The Administrators of the Schenectady Informer are pleased to report that last evening, during her frequent commentary on the City Administration, Pat Zollinger announced that she plans to run for a seat on the Schenectady City Council. Those of you, who watched the City Council Meeting, saw Pat's announcement.
Most of you are familiar with Pat's long-standing crusade in seeking honesty and accountability from our City Fathers. For a very long time, Pat, unselfishly, has dedicated her time, her energy, and often her personal finances to advocate the causes of the common person. You may recall that Pat was instrumental in blocking the pay raise that Mayor Stratton sought to sneak in, soon after his election. It was through the efforts of Pat and her colleagues that the mayoral pay raise was blocked. Pat has often been critical of the "rubber stamping" machine a/k/a The City Council. With that in mind, we are certain that neither the Mayor nor McCarthy and his Regime will roll out the proverbial red carpet for Pat. The last thing this Administration wants is a thorn on their side; that is what Pat would be to them.
We are certain that Pat will have much more to say regarding her candidacy. The Schenectady Informer will afford all of Pat's adversaries the same courtesies, as we will for Pat.
Critic of Schenectady council to seek election Tuesday, June 29, 2010 By Kathleen Moore Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Democrat Carl Erikson might have some competition in this year’s City Council race. Erikson was appointed to the council on June 14 to replace Mark Blanchfield, who was appointed city judge.
We’ve had “appointed” council members for years. “Working together works” remember? Except that all of these council members have been “rubber stamps” to what the party wants. The entire county is affected by these tactics. Oh, if only Blanchfield hadn’t been appointed so early in the year. Erikson may not have had to run.
Given that the Republicans could not field any competition in the last council race, and before that could only come up with one Conservative to run against four Democrats, it seemed likely that Erikson would not be challenged in his first election.
Given that the Republican Party is just about dead in the county, why wouldn’t Erikson assume that no one would run against him? But there are other ways to seek office and it doesn’t necessarily mean only a “write-in.” Write in campaigns have been successful in the past, and now with the new voting machines, write-ins are even easier. There is also the idea of an “independent nomination.” Hey, I’m game and I wouldn’t be surprised if a slew of voters would be game too.
But critic Pat Zollinger has announced that she will run against him this fall — although she would not say whether she would carry petitions to get her name on the ballot.
“I will run. I will certainly give Mr. Erikson a run for his money,” she said.
Nominating petitions must be filed by July 15 to get a name on the ballot. Petitions for a write-in space have a July 22 deadline.
The dates listed above are for filing designating petition on the 15th, and for filing an “Opportunity to ballot” petition by July 22nd. There is no mention of the dates for filing an Independent Nominating Petition is quite different. You cannot even obtain signatures until a starting date of July 6, 2010 and the petitions must be submitted the week of August 10th through August 17th. The requirements for the number of signatures is a number of registered voters in the City of Schenectady equal to or more than five percent (5%) of the total number of voters who appeared at the last gubernatorial election. The election was held November 7, 2006 with Eliot Spitzer bulldozing John Faso over quite neatly. The “ward totals” as is shown on page 10 of the county “Condensed Recanvass Report” gives the number 14,483. Five percent of that is 725 signatures at the very least. Preparing the nominating signature and setting up a committee is part of the process. July 6th through August 17th is 42 days. Is that enough time to fulfill the petition requirements to get onto the ballot? With enough support I believe I could. Of course I would expect the “parties” to challenge every signature.
Zollinger also declined to say whether she would seek the Republican endorsement, but county GOP Chairman Thomas Buchanan said it was unlikely.
“I don’t think she’s a Republican,” he said.
Ms. Moore asked me point blank if I was going to seek the Republican endorsement. I told her quite simply that I wasn’t prepared to comment on that. I think its strange though, that Tom Buchanan made the statement he did. It doesn’t matter if I am Republican or not, the party supported Vince Riggi in his run against Peggy King, and Vince was not a Republican. But Mr. Buchanan was certainly thinking when he said he didn’t think I was Republican. I am not, I am what is called a “blank” in Schenectady County, maybe in the entire state. I have no party affiliation and would not want to be beholden to any partisan politics.
