The Capital District Perspective is Moving

That’s right!

Over at UAlbany, Sara Ventura has been wrangling up forces to form a Society of Professional Journalists on campus. Now, I’ve never considered myself a journalist–I don’t go out and seek the stories, I merely “guide discussion,” as my father put it. I wouldn’t even consider that, my blog has always acted more as an outlet of my frustrations concerning politics, a platform to push some of the change I believe needs to be made, and also a signal to get someone to respond to me. I know full well I have a very forceful approach to politics–a know-it-all tone–typical college student, basically. So, my hope has been as a provacateur that someone would either 1. correct me–forcefully if necessary and 2. see 1. But I decided to help form the group anyway–cause I guess in a way, blogging is sort of journalism, I guess. Whatever.

That’s happened to an extent and I’m really proud of what I’ve done here. While the SPJ chapter is still in the plannings, we’ve moved forward with one of our other plans: creating an alternative online blog composed by the students. We wanted to cover an array of topics: fashion, music, show reviews, student issues, politics, etc.

Lately, you’ve probably noticed an increase of topics more pertinent to the student body. Kegs and Eggs was a hard topic to avoid as was the Fountain Day cancellation. I tried to use the discussion, along with a lot of others in the local media (who did a far better job), as a way to finally get some work done by the city and the university administration on an issue that they’ve avoided for too long. It got a lot of attention; in the past month alone, I’ve seen increased pageviews: over 1/3 of my overall pageviews have been in the past month.

I can’t ignore that, but I also think the other stuff I had to say was important too. But it was never focused on any particular demographic; I just talked about what I wanted to. In the future, I’m going to try and fix that. The Capital District Perspective will live up more so to its name. While I’ll still cover state and national politics, I will try to at least focus more so on local issues–and especially those that are relevant to students, whether they know it or not (and sadly, the likelihood is they don’t). I hope those who are reading will continue to read. I will talk about urban issues at large, especially transit and education ones.

The new blog is called the UAlbany Sentinel. Please don’t mind the rugged look of the site, we’re still very much in the building stages, but I hope you’re patient with us. You can find the new location for the Perspective here and for those who subscribe to the RSS feed, here’s that link. I’m really excited about this.

Check back at the new location tomorrow, where I’ll have some posts on the protests at the Capitol on March 30th. More round-ups of coverage, more commentary, more hoping to get a rise out of people.

Slimming the Albany Common Council

The Census numbers released last week showed the end of years of decline here in Albany, with our population coming to just under 98,000. But as Jordan Carleo-Evangelist reports, the Common Council may actually shrink if one of the two suggested proposals goes through:

City lawmakers are launching a series of public hearings Wednesday on whether 15 council members — more than Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers — are too many.

Two competing proposals would cut the number of council seats to nine and seven respectively, and the council is mulling which — if either — should appear on November’s ballot in advance of the next council elections in 2013.

Both proposals would also strip voters of the privilege of picking the council president — who is elected citywide and is first in line to succeed the mayor — and give that power to the council members themselves.

Councilman Richard Conti, author of the nine-ward plan, proposes giving 52 percent of the savings — an estimated $640,000 over four years — back to city coffers, while the rest would be used to beef up the council’s staff and increase salaries commensurate with the demands of representing larger districts. The $1.25 million in estimated four-year savings from Councilman Anton Konev’s seven-member plan would all go back to the city.

Council members currently earn $20,314 annually and are eligible for city health insurance and a public pension to which the city contributes.

Conti said the goal is not just to save money but to make the council a more effective check against the executive branch of government, which has long dominated city affairs.

Those opposed to shrinking the Council argue that this is nothing more than political consolidation and also argue that the end result of this means reduced minority representation on the Council. I think only the latter holds any weight.

