Zephyr Teachout. (Photo: Phyllis McCabe)
Meanwhile, both candidates will be campaigning for up to 18 hours a day for the next 10 weeks, which is to say there won’t be much home life for either.
As a footnote, an internal Faso poll, conducted Aug. 8-10, shows the Republican with a five-point lead (46-41) over the Democrat. Of some note, the Faso poll also shows about 15 percent of voters undecided in early August. Spinmeisters from the Teachout camp judged it “incredible” that their candidate was within the “margin of error” (actually, about three points) after all the millions being poured into Faso’s campaign. I smell fear, but there’s still plenty of time to close — or extend — gaps.
Here and there
Republican sources assure me that (“where’s George?”) Amedore, candidate for re-election in the 46th state Senate District, will soon be making public appearances in Ulster County. I miss Amedore. He’s an engaging fellow and a spiffy dresser. We haven’t seen such sartorial splendor since John Guerin (1995-98) was an assemblyman. Meanwhile, Democratic opponent Sara Niccoli, a regular visitor to local hustings, held a well-attended fundraiser in Saugerties on Sunday. With the calendar turning toward Labor Day, expect to see all campaigns shifting to higher gear.
RUPCO officials confirm they expect to sign a contract “any day now” with the county to purchase the former Alms House building in Kingston for a reported $950,000. Two or three “backup offers,” one for a million dollars, were reported after it was learned a memorandum of agreement had been secretly signed by the parties. Critics have questioned a closed-door process for disposal of county property and its potential use for low-income and senior housing.
Folks hoping for a resolution to the Irish Cultural Center controversy at the Sept. 12 meeting of the Kingston city planning board may be disappointed. The board will convene only to hear opposing views. Judgment will be rendered at a later date.
Things got a little testy at an unofficial meeting (no quorum) of the city’s Heritage Commission, as dueling lawyers shouted over each other before a gathering of about 40 interested parties at City Hall. Somewhere deceased political talking-head host John McLaughlin, the man who invented this rude form of public discourse, is smiling. McLaughlin died at 89 last month. Bye. Bye. (His signature sendoff loses something in print.)
This board, in my view, is not particularly consumer-oriented. It routinely convenes at an inconvenient 6 p.m., when most people are either enroute from work to hearth, sitting down for dinner or watching Seinfeld reruns. True to form, the hotbed Irish Cultural Center issue is scheduled last on the agenda, according to published reports. Interested parties can just cool their heels while the board deals with such mundane issues as fence setbacks.
Amazed that Comptroller Elliott Auerbach called for ethics overhaul. The last time he tried to do the right thing, his office budget was cut by the county Exec.