Common council pushes for ghost ticket investigation, new SUNY chancellor, pistol whippings in Center Square, official urges shopping and prayer, Brian Stratton hops a horse in Albany

Four members of the Albany common council say they want to pursue a full investigation of the city's "ghost ticket" scandal. Mayor Jerry Jennings says the city is correcting the problem and would rather see the state comptroller handle the audit. [TU] [Fox23]

The SUNY Board of Trustees is expected to name University of Cincinnati president Nancy Zimpher the next SUNY chancellor today. Zimpher has a reputation has a tough, effective leader. She says she'll open her tenure as chancellor by personally visiting all 64 of the SUNY campuses. [Newsday] [TU] [NYT]

In somewhat gubernatorial fashion, New York AG Andrew Cuomo was making the rounds yesterday in Albany to push for consolidation of the state's many and varied local governments. After meeting with the New York Conservative Party, one member said, "I think we've got a kinder, gentler Cuomo with this guy." [TU] [NYP]

The idea of a tax hike on households making $250,000 and up is gaining momentum in the state Legislature. A similar hike was passed last year in the Assembly and a bill will be introduced in the Senate today. [NYT]

AMD's shareholders voted today on whether to approve the spin-off company that will own the Luther Forest chip fab. [Saratogian]

Albany County comptroller Mike Conners says he's encouraging "more shopping and more prayer" after county sales tax revenue nosedived in the fourth quarter of last year. [TU]

The Albany County legislature approved a plan for the county jail and nursing home to buy locally-grown food. [TU]

Schenectady mayor Brian Stratton rode a horse down Washington Ave in Albany yesterday to commemorate Symon Schermerhorn's 1690 ride to alert Albany of the attack on Schenectady. Unlike Schermerhorn, Stratton wore a coat, rode on a warm day -- and ended his ride among city council members complaining about parking tickets. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Police say a 16-year-old girl from Schenectady participated in two pistol-whippings in Albany's Center Square neighborhood over the weekend. Her alleged accomplice got away. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady is reorganizing its police department in an attempt to clamp down on "out of control" use of comp time by officers. [Daily Gazette]

Union College is looking to build a new $18 million science building.

It looks like two large horse farms near Saratoga are going on the market because the owner of the properties lost money in the Madoff scam. [TU]

Fox23 says it will turn off its analog broadcast signal this month, even though the digital TV switchover has been postponed until the summer. [TU]

Comments

"More shopping and more prayer"?

Yes, I'm sure Connors' deity of choice is going to be working late ensuring that the dwindling numbers of Albany County's employed empty their bank accounts in local shops instead of donating to the rapidly rising number of people who are truly, truly in need.

I can't believe that robbery took place on Lancaster at 7pm. I was walking out of my boyfriend's house on Lancaster minutes before that happened...

Anyone have suggestions for self-defense? Where can I buy mace in the Albany area?

Mace is not legal in NYS, but Pepper Spray is. It can be purchased at any gun & ammo stores in the area. There is one off of Central Ave. that I got mine at. I think you have to fill out a form and bring ID, just FYI.

I walked right by there at 7:15. Awesome. Not sure what I would have done if a 16 year old broad got all up in my face. Probably given her the 75 cents I had in my pocket and screamed: see, just because I'm white doesn't mean I'm here to fund your boyfriend's drug habbit!

Re: beaverstreetjugband

Your comment is so politically incorrect on so many levels, even Bill Maher is crying foul.

@Pantaloons, what is politically incorrect about me assuming that the assailant's boyfriend is a drug abuser? I think it's generally accepted that many drug addicts will turn to petty crime to fund their habits. Perhaps you are offended by my implication that the assailant was working on behalf of her boyfriend? Is it a gender equality thing?

Re Pantaloons

Even if it is PI, your response is so typically unwitty I am throughly disapointed. Please try better next time or a keyboard whippin' might be in order.

@beaverstreetjugband

Are we.. you're joking, right? The article didn't say the "broad" was black. You assumed she was. You took it a step further and implied a drug connection. Because apparently black "broads" love men who do drugs or something. Hey man, be as politically incorrect as you want. I don't really care. I just ask for equal opportunity stereotyping. Next time, include something about Italian ladies beating their husbands with rolling pins or gay guys wearing ballet slippers. It's only fair.

