| I arrived at the corner of New Scotland Avenue and Academy Drive, where the emerald lawns of the Sage College of Albany spread out before its columned buildings. The scene was one that should make any person's heart light: the elderly lounging beneath tents in lawn chairs with the younger generations chittering around them. Children of all races made full use of the field, with frisbee, football, and made-up games having to do with little red wagons taking place. The food was classic picnic fare and complimentary thanks to the Helderberg Neighborhood Association.
Yet as I walked through, I noticed one thing missing...candidates for public office! I hopped down the road to visit one and get my "fix," saying hello to former NY-21 Congressional candidate Darius Shahinfar, now running for the brand-new City Auditor position. I wasn't gone more than ten minutes, and as I turned the corner to return to the block party, I found a much different scene.
I had anticipated Corey Ellis having shown up by then. Instead, the incumbent himself had beat him to it. Camera crews were there already, care of Capital News 9. There was Mayor Jerry Jennings, dressed in a relaxed white polo shirt, black slacks, and his famous tanning-booth orange skin.
The TU article was right on the money and still relevant: Mayor Jennings moved from person to person just long enough to flash a smile and either shake a hand or slap a back. I noticed more back slaps than hand shakes. Jerry seemed to know everybody's name, too, which is what one would expect of Mayor of 15 years who'd also been vice-principal to many of Albany's Generation-Xers, now full grown with school children of their own.
If anyone spoke with him regarding the campaign or the issues relating to it, I didn't notice. The talk was small, but the smiles were big. In fact, I noticed more talk of the issues between community members after the Mayor had moved on. Of these, the proposed convention center was definitely the most talked about, confirming the accuracy of the recent Siena Poll on the race.
After observing fifteen minutes of this, I began to wonder for about fifteen seconds where Corey Ellis was before he emerged, walking tall. His dress was more formal, shirt and tie, yet still as relaxed as his stride.
For a brief moment as I introduced myself, I caught a glimpse of Mayor Jennings. He had gotten a glimpse of his opponent. No news camera was able to capture it, and I doubt it would make good television, but the grimace that came over the Mayor's face was unmistakable. As the future Mayor approached without a single break in his step, the current Mayor seemed to keep his opponent in the corner of his eye as removed himself from the crowd, ducking into a black SUV and driving off.
For the record, the television camera crews packed up just a bit more slowly. However, the Ellis campaign isn't a made-for-TV candidacy. I now had the opportunity to watch Ellis move through the crowd in a very different manner than that of his opponent.
I saw no back-slapping or glad-handing from the Councilman, but plenty of New York-style hand motions as he engaged a group of voters in animated conversation. He spent easily ten times as much time speaking with each group he spoke with, moving slowly but steadily.
More importantly, Ellis seemed to spend as much time listening as he did speaking. It gave the impression that he wasn't showing up just to show up. It reminded me of the old saying that points out that 90% of success is just that...and how Councilman Ellis is beginning to embody the remaining 10% that come to mind when you read the introduction to his website: I'm running for re-election because I have not yet given all I can to our city.
(After fifteen years....really?)
As I headed out from the block party to prepare for a gig in Saratoga later tonight, two bits of information were stewing in my head. The first was how the Mayor's claim above rings hollow after fifteen years. The second thought was inspired by another Times Union report out today regarding the money side of this election. The report left me with the impression that while Mayor Jennings hasn't yet given 100% to his city, he seems to have put forth that much effort into filling his campaign's coffers:
While the final numbers won't be known until after Tuesday's primary, data compiled by the state Board of Elections reveal that Mayor Jerry Jennings has outspent his only Democratic challenger about 10-1 since Jan. 1.
That's $363,892 to $37,963 -- or enough spending to put the mayor in a Bentley and Ellis in a far less extravagant Buick.
And that's just a part of the $463,366 Jennings had raised in contributions from individuals, developers, organized labor, attorneys -- some of whom do business with the city -- and others since January, according to the Board of Elections database.
Between Aug. 10 and Aug. 31 -- a period that included a fund-raiser at the home of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- Jennings took in $56,510 and spent $195,625.
Those expenses included at least $86,416 for television commercials, which exceeded the $61,465 Ellis' campaign had reported raising, according to the state database.
Emphasis added. -SP
The numbers speak for themselves. But in the context of a mild late-summer day at a neighborhood gathering, they speak louder: the Ellis campaign is counting on something much more powerful than money to effect change in Albany. Call me a sap for citing the power of the human spirit; it's hard not to do so with the sound of kids playing and neighbors contemplating the choice before them fading in the distance.
Add your own voice to that sound by signing up to volunteer at coreyellis2009.com and prove once and for all that the power of people working together is far greater than that of TV cameras and dollar bills can ever hope to be. Especially when it comes to those kids.
The Primary is this Tuesday. Polls are open from Noon to 9 P.M. Click here to find your polling location and let your voice be heard. |
