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I am surprised by this verbal assault...
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I am writing to express my opinion to a comment made by our Town Councilman, Francis
Gray, refering to the Rochester Republican Club and it's members as a "local
hate group"...
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Don't be drawn into the ugliness...
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Most things roll off my back like rain off a roof, but hearing of our club described as a hate group makes my blood boil.
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Councilman Gray, get a grip on yourself!
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During the June 1st Town Board meeting, Councilman Francis Gray went beyond the pail, as usual. Out of the blue, he erupted in a colorful rant about "a local hate group, known as the Republican Club." Town Supervisor Pam Duke — who chaired the meeting — chose not call him to order.
AUDIO
At the time when Club membership equaled 26.72% of all Republican votes in the last election, the Democrats described it as "a small group of school bullies"... Zali Win — the Grey Eminence — referred to the Club members as "Dave O'Halloran's crowd"... The Democratic creed at work... say something long enough, loud enough, people will start to believe you.
For those interested in recent history, the following might shed some light on the Republican Club's beginnings.
Town of Rochester Republican Club was founded by Percy Gazlay II. As it was the Historic Preservation Commission and the Friends of Historic Rochester. The same Percy Gazlay who together with Eleanor S. Rosakranse strongly promoted the establishment of a museum for the Town. The Museum now proudly bears their names.
On Percy's passing, The Accordian (June 2001) was entirely dedicated "To Percy Gazlay with Love." Here is how people in this town remember him:
"He was so involved in the community for so long, and by belonging to just about all of the local organizations at one time or another, he seemed timeless. Folks recognized his car, his laugh, his witty sayings..."
"He was treasurer of The Friends of Historic Rochester, Inc., and Rochester Republican Club. He was one of the organizers of the Accord Food Pantry... Over the years, he volunteered for many groups including the Rochester Historic Preservation Commission, the Kerhonkson/Accord First Aid Squad, and Accord Fire Company. He also volunteered to help children and adults with AIDS working with ARCS. His time was always yours for the asking, be it a ride to the doctor's office, cheering up, or a simple errand. He never seemed to mind."
"Percy W. Gazlay II touched many people during his lifetime. And each one benefited from it. I am so thankful that God let him be my friend... I was privileged to know him."
We, too, are privileged to follow in his footsteps, continuing the activity of the Republican Club he founded.
Francis Gray, stop disrespecting Percy's legacy. This is the same Club, only bigger.
As for the hate groups, keep reading.
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From the party of "love, tolerance and diversity."
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Official Apologizes For Saying Bush Should Be Shot Between Eyes
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State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly apologized Thursday for a "beyond dumb" remark about "putting a bullet between the president's eyes." Hevesi hastily called a mea culpa press conference hours after putting his foot in his mouth at the Queens College commencement.
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Bird Watchers, Rejoice!
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You don't have to trek through the woods and marshes looking for the blue heron anymore. Now you can watch the bird in front of the Town Hall, anytime the Town Board meets. Don't take my word for it, look at the license plate below. The car is driven by Francis Gray, our beloved RINO Councilman. Why Maryland plates? Cheaper insurance rates, perhaps? As in "let others pay New York State rates?" As in "I'm not a bird watcher, I'm a bird flipper?"
Francis, click here to see how NYS defines its residents.
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All of Rochester is historic...
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...because all of Rochester is 300 years old. Therefore, every piece of property would be eligible for Historic Preservation. This could be a major concern for all current and future property owners in our town.
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According to the Commission...
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...our town has about 250 historical structures, over 70 stone houses, more than any other town in Ulster County. How can then be explained that the Town of Rochester simply does not exist in any of the Ulster County tourist guides?
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On May 4th, the Accord Fire House hosted a Public Hearing on the Revised Code for Historic Preservation Commission. Town residents came out in force and were given the opportunity to express their concerns. Below are a few thoughts — in spirit, if not in letter — from some of the speakers:
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All speakers were against Draft 22, with the exception of a single Historic Preservation Commission Member (Paul Reish) who said "without laws there would be chaos." |
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Kerry's Tire-Slashers Sentenced
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A congresswoman's son and three Democratic campaign workers were sentenced Wednesday to four to six months in jail for slashing tires outside a Bush-Cheney campaign office on Election Day 2004.
