Democracy In Albany - New York Politics ||

State of the City

By DIA, Section News
Posted on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 04:36:38 AM EST

From the Times Union

Mayor Jerry Jennings pledges to focus more aggressively on blight and warns that the city's finances face trouble ahead without stronger state support or competent city leadership.

Here is the short version of the state of the state.

- I will beg the state for more money.

- We are in really bad financial shape. I think we need to find new ways to make money aka revenue. I offer you no ideas on how to do this. I also offer no ideas on how to cut spending or balance the budget. I repeat, we are in really bad financial shape, I have no solutions other than begging the state (who you may have noticed are in really bad financial shape). Maybe we could have everyone dontate their $600 check they get from President Bush?

- As yesterday's PR blitz proved, chief tuffey's plan is working and the city is very safe.

- The Block by Block program will fix our neighborhoods even without funding (although I'll beg for more funding).

- The convention center will be delightful and save us all. I really like Governor Spitzer. I will beg him for some money for the convention center.

- We will continue to expand the landfill despite it not really making money like I say it does. We realize treehuggers and buglovers are opposed to this but we don't care because they have no money.

- We have a gang prevention program. There, I said "gang", are you happy?

- The city spent $8 million on youth programs but couldn't cough up $25,000 to keep the community centers open on weekends.

- God Bless DIA

Note: He did not use the word "renaissance". He did use the word "wharfage".

Second Note: Should you be concerned when your local blogger predicts a serious financial crisis two years before your mayor? Or your treasurer?

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State of the City | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)

What about Bars (none / 0) (#1)
by Corruptany on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 06:53:55 AM EST

He said nothing about the entertainment district. Hmm, My crystal ball shows that Jerry Jennings Block by Block program is actually going to make the whole city one big entertainment district.

On a side note, I wonder if Jerry Jennings and Tom Menino know each other. I sometimes wonder if they are one in the same, or at least studied city management at the same place. Maybe they can run for president on the ticket, "It can't get much worse".

"What" you say ??????? (none / 0) (#2)
by hawkny on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 02:47:29 PM EST

Jerry never studied,anything, anywhere, at any time, especially public management. He supposedly drank his way through Brockport...and SUNYA too...

"supposedly" (none / 0) (#3)
by DIA on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 02:52:53 PM EST

now that is funny.

: Jennings (none / 0) (#4)
by Corruptany on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 03:41:30 PM EST

No wonder he got SUNYA's medallion, another proud product of the lampost.....On a side note, did he ditch Sweeney as his drinking buddy.

[ Parent ]

Doesn't he own the post (none / 0) (#5)
by Corruptany on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 03:42:22 PM EST

Does anyone know if this is true, I swear back in my days at UAlbany, there was a rumor going around that Jennings owned the post.

Naw... (none / 0) (#6)
by hawkny on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 07:17:46 PM EST

I knew Johnny Triffiletti, who had the deed to the down stairs portion of the Lamp Post at that time. The guy who owned the liquor store around the corner (I forget his name) owned the rest of the business and the building.

: Post (none / 0) (#7)
by Corruptany on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 07:34:58 PM EST

I still think I heard Jennings or someone big in Albany politics had some sort of stake in that place. It just seems odd that the place is known throughout the tri-state area as being the ultimate under age drinking establishment and somehow never seems to be raided. I remember not even showing my id and getting into that place. Come on, Bob Reilly used to own the Pub. That was a good place though.

[ Parent ]

Roger Martel & Tony Sabatino were ... (none / 0) (#8)
by Jim Travers on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 08:25:07 PM EST

partners in the Lamp Post. Roger sold his interest to Tony long ago, only a few years after they opened it. I believe it's changed hands a few times since Tony sold it. I remember the asking price for the downstairs club, I can't remember its name, was $2 mil. One of my favorite haunts in the early eighties along with O'Heaney's, the WT and when I got drunk enough, Frank's Living Room. Oh, the stories I could tell!

: Frank's (none / 0) (#11)
by Tom Paine on Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 08:43:37 AM EST

Oh man, Frank's Living Room....50 cent beers, those were the days.

[ Parent ]

The Landfill (none / 0) (#9)
by Jim Travers on Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 09:20:35 PM EST

There is no guarantee at all that the NYS DEC will take pity on the city's financial hardship and approve the Rapp Road Expansion. The city has done nothing to reduce the flow of waste from outside the ANSWERS consortium communities, which accounts for at least 2/3 of all waste being dumped there. We all know about the 'sweetheart' deal the mayor made with Allied behind closed doors that saw Allied being charged $14 less a ton than Albany was charging its neighboring communities, the ANSWERS consortium members. This deal cost you between $6 and $8 million each year since being made.

But he's managed to budget $11+ million for the expansion into this year's expenses and another $9+ million for '09.

The city has done nothing within its power to extend the longevity of landfill and has for several years known it would meet its end one day. In fact that have done just the opposite by maximizing the annual intake of garbage from outside sources even beyond its permitted daily capacity. They have been accepting Construction & Demolition waste, one of the primary causes of the odor, which they have not been permitted to do.

How did they deal with the odor? The bought a $2 million tarp to cover it. Sorta like sweeping the problem under the rug, so to speak. Hey, it's only money - your money.

So instead of respecting the state environmental laws, the city disregards them and now expects to be rewarded by being granted a permit to expand the landfill again, for the third time.

No new comprehensive recycling program has been initiated to help divert some of the waste heading to the landfill and it seems the city is waiting until the state orders them to do so before dealing with their own and others' waste mindfully and modernly.

Jerry's good at spending your money but not on planning for a stable future.

The biggest mistake Albanians have made was to reelect Jennings your mayor - continually, over the past 14 years. He should be impeached! How can you afford to do otherwise?

: Off topic (none / 0) (#10)
by Corruptany on Sat Jan 26, 2008 at 08:18:24 AM EST

I havn't lived in Albany for at least 5 years, but everytime I go back I feel like every place that was Albany is gone. No more Pub, no more Q-e2, no more live music at Bogies, no more Town Tavern. If Jennings has his way and Park South becomes yuppidom, I am sure Valentines will be gone.
I remember back in the day when the Lionheart was this cool wine bar with Jazz, now its fake plastic people pretending to be artsy. Today's Albany seems so fake. Its like a bunch of people who are nobodies go out to these fake upscale places and think their somebodies. Its like Long Island north now, its not Albany. Albany used to have its own culture, now its becoming the latest casualtie in the war on uniqueness.

[ Parent ]

State of the City | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)

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