By Kenneth C. Crowe II
East Greenbush
The town's handling of a resolution to back a local casino project brought good-government and anti-casino activists together to form Save East Greenbush. The result has been a consistent campaign to stop the $300 million Capital View Casino and Resort proposed for Thompson Hill Road.
"The process was really flawed at the beginning. We got taken. It made us very, very angry," said Don Johnson. The Town Board's vote in April, he said, galvanized him, Dwight Jenkins and Jack Conway, who had worked together on reviewing the town's spending habits, to stand against the casino.
Johnson said his trio linked up with Cara Benson, Elizabeth Wade and Joanne Rector, who were opposed to the casino project.
Benson, a poet who was involved in the Occupy Albany activist movement, said she saw Jenkins' Facebook page opposing the casino and received the mailer at home from the casino developers. She said the Rensselaer County Legislature's May meeting brought East Greenbush casino opponents together for the first time when they spoke against casino development. That's where people like Tina Tierney stood up to speak and became involved.
As Save East Greenbush organized, initially meeting locations were typical for suburban activists — held in a member's living room. But that soon changed. "All sorts of new people showed up and organized their own neighborhoods. We had to have meetings at the library," Benson said.
Now supporters of Save East Greenbush turn out regularly for town meetings, including about 80 to 90 at the recent Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.
"It is really the townspeople doing it. People are coming up and asking how they can help," Benson said.
While small anti-casino groups have arisen in Schenectady's Stockade neighborhood and other parts of the state, Save East Greenbush has appeared to be the largest effort to halt local casino development.
Save East Greenbush has hired an attorney, filed one lawsuit and is considering a second lawsuit. It has benefited from Johnson's knowledge of government and the state Freedom of Information Law, enabling it to obtain notes on town meetings regarding the casino project.
Save East Greenbush members' reading of the casino developer's application has led to Councilwoman Sue Mangold recusing herself. And the group has worked with Councilwoman Mary Ann Matters, who now opposes the project.
They've also rented a billboard, employed social media, turned to traditional media outlets to propel their message, held educational forums and collected more than 3,000 signatures on petitions.
"We pass the hat," Benson and Johnson each said in separate interviews about how their group pays for its endeavors. Save East Greenbush also advertises for donations and puts out a jug at events to collect money.
When the casino developers presented their proposals to the state Gaming Commission, Save East Greenbush submitted its own binder of information in opposition.
Capital View Casino and Resort has worked to build support. It has opened an office; mailed fliers to residents; worked to obtain local government support; pledged involvement in the community; won support from the business community; and run its own advertising campaign. A spokesman for the casino project did not respond to a request for comment.
Save East Greenbush is waiting for the state to decide which of four applicants in East Greenbush, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie County will receive a license to open a casino in the Capital Region.
kcrowe@timesunion.com • 518-454-5084 • @KennethCrowe
I predict that the casino issue will be a very significant issue in the next Town election even if the Siting Board does not choose East Greenbush. If the Siting Board chooses East Greenbush, I predict that the casino will be THE issue in the election. Feathers wants a "company town." If East Greenbush is chosen, within 12 months we will be well on our way to electing the most "casino hostile" local government this crowd has ever seen.
ReplyDeleteBravo to Ken Crowe. He got it right. I hope his article will help the Siting Commission to get it right. Thanks to all the No Casino folks.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article and excellent work by all!
ReplyDelete"I'm not a prude about it, but to quite an extent, gambling is a tax on ignorance. You just put it in and guys like me don't pay the taxes -- it relieves taxes on those who don't gamble. I FIND IT SOCIALLY REVOLTING WHEN A GOVERNMENT PREYS ON ITS OWN CITIZENS RATHER THAN SERVING THEM. A government shouldn't make it easy for people to take their social security checks and [waste them pulling] a handle." - Warren Buffett (he may know just a little bit about money and business).
What say you, Supervisor Keith Langley?
ReplyDeleteDear 9:54 AM:
ReplyDeleteHere's the definitive quote from Supervisor Langley regarding the Casino issue:
"The Resolution is the Resolution."
Be well,
Tom
makes a great campaign slogan!
Deleteas does another Langley gem: "It is what it is."
DeleteThere is an old adage that says that the lottery is a tax on people bad at math. When the odds aren't in your favor or with the house, it's hard to win. This is no longer an issue on the pros or cons of casino gambling, because the people of the state of New York have spoken and casino gambling is in fact coming to New York. This is more of an issue with the Town of East Greenbush and their willingness to forego zoning regulations and site a project where it is not appropriate. If this were in an area where it is properly zoned, there would still be significant opposition, but it might fall on deaf ears because the siting board would note that it fits the planned uses for that area. That is not the case here and the applicant and advocates are trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Kudos to all who have dedicated their time and money to raising awareness and presenting a united, educated and legitimate opposition to this project.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of this with exception to "the people of the state of New York have spoken and casino gambling is in fact coming to New York." We have now been heard, but most of NYS didn't even vote on Proposition One. It brings awareness to an even larger problem, people have lost faith in our system. They either don't vote because they "don't care," they don't think their vote matters, whatever the reason, it's a problem. When less than 40% of your registered voters even vote, that's a problem as seen with Proposition One. Another problem, many people who voted on Proposition One didn't read the entire proposition. The people of Massachusetts didn't accept defeat so easily and just accept casino's are inevitable, they did something about it as will the good people of NY.
Delete10:18 a.m. Those "who have dedicated their time and money to raising awareness and presenting a united, educated and legitimate opposition to this project" need way more than our "kudos," they need ALL OF US who appreciate what they've done for this community to reach into our wallets and thank them with a donation. The Gadfly said that if each of us sends $25, they can pay the lawyer whose bill is now upwards to $25K.
DeleteWay more than $25K, Anony. Thanks for everybody's efforts, but we now have to legally take on the dumb decision of the ZBA in court. Their decision made it possible to plant a casino in the parking lot of the Methodist Church or anywhere else the "gaming exemption" lets a casino go. Gonna cost lots more bucks. Save East Greenbush!!!
DeleteAnony at 10:18.....In the light of you comment, it's worth quoting the statement of the Gaming Commission which I quoted in the previous Post on Cognitive Dissonance. I believe what the ZBA did is illegal, irrational, politically wired and just plain stupid. Can't they read English? They have, to this point, over-ridden the protections of the Zoning Code for all citizens of East Greenbush. They should be ashamed of themselves.
ReplyDelete"The preemption of local zoning and land use under N.Y. Racing Pari Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 1366 applies only to conduct of gaming as a permitted use or approved activity for the Project Site. N.Y. Racing Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 1366 does not preempt local zoning and land use regulation as to non-gaming activities and permitted uses of a proposed Gaming Facility."
Special Meeting
ReplyDeleteThe Town Board of the Town of East Greenbush will be holding a Special Meeting to discuss the 2015 Budget on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. at the East Greenbush Town Hall, 225 Columbia Turnpike in the Town of East Greenbush, County of Rensselaer and State of New York.