Obviously, shrinking the Common Council is a consolidation of political power by definition but the argument that I’ve seen is that this is an intentional to limit the conversation and I just don’t see that being the case. Barbara Smith of the 4th Ward is quoted as saying shrinking of the Common Council leads to fewer voices. In my opinion, as a lazy observer of the Common Council, the problem with it and the reason it has been an ineffective check on the Mayor, is because there have been too many voices.

If I had to weigh the pros and cons of the two proposals, I would have to say that Conti’s plans allows for a more effective Council. Over half of the savings goes back to the city and the rest fixes the problems that arise with shrinking the Council–larger districts means larger body of constituents which means more casework, etc, etc–Conti’s plan allows for the rest of the savings to be used to beef up the Council’s staff. Not sure if I agree with the pay raise portion of the plan, but the beefing up of the staff is crucial. That’s my chief issue with Konev’s plan. You can’t cut the Council in half and not beef up a Councilmember’s ability to handle what would be an increased workload. Under Konev’s plan, a single Councilmember would represent somewhere near 14,000 residents, up from the current roughly 6,000–with no pay raise and no additional staff. (Ed. Note: I actually did all the math myself then realized Jordan had already beat me to the punch. Woe is me.)

A critical issue with both proposals is taking away the power the residents have in electing a Common Council President. I wonder what the rationale behind taking this particular power away is. This, more than anything else about the other two proposals, is about consolidation of power. From the notice of public hearings on the proposals, here’s the rationale for the change:

As a separately elected official, the Council President presides at Council meetings and votes only in the event of a tie. The Council President is also a member of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment and the Board of the Albany Community Development Agency. The Council President succeeds to the office of Mayor in the event of a vacancy. As a separately elected official the Council President is not accountable to the Common Council as a whole or representative of the Council. It has been argued that the duties and responsibilities of a separately elected President of the Common Council are better exercised by a member of the Common Council elected by Council Members. This would strengthen the position of President of the Common Council as an office which is representative of the Council.

The representatives need a representative? I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that’s how it works.

I suggest people go to the public hearings on the matter and decide for yourself:

Wednesday (March 30th): City Hall, 7 p.m.

April 6: Pine Hill Branch of the Albany Public Library, 7 p.m.

April 13: Albany Housing Authority, 7 p.m.

April 27: Albany Community Development Agency, 7 p.m.

RIP Geraldine Ferraro

Geraldine Ferraro died today at the age of 75, after battling cancer for 12 years.

She was the first female and Italian on major party ticket in 1984 when Walter Mondale ran for President.

St Rose’s Shared Sacrifice

The kegs and eggs melee fallout isn’t just isolated to UAlbany. A reader sends me a letter from St Rose Administration concerning Rose Rock:

In light of the recent events over St. Patrick’s Day Weekend of which you are all aware, the College’s administration has decided that Rose Rock, the College’s annual rock concert, will be moved inside to the Nolan Gymnasium. This will help the College to monitor and have much greater control over attendance and limit noise spillage to our residential neighbors. This was a very difficult decision, but one we made after much thought and with sensitivity to safety concerns both for our own students and to the fact that this is a residential neighborhood and home to many families. We realize that Rose Rock is a revered tradition in the lives of students and we hope that this change of venue will not diminish the excitement and student spirit that is part of this annual event.

Sigh. For all of my previous coverage on kegs and eggs, click here.

Fixing the Student Ghetto

The Times Union is two-days into a four part series on the student ghetto in Albany’s otherwise beautiful middle-class Pine Hills neighborhood. The Times Union has covered this story since the first TV came flying over a balcony and this series thus far has been excellent. They did a profile of local landlord Rick Kelley who owns 13 properties in the student area. Read the whole thing, about one of the good guys:

“I’ll tell you a story about this house in a second,” Rick Kelley said this week as he marched down a block of Morris Street, coffee in one hand, cellphone in the other.

Of the two-family houses that line that stretch of Pine Hills just west of Ontario Street, either Kelley or another member of his family owns a good chunk of them.

