Robinson’s 2021 Albany Voters Guide

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan is running for a third term. Opposing her are Republican candidate Alicia Purdy and independent Greg Aidala; and Valerie Faust as a write-in.

The Republican party, nationally, is a threat to democracy, and insane. Hence I reject all Republican candidates. Purdy has refused to say whether she voted for Trump. That alone disqualifies her.

Aidala is a professional comedian and entertainment promoter. Of his lack of political experience, his basic answer is “look what experience has gotten for us.” A facile posture. It’s easy to take pot-shots. Albany’s problems are complex and difficult.

I strongly supported Sheehan the first time. But her insistence on billing a protest group for police costs during a demonstration was a Russia-like outrage against freedom of speech. I’ve also lambasted her more recent handling of a protest at a police station. I considered voting for Faust in the primary until I heard her on the radio full of God-talk. I actually skipped the mayoral line in the primary. But will vote for Sheehan Tuesday as the only responsible option.

There are 7 propositions (on the back of the ballot). Number 1 concerns legislative redistricting. Here’s the story:

In 2014 Governor Cuomo promoted a supposedly non-partisan redistricting reform. It was a standard Cuomo sham. The “independent” redistricting commission was structured to guarantee its deadlock and failure, so redistricting would revert to the legislature after all. And the commission has duly failed. Tuesday’s Prop 1 is complicated but, long story short, would ensure a Democrat gerrymander.

“Gerrymandering” is when one party controls the legislative maps and can engineer, like, winning 70% of seats with 50% of votes.* It’s a bane of our politics, driving parties to extremes and promoting polarization. Nationwide, it threatens to give the Trumpist party control of the House of Representatives. A Democratic gerrymander in New York would help prevent that. Hence I’m voting for Prop 1. (Also, it seems if it doesn’t pass, New York’s redistricting would be thrown into chaos.)

Proposition 2 is the fake environmental rights amendment, which I’ve previously addressed.

Numbers 3 and 4 would allow voter registration at the polls on election day, and no-excuse absentee voting. We need this. (Number 5 is just technical.) Number 6 would create a residency requirement for Albany’s city council. I don’t see why we need this. Voters should be left free to vote for anyone.

Proposition 7 is very important, giving Albany’s Civilian Police Review Board some teeth. I’ve written about this problem before too. Lookit, we give cops weapons and empower their use against citizens. There has to be oversight and accountability, but heretofore it’s been sorely lacking. Police organizations are mounting a disgraceful campaign against this reform, trying to scare people that it will somehow make the city less safe. In fact it will make us more safe — from police misconduct. They also say it would put police oversight in the hands of “politicians” (who appoint the review board). Well, who should have oversight of the police? Their answer seems to be: themselves alone. Politicians are elected by citizens to perform such functions. The police — hired by us — should be answerable to us, through the political system. That’s how democracy works. Passing this reform is imperative.

* By cramming as many other-party voters as possible into a few districts, which they win overwhelmingly, so your party wins all other seats by just decent margins.