Thanks to the efforts of Councilpersons Mangold, Malone, Matters and DiMartino, the members of the general public will be able to comment at Thursday's Special Meeting to discuss the 2015 Budget.
ReplyDeleteN.B. Supervisor Langley cast the only vote against that good government Resolution.
might be a good idea to bring a copy of that resolution with you!
DeleteDear 9:32 PM:
DeleteThanks for the good advice.
For Reference sake:
Resolution 66-2014 "RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE OPEN PUBLIC PRIVILEGE POLICY OF THE TOWN OF EAST GREENBUSH TO SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETINGS" duly moved by Councilperson Mangold and seconded by Councilperson Malone passed by a 4 to 1 vote at the now infamous April 16, 2014 Town Board Meeting.
Again, Supervisor Langley voted No.
Be well,
Tom
What's really disconcerting is that the ZBA has its very own attorney who apparently wasn't too effective when it came to educating the board about the town's zoning law in this instance. This so-called "interpretation" assignment that was given to the ZBA should never have happened but since it was given to them, a few questions come to mind. (1) why was the ZBA asked for an interpretation of the law when their job is to render decisions on appeals by applicants? (2) Why was the resolution asking for an interpretation given an appeal number? (3) Why was the town board asking for the interpretation when the ZBA's job is to entertain appeals from applicants? Was the town board acting on behalf of the applicant? There is definitely something rotten in EG when the TB acts on behalf of the applicant. The ZBA wound up caving into everything applicant attorney Tom West said without any regard for the reason the zoning laws were written in the first place, which is to protect the sanctity and integrity of a suburban town where the emphasis is on family and community, not unsavory activities like gambling, drinking, and all the social ills that result from those unfortunate pastimes.
ReplyDeleteThis is a question with an obvious answer but...what does it mean when officials elected to represent the people violate that sacred trust?
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, I forget about that perfectly convenient and self serving rational...the silent majority.
Goodness, we have almost always needed smarter, more committed elected officials but never, ever more than now.
5:54 a.m. Elected officials violate that sacred trust every day all over the world. That's why many people generally view government as nothing more than organized, legalized crime. What this town board did is nothing new. Considering the money involved, I would have been way more shocked if five politicians did the right thing for the town. This is what keeps community activists in business.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's cynical! Reminds me of that famous line from a former Supervisor, the line that got him un-elected. "That's the way it's always been done." What this bunch is doing now is taking apart the zoning law, and I don't even think that they know they're doing it. Not a lot of ability to understand unintended consequences.
Delete8:57 a.m. That's what courts are for.
DeleteAnonymous 8:25 AM. You are right elected officials violate all of that, but the sad part is most people don't give a rats you know what and re-elect them anyways. This is why people like John Sampson and Charlie Rangel win their primary's, because people don't seem to care if they are crooks or not. This is how certain past supervisors in EG got re-elected.
DeleteMaybe when people start looking at real facts and stop worrying about party lines this type of behavior will stop, but until the votes start sending a clear message to this elected officials I'm affraid it will be the same old same old.
I'm hearing that the Democratic Machine in East Greenbush is looking at Malone's performance in the Assembly race as a referendum on the casino and his marketability as a Supervisor candidate. Everybody who signed that petition against the East Greenbush casino should be voting for somebody else.
ReplyDeleteAnd turnout is important!!! Get out and vote.
DeleteBad politicians are elected by good people who don't vote.
DeleteSue Mangold was the lowest vote recipient in her failed bid for the county assembly.
DeleteHopefully, Phil will do just as well.
Phil Malone's remarks in Columbia County about public input into important decisions is an insult to every resident of the Town of East Greenbush. I understand that politicians will say anything to get elected and then do whatever they want once they get elected but this is the height of hypocrisy. Come on, Phil, tell those people the truth: politics for you is an insiders' game and the only value the public has is when you're trying to fleece their votes. Phil Malone is running for State Assembly. A couple of years back he ran for the County Legislature. If he spent as much time governing as he does campaigning we might not be six weeks away from the 5th anniversary of junk bond status. If he spent as much time listening to the people he represents as he does pursuing his own political ambitions we might not be staring down the barrel of the Capital View Casino. Everything you ever wanted to know about his style of governing was contained in the statement he made two years ago when he said "We're the majority, whatever we want passes." Notice he didn't say whatever the people want and the reason he didn't say it is because he honestly doesn't care. Just ask the more than 3,000 people who signed the No Casino petition.
DeleteI had this comment on the previous Post, but I think I'll print it again.
Delete"Is this two-faced duplicity or what? This is what Phil Malone says about a pipeline traversing Columbia County.....
"He said that he was not aware of Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline that would traverse northern Columbia County, but said he would oppose it if local towns and residents objected to the plan and would not endorse the use of eminent domain if it has no advantage for the community.
“It’s their community, so I think they should have a say in it,” he said."
They get their say about a pipeline. But he's a part of the political cartel forcing a casino on East Greenbush. What a hypocrite."
Phil will lose his assembly race as sure as night follows day
Deletestick a fork in him - he's done!
Kudos to Jack Conway for telling it like it is and putting his name on it. Because Jack said it, it's 100% credible to me.
DeleteAs always, great words Jack! This article caught me by surprise particularly with regards to that statement as well as his statement that “the more that we can recycle money in our own communities using our own resources the more prosperous communities we’ll have,” yet he is promoting the opposite by being behind bringing a casino into his town that his people do not want. This is the same man who a few months ago bragged about passing "some of the most comprehensive Ethics Laws of any municipality in the state,” yet is he not in direct violation of his comprehensive laws by running for State Assembly and going door to door this past summer collecting signatures?:
DeleteSections 16 Political Solicitations (c) No town officer or employee may engage in activities related to his/her political party while formally acting as a representative of the town. Activities prohibited include fund raising,
collecting signatures, and organizing meetings."
Jack great piece as always. Bonnie Mr. Malone has a history of saying one thing and doing another. This is the way the EG polotical machines have been for years.
DeletePhil Malone has a unsavory past, very unsavory. He has never come clean about his past; he has never apologized for threatened a state employee looking into the violation of his Notary Oath of Office. There's more.
ReplyDeletePhil is very smart with a quick, agile mind. And I would personally vote for Jack Conway's cat for any elected office before I would vote for Phil.
It's too bad about Phil Malone because it's true that he is smart and he can be personable, even professional when he wants to be. Now, if he would just use those qualities for the good of the community instead of the good of himself, he'd be all set. At the last board meeting, it was apparent that CP Matters was struggling with understanding the Kinderhook Trails resolution. As she asked questions, CP Malone was getting increasingly agitated with her and pressuring her to stop questioning and vote for it. It was actually the supervisor who used the town attorney to clarify a few points for her and she thanked him for the help. But Malone? Well, his little meltdown with her didn't stop until she voted yes. After the meeting, he was whispering to her (I couldn't hear). Not sure what that was about, but I digress. He had the same kind of meltdown with State Department investigators who were questioning him about his notary improprieties. He told them he would "get off" when he called on his "political connections" to get him off. He can be a pretty intense little dude.