The Republicans in the city have gone through at least five leaders in the past three years, electing their newest chairwoman last week. Darlene Lee is now in charge of the city GOP committee. It would normally have endorsed a candidate weeks ago at the latest, when news of Blanchfield’s impending appointment went public. The Democrats endorsed Erikson in the first week of June. No Republican endorsements have been announced.
Democrats have a 2.5-to-1 party enrollment advantage and currently hold every elected position in the city. All of them were won easily in recent elections; the last Republican to serve lost her seat in 2005.
Ms. Moore would be talking about Cathy Lewis here. But Mrs. Lewis (whose husband is on the Metroplex board) now has an elected position with the school board.
Erikson said he welcomed a competitive race.
“That’s part of the process. I think it’s good,” he said. “The best person’s going to win.”
Erikson, 37, is an active Democratic committeeman with strong ties to the Goose Hill neighborhood. This will be his first run for office.
My opponent believes in faery tails, not much unlike our current council who continue to wear the “rose colored glasses” and ignore the reality of the situation in our city and state. The election process is anything but good. The election law was written by politicians (mostly lawyers) essentially to make it difficult for an independent person such as myself to run for these coveted offices. Why do I say “coveted?”, because they are all positions of power and control as having evolved into over the years. They control the money and much of it goes to patronage. My opponent has been a faithful Democratic Committeeman and lives in the same neighborhood as many current council people. It appears to me that he will simply be another “rubber stamp” for the party cause. Never mind doing what’s best for the citizens and taxpayers in the City of Schenectady.
Zollinger, who ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign five years ago at age 48, said the city was ready for new leadership.
I have no qualms with being 53 years old. Brian Stratton is actually a couple of weeks “older” than I am and apparently he has no qualms with that either. The “write-in” campaign five years ago was a total success in my opinion. It got people thinking, it got people looking at the machines and it totally annoyed the poll workers. In fact, when I suggested the write-in last year because we had no choice (thanks to the non-Republican party here in the city) I actually got a telephone call from an irate poll worker who gave me a total “what for” piece of her mind. I was a bit surprised over that, because it’s not like the poll workers actually have to count up the write-ins.
“I think a lot of people here have reached a tipping point,” she said, referring to the council’s decision to cancel two summer meetings and inspect deteriorating houses instead.
The “tipping point” was reached due to the blatant abuse of power exercised by this council body. They set whatever hours they deem acceptable to them, they set the rules with respect to the public’s privilege of the floor, and they have their own agendas, which are self serving at best. And it’s not only the council; it’s also the county and the state. Here in New York State we’ve been steadily losing our rights and enjoyment of life and living. Unless of course we are able to pay the taxes and fees put on us and enjoyed by them. They do not economize nor do they look at the big picture for the future of our city. All they are thinking about is their narrow vision of how things should be in their tiny minds, instead of our community as a whole.
“I don’t care if you say you’re going to look at houses. I don’t believe it,” she told the City Council at Monday’s privilege of the floor.
No, I don’t believe it. The city council going from house to house to inspect them and try to come up with ideas on how to make them better? No way. First, I don’t think any of the council members are construction engineers. I don’t believe they’ve been schooled in the art of building, electrical or plumbing codes. Mrs. Blanchard at one time, wanted legislation to prevent attaching the satellite dishes to the houses, but didn’t realize that there was federal law prohibiting the prohibition of such a thing. I certainly agreed that the houses would look so much better without the dishes, but you still have to understand the laws, which I believe that our city council is pretty much clueless about.
She also criticized the council for firing three long-time videographers of council meetings and replacing him with a videographer from the new Open Stage Media group that runs Schenectady’s public access channels.
