Poll workers in the town of Schodack are sweating the effects of a write-in traffic jam today.
”We have a huge write-in turnout in the town today,” said Republican county elections Commissioner Larry Bugbee.
Backers of Republican Ray Lemka, 76, are trying to make political history. The retired town farmer has mounted a write-in campaign for the supervisor’s seat he barely lost in the Republican primary to incumbent Republican Beth Knauf Secor. Secor, 54, also has the third party lines. Lemka also lost the Democratic line after a court challenge.
”People have been writing his name on the outside of that window,” Bugbee said. ”They have also written his name on other surfaces of the inside of the machine.”
The incumbent supervisor's political challenger is alleging that the town leader hid a more than $300,000 town deficit in order to craft an election year town budget that may show a slight tax decrease.
Joshua A. Sabo, the current town attorney who is running for supervisor on the Greenbush Party line, said Monday that Conservative Supervisor Mark A. Evers' budget is illegal.
The Greenbush Party came into being back in August with the petitioning effort of a smart-growth faction of North Greenbush, driven by members of the Defreestville Area Neighborhood Association, among others. With the very strong probability that the major parties would be running an identical slate of pro-development candidates in the upcoming elections, the advocates behind the Greenbush Party felt it was imperative to offer the voters another choice. Easily gathering the more than the 500 signatures necessary to start their party, the Greenbush Party now poses the only serious challenge to the ticket that Evers, who is seeking reelection, tops.
Warring political parties and several lawsuits have jumbled the slate of town candidates this year, resulting in challengers having to create their own political party to get on the ballot.
Incumbent Conservative Supervisor Mark Evers, who ran for election as a Democrat in 2005, has all four lines this year and most of his running mates have multiple lines as well. The majority, which crosses party lines, came close to running unopposed.
North Greenbush needs to worry less about bending to the special interests of developers and more about smart growth and comprehensive planning for its quickly growing community. Juggling the demands to keep its rural charms and at the same time bump up its tax base is proving a difficult trick for the current supervisor, Mark Evers, considering his apparent ties to the developers and contractors who see the potential for dollars along Route 4 and ignore the longtime area residents who’d rather not have a Lowe’s for a next-door neighbor. We believe that the level-headed town attorney Joshua Sabo has the right vision and the perfect attitude to find the tax base and keep the smart-growth folk happy. With the Democratic Party in dramatic disarray, everyone in the town wants some peace. Everyone wants that one vision to rally around. Hopefully the voters will not choose the wrong vision this Nov. 6.
Democratic Councilman Clem Campana and Democratic candidate for Council-at-Large John Brown have recently learned that Republican operatives are planning to send out letters falsely signed by each candidate asking Democrats to “bullet-vote” for one of the candidates.
“This effort is an attempt to undermine the strong team approach that John and I have taken this year,” said incumbent Clem Campana. “We are very concerned about this illegal tactic inspired by a desperate attempt to thwart my friendship with John and the strong grassroots campaigns we have run this year.”
Campana and Brown said that they learned of the letters from an anonymous source and chose to go public to pre-empt this malicious and ill conceived tactic. The anonymous tipster told them that Republican operative planned to send one letter falsely signed by Campana asking voters to “bullet vote” just for him, and another letter falsely signed by Brown asking voters to bullet vote” for just him.
“I have spent my campaign talking about issues and working hard to get to know the voters by campaigning door-to-door.” Added John Brown. “The people will see through this kind of mudslinging and they know that Clem and I are a team.”
Campana and Brown said that if the letters come to light they will turn them over to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
To show our unbiased unbiasness, we believe Campana and Brown are way off the reservation on this one. Sure, if the GOP had a track record of fake phone calls and anonymous letters we might buy it. But this? Inconceivable.
CONROY GETS TU ENDORSEMENT
This was actually a surprise.
For one thing, the credit for much of Troy's revival, especially its vastly improved fiscal status, belongs to former Mayor Mark Pattison, who was barred by the city's term limit law from seeking a third term four years ago. There is no mistaking that Mr. Pattison set the city on a course for revival by having the courage to raise taxes and save the city from bankruptcy. That sent a signal to investors and developers that Troy was serious about getting its house in order. And that set in motion many of the projects that are now becoming reality.
Congrats to Conroy. The Republicans, including Mayor Tutunjian, continue to bemoan any tax raise that occurred under Pattison while simultaneously applauding their own responsible, revenue enhancing measures. Ever notice that they don't give those tax raises back to the residents? If they were not necessary, give them back. No excuses, just lower taxes by 20% Or is the money raised by those taxes being spent by the GOP?
