FITZGERALD



TEDESCO

In a letter obtained by this paper, Police Benevolent Association President Bob Fitzgerald is telling his members that Mayor-elect Lou Rosamilia has promised to pretty much roll back about every change Chief John Tedesco has made since he was appointed by Mayor Harry Tutunjian.

They include: Reinstating the Emergency Response Team, putting officers back in the schools full time and expanding the SIU/SOS, the traffic unit and community police.

Tedesco was appointed in front of two other fine members of the police force - Richard “Buddy” McAvoy and Tony Magnetto - because Tutunjian knew Tedesco would actually be the chief and run the department instead of letting the PBA run the show, which it has been doing for as long as I’ve been here and probably for at least a couple decades before that. In other words is Fitz going to be the next chief of police?

Under Tedesco, crime is down and in Troy there just aren’t the seemingly daily shootings, stabbings and muggings that happen over in Albany and Schenectady. More importantly, overtime is down because Tedesco is taking a common sense approach what he thinks is the most economical and effective way to deploy his manpower.

Now, there is a new mayor come Jan.1 and a bunch of new faces on the Council as well. And, you have to give Fitz credit for his political prowess. He backed Rosamilia early on, and backed a bunch of Democrats who won seats on the Council too. You gotta give the guy credit for picking winners.

Now, however, Fitz expects a payback and that comes in the way of getting what he wants for his members. That too is a job he does well and he is not afraid to take the city to court towards that end, even over the most trivial matters. Thing is, the contract is so pro-PBA, he usually wins.

So, I guess one of the things the new administration and Council will have to decide is whether to cower to 120 or so members of the PBA, most of which, I dare say, don’t live in the city, or if they want to look out for the city’s best financial interest as a whole. Another question they have to ask is whether or not the Chief of Police should actually run the department, or if a professor from HVCC and a minister should make the decisions.



ROSAMILIA



NICHOLS



Councilwoman-elect Nina Nichols is likely the next Public Safety Committee chair and she is a minister at Christ Church. Rosamilia spent the last three decades teaching math at HVCC. Fine professions both, but my guess is the only thing either know about running a police force is calling 911 gets you a patrol car.

We’ll have to see what transpires next year, but a more recent battle happens on Dec. 13 when Fitz will run against Tom Hoffman for PBA president. In a five-page letter, Fitz does praise Hoffman … for one page … and then goes on to pretty much bash him for hanging out with the guys too often, being too tight with the chief and for being a less than stellar vice president.

I don’t know Hoffman at all and this is not about the upcoming PBA election. It’s about what the next mayor and Council do next year when it comes to the Police Department, which together with the Fire Department make up about half of the city’s entire budget.

GALUSKI

ZALEWSKI

Looks like Councilman Gary Galuski, D-District 6, will be the council’s next pro-temp.

There were two veterans who wanted the spot, Galuski and Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, but word is Council President Lynn Kopka wasn’t too keen on having Zalewski as her right hand man. The council voted for Galuski on Wednesday.

Actually, I’m not sure what the pro-temp actually does outside of earn an extra $2,500 per year.

Technically, the president sets the council’s agenda for each meeting, which means deciding which items will be brought to a vote at the monthly meetings. But in years past, that responsibility was largely left to the entire council at its monthly meeting of the Finance Committee. So the president really doesn’t have all that much additional power outside of a fancy title, being the de facto mouthpiece for the body and making an extra $5,000 a year.

Also, I need to clarify another rift within the Democratic majority, which probably doesn’t mean as much as the one mentioned above because two of the three councilmen responsible for trying to extend the terms of two city marshals, Rich Mason and Jack McCann, which don’t expire until March, are gone in about a month.

I’ve heard from a high-ranking Democrat that outgoing President Clement Campana put legislation forward to extend Mason’s term at the Finance Committee meeting because there is some doubt as to whether or not the Democrats will appoint him next year. McCann, the Dems city chair, was lumped in as cover, but the council still voted 6-3 to deny both men, at least for the time being, the job that can bring as much as $20,000 a year.

