Today, the Register-Star publishes articles based on interviews with the candidates for mayor and Common Council president.
Mayor
Nick Haddad
Bill Hallenbeck
Although Hallenbeck doesn't appear to have stressed in his interview, as he has elsewhere, the fact that he has lived in Hudson his whole life, Haddad makes the point in his that, if elected, he would be the first mayor born outside of Hudson--a fact that has been used as a major criticism against him and one that he calls "preposterous." While the statement may be true of the people who have served as mayor over the past fifty years or so, it's certainly not true about the mayors who served in the 18th and early 19th century, when Hudson's amazing growth and development inspired the admiration and awe of all who visited.
Common Council President
Don Moore
Bart Delaney
In his interview, Don Moore suggests that it's time to replace the sole assessor, although it's not clear what he wants instead: “This city has had a series of sole assessors who have frankly not lived up to their responsibilities as public servants and have left a trail of miscalculation of erratic assessments and behavior. I’d very much like to see this city be confident citywide that its assessments are as close to accurate as possible.”
In his interview, Bart Delaney, after saying that he'd like to "sit up there where my father sat" (Delaney's father had been an alderman, Common Council president, and mayor), seems to want to make a dog park a campaign issue, saying that "he does support the park and is a dog owner, but would like the council to prioritize issues and other things 'need to take precedence over that.'” This suggests how little he has been paying attention. Although the issue of a dog park has been taken up by an alderman, Sarah Sterling, and has been mentioned by Sterling a couple of time at Common Council meetings, it is hardly an issue that is consuming the attention of the entire Common Council.
With all due respect to Mr. Moore, where was he during the last assessment debacle? Sure, now that the crimes have been committed and dozens of property owners have been robbed, let's call for a different system. That's too easy. What we need are public servants who will speak up when the robbery is in progress.
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Mr. Moore was acting as an apologist for the Mayor and Assessor, and acting to make sure the City spent a small fortune defending lawsuits that many in and out of government thought should have been settled.
ReplyDelete--S.
The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City; not the CC President. The sad truth in this city (like so many others) is that the executive branch controls the operations of the city while the legislative is essentially powerless. The initial reval was undertaken as a "desk" reval by the assessor (who works for the Mayor). And, following from this, the CEO of the City determines whom it settles with and whom it fights. Of course when the reval is uneven, unfair and patently inequitable, then the answer is preordained: you settle with no one because all your friends were treated "right." Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain -- believe me -- I own property here in Hudson. But the fault isn't with the CC or its head; it's with an administration that doesn't interact with the population in any meaningful way except through tax bills. When was the last time you saw Scalera on Warren Street except in his office and a Cjaika fundraiser at American Glory? Who can name the assessor? What does he look like? Does he live in Hudson? Should he?
Dear John,
ReplyDeleteI wish you luck in your bid for city council, but I hope you change your tune about public service before you take the oath. I don't need people feeling my pain, I need city officials to do the right thing. The city needs people who uphold the law and who are not afraid to speak out in the face of injustice. You can blame the mayor all you want, but the Common Council and the Common Council President have a great deal of authority, including even the "bully pulpit," but, except for Ms. Thurston and Mr. Wagoner, everyone kept their mouths shut. It was shameful then -- and still is. Good luck to you.
p.s. I saw the Mayor this morning, at the firehouse. And I saw him -- and wrote about in Gossips comment -- at a high school football game a couple weeks ago. I give him credit for knowing who is contstituents are -- and for being able to fake out so many naive newcomers. And I know Garth Slocum, know what he looks like, and know where he lives. No, the problem, John, is that the people who should have spoken up, didn't. Period.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Absolutely right, Peter, and the people who were clobbered with taxes were the people who they wanted to be clobbered. Sadly the people who have contributed the most to Hudson's revival.
ReplyDeleteand the beating continues with the LWRP
ReplyDeleteand the beating continues with the GEIS.
ReplyDelete