Resignation of NYRA Trustee Charles Wait
 

I'm sorry if there's already a thread on this but I noticed today that a couple of days ago that the Adirondack Trust President Charles Wait has resigned as a NYRA Trustee and launched an attack on Sen. Bruno in his resignation letter.

My questions for keen NYRA watchers and followers of local politics in Saratoga County are.

What are Wait's politics? Would he be a natural opponent of Bruno or is this resignation a first major sign of local discontentment with Bruno? If that's the case is it the beginning of the end?

Saratogians must be getting worried. The next temporary agreement ends in 9 days. Another 3-4 week delays seat applications for there and Belmont day and must begin to really scare any hotelier/business owner in the area

They are both Republicans, arent they?

It was mentioned Saturday morning on Down The Stretch that CW was going against his political party....from that I'm guessing that he is Republican

More than 'just' a Repbulican.. Has been a stalwart in these parts for years and a close Bruno ally. Read Steve Crist's column about it.. This was a stunning indictment of Bruno's shameless behavior by Wait: a widely appreciated and respected regional business scion.

Bruno is the guy that supported and "helped" NYRA prior to this last bit of stuff. NYRA has obviously bailed on Bruno for reasons not yet real clear. I'm wondering if Charlie Wait isn't the first of sacrificial lambs from the Bd of Trustees.

While there is truth to the first sentence there is absolutely no truth to the next two and they are, in fact, a complete inversion of the truth.

Please tell why.

Bruno is the guy that supported and "helped" NYRA prior to this last bit of stuff.

Bruno had been supportive of NYRA for many years, so that part is true...


NYRA has obviously bailed on Bruno for reasons not yet real clear.

This is an inversion because it has been Bruno that bailed on NYRA for reasons that are very clear: He and his 'lobbyist' son took on Empire, and seperately Magna, as clients of their consultancies, and influence peddling.


I'm wondering if Charlie Wait isn't the first of sacrificial lambs from the Bd of Trustees.

Wait resigned from the Trustees in advance of his attack on Bruno so as not to create a conflict of interest when utilizing the Adirondack Trust shareholders' meeting as the forum for his comments... because unlike the subject of his statement, he is cognizant of the appearance of propriety.

(Bruno himself is unfettered by such mundanities as you can read in this NY Times update on the Federal investigation into his outside interests: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/ny...on&oref=slogin)


As Steve Crist urges in Sunday's DRF editorial, Wait needs to be re-appointed to the Board as soon as possible after the franchise settlement comes to pass. http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=92001 (DRF Plus may be required)