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| SULLIVAN-TETA |
Councilwoman Erin Sullivan-Teta peeled
away from her two Democratic colleagues on Monday’s vote to issue subpoenas in
the investigation into controversial demolition projects in the city.
I’ve never met Sullivan-Teta, but
a week ago she stood by Councilwoman Lynn Kopka, D-At Large, and Councilman
Gary Galuski, D-District 6, as Mayor Lou Rosamilia decried the investigation as
a “witch hunt.”
Her change of heart is telling.
For starters, it reinforces what
everyone involved Capital Region politics already knows – her brother, Mike
Sullivan, is no dummy.
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| WILTSHIRE |
Sullivan worked for former U.S.
Rep. Mike McNulty for years and is now across the river working for Gov. Andrew
Cuomo somewhere. He is a behind the scenes kind of guy but he knows the game as
well as anyone – he learned from one of the best, Tom Matthews, after all - and
I’ll be my house his consult was one reason his sister changed her mind.
Since Mike Sullivan, known as Sully, is no dummy,
he must see the writing on the wall when it comes to Rosamilia. By that I mean
the mayor is in such a weak spot on so many different levels that there is no
way he runs again.
And if it’s not the mayor, then
who from the camp of Chairman Tom Wade is left?
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| KOPKA |
Kopka considered running when the
nod went to Clement “Chappy” Campana more than two years ago and she is the next
logical choice. But, she isn’t doing herself any favors by opposing the Council
investigation into what is widely seen as a couple pretty big screw ups by
members of the administration.
Then there is President Rodney Wiltshire.
It’s no secret he has political ambitions and is thus far looking pretty good
in what is a dicey situation. Thing is, he alienated the Wade crew by taking
the Independence Party line from the Republicans and that helped knock Kopka, a
Wade loyalist, out of the presidency last year.
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| ROSAMILIA |
So long as Wade is around, I don’t
see Wiltshire getting the nod without a primary and he’s said he won’t primary
Rosamilia. That was a while ago and things could change. If it comes down to a
primary between Kopka and Wiltshire, the early money is on Wiltshire.
Obstructing a Council investigation into what has been the most ineffective
borderline corrupt administration in nearly two decades is not something to put
on a palm card.
And then what happens to Wade?
I guess there are other Democrats
who would made decent candidates like Legislator Peter Grimm, Legislator Cindy
Doran, a registered Conservative, or even someone from a while ago like former
Deputy Mayor Jim Conroy.
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| WADE |
But, Troy voters, the majority of
which are Democrats, have proven they will toss entire slates of either party
if they don’t like what’s going on and I don’t see how anyone could like what’s
going on right now. There are no less than three federal agencies and a state
agency snooping around the Collar City.
At this point he only thing the
Democrats have going for them is the Republican Party. They have nobody, and
there are some who would just as soon cross endorse Wiltshire instead of taking
a pounding at the polls in November 2015.
Anyway, the vote to issue
subpoenas passed by a 7-2 count and the method of issuing them passed 6-3 with
Councilman Bob Doherty, D-District 4, voting against. Doherty may have a point
in that a document signed by the majority of Council members as opposed to a
formal public vote might not hold up to legal scrutiny. I honestly don’t know,
and I don’t think anyone does until a judge rules, or if it will even goes that
far. While I applaud Wiltshire for doing what he is doing, he is making it more
complicated than it has to be. That said, he is plugging along.
