, where do we go from here. Well, outside of a few comments, you can read for yourself the "exchange of ideas". Mostly nonsense.

So enough of trying to act responsible.

Someone suggested that a city employee who views this site should be investigated and fired. We don't know about that. Seems Christian charity and forgiveness is a bit lacking on the right. However, what do you think of a District Attorney that uses the County Website to run for election? Anyone call for an investigation of this abuse of the tax payers dollar? No, we didn't think so.

Also, will DeAngelis release the confidential Letter of Caution she received from the Committee on Professional Standards? No, we didn't think so?

A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE BUDGET

We'd like to use this post to elicit some constructive comments on Troy's fiscal problems.

As we all know by now, the budget contains a 1.49% tax increase. The largest part of the budget goes for employee salaries and benefits (74%). The Administration has called this a "bare-bones" budget.

Now may be a good time to discuss, in a non-partisan way, future budgets.

If this is truly a bare-bones budget, that means there is nothing more left to cut without diminshing, in some way, essential services and jobs.

The troubling part about all this is what lies in store for the future. On the average, cost of living goes up approximately 4% each year. Medical costs usually go up more than 4%.

What happens next year? The year after? Many people like to moan about public employees but they are hardly making a King's Ranson. Do we expect them to work, year after year without any increase? Would you? Would you be satisfied if your salary never increased while the cost of living went up year after year? Would you, in actual spending power, want to make less year after year?

So, we can't expect public employees to go without raises. The same goes for medical expenses. We have no control over the cost associated with medical benefits. So what to do?

Next, lets ask ourselves this: Under this administration and the previous, taxes have gone up more than 13% in the last three years. If you were paying $3,000 in taxes you are now paying $3,390 and in our experience, good, middle class homes in Troy are taxed at a higher rate.

For your $3,000 - $5,000 in tax dollars, what do you get? What does Troy (or Schenectady or any other similar Northeast city) have to offer. You receive basic government services. Water comes out of your faucet, the streets are plowed (sometime well sometimes not so well) and garbage is picked up. You have police and fire protection. The schools have a poor reputation. In short, you get no more than any other municipality but pay higher taxes than Brunswick or East Greenbush.

Finally, those big box stores, rich in commerical tax revenue, are not moving into cities. They are in East Greenbush, Brunswick and Latham. City people are spending their money in surrounding towns.

So, we guess the questions are:

Where do we go from here in terms of tax revenues?

How do we address growing salaries and benefits?

What long-term solutions are being floated?

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

SOME PRESS RELEASES

JACON INTERVIEW

Robert Jacon, the only responsible choice for Rensselaer County Court Judge, will be interviewed by Justice Now. The interview will be aired on Monday, October 3, at 5:00PM on channel 18. Tune in and listen to the candidate and see what he's all about. After all, there is an election. We don't have to accept Bruno's creature.

TROY DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES TO HOLD FORUM

The six Democratic candidates for the Rensselaer County Legislature from Troy will host the next stop of The 2005 Democratic Listening Tour of Rensselaer County on Tuesday, October 4th at 6:30PM at the First United Presbyterian Church, 1915 Fifth Avenue, between Fulton and Grand Streets. The Community Forum will be an opportunity for residents of Troy to voice theirs concerns on issues.

According to the candidates, the forum will not be a debate or forum for partisan posturing. There wont be any campaign speeches, the real objective is to listen and hear from the people in our district. The candidates hosting the event are Peter Grimm, Michael Rourke, Anne Rua, Erin Blakeborough, Russell Ziemba, and James Grenier. They see the forum as an important part of developing a platform that reflects residents concerns and is based on real issues, not campaign slogans.

The Rensselaer County Democratic Listening Tour is modeled after the successful undertaking of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. The forums will be run similar to town hall meetings where residents have an opportunity to share their views. For more information on future stops of the Listening Tour, contact the County Democratic website at http://www.renssdems.org

BRIEF UPDATE

Not much time today so we'll be back next week.

We have a budget with a moderate 1.49% tax hike. If it is a solid budget that hasn't overestimated revenue (such as the city's share of the County's sales tax) we applaud the mayor. It's still another Republican tax hike but it sure isn't unduly burdensome. It will take some time to dissect the numbers but there's no doubt this is an election year budget.

If this is a bare-bones budget with nothing further to cut, next year will be the real test. Without more revenue streaming in, it's hard to see how this budget isn't just a gift to the Republican City Council candidates.

In other news, we'd like to take time to thank our readers. The Troy Polloi has passed it's previous all-time high in visitors per month. In August, we had 2,500 visits. This September that number has grown to 3,200. Thanks to all. Whether you like the TP or hate it, thank you for your patronage.

Without the dollars we earn from our subscribers and advertisers, we wouldn't be able to keep this going. Have a fine weekend.

SUPREME COURT RACE

Everyone else has weighed in on this so we we'll too.

