Everybody will be pledging to keep open a prison in Ogdensburg and save the 300 jobs there. Patty Ritchie and Nick Vaugh are claiming Democrats Darrel Aubertine and Addie Russell have been ineffective in maintaining this bit of spending largesse. So the Governor is proposing closing it in 2011.
It will in the end be "saved" as Democrats cannot let the loss of the prison be hung like an albatross around the neck of a swing seat Senator like Mr. Aubertine. The dance leading up to that will be fun to watch.
What is interesting is that we say there is a money crunch....we say we want lower taxes and cutting of waste....or trimming of fat if you prefer that metaphor.....Yet with inmate populations down, the state is unable to adjust its capacity because each of these prisons is a mini economic engine in the small upstate community where it is located.
The simple answer is to save Ogdensburg and find another prison in a GOP Senate District and close that one. Or maybe just loan some money from the Thruway Authority to the Department of Corrections and keep 'em all open.
Sad fact is real cuts mean just that. But don't let that get in the way of the dance between Darrel and Patty over keeping those inmates in the Maple City. Heck, I even signed Patty's on-line petition...because I hope she would sign mine if Dry Hill were slated for closure.
Aubertine prepares to fire back at Gov. Paterson - News 10 Now
17 comments:
Doheny, Ritchie, Vaugh..Now thats a North Country team we can count on!
After DA gets done with his prison fight. He can fight wind developers who want his district to be industrial wind for downstate. Oh he likes big wind and big destruction of tourism. Never mind.
Pattie Ritchie and this Vaugh guy (who doesn't even show up at the city council meetings he was elected to) make me want to cry. As a Republican all I can say is "we are in deep s*** if this is the best we can come up with".
Don't know about Ritchie and Vaugh, but the Watertown Times seems to think Darrel's ineffective. Just look at today's editorial.
Run against "pork" now, run for "pork?" Don't people see a trend there (snicker):
The around here will do, say, pay, try, lie, or imply anything (any gimmick that sells is a good gimmick: whether it's license plates, milking a cow in public, making pledges or blaming the other candidate, while lying like a Persian rug) ... none of it is leadership in the end – after they get into office, they start surviving (read: raise money and make new insider friends) to stay in office on more BS lines.
I'm surprised anyone around here can even spell leadership, let alone recognize it when they see it.
But, hey, that's just me thinking out loud (again).
It's funny when we get PORK we like it, when we don't get it were pissed. Like anything in life this issue will be resolved, wonder if the assemblyman from the area fought to save Dry Hill Air Force base from becoming a prison.
Really? Another petition?? C'mon Patty why don't you do some real work instead of using gimmicks...this isn't even your job, you were elected to be County Clerk, now stop running for political office on the taxpayers dime and go do your job. If you are going to try to save the prison, why don't you do some real work instead of just put out yet another petition.
10:10,
The petition worked last time, didn't it?
10:10 Aubertine sits on his hands waiting for return phone calls from the Governor's office ("I'm playing phone tag"), and you want to criticize Ritchie for trying to do something proactive to save jobs in her own county?
Frankly when it comes to protecting North Country jobs, it should be everyone's job.
Go Patty Ritchie!
You two honestly think it was her petition that got the license plate proposal dropped??? You are clueless if you believe that. Her petitions were nothing more than playing politics so she wouldnt have to do any real work.
But how much do you do to protect jobs? Especially jobs being supported by the folks that make $25K a year. How about some real jobs.
2:28 Uh, yup, I think it was Patty Ritchie's petition that did the job. The timing was perfect. It created a momentum that all the pols couldn't resist. I don't know her very well. But give credit when it is due. She led and she hit at the perfect moment.
Ritchie & Vaugh would do well. They woulld be a great north country team in my mind.
5:52...you fail to realize that Ritchie had absolutely nothing to do with the petition drive besides allowing RSCC to put her name on it. Launched and paid for by Senator Libious. She did absolutely nothing, just as she is doing now. And 6:22...you think the North Country is under-represented now? Wait till we have 2 members of a minority conference, then you will truely see what under-representation looks like. The Ogdensburg prison closure wouldent even be a question, atelast having 2 members in the majority there is a chance they will stay open.
Theres a chance it will stay open because of the grass roots effort of the citizens accross the north country fighting the prisons closure. Addie Russell & Darrell Aubertine shame on you for this all of a sudden popping up and catching you off guard. Both of them are out to lunch! Its time for change here in the north country!
12:37...you obviously have no idea what you are talking about...open your eyes to the real world..
1:58 it appears you have no clue. Please educate me on the real world.
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