REPUBLICAN PARTY CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
The County GOP has failed to not only file it's 11 Day Pre-General Election filings but it's 32 Day Pre-General Election filings. What's the hold-up? You have paid staffers. Is there something you don't want to disclose before the election? Push-Poll payments perhaps? Even the Greenbush Party has filed.
Finally, congratulations to The Record's Jim Franco. Rumor has it that he's the new, permanent City Editor.
We'll take a look at the At-Large race tomorrow. Then, it's on to Tuesday.
...don't talk about Meet the Candidates Night!John Brown, Democratic candidate for City Council-at-large today announced his “RESTORE TROY” initiative. Brown intends to push legislation that would award a tax break to homeowners who re-convert multi-family dwellings into single or two-family owner occupied homes. The candidate stated that people should be rewarded for investment in the community and their preservation of Troy ’s historic homes and sees many benefits in the incentive.
Brown said, “We have seen Troy ’s historic homes become chopped up into apartment houses. We need to provide incentives for people to return these homes to their former beauty and neighborhood intent.”
Brown mentioned that while the program’s biggest beneficiary could be Troy ’s historic homes he thinks the program should increase home-ownership in the city.
“People looking to live in Troy can now look outside just the single-family homes. This provides an opportunity to invest the extra money into converting homes back into a one-family or an owner occupied two-family home.”
Part of Brown’s proposal is to enact a moratorium on property owners seeking to subdivide existing homes into multi-family residences. He also wants to increase code enforcement throughout the city. “Until the City completes a comprehensive re-zoning that lays out our plan we should not allow property owners to squeeze more apartments into buildings within the existing zoning. We need to create programs and policies that promote sustainable home-ownership while aggressively cleaning up our neighborhoods.”
Our favorite lines:
Conroy, describing the current Administration: "Progress by Press Release."
Tutunjian, earning our trust because he's: "Been a good caretaker of your parts."
As for us, we'd ask the Mayor to stay away from our parts. Or at least buy us dinner first.
The press should never become The Story. It's not their job to be involved in The Story. Here, we just couldn't help ourselves. It's so rare that you get a sneak-peak at the important work done by the City Council and it's employees. Luckily, thanks to "a friend" we can bring you an inside look, complete with primary sources, at the vital, people's work, done by one Council Ass. - from his City Hall computer.
Here's one for you Democratus /Which potential Dem council candidate was very recently observed and photographed (Camera Phone) going into and leaving an hour later from one of Troy's finer Porno arcades without making a purchase? It's not the one where they have women dancing either.Think he was in there doing research? He looked pretty content when he came out. I'll pass one along to you in October when it's featured on some campaign literature. Vito 04.16.05 - 7:19 pm
One of the lasting legacies of the Tutunjian Administration will be the damage done to our fine police department. It's no secret that Tutunjian and his people have a great disdain for the men and women of the TPD. This disdain has real consequences.
The New York Survey Alliance has telephoned Troy voters about the mayoral race between incumbent Republican Harry Tutunjian and Democrat James Conroy. The phone call concludes with three loaded questions about Conroy.
That has the sound of a push poll, Conroy says, referring to a less than upfront campaign tactic in which the effort casts negative aspersions on a candidate rather than eliciting information.
Still, one Rensselaer County Republican operative said it's not unusual for negative questions to be grouped at the end of a poll as a way of seeking issues that could be raised during a campaign if they are needed.
Tutunjian maintains he's relying on direct mail and advertising and isn't using the phones. "We're not doing any type of polling. I'm not aware of it," he said in reference to the job being done by the New York Survey Alliance.
Conroy isn't letting his opponent off the hook.
"It's the lowest form of campaigning, but I wouldn't expect anything else. If he doesn't know of it, his lieutenants do," Conroy said.
Meanwhile, Tutunjian is riled by automatic phone calls from his opponent's campaign, but Conroy's comfortable with that tactic.
"We announce who we are, who we're calling in a straightforward manner," said Conroy, whose campaign's financial filings include payment for a pollster.
Doug McCool, another Dutchess County resident contacted by the pollsters, said he became suspicious when the caller identified his company as the 'New York Survey Alliance,' because the caller ID showed a number in Fairfield County, Conn. "The problem here is that you have a company misidentifying themselves and trying to push voters to one side or another based on fictitious rumors," said Mr. McCool. "It seemed like nasty politics, and it's unfortunate we have to deal with that in this area."