ReplyDeleteThe Times Union reported that Phil had raised over $8,000 for his Assembly race. Pre-election financial reports are due at the State Board of Elections this Frideay. It will be interesting to see where Phil's money came from.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks defeating a casino is difficult better brace themselves, because it's nothing compared to motivating apathetic voters. The government we have and have had is largely a result of people NOT paying attention and either not voting, or just voting the party line because they always have. Being a national democrat or republican is much different than your local people. This is where YOUR money is and the people YOU put in office dictate your quality of life. Voter apathy has been at all time highs in this town to the point where it ha become difficult to find quality candidates, because the party and higher ups run the show and make life difficult for you if you don't tow the line.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is no longer casinos. It is the manipulation of the system by people who may or may not live in this town and to the benefit of the privileged few who call the shots. People who lack the courage to put their own names on the ballot because it is far more lucrative owning a government, than it is running one. For decades now, people in this town have learned the tricks of the tree and never learned the trade. Truth be told, the democrats have been more guilty of this over the years than the republicans, but the republicans are no better. The democrats did it at the town level and the republicans did it at the county level. It hasn't been about the people for years, but try delivering that message in a meaningful way to a bunch of residents who simply don't care and can't be bothered.
It is important for all East Greenbush residents to read the interview with Phil Malone.
ReplyDeleteAfter you read it, find out your polling place for Tuesday November 4th.
http://www.registerstar.com/news/article_8255642a-54af-11e4-8f0e-b70dc3c35c9f.html
Interesting article, Mr. Malone is actually promoting the Casino in East Greenbush despite knowing the opposition for this project. SAY NO TO AN EAST GREENBUSH CASINO AND SAY NO TO PHIL MALONE.
DeleteDONT VOTE FOR MALONE.
Show Malone we mean business. Skip over his name on Election Day. He doesn't deserve even one vote from East Greenbush voters. Say no to Malone.
DeleteBe sure to read Dwight's bonus round on Audits here:
ReplyDeletehttp://eastgreenbushdreams.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/audits-bonus-round/
Gadfly.. Please use your blog to get the message out there, asking residents of East Greenbush not to vote for Phil Malone for State Assembly.
ReplyDeleteHe along with the rest of our Town Board need to understand the consequences for their irresponsible vote supporting Capital View Casino.
We have 2 weeks from today until Election Day to send Mr. Malone a message from the voters.
If you take a step back from the circus and look at the results, it appears that the Langley/DeFruscio/Gilbert trio has blown the dreamed of majority in 10 short months. Takes real genius to do that. Then there's the Dem hopes to recoup. Anybody see any hope of that without a serious reform initiative from that camp? Both are in-credible. Looks to me like the casino is an albatross around the necks of both. (Look it up Chris.)
ReplyDeleteGadfly, the only explanation I can think of for the lengths that Lang/DeF/Gilbert have gone to hang themselves with a majority board member, is that she was never going to play ball with them anyway, it wasn't working, they knew it, and they decided to blame her for it. She's definitely not to follower they hoped she would be but instead of playing it cool and taking from her what they could get, they went the 'go for broke' route. Now, the only thing that's "broke" is the majority. Shame.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how many individual people read this blog, but I hope it's enough to send Phil Malone a clear message on Nov. 4th. If you support the " NoCasino " effort in East Greenbush then say NO to Phil Malone on Election Day. Our vote is our voice.
ReplyDeleteNO MALONE means NO CASINO
Instead of "our vote is our voice,"
DeleteKeith Langley would say "the vote is the vote." Either way, Phil has something to worry about on Nov 4.
Wake up the sleeping residents of EG and get them out to the polls. The self-servicing, corrupt, it's all about me, family and friends, secret meeting, power grabbers, don't give a dam about who they are suppose to serve, evil, sly, lying, two faced politicians need to go.
ReplyDeleteCould a forum be held here to discuss the candidates currently running for office beside Malone? What candidates will be most favorable to helpping our community? Just a though Gadfly.
The following is a link to all polling places in EG.
http://eastgreenbush.org/departments/town-clerk/voter-information
There is a gubernatorial debate airing on WMHT at 8:00 tonight.
DeleteI think it's great that the casino issue has woken so many people up and created such civic interest, but people need to remember that if the casino does not come to East Greenbush, there involvement is not over. We are in this mess because not enough people have been involved and demanding better from our town government. If people take a victory lap, go home and don't stay vigilant, there is no telling what the next battle or issue will be. Also, it's a lot less work to participate in a good government than it is to try to fix a bad one or fight an ill conceived idea.
ReplyDeleteIf you're involved with this effort, please make sure you are dedicated to embracing candidates that this group would back regardless of the party they are in. If you remain in a partisan mentality, things in this town will never, change, never improve and we will only have ourselves to blame. Stay involved and don't be afraid to talk to people and encourage them to pay attention and vote WITH you!
5:49AM, I don't know how many people this blog reaches either, but I am sure that if everyone who signed the petition got just one other person to vote with them either for the right candidate or against the wrong one, someone like Phil Malone can not win. Focus beyond this blog, don't expect your neighbor to be reading. TELL THEM!
ReplyDeletePhil Malone cannot and will not beat the incumbent Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin. Steve was a write-in on the primary ballot and he still trounced Malone, which is virtually unheard of. No, Phil Malone will continue on the Town Board after the Nov 4 election, and when he runs again next year, for whatever he can get, he will be defeated and ousted for good from town politics. Can't wait. You ignored our pleas for representation, Mr. Malone, when the casino nightmare began. You started it, we will finish it.
ReplyDeleteMr. Malone is very confident about his campaign for State Assembly. His impeccable record as Councilperson will serve him well at the polls and lead him to victory on Nov. 4. The silent majority on the casino issue will speak and put and end to this anti casino rhetoric.
ReplyDeletePhil Malone will win big in East Greenbush and will be victorious over incumbent Steve McLaughlin.
9:25 p.m. In what universe? Surely you jest. Thanks for the laugh.
Delete9:25 is either Defruscio or Gilbert and their veiled attempt to be funny !
DeleteRead Dwight's Planning Board narrative at this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://eastgreenbushdreams.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/planning-board-caught-in-the-act/
At the special meeting tonight it was nothing but surreal to see Ed Gilbert fill in for the predictably absent Keith Langley. The fact that he's STILL Deputy Supervisor is difficult enough to swallow, but to see him sitting in the Supervisor seat pretending to be respectable is just disturbing. Gilbert's perp walk with the EGMatters blog, and his many other seriously offensive behaviors, should permanently barr him from holding any office or position in the town ever again. If he had a speck of decency, he would resign and quietly walk away. On the other hand, if he had a speck of decency, he never would have started and perpetuated the EGM blog in the first place.
ReplyDeleteNO LANGLEY 2015!
