Comments on: Commentary: What Albany needs, a second visioning process! http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/ News and stories on people in Albany, CA Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:03:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Mac McCurdy http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1612 Mac McCurdy Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:32:10 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=667#comment-1612 Who is this Ira Sharenow? I've lived here in Albany for 19 years, and I never ran across him. If I do meet up with him I'll be happy to share my background and affiliations, but it will have to be on San Pablo because they won't let me smoke on Solano any more. In the meantime, Ira, brace yourself because there maybe another of my stealth articles coming down the pipeline, that is, if Albany Today deems it worthy of publication. Who is this Ira Sharenow? I’ve lived here in Albany for 19 years, and I never ran across him. If I do meet up with him I’ll be happy to share my background and affiliations, but it will have to be on San Pablo because they won’t let me smoke on Solano any more. In the meantime, Ira, brace yourself because there maybe another of my stealth articles coming down the pipeline, that is, if Albany Today deems it worthy of publication.

]]> By: Ira http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1501 Ira Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:22:42 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=667#comment-1501 http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/16/commentary-a-city-council-of-one/#more-606 Andy, This is not the first op ed that Mac McCurdy wrote for Albany Today. It is my experience that in the standard media when a reader writes an op ed his affiliations are listed. In Albany Today I often see people quoted without knowing who they are or what their alliances might be. I think that Albany Today should require people to provide some biographical information when someone writes an op ed. Simply describing someone “as Albany resident Mac McCurdy wrote an opinion article on the City Council leadership and the election:” is not sufficient in my opinion. Now I think it is great that Mac wants to offer his opinions for the public to explore. I just want to know if he has been participating in the upcoming election as a supporter of a candidate and the editor should request that information before publishing his several pieces. Quite frankly, I do not like the anonymous posting of comments either, but that is another issue. http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/16/commentary-a-city-council-of-one/#more-606

Andy,

This is not the first op ed that Mac McCurdy wrote for Albany Today. It is my experience that in the standard media when a reader writes an op ed his affiliations are listed. In Albany Today I often see people quoted without knowing who they are or what their alliances might be.

I think that Albany Today should require people to provide some biographical information when someone writes an op ed. Simply describing someone “as Albany resident Mac McCurdy wrote an opinion article on the City Council leadership and the election:” is not sufficient in my opinion.

Now I think it is great that Mac wants to offer his opinions for the public to explore. I just want to know if he has been participating in the upcoming election as a supporter of a candidate and the editor should request that information before publishing his several pieces.

Quite frankly, I do not like the anonymous posting of comments either, but that is another issue.

]]> By: Bill Henley http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1492 Bill Henley Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:52:06 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=667#comment-1492 Until I read Ira Sharenow's post, I was not aware that Mayor Lieber is opposed to any private effort to understand Albany's finances and to report that understanding to the rest of us, or that Mayor Lieber is also opposed to the public discussion of a "vision" for Albany based on sound financial projections, an assessment of future problems and opportunities, and possibly a look at some hard choices. Thank you, Ira, for clearing that up. As for Mac's proposal, my only question is where can I sign up. As Albany's streets, sidewalks, and landscaping become more and more decrepit, as the Police Department continues indefinitely to be understaffed and the revolving door at the firehouse continues to spin, and as the need for the systematic replacement of our sanitary sewers and storm drains continues to go unaddressed, I have often had the same thoughts as Mac seems to be having. Do we have a plan to meet these most fundamental municipal needs? Do we have the money? Do we have a plan for how to get the money? If the City of Albany has enough loose change rattling around in its sofa cushions to blow $600,000 on yet another dust-collecting white paper about the waterfront, then surely the answer to all three questions must be yes. Yet as far as I know, the answers to all three are, er, not exactly. Until I read Ira Sharenow’s post, I was not aware that Mayor Lieber is opposed to any private effort to understand Albany’s finances and to report that understanding to the rest of us, or that Mayor Lieber is also opposed to the public discussion of a “vision” for Albany based on sound financial projections, an assessment of future problems and opportunities, and possibly a look at some hard choices. Thank you, Ira, for clearing that up.

As for Mac’s proposal, my only question is where can I sign up. As Albany’s streets, sidewalks, and landscaping become more and more decrepit, as the Police Department continues indefinitely to be understaffed and the revolving door at the firehouse continues to spin, and as the need for the systematic replacement of our sanitary sewers and storm drains continues to go unaddressed, I have often had the same thoughts as Mac seems to be having. Do we have a plan to meet these most fundamental municipal needs? Do we have the money? Do we have a plan for how to get the money? If the City of Albany has enough loose change rattling around in its sofa cushions to blow $600,000 on yet another dust-collecting white paper about the waterfront, then surely the answer to all three questions must be yes. Yet as far as I know, the answers to all three are, er, not exactly.

]]> By: Andy Austin http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1464 Andy Austin Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:32:38 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=667#comment-1464 Thanks Mac for a nice call to volunteer! Ira, I see mostly questions which is good, I do not see a strong political agenda in what Mac wrote. (Yes there is some politics but not really that much.) I see a call to be aware which is good. If you want please point out to me what is political about what he wrote besides the one paragraph in about the middle. In Peace, Andy Austin Thanks Mac for a nice call to volunteer!
Ira, I see mostly questions which is good, I do not see a strong political agenda in what Mac wrote. (Yes there is some politics but not really that much.) I see a call to be aware which is good. If you want please point out to me what is political about what he wrote besides the one paragraph in about the middle.
In Peace,
Andy Austin

]]> By: Ira http://albanytoday.org/2008/10/30/commentary-what-albany-needs-a-second-visioning-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1462 Ira Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:29:54 +0000 http://albanytoday.org/?p=667#comment-1462 Who is Mac McCurdy? Is he part of any organization or campaign to defeat the progressive candidates or is he part of any other organized group that takes positions on controversial political issues in Albany? As an independent Albany resident who proposed the smokefree ordinance, I appreciated the strong pro-health stance and leadership of Mayor Lieber. I believe that Albany government has problems, but my difficulties were with the city administrator’s office. To mitigate those issues, I think Albany needs a strong mayor and therefore I voted for the directly elected mayor proposal, and so I also commend Mayor Lieber for his leadership in getting that on the ballot. Ira Sharenow Albany resident Who is Mac McCurdy? Is he part of any organization or campaign to defeat the progressive candidates or is he part of any other organized group that takes positions on controversial political issues in Albany?

As an independent Albany resident who proposed the smokefree ordinance, I appreciated the strong pro-health stance and leadership of Mayor Lieber.

I believe that Albany government has problems, but my difficulties were with the city administrator’s office. To mitigate those issues, I think Albany needs a strong mayor and therefore I voted for the directly elected mayor proposal, and so I also commend Mayor Lieber for his leadership in getting that on the ballot.

Ira Sharenow
Albany resident

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