Just a year before local political parties meet to determine candidates for mayor and city council, Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore has thrown the dice, on whether he will be re-elected for a second term, with his forceful push to site a Native American casino in Auburn. He is, in essence, betting his political fortunes (and unfortunately the city's future) on a controversial and far from done deal. Some see his actions as plain hubris, others, a calculated gamble.
There are some who believe that he is trying to emulate his father's success of decades ago with the landing of the big fish #Auburn Steel (now Nucor) or smaller projects such as the Holiday Inn or Wegmans. There are others who believe that his rush on a casino is about as thoughtful as urban renewal was in the 1960s. Possibly only history will tell which category this venture will fall in.
There are those, like columnists, who will try to calculate the short-term impact of his push. For some, this is a desperate gamble to deal with the politically ill-advised pledge on job creation that then-candidate Lattimore made in 2003 when he ran for election. There is little doubt that part of next year's mayoral campaign would focus on the ,500 new jobs” pledge.
Some might suggest that this project (which has multiple hurdles to overcome before it comes to fruition) is a way to deflect a discussion of the pledge. If the project fails anywhere along the way (which it may for a variety of reasons #) and the county Legislature's vote on Tuesday will hurt the progression of this proposal -the mayor may try to contend that he tried, but others prevented him from reaching his goal - the “I tried, but others were roadblocks” defense. If ground is broken before Election Day 2007, then he can take credit (despite the lower paying jobs that will result#) not the high tech or upper pay scale jobs he discussed in 2003. The mayor may see what he is doing as a win/win way to short circuit pledge questions next year.
What may be most important in this calculation is that real measurable success will be hard to gauge next year, especially if the project isn't up and running by November 2007, but is moving forward.
Like President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, the mayor is pushing for something that's completion will be after the next election has passed.
Historians often note that the May 1961 pledge to land a man on the Moon was politically safe because it was set for the end of the decade, well after, should he have won re-election in 1964, Kennedy would have been out of office after the 1968 elections.
Anyone want to take odds whether the mayor's throw will come up as a lucky seven or snake eyes?
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
There are those, like columnists, who will try to calculate the short-term impact of his push. For some, this is a desperate gamble to deal with the politically ill-advised pledge on job creation that then-candidate Lattimore made in 2003 when he ran for election. There is little doubt that part of next year's mayoral campaign would focus on the ,500 new jobs” pledge.
Some might suggest that this project (which has multiple hurdles to overcome before it comes to fruition) is a way to deflect a discussion of the pledge. If the project fails anywhere along the way (which it may for a variety of reasons #) and the county Legislature's vote on Tuesday will hurt the progression of this proposal -the mayor may try to contend that he tried, but others prevented him from reaching his goal - the “I tried, but others were roadblocks” defense. If ground is broken before Election Day 2007, then he can take credit (despite the lower paying jobs that will result#) not the high tech or upper pay scale jobs he discussed in 2003. The mayor may see what he is doing as a win/win way to short circuit pledge questions next year.
What may be most important in this calculation is that real measurable success will be hard to gauge next year, especially if the project isn't up and running by November 2007, but is moving forward.
Like President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, the mayor is pushing for something that's completion will be after the next election has passed.
Historians often note that the May 1961 pledge to land a man on the Moon was politically safe because it was set for the end of the decade, well after, should he have won re-election in 1964, Kennedy would have been out of office after the 1968 elections.
Anyone want to take odds whether the mayor's throw will come up as a lucky seven or snake eyes?
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
The Citizens' Say
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