Friday, April 4, 2014

The politics of Scolite


WILTSHIRE
Now that the dust is settling on what was a pretty dusty deal to sell the Scolite property to RJ Valente one thing is clear: Council President Rodney Wiltshire is setting himself up for a mayoral run.
True, the dynamics changed a bit since Wiltshire was one of six votes to move the deal out of committee two weeks ago, but if he wanted to play nice with Mayor Lou Rosamilia and the rest of the Democratic Party proper, he would have tabled it as the mayor wanted to do Thursday morning.
The dynamics I’m referring to, of course, are the FBI making inquiries and a strongly worded letter written by the attorney representing one of the bidders - a conglomerate of companies including Don Fane - not awarded the South Troy chunk of land which indicated a lawsuit was coming should the Council approve the deal.
WADE
But still, Wiltshire could have tabled the ordinance. Instead, in an email to his Council colleagues Thursday, he said he was pushing it to a vote and it ended up getting shot down by a 5-4 count. Wiltshire and Councilwoman Anastasia Robertson, D-District 2, changed their votes and Councilman Dean Bodnar, R-District 3, who was absent from the committee meeting also voted no.
Thursday morning saw a flurry of activity. First Rosamilia wanted to amend the ordinance to remove the licensing provision extended to Valente and convert it to a straight sale pending state approval. But, that would have needed six votes that obviously weren’t there. Then the mayor wanted it tabled, but since it was already on the agenda it was Wiltshire’s call and he refused. He really couldn't orchestrate the administration's unorganized efforts but he certainly took advantage of them.
KOPKA
It’s a pretty gutsy move by Wiltshire because he did make Rosamlia look bad - and weak - and he further alienated himself from the party and that includes Chairman Tom Wade.
If you remember, Wiltshire got the Independence Party line thanks to the GOP and he used that along with Working Families Party support to wrest the Council presidency away from Councilwoman Lynn Kopka, D-At Large, a party loyalist. True, Kopka came in third behind Erin Sullivan-Teta, but she too is loyal to the Dems. In other words he made no friends by playing footsie with the GOP and lost even more by butting heads with Rosamilia.  
Wiltshire has said he wants to run for mayor but won’t primary Rosamilia should the mayor opt to run again. I don’t think he will, and I don’t think the Dems will support Wiltshire. That means there could be a primary – the first for a major party line since the city changed to this form of government nearly 20 years ago – if Wiltshire continues down the path he’s started to clear.
ROSAMILIA
In fact, I’m told the last time there was a mayoral primary for a major party line was when Republican Neil Kelleher Sr. defeated Frank Pop in 1959 before the city changed from an elected strong mayor form of government to an appointed city manager. It changed back for the election of 1995. Pop, by the way, was the party’s choice and Kelleher went on to win the general election.
I’ve been trying to get in touch with Vegas to get some odds on potential mayoral candidates and hopefully they get back to me sometime over the weekend. When they do, I will post.


48 comments:

  1. Lou would be fine if he got rid of his Planning Czar --who has been nothing but an embarrassment with his conduct over the past couple of years. Lou should run again.Rodney has never done a damn thing to further this city. Lying in bed with felons, philanderers, and the formerly indicted, shows he only has his own selfish goals in his sights, not the future of this city.

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    1. Hi "planning czar" should never have been allowed to fill that seat. "Tonya gate" should have kept him out of the process entirely. He's made many "missteps" since then. Lou should have fired him instead of giving him only 5 days suspension. The only reason the Dem County Chair isn't in prison now is currently a Judge who shouldn't even be in office. So saying Rodney is in bed with felons and formerly indicted is all a matter of perspective. The true felon / felons have never been indicted.

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    2. More Felons Hidden Under Rich Christs wing than ever in the history of Troy

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    3. Maybe Tonyagate is why bill dunne never answers his phone for zba chair. I bet he doesn't eat chips anymore either after he told the Greek she's like a bag of chips

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    4. When will he stop with the Chapstick

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  2. Rodney's arrogance and double dealing will be his own undoing. It's just a matter of time.

    Let's take odds on how many of his straggly bunch will show up for his $150 minimum fundraiser next week. I think there'll be lotsa leftover burritos.

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    1. the $150 minimum price fund raiser has dropped to $25. which should tell you how the ticket sales have gone.
      you can determine the event's success by number of dignitaries (party and public officials) who attend.