A split in the GOP has left many scratching their heads about this year's Supreme Court races. This seems to be the only election arena where the local GOP comes off looking like Democrats.

Judge Spain has captured a cross-endorsement and will be on a host of lines. He'll be a shoe-in and will maintain his spot on the Appellate Division. The Democrats have also nominated Judge Egan, an Albany judge. Egan has the Independence line as well. Michael Lynch is an Albany attorney and a former law clerk to Judge Weiss.

Opposing them on the GOP side are three forgettable attorneys, two from Albany County and one from Ulster. One Jill Dunne, is an attorney for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Will the people's love for the all things DMV help her?

Rensselaer County Surrogate's Court Judge Christian Hummel has the Conservative line.

It now appears that the Democrats and Republicans were close to a deal where two Democrats and one Republican would be cross-endorsed. This blew up because the Ulster County and Albany County GOP bosses would not agree on Hummel, easily the most electable of the three GOP candidates. This, despite Joe Bruno's support of Hummel.

Our legal department has helped us to sort this all out. We think we've made sense of it, if sense can be made of area politics.

A seat on the Supreme Court is a great gig. You have a fourteen year term and if you're closing in on 50 years of age or older, it may be the last job you'll ever need. Despite the fact that black robes are very slimming, the lack of any meaningful patronage makes these positions less appealing on a political level. Judges can hire their clerk and their secretary and that's about it. Therefore, these races are never really a major concern for area pols.

Add to that the miserable condition of the State GOP and it's clear where this is going. Unca' Joe is losing his juice. Local county bosses are not yet ready to openly defy him on something important but they know his political days are numbered. So a few of them are stretching their wings.

Area attorneys also have influence in these races. Not enough to swing the balance but enough to help. They have money to donate and they people ask their opinion on these races because many are unfamiliar with the courts. We spoke with an Albany County attorney, a registered Republican, who is voting for Spain, Egan and Hummel. Area attorneys will not throw their weight behind people who they don't know. The local bar knows and respects Spain, Egan and Hummel, regardless of party affiliation. Each has proven they are of judicial caliber and more importantly, to attorneys, that they can work with attorneys. Unfortunately, Hummel can't win.

The bright side for Hummel is that we predict he'll be on the Supreme Court within a year. Spain will win re-election but serve on the Appellate Division so the Supreme Court will be down one judge after this election. Another judge died, one transferred to the First Department and at least two have retired and one (Canfield) will be retiring. Vacancies will be filled by Pataki and we find it hard to believe that Hummel won't be among those selected. Hummel is, and will continue to be, a fine judge.

So we endorse Spain, Egan and Hummel for Supreme Court. We expect the winners will be Spain, Egan and ? Probably Lynch, but you never know.

THAT WAS THEN

It's not easy being an executive. Poor Harry is learning a hard lesson. Anyone can be a legislator, whether it's on the local, state or Federal level. Lets be honest. The most strenuous thing a legislator has to do is figure out what their constituents want, warm-up their vocal cords and say "Aye" or "Nay".

Some do go beyond the call of duty, no doubt. Those are few and far between.

Now Tax Hike Harry, on the heels of his 6.5% tax hike (plus a 5% water rate increase) wants to raise taxes again. He's calling it a last resort but we all know the penultimate resort is already in the rear view mirror.

How things change.

"Every responsible mayor and county executive that has put forth a tax increase this year has done so only after freezing new hires, proposing layoffs and salary reductions. I would hope our mayor would do the same." - Tax Hike Harry - Troy Record, October 10, 2002

"I didn't achieve the goal I intended, which was a 0 percent tax increase, but like I said before, two is better than 4.5 percent." Tax Hike Harry - Troy Record, November 30, 2001

"Troy taxpayers already pay among the highest taxes in the entire Capital District. The city should not be adding to that burden." - Tax Hike Harry - Troy Record, October 2, 2001

Lets talk salary cuts, Harry.

Jeff Buell, Spokesperson - $39,000

Eliminate the job and let Crawley speak with the press. He doesn't need to be seen doing manual labor for photo ops. Let him earn his keep.


Dave Mitchell, Corporation Counsel - $80,000

How many pay hikes did it take to get this guy up to $80,000? He farms most of the important stuff out to John Bailey anyways. He spends most of his time not responding to FOIL requests. How hard can that be? Knock him down to $50,000.

Dan Crawley, Deputy Mayor - $75,000

At least you only have one Deputy Mayor now. Give him....I'm feeling generous.... $55,000 a year.

Bob Mirch, Commissioner of Public Works, County Legislator, Constituent Relations Expert for Senate Majority Leader - $125,000 ($75,000 as DPW head).

Give him $50,000.

There, saved you over $100,000 without breaking a sweat. And damn, it felt good.

