Monday Night "Prayer" Meeting

It was quite a sight for politically astute observers to behold. The political bosses and players in the Independence and Conservative Parties in North Greenbush all gathering at the Beverage Mart on Main Avenue to hold court.

We presume they were just gathered in prayer for the betterment of the town. Prayers were offered for a completed Water District 14 for the 6.4 million the contractor agreed to do the job. Upon completion of the prayer, Conservative Chairman Michael Casale reportedly wrote a check for the nearly $900,000 in overruns and placed in in the passing basket. Most of that money was paid without proper authorization with the help of his friends in the Building Department and the Town Supervisor.

Then of course a special prayer was offered by the County Independence Party Chairman Tom Connolly whose mini van with the distinctive TSC 12 license plate graced the front parking lot of the store turned church.

Tom asked for prayers that he does not loose his State Senate job when Democrats gain a majority after the November elections. With his Uncle Joe and benefactor in the Senate retiring, Tom will need a miracle to stay in a Senate job tending to the needs of the Republican Party in Rennselaer County when there is no Republican from Rensselaer County serving as Majority Leader.

For now, Mr. Connolly seems content to try and maintain a small share of the grip on power in North Greenbush presumably to keep his two cousins on the job in the Building Department where one played a role approving the payments to Casale Excavating which runs the local Conservative Party chaired by Michael Casale.

While no reports of a sighting of behind the scenes Democratic guru Jim Germano, the third part of this political triad with cohort Jeff Spain, one can be sure of his continued involvement in the political strategies aimed at maintaining control of the Democratic and Conservative Committees.

We presume the real purpose of this "political prayer meeting" was party designating petitions which are due this week.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

And the Spain - Germano "GOP"candidates for Democratic Committee are: Comprehensive Plan member Nancy Spain and Frank Guiliano in ED 1; Fire Chief and CPC member Richard French and CPC member Mark White in ED 2; Jeff Spain and Kyran Devery in ED 3; Pat Nolan in ED 4; Tony Farina and Ed Cassino in ED 5; Carl Fiacco in ED 6; Doreen Connolly and William O'Neil in ED 7; William Madsen and Kathryn Connolly in ED 8.