Good for you East Greenbush First! Thank you for hosting this forum. Listening and learning from what concerned people have to say is what open and transparent government is all about. Bravo to the EG 1st team!!
Too bad our current Terriblevisor doesn't believe in the following guidance, I truly believe the EG1st team does!!!!! And in case you miss the point, the Terriblevisor is not only without clothes, come Jan 1 we can only hope he's without a job too.
Power is seductive, and leaders can often slip into authoritarian patterns of behavior, writes Chip Bell. One way to avoid that: forge partnerships, where you'll get honest feedback and engage with other people's ideas. "Perhaps the greatest gift a partnership provides the partner in charge is a collection of relationships willing to tell the emperor he or she is without clothes," Bell writes.
Excellent post, Anony @ 11:38 a.m. From day one of his term in Jan 2012, Langley sold out the Republican party by immediately turning to Rick McCabe, the man he defeated, to forge an alliance. Langley believed that it was the EG Democrats and their strong Committee, NOT the EG Republicans, chaired by Chris DeFruscio and his weak committee, who had the REAL power and could get him re-elected. This was the ultimate humiliation for CDeF, but that's not why he stepped down as chair. He stepped down because he wanted to try to regain some of his power by running his future son-in-law Trent Tibbitts for the town board. CDeF is still hanging on like a tick on a dog, albeit by a thread, to see if the major party insiders lockarms and band together to defeat EG1st and then partner to maintain control of the town permanently! This proves that both major party line players are in bed together and desperate as hell to stay in control. This is why if Langley wins, the town engineer could be Democrat Richard Benko and the town attorney could be Democrat Joe Liccardi. These are the "deals" that have been made because Keith Langley is now way more a Democrat than a Republican, just watch and see. Did this happen because the SWF majority fell apart? No! When that happened, Langley simply switched gears and picked up just as comfortably with Sue Hart-Mangold and Junior Malone. It wasn't until Hart-Mangold left that Langley had a problem, a problem he hopes to solve by getting Lenartz, Tibbitts and himself across the finish line FIRST on 11/3. This just goes to show how LITTLE LOYALTY Langley has for the party that endorsed him but did the Dems cross-endorse him? No! They're happy to take advantage of him if he wins but they won't help him win. They're all one of a kind. It's disgusting and pathetic how people will sell out for power and control. Let's show them ALL just how disgusted we are on 11/3. Let's vote for all three on 11/3...Jack Conway, Tina Tierney and Tom Grant - ROW I - and stop the insanity!
At the next Town Board meeting, can someone please ask the Supervisor to outline what emergency expenditures he authorized and what actions have been completed under his "declaration of emergency"? As per Town Law, he's required to provide the Town a financial report each month. I'm sure all of the work at the plant has already been completed since it was an "emergency", he should be proud to share all that he accomplished.....
According to NY Code - Section 24: Local state of emergency; local emergency orders by chief executive (Google it) the emergency order automatically ends after 5 days. Reading the law as well as this article: INFORMATION FOR LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES REGARDING DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND ISSUING EMERGENCY ORDERS
Jack, Tina and Tom are something voters have never seen: smart and caring about the town.
I want to wish Phil Malone as fond a good bye as was appropriate for the queen of conflicts of interest Sue Hart Mangold. Phil, for all of your ambition, you proved to be what people accused you of from day one: an immature punk.
Lamgley is a failure. Mostly because he surrounded himself with thugs and just plain dumb people.
Jack, Tina and Tom are super smart and genuine, caring, decent and nice people. Imagine that? It is ours if we just get out and vote smart.
Speaking about Langley surrounding himself with just plain dumb people...
I just checked the NYS Board of Elections website. The East Greenbush Republican Committee has still not filed the required deadline for filing their Financial Disclosure Statement. That is FOUR DEADLINES THEY HAVE MISSED. The NEXT DEADLINE IS FRIDAY.
What is the Keith Langley dream team and the GOP hiding?
We certainly have had more than enough of the Keith Langley way.
As for us, we are voting for Jack, Tina, Tom and Bridget Fritz on Election Day!!!
Interesting, according to NYS General Municipal Law Section 812, looks like the Republican committee and their candidate might be flirting with a large fine and/or a misdemeanor...
