The public hearing, with about 20 persons in attendance, was adjourned after 17 minutes. Then the commissioners spent another half hour discussing their preliminary recommendations. While no formal vote was taken by Chairwoman Cynthia Lowe, it appeared that the majority of members present wanted the commission on reapportionment — a hot-button topic with the legislature — to have final word on the next redistricting.
“There should be no compromises,” said commission member James McGarry. “The singular thing is pure independence.”County Executive Mike Hein, who holds a similar view, has threatened to veto legislation that does not adopt the commission’s recommendations in their entirety.
Under the charter, the commission on reapportionment consists of seven members from a pool solicited by the county executive. Leaders of the legislature name two each. Those four select three more from the executive pool.
Under the 2006 charter, Hein appoints five charter revision commissioners. The Republican and Democratic leaders of the legislature name three each.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at the county office building.
Bad habits
“Ulster County’s politics has been notoriously corrupt for years,” revealed a headline in The New York Times of Dec. 23, 1888.
Published in the Republican Kingston Daily Freeman, the he-said, she-said partisan editorial went on to accuse future Democratic presidential candidate (1904) Judge Alton B. Parker of bribing voters. Parker had accused Republicans of similar illegalities.
When I came to town 40 years ago, the legendary going rate for a vote was a $5 bill wrapped around a pint of cheap wine inside a brown paper bag.
Naturally, no one would ‘fess up, but buying votes was apparently far more expensive on the eve of the Gay 90s. One Democratic operative complained he couldn’t compete with the YMCA’s “paying $25 a vote.” In those days $25 (pre-income tax) represented at least two weeks’ pay for most people.
Fortunately such corruption no longer exists in our community.
Condolences
I met Democratic county Chairman Frank Cardinale’s mother Anne only once, regrettably, but it was a memorable occasion. Cardinale was being honored last November by Kingston American Legion for his more than 20 years as Legion baseball manager. As “volunteer” MC, I was working the crowd in search of notable figures to introduce and/or some background on the guest of honor.
My last stop was at the family table where I was introduced to Cardinale’s mother. Ninety-three at the time, she was very alert, all dolled up in the fashion of together old ladies and very alert.
Making conversation, I suggested that she must be very proud of her son at that moment.
Without hesitation she replied, “I have always been very proud of my son Frank.”
I asked her if she would mind if I introduced her as a special guest of honor.
Taking my hand, she said she would be very proud if I did so.
I did. She was given one of the loudest ovations of the night.
Anne Cardinale died last week. Our condolences to the family.
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