All Over Albany

Paladino interrupting his own message, Saratoga Springs proposed budget includes 8.5 percent tax increase, congregation goes Martin Luther, Albany looking to rebrand neighborhood

Carl Paladino seems to be trying to talk about policy issues -- but, well, then he says something else. Yesterday he called Sheldon Silver "a criminal," a statement that turned off even the groups that might be most amenable to his ideas. And now David Paterson is taking shots at him. [NYT] [YNN] [Buffalo News] [Daily Politics]

The proposed 2011 budget for Saratoga Springs includes an 8.5 percent property tax increase and several cuts. It also calls for the city's emergency dispatch department to be merged with the county dispatch system. Finance commissioner Ken Ivins said it was the hardest city budget he's put together. [Fox23] [TU] [Saratogian]

The Schenectady County legislature approved a 2011 budget that lowers taxes by 0.2 percent -- but also uses $9.6 reserve funds. The lone Republican present voted against the budget, criticizing it for having "a lot of holes" and arguing it was just kicking a big tax hike down the road. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Non-profits in the City of Schenectady seem resigned to the "curb fee," essentially a new tax in the proposed city budget that would charge property owners based on their property's frontage. The city's two biggest non-profits -- Ellis Medicine and Union College -- both indicated some acceptance of the idea. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

The Jennings administration argues that if the City of Albany got the average amount of per capita state funding given to other large upstate cities, it would get $33 million more next year. [TU]

That task force in charge of developing a residential parking permit system for the area around the ESP in Albany got together for the first time to consider its options. The director of the city's parking authority encouraged the committee to think creatively and even floated the possibility of allowing people to sell their permits on a secondary market. One of the foremost issues, though: what area exactly will be covered by the system. [WTEN] [TU] [YNN]

Niskayuna's proposed town budget includes a 3 percent tax increase. [TU]

Stillwater's proposed town budget could include a tax increase as high as 30 percent. [Daily Gazette]

This week is electoral jabbing: Jay Townsend says Chuck Schumer won't debate him, Joe DioGuardi went after Kirsten Gillibrand for her prior work as an attorney, and Susan Savage and Hugh Farley are trying to see who can more effectively sling mud at the other. [TU] [YNN] [CBS6]

The feds announced that 16 people have been arrested for allegedly being involved in a large cocaine distribution operation in Schenectady. Among the items allegedly seized during raids: 1.6 pounds of crack. [CBS6] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Albany police say a faulty window was to blame for a man's fatal fall from the third floor of an apartment building this week. [TU]

Glenville police say a team of thieves stole $10k worth of video game systems from a Walmart. [CBS6]

Capital Region colleges and universities have collectively received more than $22 million in federal stimulus money for research. [Saratogian] [Troy Record]

A small Presbyterian congregation in Watervliet is fighting with the Albany Presbytery over control of its church building (the umbrella org has been trying to close the church). The congregation managed to have the deed to the building signed over to them and yesterday nailed a copy of it to the front door, a la Martin Luther. [TU] [Troy Record]

The KIPP Tech Valley Charter School touts its high test scores and record of student achievement, but critics says the school is cherry-picking the best students. [TU]

The City of Albany is trying to rebrand the student ghetto (ahem, education district) in an effort to spur redevelopment. [TU]

A Schenectady elementary school teacher received a $25,000 award from a national organization. It came as quite a surprise to her. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Says a co-worker of a 72-year-old Capitol staffer who passed away last week: "We've had so much bad news coming from the Capitol. Nancy only brought love and goodness." [TU]