Sayre's law, named for Wallace Stanley Sayre (1905-1972), a political scientist and professor at Columbia University, states: "In any dispute, the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." He was talking about academic politics, but it could as well apply to Hudson. This year, in the primary election that takes place in just nine days, on Thursday, September 10, Democrats are vying to be the party's candidates for the two alderman positions in the two wards--the First and the Fourth--with the smallest populations and hence the least powerful votes in the Common Council's weighted vote system.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m., on the WGXC radio show @Issue, Debby Mayer and her co-host Rob Bujan will be speaking with the candidates in the Democratic primary: Rick Rector, Nick Haddad, and Michael O'Hara from the First Ward; and Alexis Keith and Rich Volo from the Fourth Ward. Lauren Scalera, the third person hoping to be one of the Democratic candidates for Fourth Ward alderman, is reportedly unable to be part of the conversation.
WGXC is heard at 90.7 FM or online at wgxc.org.
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I must respectfully dissent from the implication that little is at stake in the upcoming primary for the Democratic slot in the Fourth Ward. Some feelings are actually very intense because of the entry into the race of Rick Scalera's daughter Lauren. Should a new administration be voted in, its power could be severely limited should Ms. Scalera win, since she would have the voting power, coupled with the voting power of others loyal to her father, to prevent passage of reform legislation. Pity she will not participate on the show, depriving Fourth Ward voters of the opportunity to hear for themselves whether she deserves the position on her own merits.
ReplyDeleteolanafanatic is exactly correct. If Rich Volo is elected 4th Ward Alderman it will make it virtually impossible for Rick Scalera to put together an automatic majority on the Council.
ReplyDeleteLooking to November, if either of the Democratic candidates in the 5th Ward, Justin Goldman and/or Ken Hollenbeck win, it will be a new day on the Council and an end to the not so secret government that currently controls the Council.
4th Ward residents should consider voting only for Rich Volo instead of voting for two Aldermen. This will help insure a win for Rich.