Saratoga caves on closing bars earlier

Stefanik votes for same-sex marriage; changes position on military assaults

By Ken Tingley

Saratoga Springs may have the most vibrant downtown in upstate New York.

It’s what small communities across the state strive for, dream about. At one time, it was just during the horse racing meet in August, but now it is year-round in Saratoga.

There are great restaurants, lively bars and all kinds of music wafting across the city. There are cozy coffee shops, relaxing outdoor patios and rooftop bars. There is something for everyone.

There has also been a boom of million-dollar condos where the well-heeled have retired while expecting convenience, safe streets and a variety of entertainment options within  short walk.

From the outside, it looks like the perfect community.

But with success comes problems like parking, higher rents that push out workers and small business owners, homelessness and crime.

Saratoga Springs is not perfect.

It proved that last month with a shocking shooting incident early on a Sunday morning. In its aftermath, the Saratoga City Council talked tough about shutting down bars earlier than the current 4 a.m. closing time.

This was not a knee-jerk reaction to the latest shootout. The city has gone to the county four times for a permission to close bars earlier without success. Everyone knew there was a problem.

The Council’s latest proposal put the blame squarely on bar owners. It proposed revoking their business license if any patron committed a criminal offense after leaving their establishment within an hour of 2 a.m.

It was harsh proposal that is probably impossible to enforce, but it got the business community’s attention.

They turned out for Monday’s public hearing and pushed back.

According to the Schenectady Gazette, one bar owner said they could not possibly have seen this type of violence coming.

They obviously don’t read the newspaper or talk to other bar owners. There have been regular bar fights, street altercations, stabbings and now shootings.

Another business owner told the council to leave it to the owners, to trust them in taking care of the problem. He said they would form a Caroline Street safety committee to offer solutions to concerns.

There were also residents at the meeting, probably a few who live in those million-dollar condos, who encouraged something be done about the late-night violence.

Any business model based on getting patrons as intoxicated as possible is probably not in the best interest of the community. That’s what the bar owners are fighting for.

Glens Falls fought this battle 10 years ago and got the county to close the bars an hour earlier. It had a dramatic effect on the early-morning crime.

But in Saratoga’s case, the politicians caved to the business owners in a 3-2 vote against the measure. What the politicians should remember is that people who stay out drinking until 4 a.m. probably don’t vote.

The public works commissioner defended his vote by saying he received more emails against the measure than for it. He also said it would do more harm than good. The public works commissioner needs to do more research than just reading his email.

Another commissioner suggested a coalition between bar owners and the department of public safety, the City Center Authority members of the assessment district and the chamber of commerce could come up with solutions.

I’m sketical.

One person suggested staggered closing times. It has potential. Bars and restaurants close anywhere from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. now. I wondered if the city could propose a measure to allow bars and restaurants to be open no more than eight hours after 5 p.m.

If each establishment was allowed to be open for 8 hours after 5 p.m., they could choose their hours from four options:

5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

In this scenario, business owners could be allowed to decide where they made more money - happy hour or closing time.

Ultimately, they will follow the money. I suspect they would close earlier.

Early returns

Rep. Elise Stefanik made it very clear she was in Donald Trump’s corner this summer - no matter what.

You have to wonder if she has buyer’s remorse after this past month.

The midterm elections were not kind to Trump-backed candidates.

Trump entertained a leading white supremacist and a celebrity anti-semite at his home.

He then suggested the terminating the Constitution so he could take office again.

His business was convicted on all 17 counts of tax-fraud.

His hand-picked candidate in the George Senate race lost.

And on Election night, Trump entertained an advocate of QAnon.

Oddly, Rep. Stefanik has not tweeted about any of this. But she has vowed to find out what is really going on at the Post Office.

Stefanik votes

Rep. Stefanik had two votes I heartily approved of this week.

She was one of 115 Republicans who voted to protect same-sex marriage. Then, she voted for a defense funding measure that also allowed changes to the how the military prosecutes certain crimes by using personnel outside the military chain of command.

Our former congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand has made this one of her calling-card issues in the U.S. Senate while Rep. Stefanik has repeatedly opposed any changes saying there was no problem.

Glad to see she changed her mind.

Win for public info

The Colonie town clerk was taken to task for not cooperating with the Albany County public defender’s office and providing it with needed court records.

It was ruled that Mary Falace-Mayr failed to perform her duty as a public official. Apparently, the clerk refused to give up the information unless she had a docket number. That may have made her job easier, but it is not how the law is written.

Every public official, but most importantly town clerks, should make getting public information their top priority, not an inconvenience.

Joe Donahue (left) and myself appeared together at Battenkill Books last month.

Next appearance

WAMC Radio host Joe Donahue and myself will be talking about newspapers, journalism and my two books at the Greenwich Lions Holiday Guest night on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.

There will be a social hour, dinner and discussion afterward at the Greenwich Elks Club.

Final day for reservations is Friday. You should contact President Craig Roods at 518 692-2613 or Sherwin Bowen at 518 692-2123.