Open Stage Media is Philip Morris’ incarnation of himself. I believe it was done only because of the franchise fee that is assessed on every cable subscriber. John Harnden and his group did this for a small fee and supplied the equipment at his own expense. As was stated succinctly by Glenn Jarrett, it was a “labor of love” which is certainly not matched by today’s politicians.
She pledged to film all of the council’s meetings and post them online, possibly with commentary from residents observing the meetings. She runs SchenectadyInformer.com, a site on which residents can comment about city issues.
I’ve already filmed council committee meetings; from July 2007 through December 2007 when I had to stop due to the unexpected death of my husband. I certainly would have continued with that effort. I put the video onto DVD and submitted them to SACC TV for display. It was an altruistic effort, one which I will continue. However, I do not run SchenectadyInformer.com and that website is entirely different than the one I set up and ran for ten years. They now operate the website as they see fit. And I believe I am fortunate that the administrator’s allow me to write articles but not everything I write is allowed to be posted. I do however retain the SchenectadyNY.info domain name and so I put the copies of the videotapes of the council meetings there. I do understand that the Daily Gazette is limited in space, and the reporters may be limited in time to write their articles. This is why I’ve extrapolated on Kathleen Moore’s article here.
I believe that knowledge is important, and have learned over the years that ignorance is expensive; not only for myself, but for all of us in the City of Schenectady. My goal is to represent the citizens and taxpayers of the City of Schenectady. Help me achieve my goal so that we all are better off in the future.
SCHENECTADY Council hopeful forms party to get on ballot BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
A new party is forming in Schenectady. Resident Pat Zollinger is trying to create her own party to challenge Democrat Carl Erikson for City Council this fall. She has until Aug. 17 to collect the more than 700 signatures necessary to get her party on the ballot. She has named it S.T.O.P., the Schenectady Taxpayers Outrage Party. “I won’t be representing any political party,” Zollinger said. “I’ll be representing the taxpayers. And that’s what I’ve done for the last eight years here. The city gives everyone a break but the taxpayers.” She argues that the city budget has risen too much — from $56 million in 2004, when the mayor was elected, to $78 million this year. She also dismisses the Democrats’ election slogan: “working together works.” “Has working together worked for you?” she wrote on her election website. “It hasn’t worked for Patricia Zollinger or the citizens in the City of Schenectady. We pay the highest property tax rate in the Capital Region. And for what?” Zollinger, 53, is a computer programmer for the state Thruway Authority. But she’s also built a reputation in Schenectady as an activist who questions the council regularly at meetings. When the council decided not to broadcast its committee meetings on public access television, Zollinger showed up with her own camera and broadcast her tapes on public access. Recently she began recording the meetings again — even though the council quickly bowed to her and began professional broadcasts — because she objected to the way in which the council switched the management of the public access channels. She has widespread name recognition in the city, but that won’t help unless she can get on the ballot. Adding a new party is considered a difficult endeavor. .....................>>>>.....................>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01301&AppName=1
An Open Letter form Pat Zollinger, to the readers of the Schenectady Informer
Pat Zollinger has requested that we post an open letter addressed to the readers of this Forum.
In appreciation of Pat being the original founder of this Forum and a frequent contributor, we are happy to accommodate her request.
The Administration The Schenectady Informer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE READERS OF THE SCHENECTADY INFORMER
Dear Forum Members: First, I wish to extend my sincere “Thank You”, to the Administrators of The Schenectady Informer for having granted me the opportunity to post this letter. As many of you know, I am the original founder and an active poster of this Board. Most of you may also know that I am attempting to have my name placed on the voters’ ballot as an independent Candidate for the Schenectady City Council Candidate for this coming election of November 2, 2010. I have no party affiliation and therefore I am not receiving any help from any of the political parties. I have chosen this means of getting elected as I do not want to be accountable to any political bosses or to any political party. I wish to be accountable ONLY to the residents of the City of Schenectady...............>>>>.................>>>>.............http://www.schenectadyinformer.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1278385331/
Good for her!!!!! They need change badly!! It does appear that she will stand up for all taxpayers in the city. Her track record has already proven that!