@MattW

If I'm "typically unwitty", why are you disappointed?

@beaverstreetjugband

"just because I'm white doesn't mean I'm here to fund your boyfriend's drug habbit!"

You know, living in the liberal, diverse bubble that is Albany, I sometimes forget that there's still a huge undercurrent of casual racism and ignorance in this country. Thanks for reminding me to call people out when I see it, beaverstreetjugband.

@pantaloons -- your reading comprehension is poor.

To be clear my statement inferred the race of the victim and not the race of the assailant. It is reasonable, and neither politically incorrect nor racist, to assume that the victim of a mugging in center square is a white male or female under the age of 30, as the area bordered by Swan on the East, Willett on the West, Madison on the South, and State on the North is predominantly white.

My statement did infer that the assailant was working on behalf of a drug addicted boyfriend. This is not a racist comment. At least not in the way that the dictionary and educated people define racism; it is sexist, but only moderately so. My statement also makes the generalization that drug addiction is a primary driver of petty street crime, which it clearly is.

I love my liberal and diverse bubble here in Albany. But I loathe the uneducated and self-righteous that excuse crime as a function of the corrupt "system" instead of working towards pragmatic solutions.

@pantaloons and @Siobhan -- You have inferred meaning to my words without thinking things through. And by doing so you have laid bare your own bias and ignorance for all to see.

Thank you for your time.

@beaverstreetjugband

You're so right. Us broads (Siobhan and I) totally misjudged your original comments. I especially enjoyed the part of your explanation where you said "it is sexist, but only moderately so". Thank you for the enlightenment.

I just want to know what a habbit is and where I can get one. I'm assuming it's some kind of rabbit/hobbit crossbreed, but I don't want the drug kind if that's at all possible.

Anyway, beaverjugs or whatever you're called, I'm a big fan of non sequitirs, so I approve of your "just because I'm white" comment since you so eloquently explained that it in no way insinuated your assumptions regarding the race of the attacker. I mean, that doesn't make any more sense than a Frankenstienian rabbit/hobbit, but that's why I like it.

Hey, I understand that the prepertator was brandishing a bb gun. Which we all know is not really a gun, so what is the big problem here, why all the hub bub? It is not like it was a real crime...

@ Beaverstreet

I like Pantaloons and all her comments, but I don't like reading yours. Try to be nice, and pay attention to your grammar, it's not so good.

@beaverstreetjugband

You "implied" all that stuff. The rest of us "inferred" what we read into it.

The comment that sparked this discussion was obviously politically incorrect. I personally don't see anything wrong with that. Avoiding the possibility of offending anyone can lead people to avoid discussing a lot of very serious issues.

There is a lot of casual racism and ignorance in this country and most others, but stereotyping and profiling don't neatly fit into the category of racism. Most stereotypes are exaggerated, generalized truths, and profiling the people you walk by in the dead of night can help keep you safe. It's ignorant to believe that there is no correlation between a person's race, gender, age, or social status and the likelihood that they will commit a violent street crime.

As to nitpicking spelling or grammar, what's the point? If you get your point across your grammar is good enough for this forum. After all, we don't want to discriminate against the disadvantaged, do we?

Agreed, on the gramar part for the most part. Not everyone has the amount of time to browse the internets or post on twitter as some might.

I too was victim to these mistakes in this thread stating Pantaloons comments as "typically unwitty", when I really meant was "untypically not witty" and yes there are grammar mistakes here but you get the point.

Leave perfect grammar for a publication and just relax a bit. Really, isn't the important issue here the saftey and well being of Center Sq./Lark st. neighborhoods and not a bunch of internet personas postings on a silly message boards grammar? Well, maybe that is more important to some. So watch out for bb gunz.

As the song goes:

Everyone's a little bit racist
Sometimes.
Doesn't mean we go
Around committing hate crimes.
Look around and you will find
No one's really color blind.
Maybe it's a fact
We all should face
Everyone makes judgments
Based on race.

-From the musical Avenue Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbud8rLejLM&feature=related

Lighten up folks!

Quick! Before the AOA gods lock this thread!

Barold and Matt, you are the heros of the day. Mostly because I'm desperate for approval and you both said something nice about me. And if I had the resources, I would totally throw you guys a medal ceremony like they have at the end of Star Wars.

@ Matt - I knew what you were trying to say in your note...I was just being a smart-ass.

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