What this long-running and avoidable controversy represented was a failure of leadership (aggressive bullying), legislature institutional indifference and militant railroaders (too much baggage). In the initial phases the administration proposed ripping up the tracks and creating a 38-mile trail from Kingston Point to Highmount, quickly followed with an attempt to break the county’s lease with the railroad. This is compromise? In truth, the old CMRR’s spit-in-your-hat leadership left scars, even after being supplemented by new, more progressive leadership. Backing Hein’s opponent in last year’s executive election did not improve relations.
There is still much to be done. That the lambs are willing to lay down with the lions is encouraging, but they’d better watch their tails.
Making bacon
The state legislature adjourned around dawn on Saturday without addressing the corruption and campaign spending reforms polls said the public was demanding. Meanwhile, a generous raise for legislators if not in the hopper, is at least in the conversation. That trigger could be pulled by a salary study commission willing, it has been reported, to raise legislative pay from $79,500 to about $110,000. After the elections, of course.
There will be plenty of bacon and backslapping as we move into the fall election season.
School aid, always a big ticket item in election years, rose by a record rate, even if the business of testing kids and teachers remains unresolved and school populations continue to plunge upstate.
Some stuff passed, and some stuff didn’t. Commuters over the old Rondout Bridge connecting Kingston to Port Ewen will face ugly, pernicious rust for a while more. At least the state restored the superstructure and pavement a few years ago. Kudos to Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, former Kingston mayor Shayne Gallo and the late Esopus town supervisor John Coutant for pushing that long-delayed project. Now, let’s finish the job.
A much ballyhooed extension of film credit to Hudson Valley counties (including Ulster) awaits the governor’s signature. In something of a twist, Sullivan County Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther sponsored the legislation, not Cahill, who told us he had been working on it for several years. “We tried to get it done through the budget process, Aileen did it legislatively,” Cahill said. “I was a co-sponsor. What matters is it’s done, not who gets credit.” (No pun intended.)
Sheriff Paul VanBlarcum’s quest to have pistol permits run through his office, thereby bypassing judicial review, shot blanks in the Assembly. “There remains no appetite in the Assembly to short-circuit the gun-approval process,” Cahill said. The sheriff, who does all the screening of applicants, complained of long delays under the current system.
Barnett exits, fuming
Esopus town Councilman Kyle Barnett, soundly defeated for the Republican nomination for surrogate court by fellow townsman Peter Matera at convention this month, announced he is “suspending” his campaign. But not before some parting shots at “certain undignified behavior at our convention.” Here, he was referring (though not by name) to Kingston GOP Chairman Joe Ingarra’s nomination of Matera sharply criticizing Barnett. Such tactics are frowned upon in judicial races where politicians are not expected to act like, well, politicians.
Meanwhile, Democrat Sara McGinty of Rosendale, after losing her convention’s endorsement by a big margin to newcomer Sharon Graff, says she remains committed to a September primary. “Absolutely,” said the unsinkable Sara. “I have more than 70 people circulating my petitions.”
As McGinty must now appreciate, she’s up against a formidable campaigner in Graff. The unofficial nominee has the advantage of party committee members circulating her petitions.
Good morning Hugh,
This was an interesting column. I know that you were trying to sound neutral on the issue of the railroad and that this is incumbent if you are to retain your voice in the monarchy of Michael Hein.
I however, face no such constraints so I would like to correct one misconception. This was no compromise. It was the outcome of an RPF to which exactly one bidder responded for the east end. I fully expected that the County would award it to no one, but it appears that grass root activism forced the Legislature’s hand. These activists are, for the most part, not CMRR participants. They simply share the vision of retaining rail throughout the corridor. Once gone, it cannot be brought back. CMRR has been incredibly restrained in their public comments, even in the face of losing all.
If I took your house from you under false pretenses and then offered you a cot in the garage – would that be a ‘compromise’?