Campana, Councilmen Michael LoPorto and Kevin McGrath voted to extend the terms and Campana and LoPorto will be out of office come Dec. 31 “leaving McGrath to stand alone on the issue,” according to a high-ranking Democrat.



NAPIER



One guy who I was kinda hard on at the beginning of the campaign, but given the results deserves some credit, is Steve Napier.

He came pretty much out of nowhere to work on Council President Clemente Campana’s campaign and then picked up where he left off to work on Mayor-elect Lou Rosmailia’s campaign and also worked on the campaigns of Council President-elect Lynne Kopka and At Large Councilwoman-elect Nina Nichols. In case you didn’t know, they all won handily.



WADE and McCANN



I’ve been around long enough to know that county Chair Tom Wade and City Chair Jack McCann and a bunch of other people had something to do with the wins but Napier’s name was on about every press release sent out so he did play a pretty big role.

And I hear Napier might stay on as Rosmailia’s spokesman, which makes sense. He obviously knows Rosamilia and he is close with a number of members of the Council so he seems like a logical choice.

Anyway, it was a hell of a year for the Democrats in Troy. The fact they hold an overwhelming enrollment advantage certainly had something to do with it, but they were able to take advantage of that and they had a hell of a year.

DUNNE

It looks like Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, is not going away quietly. And, honestly, I would expect nothing less.



MCCANN and MASON



At last night’s Finance Committee meeting, Dunne refused to extend the terms of two city marshals, Rick Mason, a longtime Democratic Party operative, and Jack McCann, the party’s city chair, because, Dunne said, their terms don't expire until March.

Be that as it may, the Troy Housing Authority board is poised to give former Deputy Mayor Dan Crawley a two-year extension as executive secretary, and his term isn’t up for another four years.

I guess it all depends on who is asking for the extension, who has the power to grant it and the relationship between the two.

Crawley, of course, has a sympathetic board since all the members were appointed by his longtime friend Mayor Harry Tutunjian. If you remember, the board appointed by then Mayor Mark Pattison, a Democratic, did the same thing for his buddy then Executive Secretary Mario Musolino.

LOPORTO

Dunne, however, has butted heads with members of his own party including Councilman Michael LoPorto, A Democrat who sits in an At Large seat until Dec. 31 and who earlier this month lost a bid in District 4 on the WFP line.

MCGRATH

Dunne backed the Democrat, Robert Doherty, for the seat he is term limited out of so let’s just say LoPorto and Dunne haven’t seen eye-to-eye on too much lately. And LoPorto is close to McCann, despite the fact he didn’t get the Democratic nod this year because of that little thing called voter fraud and the fact LoPorto is indicted on scores of felonies. But, I’ve heard McCann and other Democrats sat on their hands in District 4 in an effort to help LoPorto out, which probably didn’t sit too well with Dunne.





And Mason is tight with Kevin McGrath, D-District 1, who crushed Frank LaPosta earlier this month to win another term. I’m not sure if there is a beef between Dunne and McGrath, but I’ve heard McGrath rubbed some of the party hierarchy the wrong way this election season.

My guess, since McCann is the party chairman who just had a good year in the city, he will get re-appointed to the post that can be worth as much as $20,000 a year and so will Mason, since McGrath will be back on the council come Jan. 1. But, Dunne is making them sweat a bit.



GORDON

A few more names are being bantered about to take over the Legislative seat Lou Rosmailia will vacate when he becomes mayor on Jan. 1 or shortly before. About the only thing for sure is that it will be a Republican since they control the chamber 13-6.

Jim Gordon, the Republican city chair who ran an unsuccessful bid for an At Large seat on the council is said to be “foaming at the mouth” over the possibility. Gordon has done a bunch up in the ‘Burgh and city wide for that matter, but the fact remains he didn’t finish in the top three and that sends a signal to the powers that be in the GOP since whoever gets the spot will have to run next year and then again in 2013.

KILLIPS



Tom Killips, who also ran At Large, is said to have thrown his name into the hat but he has the same problem as Gordon – he didn’t finish in the top three. And, honestly, finished six of six which probably doesn’t boost the GOP’s confidence given next year is an “Obama year,” as the GOP is calling it, which will turn out the Democrats even more than this year.