This is an excerpt from the recent EG Dreams post. After reading it, one might begin to ask him or herself - Majority? What Majority?
ReplyDelete"It was here that we began to see a little of the underlying resentment that some on the Town Board members are feeling. Sue felt, like Mrs. Matters, that she’d been cut out of the process, a position she is definitely not accustomed to since she has always been in the majority. She wasn’t sure how, as a member of the minority, to go about making changes to this Tentative Budget before it turns automatically into a Preliminary Budget. The Comptroller gingerly suggested that if three board members could agree on a change then they could submit that change and it would have to happen one way or another."
George Phillips was really on his game tonight. It's amazing the progress that's made when Supr. Langley is out of the building. His spys were skulking around though, including Chumley, until he got a better offer and left. Very short attention span, that guy.
Kudos once again to Town Comptroller, George Phillips. He took the time to explain in layperson's terms a number of the arcane processes involved in the construction of the Town Budget. He was respectful, knowledgeable and very forthcoming.
DeleteCommunity Recreation Director, Jessica Lansing and Building Inspector, Joe Cherubino, were also very gracious and forthcoming in responding to the important questions posed by Councilpersons Matters and Mangold.
The Special Meeting was well run by Deputy Supervisor Gilbert, in the absence of Supervisor Langley.
Overall, it was a very productive way for interested citizens to spend a late afternoon and early evening at their Town Hall.
Gadfly, the large extra payment to the state pension fund is for the stupid, never made sense early retirement option that cost taxpayers $500,000!!
ReplyDeleteThe town board, in their infinite stupidity, took the five annual payments option and that payment accounts for the deficit in that account.
The town board, despite public promises has never demonstrated a single dollar of savings from that dumb decision. Amazing but all too typical of how badly our town has been mismanaged by the town board - past and present.
If we could take the politics out of town hall AND the town board and stock them with people who are actually qualified to do their jobs, including and especially the Supervisor, the town and its taxpayers would be in much better shape. Unfortunately, politics is to town hall what bread is to butter...they go together.
ReplyDeleteObservations on Yesterday's Meeting to Discuss the Tentative Budget:
ReplyDeleteDwight Jenkins has a great summary of the meeting on East Greenbush Dreams. If you couldn't make the meeting I urge you to read it.
Kudos to George Phillips. He answered questions in an easy-to-understand fashion. The man clearly knows what he's doing and we're lucky to have him.
Kudos to Mary Ann Matters and Sue Mangold for calling the meeting and asking important questions. Mary Ann's call to consider a tax cut should focus the budget discussion because it broadens the scope of what's possible and makes everyone think outside the box. Her call for a workload analysis needs to be heeded.
Kudos to Pete Stenson for his EG Talks post and prepping Board members to ask good questions. No one has paid closer attention to Town finances over the last five years than Pete. I'm glad he's engaged in the budget process.
The budget seems internally consistent (thanks George) but with no understanding of the years 2009-2012 and an unknown level of debt it also seems to be a bit of a fantasy and an act of denial. The 0% tax increase is a political ploy for the Supervisor's re-election campaign and it makes our Town Board look like dolts for their willingness to destroy this town for "much needed casino revenue." You can't have it both ways: following your logic, if we don't need additional revenue, we don't need a casino. Multiple personality disorder is not an acceptable theory of government.
Joe Cherubino said that if the casino comes here he'll need one person full time just to deal with that. It's funny how Feathers and Langley couldn't find additional costs to the town for a casino when they were deceiving the public but now the truth is starting to come out. Kudos to Joe.
The level of public interest in the budget and the quality of the people serving on CFAC bodes well for the future of the Town's finances. Unfortunately, little else does.
Here's the link to Dwight's Post:
Deletehttp://eastgreenbushdreams.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/a-vision-of-what-could-be/
It's disappointing that only the councilwomen attended yesterday's meeting. Especially since it's his budget, Supervisor Langley should have been there to fully support and flank his dept heads in anyway he could. If he had "family obligations," then he should have rescheduled the meeting. So much for having their backs, Mr. Supr. CP Malone should have been there as well to either contribute or learn. Luckily for both of them, George, Jessica, Joe, and Anthony (hope I didn't leave anyone out) handled the meeting just fine, probably even better, without the full attendance of the TB AND it helped that the tone and tenor of the meeting was relaxed and fairly non-partisan. There is clearly much to do to understand and shore up this budget and the inadequate staffing situation in town hall. It was mentioned at the meeting that we need a town Planner, a Grants Administrator, and a Director of Administration who could handle HR (I.e. Civil Service), PR, and possibly some aspects of grant procurement. Joe Cherubino spoke rather convincingly about how screwed we'll be (my words, not his) if we are awarded the casino license with the skeleton crew we currently have on staff at town hall. How does or will this budget account for that long-term? I fear that we're still as much in the dark about our financial picture as we were prior to yesterday's meeting. As CP Sue reiterated, "we don't know what we don't know," and I think that's just the way this Supervisor wants it. Luckily, fortunately we have George Phillips. Perhaps he will help us to make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased to hear what CP Sue said: "we don't know what we don't know." I remember saying that exact same thing to the Board a number of years ago when I was trying to make the case that the Town needed to have certified audits instead of relying on the Annual Update Document. We finally got the only one we've ever had for FY 2009.
DeleteOut of the last 6 months and being new to our town board meetings, last night was in my view one of the most well-run meetings thus far. It was civil and professional and seemed efficient. I think it's safe to say our town would be better off with Langley out of the picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's not surprising at all that the meeting ran so well without Langley. Langley has shown that he does not know how to treat people with respect, especially women. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to work for him.
ReplyDeleteWithout Langley in the room, the staff seemed much more relaxed and ready willing and able to listen to what people had to say.
Perhaps people are getting a better sense now of the difficulties CPs Matters and DiMartino are having working with this Supervisor. Right from the start, it was never explained to them that in order to get along, they have to go along with everything the Supervisor wants. They weren't endorsed to run for their ideas or for their life or government experience, and they were certainly never encouraged to think or act independently. They were endorsed to be the two votes the Supervisor needed to run his town HIS way. Whether they know it or not, this is an insult to the intelligence of both of these women. And just WHO do Langley, DeFruscio, and Gilbert think they are that they would even attempt to control two board members so fastidiously? Would they have tried that with two male board members? Hopefully, Debbi DiMartino will eventually find the courage to think for herself. If that ever happens, the possibilities for what this board could accomplish would be endless. I say, give the three women a crack at running the town. Remember, the so-called "majority" is ANY three like minds on the board who want to band together to make change.
DeleteKeep in mind that a Special Meeting is to discuss one topic and one topic only, in this case, the 2015 Budget.
ReplyDeleteThe Deputy Supervisor did a good job of keeping things on track.
Props to the Board members and Comptroller Phillips as well.
