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How can we set up a forum where people can be civil? Would you be willing to post under your real name? Why or why not?

Sick of all the negative robo calls coming out of the Democratic Party Headquarters in Albany? You can tell them to take your contact information off of their call list.

Call Dan McCoy, County Chair at (518) 438-8282 and ask to be removed from his phone list.

We may have a story coming your way on this subject. If anyone else can add to it, email us at observer@albanyobserver.com. Stay tuned.

One of my fellow Albany political bloggers has lately been making it a point to state that s/he thinks Jerry Jennings is a good guy, just not doing a very good job as mayor. Back in the 90′s, there were a lot of people who thought Bill Clinton was a great president, but not a very good guy when it came to his personal life. So, you can have it both ways.

No. Wait. There’s a third. You can be a pretty bad mayor and not a very nice person, either. I’m going to be honest. When it comes to Jerry Jennings, I choose Option Three. I don’t like him much. Neither as mayor or, for the most part, as a person. He’s mean. He’s nasty. I don’t ascribe to the belief that people in power deserve a “pass” for actions that most people would consider wrong. I’ve lived here longer. And I don’t give Jerry a pass.

The real Jennings

On a personal level, Jerry Jennings is one of the most vindictive people I’ve had opportunity to observe. Like a sixth grader, he likes to get even. If you are one of the many city workers or Albany Democrats who subscribe to our blog, you know exactly what I mean. There are many decent people throughout the city of Albany who were canned — and some hurt badly — by Jennings for no good reason. You know it. I know it. I’ll introduce you to ‘em. His “team players” line is wearing thin. He’s not looking for team players, he’s looking for The Stepford Workers.

(City employees, I bet he’s telling you the other guy will fire you if he wins. Believe that and I’ll sell you a bridge. It’s a good way for him to scare you, though.)

Look at what he did to his long time supporter, Frank Commisso. Frank is more of a Democrat that Jerry Jennings will ever be. He has worked for years for the party. When Mike Burns, party chair, died suddenly some years ago, Jennings steamrolled over Frank, who was next in line, and put Betty Barnette in as party chair. Betty literally broke the party, financially. She was as incompetent in that role as she has been as City Treasurer. She was an embarassment.  Frank finally got in as chair — and served much of that time as co-chair with Dave Bosworth (they did a very good job) — and was dumped at the next election so Jennings could put his own guy in who would do his bidding. The new guy works for Jennings. How can he not do his bidding? Frank can’t say anything. He works for Jennings. Fear is a great silencer.

Albany is so full of conflicts-of-interest that, as a municipality,  it has passed over into the realms of political psychosis.

Then, there are those he’s bought. More on that another day.

John Sweeney's Mug Shot

My mother has always said, “You know people by the company they keep.” Jennings? John Sweeney (how many DWI’s at this point? And let’s not forget the passenger in his lap.); one of his department  heads — and drinking buddies — who was arrested some years back for assaulting a woman; George Pataki? Yada Yada Yada

He likes to address groups and say that in Albany, politics is a sport. He treats it like that or, maybe, more like the way a neighborhood bully would play sports. Disagree with me? You’re not a team player. I’m going to run someone against you. Endorse someone else? I’m going to run someone against you. Take another position? I’m going to run someone against you.

It’s time he learned that politics — and government — is not his little sandbox. It’s about people. It’s about people’s lives. But you know what? He’s not going to learn. People like Jennings never do.

I digress.

How’s your neighborhood? Do you like to go out for a walk alone at night? How are your sewers? Potholes? Is your street nicely paved? As I write this, I hear that another young person has been shot dead in Albany. Oh, wait, crime is “down”, so maybe we should just “move on” in this article.

Jennings likes to avoid issues and “move on.” (How’s that for a segue?) One of his favorite phrases is “Let’s move forward.” It’s a great way of avoiding any kind of serious conversation. Many times, it’s plain wrong to “just move forward”, whether politically or personally, without really addressing the present and the past. It’s a great way, though, of trying to wiggle out of responsibility.

Development in Albany has come in the form of bars. If something doesn’t have distillation or fermentation somehow connected to it, it’s apparently not worth building as far as the Jennings administration goes. Don’t get me going on the convention center (we all know what happens when you mix conventions with alcohol!).

We all heard the story a few years ago of Jennings running into a fire hydrant after a night on the town. He called his friend, Chief of Police Jimmy Tuffey (or was it the one before, or the one before…?). Somehow the crash got swept under the carpet. It was a miracle, I tell you! Some of us heard a story that something similar happened with a tree a week or so ago. Related keywords are Martel’s, the golf course, and New Scotland Avenue. If driving into trees and fire hydrants is what “moving forward” means to Jerry Jennings, I hope you have your seat belt on.

Of course, the other option is to vote for the other guy.