Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, center, flanked by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and former state senator Cecilia Tkaczyk at a 2014 appearance in Kingston. (Photo: Dan Barton)
Lopez of Schoharie says he’ll announce something after the first of the year. As a practical political matter, early January represents the 11th hour against at least two other well-funded, well-organized Republican candidates. January would also be the witching hour for serious Democrats.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Sullivan, was recently awarded the state firemen’s association highest honor, the “Golden Trumpet,” for her sponsorship of a bill that would provide presumptive cancer coverage to the state’s 92,000 volunteer firefighters. The association is obviously priming the pump. The bill has 30 Assembly sponsors, with 76 votes are needed for passage. Previous winners of the coveted brass include state senators John Bonacic and Jim Seward.
The award recognizes the dangers first responders face not only to their safety but their health whenever that bell rings. Witness the potential disaster at the park-and-ride in Highland (at routes 299 and 9W). Firefighters “arrived [at 2 a.m. Monday] to find several tractor trailers including a propane truck on fire.” Two other propane tankers were in close proximity. Firefighters shut down traffic and evacuated 150 people from homes some 1300 yards around the fire. There were no injuries.
On the lighter side, newbie Assemblyman Jeff Skoufis of Woodbury may be one of those pols with his own take on reality. Paying off a World Series bet to a California colleague, Skoufis (it rhymes with doofus) declared this, according to the Times Herald-Record: “Although the Mets fell just short in their quest for a World Series win, they had a great season and gave fans something to be excited about for the first time in a long time.”
Fell just short? Not in my book. The Mets lost four of five games, two blown by boneheaded errors or mental miscues. That’s not “just short,” it’s “just awful.”
That the team gave fans a great season and playoffs cannot be denied, however.
Democrat Skoufis, 28, the Assembly’s youngest member, succeeded the retired Nancy Calhoun in the Republican 99th District, in 2012.
Congratulations to the winners. While Mr. Hein won significantly, I hope he realizes that this is for his good works (we assume) and is NOT a mandate to kill the CMRR, which is on the cusp of another successful and profitable Polar Express., capping a year of expanded trackage and equipment.
See you on the train!
Hugh Reynolds wrote: “In Rochester, (Terry Bernardo’s) hometown, (Hein) won by almost 5-1 (major party) in a town that turned out a Democratic legislator and elected a Republican. Either I smell gunpowder (bullet votes for Hein) or Bernardo, a two-time legislator, is one of the most unpopular politicians in her town.”
And, yet, as mentioned, those same Republicans that voted against Ms. Bernardo voted for the man (Ron Lapp) that had the Bernardos as his “brain trust.”
To demonstrate how out of touch Mr. Lapp is re his new position, in his acceptance comments (Blue Stone Press) he stated how he’s good at budgets. Oops! The budget is primarily the job of the County Executive with the Legislators weighing in. Hardly the job for an individual legislator. But, you see, Mr. Lapp knows nothing about what his role requires as he’s not attended government meetings (either at the town or county level) and, so knows precious little of the process.
Great job, Rochester! Voting in someone completely ignorant of the responsibility required so he’ll be looking for direction from the most unpopular politicians in town.
Ever watch “Survivor”? Archer lost the position Lapp didn’t earn it. And Hein couldn’t give her the immunity idol. The tribe has spoken/voted.
No, can’t say I’ve ever wasted my time watching “Survivor.” And, seeing as Lynn Archer, more than any other Dem, challenged Hein on various issues (enough to make him reconsider) it seems rather obvious that it was the old name.
Which is what you ultimately contend with your “The tribe has spoken/voted.”
Clan would have been a better descriptive term but I get your point. Of course, one would hope that voting in legislators would encompass consideration for what the candidate brings to the table rather than who s/he is (old time name).
And, the fact that Ms. Archer co-sponsored (meaning having input into the content) 24 bills, spent enormous amount of time on the phone with and traveling to Albany to speak to cable industry officials about the necessity for broadband connectability throughout the county and actually got the county to agree to allowing for cable infrastructure to be included on county bridges so that when ready cable will be able to be easily/quickly accommodated would seem to make her the clear choice for an independent legislator that actually accomplished something. As opposed to someone who has little to no knowledge of legislating.