Yesterday, Vicky Daskaloudi, who has served as a councilmember from the Fifth Ward since 2022, released this statement:
After much consideration, I have decided not to run for reelection as 5th Ward Council Member so that I can focus on my health and family.
It was an honor representing the 5th Ward residents and the city of Hudson and I am grateful for all your support.
If the circumstances are right in the future, I will consider serving the people of Hudson once again in local government.
Last week, on social media, Claire Cousin, who in December 2024, resigned her position as supervisor for the First Ward when she moved from the First Ward to the Fifth Ward, announced her intention to run for councilmember in the Fifth Ward.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK
Thank you, Vicky, for your service.
ReplyDeleteMany questions here… Will Cousin be running for the Democratic nomination? Or straight to the general election via WFP, DSA etc? I can’t see her being in the good graces of NY Dems since her failed attempt to primary Didi; and she was trolling Josh Riley on his instagram recently. Also, the questions remain about her campaign finance from said primary. Will she be taking loans from dark money groups? Did she pay those ones back? Some of her biggest individual donors were from California. Do we expect similar carpetbagging and astroturfing in a small city’s Common Council?
But let’s put all that aside and go with what we know for sure, her record:
- her poor attendance record at county supervisor meetings
- poor attendance and lack of duty which contributed to the 11 Warren Fiasco happened under (of lack thereof) watch
- she was a big vocal supporter of Galvan’s new luxury building, Depot Lofts, as well as supporting their tax exemptions - only recently changing her support when it became clear Galvan revealed their bait and switch, which we all saw coming
- Along with the luxury Depot Lofts, per of her role on the HHA to push the massive redevelopment of Bliss Towers at 3x the size, when Hudson budget is starting to face serious issues and unlikely to be able to support city services that pay little to no property taxes.
So the question 5th Ward votes should ask themselves: for a ward that has a high level of home ownership, most of that being low density single family homes, do you want someone representing your interests being someone who will vote for out of scale, high density development, as well as someone who has never paid property or school taxes voting on the budget?
Nothing exciting about her. Would have been more interesting if she took on the Supervisor election. But she knew that’s a no go.
ReplyDeleteI hope Claire is prepared to be forced onto 16 committees that get little to nothing accomplished. Of course, she will need to show up to the meetings to get nothing done.
ReplyDeleteHudson needs more 🦫 beavers and fewer 🦪 barnacles.
ReplyDeleteVicky is a beaver; industrious and a mutualist.
Pass
ReplyDeleteThe irony that every opportunity you have you tare down a Black woman with your comments is insane to me. Claire Cousin is a woman of valor, courage and determination. Claire stood up to neoliberalism and corporate democrats while many of you just comment here. No democrat in this county had any power of 11 warren st. lRepublicans control this county because y'all to busy using your twitter and gossip fingers rather than knocking on doors and phone banking. Finally for the person who brought up trolling Robert Brooks was killed by corrections officers on tape and deserves justice. Josh Riley decided to stand with corrections officers, take up their talking points and not holding the system accountable. We need bold leadership that can bring folks together even in difference Claire provides that.
ReplyDeleteShe may not have had the power to influence 11 Warren vote, but we’ll never know because she didn’t show up to her job. We need people who will interrogate developers so that they don’t continue to get tax breaks while not keeping up their end of the bargain, she doesn’t seem interested in these things. If she’s interested in state or nationwide issues she should run in those elections.
DeleteHi Quintin -
DeleteThank you for sharing your perspective.
Couple of in-line responses to your points.
1️⃣ "The irony that every opportunity you have you tare down a Black woman with your comments is insane to me."
Why do you assign every thing to race?
2️⃣ "Claire Cousin is a woman of valor, courage and determination. Claire stood up to neoliberalism and corporate democrats while many of you just comment here."
How exactly did she do that? And what is a "corporate Democrat"? And how do you know that commenters on Gossips have not voted in ways that are aligned with you or vote for other parties?
3️⃣ "No democrat in this county had any power of 11 warren st."
