Queensbury GOP lacking civility - again
`Sorry, but yes, that is my revolver in my carry-on bag’
By Ken Tingley
Six years ago, Queensbury councilman Tony Metivier was ostracized from the Republican Party for choosing the people over party.
His vote to preserve the town’s legal representation over a more Republican-friendly lawfirm was inconsequential at the time. He later said he did it to send a message to Republican bullies he didn’t like pulling strings.
The Republicans responded the next year by refusing to endorse Metivier for re-election.
He ran anyway.
It was the beginning of a series of melodramatic small-town political ploys highlighted by the “great email caper” in the summer before the 2017 town election that swept out all of the Republican councilmen out of office - with the exception of Metivier.
Voters did not like what they saw.
They sent the party a message.
The Republicans committee changed leadership. It vowed to adopt ethics guidelines and clean up its act. It had learned its lesson.
Metivier divorced himself from the party, remained his own man and is still serving on the Town Board.
This past week, Queensbury Republicans finally endorsed Metivier again. At the surface, it appeared all parties had made up, but that isn’t quite true. I was told the endorsement vote was very close.
Apparently, not all wounds have healed.
“There was frank discussion and it did get a little heated,” Queensbury GOP chairman Tim McNulty told The Post-Star, “but I tried to keep it to questions instead of long-winded statements. I really am trying to move us toward civility and being a team, but we did not achieve that yet at the meeting.”
McNulty should be applauded for his candor and for his attempt at civility but one source told me one of the at-large supervisor candidates had to be restrained after he charged Metivier.
McNulty is right about the civility.
They are not there yet.
But it’s only been six years.
What was especially hard to understand was that Mike Wild, the top vote-getter among the Queensbury at-large candidates in each of the past two elections, was not endorsed at all. There were five candidates for four positions and the Republicans decided Wild was the least qualified. One of the other candidates was a 21-year-old college student.
It all seems quite curious.
What did Mike Wild do?
Or may the question should be what wouldn’t he do?
Mike Wild seems to be the new Tony Metivier.
And the local Republicans have reverted to their past behavior.
Voters in Queensbury and in Warren County need to pay attention.
Did you bring the revolver?
Over the years I have been caught by airport security smuggling nail clippers, bottles of water, a large can of shaving cream and at least two Swiss Army knives - the small ones.
Each time I was embarrassed and a little mad at myself while surrendering the contraband.
How stupid of me, I thought.
This week, it was reported that 6,542 guns were discovered in the carry-on luggage of passengers at airport security in 2022. That is about 18 per day.
Most acknowledge they just forgot to take their weapons out of their bags, which should make us all wonder about the responsibility of these gun owners. Where else are they leaving their weapons?
The top 10 airports for confiscating guns included three in Texas and three in Florida. Atlanta led all airports with 448 incidents. Phoenix and Denver were also in the top 10.
When TSA discovers a weapon in a person’s luggage, they leave the bag inside the scanner away from the owner so the owner does not have access to the weapon. In one case, the owner reached for a weapon and it discharged.
What the local police do is often dependent on state and local laws. The person can be arrested and have the gun confiscated, but sometimes the owners are allowed to give the gun to a companion not flying with them. Unloaded guns can also be placed in checked bags. Some gun owners are fined.
None of it seems enough.
If people are carelessly leaving their weapons in their luggage or elsewhere, it is evidence they are not taking their responsibility as gun owners seriously. More education is needed, such as mandatory safety classes.
But for those who take their weapons through security, they should be required to go before a judge to prove they are competent to keep their weapon. It won’t be enough to make up for the loss of my Swiss Army knives, but it is a start.
Buffalo News
Earlier this year, the Buffalo News sold its downtown business offices.
This week, it confirmed the printing of the newspaper would be done in Cleveland at the Plain-Dealer. That will eliminate printing press and production jobs in Buffalo.
The Buffalo News is owned by Lee Enterprises, which also owns The Post-Star in Glens Falls.
When The Post-Star closed its press room in Glens Falls to print at the Schenectady Gazette years ago, its deadlines were moved up by several hours.
This anti-social behavior among public figures is troubling and disappointing. Perhaps these individuals could ask themselves the following questions: Why am I unable to remain in a problem-solving mode for the people I serve? What kind of example am I offering my constituents, their children...my children? What do I want them to see from me? What do they see? What will my legacy be?
Anti-bullying campaigns and training programs that are in schools and senior living communities will only be effective in the long run, if our elected officials and other leaders in business, society and home model respectful behavior. Let's all begin a new valuable trend and choose civil, considerate conduct.
I just don’t even know who to vote for in Queensbury anymore. They act like children ( typical Republicans bevies over the past 6 years) or they run unopposed and raise taxes by 56% in one year. Our choices are terrible. Sometimes I think they want people to be so sick of them that they don’t bother to vote. That never helps anyone of course. Frustrating.