There are three weeks until the election. I propose that we meet once a week in a different part of the City so that the voters can really understand the difference between the current administration and my vision for a Troy that is united for growth and prosperity.
It was standing room only at a Tuesday night public forum and mayoral debate featuring incumbent Republican Mayor Harry Tutunjian, Democrat Jim Conroy and Independent Elda Abate.
The two-hour debate, which was moderated by the League of Women Voters, took place at a third floor conference room at the city's Commission for Economic Opportunity on Fifth Avenue.
The project involves the creation of a Master Plan for an inter-municipal and multi-partner collaboration (City of Troy, Rensselaer County, RPI & Troy Housing Authority) to reconstruct and redevelop the Congress Ferry Street Corridor, emphasizing its connections to the RPI campus and the County office building. The Master Plan will guide a downtown revitalization initiative that includes the development of low and moderate income housing, creation of housing for graduate students, re-alignment of Congress/Ferry Street, design of a pedestrian friendly streetcape and development of businesses. The project is needed to effectively coordinate the multiple program elements and to successfully integrate the development within the context of its urben setting.
Harry Tutunjian’s roster of political contributors reads like a who’s who of businesses and connected Republicans in Troy and Rensselaer County. There are a number of donations that seem exceptionally problematic. The fact that David Mitchell has made two sizable donations without listing an address is but a sideshow.
Where DOES Mitchell live, and is he in violation of the Public Officer’s Law? But I digress.
As Harry told us, he found extra money in this year’s budget to pave many of the streets in Troy. (Is this the same budget that needed a water rate increase or people would be laid off? But I digress, again.) Instead of bidding out the work, Harry claimed his administration used existing contract lists to hire Troy Sand and Gravel, thereby eliminating the need for the work to go to public bidding. Troy Sand and Gravel, however, can only provide the material and subcontracted with Best Paving and Sealcoating out of Albany to do the actual work. In the past four years under the Tutunjian administration, the City has contracted with Troy Sand and Gravel, and indirectly with Best Paving and Sealcoating, for over $1 million in paving work without the benefit of bidding.
Since February 2006, Troy Sand and Gravel have made seven donations to Friends of Harry Tutunjian totaling $5,500 and Best Paving and Sealcoating made another three donations in the last year totaling $2,500 while contracting with the City for over $1 million in work. At best this is ethically and morally suspect, at worst this is a violation of the City’s bidding and procurement ordinances.
Harry also received a $200 donation from the South Troy Dodgers Baseball Club. This donation presents a number of problems. First, the president of the South Troy Dodgers is George Rogers, none other than the City of Troy’s Recreation Director, a Tutunjian appointment. The ethical and conflict of interest issues appear to be immense in this case. Secondly, and more importantly, the South Troy Dodgers Baseball Club is registered with New York State as a not-for-profit corporation, which means they cannot legally donate to political campaigns. Violations like this can potentially result in the not-for-profit status being revoked. More importantly, however, is what parents and other board members think of this donation, especially those that work hard to fundraise to support their children playing baseball.
Another donation came from Kevin Vandenburgh, proprietor of Pips, who, as reported in Sunday Times Union, owes nearly $140,000 in back taxes to the federal government. Mr. Vandenburgh has worked with the City on a number of projects and made a $1,000 donation to the Tutunjian campaign in early October. While this is the least problematic of the donations discussed here, the money most likely would have been better spent applying it toward the tax lien against the business.
Individually, these donations may seem like a drop in the bucket. But collectively, they represent a trend. A trend indicates that the current City of Troy administration is being bought and paid for by special interests and friends. These types of donations only prove that public financing for all elections is necessary.
After more than two months and scores of spurned requests, Harry Tutunjian has finally agreed to debate the issues facing the City of Troy in a public forum.
The debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, will be held on October 16th at 7:00 pm at the Commission of Economic Opportunity, 2331 Fifth Avenue in Troy .
Hi - I am not a resident of Troy, so I can't vote for mayor. Why did you state in the PBA article that Elda is the Prohibition Party candidate? Just wondering.
Seth
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli today announced his endorsement of Jim Conroy, candidate for Troy Mayor.
