GOOD BYE GOODBEE, ON TO NOVEMBER 8

GOOD BYE GOODBEE, ON TO NOVEMBER 8

The September 13 Primary has come and gone.

Goodbee did not prevail because: (1) he had no record of civic involvement in Albany for the past 20 years, (2) his campaign  lacked focus, (3) his message was weak, (4) the Working Families Party shunned him,(5) there was no infusion of George Soros cash and  (6)the African-American voters did not come out in sufficient numbers for Goodbee.

Best wishes to Archie Goodbee, a personable and well-spoken man who tried his best.

Jerry Jennings had the power and advantage of incumbency and received a significant amount of tv coverage, in the weeks immediately preceding the September 13, because of a spike in crime including several arsons and a bank robbery-hostage situation.

The  Pre-Primary Sunday Times Union endorsement of Jennings clinched it for Jerry. Primary turnout was about half that of the Joyce-Jennings 1993 Primary. Was the TU move calculated to ensure a low turnout?

A win is a win. Jerry righfully basked in the glow of the Tuesday Primary results. He won and his control of the Common Council is secure.

Jerry has rock star looks and persona, but that will not be enough to prevail in the November 8 General Election.

 

Contrary to Jerry's victory pronouncement,  and to the pronoumcements of talking heads and media pundits before and after the September 13 Primary, the November 8 General Election is not a sure thing for Jerry Jennings.

Why? Analyze this. Jerry's Primary vote total amounts to about 20 percent of the voters eligible to vote November 8. In other words 40, 000 plus, city voters did not vote for Jerry Jennings on September 13. If they come to the polls in large numbers, November 8, the election outcome may be very different.

Why? Jerry Jennings has had 12 years to make Albany a better place to live. This hasn't happened.  Albany has some urgent problems that have occurred, and /or worsened, on Jerry's watch. Now, Jerry has just 6 weeks to fix these problems:

First,   Albany residents are not safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, shopping places or on the streets anywhere in the city. Gun violence, arsons , school violence and disorderly conduct are on the rise.

The solution? A full scale deployment of law enforcement, utilizing Operation Impact, to disarm the criminals and gangs and clear the city streets of anti-social actors.It is essential to immediately disarm the criminals and gangs because they are the eventual allies of the foreign terrorists who are supplying drugs, money and weapons to these domestic terrorists.

Vest Firefighters with peace officer status. Arm them. Make ever fire station a neighborhood police substation.

Recruit and train  and equip civilian, neighborhood police and fire auxiliaries to supplement police and fire department regulars.

Second, The failing Albany City Schools must be fixed.  It is imperative that the schools offer a safe environment conducive to learning the knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential for becoming productive members of society.

 A strict student conduct code in schools, on buses and in neighborhoods around schools, must be enforced. Require school uniforms to replace fashions and gang colors. Remove disorderly, disruptive students from classes. Place them in a boot camp type setting staffed by former military.

Return Albany to a K-8 Neighborhood School system which is best for kids, parents and neighborhoods.

Press the Albany Common Council to send a Home Rule Request to the State Legislature: Amend State law to provide for  (1) shift school budget votes to November elections with votes binding, no reruns, (2) shift school funding from the property to sales/income taxes, so all pay their fair share of support for public schools, and (3) disband the Albany City School District/School Board, merge the school district with city government and make the Mayor and Common Council responsible and accountable for the city public schools.

Third, Albany needs to implement an Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Plan that truly secures the city water supply, sewer system and Port of Albany. Individuals, households, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, schools, health providers, food stores and distributors, utilities and the local transporation system are not prepared to deal with a major emergency, disaster or terrorists attack.

The recent tragic hurricane devestation of New Orleans illustrates how ill prepared government, at all levels, institutions and the citizenry are to cope with disaster. The looting, lawlessness and disorder will be sure to follow, if Albany suffers a disaster or terrorist attack. If multiple disasters, and/or terror attacks occur simultaneously, Albany would be on it's own. In turn, citizens would be on their own.

Therefore,the City Albany must prepare an Emergency /Disaster Plan that includes active readiness and preparation on the part of all city residents.

Scrap the plans for a 7 million dollar amphitheater at the Corning Preserve and a 200 million dollar plus convention center in Downtown Albany. 

Use those monies to provide for a truly effective Emergency/Disaster Plan, security of the Port of Albany , the city water supply and sewer system.

Build more and better downtown housing so commuters have the option of living near work.

Scrap plans to privatize the Harriman State Office Campus. It makes no sense to crowd more workers into an already crowded downtown with a  colonial  street pattern and inadequate parking.

Furthermore, stacking lots of workers in multistory glass office buildings in a congested downtown is inviting chaos in an age of terrorism.

For more: Go to democracyinalbany.com. Click on Election 2005. Scroll to Sullivan. Click on WAMC Radio Interview, Metroland Interview and Sullivan Platform, or explore earlier entries in this Sullivan Blog.

Want campaign reform? Term limits? A candidate with clear stands on issues vital to the future of Albany and all who call Albany home?

You have one!      VOTE   Joseph P. Sullivan for Albany Mayor

                                  Row A  Tuesday, November 8, 6 am - 9 pm

 

PS  Don't look for lawn signs blighting the cityscape, tons of literature litter dumped on your door step, or constant telephone calls bidding you to get your asses to the polls.

All you need to know will be posted right here.

MAKE THE EFFORT TO BECOME INFORMED AND VOTE.

It is your civic duty as an American.