4 Comments
User's avatar
Tibor's avatar

A poignant post-mortem of last week’s disappointing board meeting. Agree with all your points. Thankful for our resident directors who took a stand. Here is direct link to Ms Wade’s speech for those who missed it: https://vimeo.com/1192883600?fl=pl&fe=cm#t=45m25s

David Stone's avatar

What you're seeing here is an old gimmick - making an appearance of caring, of listening and answering while still doing exactly what the Albany machine has done for years. Calls for local democracy are an annoyance to them, one they can ignore because they've papered their indifference all over with a false facade that works. This is political salesmanship. Reality is different.

Theo Gobblevelt's avatar

Exactly. Most are not watching the small details long enough to see the pattern. A public meeting here, a vague answer there, a board member sitting in the same local chair for years while saying little, showing less, and somehow remaining useful to Albany. The appearance of local democracy is maintained while the substance is drained out of it. And the rewards arrive more quietly, through access, protection, appointments, favors, or opportunities that seem to land near the people already inside the circle.

David Stone's avatar

Like Cuomo, Hochul is staunchly anti-democracy, and as with Trump, you can’t do a thing about it.