District 33
Patrick Greene

ALBANY COUNTY — If Republican Patrick Greene is elected to the Albany County Legislature, he says he won’t be using his $20,000 annual salary.

Greene says he’s that serious about downsizing the legislature and saving the taxpayers money.
"I won’t take the salary," said Greene. "It will go to not-for-profits in the district.."

Greene, a corporate and real estate lawyer in private practice, is challenging two-term incumbent Democrat Herbert Reilly to represent District 33, covering northeastern New Scotland, including the village of Voorheesville, and a bit of Bethlehem, which is where Greene lives.

He was a long-time member of the Bethlehem Republican Committee and he helped Michael Hoblock when he was county executive in the early 1990s.
"That was one of the most rewarding periods of my legal career," said Greene, stating he was instrumental in getting a federal investigation into funds that had been "pillaged for pet projects" and were ultimately restored, and for allowing the county to buy a $4 million ice rink for $1 million. He said he also helped draft the new county charter.
"I got very familiar with the county government and some of the waste and excess," he said.
Greene is committed to reducing the 39 members of the legislature to 13 or fewer. "We have the largest number of legislators in upstate New York," said Greene, although Albany County has a relatively small population.

He said the reason the legislature is bloated is because, during the era when Democrats Erastus Corning and Dan O’Connell controlled the city and county, people were given well-paid county legislative posts as part of a patronage system.
He called the salaries "outrageous" and said some people’s annual salary for a full-time job is less than the $20,298 legislators earn for going to one meeting a month.
Greene said there is really no need for the legislature since 75 to 85 percent of the budget is mandated by state law. The county executive does "very little" for $130,000 a year, he said, "And the legislature has even less to do."

Many counties run with an unpaid board of supervisors, Greene said, adding that local town board members are paid much less, as are zoning and planning board members, but they do far more work.
Most residents, he maintains, don’t even know who their county legislator is much less what they do. Most of the legislators, he said, "do absolutely nothing but take taxpayers’ money."
Greene, 52, has a bachelor’s degree in history from Syracuse University, a law degree from Fordham University, and he recently went back to school to earn a master’s degree in history from the University at Albany, which he called "one of the most fun things I’ve done in my adult life." He’s considering returning for a doctorate.

Greene’s first job out of college was at a Fortune 500 company but, feeling a need for public service, he then joined the Peace Corps and served in Guatamala, which he loved. He and his wife have lived in Slingerlands since 1990, where they are raising their two sons. Greene has been a Scoutmaster and active in a wide range of youth sports.

On other issues, Greene was asked about the 1-percent sales tax that the legislature had adopted as a temporary measure but is now relied on by municipalities.
"It should absolutely be repealed," he said.
He doesn’t buy the argument that the state has passed on such costs that local governments need the income. Until the towns "are screaming in pain," Greene said, "the tax growth will continue."
He went on, "People aren’t screaming in pain yet because of these easy things, which adds to the burden for the poor"A lot of states don’t even have a sales tax. When is it going to end""
Asked if the county should have a role in maintaining local farms, Greene said, "Absolutely not. It’s not the role of county government to get involved in these things. It has to happen at the state level."
He referred to suggestions like a countywide planning commission as "another layer of government interfering where it’s not needed." He said planning issues "are purely, purely town issues" and added, "It’s all zoning."
Asked about the county nursing home, Greene referred to the county executive, a Democrat, saying, "I think Mike Breslin’s thoughts on the county nursing home are sound".He’s looking for the proper balance of costs"with a long-term solution."
Greene added that the management of nursing homes is "a very complicated process" and that some people "shoot their mouths off" without understanding the complexities.

Greene is not a supporter of an Albany convention center.
"Our county has engaged in more ill-advised projects than Carter’s has little liver pills," Greene said. "The Pepsi Arena was a burden"The ice rink we were able to salvage only after a complete implosion."
With the convention center, he said, "We’re paying for Jerry Jennings’s vision of downtown Albany," which he characterized as, "If you build it, they will come," a reference to the movie, Field of Dreams.
"I don’t buy it that Albany is a destination. I think it will be a white elephant," said Greene of the convention center.
He said new hotels have recently been built in Albany that can’t be filled and added, "We have plenty of meeting space."
Greene concluded, "I think what’s driving this is the mayor wants to create construction jobs; it’s a one-shot deal."

Asked if Albany County should consolidate services, Greene said that should be left up to individual municipalities to decide with neighboring municipalities. Such proposals then should be put before the voters, he said.
"Clearly, New York State has to change its way of doing business," he said. "There are too many level of government. But it will only change if the voters are screaming in pain."