We have nothing against our public officials making a decent wage. However, when the average household income in Troy is under $30,000 and you pass your fiscal irresponsibility on to the tax payers, your people should lead by example instead of feathering their nests.

Keep an eye out to see if Tax Hike Harry tries to use some one shots which may include money from the water settlement. At best such a move is a band-aid and fails to address the revenue issues facing Troy.

VICTORY LAP

VICTORY LAP

Hot on the heels of a sweeping victory in the Troy City Council races, County Democratic Chair of Cities Lynn Mahoney will be in Europe for three weeks, savoring the sweet success of the November results.

The Democrats took five of the contested seats in Troy, giving them a majority for the first time in years. The Democrats also made surprising gains on the County level, winning eight legislative races, the County Court race and......Hold on. Just a minute.......

Never mind. It's only September 27. Our calendar is all screwed up.

Why is the de facto Troy Chair in Europe for three weeks during the height of the election season? Our handy-dandy political abacus tells us that the Democrats have a chance to make gains this fall. True, not many, but the Republicans are scared of Mike LoPorto (At-Large), Clem Campana (At-Large) and Dunne. There may be a few other races closer than expected.

Europe is lovely but what kind of sign does this send to the candidates? Is this a sign that Mahoney believes her days as a party sachem are numbered? The party in Troy needs a strong chair. None of the Co-Chair crap.

A few years back, after being ignored by the County Chair, Troy Democrats took it upon themselves to select Mahoney to fill the vacant position of City Chair. Mahoney then went on to oust that County Chairman. Maybe what goes around comes around.

BALLOT CHALLENGE FAILS

As predicted here, the Republicans withdrew their Ballot challenge to an absentee ballot cast in the Working Families Party At-Large primary. We await Mr. Pascarell's apology to the lady in question. Pascarell called for an investigation into the matter and then they fold without a fight. Bill, take it easy on the Hudson River water.

COLLEGE REPUBLICAN

For those of you who tilt right, you can read about the trials and tribulations of being a College Republican here. We particularly like the photo of the Siena College students protesting Cindy Sheehan with their, "Freedom isn't Free" placards. No, freedom isn't free but homemade posters come very cheap. Haul your asses down to the recruiting office and start paying up.

NEWS ROUNDUP!

Too many news stories all at once. Unfortunately, we don't have time to give them all the extensive coverage you have come to expect from this outstanding media source.

We would like to thank Albany Eye for the nice write up we received. Albany Eye has some interesting posts about the local media scene and you should check them out.

Wrath of God Hits Hoosick Street, Twice!

Two water main breaks last week shut down Hoosick Street and confirmed our suspicion that God hates Troy. No-Show Bob and his crew did show up and repaired the breaks, toot sweat and we applaud the speedy job they did. After all, that is their job.

Troy, like any other older city, has old pipes. They are going to break. No one is at fault. The cost of implementing a new, updated system has to be astronomical (that means really expensive, Bob). Clearly, beyond the current means of Troy and most cities for that matter. We suggest a long-term study, a master plan and it never hurts to form a committee to explore modernizing the water system. We like long-term plans because that one guy always brings really good donuts to the meetings.

With two more Acts of God, Harry may be rethinking his relationship with the Almighty. Which may explain....

Guardian Angels

Mike LoPorto and Frank Lamiano, Democratic At-Large Council candidates invited the Angels and Curtis Sliwa back to Troy. Now it looks as if Harry is doing an about-face. We don't know whether to call Harry a flip-flopper or congratulate him on keeping an open mind. It's quite a conundrum. If things work out with the Angels, the people can thank tough-on-crime Democrats Mike LoPorto and Frank Lamiano.



Trying it on for size

Judicial Races

There was a nice story on Robert Jacon in the Times Union. He appears to be a distinguished man, lawyer, former judge, former Air Force Reserve Colonel. Jacon has the background and experience to be County Court Judge. He's also the only real choice. DeAngelis will be a disaster and is wholly unfit for the job. If she does win her rulings will likely keep the Appellate Division busier than Paris Hilton's headboard.

Ballot Challenges

A prediction. Today, Judge Canfield will hold a hearing where the Republicans will challenge the residency of an absentee voter in Working Families Party primary. They will either lose or will withdraw their petition. If they do not withdraw their petition, they will look foolish wasting the court's time.

ROURKE PROPOSES REFORMS

Michael E. Rourke candidate for Rensselaer County Legislature from Troy, endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families Party, called upon candidates for the Rensselaer County Legislature to voluntarily disclose all of their employers and those of their spouses.

According to Rourke, with the recent disclosure that the County Legislature's Majority Leader is on three public payrolls, it is time for "all seeking the office of County Legislator to clear the slate and be forthcoming with employment information. The public has the right to know -- before they cast their votes in November."

Rourke has researched disclosure information on file and noted, "A review of the financial disclosure statements filed with the County Clerk does not disclose useful employment information. The county disclosure form is vague and fails to offer useful or substantive information."