A reporting individual who knowingly and wilfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure or who knowingly and wilfully with intent to deceive makes a false statement or gives information which such individual knows to be false on such statement of financial disclosure filed pursuant to this section shall be assessed a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars. Assessment of a civil penalty hereunder shall be made by the appropriate body, as such term is defined in section eight hundred ten of this article. For a violation of this subdivision, other than for conduct which constitutes a violation of subdivision twelve of section seventy-three of the public officers law, the board of ethics of the political subdivision or other municipality may, in lieu of a civil penalty, refer a violation to the appropriate prosecutor and upon such conviction, but only after such referral, such violation shall be punishable as a class A misdemeanor. - See more at: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/GMU/18/812#sthash.usFJPAQl.dpuf
I think the key to their "sluggishness" is in the first sentence of your second paragraph. They're either awash in cash from some fat cats who wouldn't want to be labeled as buying an election in East Greenbush. (Read Feathers and come local and County money.) Or they are seriously broke and don't want to reveal that. To make as report which would attempt to hide either one of these alternatives makes them vulnerable to the civil penalties - so no report at all. Just sleaze, any way you look at it. But that never did bother DeF, did it.
Yes, but the first sentence is an OR statement so they are hung by the beginning statement:
A reporting individual who knowingly and wilfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure or
Since Sean has (allegedly) been made aware of the situation then he is choosing to "knowingly" fail to file... someone should make sure Langley has a copy of the request to file so that he too is "knowingly" choosing to not file.
Luckily EG1st will put the Town first and we wont have to put up with these issues in the future.
Through all the heartache of East Greenbush the single thing that most amazes me is the sheer incompetence of the OSC.
Illegal stipends? No problem Illegal inter fund borrowing? No problem Illegal early retirements? No problem No audits? No problem Zero bookkeeping and the fraud we are all potentially exposed to? No problem
It is little wonder the the repooblicans don't file their reports. No one does anything about anything in this god foresaken state of madness.
It's very clear that the Dem camp is becoming unglued. The comment below was on Talks (The Dem "Committee" blog) a few minutes ago, but one of the 4 administrators removed it. (I was quick with copy and paste.) I agree with most of the sentiments, except the part about who should accompany Jack to the Town Board meeting dais. Jack, Tina and Tom. (BTW, I think the old man armed with a computer is me. Like it or not, some serious damage has been done to the established machines with this one.)
"POLITICS ASIDE October 20, 2015 1:22 PM Really? You're threatened by an old man armed with a computer? Let's stay on point, people. Anyone who knows DVW or watched the candidates debate knows that DVW has ZERO qualifications to run a town, especially a town like EG. Dave is perfectly suited to what he's doing now and that should not change. The town is in desperate need of a qualified, educated, experienced leader in the supervisor's office and that person is undeniably NOT DVW. That person is also NOT Keith Langley for too many reasons to list here. That person IS, IS, IS Jack Conway. If we could just shove the politics and the nastiness aside for a moment and think about what's best for THE TOWN, not for ourselves, the clear choice for supervisor would be Jack Conway. If we could also toss in any two of the candidates for town board EXCEPT Larry and Trent who are only there to sit on Langley's knee, we would have a good team on the town board. Politics aside it's all about teamwork. THAT'S the smart way forward."
Amen. Its sentiment like this that HAS to get out to the established Party line voters that have a tendency to walk blindly into the voting both and simply vote their Party line because that's what their parents did, that's what they've always done, and that's what they taught their kids to do. There are only 2 weeks left but we need to get these Party line voters to open their eyes and look at what that has gotten this Town. Drive through Bethlehem, Guilderland, Colonie and see what this Town SHOULD be but it isn't because as the poster mentioned - TOO MANY POLITICIANS RUNNING THE TOWN FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FRIENDS. Lets take the Town back by imploring folks to vote EG1st. After all - if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Frankly, I've had enough of that! Can't stress enough, its ALMOST impossible to win an election as a third party - the established parties will pull out all of the stops in the next two weeks and we need to do even more than that.
@ 7:42- I couldn't agree more. That's why our family of 4 voters will be voting for Tina Tierney, Tom Grant and Jack Conway on election day, November the 3rd on Row I at the bottom of the ballot!!!
Sorry folks, I thought the comment had been deleted but it was a comment on another Post. Still think that the quadrumvirate which runs Talks have some disagreements as to "policy."
Point of interest, DVW and Pete Stenson are best buds, which is why Andrea Smythe has chosen to distance herself from them and them from her. There is dissension in the Dem ranks right out of the gate. At least the SWF started out as a team even if it didn't last. The only real cohesive team of candidates who actually like and respect each other are Jack Conway, Tina Tierney, and Tom Grant who also get along just fine with CPs Matters and DiMartino. In fact, both CPs have EG1st signs proudly displayed on their front lawns. That counts for something big, folks. In fact, it's huge. On Nov 3rd, vote for teamwork. VOTE FOR JACK, TINA AND TOM!