A garrulous former construction worker three weeks removed from his second hip replacement, Kelley was meeting an excavation crew first thing that morning to replace a broken water line in one of his newest acquisitions, a double-decker at the corner of Morris and Ontario.

He already replaced the windows, installed two new kitchens and aimed to fix the porch when the broken pipe delivered an unexpected and unwelcome setback.

Kelley, a Bethlehem native who bought his first home in Albany at 20 and now owns 13 properties here, considers himself among the landlords who have been unfairly blamed for the decay of the student ghetto — a term he detests — and Pine Hills generally.

He estimates paying $70,000 to $80,000 in taxes while the neighboring College of Saint Rose continues to take property off the tax rolls to build housing that is more expensive for students and which neighbors don’t want.

The landlords–or rather, a vast majority of them–are part of the problem, but in almost every way, it seems like lack of action on the part of the city and the school administrations–be it UAlbany or St Rose–are the root problem. I mean, c’mon, Jerry Jennings was too busy vacationing to even comment on serious incidents taking place in the city until this morning.

Academic Interlude to UAlbany’s Brotality

Phillip released this statement yesterday concerning the deactivating of language, theatre, and classics programs:

Dear University Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni and Friends:

Following a reduction of more than $35 million in state-tax support, I announced last fall that, pending further consultation, our campus-wide budget would include the suspension of admissions to degree programs in five academic areas. The campus dialogue over the past six months has been informative. I have heard from all of
the University’s core constituencies including the University Senate, and from many outside observers. A diversity of views, ideas, and suggestions have been expressed, all of which I have taken into careful consideration. Throughout this process, the depth of professionalism, pride, and commitment to our University has
been truly impressive.

Taking this commentary into account, I have asked the Provost to develop a plan to continue undergraduate minors in Theatre, French, and Russian, and to continue instruction of the Italian language. Retaining these offerings will require us to search for savings elsewhere. I regret we cannot afford to sustain all of our
degree programs in these areas. As we move forward in developing the implementation plan, we remain committed to ensuring that students enrolled in a degree program from one of the affected program areas will be afforded the opportunity to complete their degrees in the normal time frame. In addition, as we attempt to restructure these programs and reallocate resources, every effort will be made to reduce the impact on the University’s faculty and staff. We will move ahead with formal requests to SUNY System Administration to deactivate the undergraduate majors in Theatre, French, Russian, Italian, and the Classics, and the graduate programs in Russian, French and the Classics.

Let me also take this opportunity to report that I am continuing to implement reductions outside of Academic Affairs and have issued an RFP for an independent consultant to provide recommendations for further efficiencies to the University’s administrative structure and services. A listing of the reductions taken to date is posted on the UAlbany budget update website.

These are challenging times for the University at Albany and the State University of New York. As you have heard, the Executive Budget calls for another substantial reduction to SUNY’s state operating campuses (i.e., $131.5 million). If enacted, these cuts could reduce state support to our University by an additional $10.5 million.

Please be assured we continue to work with the Chancellor to pursue fiscal and regulatory relief. I will keep you apprised of future developments. For further information and updates, you can visit www.albany.edu/budget

Thank you, once again, for your continued commitment to the University at Albany.

Sincerely yours,

George M. Philip
President

This is an admittedly tolerable compromise, though far from ideal. At the end of the day, Phillip is really middle-management and must work with the continually decreasing funds provided to him by the state and he has been handed in essence a shit sandwich. That doesn’t absolve him; there is room for arguing that his handling of the situation has been largely uninspired and lacking in foresight. I still don’t see the wisdom in deactivating both undergraduate and graduate French programs when this city is roughly three hours away from the second largest French speaking city in the world.

But it’s not his fault. The problem is the people we have in the State Legislature and the Governor’s mansion who call for shared sacrifice but the only ones sacrificing are the future they claim they want to win.

