Alliance Party brought Sch’dy politics badly needed competition
College presidents like to quote others. I was no exception. Perhaps surprisingly, though, I often cited Yogi Berra, who famously stated “they say it can’t be done, but that don’t always work.”
This fall’s election serves as a case in point. Few people gave the Alliance Party, whose goal was to bring real competition to Schenectady, much of a chance. Although we offi cially won only the seat Vince Riggi took on the City Council, I personally think, at the risk of deluding myself, we can actually be said to have won the election.
How can a loss be a win? Because, but for a quirk in state law that works against third-party efforts like the Alliance Party, I believe Phil Tiberio would have won a seat on the City Council. And, if 45 people had voted differently, the race for mayor would also have had a different result. Given the fact we took on a governor, congressman, two senators, 20 unions, and a machine that has served itself for 37 years, we did well in our first effort to bring real competition to Schenectady. We will be back next fall to field a candidate to run for the seat to be vacated by [Mayor-elect] Gary McCarthy.
To those who stood with us, I say thank you; to those who preferred to stay with the powers that be, I have no argument. However, I wish the more than 65 percent who chose not to vote would have done so.
With Schenectady at the edge of a financial cliff and facing mammoth tax increases, I thought voters would have flocked to the polls. I was obviously wrong. Since Americans are giving their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq to bring democracy and the right to vote to those war-torn lands, it is disappointing to me that so many chose not to exercise their right in Schenectady with so much at stake.
In my months of knocking on doors and ringing doorbells, I often heard people say their vote wouldn’t matter. Maybe next time, with the mayoral campaign of 2011 having been decided
by 89 votes, they will think differently,
regardless of whom they wish to support.
ROGER HULL
Schenectady
The writer founded the Alliance Party and was its candidate for mayor in the election. |
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Good news! They must dump those rookies that did not want to stress DEM fiscal mismanagement and confiscatory taxation. Many are kicking themselves for not voting and not getting more involved. 