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
Patricia “Pat” Zollinger Schenectady City Council Candidate for 2010 Candidacy Platform
MY VISIONS
My name is Patricia “Pat” Zollinger and I am a candidate for a seat on the Schenectady City Council. I am not a career politician; in fact I am not a politician at all. I do not belong to a political party and I am not being supported by one, either financially, or politically. In making this choice, I do not have and will not have any political “bosses”. I will not be indebted to anyone but the people of Schenectady. As such, I have formed my election banner named SCHENECTADY TAXPAYERS OUTRAGE PARTY or S.T.O.P. I am a born Schenectadian, I have lived here all of my adult life and like you, I am a Schenectady Taxpayer. I am outraged that this City Council and Administration have failed miserably in the representation of the residents and taxpayers. If my name and/or photograph are familiar to you, it is only be because for nearly ten years, I have endeavored to be the voice of the average person, before the City Administration. I have conveyed not only my thoughts, but also those of the Schenectadians who perhaps did not feel comfortable in speaking out to our Administration. While for the most part, the criticism of our City Administration conveyed by me as well as by others may have fallen upon deaf ears, I have made some progress as “watchdog” of our City Government in changing a few policies. For example, in 2004, the newly elected Mayor, Brian Stratton, after a few months in office, with the blessing of the City Council, set in motion the mechanism to give himself a pay increase from $62,000.00 to $88,000.00. The City Council approved Mayor Stratton’s request and at the same time initiate the means by which the Council Members could give themselves and their chosen people a pay raise as well. All of this was at the expense of the Schenectady taxpayers. I, along with others initiated a petition drive known as a “Permissive Referendum” and we were successful in blocking the Mayor’s pay raise. It is my hope to be elected so that I may be the voice of the average Schenectady resident It is my intent to put an end to the outrageous and long-standing abuse of the Schenectady Taxpayers. I will stand up for all our concerns, for all of our rights and I will ensure that the City Council becomes accountable to the public which it is elected to serve. With this in mind, I am running under the banner of SCHENECTADY TAXPAYERS OUTRAGE PARTY or S.T.O.P.
Here are some of the issues that are very concerning to me and should worry you, as well.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS: Under the current Administration, our ethnically diverse neighborhoods that once were the proud and shiny pillars of Schenectady have been turned into battle zones run by drug dealers, gangs and prostitutes. Our children are being murdered or maimed before our very eyes. Shootings and stabbings in broad daylight have become a daily way of life in our City. Our citizens are being held hostage in their own homes while our police brass, including the Commissioner and the Chief enjoy peace and comfort in their suburban homes, miles away from the Schenectady crimes. Yet, murder after murder and crime after crime go unsolved. The Mayor and his Administration have catered to their chosen friends with financial aid in the millions of dollars while at the same time turning their backs to our neighborhoods and allow them to deteriorate to the point of being unfit for living. This Administration, instead of using the money it receives from the federal government, known as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), for the purpose of repairing the sidewalks and streets in our neighborhoods, uses that money, primarily to pay the exaggerated salaries and benefits for city employees, many of which do not even live in the City. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
RUNAWAY PROPERTY TAXES: Our tax rate is out of control. In the year 2000 Schenectady’s tax rate was below that of the City of Rensselaer, the Village of Scotia and the City of Troy. However, according to the “Capital District Regional Planning Commission,” from 2001 through 2009 Schenectady has built up the highest property tax rate in the Capital Region. While this Administration and City Council urge that we must endure painful cuts, the only cuts that have been made have been to our own income. The various Departments enjoy unlimited overtime and the Department Heads allow employees who will soon retire, to pad their pensions by enabling them to “work”, overtime for as long as they wish so that they can retire with exorbitant pensions; at times higher than their salaries. At the same time, we the taxpayers, especially those on fixed income, must struggle to survive and at times make cuts into our daily needs so that we can pay the tax. The Mayor enjoys being flanked by his entourage of advisors, financial wizards and commissioners; all paid large salaries at the expense of the Schenectady taxpayer. Most of them do not even reside in the City. This is the city where a patrolman is paid $115,000.00 a year; a sewer worker retires on a pension exceeding $100,000.00 and police union officials work only 3 to 5 days a year, while paid full salary. All of this is done with the hard-earned money of the Schenectady Taxpayers. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