 

Then there are two young council candidates – Seamus Donnelly and Dan Mahoney - who stuck their neck out there and if the GOP wants to revive itself after the trouncing the Democrats gave it on Nov. 8, it’s going to need some new blood. And Debra Lockrow ran as a Republican in District 4 as well, though she initially wanted to run with the Democrats so at best she is a long shot.





TUTUNJIAN

John Mainello, who worked hard for the Republican mayoral candidate Carmella Mantello, is said to be interested in the spot. And Mantello is said to want it too.

My bet is, though, it’s Mayor Harry Tutunjian who is term-limited out and an extra $20,000 for not a lot of heavy lifting is appealing to anyone but it’s especially appealing to someone who needs a job. More importantly, he is leaving with a 67+ percent approval rating and has already won city wide twice. 

Whoever the GOP picks, i.e. Rich Crist, will be someone who has a shot at winning next year because right now the party holds a super majority, but if they lose next year, the “veto-proof” adjective before their caucus goes away. CORRECTION: If the Democrat wins next year it will still be 13-6. My bad. I failed math.









ROSAMILIA

Everyone is convinced Mayor-elect Lou Rosmailia is a nice guy with a good heart but nobody is convinced he can run the city without some help.

He said he wants to be the ambassador, so to speak, to get out there and market the city he loves with all his heart. That’s nice.

But who is going to make sure the roads are plowed and the garbage is picked up? Who is going to court developers to expand the tax base and create jobs? Who is going to make sure code enforcement remains vigilant? And who is going to stand up to the unions when it comes time to sit down and negotiate contracts. Governments across the board are trimming labor costs but most labor unions don’t want to give anything up. Troy’s unions are no exception, and all the contracts are either expired or about to expire.

DUNNE

There are a few names floating around about who Rosamilia will pick as deputy mayor. Councilman Bill Dunne’s name has been out there for a least a month and a half, but I’m not sure if the GOP was putting it out there or it was coming from within the Democrat’s camp. I’ve covered Dunne for eight years and always thought he was a very smart guy and a decent sort but he just has a way of rubbing people the wrong way. I’m not convinced he would be a good deputy mayor because he does rub people the wrong way and when that happens, people just dig in the heels.

RYAN

Peter Ryan’s name is also out there. The Legislature’s minority leader is pretty tight with Rosamilia in and out of politics but I’m not convinced he would be a good deputy mayor either. A solid deputy is the one out front taking the heat for the unpopular decisions any mayor, or any administration, will have to make. If you try to please everyone all the time you please no one … or something like that.

Then, there is Deputy Chief Richard “Buddy” McAvoy, but honestly I haven’t heard his name in a while.

Rosamilia would be wise to not listen to anyone within the political realm when he picks his deputy and looks for someone with book and street smarts, a whole lot of common sense and someone who isn’t afraid to piss some people off once in a while. Not that whoever gets the job should necessarily go out of his or her way to do piss anyone off, it’s just that it’s inevitable when you are trying to run an old poor, upstate former industrial city.

Two more names are out and about:
- Ed McGrath: brother to Councilman Kevin McGrath who just trounced Frank LaPosta in District 1 and brother to Supreme Court Judge Pat McGrath. Safe to say the McGrath name is pretty strong in Troy.
- Jim Conroy: The eight-year deputy mayor under Mayor Mark Pattison who lost his own mayoral run to Tutunjian in 2003.

 

Join me tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. and tell me what you think about this year’s election.


Obviously, we can talk about the mayor’s race, which has been razor thin before Democrat Lou Rosamilia opened up a 10.9 percent lead according to our last poll thanks to the guys from Gramercy Communications.

However, we didn’t take into account the minor party lines and Republican Carmella Mantello does have the Conservative and Independence parties next to her name. In year’s past, those two lines have been worth as much as 10 to 15 percent.

I think it’s going to be close. Let’s hear what you have to say.

Or we can talk about any of the council races across the city, some I think are going to be close, some not so much.

Or, we can talk about the sheriff’s race between incumbent Jack Mahar and his Democratic challenger Gary Gordon. I thought this one was going to be close until the embarrassing tape recordings were released last week that captured Gordon, who works in the DA’s office, talking about what sure sounded like he was planning to fix tickets for political supporters.

