Forum for Candidates Draws a Crowd

RFH 2010, Cover Stories, News

Thu, Oct 07, 2010

It was standing room only at the Hamilton Rotary Club's Forum featuring the candidates for the state Senate and Assembly. And, it wasn't a totally friendly crowd.

A large crowd gathered at the Hamilton Rotary Club's Forum tonight to hear from the candidates running in this November's race for the 49th state Senate District and the 111th Assembly District. And, while the villagers did not quite assemble with torches and pitch forks, neither were they in a mood for business as usual.

Senate candidates incumbent Dave Valesky (D) and challenger Andrew Russon (R) and Assembly candidates incumbent Bill Magee (D) and challengers Rick Bargabos (R) and Shawn Skeele (C) opened with brief statements about themselves and their views, and then answered questions. For its part, the audience did not lob any softballs to the candidates. In fact, most questioners took time to vent their frustrations with state government before asking a question.

"I'm sick of all of you," said Dick Sykes, an Oriskany Falls resident who scolded Valesky and Russo for the outward migration of businesses, jobs and people, especially young people from communities like his.

Hamilton's John Rathbone likened Albany to the mythological Agean Stables, which housed 1,000 cattle and had not been cleaned in 30 years. He suggested that instead of electing mere mortals, that it is Hercules who is needed to clean up state government.

"I know people are upset with Albany," said Magee in his opening remarks. "The message has gotten there loud and clear."

But, one of Magee's opponents, Skeele, who operates a family-owned insurance agency, said that returning incumbents to Albany this fall will only make things worse. He said "those in Albany are either inept, been spayed or neutered" by the leadership or "do not fear the voters."

All of the candidates spent much of their time trying to explain and distance themselves from the dysfunction that has taken over Albany. The questions covered ground as diverse as redrawing district lines to development of the area's natural gas reserves to, not surprisingly, those old chestnuts of every election cycle taxes, spending and reform.

Valesky and Russo were asked about how impending redistricting should be accomplished. Russo said that it should be a "data-driven" process and that while independent voices need to be heard, elected officials should "not outsource responsibility" for the process. Valesky favors an independent commission be created to redraw all districts, to break the cycle of incumbent officials creating districts that are favorable to their own reelections.

Magee, Bargabos and Skeele agreed that they would fight another NYRI power line project if one is ever proposed. They also agreed on the need to develop the region's natural gas reserves but only when environmental concerns -- especially ones about horizontal hydrofracking -- are resolved.

And, they agreed on the need for a state constitutional convention. Magee said he would favor it, but only if the delegates were not elected officials.