Monday, March 23, 2009

Martial Law in Schenectady?

I hope I never have to live in the capital district. I've spent a decent amount of time there for hockey, having seen four games at RPI, six at Union, and five championship weekends at the Times Union Center. I was also stuck for an hour in traffic going through Troy on my way to Dartmouth in February. Troy and Schenectady are awful places and it's always nice to leave.

This is why I was amused to read this article about Schenectady, linked on Drudge today. Apparently the Schenectady police force has been rocked by a series of scandals, with officers driving drunk and beating up people -- behavior that is so abhorrent that even the classless locals are outraged. "Mayor Stratton" has put martial law on the table:

Currently, officials are reviewing the legal options and planning to present a full report in early April - options like a consolidated county-wide police force or bringing in the State Police.

The mayor said there is another option - and that would be declaring martial law. The governor would have to declare it and then the National Guard would come in.

This would be a marked improvement, in my opinion. During the playoff series last year at Union, the enlightened Onion students threw food and beverages at us as we walked by their section. The Schenectady police, standing right next to us, declined to interfere with the food fight. Good riddance to these cops.

2 comments:

  1. Over the weekend, I was delighted to see so many Cornell students in the capital region. I enjoyed growing up in a suburb of Albany, and I hoped that all the Cornellians at the game would enjoy the city as much as I do. While there are plenty of problems with the Schenectady police force, these are problems that could affect any city in America. I hope that in the future, you can experience some of the many good things the capital region has to offer.

    A "classless local,"
    Hilary G

    p.s.-next time, drop by Stewart's Shops for some ice cream--it's delicious!

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  2. Hilary --
    I haven't been to every town in the area, so my opinion is mainly based on my time in Troy and Schenectady. I think it's fair to call the locals 'classless' when they throw things at us during hockey games. I have no doubt that Albany, like other cities, has much to offer, but my experiences with people there have been decidedly negative.

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