False. And the issue is that she never attended the meetings and notified her constituents of the pending changes. The reason why Hudson has 5, instead of 1, County supervisor is, I assume, because then Hudson would have more coverage on key committees and more residents paying attention (but correct me please responsible supervisors Linda, Michael etc.)
Claire is guilty of a dereliction of duty.
See the County Supervisor meeting logs. Had Claire attended the meetings (which she was paid to attend btw and happen a few blocks from her house) and then notified her constituents and other elected officials with enough time, and reached out to other Supervisors within Hudson and in the County, other solutions could have been explored.
This dereliction of duty is one of the main reasons why 11 Warren is now not mixed used with housing.
And the County Supervisors, for the most part, do their jobs. They sometimes have to deal with unprofessional and absentee Supervisors from Hudson…. who do not always do their jobs… and then turn around and blame them.
Contrast Claire with Linda who went to so many of those meetings (even though it is not in her Ward, and some by committee) and stood alone, 1 voice, in a room of a dozen, respectfully exercising her right to dissent on behalf of her constituents.
That is courage and determination.
4️⃣ "lRepublicans control this county because y'all to busy using your twitter and gossip fingers rather than knocking on doors and phone banking."
Really?
That must be news to Sam Hodge… and the Democratic Governor, and the Democratic District Attorney, the Democrat Sheriff and Under-Sheriff, and our Democratic State Representative (Didi Barrett), and our Democrat State Senator (Hinchey), and County Democrats now advocating for a County Manager.
And even if Republicans control the County as much as Democrats currently do… is that illegal?
So by your own words in this one comment you:
- Assign any critique of an elected official to melanin, not merit (or lack thereof)
- You attack the Democratic Party leaders in the County and State, but not City of Hudson? Or let us know if you also disapprove of Verily?
Quintin - can you please share with us why residents should vote for Claire if:
A - she does not answer her constituents or meet with them
B - she has demonstrated that she does not go to mandatory (and paid) meetings to represent her ward
C - she abandons her term midway through
D - she has raised almost half a million dollars from non Hudson and non Columbia County donor groups, including tech billionaires and CA dark money groups
What is the steel man* argument for Claire as 5th ward Council Member?
*The "steel man" argument involves constructing the strongest possible version of an opponent's argument before attempting to refute it. This approach is seen as the opposite of the "straw man" argument, where one constructs a weaker form of an opponent's argument to easily defeat it.
Ha! I don’t care about her positions on national issues or the palace intrigue of her antagonizing the party establishment as a DSA plant.
DeleteI care what Common Council members have planned for improving the City of Hudson. But we all seem to know well enough the she puts personal ambitions ahead of taxpayers.
I can see it now, wasting precious council meeting time and energy on worthless feel good resolutions that plays to the traveling Hudson Valley activist club but have nothing to do with the business of running the city.
But I get it, the dark-money-funding-to-local-“non”profit-pipeline grift doesn’t care about local municipal issues.
We don’t need another important elected seat wasted as a performance space and soft landing for those seeking seeking higher office. There’s work to be done.
Wake up call to the local Dem party and independents in the 5th ward. This is funnier than Cuomo carpetbagging NYC hoping for an easy win to get his political career back on track. Claire Cousin has never won a contested election. Let that sink in. Don’t give away your seat because it’s unopposed.
I note Ms. Cousin wants to “work together “. When I was her constituent and neighbor in the 1st ward, I asked on several occasions to meet with her. She steadfastly refused. You cannot represent your constituents if you refuse to listen to them. “Work together “? Ms. Cousin does no seem to grasp that concept.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever thought that maybe it's you?
DeleteNo.
DeleteClaire was also non-responsive to many others in the 1st ward, including two of her neighbors.
More broadly Sick and Tired, elected officials in such a small town need to engage with EVERYONE, especially those they disagree with... it is literally their job to engage all residents, find common ground, and drive good collective outcomes.
It is not helpful, and not a good sign, when Claire, Tom, and Kamal, ignore half of the town outright because they don't like them or do not agree with their point of view.
If you don't like your neighbors, and if you don't want to engage respectfully with people who may have a different views on certain topics... that is fine... but then don't run for public office.
Claire Cousin has a proven record of not doing her job as an elected official. Why should Hudson citizens vote for her ?