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Have you ever heard of anything
so jackass backwards?
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March 15, 2006
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Republicans are happier than Democrats
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The Pew Research Center recently updated a question about happiness that the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago has been asking since 1972.
In every asking of the question, ROLL CALL reports, Republicans have been happier than Democrats.
Republicans tend to be better off than Democrats, and that is one explanation for the happiness gap. But when the researchers controlled for household income, Republicans at all income levels were happier than Democrats at those same income levels.
As for ideology, conservative Republicans were happier than conservative Democrats, and moderate to liberal Republicans were happier than comparable Democrats.
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February 22, 2006
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The Chair and the Pledge...
The first Planning Board meeting "under new management" was a smooth ride with almost no bumps. The key word is "almost."
For starters, by bringing the State Police to the dance, the newly appointed Planning Board Chair squandered all the love bestowed upon him by town's residents.
The chosen Chazen planner managed to step in it just by opening his mouth, but otherwise has shown solid brown-nosing skills (of the "Oh, Steven, you have to teach me!" variety). If Steven is the teacher, why is the Town paying Chazen?
At the beginning of the meeting, Steven Lance Fornal asked Mel Tapper to start the Pledge on his behalf. Mel didn't exactly know what to do and there was a moment of embarrassing silence. Councilman Alex Miller stepped in and started the Pledge, followed by the audience and board members. Of course, Steven did not move a lip during the Pledge. That's why Alex might go places as Albany and Washington, while Steven is prone to overdose on some silly behavior.
Steven, don't try this at home:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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 Steven Lance Fornal — the new Planning Board Chair — has asked the Town Board to remove Planning Board Member Bob Gaydos.
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Duh!? |
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It's been 'I do what I want on my land when I want to do it. How dare you come in here and tell us what to do.'
(Councilman Alex Miller mocking Town of Rochester residents' take on property rights, as quoted in Times Herald-Record)
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February 10, 2006
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The Open Government that isn't...
The newcomers to our town ran a whirlwind political campaign based on open government. Residents fell for it, and now the town government is in their control.
The town code enforcement officer and town attorney were fired immediately upon the new board members' oath of office. This was done privately, either in an undocumented, unscheduled, unadvertised meeting or in a telephone meeting. And it did not include all Town Board members.
Money was found in the contingence fund that no one knew about ($60,000 worth!). I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that the Town's chief financial officer did not know that the money was there. In support of this belief is the fact that the money was designated immediately for a new Comprehensive Plan. There are also documents indicating that companies were canvassed for bids regarding a Comprehensive Plan and interviews conducted prior to "finding" the $60,000.
Again, the canvassing and interviewing was done secretly and did not include all Town Board members.
Recently, the Town Board has held two Public Hearings on a Commercial and Subdivision Moratorium. This is where the people get a chance to speak out and voice their concerns so the board can take into consideration everyone's input. However, the majority of this new Town Board seems to just listen and then ignore. In support of this view, is the fact that the new resolution was already written and included on the agenda for a vote before the Public Hearing was held. There were numerous suggestions from residents that would make the moratorium more acceptable but, the Board's majority went ahead and passed their version into law without regard to the hardship of the residents.
There were a few speakers that spoke about the predatory developers that are supposedly waiting to pounce on our town. I felt like the speakers were trying to terrify me (sort of like the guy who yells "fire!" in a packed movie house). I don't know about you, but I am more terrified of what these people are capable of than of any real estate developer.
Just think, we'll have 2 years of this OPEN GOVERNMENT.
Kandy Santosky — Kerhonkson
RONS213@aol.com
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February 9, 2006
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Fine Tuning the Manipulation?
All Comprehensive Plan Meetings ended the same way: Walter Levy distributed index cards to those present, who were then asked to identify their emotions triggered by the meeting, and to state the most pressing issue on their mind.
Besides the corporate coaches in Pam Duke's inner circle — all experts on manipulating Town's residents — nobody else has an interest in gaging the emotions generated by the comprehensive plan.
And why the double standard? If emotions are so important, why nobody paid attention to them at the Public Hearing on Moratorium, on February 2nd?
Are we living in a real, rural town or in some imaginary Surveyville? Do we really have to have our "temperature" taken so often, as if we are sick?!