Bottom line is that Andrea Smyth CHOSE to run with the backing of the Democratic Party and her name is included on many of the lawn signs with Dave VanWormer and Pete Stenson. Just take a look around. If she indeed has "chosen to distance herself from them" she should publicly say so. Otherwise it simply looks like just another disingenuous political ploy from another self serving politician to have it both ways by pretending to be a reformer while running as a "named" member of the Democratic ticket.
Sorry but she is not a fan of DVW and she has her issues with PS, too, and they with her, but don't take my word for it, ask them! Both Pete and Andrea are friendly with the two councilwomen, we've all seen it, and why not? They're not stupid. When asked what his plan was to repair the SWF, Langley said, "I have no plan except to form a new majority." Guess the whole "bird in the hand" thing means nothing to this brilliant strategist. Let's just wait and see what happens in 14 days. In just another two weeks, it will all come crystal clear.
And isn't that Andrea Smyth's face on the Dem. Billboard on Columbia Turnpike right alongside Pete and DVM? Sure doesn't look like Andrea's distancing herself from them to me.
She's playing the game, friend, and maybe, just maybe, she's playing them, too. If you want to elect people who like and respect each other and who will work TOGETHER as teammates and colleagues, then vote for Jack, Tina and Tom on Row I of the ballot. You will be so glad you did.
JTT, I think you are right about Mrs. Smyth playing the game. I, for one, am tired of having people in office who are "playing the game." That's why I will be voting for Tina, Tom and Jack. They are people who won't play games. They will work to end these games
It's high time we stopped electing people who waste our tax dollars by playing one side against the other. Why not vote for Jack, Tina and Tom? They wont waste our time and money playing these childish political games.
Good for you East Greenbush First! Thank you for hosting this forum. Listening and learning from what concerned people have to say is what open and transparent government is all about.
ReplyDeleteBravo to the EG 1st team!!
Too bad our current Terriblevisor doesn't believe in the following guidance, I truly believe the EG1st team does!!!!! And in case you miss the point, the Terriblevisor is not only without clothes, come Jan 1 we can only hope he's without a job too.
ReplyDeletePower is seductive, and leaders can often slip into authoritarian patterns of behavior, writes Chip Bell. One way to avoid that: forge partnerships, where you'll get honest feedback and engage with other people's ideas. "Perhaps the greatest gift a partnership provides the partner in charge is a collection of relationships willing to tell the emperor he or she is without clothes," Bell writes.
Excellent post, Anony @ 11:38 a.m. From day one of his term in Jan 2012, Langley sold out the Republican party by immediately turning to Rick McCabe, the man he defeated, to forge an alliance. Langley believed that it was the EG Democrats and their strong Committee, NOT the EG Republicans, chaired by Chris DeFruscio and his weak committee, who had the REAL power and could get him re-elected. This was the ultimate humiliation for CDeF, but that's not why he stepped down as chair. He stepped down because he wanted to try to regain some of his power by running his future son-in-law Trent Tibbitts for the town board. CDeF is still hanging on like a tick on a dog, albeit by a thread, to see if the major party insiders lockarms and band together to defeat EG1st and then partner to maintain control of the town permanently! This proves that both major party line players are in bed together and desperate as hell to stay in control. This is why if Langley wins, the town engineer could be Democrat Richard Benko and the town attorney could be Democrat Joe Liccardi. These are the "deals" that have been made because Keith Langley is now way more a Democrat than a Republican, just watch and see. Did this happen because the SWF majority fell apart? No! When that happened, Langley simply switched gears and picked up just as comfortably with Sue Hart-Mangold and Junior Malone. It wasn't until Hart-Mangold left that Langley had a problem, a problem he hopes to solve by getting Lenartz, Tibbitts and himself across the finish line FIRST on 11/3. This just goes to show how LITTLE LOYALTY Langley has for the party that endorsed him but did the Dems cross-endorse him? No! They're happy to take advantage of him if he wins but they won't help him win. They're all one of a kind. It's disgusting and pathetic how people will sell out for power and control. Let's show them ALL just how disgusted we are on 11/3. Let's vote for all three on 11/3...Jack Conway, Tina Tierney and Tom Grant - ROW I - and stop the insanity!