Rourke stated that, "the Republican Majority has been very quiet since public disclosure that its Majority Leader earns over $125,000 annually on three public payrolls. With their silence, they condone this official's greed, at taxpayer's expense. That is unacceptable in a city where the median household income is $29,844."

"I would have expected, if they had nothing to hide, that the Republican Majority would have willingly come forward with employment information on the remainder of its members, as a good faith gesture. However, they have failed to do so on their own, so, today, I urge Republicans to join my Democratic running mates in offering our employment information for public scrutiny. It is time for the Republican Majority to break its silence on the matter of public disclosure." "

Voters have the right to know what potential conflicts of interest candidates bring to the offices they seek," noted Rourke. "Voters should know if their representative on the county level has a job that may influence his or her vote."

Sounds good to us! New York State is in dire need of real reform at the local and state level. Spitzer will base his gubinatorial campaign on such reforms and we'll just have to wait to see if he follows through.

It would be nice to see candidates pledge that they will not be employed by more than two municipalities. That's something we'd like to see. Despite "being proud" of his job with the Senate Majority Leader, Mirch's job was a secret. Ultimately, a badly kept secret but a secret. We'd appreciate it if he would make his Senate cell phone number public so all residents of Rensselaer County can enjoy and benefit from his selfless work.

Rourke's proposal can be a starting point for a debate that should have happened years ago. New York lags far behind many other states in the area of open government. Not much has changed since the days of Boss Tweed.

One example is the attitude of Troy's Corporation Counsel, David Mitchell, towards FOIL requests. He's made it clear that no response to a FOIL request is a denial. Why not send a denial letter stating the reason for the denial as well as the time frame for an appeal? There are people, with no axe to grind, who seek information. They don't know the ins and outs of government. They may feel intimidated.

We know why Mitchell does this. He does it because 99 out of 100 people will not jump through hoops to appeal the denial and then go to court if the appeal fails. It's a way to control information and frankly, it's lazy.

FIT TO WEAR THE COLLAR

The Troy Polloi was not founded to cover national and religious matters. Nor will we make a habit of such coverage. However, the new Pope has set the Church on a disturbing trend. Previously, the Church's policy on gay priests was fairly straight forward. Priests are supposed to be celibate so inclinations or sexual preference was largely irrelevant.

Pope Benedict, the day after becoming pope, made his intentions clear and is pushing the Church towards a ban on gay seminarians. This Pope does not want gay seminarians or gay priests regardless of the celibacy vows they take.

Any religion has a right to proscribe behavior they find immoral. Logic does not have to play a part in any religion. We do have the right to criticize however and will do so when appropriate.

We only decided to discuss this issue because of a local connection.


The photograph above shows the body of Father Michael Judge. Judge ministered to the New York City Fire Department. Years before he was affiliated with Siena College. Father Judge died on September 11, 2001. He voluntarily went into the Trade Center with members of his flock when he could have stayed at a safe distance. He was killed by a piece of debris while moving between the Towers through an underground passage.

Father Judge was openly gay. We are hard pressed to find a man worthy to wear the collar of a Catholic Priest if Father Judge is not worthy in the eyes of Pope Benedict.

MAKE HARRY KEEP HIS WORD

Just a quick post, because it's important.

Read Franco's column.

Read this post.

Now call Harry and make him keep his word.

(518) 270-4401- Mayor's Office

POSSIBLE ELECTION FRAUD

Remember, you heard it here first.

Mirch attempted to defeat Dunne for the District Four Working Families Party line in two ways. Mirch ran Mr. Gilboe, without Gilboe's consent and he collected signatures for Pascarell on an Opportunity to Ballot petition. Both efforts failed miserably. It's obvious that the recent stories about No-Show Bob have thrown him off his game.

The Opportunity to Ballot petition is the one that raises a potential fraud issue. An Opportunity to Ballot apparently allows a write-in candidacy, in this case, for the WFP line. Sounds like a Hail Mary to us.

First, here is the petition:





Note, the petition doesn't even identify the District Four candidate that people are signing the petition for. Sloppy work Bob. Maybe all your other jobs distracted you.

It's the last signature we're interested in.

Here is the signature card for that alleged voter:




Now lets compare the two signatures:




Funny, the two look nothing alike. Wonder how that happened. The second signature is from the voter card. It looks like a real signature. The 'P' and 'D' are distinctive as is the remainder of the last name.

The signature from the petition looks like a 5th grader, after suffering a debilitating head injury, downed two pints of Wild Turkey, lit up a crack pipe and decided to forge a signature.

Someone from the liberal media should follow this up. We know it's not a "real story". If someone does look into this, here's a friendly bit of advice from a journalistic colleague: don't just call Mirch and take his word for it.

Some other questions:

Does this voter work for the city or county in any capacity?