Or the DA’s rave between incumbent Rich McNally and his challenger Republican Joel Abelove. I thought this one was going to be a blowout but it’s been a rough two weeks for McNally. Is it to little too late for Abelove?

In addition, there are some contested town races as well. While I admit I’m less familiar with some of the towns I’d like to hear what you have to say.

So, pop in for a while anytime between 6 and 7 p.m. tonight and tell us what’s on your mind with Election just about 12 hours away.

MAHAR

GORDON

The last post was entitled “I can’t believe he put it in print.” This one could have been “I can’t believe they didn’t know the jail phones were tapped.” Or, “Use a cell phone stupid.” Or simply “Let’s talk about it over coffee.”

But instead, the Democrat, Gary Gordon, looking to take out Republican Sheriff Jack Mahar, talked to some corrections officers about what sounds like ticket fixing and campaign promises over a jail phone, and of course those conversations were taped.

It’s no secret some COs do not want Mahar and now it’s clear there are some who do. Evidently those in Mahar’s camp were savvy enough to realize the tapes, made between July and September, and would be useful down the stretch run.

And, the stretch run is where such things seem to resonate the most. Sure, there is always the risk of people just turning a blind eye and saying “it’s all political.” But that doesn’t happen when the issue is real. And this certainly seems pretty real. Gordon works as an investigator in the District Attorney’s office and would certainly have the ability to fix a ticket should he choose. I’m not saying he did, and he denies doing it but the tapes are pretty damning.

When Gordon won the Conservative Party primary, everyone said it was going to be a close race. Having the C line gives Republicans a place to go other than the D line should they want to vote against Mahar. There are some who say the C line alone could have been worth up to 7,000 votes for Gordon – 3,500 Mahar would not get and 3,500 Gordon would.

However, as one pretty smart operative said, a campaign is a two-pronged process. First you have to drive voters away from one candidate and then you have to pull voters into your camp. Gordon has done a decent job of pointing out Mahar’s missteps over the past eight years but he really hasn’t done too much to explain why voters should pull the lever for him.

While I may stand corrected, taped phone conversations between political supporters who work in the jail and ticket fixing really doesn’t to a long way towards that end either.

Wow.


That’s about all I can say about the latest bombshell by Brian Premo, the attorney representing Elections Commissioner Ed McDonough in the ongoing voter fraud scandal.

Somehow Premo got his hands on an Aug. 3 email from the special prosecutor Trey Smith to two State Police investigators where Smith just slams an FBI agent who presumably wanted to look into the role District Attorney Rich McNally played in the whole thing as a way to bolster his career. Smith also claims the FBI agent, Alexander MacDonald, is in cahoots with Premo.

“Premo has a willing instrument in MacDonald, who appears to suffer from a number of defects, notably judgment and ambition,” the email states. “I assume that McDonough has maintained his innocence in the WFP matter to SA MacDonald and that MacDonald has bought into it.”

“MacDonald is a very strange individual and I do not trust him,” the email continues. “Anything in his presence may be repeated to Premo.”

I won’t waste time quoting too much of the email as it is attached (scroll to the end.)

Premo Letter 10/31/11

But I have to wonder how Premo got his hands on it. It’s an email from the special prosecutor to the State Police investigators said special prosecutor is supposed to be working hand-in-glove with. It had to come from the State Police and that tells me what some others have been saying is true – some in the State Police don’t like Smith. I guess that was proven when they went ahead and arrested former City Clerk Bill McInerney without Smith’s knowledge.

Also, I’m not really sure, but I’m guessing the FBI doesn’t like to be bashed around by a special prosecutor in Rensselaer County. That’s just a hunch, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they take a more active role in the whole thing.

Smith even has a veiled threat for the State Police regarding what to do about “the possibility, however slight, that McNally has committed a crime or crimes” and what direction to take the case back in August.

“… you both need to think long and hard and draw your own conclusions about how to proceed going forward.”

I can’t believe he would put something like that into print, even if it’s in the supposed confidence of the State Police who are supposed to be on your side.