Aren't you sick and tired already?
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January 24, 2006
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Cost of Community Services Study is a veiled attack against families with children.
Yesterday's Cost of Community Services Presentation clearly exposed Pam Duke's agenda and her efforts to find more ways to put the choke on the true residents of this town. She and her supporters want to destroy the Town as they found it, while fancying themselves as Town's saviors. Numbers are massaged to show how the Town's full-time residents are subsidized by part-timers.
Here are some other findings: Families with children? Bad for the Town. Big business? Bad for the Town (the new hires might have kids). Retail facilities? Bad for the Town (one senses a strong desire to control what businesses the town would allow).
The scariest moment of the evening was listening to Pam Duke say that there should be a study to see what the people in this town do for a living, because "we do not know what business people do out of their homes."
Download Cost of Community Services Study
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January 18, 2006
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Policies, Politics, and now... Police!
Pam Duke knows that her leftist agenda is not popular with the town's true residents. So, at today's Public Hearing on the Moratorium on Development, she brought in a state trooper to keep an eye on the people in attendance. You never know what these hicks might do...
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January 5, 2006
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Town of Rochester
descends in chaos in 5 days flat!
Firemen on verge of quitting
The Firemen elected their Fire Chief. 3 Fire Commissioners voted to nullify the election. Now the Fire Department has no Fire Chief, and no line of command. The 3 Fire Commissioners made their choice between petty politics and residents' safety. The Democrats and turn-coat Republican Committee members elected their people. Now who is going to put out the fire? Expect paid Firemen soon.
Pam Duke fires Municipal Code Officer Doug Dymond
The Newly Elected Town Board that champions "open government" made this decision behind closed doors, without public hearing or board vote, without even informing Ron Santoski, the one and only Republican Councilman. The letter the Town Supervisor sent to Doug Dymond on January 4th was illegal. The Code Officer was appointed by the Town Board and could only be fired by the Town Board.
Pam Duke fires Town Counsel Mary Lou Christiana
Pam Duke replaced Mary Lou Christiana with a "better" qualified lawyer who couldn't answer the first question addressed to him at the first Town Board meeting.
Open-ended moratorium on sub-division
It never made it to the agenda. It was never discussed with the Councilman Ron Santoski. It was never discussed at a public hearing. But here it is, the open-ended moratorium on sub-division of 4 lots or more.
Open-ended moratorium on new construction
Enjoy the new open-ended moratorium on commercial construction larger than 4000 square feet. Did we mention that it never made it to the agenda or that it was never discussed with Councilman Ron Santoski or at a public hearing?
Stash of money found in the Town budget
Pam Duke miraculously found $60,000 in the Town's already approved budget, so she could hire the famous Master Planner and Open Space Consultant Peter Fairweather to help with the Town's comprehensive plan. Another decision made behind closed doors, without a public hearing or a board vote, without informing Ron Santoski, the Republican Councilman.
Violation of Open Government Laws
Under Open Government Laws, if three out of the five Town Board members meet — and more than one political party is present — then there is a quorum and the public must be invited.
Any and all meetings between Democratic Town Board Members that included Francis Grey were in violation of Open Government Laws. Francis Grey is a registered Republican and as such he is prohibited from meeting behind closed doors with the three elected Democrats.
Now we know how "open government" works...
Any controversial issue is kept off the published agenda, while resolutions are prepared, people are fired, and consultants are hired... And this is just the beginning!
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Looking forward to the outrage at the above notes,
expressed in staged letters to the Editors of
Blue Stone Press and accord-kerhonkson.com...
Let the Democratic spin begin! |
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Pam Duke, hold your donkeys!
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Here they come, the "No Growth Democrats," anxious to jump start their new terms.
When did the Town Board approve the above bumper sticker distributed at the Town Hall?
Why is the Town's Website used in a partisan manner, for individual and committees' agendas?
Maryjane Knudsen, Stanley Hudson, Bill DeGraw... again on the Zoning and Planning Boards? How did they lose the "good old boys and girls" status?
And by the way, Ms. Duke, can you pinpoint the sprawl in the Town of Rochester?
No Growth = No Jobs = Higher Taxes
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of Town of Rochester votes were cast for Republican Candidates
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