The columnist Reynolds.
When Judge Work rides off into the sunset, the buzz around Democratic circles is speculating whether she will take husband Victor Work, Democratic county elections commissioner, with her. The Works are a close couple with children and grandchildren all over the map. With generous pensions, let’s just say they won’t need to gas up at free county electric filling stations.
Victor Work won’t comment, but reliable sources say he’s being urged to retire by some party leaders before his $76,343-a-year appointment comes up for a vote at the Democratic convention on June 2. The legislature will rubber-stamp this bit of party business.
I can almost picture the drool dribbling off chins at the prospect of this plum job. And as former Republican commissioner Pete Savago demonstrated, the position really doesn’t take up a lot of time.
Many will call. Legislator Pete Loughran has been mentioned (again), along with Work’s recently minted deputy Ashley Dittus. Others back assertive former commissioner John Parete, these days a legislator from Olive. Maybe former Kingston traffic violations enforcer Jeremy Blaber, after once applying for a clerk position at the BOE, could be just the ticket.
Here, we revisit the so-called “Tantillo Law,” which pertains to ex-county legislators taking jobs with the county. Named for former New Paltz legislator Fawn Tantillo, the local law requires a one-year waiting period before a legislator can join the county payroll. There is an exception, of course: jobs at that pit of political intrigue, the board of elections. So there may be several Democratic legislators or recent ex-legislators nuzzling up to the trough.
And finally
As we enter the final stages of presidential primaries, who said, “If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.”
Was it Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Sam Clemens, Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders?
Answer: Mark Twain, a.k.a. Sam Clemens.
