“It seems like every time they feel that they need to cut something, it’s always the little guy who gets it,” said Whitlock. “It’s always recreation programs for the kids, or picking up the trash.”
In advocating for her ward, Whitlock has frequently railed against a system which she says regards the area as a dumping ground. When a non-profit development group proposed building low income housing at the site of the former King’s Inn, Whitlock vociferously opposed the plan, saying that the high-profile site could be put to better use.
“The King’s Inn is a big opportunity for Midtown,” said Whitlock. “Whatever goes there has to be something that not just looks good, but is beneficial to the people of the Fourth Ward.”
She also backs the creation of a Business Improvement District for the Broadway corridor. The plan, which has been pushed by the Business Alliance of Kingston, would assess an annual fee on commercial property owners to pay for extra maintenance, security, marketing and other amenities.
Reverse the decline, says Sprague
Sprague, a 68-year-old retired state Department of Transportation supervisor holds the Republican and Conservative party lines. Sprague said he got into the race to reverse the decline that he said has plagued his block and the city as whole in recent years.
I see the quality of life in the Fourth Ward just keep declining,” said Sprague. “That has to change if I’m ever going to sell my house someday.”
Sprague said that he had linked up with neighbors to try to address problems on his block, talking to landlords about troublesome tenants and calling police and other city agencies to report illegal activity. It’s the kind of effort, he said, that needed to take place around the ward and the city.
“I have neighbors fighting to keep our block as good as it is,” said Sprague who was active in efforts to start a chapter of the Guardian Angels in Kingston. “You can sit on my porch at night and there’s no loud music or fights. It’s gotten better.”
All Whitlock has going for her as alderman is race. In ward 4 that’s strong. And maybe the “reverend” title she carries. Flash: Americans often vote for people who share their ethnicity and religion. And I can’t say that’s not a fair strategy, but in this case, it’s a bad bet, really hurting the very good people in Ward 4. They just aren’t getting the services and attention they could get from a modern and effective representative.
Whitlock is a leftover from the Sottile administration. Her loyalty to him came well before loyalty to Ward 4, and Ward 4 needs a lot more that recreation for some kids. Code enforcement for on And crime is an equal opportunity phenomena: nobody likes it.
Splitting the strong “not Whitlock” between Sprague (even with a 10% GOP representation and Matt Ryan as a write in, that’s not helping. But even will all that, Ryan should win. Here’s hoping.