Five of the commission’s members are lawyers: Catalinotto, Futerfas, Kaplan, McGarry and Moriello.
Catalinotto, Spencer and Tantillo are Republican appointees; Bauer, McGarry and Rocco Democratic appointees. Hein, a Democrat, appointed the other five.
Should it choose to do so, the commission is in a position to exert considerable influence on the future of county government. Most of its recommendations will require legislative and executive approval before going to the voters, but in the two crucial areas of the charter — the executive and the legislature — the commission, by a two-thirds vote of its members (eight votes), can go directly to referendum. The political makeup of the commission renders such an outcome unlikely.
Mayoral previews
It is not the intent here to pass judgment on Kingston mayoral candidates after a single incident, though that one could be revealing. Last week, it was reported that the Queen’s Galley was going to propose a plan to take over the city-owned King’s Inn on Broadway (once demolished and cleared) to establish a culinary training program, a facility to feed the poor, and some low-income housing.
Democrat Shayne Gallo, with a special affinity for the former welfare hotel — he formally announced his candidacy in front of the King’s Inn last March — immediately declared the proposition dead on arrival. Republican candidate Ron Polacco said he needed more information before taking a position. Just how much information he needed, he didn’t say, but the fact is that one candidate took a position on a major policy issue and the other didn’t.
The public — and seating is limited — can hear firsthand from these candidates at the monthly Chamber of Commerce breakfast on Friday, Oct. 14 at 7:45 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Kingston.
Here and there
U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey announced an “official accelerator kick-off event” — to wit, a $1.95 million federal grant establishing something called the Newburgh Renewable Energy Cluster. I liked the accelerator kick-off part. The congressman should pay careful attention to these solar energy grants, given the recent near half-billion dollar failure of Solyndra, a federally supported solar manufacturing firm.
Jo-Jo the dog, “candidate” for supervisor in Woodstock, may have some competition for the animal vote in of all places, Bulgaria. The AP reports a jackass named Marko is running for mayor in a town under the banner of the New Bulgaria Party. I think I spotted some of his cousins on campaign trails hereabouts.
A while back somebody asked me why anybody would pay Sarah Palin $100,000 for a speech. Answer: She reportedly sold $200,000 worth of tickets. Local pols relearned the name-game lesson this season with their respective annual fund-raising dinners. Republicans booked controversial U.S. Rep. Peter King and sold 302 tickets. Democrats, who outnumber Republicans by about 9,000 registrants, went with less-than-scintillating State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and drew a crowd of about 250. Two years ago Republicans hosted former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and sold 450 tickets.
