In Kirwan’s Orange-based district, former Ulster legislature chairman Rich Gerentine of Marlborough has been making the rounds. Chairman-designate Rob Rolison of Dutchess has also expressed interest. Rolison, son of the late state senator Jay Rolison, comes from good stock. Currently in the waffling stage, the Town of Poughkeepsie detective cites his commitment to the legislature as reason for ponder. Here’s some free advice from one of his father’s old friends: Seize the opportunity. It won’t come around again for a dozen years.
Having demolished big-bucks Peter Rooney two years ago, the perennial Kevin Cahill looks a likely candidate for the Shelly Silver Lifetime Achievement Award. County legislators will begin to grumble about “mandates” (and therefore Cahill) around March, but will any take on Tarzan?
While the presidential campaigns will eddy around us as long as New York remains true blue, there could be a real dogfight for Congress next year. The state will lose two seats (again) with the carnage hitting in western New York and in the lower Mid-Hudson … Ten-term Rep. Maurice Hinchey of Hurley will have to decide between retirement and collecting a full-pay federal pension (around $175,000, plus his $30,000 state legislature retirement) or facing a grueling re-election battle in a new district.
Indicators of Hinchey’s decision will come not from Republicans — already circling the incumbent — but from Democrats wary of offending the always touchy veteran. Put it this way: If Democratic County Executive Mike Hein starts talking national issues, Hinchey’s headed for the exits.
In terms of ground-level economics, push will come to shove with school budgets on the ballot in May. With the economy at best stagnant, perhaps worse — state and federal payroll tax collections were down in November, according to officials — school boards and administrators will be faced with some of the hardest choices since consolidation in the late ’50s. Eliminating an elementary school here and there isn’t going to do it.
On the state level, with almost every incumbent hell-bent for re-election, there will be extreme pressure to either lift the 2 percent tax hike cap enacted last year, or funnel a lot more state aid into hard-pressed local districts. Many of those districts are already out of spare cash (fund balances) and could be facing bankrupt-like scenarios in the near term.
A new round of consolidations might be the answer, but will face strong opposition on the district level. New Paltz-Highland-Marlboro might work. Kingston is already far-flung. Break up Onteora?
The dog-wagging Independence Party had a banner year in 2011 and will expand its influence in the near term. It needs to be more democratic, however, which means kitchen-table candidate selections have to give way to open nominating conventions. I am not holding my breath on that one.
I would be remiss in relegating 2011 to history without at least passing comment. It was in many ways most revealing of our divisions. In Kingston, primary races for mayor were decided by a handful of votes. Amazingly, had eight votes at primary gone another way among Democrats and 11 by Republicans, we would have had entirely different choices in November.
Artsy-Fartsy Dept.:I am really hoping you will go into show business, Hugh. I wanted them to start making the movie “Honey, We Shrunk Jeannette Provenzano!”, subtitled “To Try to Make Room For Someone Else Who Needs To Sit Down” based on the seating arrangements the other day at city hall, starring you, with your costar in this film Ms. Bernardo, but of course, had they tried this before, Sottile would have taxed the production company so much it would never be made. [YNN tells me they have a shot that could be used as a promo poster for this film–if it is made]. Joe Marchetti whispered to me “I can PAINT a promo poster for it!!” I said, “that’s not high tech enough”, to which he replied, “Look–what COMPUTER can paint a donut hole–or any hot air at all for that matter?” I was left…..devoid of words with which to reply just like the first time I met him years ago on Hasbrouck Ave. (As for the maintenance man given credit by Mr. Noble who left the seating a stupid situation leaving most people having to stand…Enh–they did it right for the opening ceremonies of the place but certainly not this time around) Quigley was up and down more times than a man with BP in the middle of the night,and his wife wouldn’t move over one time to let him in on the opposite side–could it be she preferred him NEXT to her? And Hinchey had a WHOLE bench to himself–is this the “democracy” ideal touted by Mr. Noble?!)This reminds me of the time I was told a pack of lies by a bunch of neighborhood kids who told me in a baseball game:”It’s a PRIVILEGE to play the BENCH.” But it is noted that even though this may NOT work AT ALL in childhood, this DOES seem to work at times in adulthood and HERE is a prime example of this!! Maybe the Yiddish kid in the Rabbi’s story SHOULD have asked for a BENCH of his own— IN LIEU of “all three things”!!