Tag: Washington County

As many are already aware, last December, Washington County supervisor Kenneth Talkington (D - Hebron) was involved in a domestic dispute, where he allegedly threatened and beat his wife while intoxicated.

Here's an excerpt from yesterday's Post Star, where District Attorney Kate Hogan from neighboring Warren County questions Talkington's academic credentials:

"The defendant has neither a college degree or an MBA," Hogan wrote in a pre-trial motion filed in Granville Town Court. "In fact, the only degree the defendant does hold is a general equivalency degree."

"Ken Talkington has repeatedly told The Post-Star he has an MBA through the University of North Carolina's extension program, and that he received the degree while he was at a military base in Washington County. He has said he was a U.S. Army Ranger before he moved to Washington County."

"He said after Wednesday's court appearance that he will provide documation of the MBA"

By no means were Talkington's actions towards his wife appropriate, but so far Hogan's accusations of Talkington's academic credentials appear to be nothing but a partisan hatchet job, especially now that Talkington has agreed to provide full documentation of his MBA.

If what Hogan is saying does indeed turn out to be false (as it likely will), it will obviously leave big questions regarding Hogan's credibility as a district attorney, and whether Hogan has conducted her duties in a non-biased, unpartisan manner throughout the many years she has served the North Country.

In addition, it also appears that the Talkington story has been overplayed quite a bit (perhaps conveniently) in all the local media recently (How many times do we have to read about Talkington in The Post-Star?) - All in all, this overdramatization is likely because ever since Supervisor Gordon Aubrey (D - Argyle) resigned last year, Kenneth Talkington is now the only Democrat left serving on the 20-member Washington County Board of Supervisors. It appears quite likely that the local GOP machine is now using this story simply as a wedge to try to help gain total, 100% control over the Washington County government this November, especially since Talkington's term is up this cycle. (I guess 95% control just isn't good enough for them!)

From the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce blog:

In just 15 years, from 1990 to 2005, Hillsboro, Oregon's population has more than doubled. It boasts a job growth rate of over 20% for the last five years. Nearly a third of its residents are under age 18. It has a median house value and a Hispanic race population as well as a foreign born population significantly above the state average. What does this say? Well, Hillsboro is not only diverse but also has a strong representation of the new generation, and people from all over the world choose to live there.

What has fueled this growth is the creation of the Silicon Forest. More specifically, the decision more than 15 years ago by Intel (a competitor to AMD) to establish a nanoelectronics industry cluster in this region. Yet all the "experts" tell us that despite this growth, Hillsboro has been able to maintain its high quality of life and to retain and attract the next generation of workers to this exceptional community.

While any form of development is certainly a positive for the region's economy, with major aethestic changes on their way, it is now more important than ever that we have local officials at the helm who demonstrate a strong concern towards growth and zoning issues. The last thing we want is to destruct many of the elements that have made this an attractive place for the tech firms to locate here in the first place. After all, who wants to see the Interstate 87 corridor cluttered with more clones of Roy McDonald's Wilton, complete with dozens of ugly cinder block shopping malls and cookie-cutter housing developments?

In this entire matter, it is especially important that we work to preserve the somewhat endangered, bucolic elements of the Adirondack Park in any way possible. After all, you can always demolish a hideous Target structure 20 years after it's been built. However, there's no way of going back and salvaging a water supply which has been severely damaged.

"Recently, the Warren County (NY) Republican Committee declined to endorse any one candidate for county sheriff this year.

I've never understood why the Politburo needed to endorse primary candidates anyway. GOP voters should be able choose who they want to be their standard bearer without interference from the central committee.

What happens when GOP voters reject the annointed candidate? This happened at least once during the last county election cycle and the Politburo was forced to support in the general election a candidate that it had repudiated before the primary.

And if the annointed candidate is defeated in the primary, shouldn't the Politburo resign after such a vote of no confidence by its own party members?

Also in the last election cycle, Chairman Mike* instituted loyalty oaths for committee members, making them promise they wouldn't campaign for anyone other than the Politburo's annointed candidate... not in the general election, but in the primary. In other words, Republican committee members couldn't campaign for a Republican!"

"Of course, Warren County Republicans regularly get away with shenanigans like this, because there are about as many Republicans in Warren County as Democrats, smaller party voters and independents combined. And North Country Republicans, with rare exceptions, tend to vote the party line."

"Why should I, a non-Republican, care?""

"The overwhelming majority of Republicans running for public office in Warren County do not have challengers. In most places outside of Glens Falls, the primary election is de facto the general election."

Timothy Merrick, a chiropractor from Plattsburgh who ran for state Senate against incumbent Republican Elizabeth Little of Queensbury last year was among those in attendance...

Merrick said he is "open" to running for public office at some level again.

"I'm interested to see what the party wants and the people need," he said.