This deserves a look and one would think an enterprising reporter may find it of interest.

Remember, if Mirch is involved it:



Fair and Balanced! We Report...You Decide!

BALLOT CHALLENGES

The only thing more pathetic than a party that isn't tired of getting its ass kicked is a party that makes petty, irrelevant challenges for the Working Families Line.

A portion of the story can be found in The Record.

The real story is much more interesting.

According to sources, the person in question has changed her drivers license, resgistration and everything else to the appropriate address. There is little in the Clifton Park apartment except a bare bones office, for her work.

Furthermore, a Republican henchman claims to have phoned the Clifton Park apartment and to have spoken with the person on Monday, September 12, 2005. The answering machine message for that location indicates it is a business address, not a residence. Why being at work is a big deal we don't know.

Finally, the henchman who did phone could not have spoken with the person in question because that person was on the other side of the State, in Buffalo, NY, attending a comemeration for corrections officers killed in the Attica uprising. Yes, that's right. While she is honoring fallen peace officers the Republicans are lying. So, some questions:

1) Who allegedly spoke to her?
2) Why did that person lie about speaking to her?
3) What evidence do the Republicans have that she resides in Clifton Park other than their allegation (and we all know what that is worth)?

Will The Record follow-up on these GOP lies? Don't hold your breath. Remember, this was the paper that thought the allegations made against Ken Bruno by his ex-wife were not really newsworthy.

Never fear though, Democratus is here. Hopefully, this week, we'll have a real story about potential fraud concerning Pascarell, Mirch and an Opportunity to Ballot petition. You'll never read about that in The Record. Or will we?

PRIMARY DAY

PRIMARY DAY

The excitement and pageantry of Primary Day is behind us. What a nailbiter. We love the fact that you can win the Working Families Party line or Independence line 7-6 or 3-2. We also find it amusing that the Independence Party is controlled by the Republicans. Kind of defeats the purpose now, doesn't it.

Dan Doran got crushed and will have one line to Wojcik's three. Dunne survived Mirch's lame attempt to take the WFP line. Absentee ballots have yet to be counted but sources close to the TP tell us that Dunne will win handily. Next time Mirch may want to run someone who wants the job. Perhaps he should concentrate on getting the garage roof at the DPW fixed.

In related news, the TP has heard something very interesting about Mr. Pascarell. According to sources, the Pascarell campaign circulated petitions for the Working Families Party line. Pascarell was able to round-up five signatures. One person had already signed Dunne's petition so that signature was invalid. Two other signatures were determined to be "not authentic".

What the hell does "not authentic" mean? False? Forgeries perhaps? We suppose there are two possible scenerios: 1) Someone claiming to be the signator signed the petition or 2) The person circulating the petition signed someone else's names. In the first scenario you can't really blame the person collecting the petitions (someone signs for their brother perhaps and the petitioner doesn't know either person). In the second scenario, someone should take a look to see who forged names.

Perhaps Mr. Pascarell can help us out here since he's a man of honesty and integrity (and we know he is because we've read his literature). What happened Bill? What campaign workers got bad signatures or forged them? Was it Pascarell? Is this the type of competence we can expect from Councilman Pascarell? Why did Harry fire you? Are you ever going to leave that damn chair in your permanent headquarters? Can we bum a smoke? Someone should look into this and do a story. Hell, maybe we'll do it.

POLITICAL SIGNS

Signs, signs, signs. You know it's Fall when the leaves start to turn and political signs sprout up over night. Extrapolating support from political signs is never a wise move. However, we did notice one thing this year. Rarely, in our experience, do you see a Republican and Democratic candidate sharing the same lawn (that's known as sign-mixing and frowned upon by the more conservative elements of society). We do think it's interesting that a few LoPorto signs have appeared next to Mirch signs or other Republican candidates. Something tells us LoPorto has a real shot. He may not win but we think he'll be much more competitive than expected. If he does win, we hope he'll winter and summer in Troy.

ARMET - TRAITOR?

Finally, what does Bob Armet have against Uncle Sam? At a recent meeting, Armet was less than enthusiastic about giving the Uncle Sam parade $4000. How dare he! Treason? We think so. Where's the outrage? After all, the man did pack meat (and historians now believe that Sam Wilson did wear a shiny, red, white and blue suit).

Excellent piece from Tim O'Brien today.

Next Week - We'll investigate allegations that a sandwich has been named after Dan Crawely

YOU'LL RUN AND YOU'LL LIKE IT!

BULLSHIT AS USUAL

Found via Talespin

It looks like serial-public sector employee Mirch has a fourth job: putting unsuspecting people on the ballot.

According to newspaper accounts, thanks to Mirch, William Gilboe is a Working Families Party candidate for City Council from the 4th District. He'll be on the ballot today in a primary fight against Bill Dunne, the endorsed candidate.

