King says, "No," to Special Interests
August 7: In a change from typical political candidacies, Republican, Conservative and Write-in Independence Party candidate Jared King announced that he will not solicit any special interest endorsements. Says King, "My reason for running for office and everything about my campaign is about helping downtrodden ordinary citizens. It is inconceivable that I would solicit such endorsements. What amazes me is that even though I am running for the tiny office of county legislator, I have still been approached by three unions and the New York State League of Conservation Voters. Although I am always willing to listen in order to learn about ways I can help the citizens of the 34th District, I told all such groups that if any of their members that are my constituents have a problem or concern about local or county government, they should contact me, and I will do what I can to help, and if the organization has information they want to provide me so that I can make an informed decision, please send it, but that as a county legislator or candidate for the office, I work for only one group, all the citizens of the 34th Legislative District. Period."
King Responds to NYCLU Questionaire September 11: Dear Ms. Trimble:
Thank you for sending me your questionaire regarding matters of concern to the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender community.
I am not soliciting the endorsement of ANY special interest in my election campaign; if you would like to endorse me to your members, that is your choice. As I have been telling all of my prospective constituents, if any of your members who are members of my legislative district have any concerns or problems with local or county government, I would like to know about it, and I will do what I can to help. I am open-minded and always willing to learn, so if you would like to send me information to educate me, please feel free to do so.
I have a website, jaredking.org, with which you and your members in my legislative district can learn more about my candidacy.
Sincerely,
Jared King
34th Albany County Legislative District
P.S. I found your questionaire to be intellectually provocative. My responses to your questions fall into two categories: 1) My personal beliefs are irrelevant; as an elected official I would REPRESENT all constituents, regardless of party affiliation, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. I therefore would listen to any constituent who approached me and, in so far any legislation sought was in the public interest, would sponsor such legislation in the county legislature. You won't find that very often in the U.S. Congress or state legislature, but you will find that with me, and 2) Much of the policy initiatives you proposed were more appropriate for federal and state legislation, because there would not be an enforcement mechanism at the county level and they would lead to balkanized rules statewide. I would not sponsor meaningless, feel-good "requesting" legislation, something that is sadly becoming more common today in the Albany County Legislature as legislators ignore the difficult task of writing enforceable county legislation to pander for special-interest money and votes. My recommendation to you is to have one of your members who is a constituent contact me, and I would be glad to give them whatever guidance I can as to how I would proceed to obtain assistance from state legislators.
King Responds to Inquiry of New York State League of Conservation Voters
July 27:
Dear Mr. Abram:
As the champion (self-proclaimed) of the downtrodden ordinary citizen of Albany County, I am not soliciting the endorsement of any special interest in my election campaign; if you would like to endorse me to your members, that is your choice. As I have been telling all of my prospective constituents, if any of your members that are members of my legislative district have any concerns or problems with local or county government, I would like to know about it, and I will do what I can to help. I am open-minded and always willing to learn, so if you would like to send me information to educate me, please feel free to do so; I have already looked at your website and have learned.
I still need to get up my website, after which your members in my district can learn more about me. One of my campaign planks is the sponsoring of sensible legislation to preserve open space. The Albany County Democratic Campaign Committee's donor list reads like a "Who's who" of real estate developers; the policies of the Town of Bethlehem Democratic Party over the last four years have been pro-development, not pro-conservation, as town residents well know.
Sincerely,
Jared King
34th Albany County Legislative District
King Takes the Fair Campaign Pledge
July 23: County Legislator candidate Jared King takes the League of Women Voters' Fair Campaign Pledge, as promised in his speech before the Albany County Legislature. "After what has happened in the last two election cycles in the Town of Bethlehem, with what appears to be an organized Democratic Party effort to tear down and mutilate Republican and Conservative Party signs during the night before the election, it is my hope that the Bethlehem Democratic Party members will also take the pledge and refrain from any unfair campaign practices in the future." After discussing the pledge with his fellow Republican candidates, they have enthusiastically agreed to join him in signing the pledge.
Independence Party Primary for 34th District County Legislator
August 6: Independence Party members will have a choice for whom they would like to represent their party for county legislator in the 34th Legislative District. County legislator candidate Jared King submitted opportunity-to-ballot petitions with a sufficient number of Independence Party member signatures to allow for Independence Party members who wish to vote for him to write in his name in the write-in window in the election machine on the September 18th primary. Says King, "Given the understandable confusion associated with a write-in ballot and given all of the Albany County Democratic Party operatives who have changed their party affiliation to the Independence Party during the last six years, I doubt my candidacy for the Independence Party nomination will be successful. However, I wanted to provide those Independence Party members who are open-minded a choice. I support 90% of the New York State Independence Party's platform, I volunteered for Perot's presidential campaign before he dropped out, and I volunteered for Golisano's gubenatorial campaign in 2002. Indeed, I have the Perot pin and bumper stickers and Golisano T-shirt to prove it. I suspect my Democratic opponent, who has been a Democratic committeman for years, cannot say the same."
King Expresses
Opinion on Local Law F, Albany County's Predatory Towing Law
August 18: Albany County Legislator candidate Jared King issued the following press release regarding his opinion about Local Law F, Albany County's Predatory Towing Law: "Although well-intentioned, (most proposed laws are), Local Law F is decidedly flawed. I agree with the two objections of Democratic County Legislator Monjeau, seconded by Democratic County Legislator Gordon. First, the law requires a property owner, not just a property manager to be present at the property at the time of tow, which is an unnecessary burden to local property owners, let alone property owners who live at a distance or out of state. Second, the law does not provide for a tenant, such as an office tenant who rents parking, to call for removal of an unauthorized vehicle, even though the tenant is leasing the parking space in which the unauthorized vehicle has parked. Under this law, a tenant coming to work in the morning could find an unauthorized vehicle parked in his parking spot, have to contact the property owner, who, in a large office building may very well be out of state, and have the property owner be present at the time of tow. This situation is ridiculous, and why my opponent co-sponsored and voted for this bill (now law) without simple amendments to fix these two flaws is beyond my under-standing."