Yes 1:47 pm but I thought the tone Dpty. Supr. Gilbert took with Mrs. Grant was aggressive, which was not necessary. Still, she handled it well. Even though they are clearly unappreciative of her contributions to the governing process, she continues time after time to handle Mr. Gilbert and his boss with grace and ease.
ReplyDeleteI will be so glad when the casino decision comes down. The pro casino supporters now think running over Save East Greenbush signs on residents lawns is acceptable. Goes to show the mentality of the bullies and 1st amendment rights are only for the silent majority. Maybe this is the only way they can show up......under cover of darkness. Come on......ridiculous. This town has a very long ways to go with the healing process. Thank you Mr. Feathers and Mr. Langley. Hope you are happy.
ReplyDeleteThis casino initiative was a "bully" process from the beginning. Set up initially in secret and manipulated to make sure that the citizens of the Town has as little knowledge and "say" as possible. Government "leaders" should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this joke to be visited upon us.
DeleteThe healing process 8:34AM speaks of can start November 3, 2015 provide there are respectable candidates!
DeleteTo Anony which I didn't publish. Guess you never heard of a lot line "adjustment" as a way to make off with property which isn't yours.
ReplyDeleteSign stealing didn't make us go away so now sign obliteration is the new trend in trespassing, intimidation and abridgement of freedom of speech. Every town has unthinking goons but why do I think the ones in our town are too close to the seats of power and influence? These actions may not be officially sanctioned but I guarantee you they have the approval of people in high places. We're still not going away. We're willing to discuss and debate the casino issue with anyone who's interested but we'll leave the criminality to the brave men who sneak on to peoples' lawns in the dark and drive their cars through No Casino signs. We get more than 3,000 signatures on a petition and assemble 856 pages of argument against a casino and you drive on peoples' lawns and crush their signs. But then isn't driving resident opinion into the ground how we got into this mess in the first place?
ReplyDeleteGuess the boys in our town got bored from stalking and moved on to destruction of private property. What is the description of the car that ran over Dwight's yard?
ReplyDeleteKeith Langley stays in the shadows and turns a blind eye as his thugs take care of business in their own genius way. He did nothing for months to stop the EGMatters blog. He has done nothing to stop the bullying of anti-casino advocates at public meetings. And he has done nothing to stop dead-of-night vandalism and property destruction according to the DeF playbook. Keith Langley reminds me of the character Brad Wesley in the Patrick Swayze movie Road House. If you like good guy vs bad guy movies, check it out. In a few short weeks we will know if EG is awarded a casino license but whether or not we are awarded, we have to lock arms and take the power of the Supervisor's office away from Keith Langley. If he is allowed another four year term, this town will go down faster than a cold beer on a hot summer day. Guaranteed! If you don't believe me, just look at the damage he's done to the safety and security of the town in the 10 months since he attained the majority, and then decide for yourself if he should be re-elected.
ReplyDelete2:51 PM,
DeleteHopefully opinions won't vary on your post.
NO LANGLEY 2015!!
Let's all remember, IF we are chosen as a potential site for a casino this does not mean Capital View is awarded a license. IF we are chosen it just means the selection board recommended our site to the Gaming Commission. Capital View still needs to "win" a license by successfully completing building a casino within the appropriate time frame. Capital View cannot even get an application done properly, something tells me that they won't be able to properly build a casino.
ReplyDelete3:11 p.m. Not sure what you're talking about. The Gaming Commission's recommendations will come sometime this month and we'll probably read about it in the TU next week. Sometime AFTER Election Day (11/4) the state will announce who (in the Capital Region) was awarded the license. The "opposition" factor, including lawsuits, only accounts for 20% of the criteria. The ability to build the casino and make tons of money afterward accounts for 70% of the criteria. This proves that the state's goal is to make money but Cap. View may not be able to complete the project by the 24 month deadline since it will take months beyond the announcement date just to complete the SEQR process. This should weigh heavily against Cap. View since other applicants are shovel ready to go as soon as the announcement is made. For this reason, it is impossible to believe that Cap View will be awarded the license. There are just too many problems in EG, including the R-B zoning debacle, to imagine that EG will get the license. The end of the casino nightmare will probably mean that Langley will opt to NOT run again. We can only wait patiently for the news and hope for the best.
Delete@3:11, please don't get me wrong, I am not hoping we are selected. The Gaming Location Board will make a recommendation to the Gaming Commission and it is the Gaming Commission that will issue the licenses contingent on the the applicants time table and events that may transpire.
DeleteThis is direct from the NY Gaming Commission's website:
"A five-member Resort Gaming Facility Location Board, appointed by the Commission, will evaluate casino applications and ultimately make selections of who is eligible to apply for a commercial gaming license in New York State.... The formal award of a license and commencement of the two year period for construction will be at a date subsequent to the announcement of final Commission suitability determination. The formal award of a license and commencement of the two year period for construction will be at a date subsequent to the announcement
of final Commission suitability determination."
It is their job to recommend applicants to the commission after evaluation, not to issue a license.
None of the developers or Feather's Co. ever heard of license term of 10 years at the Planning Board meeting, not sure if anyone else caught that? I don't remember if it was a board member or our lawyer asking it, but he was correct there is a 10 year term.
Then the "air-heads" who brought the possibility here should be asking the question about what you do with a used casino. The developer should be required to post a bond to recycle the derelict building to something useful.
DeleteA used casino should be converted into a new town hall as a permanent monument to the clown show that brought it here in the first place.
DeleteWhere is the balloon all I see is traffic today on Route 4, is this the congestion weekend
ReplyDeleteThey cancelled it and moved it to next Sat. On the 1st. Too many leaves still up.
DeleteThey're juvenile delinquents who are only hurting themselves and their feckless leader, Langley.
ReplyDeleteHe's gotta go next November, along with his band of unsavory cohorts.
We don't need an "Anyone but Langley" candidate ... that philosophy got us Langley in the first place!
We need Supervisor candidates who can actually do the job.
I notice that Mr. Feathers has been making himself scarce lately. We see the usual PR people at meetings where CapView is on the agenda, but not him. Could this be indicative of things to come?
ReplyDeleteSupervisor Langley, you should probably start looking for another job now.
When you're winning it's easy to take the high road and present a lucid, polite argument for or against something. This has never been the approach of the pro- e.g. casino group. It seems as if they almost know they are defeated and have nothing left to lose. If the casino isn't going to come, there is no victory lap for Langley or DeFruscio and they can assemble a team for his re-election, but it's more likely they will blame this entire debacle on other people and not accept any of what has transpired on their failed approach to governing.
ReplyDeleteAt the outset, it may have seemed like a tremendous opportunity. It would have for a lot of people. No one ever expected a few hundred million to be spent here. But they never took the time to evaluate it as a whole. The zoning, the conflicts of people involved and mostly, they underestimated the will of the people who might be opposed. They could have assembled a better team of support for it if it were in a more fitting location, but that didn't happen. There was no objectivity from the outset. This entire project was steered by greed on the parts of many. For money, political ambition and to be heroes.