DEMEANING PROCEDURES FOR GRIEVING YOUR ASSESSMENT: During the 2009 Assessment Grievance period, people who wanted to grieve their new assessments were treated like cattle by the City of Schenectady’s Assessor as well as the Board of Assessment Review (BAR). After waiting hours in a long line, in front of the Assessor’s office, our citizens were told to go outside to a different building altogether and were allowed ONLY three minutes to plead their cases and a limited number of properties they could address. All fell upon deaf ears, while the Assessor stood watch over these reviews in order to intimidate the citizens. When it was all said and done, out of more than 1000 grievances filed; only 70 were granted a reduction, most after a court fight. This is Schenectady grabbing your money and mine. They steal our dignity while we pay their salaries. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
RESIDENCY LAW: In 1988 the City of Schenectady enacted a local law requiring that city employees and Department Heads be residents of the City of Schenectady. This law has been ignored by the current Administration with the approval of the City Council. A vast majority of the Department Heads and other administrators DO NOT live in Schenectady. This means that they pay their tax and spend their money elsewhere. So, while we pay their grossly inflated salaries, they are supporting other communities. I will put an end to this travesty to the Schenectady Taxpayers. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
ELECTIVE OFFICES: The members of the City Council set their own salaries as well as the Mayor’s salary for the next elective term. But what is more important is that these part-time council members are allowed to purchase full health insurance for 20% of the cost. They also have the right to “opt out” of receiving health insurance and they get paid for it! In the current period of fiscal crisis, the lack of jobs in the city, the climbing number of people needing assistance, these part time elected officials continue to siphon the taxpayers! The City Council has the right to decide the hours for the NYS Retirement System credits. They don’t punch a time card, nor do they have to even show up. They write it up and submit it to the NYS Comptroller’s Office. There is no oversight and it’s all up to them to submit it. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could decide what retirement credit we’re going to get? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could set our own salaries? Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to show up and still get the same pay? Our City Council should not be in a position to abuse the trust of the community and the Taxpayers. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: It’s a well known issue that most of the City Council members are also on the Administrative Boards of various not-for-profit organizations. This becomes especially apparent when the City Council votes to distribute tax supported funds to the various not-for-profits. I personally believe that it is admirable when people volunteer their time and their own money to organizations, but not when they volunteer our time and our tax money to any not for profit or social organization. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
GOVERNMENT BY APPOINTMENT: Just over the past five years we have had council members leave through resignation, moving out of the area or getting a political promotion. The laws are written such that the seat is filled by the “majority party” until either a special election or the next general election is held. In Schenectady, with or without its “one party rule” the choice is always arbitrary meaning that the Taxpayers have no choice! In addition the Taxpayers have no right to impeach any council member for reasonable cause. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
OPEN AND INCLUSIVE GOVERNING: Cronyism is alive and well in the City of Schenectady. There should be strict requirements for hiring because the job needs to be filled, instead of someone needing a job. City Codes, Ordinances and the minutes of all meetings should be available to every Schenectadian, at no cost. Under the current administration, a Taxpayer must jump through hoops and pay exorbitant charges for copies of documents which have already been funded by the Taxpayers. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