ReplyDeleteAt the next Town Board meeting, can someone please ask the Supervisor to outline what emergency expenditures he authorized and what actions have been completed under his "declaration of emergency"? As per Town Law, he's required to provide the Town a financial report each month. I'm sure all of the work at the plant has already been completed since it was an "emergency", he should be proud to share all that he accomplished.....
ReplyDeleteAccording to NY Code - Section 24: Local state of emergency; local emergency orders by chief executive (Google it) the emergency order automatically ends after 5 days. Reading the law as well as this article: INFORMATION FOR LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES REGARDING DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND ISSUING EMERGENCY ORDERS
Unfortunately, non connected citizens are not allowed to ask Queen Langley any questions at Town Board meetings.
Delete...but board members are. Your questions will be asked at Wed's board meeting. Mary Ann
DeleteJack, Tina and Tom are something voters have never seen: smart and caring about the town.
ReplyDeleteI want to wish Phil Malone as fond a good bye as was appropriate for the queen of conflicts of interest Sue Hart Mangold. Phil, for all of your ambition, you proved to be what people accused you of from day one: an immature punk.
Lamgley is a failure. Mostly because he surrounded himself with thugs and just plain dumb people.
Jack, Tina and Tom are super smart and genuine, caring, decent and nice people. Imagine that? It is ours if we just get out and vote smart.
Speaking about Langley surrounding himself with just plain dumb people...
ReplyDeleteI just checked the NYS Board of Elections website. The East Greenbush Republican Committee has still not filed the required deadline for filing their Financial Disclosure Statement. That is FOUR DEADLINES THEY HAVE MISSED. The NEXT DEADLINE IS FRIDAY.
What is the Keith Langley dream team and the GOP hiding?
We certainly have had more than enough of the Keith Langley way.
As for us, we are voting for Jack, Tina, Tom and Bridget Fritz on Election Day!!!
Interesting, according to NYS General Municipal Law Section 812, looks like the Republican committee and their candidate might be flirting with a large fine and/or a misdemeanor...
ReplyDeleteA reporting individual who knowingly and wilfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure or who knowingly and wilfully with intent to deceive makes a false statement or gives information which such individual knows to be false on such statement of financial disclosure filed pursuant to this section shall be assessed a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars. Assessment of a civil penalty hereunder shall be made by the appropriate body, as such term is defined in section eight hundred ten of this article. For a violation of this subdivision, other than for conduct which constitutes a violation of subdivision twelve of section seventy-three of the public officers law, the board of ethics of the political subdivision or other municipality may, in lieu of a civil penalty, refer a violation to the appropriate prosecutor and upon such conviction, but only after such referral, such violation shall be punishable as a class A misdemeanor.
- See more at: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/GMU/18/812#sthash.usFJPAQl.dpuf
I think the key to their "sluggishness" is in the first sentence of your second paragraph. They're either awash in cash from some fat cats who wouldn't want to be labeled as buying an election in East Greenbush. (Read Feathers and come local and County money.) Or they are seriously broke and don't want to reveal that. To make as report which would attempt to hide either one of these alternatives makes them vulnerable to the civil penalties - so no report at all. Just sleaze, any way you look at it. But that never did bother DeF, did it.
DeleteYes, but the first sentence is an OR statement so they are hung by the beginning statement:
DeleteA reporting individual who knowingly and wilfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure or
Since Sean has (allegedly) been made aware of the situation then he is choosing to "knowingly" fail to file... someone should make sure Langley has a copy of the request to file so that he too is "knowingly" choosing to not file.
Luckily EG1st will put the Town first and we wont have to put up with these issues in the future.
One "purgative" that this town needs is a good old fashioned "perp walk." Would be like a vaccine against future ills.
DeleteThrough all the heartache of East Greenbush the single thing that most amazes me is the sheer incompetence of the OSC.
ReplyDeleteIllegal stipends? No problem
Illegal inter fund borrowing? No problem
Illegal early retirements? No problem
No audits? No problem
Zero bookkeeping and the fraud we are all potentially exposed to? No problem
It is little wonder the the repooblicans don't file their reports. No one does anything about anything in this god foresaken state of madness.
Relief is just a vote away - Jack, Tina and Tom.
It's very clear that the Dem camp is becoming unglued. The comment below was on Talks (The Dem "Committee" blog) a few minutes ago, but one of the 4 administrators removed it. (I was quick with copy and paste.) I agree with most of the sentiments, except the part about who should accompany Jack to the Town Board meeting dais. Jack, Tina and Tom. (BTW, I think the old man armed with a computer is me. Like it or not, some serious damage has been done to the established machines with this one.)