A Sober Fountain Day for All

Regardless how you feel about Fountain Day being canceled, this story has it all:

A 41-year-old University at Albany student chained himself to the university’s central fountain to protest President George Philip’s decision to cancel Fountain Day.

Christopher Schewe, a Pittstown resident who said he could lead a sober Fountain Day if campus officials reverse course, told people at the scene Friday morning that he smoked marijuana before chaining himself to a fountain pipe.

Schewe said he gave the lock’s key to a friend, who will not return until Monday.

I can’t imagine the best way to start a hunger strike is by giving yourself the munchies but to each their own.

Fountain Day Suspension Fallout

Many news outlets have been covering the cancellation of Fountain Day. You can find coverage here, here, here, and here. A student blogger shares his thoughts:

To say I’m outraged is an understatement. There are just so many thoughts passing through my mind right now. First, I’m thinking logistically. The date that Fountain Day was scheduled for is less than a month away. An event like this takes months of planning. That means money has already been spent. A lot of money, and a lot of time for many people. I’m sure there were far more people making decisions on Fountain Day than there were people who made the decision to cancel it. I’m not one for wasting time and money, and certainly amidst a budget crisis in which hundreds of faculty members will be laid off, where dozens of majors are going to be removed from the school, neither should the University!

That’s kind of the irony of this whole thing, the student backlash, thus far, seems to be very angry and defiant, with many people creating and joining groups on Facebook calling for sit-ins or alternatives to Fountain Day. There is even a protest planned on Wednesday. Cut their programs and their funding and threaten tuition increases, we can hardly get these kids to react. Take away their opportunity to get drunk and splash dirty water with their peer? That’s a different story.

The Student Association puts out this statement:

The decision by the University to cancel Fountain Day affects every students. The Student Association, with the greater sentiment of the student population, is disappointed with the decision. This decision was made completely by the University with no input by Student Association or any student leader. President Philip and the administration have taken full responsibility for the decision and although we respect their candor, we don’t ultimately agree with the result.

Fountain Day is funded by the University, with a small portion of the funding coming from the Student Association’s annual sponsorship of the event. At present, our position with the appropriated funds for our Fountain Day sponsorship are currently under discussion. Earlier in the academic year, in consultation with Vice President Leah Rotella and Director of Programming Joe Bonilla, we had previously decided to remove the concert from Fountain Day to ensure that there will be an event to enjoy the conclusion of the 2010-2011 academic year.

As an organization, we are committed to stepping up to the plate and making up for the cancellation of Fountain Day in anyway possible with our resources. Furthermore, we also ask, while there may be an overwhelming tide of resentment and the need to voice this resentment, we ask that students do not take any negative action as both the Albany Police Department and University Police Department are prepared take action against those who create unrest in the coming weeks. Any response to the decision should be and will be taken up by SA and student leaders to voice the concerns of the student body as a whole.

The last thing that any student needs is to be arrested, not only will there be a permanent mark on their record and reputation, but on the University as well.

Fountain Day Suspension

The kegs and eggs debacle has its first casualty: Fountain Day. Here is Phillip’s email:

Dear University at Albany Students:

On Saturday, March 12th, we were faced with the knowledge that a number of UAlbany
students participated in destructive activities in the City of Albany. We are
struggling to understand why these students would blatantly disrespect
themselves, their neighbors, and the values of this campus in order to participate
in such negative behavior. The shocking conduct of a few that day stands in stark
contrast to the behavior of the vast majority of hard working students who are
intent on pursuing an education and contributing to society.

The University is now facing severe criticism. The behavior exhibited by some of
our students has many questioning the integrity of our University and, as a
community, we must respond. Consequently, we face some difficult choices, including
the future of Fountain Day.

Recent Fountain Day activities have required substantial efforts to mitigate
negative student behavior. While Fountain Day continues to be a source of school
pride, there remains a contingent of students who use this day as an excuse to
promote excessive alcohol consumption that compromises everyone’s safety.