THE GARBAGE FEE: The so called Garbage Fee is nothing short of a “money grab” dumped in the “General Fund” for the city’s budget. There is no accountability for it, no expenses and no formula used. Taxpayers already pay the exorbitant cost of trash removal – salaries, benefits, vehicles, tipping fees, fuel, pensions, repairs, maintenance – with the property tax burden we endure. The trash fee is a scheme to keep the “Constitutional Tax Limit” artificially low. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
OUR DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE: We are an old city, there’s no doubt about it. Being an aged city our foundations, our sewer system and our water system requires constant maintenance and attention. This Administration consistently awards projects to outsiders, often without a bidding process. I believe that many of these developments can be handled by the present City employees. Even if the current workforce is insufficient, the City should add to it thus creating jobs, even if on a temporary basis. Only when the project is of specialty in nature, should the city employ an open bidding process and give preferential treatment to those organizations based in or paying tax to our City. The current Administration engages in backroom deals, awarding multi-million dollar contracts to organizations not based in Schenectady; often to companies based in other countries. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
SELECTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT The current Administration often engages in “selective code enforcement”; city-owned properties are plagued with violations of all types while Code Enforcement looks the other way. As soon an investor buys a piece of real estate needing repairs, within days of the closing, the City is ready to cite the violations which it escaped for years, while owning the property. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
NOT-FOR-PROFIT BURDENS ON THE TAXPAYER: The costs for public safety, roads and access must be paid by those who use it. Schenectady Taxpayers can no longer afford to support the colleges, the hospital and any public or social organization that uses public service. Organizations such as Union College, Ellis Hospital, MVP and Proctors Theater ,etc. pay outrageous salaries to many of their administrators, in many cases, millions of dollars, while we have to struggle to pay for all of the public services they use. Union College has expanded into the Nott Terrace, has purchased dozens of homes, taking them off the tax rolls. We, the Taxpayers have to make up the difference. While paying outrageous salaries and benefits, there is no reason why these organizations, should not contribute to the cost of the public services which they all expect and enjoy. The City of Schenectady is fast becoming known as “The Not-For-Profit” capital of New York State. Downtown alone is comprised of nearly sixty percent non-profit organizations, many of which pay no property taxes or significantly contribute to local private businesses. I am a Schenectady Taxpayer and I am outraged. You should be too.
When elected, I will address ALL of the above concerns and many more not listed. It is my desire to return the City of Schenectady to its citizens. The current Administration is comprised of seven City Council Members who do nothing, other than to “rubber stamp” what the Administration wants. I will change all of that.
Patricia E. Zollinger P. O. Box 1920 Schenectady, NY 12301
While I applaud Pat for this effort and putting her everything into this campaign, this letter just doesn't convince me. Like other "politicians" she's stating what HAS happened, not what she WILL do to correct it, "I will change all of that" I would have liked to have seen HOW she plans to do or correct any of the issues she brings to the table. Lay out a plan on how you're going to oppose, or stop, these abuses - don't state the obvious. Yes, she stopped the Mayor's pay raise - but that's one issue out of a dozen in this letter. I hope her next campaign flyer/letter states those goals so that more people will support her and not think of her as an "average politician".
Changing "all of that" takes more than one voice in a council. It's unfortunate that more people don't have the convictions of Pat Z to stand up, be willing to fight to effect change. I do applaud her for her efforts and wish her well.
The city needs more people like zollinger. It appears that it would be the only voice of reason on that city council. Zollinger has 8 yearsof trying to correct city issues. Zollinger has offered MANY resolves for issues to the council with no respond.
You can bet that they DO NOT want her on the other side of that rail!! There is a lot of sh!t that goes on that the sheople don't know about. Zollinger, I believe, would expose it!
Zollinger would be the ONLY VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE in the city.
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
I agree with you, she has offered many solutions in the past - but what I'm saying is here, we're criticizing politicians in every election cycle, on both sides of the aisle, for saying things like this, but offering no facts or examples on HOW they're going to change things.
