Stratton facing a fluid future Schenectady mayor enters second term while considering a run for U.S. Congress
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer First published: Monday, December 31, 2007 SCHENECTADY -- Mayor Brian U. Stratton will start his second term on Tuesday, but talk about his political future centers on Washington, D.C., not Schenectady.
Fresh off an overwhelming victory in November and with Albany County Democratic heavyweights such as Sen. Neil Breslin, Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari and Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings either not running or making no obvious plans for a campaign, Stratton's remains the most high-profile name among candidates for the 21st Congressional District seat. "This was something that was totally unpredictable. It's something that will come along once in a generation. It'd be crazy if I didn't look at it seriously," Stratton said last week. Stratton became a potential candidate for the seat once held by his father when current U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, said in October that he wouldn't seek re-election next year. Stratton has done nothing to discourage talk of his candidacy, but refuses to say whether he is leaning toward running. Albany County Legislator Phillip G. Steck of Colonie is the only Democrat so far to announce plans to seek the seat. Republican Guilderland Town Board member Warren Redlich, who lost races to McNulty in 2004 and 2006, has also declared his candidacy for the Democrat-heavy district. One-time Stratton ally Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, is also interested in the seat and political observers say her dominance over the county's political operations could enhance her chances in a primary against Stratton. Stratton, who will be sworn in Tuesday, said his priorities as mayor include a greater focus on neighborhood revitalization and cleaning up the beleaguered city police department. But Stratton will continue to investigate what support he would get in a contest for the seat his father, Samuel S. Stratton, held for 30 years before retiring in 1989. The former Schenectady city councilman and county legislator benefits from name recognition. The family name graces local landmarks from the Air National Guard base in Scotia to the Veterans Administration hospital in Albany. Stratton said he's looking into what support he would get from Albany County Democrats in the race. The 21st district covers all or part of Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Montgomery, Schoharie, Saratoga and Fulton counties. But 60 percent of its Democratic voters are in Albany County. "I think in particular I have to look and see if there's an opportunity to gain support in Albany County," Stratton said. "There's a lot of time. It's very early in the process still." As mayor, Stratton said he wants to keep the city on a healthy fiscal path. Since Stratton took office in 2003, the city's municipal bond rating has improved from worst-in-the-state to investment-grade. Stratton has raised $5 million more in state aid to fund the city government, but he also instituted a garbage fee that, while raising more than $2 million in revenue a year, angered many residents.To improve the Police Department, he plans to push for contract changes, such as establishing more merit-based promotions. Seven police officers have been arrested this decade. Earlier this year, a detective's theft of narcotics revealed shortcomings in the management of the department. Most recently, five officers were suspended last week amid allegations they beat a man suspected of driving while intoxicated. Democratic City Councilman Joseph L. Allen, who is currently the city's longest-serving councilman, agrees with Stratton's goal to focus on the redevelopment of neighborhoods. But Allen said he would like to see bigger tax cuts -- something that Stratton has said isn't a good idea considering the city's past fiscal problems. Stratton included a 1.2 percent tax decrease in the budget for this year. Allen has been a critic of some Stratton policies, but the Hamilton Hill Democrat says it doesn't bother him that Stratton is investigating a run for Congress. "This is probably his plan, stay in front of the people, keep your name out there with the idea to follow in his father's footsteps," Allen said. "I don't see that as a problem. He's got people who are running the city in different areas. He's got commissioners. (For him) it's a matter of steering the city in directions that would be helpful." Lauren Stanforth can be reached at 454-5697 or by e-mail at lstanforth@timesunion.com.
"This was something that was totally unpredictable. It's something that will come along once in a generation. It'd be crazy if I didn't look at it seriously," Stratton said last week.
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One-time Stratton ally Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, is also interested in the seat and political observers say her dominance over the county's political operations could enhance her chances in a primary against Stratton.
Can anyone tell me what's going on with the Dems in this area? Do you think that the founding fathers looked at someone in a political position for life? Isn't that why we (our ancestors) fought to get out from under the rule of a tyrannical king?
