Sunday, April 06, 2008


Action Jackson

The Action Jackson doll was popular in the 1970s. Action Jackson could go into action against your brother’s GI Joe or Evel Knievel dolls or do battle with your sister’s Barbie. He was a cool dude.

Troy has got its own Action Jackson. He’s “Mark Jackson”, who has written some recent Pulse of the People letters published in The Record. “Mark Jackson” is typically a little bit grouchy towards Mayor Tutunjian.

Now, we find it laudable anytime a resident picks up a pen and jots down their thoughts, gripes, complaints, etc. to the local newspaper. Free speech, First Amendment, and all that good stuff. What is even more laudable is that no one knows who “Mark Jackson” is. According to sources, there is no “Mark Jackson” listed as a voter in Troy, no “Mark Jackson” in the phone book and no “Mark Jackson” listed as a committee member for any of the political parties or as a contributor.

Wow, what commitment. “Mark Jackson” cares deeply about Troy, has ideals and ideas he wants to share with his fellow Trojans – but “Mark Jackson” hasn’t had time to register to vote.

Based on his letters, we assume “Mark Jackson” is a Democrat. We wonder, once “Mark Jackson” registers to vote, will he support Obama or Hillary? How does he feel about the Spitzer scandal? Does he like Councilman John Brown’s idea of giving away two-thirds of the water debt Rensselaer owes Troy? Does “Mark Jackson” plan on coming to a City Council meeting to share his thoughts in person? Are you out there, “Mark Jackson”.

We hear one of the political types has written their own Pulse of the People letter, yet to be published, asking “Mark Jackson” to pick a time for a public debate. What a great way for “Mark Jackson” to share his ideas in public! Paging “Mark Jackson”, paging “Mark Jackson”.

A cynic said the “Mark Jackson” letters show how desperate Democrats are to manufacture support for a City Council Democratic majority that has stumbled from one disaster to the next. Imagine, inventing a false identity and conspiring to have those letters published in the hometown newspaper! But making such a claim might result in a very angry letter from “Mark Jackson”, whoever he or she is, and we don’t want that.