Chairman Reid cuts meeting short to avoid the heat

Rather than face a call for his resignation, Chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislator Martin Reid adjourned Tuesday's monthly meeting before the “Legislator’s Privilege” piece of the agenda - which gives the elected officials the opportunity to speak on whatever is on their minds.

 “Mr. Reid’s actions tonight reinforce why we are calling for his resignation immediately,” said Legislator Len Welcome, D-Troy, one of six Democrats on the 19-member body in a press release. “We had planned to ask Mr. Reid to do the right thing and step down as chairman.”

Reid came under fire after a state Department of Labor administrative law judge found he had “willfully and intentionally misrepresented the facts” in order to collect some $15,300 in unemployment benefits. Reid began collecting after he was let go from a nearly $80,000 job at the state School Boards Association. He failed, however, to tell the DOL he was working as chairman of the Legislature at an annual salary of $30,000.

Reid did reach a settlement with the DOL that includes paying a $2,300 civil fine and repaying the $15,300 out of any future unemployment benefits he receives, according to the Times Union.

The Department of Labor has referred the case to District Attorney Joel Abelove to investigate and possibly prosecute. Abelove has not yet said if he intends to follow through.

“Since that time, numerous constituents have contacted me to express outrage at these findings, which involve the wrongful taking of taxpayer funds and a violation of the public trust,” said Legislator Cindy Doran, D-Troy, in a statement she was prepared to read before Reid cut the meeting short. “I am calling for Chairman Reid to resign his chairmanship post immediately so that the Legislature may move forward under new, unblemished leadership.”

“I believe Chairman Reid’s continuing leadership of the Rensselaer County Legislature is inappropriate and that it will distract from the important work we have been elected to do,” said Legislator Gary Pavlic, D-Troy.

 “What galls me is the fact that he has not repaid the $15,335 which he obtained by dishonesty and deceit,” said Legislator Mark Fleming, D-Troy.

The "Legislator's Privilege" is on the Feb. 10 agenda and is slated or the last item of business before the meeting is adjourned. 

Reid, and the majority’s spokesman Rich Crist, could not be reached for comment.  

(As an aside, this is the first time the Democratic minority has done or said anything of significance in more than a decade.)

Legislator: Shooting victim didn't call the police so all is well

PAVLIC

Everything in Troy is political. Everything. If someone on the Council sneezes – or doesn’t sneeze, someone cries foul, creates a Facebook page and then threatens to run them out of office.

The shooting Sunday at Kokopellis is no different, and social media has been abuzz about it almost to the frenzy it was in the weeks following the infamous Jan. 25 2014 melee. An unarmed black man was shot allegedly by the one of the bar’s owners Joe Glick, according to sources. Police expect to charge Glick by mid-week.

Political opponents are quick to point out that Council President Rodney Wiltshire was critical of the police in the aftermath of the melee and Councilman Bob Doherty accompanied the owners at a hearing in front of the State Liquor Authority. As far as I know, the councilmen have been silent on the latest episode.

But, Legislator Gary Pavlic, D-Troy, also defended the bar during the Public Safety Committee hearings and he wasn’t quiet. He defended the bar on Facebook, telling others in the threat about how he used to go to the bar and never had any problems.

At one point he took a veiled shot at the police, saying he used to wave at them while they sat in their cars at the bank parking lot located near the bar. One of the Glicks complaints was that police were harassing their clientele and scaring away businesses.  

Pavlic, during a debate on Facebook said: “It’s been closed since Jan. 1. The even last night was a private farewell party by invitation only. This would not be a story if one of the attendees did not call after everything was over and done with. The person who was shot is fine and did not call police as far as I understand.”

Rather than worry about the shooting of an unarmed black man, Pavlic said: “Onto using our energy to improve our beautiful city!!!”

Must be a new take on the the whole “If you see something say something,” which is the mantra of Homeland Security and about every neighborhood watch program in the nation.  Following Pavlic’s lead, this new philosophy of citizen activism is more along the lines of “no harm, no foul …” or at least “no bad harm, no foul.”

Come to think of it, there was more of a stink made when the police allegedly used excessive force against an unarmed black man in the same bar almost a year ago. The FBI investigated and found they did not. Maybe, if this unarmed black man had been killed, Pavlic would take more of an interest.