Hugh Reynolds: Rolling the dice

While I relish stick-in-the-eye campaigns more than most, I don’t detect horns protruding from the highway superintendent’s head, which is to say it’s hard to believe Myer after a single term has done as bad a job on so many levels as Mayone charges. Myer has responded in kind.

Also in Saugerties, legislative candidates seem nicer to each other in debate than in print, re: lampooning letters to the editor in this newspaper back and forth.

Democratic candidate Beth Murphy, sitting next to Republican incumbent Mary Wawro, could only impugn her opponent by association, and that was second-hand.

“County executive Mike Hein calls the Tea Party legislature the most unproductive in county history,” she told an audience of about 40 at the GrecoCenter Monday night.

Apparently a solid vote for Hein, Murphy, should she win and take office in January, will soon find out why this executive-era legislature has been less productive than it should be. And it has nothing to do with tea.

In Hurley, something of the same tone is in the air. There, a group of hard-charging Democrats, led by supervisor candidate Tracy Kellogg, hopes to parlay a recent state comptroller’s report of conflicts of interest and questionable bidding practices by the Republican town board into a majority on the all-GOP board.

I think they have the ammunition. Town officials have been rather cavalier about the state comptroller’s embarrassing report. But they may lack the guns. Kellogg is certainly qualified for the job, having served a couple of terms as Woodstock town supervisor, but electing “somebody from Woodstock” (of all places!) in conservative Hurley will be a stretch. For Hurleyites, supervisor Gary Bellows is like an old shoe, a bit worn, but comfortable and predictable. Kellogg could take courage in the fact that the shoe was booted from office a few years ago, only to return chastened and hopefully wiser.

Democrat Ashley Dittus’ quest to join her uncle John Dittus, a rock-ribbed Republican, on the Hurley board has at least produced one amusing slogan. “One Dittus on the town board is enough,” say Republicans, tongue-in-cheek. That said, Democrats seem to be working harder than Republicans — they’re certainly louder — and they now have an enrollment advantage.

In Woodstock, incumbent Jeremy Wilber has the endorsement of heavy hitters like former congressman Maurice Hinchey and county executive Mike Hein, but Republican challenger Lorin Rose (an enrolled Democrat) scrambled almost 60 dozen eggs at the annual Lake Hill fire company breakfast on Sunday. Rose, and this could be an omen, also hit the firehouse breakfast 50-50 raffle for $112.50. He offered to donate it back as he has in the past, but smokies said six hours in the kitchen on a Sunday morning was payment sufficient.

On such small things elections sometimes turn. Wilber, a wily old hand, really hasn’t made many people mad, so the voters may conclude, why change?

Around the county (New Paltz)

In New Paltz, lightning rod Democrat Susan Zimet is being challenged by sober, reflective Randall Leverette in a race that has produced in-depth discussions of major issues facing the town. As in Saugerties two years ago, a controversial housing project takes the forefront.

Leverette, running on the underdog Republican ticket, is something of an unknown quality, unlike Zimet. Across a political career stretching back some 20 years, Zimet, 59, has proven an outspoken activist and a hard worker who sometimes seems to wear out her welcome — and her constituents — in about three terms. That she’s seeking only a second consecutive term this time is therefore bad news for the challenger.

Democratic town council candidate Dan Torres, 23, has a nice sense of history, if not humor. He’s also running on the Bull Moose ticket, Teddy Roosevelt’s line in 1912. Methinks things didn’t work out too well for the former Republican president that year. He was shot in the chest at a campaign stop – but went on to make his speech anyway – and finished second to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, but ahead of Republican incumbent William Howard “Big Bill” Taft.

Torres has no such worries in friendly, Democratic New Paltz.

Ignorant me

I misquoted Republican comptroller candidate Linda McDonough in attributing the word “ignorant” to her in regard to her contention that many residents are unaware of the office she seeks.

“I hate that word. I never use it,” she told me the day after the article appeared.

Given that, she must have really hated rival Elliott Auerbach citing her (alleged) “ignorance” on county fiscal affairs during their joint interview last week.

I checked my notes. Sure enough, there was the word “ignorant” next to her name in context to an exchange on voter awareness.

In this case, I defer to the candidate. Direct quotes are exactly that, and I apologize for paraphrasing what McDonough said. Not to steal the last word on this, but at least her meaning was clearly conveyed. Despite the ubiquitous Auerbach crisscrossing the county for the last five years and issuing detailed reports on government operations every five weeks on average, some people have never heard of him or his office. Or so his opponent says.