They are bitter and will hold anyone who opposed them in contempt and for that reason alone, they are unfit to continue serving this town. This mess gets laid at the feet of the people who bought the property and convinced the town to go for it. The developer who pushed for it, the failure of the building department and town attorneys to NOT properly advise the town on zoning and the town board for pushing for something they knew nothing about, without the blessing of the people. Keith can not blame Maryann OR the opposition. Sometimes in business things just don't go your way. And if it DOES come here, we will be a shining example of corruption, greed and favoritism. Which isn't exactly a win for anyone.
Could it be that dept heads and town attorneys did their jobs and advised the Supervisor properly but that they, too, were told to play ball or else? They did it to Mary Ann but it backfired on them because she went public with it (gutsy gal) but the others are employees of the town who may have feared losing their jobs if they objected to or protested anything related to this project. Because of the underhanded ways of this supervisor, I think we have to consider all of the possibilities.
DeleteAs we get closer to Election Day, tensions will be running high in EG. Supervisor Langley doesn't carry himself like a man, however, who is confident that a gambling casino is coming to EG. He has clearly been tortured by the fact that while other communities are praising their officials for bringing casino gambling to their communities, HE is being politically and very publicly flogged for it. He refuses to get it that it is the secretive way in which he conspired with investors for months behind closed doors PRIOR to announcing that he is, in fact, bringing casino gambling to our town whether we want it or not, that has caused such intense consternation within the community. He refuses to accept that this is not HIS town to do with whatever he wants. He refuses to accept that this is a democracy, not an autocracy. He refuses to accept that open, transparent government in this successful and sophisticated community of residents is NOT optional. This supervisor has been demonstrating his autocratic tendencies since January. He has taken the scepter of power and proven that he can't use it responsibly. He has also woken up thousands of residents who now know what terrible things can happen in our local government when we're not paying attention. For that, Mr. Langley, I guess we should thank you.
ReplyDeleteLangley must think he's Nucky from Boardwalk Empire.
DeleteOur glorious trainwreck of a supervisor made the dumbest move again without the proper authorization. The PUTZ sold the gorgeous oak woodwork that was supposed to be the bench in the new courtroom , and did so without resolution or approval.
DeleteIt is illegal for PUTZ to liquidate ANY town assets without the appropriate resolution or board majority vote -( which we all know he does no longer possess!)
Nice job ding-a-ling ! November 2015 can't come fast enough !
@12:03 and 8:04 it is a real testament to the town's human resources to see both of these posts added to the always inspirational work of the Gadfly. Your intelligent analysis of how our misguided leaders made their mistakes is right on target. Please stay with the efforts to save East Greenbush after the Casino decision is made. We need to move forward without Keith Langley and his unacceptable style of government. East Greenbush needs leadership from thoughtful, talented people.
ReplyDelete12:03 and 8:44 really made my morning. Just as the previous administration went down of its own doing, the same will happen to the current one. We've said it before and we say it again to those who would run government in the old ways - "it's over." They just didn't get it. Eighth grade Civics should provide the guidance as to what governing is supposed to be all about. It's not "we're the majority and what we pass, passes." And it's not "we all want the same thing, don't we - so quit criticizing." Those mantras fit the behavior of both major party machines in EG. It's over.
DeleteThe casino madness may just turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to this town because it's so completely absurd on every level that it has drawn new faces to government like no other issue in the history of the town. There has never been a better time to explore alternatives to the politically oppressive and ineffective two-party system that has had a chokehold on our society for way too long now. Clearly, toggling back and forth between the Dem and Rep parties is no longer the answer to our problems.
ReplyDeleteWhen is Toni Murphy going to pay back the $27,000 she owes the town for the illegal Longevity and Sick Pay she was given by then Supervisor Rick McCabe? Ms. Murphy shouldn't be allowed to run for any future political office until full restitution has been made.
ReplyDeleteWhen is Rick McCabe going to pay back the $12,000 he owes the town for the illegal Longevity and Sick Pay he gave himself while he was Supervisor?
The State Comptroller's office stated the money needs to be paid back. Why does Toni Murphy and Rick McCabe think they are above the law?
yeah, with all those resolutions Langley introduced to recover the money, you'd think they'd get the message
Delete@ 9:16 AM-
DeleteGood point. Why hasn't Supervisor Langley done anything about this? He's had three years to say something.
The fate of the casino, at least for the time being, is left to the state to decide. If they choose East Greenbush then an organized court battle will likely be per sued, but if it goes elsewhere, it is only a partial victory for those who were not in favor.
ReplyDeleteIf the casino goes elsewhere, we are left with a topic for discussion that has seemingly gone by the wayside in the wake of the casino debate. That is, we still have a Town with 2 million dollars in debt and no clear plan to resolve that, a financial mess as far as records with little or not auditing that make sense and a political climate that is argumentative at best.
At some point in the very near future, the discussion needs to become repairing our town politically, financially and for the betterment of our residents. Forget about who will run when and on what ticket. We need to work with the board we have, toward solutions that better our town.
If the board hung their hopes on a unicorn that is not arriving, then we need to set our sights collectively on a strategy that benefits this town and the board will have to work together as a unit, not as one majority against a minority or as three separate factions.
For the sake of this community, the board, the organized casino opposition and the parties with whom our board is affiliated, are going to have to try to work together to reach common goals that benefit us all.
If the SEG group wants to hold individual board members in contempt or if board members want to hold community activists in contempt after the fact or as an election year approaches, then address the election when it's election time. Right now it's time to start mapping out a path to improve our town. It's possible, everyone is just going to have to put their individual egos and attitudes aside. THAT is going to be the hard part!
Dear AnonymousOctober 27, 2014 at 1:27 PM; In theory you maybe correct. In practice, your idea has been shown by history it does not work. Your last sentences regarding egos and attitudes may be a very large part of why it does not work but the corruption is more likely an even bigger reason why. The EG governing has been fraught with corruption and deception for over a decade. Both parties are guilty and the prior Board members all had a hand in it. Some turned a blind eye, some decided not to bother learning the process, some decided since it was the way it was always done and he/she would continue going along to get along and some Board members didn't care because as long as they were a Board member they felt important and THAT was all that mattered to them.
ReplyDeleteSEG has woken many from their coma and now they see how the Town works. It is horrendous and to simply try to mend fences with two parties that can't agree on anything EXCEPT a desire for a casino in this Town (which should automatically make all of us NOT want a casino and be very suspicious) to try to work with those that have proven to be deceptive and corrupt and continue to be---very difficult and virtually impossible for the residents and taxpayers to believe in the Board...all of the Boards, including the Zoning and Planning Boards.
When the present is used to clean the past, starting with following through with the OSC directives from the audit, MAYBE we can begin to TRY and work with the current Board. Until then, it is best if the residents seek an alternative to the 2 corrupt choices we are stuck with in the Town...two very corrupt and dirty parties.
Let's hope that SEG lives long beyond the casino decision, whatever it may be, and broadens its scope.