People, in general, ask "What are you going to do if I put you in that seat" - what will you do for me. They should also be asking HOW will you accomplish that. Face it, in the land of the internet, people in Schdy likely know Pat Zollinger. Older folks may know her, from seeing her on SACCTV/OSM at council meetings. There are still a lot of people, I'd bet, that have never heard her name before. That's who she needs to be appealing to.
Regardless, I think she's probably the best candidate for the position, if only to be one dissenting voice on a council of otherwise rubber stamping, sleeping, yes-men cronies. One voice of reason. It does take more than one voice to effect change tho, again, I wish other city residents would have also stepped up to the plate on this.
SCHENECTADY Zollinger gathers signatures, expects council ballot spot BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com
Schenectady may get a competitive City Council race this fall after all. Resident Pat Zollinger has collected more than enough signatures to get onto the November ballot. If her signatures pass muster, she will appear under her own party: S.T.O.P., the Schenectady Taxpayers Outrage Party. The question now is whether those signatures will stand up to the expected challenge from the Democrats. They are backing Councilman Carl Erikson, who was appointed to his seat early this year. And while Erikson has said he welcomes a competitive race, top Democrats have indicated they plan to closely examine every one of Zollinger’s signatures. If they find enough fl aws, she could end up with fewer than 725 valid signatures. That would stop her from getting onto the ballot, leaving Erikson as the only candidate for the council seat. She’s using that to her advantage, convincing many residents to sign her petitions on the grounds that they deserve a choice this November. “I tell them, if I don’t get on the ballot, our decision is made for us,” she said. “One guy said to me, ‘I only vote Republican.’ I said, ‘Well, then you have no one to vote for.’ A lot of them are surprised to hear that.” For the last four years, Republicans have been unable to muster a single GOP candidate for council. In 2007, the last time they endorsed any council candidate, they picked a Conservative. He lost, as has every Republican since 2005. When the Republicans admitted they could not field a candidate this year, Erikson appeared likely to skate to an easy victory. Then Zollinger stepped forward as an independent. ........................>>>>......................>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01603&AppName=1
"The Committee To Elect Patricia Zollinger" has reported that it has reached and surpassed the required number of valid signatures on her Nominating Petition.
Pat is seeking a seat on the Schenectady City Council. The Committee says that this is an unprecedented event, wherein a non politically-affiliated candidate for City Council is not backed by any political party. Zollinger has created her own party called S.T.O.P. an acronym for Schenectady Taxpayers Outrage Party.
According to the Committee, the Nominating Petition will be filed with the Schenectady County Board of Elections, on Tuesday, August 17.
STOP party turns in petition to challenge Schdy Council newbie August 17, 2010 at 2:24 pm by Lauren Stanforth
Frequent Schenectady City Council attendee and critic Patricia Zollinger has turned in her nominating petition to run against Democrat Carl Erikson in the Nov. 2 election. Zollinger is applying to run on a new party line, Schenectady Taxpayers Outrage Party, or STOP.
Zollinger
Zollinger’s campaign manager, and private investigator, Mario Pecoraro, said Zollinger’s supporters got about 1,100 signatures – well above the 690 required to he said ensure the Democratic party can not knock her off the ballot.
Erikson,a global commodity leader for General Electric and neighborhood leader for the city’s Democratic committee., was recently appointed to fill City Councilman Mark Blanchfield’s seat after Blanchfield was appointed City Court judge.
“There are people working two and three jobs to try and make ends meet. Our seniors are especially hit hard because the taxes have gone up so much that they really do have to make choices between taxes, medicines and food. I don’t think any of our council members really understand that,” Zollinger said in a statement about her petition’s completion.
You people are hilarious! Pat runs against the status quo in the disaster city, and you all support her. Salamone doing the same thing in Rotterdam and you supposed republicans bash him and and also bash the town as a sh!t hole. It doesn't make sense. AT. ALL.
Logged
