Democracy In Albany - New York Politics || Jennings divides city Dems..

Jennings divides city Dems..

By hawkny, Section Diaries
Posted on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 06:32:23 AM EST

The recent effort to create a Democratic City Committee in Albany is experiencing minimal success. Only 8 of the city's 15 ward leaders have agreed to follow Mayor Jenning's lead to break away from the Albany County Democratic Committee. The 7 wards remaining with the county organization include the 15th, controlled by co-chairperson, Frank Commisso.

Interested observers also note that several of those wards following the maverick mayor are headed by city employees. Thus, their support for Jerry has to be considered suspect in future municipal elections.

Is Jennings cutting off his nose to spite his face with this move? Only time will tell but conventional wisdom that "he has played the final card in his on-going 'war' with the Breslin organization" has considerable merit from this writer's point of view.

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Jennings divides city Dems.. | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

hawk (none / 0) (#1)
by alfrednewman on Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 07:16:54 AM EST

Hawkny:

I think that we should all view the creation of a city committee as step forward, regardless of the political motivations that caused it. Times change.

Once it made sense for the city to not have a committee. Bethlehem and Colonie were farm towns and most of the population was in the city so the county committee was, in effect, the city committee. The `burbs' had little population and frankly didn't really matter.

Now the population has changed. The middle class are more likely living in Colonie then they are on Manning Blvd. The issues facing a Democrat is Colonie and the hill towns isn't the same as the issues that people in Albany face. We have different priorities.

There are also far more minorities living in the city of Albany then there are in Colonie and Bethlehem. Having a large county committee diluted the minority wards voice and political power, in effect disenfranchising them. Now the minority community will have a greater say in how the city Democrats conduct their business.

As far as the uptown wards and Commisso staying with the county committee. I am sure that there are reasons, like Frank Commisso's leadership post and his chairmanship of the audit and finance committee. If he were to back Jennings then somehow I don't think that his legislative positions and his nice patronage job at the Port of Albany would be all that secure.
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

: Great! (none / 0) (#3)
by ObnoxioTheClown on Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 09:49:43 AM EST

So will the next Albany Mayor be the like a David Dinkins? We could shut down the whole city in the winter-time so that the black folks can park in the middle of the street!

[ Parent ]

port pays good (none / 0) (#2)
by joealbanyny on Wed Oct 10, 2007 at 01:29:32 PM EST

http://www.portofalbany.com/

commish of water is big boss at the port

JoeANY, So is Commisso. (none / 0) (#4)
by Jim Travers on Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 03:26:17 PM EST

Al, while I agree with your comment in general,
the reality is that the city's entire population remains at less than a third of the county's.

The suburban and hilltowns will always defeat the city's agenda if they ever unite on any issue.

I think you are wrong on this (none / 0) (#5)
by mailer daemon on Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 05:05:14 PM EST

The fact remains that all every other town and city in albany county has a democratic committee. Why can't albany? No one has accused Green island or Watervliet from defecting from the ACDC. They exist with the same rules as the Albany DC. As a matter of fact, they are given the right to operate as a committee from the ACDC. Those who do not wish to be active, such as frank and some of the COUNTY employees that are ward leaders, could step up and do both, just like the rest of the County.

So the idea that they are splintering off is completely wrong. they exist along with the other groups such as Bethlehem, Guilderland, Watervliet, Green Island, Cohoes, etc, etc, etc.

Jim (none / 0) (#6)
by alfrednewman on Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 05:48:03 PM EST

There is a secondary reason for supporting a seperate city committee. In most cities there is a two party political system which gives a sort of check on coruption and incompetence.

The City of Albany does not have an effective second party and many people who move here choose not to enroll in a party at all.

As the city Democrats loose the diluting effect of the more traditionally conservative suburbs a rift will develop between the liberal wing of the city party and the more conservative wing of the city party. With luck this split will lead to the formation of a second party and actual honest to God contested elections.

"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

Jennings divides city Dems.. | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

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