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STAR TREK, 'the Schenectady County saga.'.

I was born in South Troy (Troylet), raised & lived the first fifty-seven years of my life in Waterlviet.  Watervliet use to be West Troy so that says it all about Watervliet.  I been coming to Schenectady since I was three years old.  My father worked in ALCO as a machinist & shop steward.  A nice place to rob, is there any wonder it went belly up?

When my father was not 'lifting a wrench' in the pits he would deliver pays offs to the various precinct houses in Schenectady.  In the old days city's had 'neighborhood cops'.  Like with schools, the neighborhood presence was better.  The pay offs were always in little brown bags, I went with my father & enjoyed the experience.  Cops, guns, uniforms, little guy delights.  My mother was pissed when she found out the old man would take me along.

The Christmas show about 1951 held at Proctors for the families of the ALCO guys was great.  Cowboys (I think Hop A Long was there in his black outfit), Indians, Santa's, stuff to delight the kids.  At the end of the show, many of the  families were not picked up by the 'fathers', many of the fathers had been arrested at union HAUL.  The fathers had their own party going, "stocking stuffer" took on a new meaning.  Got to love Schenectady.

A number of years ago a cousin of mine was rehabbing a house in Watervliet.  He found an envelope with letter dated 1899.  A fellow in Chicago was writing a friend in Watervliet; The question posed by Chicago fellow was, "how are things in sin city (Schenectady)"?  The great constant in Schenectady, corruption.  Maybe some old Indian before the white man 'took' this area placed a curse on what we call Schenectady.   Schenectady is certainly not blessed.

Recently I contacted an eviction lawyer.  I told him of my circumstance (landlord), he asked me what county I lived, I said Schenectady, he sighed.  He said "they are nice people up there but a civil action cannot get out of it's own way."  Now you know why the WFP endorses law enforcement & what is worst, law enforcement accepts the endorsements.  QUID PRO QUO.  The WFP does not serve the interest of the tax payer, rather it serves the interest of the people absorbing our taxes.   Is a line on the ballot worth selling your soul, in Schenectady County it certainly is.

Corruption is not exclusive to Schenectady County, it just seems that way.

Rotterdam, Frank DelGallo won the run for town supervisor.  Tommasone lost for the usual Republican reasons, nasty campaigning & acting a like a Democrat, spending too much.  Frank was on the Democrat line but he is a self made man, the quintessential American.  In Rotterdam there is little difference between Democrat & Republican, except at the top.  The people of Rotterdam are hard working, conservative in values, family oriented & entrepreneurs to the extreme.  Kind of makes you wonder why just about everyone is not an enrolled Conservative.  The Republican Party is on decline in America, the Conservative Party's star is rising.  The Republican Party fears the Conservative more than the Democrat, just look what went down in the 23rd Congressional District.  The real story of the people of Rotterdam needs to be told so they can find a political base that reflects their values.  The Democrat Party does not fit & the Republicans, lost their soul a long time ago.

The Schenectady County political 'values' are a 180 degree turn from Rotterdam values.  Rotterdam is an Island surrounded by shark infested waters.  The sharks are left wing Democrats & spineless Republicans.  Rotterdam is to Schenectady County what upstate is to down state New York.  Two different worlds, thank God.

Time is running out on America, New York State, Schenectady County & Rotterdam.  I am not sure when one reaches the point of TOO LATE, but I think we are close.  The people of Rotterdam cannot change the world but they can preserve their's, if they shed the chains of Democrat & Republican labels.

The 'status quo' will be the economic death of us all.

Edmond Day

PS  A few years ago I was doing 'contract work' not a hit man, home repair, that sort of thing.  A post retirement gig.  One of my perspective clients was a former madam, Schenectady variety, white, 80+ & corrupt as hell.  I could not run out of her house fast enough.  Had to shower when I got home.  Once the evil is in you it never leaves.  Not that all madams are evil but she was.