Are you as bored as I am when it comes to being deluged with 2014 highlights instead of real news during the recently concluded holiday lull?
Rather than put you to sleep with more of last year's grist, I'll make a feeble attempt at scouting the 2015 Schenectady mayoral election. I'm 10 months early, but "Morning Joe" on MSNBC has been touting Hillary for president since the day after President Barack Obama won his second term.
Anyway, the Democrat side of the Schenectady mayor's race appears to be ready to go. Incumbent Gary McCarthy is expected to use the impetus of the gambling casino hoopla as the engine for a second-term bid.
Trying to figure his opponent on the Republican line is a fuzzy picture at best.
Roger Hull has shown interest in a rerun. In the last race, the retired Union College president came within about 70 votes of upsetting McCarthy. Maverick Councilman Vince Riggi has generated plenty of grass-roots support for a mayoral run. Peter Guidarelli, who nearly upset former Mayor Brian U. Stratton a decade ago, is still in the picture.
Guidarelli is an enrolled Republican guaranteed the GOP endorsement should he choose to run. Hull is head of the Alliance Party. Riggi, not enrolled in a political party, was endorsed by the GOP in his successful 2011 City Council race. It's still early, but I doubt any other potential GOP candidates will surface.
Unfortunately, I'm unable to give you a clear-cut view of the mayoral election, but I'd like to think my observation is better than another rewind of 2014.
If McCarthief thinks he will use the casino hoopla to win another term he is a fool! The city of schenectady under McCarthy has kicked the can down the road for far to long on every capital project and has the city in financial ruins. Here are some examples:
list of debts and failures under McCarthy
* 20 million dollars on Foster Ave "Taj Mahal" Public works building * 3 million demo loan from HUD * shrinking property tax base * Rising rents for renters * glut of forelosures & homes FOR SALE (no buyers) ATF was hired by Stratton & McCarthy * sex abuse scandal fire department * deteriorating neighborhoods * high crime rate * Cruel to dogs & residents * pot hole roads * failing schools * McCarthy is in bed with rich developers and billionaires (Galesi & Rush) McCarthy doesn't care for the average Schenectadian * Botched the county sales tax agreement fired Jason Cuthbert * highest property taxes in Capital Region
Retreads all. But, I agree with you, firefox, that several of those who you mentioned may run. They need to do so to remain "relevant" in Schenectady County's tired political circles.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
That is, McCarhy, excuse me, McTHIEF, STEALS money from the homeowners (via increasing taxes) and gives the money to his millionaire and billionaire cronies and they will give McC the kickbacks in the form of very generous lavish payouts to get him re-elected.
He gets re-elected and then McC will make more homeowners become homeless.
DV, do you support how McCarthy and the dems increase taxes on the financially struggling homeowners, families with total income of less than $40,000, in order to exempt the millionaires and billionaires from paying their fair share, their FULL SHARE, of taxes?
Naturally, most all of us on these boards know you WILL NOT answer the direction question of "do YOU support making the poor pay the taxes of the rich."
What are you going to do, your customary "yawn"
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
That is, McCarhy, excuse me, McTHIEF, STEALS money from the homeowners (via increasing taxes) and gives the money to his millionaire and billionaire cronies and they will give McC the kickbacks in the form of very generous lavish payouts to get him re-elected.
He gets re-elected and then McC will make more homeowners become homeless.
DV, do you support how McCarthy and the dems increase taxes on the financially struggling homeowners, families with total income of less than $40,000, in order to exempt the millionaires and billionaires from paying their fair share, their FULL SHARE, of taxes?
Naturally, most all of us on these boards know you WILL NOT answer the direction question of "do YOU support making the poor pay the taxes of the rich."
What are you going to do, your customary "yawn"
You are a tiresome bore and a boor. Besides that, you hate Schenectady, you are too much of a chicken sh*t to stand up in public and say there what you say here, and don't even live in the city. So why the hell should anyone a) take you seriously and b) answer you repetitive and ignorant questions. You just like to think that you are important and want some attention in your otherwise negative and miserable existence. So now that you had your daily "dose" of attention ... go back to your troll cave under the bridge.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
You are HALF right -- It is true but it is not sad. It is a good thing. Strange coming from you, since your user name is the Town of Rotterdam Democratic Committee theme or motto.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
You are a tiresome bore and a boor. Besides that, you hate Schenectady, you are too much of a chicken sh*t to stand up in public and say there what you say here, and don't even live in the city. So why the hell should anyone a) take you seriously and b) answer you repetitive and ignorant questions. You just like to think that you are important and want some attention in your otherwise negative and miserable existence. So now that you had your daily "dose" of attention ... go back to your troll cave under the bridge.