ReplyDeleteSEG is evidence that residents can come together, cooperate and coordinate to affect change.
1:27 appropriately calls attention to $2 million EG owes itself, but look at some other issues facing EG, unfinished audits, less than 3 weeks to develop a sound 2015 budget, unfinished collective bargaining (dispatcher is done, the Town Board's meeting as I write), Bruen Rescue contract(?), $600,000 treatment plant payments (before refinancing existing sewer debt) looming in the near future.
The Board has its work cut out for it beyond the casino and so do we.
Pete Stenson
Trust is probably the most precious asset because once it is gone, it never comes back. That applies to all relationships which includes the EG Town Government. Once trust is squandered it cannot be replenished and this Town has seen Board after Board misuse the taxpayers' trust. To trust this Board and work with it? Impossible. To re-elect any of them? An insurmountable task.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've been hearing from some local sources which I trust, there will be some unfortunate revelations as things play out. It appears that some of our own "wheeler dealers" have their fingerprints all over this casino initiative. In others words, some of our neighbors have done this thing to us for their own profit.
ReplyDeleteJust saw an "Andy" commercial which said that high local property taxes were caused by mismanagement in local government. How true. But when Andy was AG he had evidence which he could have acted upon to address that problem in EG. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Cuomo's Office of the State Controller AND his Attorney General has volumes of information about the Town of East Greenbush. We got a half assed audit from the OSC - all the problems and malfeasance was ignored, of course, by the OSG.
ReplyDeleteElected officials at the local, county and state level have failed the good people of East Greenbush.
Once again, I would vote for Jack Conway's cat before I voted for a single incumbent with the sole exception of Mary Ann Matters. The sole exception.
Just got my "property tax freeze credit" in the mail
ReplyDeletethanks, Andy but it ain't gonna buy my vote!
From local to the State, we've got to take our government back and make it work for US!! Bye bye Langley, bye bye Dem machine.
ReplyDeleteIn this town its not just one machine its both of them, we need a new party line. One that we can trust, how about we call it SEG????
DeleteThe Supervisor refuses to get it that it's the way the casino project was initially rammed down the residents throats that continues to burn. Will we ever forget the hit & run resolution back in April that was written so obscurely that nobody, even some board members, really understood its true intent? The fact that they got a rare second chance to vote in June was truly golden opportunity to right a grave error in voting but astonishingly none of the five board members took advantage of it. To this day, four of five TB members still support the casino project for our town, which is nothing short of surreal given everything we now know about this faltering industry that is clearly past its prime. All we can do now is hope and pray that the state location board cares more about the town of EG then its own elected officials do. Since the negatives of a casino on a community far outweigh the positives, it is safe to assume that unless the power of politics is like a 100 ton tank that mows down everything in its path, we're NOT getting awarded. However, if the power of politics is that heavy-handed, we will continue to fight until we prevail. We must remember that although fighting is worth every penny spent to stop the town from gambling away our future, it is extremely expensive. Please visit the SEG website to find out where you can send your donation of encouragement and support. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNot really sure who is proclaiming that the casino is definitely coming to EG over on the talks blog, but what arrogance. The idea that an anonymous busybody on an anonymous blog thinks they know what no one in the capital region seems to know for sure is not just absurd, but it's insulting to the process. Even if politics were at play here, this is not a small deal by any definition. This is literally hundreds of millions of dollars and an initiative by the governor to help generate large amounts of revenue for the state. To suggest that there is a 51% percent chance of anything is for one thing bad math. Second, it suggests that the state would select a controversial project that would generate less money than two of the other three proposals. Third, the project has yet to be approved by the planning board and the town board and if it passes both of them before a decision is made, which is not likely, the project still needs to survive a court challenge on the zoning issue, which any lawyer outside of Eg or on Feather's payroll, will tell you that it's simply laughable.
ReplyDeleteSelecting EG does not solve problems for the State, it merely exacerbates the issue and becomes a haunting thorn in Cuomo's paw for the remainder of his political career. Casinos are all about gambling. Bring it to Eg and roll the dice on testing American democracy and the will of the people in East Greenbush. The Town Board gave birth to the Save East Greenbush group and they may do exactly that!
EXCELLENT POST!
Delete9:09 p.m. The anonymous poster on Talks may well be Langley, DeF, or Gilbert just trying to get under people's skin. They seem to excel at that kind of nastiness. I believe that our Supervisor knows that the jig is up. We haven't seen or heard from Featherbrain in weeks and Langley just looks exhausted, as well he should after what he's put this town (and himself!) through the past seven months. All that wasted time. Months of wasted time that could have been focused on real projects and initiatives to benefit the town instead of tear it apart. The clock is ticking and soon enough we'll know two things, that we're not getting a casino and that KL is not getting re-elected. Tick tock, Mr. Supervisor. Tick Tock.
ReplyDeleteOur "Property Tax Freeze Credit" check arrived in yesterday's mail. Like 10/28/2014 at 7:25pm, it's not going to buy our votes for Andy C. either. Instead we've decided to donate that money to Save East Greenbush. We especially like the irony of taking our money that we received from Gov. Cuomo and having it used to stop a project that is near and dear to Gov. Andy's heart......a casino in EG for his good buddy, Mr. Featherstonhog. And it also warms out hearts that once a casino in EG is no more, it can then be used towards the effort to replace Langley, Malone and Mangold in 2015 with people who are beholding to neither the Democratic or Republican machines in Rensselaer county, but who are beholding to the people of EG and who will provide honest, open and transparent government to EG that is of the people, by the people and for the people of EG. Hopefully other EG neighbors will also be motivated to do the same with their checks..
ReplyDeleteAnony....You just made my day!! What a great idea. If the people who signed the anti-casino petition did as you suggest, we'd be pretty close to home free with the legal expenses. The big one is coming with the suit related to the ZBA decision. From what I'm hearing, what the ZBA did has produced some chuckles in legal circles - outside of East Greenbush of course.
DeleteL-O-V-E this...I will be signing over my check to Save East Greenbush. Honestly, it's not much but if we all work together...things can change.
DeleteThe new guy on the ZBA (Matt Ostiguy) is the only member with a brain in his head and clearly he can't be bought. Good for you, Matt O., and good for EG. Ironically, the Supervisor chose Matt O. for that board. How's that for a chuckle? The ZBA embarrassed themselves terribly with that FARCE of a vote and destroyed their credibility. Acting Chair Calamaras was offended when a resident suggested that they had already made up their minds, but she probably was right. The ZBA attorney was obviously useless in the "interpretation" assignment and, if he wasn't useless, nobody except perhaps Mr. Ostiguy listened to him. It will be a pleasure to hear the court's ruling if it comes to that. Hopefully, it won't.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason EG is all wrong for this may be a little less obvious, but I'm sure the Governor or his people have considered it. He has an election to get through this year, which shouldn't be a problem for him, but they will probably still wait til after the election to announce. The more difficult hurdle for him will be the test of time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he can give a license to his friend and go against the poitical winds in EG if he wants, but by the time he has to run for any office again, this project will be looked upon as a cornerstone of his time in office. It will either be a defining success or a miserably failed attempt to improve the state's economy. He NEEDS the former.
