Bryant only visited the downstate district a few times, but said he polled more than 31,000 votes on the WF line, finishing fifth among six candidates. In Ulster, that number would have easily defeated either Savona or Riccardi.
Hein had all his bases covered in the family court race. As a Democrat, he endorsed Riccardi against Savona, whom he had appointed a few years ago as chief counsel to DSS. There’s more icing to come. With Savona departing for Family Court in January, Hein gets to dangle her $79,000-a-year job in Social Services to any worthy he chooses. Local lawyers are already frothing.
Former Republican county legislator Rich Croce of New Paltz, heretofore the Rex Ryan of campaign managers, broke through big time this time with Savona. Up until Savona, Croce had lost almost every campaign, including the time he was crushed when he challenged former GOP chairman Pete Savago.
Kevin Bryant. (Photo: Hugh Reynolds)
Now he’s a hot commodity. Might Riccardi, Cecilia Tkaczyk, Kevin Roberts and even Joel Tyner over in Dutchess now seek his services? Unlikely.
Ready, aim …
Riding the crest of a solid victory, albeit with only about 35 percent turnout, Assemblyman Kevin Cahill apparently felt strong enough to offer an olive branch on election night to arch-foes Hein, county Dem Chair Frank Cardinale and Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo. Reportedly, individual invitations to a sit-down went out over the weekend.
While Hatfields eventually married McCoys and lions sometimes lie down with lambs, it may be that the bile is just too toxic with these characters. The things they called each other in public pale against the unprintable slurs in private.
That they all represent some of the same people — as Hein, who represents all the people, likes to say — means little when all of them are snug as bugs. Cahill took 61 percent of the vote among the only people who really matter to him. Hein ran without opposition, and Gallo rolled in 2011.
That Hein and Gallo are facing re-election next year with a deeply divided Democratic base may produce only lip service, if that. It is entirely possible that Cahill’s gesture, which some might consider cynical, will be ignored.
There is another approach: Thirty paces at dawn.
But seriously. That these public officials can’t or won’t get together on some level hurts all their constituents.
Tether this
Ulster’s county legislature will hold a public hearing before its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 regarding a proposed tether law for dogs. Here, I refer to the four-legged kind, not county legislators or some of the stocks I’ve bought lately. As proposed, and debated at length and amended at last month’s regular meeting, the proposed law would make it illegal to tether a dog for periods ranging from 15 minutes to 12 hours.
“You mean that if I’m walking my dog on a leash and if I tether him for more than 15 minutes while I go for a cup of coffee I’ll be liable for a $2,000 fine?” Legislator Rich Parete of Stone Ridge asked at session last month. That would be for a third offense, legislator, and you’ll also be entered in an animal abuse registry.
Who’s going to enforce this new law if it is approved? Lots of people, as proposed. First, it’s the sheriff, when he isn’t locking up people entering DSS headquarters for failure to pay traffic tickets, or any police officer, local dog control, animal control officer or humane law officer with jurisdiction within the county, says the legislation.
I’m all for animal rights, though I think some people love their critters more than they love humans. The intent of this legislation is obvious and in many ways commendable. Nowhere do I find in this detailed proposal any specific evidence of animal abuse.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about adopting a mutt, but this tether law gives me pause.