I don't hate Schenectady, I very much like it. I want to see it succeed. But in order to succeed things need to change.
Oh, no one takes us seriously? We provide EVIDENCE of what we say, proving the corruption and theft from the homeowners?
Repetitive questions? You have NEVER ONCE answered any of our questions. You have NEVER ONCE answered whether you believe a falling tax base is in the city is a good thing. You have NEVER ONCE answered how and why you claimed that county taxes are lower now than in the 1970's. You have NEVER ONCE responded to how you arrive at the conclusion that the city is improving when the tax base is falling, the taxes are increasing, no one is buying houses in the city, existing homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, etc. etc.
YOU are the one who NO ONE takes seriously because all you do is spew LIES LIES LIES. You NEVER provide one teeny weeny shred of EVIDENCE of how the city is improving or any EVIDENCE of ANYTHING you write. NOT ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE. People who are taken seriously are the ones to do research, speak the TRUTH, provide FACTS, and provide the EVIDENCE (as we have done over and over), something you have never done.
And if you love the city oh so much, how come you don't go to council meetings praising them in public? How come YOU HIDE?
If you think the city is so great and you love it oh so much, how come you REFUSE to work IN the city, REFUSE to help the city improve via park clean-ups, REFUSE to help the people in the city, e.g., volunteering for the week at that Concern for the Hungry, heck you were even too much of a chicken to put a pinky to IN the city for that violence forum at that Bridge Christian church on Crane St.
If you love the city as much as you claim, if you think it's improving oh so much, how come you ABSOUTELY REFUSE to have ANYTHING to do with living IN the city--not as a renter nor as a homeowner?????? Yeah, you'll NEVER answer that question. But then, a 50+ year old man who is not normal, not independent and self supporting obviously is not going to live in the city. Just spend your days and nights sucking off your two mommies' t*ts???????
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
You are HALF right -- It is true but it is not sad. It is a good thing. .
You think it's a good thing that McCarthy will win and cause more reduction of the tax base, increase taxes more to give the money to his cronies, allow tax deadbeat political cronies to keep their homes, cause more reduction in home values, cause more people to flee the city, cause the neighborhoods in the city to become ghost towns. That's a good thing???????
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
yes he will. remember....no matter who gets elected or what party they are from....they will ALL have to stay connected to the friends and family club. that's a given. not a damn thing would change.
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
Joe - not on your life! Plus not eligible as we don't live IN the city. Too intelligent to live in the city, in the financial sense, anyone with a brain knows that home values are going down and taxes are increasing. And actually I think that is the reason McTHIEF won't do a reassessment. Currently the total taxes are just over $43.74 per thou. Anyone here own a house IN the city that can state what the county tax rate is in the city for 2015, ditto the city rate? Probably $44 per thou which means a house assessed for $100,000 would pay $4,400 in taxes then on top of it the non tax deductible trash tax of $224, the non tax deductible water tax and the non tax deductible sewer tax--these latter two which probably amount to about $600 combined, so the total tax BILL of a house assessed for $100G would pay taxes of just about $5,000 per year. Since home values have fallen so much, even far more than the equalization rate indicates, such a house in a reassessment -- IF homeowners really were educated to the FACT that their assessments should be the dollar amount their house would sell for on the open market in an arms length transaction--then most residential assessments would be practically cut in half. Can you imagine a house assessed for $50,000 at FULL VALUE, having a tax BILL of $5,000 per year!!!??? If people other than the mayor and city employees would educate people on assessment, there would be such a mass exodus from the city it would make national news, perhaps even worldwide news! Especially when people had a clear understanding that a house in other capital district cities and towns would pay that kind of bill for a house worth three to four times as much with a home value that would be increasing.
It would be quite embarrassing for the mayor to reassess, which would have to be massively downward, and then have such outrageous tax BILLS in relation to the home value especially as the home values continue too fall. But sadly since people don't understand anything about the real value of their house compared to what the unqualified assessor and mayor claim the house is worth, and because they don't realize that while they struggle to pay their bills that they are paying the bulk of the taxes for the downtown millionaire political cronies; if they did, McC would be lucky to get a dozen votes.
So let's hear McC's big lies tonight, bragging "oh we have sold oh so many houses, such a successful program," but unfortunately he must have a hold on the news media, prohibiting them from publishing the actual home sale number and home sale prices for homes IN the city, just like he wouldn't allow publication of the tax foreclosures in the paper (which of course, you all know is a violation of NY State law.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.