NEWS
Desmond Showing Weakness in Schoharie, Middleburgh
Much of the politics of Schoharie County in the last two years have been tied up in how to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. With so many issues still facing the County, many Supervisor's races and even the Sheriff's race seem to hinge on the event and how to get Schoharie County back on its feet.
There have been a lot of allusions to the horrible events of 2011, largely surrounding current Sheriff Tony Desmond. His supporters state that he has carried a lot of weight under conditions that no one had anticipated. Meanwhile, others have quietly criticized what has been described as a poor response in affected areas.
Only one large-scale effort seems to point to it-- an ad run last week by Deputy Todd Ethington, criticizing aspects of the Sheriff's Department's operations since then. There was a swift and visceral pushback-- with four comments on the article alone.
But how are some of the most affected areas of the County, a trend has developed. Larry Travis' late start has inhibited his support in many areas outside of Cobleskill, but a base can still be seen. Similar can be said about Sheriff Tony Desmond-- who has a larger group of supporters in both Schoharie and Middleburgh.
But the candidate with the most momentum appears to be Ethington. Taking a drive around either community shows more enthusiasm for the Deputy. Along Middleburgh's Main Street, Ethington signs outnumber Desmond by more than two to one. Meanwhile, many of the Ethington signs are placed exactly where Desmond signs sprang up in 2009.
There has been the sharpest criticism of Desmond's handling of the flood in both of these communities. While this does not directly aid either of the other candidates, a clear trend against re-electing the Sheriff is clear. Many officials from the municipalities and the Middleburgh Fire Department have backed away from Desmond. Former Middleburgh Fire Chief Brian Devlin posted on Ethington's Facebook page Sunday:
There have been a lot of allusions to the horrible events of 2011, largely surrounding current Sheriff Tony Desmond. His supporters state that he has carried a lot of weight under conditions that no one had anticipated. Meanwhile, others have quietly criticized what has been described as a poor response in affected areas.
Only one large-scale effort seems to point to it-- an ad run last week by Deputy Todd Ethington, criticizing aspects of the Sheriff's Department's operations since then. There was a swift and visceral pushback-- with four comments on the article alone.
But how are some of the most affected areas of the County, a trend has developed. Larry Travis' late start has inhibited his support in many areas outside of Cobleskill, but a base can still be seen. Similar can be said about Sheriff Tony Desmond-- who has a larger group of supporters in both Schoharie and Middleburgh.
But the candidate with the most momentum appears to be Ethington. Taking a drive around either community shows more enthusiasm for the Deputy. Along Middleburgh's Main Street, Ethington signs outnumber Desmond by more than two to one. Meanwhile, many of the Ethington signs are placed exactly where Desmond signs sprang up in 2009.
There has been the sharpest criticism of Desmond's handling of the flood in both of these communities. While this does not directly aid either of the other candidates, a clear trend against re-electing the Sheriff is clear. Many officials from the municipalities and the Middleburgh Fire Department have backed away from Desmond. Former Middleburgh Fire Chief Brian Devlin posted on Ethington's Facebook page Sunday:
I must say that there is an overwhelming support for him In this area! I got to listen to residence with their questions and concerns over the current administration! To hear Todd Ethington answer these questions with the upmost professional and knowledgable answers just goes to show who is the right choice for the job!Devlin's brother Michael also backs Ethington. There have been a lot of discontent among some, but there has also been a pushback-- with some describing Ethington's approach as too aggressive while questioning other aspects of the campaign.