And DOMINANCE OVER THE COUNTY'S POLITICAL OPERATIONS? Are you kidding me? It's a dictatorship that goes her way or the highway. This is even shown when Governor Spitzer took his licenses for illegals off the market and they continued for some time (not informing the Republicans of the board of this fact) to debate whether they should allow them or not.
IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE IN WASHINGTON, AS IT IS IN SCHENECTADY, let's not send the same old type of person to Congress in 2008.
Sam Stratton beat all comers First published: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Ever since U.S. Rep. Mike McNulty announced upcoming retirement, his predecessor, the late Sam Stratton, has often been referred to as the Capital Region congress- man for 30 years.
Many don't recall when he won four terms in a so-called "submarine district" stretching about 200 miles from Amsterdam to suburban Rochester. Stratton started his Washington run in '58 representing some of the Capital Region. Come '62, a GOP gerrymandering attempted to force the populist Democrat out of office. The new district ran mainly through farm land where the GOP held an incredible 5-1 enrollment advantage. State milk inspectors I knew said they checked farms at 6 a.m. and often Stratton was already in barns campaigning. After a popular Albany congressman, Leo O'Brien, retired in '70, Stratton returned to the Capital Region. I recall he was hesitant about the move. He feared GOP candidate Dan Button, a former Times Union editor, would receive help from the newspaper. I told him the paper would not take sides. Stratton beat Button by 57,000 votes. He won the next eight terms easily, including taking 96 percent of the vote in his 1986 final run.
After a popular Albany congressman, Leo O'Brien, retired in '70, Stratton returned to the Capital Region. I recall he was hesitant about the move. He feared GOP candidate Dan Button, a former Times Union editor, would receive help from the newspaper. I told him the paper would not take sides.
Nowadays, the TU WOULD take sides, and their own employee would feel their wrath.
Stratton says no to congressional run Monday, February 11, 2008
Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton goes over election results with City Council member Mark Blanchfield, left, and Schenectady Director of Operations Sharon Jordan, right, on election night at the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Stratton has decided not to pursue a bid to replace Michael McNulty in the congressional seat once held by Stratton's father, Sam. SCHENECTADY — Mayor Brian U. Stratton has decided not to run for the congressional seat being vacated at the end of the year by fellow Democrat Michael McNulty and formerly held by Stratton's father. Stratton said he decided against the run so he can continue to focus on his current job. "After a thorough consideration and careful examination of what to me was a unique opportunity to run for Congress and potentially serve in the seat once held by my late father, I have decided that I can best serve the needs and citizens of the city of Schenectady by continuing the job I enjoy as mayor," Stratton said in a statement this afternoon. "Being mayor of Schenectady, the city of my birth, is not only an honor but a job that I truly enjoy. I am extremely proud of all my administration has accomplished in four years to restore Schenectady's financial integrity, rebuild its economy and to give our citizens a genuine sense of pride in their community. I look forward to continuing that progress and working to meet the many challenges still before us." Stratton's announcement follows the announcement last week that Susan Savage, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature, would not contend for the 21st District seat, which McNulty has held since Sam Stratton retired in 1989. Tracey Brooks, a former aide to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Colonie Democratic Committee Chairman Phil Steck have already announced their candidacies on the Democratic side, while no Republicans have announced their interest. Other possible candidates including former Democratic assemblyman Paul Tonko and unsuccessful Republican state comptroller candidate Christopher Callahan.
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Monday, February 11, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- Mayor Brian U. Stratton will not seek the congressional seat his father, Samuel S. Stratton, held for three decades.