ReplyDeleteAs a 1st Ward resident, I reached out to Claire Cousin during the 11 Warren debacle to see how I could assist. I never got a response. I also reached out to Linda Mussmann. She willingly took time out of her day to discuss the matter at length, despite the fact she doesn't represent the 1st Ward.
ReplyDeleteVicky deserves thanks from the entire city for being prepared and informed on the issues before her, and for being on the Council for the right reasons. She has served all of us well. I wish she were not standing down.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that Vicky will run again once Claire has made herself disliked enough in her new ward. She has a unique gift for this.
DeleteThe ward she lost most resoundingly during the 2024 primaries for the 106th Assembly district was the first ward, her own.
Vicky meanwhile told me that she doesn't have Claire's resources for campaigning which in my opinion counts in Vicky's favor. Citizens running for council seats in a city of 5.7k people should not have dark outside money backing them. It's suspicious when they do.
Does anyone know.... Has Quintin Cross paid the City of Hudson back the money he stole from "his constituents"? I think it was $10K if I'm not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI am curious how many of you commenters (and vicious-tongued enemies of Claire) are actually a single mother of three working a full-time and part-time job while sitting on a handful of boards and committees and are also actually from THIS area of New York. I’d safely venture to say none of you are any of these things, let alone even one of these things. Your writings and comments and attacks show me instantly that you sit with a great amount of privilege coming out your rearends that make it easy to judge without having any empathy and definitely not putting yourselves in anyone else’s shoes.
Claire may have not be in the room all the time, she may not have not met with every one of her constituents, time and family and work may have called her to rush here or there at a moment’s call, but when she has been in the room she has ALWAYS brought fresh, young, and innovative perspective (and SOLUTIONS) to any given community issue or problem. She has dedicated herself to wanting to see real change in all communities
And to the schmuck who said “what does race have to do with this”..., really? In 2025? And you have the gall to even type or think that question?
There is a reason why many elected officials in local politics are at retirement age. If Claire's personal life is such that she doesn't have the time to do the job, she can't run for it.
DeleteYour displeasure about race meanwhile should be directed at Quintin. He brought up this nonsense.
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DeleteTalk about “privilege” — what gall does it take to ask your neighbors to vote for you when you don’t have the time to do the job? She may not have met with all her constituents who asked to meet? That’s the freaking job along with attending the meetings so you can, you know, represent your constituents.
DeleteAs for race, the only person raising it is Quintin. It seems you’re arguing that her race requires or excuses her poor job performance. That’s the most racist argument, freighted by centuries of discriminatory thought and action, that I’ve heard since I lived in Mississippi. Shame on you if you’re pushing such bullshit. Claire wasn’t hobbled or addled the times I’ve heard her speak and spoken to her. If she’s on a bunch of boards and busy raising young children she shouldn’t stand for office — she clearly hasn’t the time. Has nothing to do with her race. Everything to do with time management.
You make an excellent point! Claire should instead focus on her health and family.
DeleteHi Man Machine -
Delete1️⃣ "I am curious how many of you commenters (and vicious-tongued enemies of Claire) are actually a single mother of three working a full-time and part-time job"
First - I believe most commenters in this thread are "enemies" of incompetence and dereliction of duty, and elected and paid representatives not answering their constituents, not of Claire personally.
Second - you are the first to mention personal family details of Claire, which are inconsistent from her own public pronouncements.
Third - most residents have kids, parents, or other dependents, and most residents have to work hard to pay these property taxes and Kamal's salary while also taking care of others. But let's stick to work related professional facts.
2️⃣ "while sitting on a handful of boards and committees and are also actually"
This is the point. Why does Claire sit on so many boards, when (taking your statement at face value that Claire has various personal demands) instead of taking on fewer things and doing them well. Is there some invisible force that is coercing Claire to run in elections all the time?
Recall the honorable 1st Ward Supervisor candidate (that was, imho, unfairly looked over by the Council for Randall, who does not understand how property taxes work), the honorable overlooked candidate said something to the effect of… " I will only do this if I can do it well, and dedicate enough time to it" … she also self disclosed at some point in a public forum that she is a single mother.... or Vicky stepping aside due to prioritize personal / family stuff.