With casino gambling failing at alarming rates around the country, he needs a project that is going to weather the test of time for more than four years. If the project is to be up and running in two, he needs it firing on all cylanders for his next campaign. Otherwise, any opponent will use it to define his administrative weakness. Not something he can afford if he seeks a national office. This country will never elect another community organizer and will demand a more proven track record the next time. I think the choice is less clear down state than here, but one thing is for sure… East Greenbush does not offer the long term promise that other projects do. Even Howe Caverns, which seems to get unfairly slighted in the process, offers a grander vision than the proposal here.
A project of this magnitude should not be considered a quick fix. It should be evaluated based on long term sustainable goals that benefit the most people and will not be considered an error in judgement in retrospect.
11:53 p.m. Excellent post. Right on point.
ReplyDeleteI received my property tax freeze check in the mail today. It's found money I didn't expect to receive so in appreciation for everything the SEG movement is doing to save our town, I will donate the check to SEG for legal expenses. Then, when we beat this thing, I will smile and feel good that I helped to save my town. Sweet!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anony....Little by little we will defeat these people who have betrayed their neighbors for the sake of a hoped for cash killing. After a while you have to begin to wonder where the value systems of some people come from. I thank you for your support for good in our community.
DeleteScrew you Johnson. I'm your neighbor and support the casino. Why don't you just move, the whole neighborhood can't stand you.
DeleteWell identify yourself and let's take a poll. My wife and I have walked the neighborhood with anti-casino petitions with great success. Seems to me that you're just full of it.
DeleteThat's really classy, Anony 10/30 at 7:23pm.
DeleteNothing new, that about sums up most of the casino advocates educated responses to wanting a casino. This immaturity and uneducated reasons for wanting a casino seen by the 5 advocates that showed up to the Public Comment session. Thank you to the non-silent minority for continuing to show your true colors.
Delete"You don't have to disrespect and insult others simply to hold your own ground. If you do, that shows how shaky your own position is."
DeleteMr. Johnson, I sincerely doubt that the persistent lowlife who wrote that is one of your neighbors. We can well imagine who it is based on the very public bad behavior of one of Langley's lackeys since this project began. I bet you can guess who it is, too.
DeleteYup. Got some more too, which I'm not printing. Time to get on with funding the legal action filed yesterday. Here's the link to the lawsuit against the ZBA. Jeff's a great lawyer and we're lucky to have him on our side.
Deletehttp://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/223658/anti-casino-group-sues-east-greenbush-zoning-board/
Anonymous October 30 7:23, instead of insulting people and putting people down, why don't you try and take more of a constructive stance on the situation. Could it be that most if not all of the reason's for putting this casino in our back yard can be shot down? And like Bonnie said you and the rest of the pro casino people really have no leg to stand on?
DeleteI have known Don, for a few years now and consider him one of the most unselfish people in our town. This man is always looking out for the other person. If that bothers you, maybe you need to wake up?
Oh yeah and unlike you my name is signed to my comment.
Here's a thought. What will we all do in a couple of weeks from now when the casino issue is settled and we know where it is going? Continue in a battle of "I told you so's?"
ReplyDeleteSomeone is going to be right and someone is going to be wrong. If the casino comes here, there will in fact be a court battle and the fight will wage on. There is a very good chance if that happens, the zoning gets over turned by the very people who wrote the legislation to begin with and we are in a worse mess.
If it doesn't come here, what then? Are we stuck with a group of town leaders, political, business or otherwise, who are bitter, jaded and feel as if they were striped of their golden opportunity for something better by the very people who put them in office?
Based on the kind of writing Ed Gilbert did on his most recent blog, there will be an unwillingness on the part of the administration to accept the outcome and the need to blame it on their constituents rather than a flawed plan from the outset, that they tried to force rather than finesse.
In an effort to try to avoid the I told you so mentality, it might be worth noting to the SEG group that a victory is a victory and there are better ways to express ourselves, not the least of which is organizing to avoid a similar kind of assault on our community in the future.
For the pro-egcasino group, rather than casting blame, perhaps they should look to the silent majority and ask them why they weren't more vocal. Why weren't you able to motivate them to join your cause?
Like it or not, the SEG group organized, invited people of different opinions to join a common cause and tapped into their individual talents. They assembled a team and all voices were heard. They used social media effectively to promote a message rather than deliver contempt for others under the guise of "political humor", which was never funny.
There may not be I told you so's, but there will be a need to evaluate where all of this went wrong and make sure the same mistakes are not repeated. Among those mistakes, in time, we may find out that rushing to a sewer solution by borrowing a lot of money and rebuilding our own plant, was simply an expedient solution to accommodate a pending casino project that would have needed the added capacity.
This entire project was putting the cart before the horse and trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. Maybe it's time to change our governing approach if not our governing body.
regardless of how the casino issue is settled, we must look to responsible future governance in east greenbush
ReplyDeletethis begins with running responsible candidates next year
Yes! I say let's get started now. Langley is starting now but it won't save him. His crew must be mightily worried if the "screw you" post is any indication. People who are confident that they will prevail DON'T lash out by posting rude comments and driving their vehicles on people's lawns. These are the acts of people who are scared.
ReplyDeletemake sure you bring your signs in tonight
ReplyDeletethe goblins will be out and about
Anonymous 10:15:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the things you refer to are just business as usual in East Greenbush politics. They do them when they're scared but they also do them when they're confident which may be even more disturbing. The culture of politics has to change. Local politics here is a blood sport and it's run by people who are better at keeping control of the process than they are at governing. One of the reasons we're looking down the barrel of a casino is because a small group of local 'players' assured Feathers and Company that they controlled this town and could get them any approvals they needed. Both political machines better hope we don't get selected because their only chance of survival next year is for people to forget what they tried to do and how they tried to do it.
The political machines in this town are both working from an obsolete playbook that is unable to solve the problems of local government in the 21st century. They depend on apathy and intimidation to maintain control but the apathy is gone now and the intimidation factor was always overrated. These people aren't anywhere near as tough as they like to believe and they only have power over you if you let them. Next year will be the best chance we have of taking this town away from them and giving it back to the residents and taxpayers. The casino grab was a huge misstep because it proved there's no difference between the two factions. They fight for the right of their friends and families to feed at the public trough, and if we get the casino that trough will only get longer and deeper.
We need not only a new type of candidate but a new kind of politics. It must be civil and it must be substantive. The name calling and character assassination have to stop and the public debate has to be about important things. We now have vast experience of how not to govern a town like this, but we need to develop a common vision of what we want for this community. Our current town board has proven itself unfit to govern and they must be replaced. If we can harness the same spirit and talent that energized the Save East Greenbush movement we can end this lowest common denominator politics and demand great things of ourselves. We may not get this chance again.