The younger Stratton had been considered a potential frontrunner for the seat since U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty announced last year that he would not run for re-election this fall. McNulty won the seat after Sam Stratton retired in 1988. "I gave a lot of thought and exploration to this effort," Mayor Stratton said today. "My family was supportive of me. It came down to a professional decision," he said. He said he wants to continue to be Schenectady's mayor and that any concerns about support in Democrat-heavy Albany County or the possibility that former state Assemblyman Paul Tonko of Amsterdam might run had nothing to do with the decision. Stratton said, based on his inquiries, he would have received great support outside of Schenectady County. "I could have mounted an aggressive and winning campaign, but my decision is to remain mayor" Stratton said this afternoon. The timing of Stratton's announcement could be good for another Democratic candidate: Tracey Brooks of Coeymanswas holding a news conference this morning to announce that McNulty's sister, Green Island village Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan, was joining her campaign. Brooks is an attorney and has been a director of one of U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's regional offices. Stratton's exit also means there probably won't be a run for the 21st Congressional District seat from Schenectady County. County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage also announced last week she won't run. While Tonko has not confirmed his interest in McNulty's seat, Stratton said Tonko told him he was considering entering the race. Tonko has been head of the state Energy Research and Development Authority since his appointment to the post last summer by Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Stratton said he will continue to focus on filling the city's vacant police chief position, attempting to clean up a police department that most recently had five officers placed on leave for allegedly beating up a DWI suspect, and will seek federal and state dollars to clean up blight in Schenectady's neighborhoods.
Victory! No Savage, No Stratton! Now, we just need to get someone besides Tonko! (Or are they all bowing at his alter now that his name has been mentioned?)
Well, it looks like Schenectady residents will have Mayor Stratton to kick around, or pat on the back, some more. He announced yesterday that he will not be running for Rep. Michael McNulty’s vacated seat (a seat once occupied by his late father, Sam, and one that he seemed strongly interested in pursuing) after all. What makes Brian not run? He didn’t give any really crystalizing answer, instead talking about weighing everything and deciding that on the whole, he’d rather be in Schenectady. Strange as that may seem, it makes some sense. These days Stratton is getting more pats than kicks, and deservedly so. In November he won reelection in a landslide, recognition of the good job he has done straightening out the city’s finances, and working with Metroplex and the county to bring economic development projects to the city. In fact, in an editorial the day after the election, we said that while it would be understandable if Stratton went for the opportunity in Washington, we hoped he stays here, where he is needed and can have more of an impact. Stratton apparently agrees. And while he has several good priorities for this term, including revitalizing the neighborhoods and dealing with the city’s aging infrastructure, none is as important as another stated goal: cleaning up the city’s police department. Do that and he could be mayor for life.
Carl Strock THE VIEW FROM HERE Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com. If Stratton won’t run, who will?
Nobody was more surprised than I was yesterday at the announcement by Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton that he will not run for Congress. Not run? He was the first one out of the blocks last November when Rep. Mike McNulty announced that he, McNulty, would not seek re-election, meaning Stratton was the first one to hie himself down to Washington for a meeting with the Democratic committee in charge of recruiting candidates, and when I asked him about it a few days later, he acknowledged that he was “extremely interested,” as he put it. How could he not be? His father Sam Stratton, held the congressional seat for 30 years, after getting his start as mayor of Schenectady, and now here was the son, also mayor of Schenectady, with the seat in Congress unexpectedly open. It was the chance of a lifetime, since a lifetime is approximately how long congressmen keep their jobs. So he was running, no doubt about it, with only the formality of an announcement on the steps of City Hall yet to be made. But instead we got a press release full of lofty ruminations about “the dynamic renaissance and economic expansion of Schenectady’s downtown” and how “I have decided that I can best serve the needs and citizens of the city of Schenectady by continuing the job I enjoy as a mayor.” I asked him what happened to change his mind, and he insisted there was nothing more to it than what it appeared: “I gave this a lot of thorough consideration, and it came down to a professional consideration,” he said. “For me at this particular time I’m enjoying doing what I’m doing. I’m chief executive of a city as opposed to being one of 435 members of a legislative body.” I asked if he didn’t yearn to follow in his father’s footsteps, as I had believed, and he said, “That was a compelling factor … it would have been an honor, but on the other side I saw what it meant,” meaning giving up his role in Schenectady’s resurrection from the near-dead. He assured me also that his wife and young son were “absolutely 100 percent” behind him no matter what he decided. “I think I could have won,” he offered, “but I made my decision for professional reasons.” So now we are left with the curiosity of an open congressional seat and no prominent public servants contending for it — no Breslin, no Jennings, no Stratton, the only declared candidates being Tracey Who, aka Tracey Brooks, a former staffer for Hillary Clinton; and Phil Who, aka Phil Steck, an Albany County legislator. Paul Tonko, former assemblyman and now head of the state Energy Research and Development Authority, is also a possible candidate but so far is keeping his cards close to his vest. It’s odd, having in mind that among people who make their living at politics Congress is considered a sweet job, with good pay ($169,300), great benefits, egoboosting prestige, and lifetime security for anyone who doesn’t commit a felony in public view. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to go for it myself. I could see myself on the floor of the House making a stirring speech about the wickedness of flag-burning, the need to restore prayer to schools, or possibly the glorious sacrifice of our military veterans. I don’t see why I couldn’t turn a patriotic phrase as well as some of the orators who are there now, and as for the rest, I would hire a staff, the same as the rest of them. Yes, I will give this my thorough consideration.
