Hull for mayor in Schenectady October 30, 2011 at 6:01 am by TU Editorial Board
Our opinion: The city has a choice, between an outsider and an insider. Imagine Schenectady government without the usual partisanship.
For the second time in eight years, Schenectady is at a political crossroad. It needs a dynamic mayor who can build on the successes of Brian Stratton, rather than one who might let the city slide back to how it was under his far less able predecessors.
The better choice in this selection is Roger Hull, the independent-minded candidate of the Alliance Party, which he helped create specifically for this election. That would be a welcome change in a city where partisan politics, for their own self-interested sake, can be such an obstacle to the grandest of ideas.
Mr. Hull has the more inspired vision for the city, one that he began to develop as the intensely civic-minded president of Union College. It’s refreshing to see him pursue it now, brand new to elective politics.
Mr. Hull sees the office of mayor more through the eyes of a typical citizen dissatisfied with high taxes and the arduous process of challenging property assessments.
His opponent, Gary McCarthy, the acting Democratic mayor, is an able politician, certainly. He offers workmanlike ideas on how to expand on work done by Mr. Stratton, particularly saving the city’s neighborhoods through more vigorous code enforcement. But he also has a heavy-handed style that validates Mr. Hull’s objections to the Democrats’ control of city government.
Mr. McCarthy helped set the tone for a nasty campaign when he refused to grant the oddly necessary commissioner of deeds designations to people who wanted to carry Mr. Hull’s Alliance Party petitions.
“I don’t believe I have to appoint people who are out working against me,” Mr. McCarthy said last June.
That’s sound reasoning, for a career political handler. But by any other measure, it’s an abuse of power by a public official. It’s detrimental, if not destructive, to the tone of inclusiveness the next mayor must set. This is a city that will realize its full potential only with the equal participation of those in government, like Mr. McCarthy, but also those outside it, like Mr. Hull.
Mr. Hull’s record of civic contribution compares favorably with Mr. McCarthy’s. Contrary to Mr. McCarthy’s characterization of Union College as some sort of municipal freeloader, the school made impressive investments in the city under Mr. Hull’s tenure — $5 million worth, by his tally. Union took the lead in housing renovation. The once-troubled Seward Place neighborhood was saved thanks to Union’s recognition of its stake in the city.
Mr. Hull is full of both good ideas and even unconventional ones, such as implementing zero-based budgeting to get city finances under better control, freezing elected officials’ pay and abolishing the very job he’s running for, if ever consolidation of services with the county can be achieved on the appropriate scale.
Our endorsement of him comes with high expectations, however. His independence can’t be just campaign talk. He has to run the city the way he ran for mayor.
For the second time in eight years, Schenectady is at a political crossroad. It needs a dynamic mayor who can build on the successes of Brian Stratton, rather than one who might let the city slide back to how it was under his far less able predecessors.
slick....really slick.....that's a cheese sandwich if I ever saw one......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Mr. Hull sees the office of mayor more through the eyes of a typical citizen dissatisfied with high taxes and the arduous process of challenging property assessments.
Confirming that the 'typical citizen' is college educated and makes over $100k/yr.
The latter part of the bold text is a no brainer and anyone with a brain can figure out how to streamline this process.
The former, however, is just laughable. If Hull is so dissatisfied with the high taxes, he would have talked about TAX CUTS. Instead, we get to suffer '1000 paper cuts' every year in the form of 'slightly' higher taxes and fees on top of the crushing taxes we have now.
"Approval ratings go up and down for various reasons... An example is the high post 911 support for GWB even though he could be said to be responsible for the event." --- Box A Rox '9/11 Truther'
Melania is a bimbo... she is there to look at, not to listen to. --- Box A Rox and his 'War on Women'
It looks to me that the TU is just acknowledging that SCUM-nectady needs a change! Which I think we can ALL agree on!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Gee I thought the TU always endorsed tax and spend DEMS. Gary must have really bombed during his Times Union interview like he did at the big debate. Maybe they didn't care if Roger Hull is an expert skier? Now its time to examine McCarthy's 16 year record in public "service".
Gee I thought the TU always endorsed tax and spend DEMS
They did benny. It's just under a cool new name called the Alliance Party.
"Approval ratings go up and down for various reasons... An example is the high post 911 support for GWB even though he could be said to be responsible for the event." --- Box A Rox '9/11 Truther'
Melania is a bimbo... she is there to look at, not to listen to. --- Box A Rox and his 'War on Women'
The TU is FREE on-line and reaches more people than the Gazette could ever hope to. Another pit-fall for the McCarthy campaign is that the Gazette puff peices are only seen by subscribers.
This TU endorsement is huge and more people will read it than anything the Gazette has to offer.
Tim Conway and all the McCarthy DEM morons were bragging about how great Gary did at the TU interview. As usual McCarthy needs a mulligan. Get out of the rough and mail another hit piece about the muni golf course. Slumlords and City employees for McCarthy!
Funny.....we have relatives (just a few) who are employed by 'the city'. They were bitching about union college not paying for essential services. When we got done explaining to them that neither does Proctors, Marcella's, Villa Italia, Bow tie, bombers and the beauty school all due to the lucrative tax breaks from Ray Gillen, Gary McCarthy, Susan Savage and Stratton....they are now voting for the Alliance party candidates!!!!
Ya just need to give them the FACTS!!!!
As far as the TU or any newspaper or union endorsing candidates have always seemed quite bizarre to say the least. I thought they all were suppose to be unbias????
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
too bad the "facts" you told them are lies. because all those businesses u cited are paying taxes and fees, just like regular people. not one is not paying a fee they should not be paying. they are getting breaks only on property taxes and are paying sewer, water etc.
please go back to those folks and apoligize for misleading them, eh? it is the least you can do for your city and your conscious..
Logged
Gee I thought the TU always endorsed tax and spend DEMS. Gary must have really bombed during his Times Union interview like he did at the big debate. Maybe they didn't care if Roger Hull is an expert skier? Now its time to examine McCarthy's 16 year record in public "service". 
