Shawn's Gone...

I must admit that I was a bit surprised when I heard that Shawn Morris had dropped out of the Albany Mayoral race: she had Paul Tonko's blessing, and looked like she was capable of mounting a whiz-bang bona-fide challenge. She ended her campaign, which came in with a bang, with a whimper:

"...I have more than 2600 signatures on a petition to run for mayor. The signatures were collected by over 100 people who gave their time and talent to knock on doors, talking to voters about our city and what we can do to make it better. The conversations were terrific; people want to talk about Albany’s potential. They have clear ideas on what they want to see changed in how we are governed. Our volunteers are committed, independent people who work hard every day to make our city better. They spent hours and hours on this effort for only one reason: they are committed to good government; they want Albany neighborhoods to have a fighting chance.

The door to door experience demonstrated once again why it is that Albany has survived so gloriously through four separate centuries: because the people who live here are smart and engaged. There is just no city like Albany for a door to door campaign, no where else where busy people are so willing to have frank conversations about government and politics with people who knock on their doors!

That’s why my decision about filing petitions is so difficult. I got into this race to affect change, to make government open, transparent and available to all its citizens. I got into this race to make sure city government focused on the people who live here and on the neighborhoods in which we live.

But in recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that, in a three way race, there is no way to achieve that. Although the most efficient way to affect change in Albany is through the Mayor’s office, when the vote is divided into too many wedges, the status quo will rule. I don’t want that to happen. And rather than expend so many resources in a race where there is no route to victory, I am withdrawing from this race.

Political resources are finite. Money in a tight economy, people’s time and energy are all very dear. It is best to spend those resources where they can make a difference."

Sounds like a cash-flow problem may be at the core of the Morris Withdrawal.

What are local blogs saying?

ALL OVER ALBANY feels let down...

ALBANY CITIZEN ONE was moved to quote Scripture!