Democracy In Albany

With regards to the FBI investigation of Wilcox's crime spree with his buddy Dare, he initially said he didn't know of it.   Later on he said he knew of it but hadn't been given an "official" briefing.   Once again, one word makes a world of difference.

And, he claimed that Soares should've met with him to brief him on the cop who was buying steroids illegally.    In that case we also later learned that Soares had briefed him.

Sort of like when Jennings said that the cops who were drunk and crashed their cars were being disciplined.  He said they were "not working".    Of course they were working and being paid, they had just been reassigned.    

I guess you can't really blame Tuffey and Jennings.  Obviously they have no ethical qualms about lying so what reason would they have to tell the truth?   They keep lying and Jennings keeps getting re-elected and they all keep getting fat raises and fancy SUV's to drive around on the taxpayer's dime.     So far it has worked.  

Could this be because the files were stolen by the very same person who is providing them to the TU?

Maybe the FBI should be looking to see who took these files and prosecute them for hindering the investigation.

Whatcha think?  

And old JT ain't doin' a damn thing to change that opinion.

To give a free pass to Tuffey for his seemingly incessant lying about very serious public safety issues simply because he's the newest in this adminstration's long line of chiefs would be as ludicrous as us giving Jennings a free pass for screwing up Albany's finances because he's had a long line of mayors preceed him. (73)

Lying, we are all taught, is wrong. When the liar is a cop, the offense is greater. When the liar is the Chief of Police, the offense should be unforgivable, not just because he lied, but because he is the paramount example of what his and our Law Enforcement officers should strive to exemplify.

How the Chief decides to relate to the public, the people who pay his salary, is not something that can be blamed on the many chiefs who held his position before his tenure. Nor could it be if he had but a single predecessor.

Tuffey alone decides which words he chooses to use, just as we all do.

While I agree with your last sentence, I'm afraid that this chief will not be the one who reins in APD's bad apples, for he is one of that bunch.

Let's have a look:  The T-Useless prints an abominable editorial about its multi-year FOIL request about this really-old-news machine gun caper.  Waxes all huffy-puffy-Tuffey about it. Nothing in it about the larger dysfunction of the ruling political class, the revolving door police chief issue being a mere side show to keep the few restless natives occupied.  Certainly nothing in it explaining, chapter and verse, why the sole remaining newspaper in the Capital City of the State of New York,  won't truly flex its muscle to change the political paradigm in this city.

Our wonderful host, DIA, hops in with a repeat regurgitation along the lines of James Carville counseling Slick Willy about the definition of "is", and then runs off atwitter with his usual politics of personal destruction shtick.

The blog chorines chime in indignantly, and then squabble amongst themselves. Champ does his usual splendid impersonation of an Albany Thug, twice.

No one states the obvious: this is a non-issue to the voters, and that is why the political class, as a sick organism, offers it as an issue.  

If the mayor stops destroying the city finances,  I will treat him with the kid gloves you apparently think he  deserves.

I agree that there is personal destruction going on.   Self destruction.   Jerry and Jimmy engage in it far too often.   Maybe you can give them some suggestions on how to curb this behavior since you are the idea man.

The top issue facing this city is a financial one.  Followed by a public safety one.  The public cares about those.   There are planning issues, educations issues, vacant building issues, etc.  The fact that the top law enforcement officer is a serial liar deserves to be documented, IMHO.   People who want to dismiss that behavior will never help solve a damn thing.  

Since you are such a Carville fan, I"m sure you are aware of the one smart thing he ever said.   In Albany, in 2009, his words will ring very true.

There are people in this city clinging to the old ways.   Some are in power.   Some aren't.   Neither are doing a damn thing to fix the problems.

- - But then Lil'Jimmy Tuffey goes in front of the Albany Common Council and tells them the machine guns were never deployed for police purposes.  Tuffey's quote: "None of those weapons were ever used in the official (line of duty). ... We never owned those weapons, ever."

WTF?

Where's the truth Roscoe?  Where's the integrity?

If I'm the Albany Police Chief for two weeks, two years or two decades - I am sworn to tell the truth to the other two branches of government.

You call it bullshit, I call it breaking the law.

For a long time now, Lil'Jimmy Tuffey has needed to stop acting like the Albany Police Union Pres., and start acting like a real police chief who disciplines the bad cops on the force.  Seems Lil'Jimmy can't break out of old roles.

When the head of the main law enforcement agency for the City of Albany tries for TWO YEARS to cover-up and lie his agency out of a machine gun scandal that has multiple officers and a former Assistant Chief breaking various laws; and the end result is machine guns end up in local gun shops and several other machine guns cannot be accounted for - that guy needs to be shit-canned as fast as possible. Well Jerry J, are you ready to dismiss your appointed Chief?

+ crickets chirping +

You seem to think the voters don't care about these issues. I think you're 100% wrong. The one thing that taxpayers DO care about are the basics of City government: police and fire protection. When these basic functions start to get f'ed up, the voters quickly look for options and alternatives.  Consdering the APD management's record on the MACHINE GUN SCANDAL: http://www.democracyinalbany.com/story/2007/12/23/65452/115  and considering APD management's record in general: http://www.democracyinalbany.com/story/2008/2/19/596/99633   I think the voters are desparate for alternatives.

Albany's going to make it just fine, even after the Jerry/Jimmy/Nicky/Joey reign of error, but it's going to make it because new officals are going to be elected in 2009 - the kind of elected officals who don't lie to the courts and to City Council members trying to do oversight on a law enforcement agency where the Chief is out-of-control.

There are plenty of great people with good ideas out there waiting for their opportunity to challenge the Jerry/Jimmy wrecking crew in 2009. In my opinion, 2009 can't come soon enough.

Happy August,