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    2. I heard it dropped to $10 if you bring some salt and sand. Or a bag of recyclables.

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  3. Don't believe everything you're told, Kathy Jimino beat Mike Patrick for the GOP line for the strong mayor run after the charter change.

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  4. Does pete have to give back the rehearsal dinner money now ?

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  5. An embarrassing episode all the way around. Lynn sells out her neighborhood and principles for Wade, Galuski too. Rodney ignores doing the right thing and tabling it in order to get questions answered just to belittle Lou and Bill Dunne. Valente gets publicly humiliated for trying to do business in Troy. No winners here.

    A bit of karma for Bill Dunne who took great joy in trashing some of Harry's deals too.

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  6. While Wade's stooges keep trashing Rodney on this blog, it is pretty evident that they are losing it. A bad deal, corruption in city government controlled by Wade, and alienation of many main stream democrats, When are these people going to see the truth? The only delusional people are Wade and his mindless minions.

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    1. If Rodney thinks he can survive without Wade and his "mindless minions", he's about to learn a very painful lesson.

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    2. Where is Wiltsheer's solar business ? His solar store is no longer open and the place looks shuttered up and out of business.
      Is this solar front another of his shams ?

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  7. Both Silverman and Licardi seemed to be clueless last night responding to council questions.maybe its time for spring cleaning.

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    1. Silverman will never become a City Court Judge as long as I am around.

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  8. Monica is already measuring the shads in dunnes office

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  9. Saw your post about Kelleher/Popp race. Actual facts: Popp was given GOP nod for NYS Assembly in 1966.
    Kelleher challenged Popp on a primary and won using issue of Popp's hand picked candidacy by party bosses---particularly Dean Taylor.
    There was a Rep party squabble in 1955 over mayoral nomination after Mayor "Jocko" Ahearn died.
    Council President Ed "Dynamite" Fitzgerald ascended to Mayor and was challenged by popular Assemblyman Tom Brown who ended up running for Mayor as an independent.
    Brown siphoned enough votes from GOP nominee to elect Dem County Chairman Gen. Jack Purcell.
    I am inclined to think the option of a primary contest was not available in
    1955. If so, Brown would have won it.

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  10. Another rather bizarre period has just ended so its time to update the odds for next years mayors race in Troy. Lynn K 75-1. Ken Z 20-1. Rodney W 5-1. Cindy D 20-1. Mark Mc 7-1.Deb W 10-1 Dean B 50-1 Jim G 45-1 Anastasia R 300-1 Lou R. 50-1 The field 10-1. The chances of Gov Andrew C just appointing someone to straighten this situation 10-1. Signed Vinnie Vegas

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    1. The odds of who runs, or who runs and wins? Because the odds Rodney runs are 5-1, but the odds he wins are more like 75-1.

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    2. Who is Deb W?

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    3. Deb W. is Deborah Witkowski. She was Comptroller under Pattison and uncovered and turned in former appointed democratic auditor Buchannon for stealing $400,000. Tutunjian asked her to stay and she balanced the city's budget for years. Harry took credit, but Crawley stole her and she has shored up the books at THA for the last couple of years. Honest as the day is long which makes her a non player on either side.

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    4. Thanks for the info

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  11. hahahaha You're not around! You're anonymous! Idiot!

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    1. All because of Lou and dunne. When can harry come back and clean it up

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    2. We need mark McGrath.

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    3. No more McGraths. There's a good campaign slogan right there, for either an R or a D.

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    4. Even Mark McGrath couldn't fix the mess these mopes in city floor made.

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  12. The saddest part of all of this , Troy has become the laughing stock of the capitol district.

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    1. At least dr death can sleep now he stalled for his friend. But will the homes be stalled? The ones fane would never live in

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    2. Dunne. Shouldn't you be worried about the FBI and not these blogs and twitter?

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    3. Dunne, you sir are a clown. Your trying to deflect your slimeball corruption by cowardly throwing bogus jabs under an anonymous name at the most ethical and responsible business man the city has ever seen. Your fighting a losing battle.

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    4. Bill he's talking about Fane not me. The Dr.

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    5. Thank God for that clarification.

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  13. Chances of Cuomo ever doing any thing Positive for the Voters are 10'000-1.
    Andrew Cuomo is only worried about his 33 million dollar war chest and where his next had out is coming from.
    His Live in Girlfriend has he own cooking show now and she don't need him any more neither.