That's all well and good but Gilboe doesn't want to run and can't get off the ballot. It sounds like a Woody Allen movie. In a state known for archaic election laws many would-be candidates struggle to get on the ballot. Now, someone can't get off the ballot. It's all so Kafkaesque.

This is one small example of why people are disgusted with politics. Its also an example of why third parties, at least the way they're used in New York, should go. They're a joke. They don't run anyone for office locally. They endorse a Republican or a Democrat. They're only function is to make their leaders politically powerful so they can barter votes for influence. They have no ideology. The Conservative Party isn't Conservative, not on the local level. It's all about power. Too bad the rank and file can't see it for what it is. Their masters grow fat on public paychecks while the rank and file talk about a conservative agenda. Quite sad.

It's also apparent that Mirch is scared of Dunne. Why else go after him so hard? We guess the Republicans simply can't stand the fact there is one elected Democrat on the City Council. Where does a man with three jobs find the time to do all this? Does the world spin slower for Mirch? Our prediction, Dunne wins easily.

TAX HIKE HARRY

As for ideology, well see in the next few weeks. Tax Hike Harry has to submit a budget soon and it will likely contain a tax increase. The question is, how much? This would be Harry's third tax hike. One hike occured when he was Council President and had a veto-proof majority. He didn't stop Pattison's tax increase. Then he had his own tax increase last year. This year, there will be another one. Harry is just wild about taxes. Most municipalities have a 60/40 commercial/residential split in their tax base. Troy, as in so many other things, is just the opposite. Hoosick Street = Wolf Road? What a load of Mirch.

The only thing that will save him is moving some of the money around, maybe from the water settlement. That will be a temporary band-aid but that's all. This is what happens when you put the slow kids in charge. Remember, when Democrats raise taxes they're "Tax and Spend liberals." When Republicans do it, they're "Fiscally responsible."

DO-NOTHING CITY COUNCIL

How do you know it's election time? The City Council is introducing legislation. That's always a good tip-off that election day is right around the corner.

Our favorite piece of legislation is by Council member Collier. Ms. Collier proposed legislation that would make it illegal for people to place their satellite dish on the front of their homes. Collier then withdrew the legislation because gas prices shot through the roof and she didn't want the people burdened by high gas prices and the cost of moving the dish to the rear or side of the house.

We could not agree more with Ms. Collier's initial idea, satellite dishes that are anchored to the front of homes are an eyesore. It's tacky, it's ugly and the practice is certainly not condoned by anyone of proper breeding.

Yet, when it comes to real property, we should always begin with the idea that in general, a person can do what he or she wants with their own property. Of course there are exceptions, especially if acts or omissions may endanger the health or safety of others. Still, we can't understand why "conservatives" want to interfere with private property rights. Mere aesthetics? If that were the case, we'd like to add to the list:

1) Those mechanical Santa's, tacky and annoying;
2) No purple or pink houses;
3) No more trailers, not even double-wides;
4) All facades should be appropriately maintained, no more boarded up buildings;
5) City Hall has to go as do most buildings dating from the 1970's;

There should also be a prohibition against wearing polyester in public.

Collier should concentrate on killing any expansion of the County Jail. Unlike Dunne, we do not believe it is practical to relocate the jail. Stopping the expansion is practical and would help South Troy share in the Golden Age of Tutunjian. If expansion does occur then the jail will be a permanent blight on South Troy's future. Prime waterfront property should not house prisoners. And please, no brownfields arguments. If the land was dangerous would the County let it's C.O.'s work there everyday? If there is a problem with the land, it can be cured.

The Democratic At-Large candidates should make a big push for South Troy votes. It's a neglected area and has been for some time.

What could be done in South Troy?

This City deserves a National Labor Museum. Not just a building with a few old pieces of iron but a full-fledged museum and research center. Troy played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution and the organized labor movement. Faux lighthouses are cute, parades honoring symbols are fine, but Troy's real heritage and the contribution it made to this country remain largely unrecognized.

J.J. WALKER

This post is dedicated to CFM

Everyone must know about this issue and we're sure everyone has an opinion. The original story can be found here. It looks as if the reporter who wrote the story is the only one who has an issue with what 5-0 is doing. Record reporter Franco notes:

This paper reported that over the last three years police arrested 274 people for jaywalking, about 274 more than in Schenectady and Albany combined, and arrested 88 people for not having the proper bicycle equipment, again about 88 more than the neighboring cities.

It just so happens 76 percent of the illegal walkers were black or Hispanic, as were 75 percent of the illegal bike riders.

The official word is that there is a zero tolerance policy in areas of the city where street crime is more frequent, and since minorities are majorities in those areas, that is why there is such a high percentage of minorities arrested.

So it may or may not be technically profiling, but if you peel back a layer, it looks more like they are picking up people for the minor violations as an excuse to look into their pockets and check their record to see if there are any outstanding warrants.