Of course Stratton won't run. He was probably told not to. The democratic machine is strategically placing their people where they want them. It's a chess game for them. The dems can't take the chance to loose their foothold in Schenectady. What if a rep or a conserv became mayor of Schenectady? Well, we know that Kosiur would be out of a job for sure. Heads would roll for sure!
This was not soley Stratton's decision. I'm sure it came from the top. The dems are just getting all of their dictators ducks n a row.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
First published: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Brian Stratton did more than end several months of speculation Monday with his announcement he won't run for Congress. He effectively began his second term as mayor of Schenectady as well. Both his considerable accomplishments so far and all the challenges the city still faces can be seen in the proper light, and not for their larger political significance. Mr. Stratton's inaugural speech last month sounded, at times, like a farewell. His warning that corruption in the city's long-tarnished Police Department no longer could be tolerated seemed intended as much for a potential successor as the officers themselves. Now, though, his ultimatum of "no room for rogues, cowboys and thugs" is the standard by which the mayor has effectively asked to be judged. It's Mr. Stratton's job to see to it, as he promised just a month ago, that such officers are fired and the city rebuilds and moves on. The mayor's acknowledgment Monday of, as he put it, the "ongoing need to rebuild the management of the Police Department" is a jarring reminder of what hasn't changed in Schenectady. Mr. Stratton has been able to rescue the city from fiscal collapse and create an economic climate in which there's more talk of development than of decline. That has been relatively easy, compared with changing the very culture of a Police Department where five officers have been suspended in connection with the alleged beating of a drunken-driving suspect, four members of the vice squad are under scrutiny for apparently spending their working hours in a gym and a restaurant and a fifth is in prison for the theft of crack cocaine from an evidence locker. Hiring an able and forceful police chief ought to be Mr. Stratton's most immediate concern. Another obstacle to Schenectady's continued resurgence is blight and inadequate code enforcement. Mr. Stratton is wise to seek federal funding to help pay for what could be arduous cleanup of the neglected areas of the city. Putting blight removal into Schenectady's first comprehensive plan in almost 40 years makes the city eligible for such funds under an initiative sponsored by U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo. The most neglectful landlords, meanwhile, will need to be further prosecuted. The more vibrant and livable city Mr. Stratton envisions is within reach, surely, and all the more so because he thought twice about running for the congressional seat his father once held. The voters who re-elected him are the winners here. What they see in their mayor is just that, not a candidate for anything bigger than the demanding job he has embraced anew. ISSUE:The mayor decides not to run for Congress.THE STAKES:Further revival of Schenectady is possible, as long as the police are brought under control.
'Average guy,' remarkable career Retiring McNulty looks back with pride on 20 years in the House
By JUDY HOLLAND, Washington bureau First published: Tuesday, May 27, 2008
WASHINGTON -- After two decades in the House of Representatives, Rep. Michael R. McNulty has a new spring in his step despite a post-polio limp as he prepares to return home to pursue "life after Congress." McNulty was paralyzed from polio for a month at age 2. Now he wears a leg brace to steady his stride and sometimes rides an electric scooter from his Rayburn House Office Building to the House floor, but can't stop talking about his good fortune.
