Hugh Reynolds: Bombs away!

Hein’s warning that failure to sell the nursing home by the end of next year would cost the county “$667,000” was meant as a monthly figure. The $8 million projected yearly tab — or so says the executive — neatly dovetails with the $8 million the county will have to apply from the nursing home sale to balance this year’s budget. Ergo, first item on the LDC’s agenda will be to float those bonds. They’ll worry about next year’s budget in October, assuming Hein is still around.

Man of the hour

Locals are still holding out hope for an “Ulster County” congressional district, or at least one where Ulster isn’t divided six ways to Sunday when House of Representatives reapportionment plans are presented next month. Optimists appear to be a little short on the numbers. A congressional district is now plus or minus about 700,000 people. Ulster has 180,000, roughly a quarter of a district. Orange County has about 370,000 residents. Ulster and Orange together would have almost 80 percent of population of a new district, but Orange would rule. That may be why our county executive (congressional hopeful?) has taken such a keen interest in Orange County politics, re: his speech at Frank Skartados’ official announcement of his Assembly candidacy last month.

Attendees at the Feb. 23 Chamber of Commerce breakfast were no doubt carefully listening for clues from the executive on the future of county economic development. Speculation has been rampant since last summer that Hein may replace UCDC director Lance Matteson with March Gallagher, his deputy planner for economic development. Problem is, UCDC, by charter, is under the control of the legislature. That doesn’t mean, however, that the executive can’t exert his influence and/or demands through the budget process. Clue: He cut the agency by $75,000 this year.

Matteson, perhaps with an ear to the ground, will say only that he and his staff will continue to do their best. But that might not be good enough.

Damage control

As I sat there in court last week watching disgraced Kingston cop Tim Matthews plead for a little less time in jail, it occurred to me that more questions were raised by the official resolution of his case than answers given.

By allowing the former Kingston detective lieutenant to plead to two of six felonies, prosecutors saved the taxpayers “tens of thousands of dollars” in court costs (according to  Matthews’ attorney, Mike Kavanagh) and settled a case that might have run for weeks in open court, to no certain outcome.

Something was gained, in that sense, but much was lost.

We may never know, for instance, whether Matthews had any accomplices during a 10-year life of crime that covered almost half his 26 years of “exemplary service” on the Kingston police (again, in the words of his attorney.)

That Matthews admitted to stealing some $212,000 is now a matter of record, but was that all of it? He was also indicted for clipping some $1,400 and change from the school district, where he served as chief of security. Those charges were dropped under his plea bargain with the DA. District officials say they’ll pursue the matter, but they shouldn’t have to. That’s what we have a district attorney for.