One thing that leads me to that conclusion is jaywalking and riding a bike without proper equipment are violations. There is no need to slap cuffs on people and drag them into the station for a violation. In the bike cases they actually confiscate the bikes. If a person is ticketed for running a red light, they are pulled over, given a ticket and sent on their merry way. Not so for a black guy riding a bike without a bell.Police are fishing in the high-crime areas, but the pond is not as well-stocked as one might imagine. Of the 362 arrests for jaywalking and bike violations, there were only 110 instances where other charges were levied and the majority of those were for other minor violations like possessing small quantities of marijuana, littering, loitering or spitting.

We like the "zero-tolerance" policy in high-crime neighborhoods. We would hope there is a "zero-tolerance" policy in every neighborhood. Still, that's beside the point.

Here, the police are not necessarily profiling, they're using minor violations as a pretext to nab people on more serious charges (presumably drugs etc). This may appeal to those with fascist tendencies because those types have always valued efficiency over liberty. However, the practice raises some troubling issues.

The fact that 2/3 of those arrested are minorities is not so troubling. If the high-crime areas are overwhelmingly minority, then yes, more minorities will be arrested. It is the decision to do this and how it is carried out that smells like a whorehouse at low tide.

The offenses are violations, no different than speeding tickets, using a cell phone while driving and a host of other violations. How many of you have been stopped at a checkpoint and found to have an uninspected vehicle? Have you been taking "downtown"? Has bail been set? Were you searched?

Was Mirch taken into custody when he was arrested for two violations? No, an appearance ticket was issued. Would an officer arrest Harry for jaywalking in front of City Hall? I'm sure many would like to but it's never going to happen.

The comparison made to stopping people for DWI (more white people are stopped, so says the authorities) is asinine. First, you stop a driver for DWI because you have a reasonable and articuable suspicion that the driver may be impaired. The driver is pulled over and various tests are performed. An arrest may or may not be made based on the field sobriety tests.

Here, you stop someone for jaywalking because you really want to search them for something else. Furthermore, history plays no small role in the distaste some feel for these types of practices. There's not a long history of whites being oppressed by the police.

Finally, what the hell happened to the Asians? Why aren't more Asians thrown into the mix. If the police want to avoid any allegations of wrong doing, arrest an equal number of whites and black, then salt and pepper that with a few Hispanics and Asians, maybe add an Eskimo. We could all live with that.


Troy's Anti-Jaywalking team, in action
Just kidding. Some of my best friends are with the Po-Po.

We would like to congratulate Troy's ERT Team (SWAT Team) for the outstanding work they did in connection with the hostage situation in Albany a week ago Saturday. According to all accounts, they did a great job.

MORE LETTERS

This week had been quite hectic and we apologize for posting only twice. As you can see, the following post is only a mere filler, but enjoyable all the same.

We said the Troy Polloi would print letters to the editor (if specifically denominated as such) and true to our word, here's another superbly crafted shot at this fine bastion of fair and balanced journalism.

Democratus:

I read somewhere on your website of your willingness to post submission, even if they disagree with you. I respectfully request that you post the following:

Some may think Democratus and the Troy Poloi are doing our city and county a service by criticizing our public officials, making jokes at their expense and making funny pictures of them. Well I don't, and I think this is the kind of thing that should be stopped by the law.

Now, some of you may think that I don't believe in free speech because I think this website should be shut down. But it is not true. Like every true patriot, I believe in freedom of speech - speech that is subject to certain necessary restrictions. The Supreme Court of the United States says that you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre and that you can't lie when advertising.

But what about the dignity of our public officers?

The lack of respect shown by Democratus and those who like his site and others like him undermines our freedom by undermining our respect for our government. Without that respect, we'll feel like nothing but slaves and our public officials our masters. The First Amendment is about ideas, not about attacking public officials.

This website should be shut down and Democratus' anti-American behavior put to end.

And I'm pretty sure many of you agree with me.

-True Patriot

Every now and then someone makes you sit back and really think. True Patriot's wise words have shamed us and it's time to bring the Troy Polloi to an end. We never considered the harm we might be causing by our actions, nor the anti-American feelings we might be arousing. Criticizing authority was not the purpose of the First Amendment and we apologize for abusing that Constitutional provision. From now on we're going to straighten-up and fly right. Thank You, True Patriot.

THE SILLY SEASON IS HERE

Campaign season really gets underway this week and it's shaping up to be a real beauty.

First out of the box, Council members Wojcik and Judge really blasted the Democrats. Troy Democrats scheduled a fundraiser....outside of Troy! Yes, can you believe it? Wojcik and Judge ask, appropriately so, "why aren't Democrats supporting Troy businesses?" Damn straight! But before that question is answered, lets ask: "Why did Harry take $60,000 out of Troy and hand it to a Scotia insurance Agency?" Sure, Marshall & Sterling ended up splitting it with a Troy firm but the whole $60,000 could have remained in Troy. Hell, that's like two part-time jobs for Mirch! Lets have that question answered first.