“ Troy needs Jim Conroy for Mayor,” DiNapoli said. “He has the vision to help grow the Troy economy, and that growth will provide opportunities for lower taxes and more fiscally responsible government. Jim Conroy will build a government that is more transparent, more open and more responsive to the needs of all of Troy ’s citizens. I can’t wait to work with Jim Conroy to build a better Troy .”
“Tom DiNapoli and I are going to fight to fix the things that have gone wrong in Troy over the last four years. We’re going to bring government back to the people … all of the people, not just a few cronies. We’re going to bring back professionalism and, most importantly, we’re going to put our plans into action, not just the newspapers.”
Brown has already raised an impressive $17,000 for his city-wide race. Equally impressive is newcomer Ken Zalewski, the Democratic candidate in District 5. Zalewski has raised over $21,000.
DEBATES
With less than a month to go, no debate has been scheduled in the race for Troy Mayor. We don't know why a debate hasn't been scheduled. Are there no longer groups in Troy that will sponsor debates?
There's no substitute in a Democracy for a vigorous debate between political opponents. No other forum allows candidates to pander directly to an audience stacked with supporters by answering pre-selected questions. The health of our democracy depends upon it.
"Let's get real on CRIME. That means simply holding nothing back. How many children and others do we have to sacrifice before WE say "enough is enough?" WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO REDUCE CRIME. I urge your trust that we can find a common ground on which to proceed."
"We need a campaign to clean up our city and the Pride to keep it clean.
Every individual must be responsible for the litter they create, or that which they find in front of their own building. Our city is dirty. Let's change it."
"Uncle Sam is ours. We need to build a respectful and proper historic site to honor Uncle Sam, a Totally Troy national and international icon, and to develop a tour which honors the life of Samuel Wilson, the real Uncle Sam."**
Jeff Buell, the director of Public Information, is quick to point out to Metroland, however, the city has not designated City Hall surplus property. At least not yet.
The City of Troy has not designated City Hall as surplus property. When a lease is signed with Judge Development for 1776 Sixth Avenue, only then will City Hall be surplus property.
We guess Mr. Buell is correct. The City has not determined City Hall to be surplus property. Rather, it has inventoried and assessed City Hall to be vacant, abandoned or surplus, so much so that the building and garage should be demolished. But, the property was not 'designated' as surplus.
If we aren't using the grant money to demolish City Hall, why are we applying for grant money to demolish City Hall?
Has anyone seen the grant application? The deadline for applying for the Restore, NY money was in September.
Has the City Council approved the grant application? According to the Restore NY rules, the City Council has to approve the application.
Will Judge receive the grant money for demolition?
To quote a Lansingburgh resident: We like axing questions.
"Whereas, the Troy City Council is concerned for the safety of the residents of this city and state with regard to terrorists obtaining driver's licenses to legitimize their stay in this great country."
After Troy Democratic City Council candidate Wayne Foy called a press conference Tuesday to highlight the hazards of a city-owned property, mayor Harry Tutunjian promised to tear the building down. Foy said the property at 229 Fourth Street posed a threat to public safety due to its deteriorated state. Jeff Buell, a spokesperson at the mayor's office, told CBS 6 that the city will deconstruct the building in the next four to six weeks, but will attempt to maintain the historic facade. City officials are planning to work with area residents on what to do next with the space, Buell said. Proposed plans for the site so far include a community garden or a community home. Buell said the project should be completed by next fall.
"that a municipality, without specific legislative sanction, may not permit property acquired or held by it for public use to be wholly or partly diverted to a possession or use exclusively private. Lake George S.B. Co. v. Blais, 30 N.Y.2d 48; People ex rel. Swan v. Doxsee, 136 App. Div. 400, 403, affd.198 N. Y. 605; Meriwether v. Garrett, 102 U.S. 472, 513; 3 Op. St. Comp., 1947, p. 178.
"....The present lease to Marine Industries, for that corporation's private pursuit of profit, clearly diverted part of this public trust to exclusively private purposes, without legislative sanction. It matters not that Marine Industries leased only 110 feet of the more than 1,000 feet of public lake frontage, since the whole grant was held for the public use, not simply a part of it. "Sound public policy forbids that there should be any power to divert a part thereof to a private use, for, once such power being assumed, the dangers which may follow either from favoritism or ill-judgment may speedily hamper or practically destroy the fundamental purpose of the public use." ( People ex rel. Swan v. Doxsee, supra, at p. 406.)"
While it is true that a municipality may hold property either in its corporate capacity as an ordinary proprietor or solely for the public use, the determination should not be made by the municipality.