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  14. Facts of Scolite:

    Bad deal being investigated that smacks of corrupt inside deal in violation of just about every law and principle of good government imaginable. Changed RFP, changed process, sale-lease-sale, imminent domain issues, questionable road fund changes, no closing date, etc.
    Thankfully, bad deal shot down in interest of residence and city at last minute despite frantic efforts by Lou, Ryan and Wade pushing for it (direct message from Kenny also).
    Only Lou, Ryan, Dunne, Wade, and Valente are mad.
    Entire city benefits and all residents happy.

    Politics of Scolite:

    Doherty, Teta, Kopka, and Galuski vote for deal for Lou, Ryan and Wade.
    More facts become known as time goes on.
    Rodney becomes mayor next election.
    Wade, Lou and Ryan are out the door along with Dunne, Kopka, Doherty, Teta and Kopka.

    All works out for good in end.

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    1. "We are known by the company we keep". In Rodney's case, most of his followers are outcasts who would not be accepted at any rodeo, NASCAR gathering,, convention of uninformed voters/complainers, or even at kokopellis. He doesn't have a following---he has misfit groupies.

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  15. The facts of Scolite are that Rodney tanked a great project that would have significantly benefited Troy, just to make Lou and the administration look bad. Won't work, Rodney. We're all on to you and you are going down. It's just a matter of time.

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    1. Thank you for your comments bill. Rodney has done great things for troy. He is a true commitment to his community and city as a whole and a great family man and business man. He has all the skills to run and win the mayors race. Rodney is a great man all round

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    2. Bill dunne. If you want to take him down have an investigation into him taking dpw sand and salt by the bucketful lot look into him speaking against solar at a zba meeting with mistruths and misguidance. Urge the solar company to sue the city. Look into an incident he had back in 2007 on pawling avenue. It's public record. Back whe he was a young democrat committee or lol back to 1997 and a certain issue he has that year green anyone?

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    3. Rodneys on the road to nowhere. Backstabbed by the Republicans he woos, alienated by the Dems he needs, stuck with the WFP fringe.

      Holding a $150 minimum fundraiser at a burrito bar is a perfect illustration of his cluelessness. Prediction for next venue: Taco Bell.

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  16. Doherty will win by a land slide all of us love him he is a fair and honest man.

    Teta is clueless.
    Kopka is a follower.
    Galuski has no juice any more and will not get a job working for the city ever.

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  17. You guys are all pointing to the Scolite smoke, but where's the fire? No one has shown a single actual fact to back the current "scandal of the day".

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    1. Bill instead of blogging spend some time with twitch. Buy a ring

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  18. Harsh. She's nice

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  19. I think it took courage for everyone who voted against Scolite to take that stand. As more information comes out, which it will, the council people who supported it and the administration will look foolish (in addition to corrupt when it comes to the administration). A poorly written and vague RFP. Goes from sale in the RFP to licensure in the ordinance back to a sale the day of the meeting. And the home rule was not brought up at the finance meeting. Anyone who thinks this did not include inside dealings have lost their mind.

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  20. Talk about the Scolite property. Do the math, they say they are only going to run maybe 10 trucks a day (18-20 cubic yards per truck) to fill a barge that can hold 3000 to 4000 cubic yards (based on 100' long, 40" wide and 20" deep) that's 3200 cubic yards, that is roughly 160 truck loads, at 10 a day,16 days, or 3 work weeks. Who can afford to leave a barge idle so long. Good bet is more trucks, faster turn around time.
    Second, they can use the site for as long as it takes to be approved, (knowing Albany, could be all of the 5 years, +) pay only $10,000.00 down and when their sub-contract ends for shipping stone and concrete products to the Tappan Zee Bridge Project, Good bye, City of Troy has property back again in the same or worse shape, and our brains in Troy can sell again to the best palm greaser, ( oh, sorry, I meant best bidder)
    Lou, I have known you many years, you are not a stupid man,,,just very easy to be lead astray.
    Rodney, I have know you many years, and you are way ahead of the games
    they are trying to play. Don't let them get away with anything under the table.
    Bill, I don't know you, only what has been published about you. Quit, take Andrew with you and go to work for Masters and Johnson, you would fit in.

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