Secondly, the Republicans are running two ethically-challenged candidates, Bauer and DeAngelis. Will the Democrats raise that as an issue? We'll see. Somehow we doubt it.

Now, on to some news.

Check out Franco's Talespin (Monday, September 5th). We can't find it on-line or we'd post a link. Unbelievably, we agree with Mr. Franco.

Dredging up the past and/or private lives of candidates is beyond the pale. The North Greenbush case is particularly interesting because the candidate never kept his past a secret. Why the Democrats are going after him is beyond us. In fact, if they push too hard there might be a backlash of sympathy.

A candidate's public record is fair game, as are actions that place his or her interests above that of constituents. Unethical behavior and breaking the law is one thing, private matters that occurred some time ago are quite another.

Even private matters that may have occurred yesterday are generally irrelevant. It's an infantile notion to believe a flawed individual cannot be a good public servant. Can a mayor or governor that cheats on their spouse be a good mayor or governor? Of course. History has proven that to be the case.

Unfortunately, the media doesn't seem to follow-up on stories that do reflect on a public official's public record. Has any area reporter seriously questioned Harry Tutunjian on the Carignan issue? Has any one of them simply asked Harry to verify his claim that switching insurance brokers saved the city $60,000? It's a pretty simple question.

Harry will respond, "I can't comment on pending litigation." Of course, the logical follow-up to that is: why not? Tutunjian will be deposed sometime before March of 2006 by Carignan's lawyer. It's the question Harry will be asked at the deposition, so why not answer it now? This is serious business. A public official lying about a public matter. It's slightly more important than where Democrats hold their fundraisers or who did what in 1972.

HURRICANE TRISH SET TO HIT HALLS OF JUSTICE

Jack Casey is a lawyer, author, party chairman and now a comedian. In announcing the candidacy of Trish DeAngelis for County Court Judge, Casey had this to say:

"I think she is the best candidate for the new judicial position," said county GOP Chairman Jack Casey. "She has a stellar grasp of the law, which is second to none, and above that I think she is dedicated to the pursuit of justice."

Now that is funny. Lets look at what another lawyer has to say about DeAngelis. This lawyer is a registered Republican and actually does have not only a stellar grasp of the law, but is well-respected by the bench and bar alike.

"That office has enormous power and justice is the obligation, but that responsibility has eluded her," Jones said. "She does not have a balanced view of the role of the DA's office in a high-profile case. There is a lack of mature judgment."He added, "She is vindictive and retributive and sees herself as an avenging angel. In an overly emotional state, she becomes reckless."

That about sums it up!

As for a stellar grasp of the law? Lets take a look at that for a minute. First, she's been overturned at least twice for prosecutorial misconduct, allowing defendants a second bite at the apple. Being overturned for misconduct shows anything but a stellar grasp of the law, the courtroom or respect for the presiding judge. Sorry, we like DA's who get convictions that stick.

Now on to a smaller matter in the grand scheme of things. We're not going to delve into the underlying facts of this case at this time. Instead lets look at a no-brainer.

The Penal Law allows for something called an ACOD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal). Essentially, its a plea bargain for suspects that aren't violent and have no criminal history. An ACOD is not actually a plea. Instead, according to the law, if a person keeps their nose clean for 6 months, the charges will automatically be dropped. During that six month time frame the District Attorney's Office can reinstate the charges at anytime.

The rationale behind an ACOD is fairly obvious to anyone with a less than stellar grasp of the law. Anyone can stay out of trouble for a month, two months or even three months. A real troublemaker will be unable to stay out of trouble for half a year.

Here is an ACOD under DeAngelis' watch:






Another defendant in the same case received another 30 day ACOD. A 30 day ACOD is not sanctioned by the law. ACOD's are for 6 months, that's it (for some marijuana charges there may be a 1 year ACOD). There are no 30 day ACOD's. Not under the law.

According to one source, DeAngelis explained that "She could offer a one day ACOD if she wanted to."

No, Trish, you can't. We have laws and you either don't understand them or you ignore them. We're not sure which is worse. On second thought, ignoring them is worse. Ignorance can be cured.

That's just one example of Trish's stellar grasp of the law. Lets not forget her "personal assistant" Katrine Ellis. Trish's pal got to go to school and collect her $62,000 salary. We understand that Bob Mirch may become DeAngelis' new personal assistant.

Then there's the 14+ defections from the Rensselaer County District Attorney's office. That's fourteen in under three years. That's some leadership ability.

This should not be a partisan issue. There are many qualified Republicans that are mature and balanced enough to dispense justice. DeAngelis isn't one of them. This is a cynical nomination and will only further embarrass Rensselaer County in the legal community.