"I'm one of the luckiest people that ever lived," McNulty says. "I was paralyzed from the chest down while a lot of other people were dead or in a wheelchair. I went from paralysis to walking with a brace, to walking without one, to a tremendous career I have thoroughly loved -- and I have a family. It's a real gift I've been given." McNulty, 60, announced his retirement plans last October. Sitting in a leather armchair in the Speaker's lobby of the Capitol, he exudes the quiet confidence of a man who knows he's taking the right path. It leads him back to his hometown of Green Island to his wife, four daughters and five grandchildren. "Everything feels right about the decision I've made," he says. "I've had this wonderful career, I've been in my dream job for 20 years, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want life after Congress." McNulty was diagnosed five years ago with post-polio syndrome, which makes him easily fatigued. He says the disease combined with his weekly commutes to and from Washington are taking a toll on him physically. "Standing in line, taking off my shoes and walking to the gates, to the flight itself is too much wear and tear," McNulty says. At a current congressional salary of $169,300, McNulty will draw a federal pension of about $50,500 a year, which will increase along with the cost of living, according to calculations by the National Taxpayers Union, a nonprofit government watchdog. He says he has been approached by Capital Region universities, a high-tech company, a consulting organization and some firms that lobby state government about going to work after he retires from the House. But McNulty says he won't enter into job negotiations until fall to avoid violating ethics rules. "I'm just not exactly sure what to do yet," he says, adding that he does know one thing: "I won't be in Washington." That wasn't always the case. McNulty recalls how Congress held tremendous appeal for him when he was elected Green Island town supervisor at age 22 and, at age 29, mayor of the village. To support his political pursuits and "keep food on the table," McNulty launched a small insurance company before heading to the state Legislature. "If I had a childhood dream, it was to some day serve in Washington," McNulty recalls. "I was fascinated by foreign policy. Most people don't ask you your opinion of the latest world crisis when you are mayor of Green Island." McNulty says he's proud of bringing millions of federal dollars or "pork" back to his district, but he cites a freshman-year trip to Ethiopia and his work as a member of the House Hunger Caucus as highlights of his career.McNulty says he's proud of his efforts, as chairman of a House subcommittee on Social Security, in helping people who file for Social Security disability payments get them more promptly. He says disabled constituents have lost homes, had children taken away or have died while waiting a year or two for Social Security benefits. "This is an example of government at its worst," he says. McNulty's close friend, Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., says McNulty clearly "has a passion for the underdog -- for people that are hurting." Because of his reputation for fairness, McNulty has been regularly tapped to preside over the House of Representatives, a role that blew up into controversy last August. In that case, McNulty ruled that a floor vote was complete and that the Democratic majority had prevailed. His ruling didn't account for a last-second vote change by a Republican member, prompting Republicans to storm out of the chamber. Earlier this month, McNulty told a special House hearing that he had made a mistake in ruling too soon and apologized for the error. McNulty also prides himself on keeping "my priorities straight with regard to my family" and "never giving up my job as an announcer at Green Island Little League." McNulty says his mother, the late Madelon McNulty, gave him the confidence to get to Congress because she believed "that I could do no wrong." He says his grandfather, John J. McNulty Sr., and father, John McNulty Jr., 86, both former Green Island mayors, paved his way into politics. He says his father, who speaks at local events when the congressman is unavailable, is "my secret weapon," which helped him garner a record 78 percent of the vote in the 2006 election. His sister, Ellen McNulty-Ryan, is Green Island's mayor. McNulty says he hopes that his granddaughter, Teigin Legault, 13, who has accompanied him on campaign events, might follow his political footsteps. He says when he announced his retirement to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, she asked: "Does this mean I lose my biggest supporter, Teigin?" McNulty has no regrets about leaving Capitol Hill. "Nobody is irreplaceable, least of all me," he says. "In a couple of years, people will say: 'What about Mike? Mike who?' " As candidates line up to seek the seat in the November election to replace him, he says he won't take sides because "pretty near all the Democrats are friends of mine." "I know my duties and choosing my successor is not one of them," he says. After two decades on Capitol Hill, McNulty has retained his modesty. "No one ever accused me of being brilliant," he says. "I'm an average guy." He says he has reached his goals "basically because I worked pretty hard."
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