albanyweblog.com
Updated
September 5, 2009
From Metroland, September 3, 2009:
Down to Two
With Veronica Horne out of the race in the 5th Ward, Jackie Jenkins-Cox goes full steam ahead against incumbent Willard Timmons
Jackie Jenkins-Cox is a lifetime resident of Albany. She has raised three children in West Hill, worked with the Arbor Hill Community Center and at the New York State Legislature, and served on the Albany school board for two years. So, she was surprised to find that many of her neighbors in the 5th Ward most remember her as ‘Precious J,’ her radio persona on the Siena College Radio Station.
“It’s kind of funny, even now when I go through the neighborhood I get ‘Precious J,’ not Jackie,” she said. “But I know that I’m the same person and they love me the same.”
Jenkins-Cox is now the only remaining candidate running against incumbent Councilman Willard Timmons in the 5th Ward after Veronica Horne made the surprise decision to drop from the race.
“I am dropping out of the race, and should have everything taken care of with the board of elections by the end of the week,” said Horne, who declined to offer explanation for her decision and said that she would not be doing any additional interviews with the press.
Jenkins-Cox called Horne’s decision to drop out of the race “disheartening,” and said that with three candidates there would be a better chance of getting Timmons out of office.
“I felt like, if not me, at least her,” Jenkins-Cox said. “Just as long as it’s not him, please not him.”
Jenkins-Cox said that she feels that the problems in her ward have been neglected by the current representation.
“What have you done for our community?” she said. “I don’t think the common council is just something that you get involved with, it’s something where you want to make a difference for where you live.”
Timmons, who joined the council in 2005 after beating incumbent Shirley Foskey, is endorsed by the Democratic Committee and the Conservative Party line, and is seen to be an unwavering ally for Jennings.
Jenkins-Cox said that she first wanted to run for council in 2005 but decided to run for the school board instead.
“It’s always been heavy on my heart,” she said. “I always said that, in four years, if he hadn’t done anything, then I was going to run.”
“You have to live in your ward to run, but you also have to live in your ward,” she said, “meaning being outside, talking to people, communicating with people, letting people vent.”
Jenkins-Cox said that people have a misconception about the ward. “There are a lot more people here that are employed and responsible than people think, and I think that’s why we often get overlooked.”
Jenkins-Cox said that she is limiting her door-to-door campaigning as to not disturb her neighbors during dinnertime. She also wants to differentiate herself from the candidates that only come around every four years.
“If the only time you can come knocking on our doors is when you need a signature, that’s not right,” she said. “The people in the 5th Ward are intelligent, and they understand that we need their vote. I tell people that if they are frustrated with the way things are and want them to change, they can start that change at the voting booths. You don’t have to keep voting for someone you don’t think is doing a good job.”
Timmons did not return calls for comment.
She said that basic services like street sweeping, trash cans, and streetlights are being neglected in the 5th Ward.
Jenkins-Cox said that while there might not be changes over night, she believes that she can make a difference by working closely with the people of the 5th.
“We all, each individual, need to take responsibility,” she said. “We need to take accountability for where we live and not look for someone else to do it for us. We are all looking for that little bit of hope, and I believe that I can be a part of that.”
—Cecelia Martinez