Although I am deeply saddened by this decision, I am announcing the suspension of
Fountain Day in 2011. I regret that this action will punish students who had no
role in the disturbing events of March 12. But the need to proactively respond and
to uphold our reputation has never been greater. In light of last weekend’s
incidents and difficulties with Fountain Day in prior years, we simply cannot
continue to sponsor this event in its current form.

This is a regrettable choice, but the right decision. There is much at stake here:
your education, your future success, and the success of the University at Albany. I
call upon each of you to work together during the next academic year to develop a
spring event that can become a meaningful, safe and fun tradition. We must stand
together in our resolve to forge the future we envision together.

Sincerely yours,

George M. Philip
President

This is why we can’t have nice things, folks.

Kegs and Aftermath, Pt 2 Electric Bugaloo

The Kegs and Eggs story won’t die. So, here’s yet another round-up of news.

Concerning the Kegs and Eggs clean-up, LeeFrances Sweet, the organizer of the clean-up, provides a round-up of all media coverage. I will simply paste her Facebook message:

I tried to find everything out there in the local media about the clean-up. Might have missed one or two.
-LeeFrances

http://blog.timesunion.com/danielnester/post-kegs-and-eggs-riots-clean-up-to-be-held-in-pine-hills-this-friday/1750/

http://www.wgy.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=312698&article=8303870

http://www.knickledger.com/2011/03/pine-hills-pick-up-this-friday/

http://keepalbanyboring.com/2011/neighborhood-clean-up-this-friday-march-18th/

http://blog.timesunion.com/danielnester/ualbany-prez-postpones-ualbany-in-community-event-urges-participation-in-pine-hills-clean-up-instead/1799/

http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=14263329

http://www.wten.com/Global/category.asp?C=172705&clipId=5662213&flvUri&partnerclipid&topVideoCatNo=0&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

She also provides “the Plan.” As Glenn Beck would say: “You know who else had a plan?” But here’s that message as well:

I talked to DGS this morning to finalize everything and just wanted to let you guys know where we stand.

The plan is to start out from Washington & Quail. We will have a table and supplies set-up in the Stewarts parking lot. Please go there first even if you don’t need the supplies that way we can get a good head count. We’ll be assigning streets and tasks that way we don’t have 20 people on one block and ignore the rest. We want to cover as much ground as possible and that requires a little organizing. So please stop by the table and find out where you’re most needed.

DGS is going to be providing brooms, rakes, shovels, bags and gloves. Everyone will get bags and gloves. The other supplies will go out to specialized teams who will be picking up branches (there’ll be a wood chipper), glass (it’s everywhere), and “animal waste.” Let me know if you want to volunteer for that one at the table.

I’ll see everyone tomorrow at 12:30!
-LeeFrances

If you haven’t already signed up to help, you should do so here.

In other, more hilarious news, the son of a Daily News editor turned himself in to Albany Police after he saw his picture amongst those released by the department, to which he father said, “I’m going to kill him.” This comes after his father’s paper put out an op-ed condemning the riots. Protip: stick to Queens, Daily Snooze (no offense to the lovely Celeste Katz, you’re still wonderful).

In more serious news, APD bigwigs, including Police Chief Steve Krokoff, and other folks in suits are spending their St Patty’s Day hitting the streets of the student ghetto along with folks from DGS as they prepare for tomorrow’s clean up. Keep Albany Boring has been doing a far better job covering this and also has pictures, so I’ll just point you in their direction.

Penultimately, Kegs and Eggs almost provided a venue for Glenn Beck to make a good point. But as per usual, he squandered it.

Finally, the Daily Gazette goes to Ground Zero and talks to the students who seem frustrated by the Albany Police Department and UAlbany’s attempt to find those involved in the riot, questioning the school’s jurisdiction. One eve said that the notices they leaving at people’s doors would go where they always go: right in the trash. The cycle of stupidity…