ReplyDelete"POLITICS ASIDE October 20, 2015 1:22 PM
Really? You're threatened by an old man armed with a computer? Let's stay on point, people. Anyone who knows DVW or watched the candidates debate knows that DVW has ZERO qualifications to run a town, especially a town like EG. Dave is perfectly suited to what he's doing now and that should not change. The town is in desperate need of a qualified, educated, experienced leader in the supervisor's office and that person is undeniably NOT DVW. That person is also NOT Keith Langley for too many reasons to list here. That person IS, IS, IS Jack Conway. If we could just shove the politics and the nastiness aside for a moment and think about what's best for THE TOWN, not for ourselves, the clear choice for supervisor would be Jack Conway. If we could also toss in any two of the candidates for town board EXCEPT Larry and Trent who are only there to sit on Langley's knee, we would have a good team on the town board. Politics aside it's all about teamwork. THAT'S the smart way forward."
Amen. Its sentiment like this that HAS to get out to the established Party line voters that have a tendency to walk blindly into the voting both and simply vote their Party line because that's what their parents did, that's what they've always done, and that's what they taught their kids to do. There are only 2 weeks left but we need to get these Party line voters to open their eyes and look at what that has gotten this Town. Drive through Bethlehem, Guilderland, Colonie and see what this Town SHOULD be but it isn't because as the poster mentioned - TOO MANY POLITICIANS RUNNING THE TOWN FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FRIENDS. Lets take the Town back by imploring folks to vote EG1st. After all - if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Frankly, I've had enough of that! Can't stress enough, its ALMOST impossible to win an election as a third party - the established parties will pull out all of the stops in the next two weeks and we need to do even more than that.
Delete@ 7:42-
DeleteI couldn't agree more. That's why our family of 4 voters will be voting for Tina Tierney, Tom Grant and Jack Conway on election day, November the 3rd on Row I at the bottom of the ballot!!!
Sorry folks, I thought the comment had been deleted but it was a comment on another Post. Still think that the quadrumvirate which runs Talks have some disagreements as to "policy."
ReplyDeletePoint of interest, DVW and Pete Stenson are best buds, which is why Andrea Smythe has chosen to distance herself from them and them from her. There is dissension in the Dem ranks right out of the gate. At least the SWF started out as a team even if it didn't last. The only real cohesive team of candidates who actually like and respect each other are Jack Conway, Tina Tierney, and Tom Grant who also get along just fine with CPs Matters and DiMartino. In fact, both CPs have EG1st signs proudly displayed on their front lawns. That counts for something big, folks. In fact, it's huge. On Nov 3rd, vote for teamwork. VOTE FOR JACK, TINA AND TOM!
ReplyDeleteBottom line is that Andrea Smyth CHOSE to run with the backing of the Democratic Party and her name is included on many of the lawn signs with Dave VanWormer and Pete Stenson. Just take a look around. If she indeed has "chosen to distance herself from them" she should publicly say so. Otherwise it simply looks like just another disingenuous political ploy from another self serving politician to have it both ways by pretending to be a reformer while running as a "named" member of the Democratic ticket.
ReplyDeleteSorry but she is not a fan of DVW and she has her issues with PS, too, and they with her, but don't take my word for it, ask them! Both Pete and Andrea are friendly with the two councilwomen, we've all seen it, and why not? They're not stupid. When asked what his plan was to repair the SWF, Langley said, "I have no plan except to form a new majority." Guess the whole "bird in the hand" thing means nothing to this brilliant strategist. Let's just wait and see what happens in 14 days. In just another two weeks, it will all come crystal clear.
DeleteAnd isn't that Andrea Smyth's face on the Dem. Billboard on Columbia Turnpike right alongside Pete and DVM? Sure doesn't look like Andrea's distancing herself from them to me.
ReplyDeleteShe's playing the game, friend, and maybe, just maybe, she's playing them, too. If you want to elect people who like and respect each other and who will work TOGETHER as teammates and colleagues, then vote for Jack, Tina and Tom on Row I of the ballot. You will be so glad you did.
DeleteJTT, I think you are right about Mrs. Smyth playing the game. I, for one, am tired of having people in office who are "playing the game." That's why I will be voting for Tina, Tom and Jack. They are people who won't play games. They will work to end these games
ReplyDeleteIt's high time we stopped electing people who waste our tax dollars by playing one side against the other.
ReplyDeleteWhy not vote for Jack, Tina and Tom? They wont waste our time and money playing these childish political games.