3️⃣ "from THIS area of New York"
What law gives citizens born in one area more rights or consideration than others who moved there. Is that not nativism?
📚 Merriam-Webster: a policy of favoring native inhabitants as opposed to immigrants.
If only people born in this zipcode can run for an office in this zipcode... you kinda get a Kamal-explosion because the most capable born and raised Hudsonians get real jobs and achieve out in the real world. It may work in New York, London or Shanghai with a large population... but even those cities attract immigrants (foreign and domestic).
Nativism, and selecting people on birthright, not achievement, culture, and choices, is not the recipe to build a team of "A-Players". Let's hear from Steve Jobs (adopted Iranian American) on the topic; https://fs.blog/a-players/
Claire, if you are reading this... Steve's wife is one of the biggest Democratic party donors today.
4️⃣ "I’d safely venture to say none of you are any of these things, let alone even one of these things."
Correct.
Most people do not overcommit, spread themselves too thin, and run for office non-stop for half a decade and then demand public subsidies.
5️⃣ "Your writings and comments and attacks show me instantly that you sit with a great amount of privilege coming out your rearends that make it easy to judge without having any empathy and definitely not putting yourselves in anyone else’s shoes."
Delete🤔 Quite the opposite:
A: If we have _earned_ privilege through hard work, focus, and ingenuity, and then use that to provide for our families and communities and the country, what is wrong with that?
Isn't that the American Dream?
I am not a big fan of unearned privilege… but honestly.. being born American (like Claire was) is perhaps the greatest privilege of all… and the current President just put a value on it for $5m… though I think it is worth more than that...
B: Empathy… I have empathy for non-Americans and Americans who are not physically safe and have to fight for survival, who can't call their local police department for help like we in Hudson can when we get robbed or attacked on the street. I have empathy for Americans in other non NY/Columbia County areas of the country where there is no free school, no subsidized housing, and no Spark of Hudson and half a dozen NGOs serving a very small number of people. I also have empathy for Claire… she seems well intentioned…
I just want my tax dollars to go to public officials who do the job and not raise half a million dollars from SuperPacs and billionaires to run in a hyper local election.
But the specific narrow question is whether it is wise for Claire to run for yet another public position… when as you say, she is overstretched… and as commentators pointed out, she has not done her job in other public roles.
6️⃣ "Claire may have not be in the room all the time, she may not have not met with every one of her constituents, time and family and work may have called her to rush here or there at a moment’s call, but when she has been in the room she has ALWAYS brought fresh, young, and innovative perspective (and SOLUTIONS) to any given community issue or problem."
But her job is to be in the room. You have to be in the room to share your ideas, to bring updates back to constituents. It is a necessary condition.
And (I ask this sincerely), can you please share an "innovative perspective (and SOLUTION)" that she has raised that is not carbon copying an existing NYC law unwisely, locally on a city of 5000, or arguing for century's old redistribution policies?
What is new and data driven in her platform?
7️⃣ "She has dedicated herself to wanting to see real change in all communities"
Awesome! That is a noble dedication and intention.
I want world peace and perpetual clean and free fusion energy, but I don't coerce you to pay me City of Hudson tax dollars to dream about it and talk about it, or to fund a fusion startup that may or may not work. I pay for my own advocacy... and I hope my federal tax dollars go to more cool programs like ARPA-E and private energy investments that secure our future.
If Claire showed up to the County Supervisor meetings there might be some real change, but that did not happen with 11 Warren St… the lost opportunity of more housing and a mixed use food market. Not to mention the Galvan PILOT she fought for that then changed direction and rental prices...
8️⃣ "And to the schmuck who said “what does race have to do with this”..., really? In 2025? And you have the gall to even type or think that question?"
DeleteWhat does race have to do with it?
Also... embarrassing how you literally reference "wrongthink"... implying that one cannot think something to shame an opinion out of existence. This is America, not the Soviet Union or Cambodia in in the 70s.
What does Claire's race have to do with attending meetings that she committed to and is paid to attend and showing up on time?
