Legislature Chairwoman Bernardo, who could use a little positive PR these days, was right to recognize ex-chairmen on an auspicious anniversary. Powers in their own right for better or worse, we shall not see their kind again.
Former mayor James Sottile. (Photo by Dan Barton)
Note
I was grousing with colleagues about government inflation, compared to the rest of the economy: In 1968 the county budget was $15 million. It’s $360 million now, up by a factor of 24. And officials continue to brag about how they’re saving taxpayer money. In 1968 I was making $125 a week as a cub reporter, which based on county government inflation, would add up to $3,000 a week these days. I’m not quite there.
Here and there
I wasn’t happy about county elections commissioner Tom Turco’s “so, sue me” remark which ruled out recording equipment at the opening of paper ballots by the board of elections on the 18th, but he was right about one thing. It didn’t matter.
Like other reporters, I contacted state Committee of Open Government Director Bob Freeman for an opinion. The man who says he’s not doing his job “unless I get somebody in government mad at me every day” gave Turco both barrels. Not only was the December (state Supreme Court) gag order Turco cited irrelevant, Freeman said, but the meeting before both commissioners qualified as open in all respects.
“The law [still] gives judges discretion in their own courts regarding photographs or television and sound equipment, but the open meetings law [FOIL] is very clear on situations like at the board of elections,” Freeman told me and presumably others.
In the upshot, it didn’t matter. The ballots were counted in an open meeting, just not one as open as it should have been. And I don’t think anybody is going to sue Turco.
Maybe we should call Freeman in advance the next time.
Jamie Sottile, son of former mayor Jim Sottile, emailed me to take umbrage at my characterizing his father as “ex-officio” UlsterCounty campaign manager for Amedore. Young Sottile said his father was only “helping” him in the Amedore campaign. Appearances can be deceiving. I stand corrected.
More than a few Democrats were surprised to see County Executive Mike Hein presiding at ceremonies for Tkaczyk at the Senate House on Sunday. Hein, a Democrat, wasn’t exactly out front for fellow Democrat Tkaczyk, though she called him “a supporter.”
So how’d Hein get the gig?
“I asked him at the governor’s State of the State in Albany [last week],” said Tkaczyk. “He was very gracious to accept.”
And Tkaczyk is being very smart in enlisting Ulster’s big kahuna going forward, regardless of what he did or didn’t do in the last election.
