34 DAYS TO ELECTION DAY: REASONS TO ELECT A NEW MAYOR

34 DAYS TO ELECTION DAY: REASONS TO ELECT A NEW MAYOR AND NEW COMMON COUNCIL

1. OPERATION IMPACT has not been stepped up to disarm criminals and gangs, and to clear the streets of anti-social individuals and groups. Law abiding citizens are not safe in their homes or on the streets anywhere in Albany.

2. NO EFFORT BY MAYOR AND HIS COMMON COUNCIL ALLIES TO FIX THE FAILING ALBANY CITY SCHOOLS.

   A) No Home Rule Request from the Common Council to the State Legislature calling for:

     a1) disbanding the City School District/School Board and vesting authority/accountability for the city schools with the Mayor and Common Council,

     a2) shifting school budget votes to November elections, with results binding - no reruns,

     a3) shifting public school funding from the property to sales/income taxes. so that all pay their fair share of public school support.

    B) No Action Locally to:

     b1) return to a K-8 neighborhood city school system, which is best for kids, parents and neighborhoods,

    b2) require school uniforms and ban gang colors/insignia,

    b3) remove unruly, violent students from classrooms, so that serious students may enjoy a safe environment conducive to learning,

    b4)implement and enforce a strict student conduct code in schools, on streets and on buses.

3. THE MAYOR AND HIS COUNCIL ALLIES HAVE FAILED TO ENACT A LOCAL LAW PROVIDING FOR A 15 MONTH MORATORIUM ON REZONINGS, USE/AREA VARIANCES PENDING CREATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE CITYWIDE LAND USE MASTER
PLAN AND REVISED CITY ZONING CODE, with the participation, advice and consent of residents of city neighborhoods.

      Piece-meal urban renewal projects like Park South and Mid-Town only shift the blight and crime to Uptown neighborhoods.

      The proper way to redevelop the neighborhood residential integrity and quality of life in the City of Albany is to secure the Uptown neighborhoods and work back through Mid and Downtown. This approach will contain the transfer of blight and crime and assure the the property tax paying Uptown neighborhoods continue to provide the revenue needed to support city services and city schools. Eventually, all neighborhoods can be redeveloped and improved so that they pay their fair share of support for city services and city schools.

4. THREE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGLES CONCEIVED BY THE JENNINGS ADMINISTATION AND BACKED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL- HAVE NOT BEEN RESCINDED:

 a) the 7 million dollar plus amphitheater for the Corning Preserve,

 b) the 235 million dollar plus Downtown Convention Center,

 c) privatizing the Harriman State Office Campus and relocating state workers to an already congested downtown where adequate parking and housing are not available.

5. THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL HAVE FAILED TO STRICTLY ENFORCE SPEED LIMITS IN CITY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO PROCLAIM THIS TO BE CITY POLICY.

6. THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL HAVE NOT REASSURED CITY RESIDENTS THAT THE CITY OF ALBANY HAS AN EMERGENCY/DISASTER PLAN THAT ANTICIPATES AND ADDRESSES THE KINDS OF NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTERS AND TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT MAY BEFALL ALBANY IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

7. IN UPTOWN ALBANY - THE STRIPING OF THE NEWLY PAVED NEW SCOTLAND AVE, KRUM KILL ROAD, BUCKINGHAM DRIVE, HACKETT BLVD AND WHITEHALL ROAD IS NOTHING MORE THAN DECALS WHICH WILL BE SCRAPED AWAY BY CITY SNOW
PLOWS WHEN THE FIRST SNOWS COME.

8. IN UPTOWN ALBANY- NO ACTION BY THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE RESIDENTIAL INTEGRITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE:

 a) The derelict former gas station at Whitehall and New Scotland has not been razed and replaced with the Dan O'Connell Memorial Pocket Park,

 b) The Dan O'Connell Senior Housing/Neighborhood CommunityCenter has not been built on the adjacent 8-10 acres.

 c)  The 23 acre Neighborhood Green Belt bordered by New Scotland Ave/Krum Kill Rd/Crescent Dr/NYSTW and Rte85 has not happened. The  City already owns the western 10 acre parcel. The 5 acre landlocked parcel is for sale by the owner who favors a green belt. This 5 acre parcel could be acquired by a NYS Parks Dept matching grant (With support of Gov Pataki). The remaining 7 acres could be acquired by means of a Transfer of Development Rights arrangement between the city and the owners.

 d) The 7.5 wooded, steep-sloped ravine, containing a tributary of the Normans Kill, two small wetlands, Indian camp sites/artifacts, and a natural habitat for wildlife and birds , could be set aside as a natural area and rezoned as such/ The city could compensate the owner through a Transfer of Development Right arrangement, whereby, the owner (also a developer) could build needed high rise housing Downtown. The woodlands should not be removed from the steep slopes because this will generate flooding in the ravine and downstream residential areas of North Bethlehem. The trees also serve as a buffer to adjacent Thruway traffic noise as well as combatting air pollution to protect neighboring residential areas of the 14th and 15th wards. This is more important because of plans to add a third lane to the Thruway.

 e) Buckingham Pond Park is in great need of improvement. The pond and park are in dismal shape. The holding pond at Davis and Berkshire is a hazard as well as polluted with lawn chemicals, fertilizers, and road salt which drain into the main pond. The main pond is dying as a result. Flocks of ducks and geese, fed by unwitting individuals who feed them (in summer only) are polluting the shore area with excrement, and disease organisms. This is very serious for pets and humans with the likely arrival of a bird flu epidemic from Asia.

9. UPTOWN ALBANY NEEDS AND INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE. INCLUDING BEAT/BIKE PATROLS

THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL HAVE HAD 12 YEAR TO
ADDRESS THESE AND OTHER ISSUES VITAL TO THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF ALBANY, AND ALL WHO CALL ALBANY HOME.

THE MAYOR AND COMMOM COUNCIL HAVE NOT.

GIVE ME FOUR YEARS AS MAYOR AND I  WILL!

THANK YOU                                              Joseph Patrick Sullivan

 

NOVEMBER 8  6 am- 9 pm  VOTE SULLIVAN  MAYOR    ROW A

No one will call. It is your duty to get to the polls and cast informed votes.

PASS THE WORD TO FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS -

YOU WIN IF I WIN!