If you are saying that having family responsibilities (like many kids, or taking care of aging parents in hospice) makes it hard to attend meetings… then I see your point… but that is why almost all of these meetings have a virtual (Zoom etc.) accessible component, and the meetings are in Hudson (2sqm)... not a 30 min drive to Austerlitz…. yet the non Hudson Supervisors drive into Hudson all the time.
Regardless of commute or remote video call accessibility… why take on additional public responsibilities if you are overstretched.
And final point on race, did Claire not accuse her former political opponent, who the record shows had a great attendance record at Supervisor meetings and lead the minority Democrats at the time, of racism in 2021 ' "singlehandedly disenfranchised an entire community in the First Ward" by her failure to engage with black and brown residents. '
Gossips Archive "Who Will Represent Us?" 17 Feb 2021 "News from the Local Political Scene"
Using the race card as a bullying tactic to run unopposed in elections is very beta and lacks aura.
~
🌈 Your knee-jerk labeling of warranted criticism of a formerly (uncontested) elected official and candidate for office as "racism" reminds me of a famous quote:
"If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labelled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago, and a racist today"
To the John Friedman character, the times are a-changing - what the old white men of yesteryear have stipulated as “the standard practice” (IN ANYTHING) no longer holds relevance. At this point, your expectations and words are ‘old and in the way’, so sit on the sidelines and keep your mouth shut if you cannot learn to move with the times. That also includes all of you who think that a mother of three shouldn’t hold a position of power where they can be vocal on what helps THEIR community.
ReplyDeleteIt’s easy to sit behind our computers and bitch and moan. Let’s see you run in action. I doubt any of you care that much to do so.
Well, ManMachine, when you'e the integrity and moxie to actually use your real name, you know, standing on your hind legs like a grown up, perhaps someone will find your sad ageist blathering more than just that. Only children believe that everyone gets a medal for trying. In the real world, you only keep a job by doing it well.
DeleteAs for any of your substantive statements, the times are always a-changing. Only the very young and senile believe otherwise. What you think is "old" is, in fact, wisdom. People survive by changing with the times, not naively believing that suddenly, when they decide to pay attention, that things start to happen. But changing with the times doesn't mean mindlessly buying in to a culture that awards mere attempts and participation. There's still such a thing as "getting the job done." And the job has to get done.
All your blather doesn't shroud your obvious lack of experience in the world. But don't worry, you'll get old just as fast as the rest of us have.
Hello ManMachine! It is obvious that Ms. Cousin has her hands full being a single mother of three, a full-time job and a part-time job. Regardless, if she makes a commitment to the tax paying citizens of Hudson (which Ms. Cousins's does not pay property or school taxes, but does take advantage of the services those taxes provide) then she should be attending all the meetings. The tax-payers of Hudson deserve to have someone who is committed to the role, not someone who has done it for ego or clout. I think it is in the best interest of everyone, especially her children to concentrate on her role as a mother/provider and stay out of politics. Also, I don't think she would be able to secure another role (unless unopposed) in Hudson government, especially when it is clear she is a part of the grift on so many levels.
DeleteDear Man Machine -
ReplyDeleteFirst you appeal to race (an immutable trait), now you discriminate based on age (an immutable trait).
We (and local and national law) call this racism and ageism.
Maybe no one explained this to you... but for you and other readers. It is illegal, unethical, and un-American to discriminate based on immutable traits (age, height, race etc.)... it is however perfectly ok, and in fact encouraged in some high achieving societies, to discriminate based on mutable traits (effort and performance, achievements)
By discriminating based on race and age, you not only betray poor thinking and culture... but you also reflect poorly on Claire... does electing Claire mean we get more people with your racism and ageism.
Second - "It’s easy to sit behind our computers and bitch and moan. Let’s see you run in action. I doubt any of you care that much to do so."
Nope... false again. We take a lot of action, in bigger realms, where help is more needed...
Running and losing elections in a small town and county is not a career... I guess it is a career politician.
But why should we subsidize failure with our tax dollars?
Claire, like all residents can and should do whatever she wants with her own money, her own time, and her own enterprises.... but please spare the public square, public purse, and public administration.