|
This belongs to you. Take it back...
|
Steve Saland 
Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 16:45:35 PM EST
|
|
When I worked on my friend Brian Keeler's race back in 2006, it was widely rumored that SD-41 incumbent, Steve Saland, had actually wanted to retire in 2004, but Joe Bruno had begged him stick it out. He did the same thing in '06 and in the lead up to this year's race. It was obvious to many in the district that Saland's heart just wasn't in it anymore. Of course, he still beat us, but it's awfully hard to compete with all that taxpayer funded mail as well as an incumbent stomping across the district handing out millions of dollars of other people's money all the while claiming credit for it.
Liz is reporting about the rumors surrounding an impending retirement by Saland. I'm here to tell you tht all the denials coming from both the Saland camp and from his self groomed heir apparent Marc Molinaro are bullshit. (Molinaro will be a tough opponent, but check out the registration numbers in SD-41. It's a PDF file, btw. This a very, very winnable seat, Messrs Espada, Diaz et al.) He's already told the local GOP folks that he's done. Steve Saland is simply not going to continue in a job he doesn't want anymore as part of the Senate minority. Period.
Add to that the rumors swirling around Senate franking king Hugh Farley as well as Owen Johnson and others, and well, you can see the problem now faced by the so called "Gang of Four." If GOP senators, none of whom have ever spent a day a in the minority and have no desire to do so, start jumping ship, the influence of the "gang" is greatly diminished in short order.
Saland is as good as gone, folks. Farley will not be far behind.
If I were one of the gangsters, I'd be cutting my deal with the new majority right this second. The rug is about to be pulled right from under their feet.
My money is on Saland as the first to jump ship because, well, he's already all but officially done so.
Who you got?
|
|
Discuss
:: (14
Comments)
|
|
Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 09:44:30 AM EST
|
|
Former Columbia County Democratic Chairman Ken Dow is announcing a run against Steve Saland in the 41st. From the Hudson City Democrats blog:
KEN DOW TO ANNOUNCE FOR STATE SENATE
Ken Dow to announce candidacy for State Senate
Tuesday, February 26
10:00 AM
County Courthouse, Hudson
We hope you will join us. Please pass this invitation along to your friends.
On Tuesday, February 26, Ken Dow, former Columbia County Democratic Chairman, will announce his candidacy for New York State Senate, 41st District, Columbia and Dutchess Counties. The announcement will take place at 10 a.m. on the front steps of the Columbia County Courthouse, 401 Union Street, Hudson, NY. He will be running for the seat currently held by 18-year Republican incumbent Steve Saland.
As many of you know, I worked on a campaign against Saland last cycle, the campaign of our own NYBri. I'll just say we softened him up for ya, Ken. Go get him!
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Mon Feb 26, 2007 at 14:52:04 PM EST
|
|
When I ran for the Senate last year, by far, the number one issue everyone wanted to talk about was skyrocketing property taxes.
Now that the elections are over and school budget votes are coming this Spring, this issue, once again, is going to gain traction because, for all intents and purposes, nothing has really been done to fix the problem.
This from the Poughkeepsie Journal:
Fed up with the growing burden of school property taxes, homeowners across the mid-Hudson Valley are organizing and taking action to change how public education is funded in New York state.
"You just can't take homes away from people who have been here 30 years," said Gioia Shebar of the Town of Gardiner and member of the grassroots tax reform group, Taxnightmare.org.
Many say replacing the property tax with an income tax would be more fair and allow seniors living on pensions to hold on to their homes.
Follow me....
|
|
There's More...
:: (13
Comments, 338 words in story)
|
|
Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 13:04:30 PM EST
|
Sometimes, politicians release statements that overwhelm any sense of credibility and takes the art of deception into new levels of hypocrisy. We have, over the few years, been treated to some real gems. The most recent that comes to mind on the national level is the statements made by some Republican Congressmen warning Nancy Pelosi that excluding their caucus from the lawmaking process would be counter to good government practices and our constitution. OMG. And they did this with a straight face.
Well, here we go again. This time, it's coming from Albany.
You might be thinking that I'm referring to Joe "The Glitch" Bruno's recent call to include the Member Items Appropriations as line items in the state budget and taking credit for introducing such a ground breaking concept. He failed to mention that his suggestion came only after he and Shelly Silver were sued by the Times Union to release the information…and they fought it all the way to the courts where they lost!
That's a good guess, but that's not it.
More after the flip.
|
|
There's More...
:: (2
Comments, 542 words in story)
|
|
Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 20:49:04 PM EST
|
(promoted from diaries - promoted by NYBri)
 On September 26, 2006, Steve Saland announced a $5 million technology grant to Marist College, at a time when local homeowners were facing an unprecedented escalation of their school taxes of crisis proportions. While Saland was giving $5 Million to Marist College, a private, tax exempt institution of higher education with tuition paying students and an endowment, he provided just $712,676 for the same purpose to local public schools...which was to be divided among 9 local Dutchess County districts. Coincidentally, the very next day the college announced completion of its brand new sports/tennis complex and beginning of rehabilitation to its football field for a cost of...get this...$5 million.
|
|
There's More...
:: (9
Comments, 192 words in story)
|
|
|
|
|
|
