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Rensselaer County Democratic Web: |
Democratic News: 2004-2006 COUNTY DEMOCRATIC LISTENING TOUR TO START ON AUGUST 17 Democratic candidates for the Rensselaer County Legislature kicked off their campaign this week with the announcement of The 2005 Democratic Listening Tour of Rensselaer County. The slate of 16 candidates plan to hold forums in legislative districts to hear from the people, as part of their campaign theme "Real People for Real Reform." Legislative District 3 will host the first stop of the Listening Tour on Wednesday, August 17th at 6:30PM at Gilead Lutheran Church, Rt. 278 off Hoosick Road in Center Brunswick. Democratic Candidates James Brearton and Vito Grasso will sponsor the session open to residents of Brunswick, Pittstown and Schaghticoke. Legislative District 2 will host the second stop of the Listening Tour on Monday, August 22 at 7 PM at the East Greenbush Library. Democratic candidates Ginny O'Brien, Keith Hammond, Brian Zweig and Kevin Harrington will sponsor the session that is open to residents of East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Poestenkill. According to District 3 candidate James Brearton, a Brunwick attorney, "This listening tour will start putting county government back in the hands of the people. After years of one-party rule, the majority has gotten too comfortable and overconfident. The results of their leadership are a 51% property tax and increased fees on cell phones, mortgages, licenses and sewer rents. Those types of results have to change." "Now is the time for new and creative leadership in the Rensselaer County Legislature and the first step toward that is hearing what's on the minds of the people," says Brian Zweig, a North Greenbush businessman. According to Democrats, the listening tour will not be a debate or forum for partisan posturing. "There won't be any campaign speeches, the real objective is to listen and hear from the people in our district." The Rensselaer County Democratic Listening Tour is modeled after the successful undertaking of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. The forums will be run similar to town hall meetings where residents have an opportunity to share their views. Democratic candidates see the forums as an important part of developing a platform that reflects residents' concerns and is based on real issues, not campaign slogans. For more information on future stops of the Listening Tour, visit the County Democratic website at http://www.renssdems.org. RENSSELAER COUNTY DEMOCRATS ENDORSE SPITZER FOR GOVERNOR Rensselaer County Democrats are lining up to show their support for Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in his campaign for Governor. In releasing the names of 65 local Democratic officials who are endorsing Spitzer, Rensselaer County Democratic Committee Co-Chairs Lynne Mahoney and Thomas W. Wade said, "We join with the Democratic leaders of Rensselaer County and across the State in enthusiastically endorsing Eliot Spitzer for Governor in '06." "New York State is in desperate need of the kind of leadership Eliot Spitzer will bring to the Governor's mansion," said Mahoney. Wade agreed, "Eliot Spitzer will bring real reform to the process of government." Joining Co-Chairs Mahoney and Wade in endorsing Spitzer's candidacy are:
LOCAL DEMOCRAT GOES NATIONAL FOR KERRY-EDWARDS Troy attorney John E. Darling, Sr., has been recruited by the Kerry-Edwards national campaign to serve as an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, on Election Day as part of the 2004 Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign Voter Protection program. He will be assigned to polling places where Republicans are expected to block people from voting. Darling says, "I believe this Presidential election is too important to sit out the campaign. Everyone should be assured that their right to vote is protect. The people of the United State of America deserve to be able to vote and have their vote counted." According to Darling, he will help protect people's right to vote and serve as a legal resource in Ohio. He is currently studying Ohio Election Law and its Voter Bill of Rights, in preparation for his mission. Darling, Kerry's Regional Meet Up Coordinator of the Capital District and Rensselaer County Coordinator for Kerry-Edwards, is a practicing Attorney in Troy. A lifelong Democrat, he served as Supervisor of the Town of Grafton for twelve years. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Rensselaer County Democratic Committee. In addition to serving in the swing state of Ohio on Election Day, Darling will be canvassing this weekend in Scranton, PA, as well as the week before election in Ohio. For more information, Darling may be contacted at johnedarlingesq@aol.com. COURT FINDINGS DEMAND RESIGNATION OF NG SUPERVISOR AND TOWN ATTORNEY North Greenbush Democratic Chairman Dan Ashley has called for the resignations of both the Town Supervisor and the Town Attorney in the wake of a thundering court decision detailing a pattern of abuse of official authority that is without precedent. "Rarely has there been a court decision so bold in its damnation of the actions of those entrusted to protect the rights of citizens as the language of this decision and order", stated Ashley. North Greenbush has a Supervisor who has been found by a judge to have "exceeded his legal authority..., abused his power and engaged in improper conduct - acted in bad faith", and "overstepped his authority as Town Supervisor" - for the purpose of thwarting and impeding the legal rights of our citizens in their effort to simply file a petition at town hall. We have a Town Attorney who has "attempted to mislead the Court...", "actively participated with Tazbir" to injure town residents, "acted in bad faith and engaged in frivolous conduct". As a result of their conduct, the Supervisor had to be "enjoined" by the Court from further depriving citizens of due process of law, obstructing the rights of citizens and acting in an arbitrary and capricious fashion. He actually had to be ordered to abide by the laws of the State of N.Y. while a judge will now retain jurisdiction over his actions and violations of this injunction! "It’s akin to the old South with Federal Courts interceding to protect the rights of citizens from elected officials who used the color of law to obstruct their rights". These officials have used the power of government to attack their adversaries and achieve political goals, stated Ashley. "It is a sad day when town officials entrusted to obey the law and protect the rights of citizens instead use the power of government to attack opponents and thwart their constitutional rights of due process", stated Ashley. North Greenbush cannot tolerate officials who are even willing to lie to a Court in an effort to achieve their political goals. Sadly, the Court has found that this abuse will likely continue without the oversight of the Court. In recent days, this administration has been caught destroying town records to protect political allies, thereby demonstrating yet again a total lack of respect for the laws which govern us. If they are willing to engage in this and the conduct cited in this thundering court ruling, including lying to a court, how can they be trusted to act on behalf of our citizens in any matter or in front of any court?" The pattern of false accusations and charges made by these officials as documented in this decision has irreparably damaged their credibility. This decision will cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees as a result of their misconduct once bills are submitted to the court from the plaintiff’s attorney. Accordingly, I call upon each of them to resign and further that the next Town Attorney be selected based on competence, not by virtue of her marriage to the employer of a Town Councilman using his vote to curry favor with his employer. Dan Ashley, Chairman, NGBDC
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