The ethics law that was being touted for all the wrong reasons has been sent back to committee and most likely is a dead issue. It's the right thing to do, I firmly believe that for people like Brittany Turner, it is about ethics but for the people that are passing it, it is about trying to get rid of their political enemies. Which is unethical.
I give Legislator Peter Loughran credit, as a candidate for BOE Comish, he abstained, even though he has been a huge proponent of the ethics law...an honorable move.
On a semi related note: After the vote failed Zimet announced her candidacy for Vice-Chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Committee. The petty politcs never stop. A Schreibman/Zimet ticket is a match made in_______ you fill in the blank.
7 comments:
I think the untold story here may be in the nepotism section. I bet some relations among families here are a bit too close for public disclosure. I don't think the opposition is entirely in favor of Parete.
The same folks that have sent this back to committee will vote yes to the law as it stands...after the Democratic Reoganization meeting. It is not the law, it is a political hot potato for those who favor as well as oppose John Parete holding both positions. Should Parete win both positions he will be "grandfathered in" but future candidates will not be able to hold both positons.
9:48, You are wrong two times in one paragraph.
1st, as the law is written today, an officer of a county political party who is also a county officer, would have to give up one or the other position. No "grandfather" clause exists.
2nd, The people who voted against this will keep voting against this until the section restricting what employees can do in there free time is removed.
See Wednesdays Freeman for a good example of an Ethics Law that has gone to far. Woodstock is considering removing the restrictions on this very issue from their Ethics Law, and for the right reasons. It is restricting an already small pool of volunteers from participating in local government.
If you want to buy the spin from people like Sue Zimet go right ahead. I will tell you this as food for thought. The legislators voting to fix this law are as sincere,(albeit less vocal) in there belief in the freedom of people to choose what they do on there own time, as those that purport to be protecting the public from the evil political party bosses.
If anyone is going to fold and change their position, it will be the Nutocrats from Saugerties and Zimet.
BTW... Loughran announced he is running for the BOE position, Zimet announced she is running for Vice Chair. Both voted for this law. Both made their announcements from the Legislative floor. Hypocrisy rules in some circles.
This family has been around a long time and is fair and for the people. Talk about hard working families. These men know more about the average working man and what is needed in the county then anyone else in the Democratic party. This is not nepotism because the people want them in.
It's a good, comprehensive ethics law that includes one small section to keep too much power out of the hands of any one individual. Mrs. Provenzano's silly attempt to try characterizing holding a second powerful political position as "free time" is ludicrous and way off base. The small section of the law is not aimed at limiting anybody's "free time." It is aimed at limiting concentration of power.
Some also indicated that it was ok to hold the two positions since the Board of Elections Commissioner is "political". Nonsense. While it is true the the major party committees select the candidate and the legislature approves them,the commmisioner's job is to insure that elections are run efficiently, ALL candidates get an accurate vote count and NYS Election Law is upheld. A reminder, more than a third of registered voters do not belong to any party.
Democrats actively objected when Savago held both jobs, but now see no problem with a Democrat doing the same.
As long as more Legislators agree that this is a bullsh*t section, which of course it is, a very good law will never see the light of day. Take out Section IV. Paragraph C, and the law passes easily.
It has nothing to do with individuals and nothing to with politics. It has to do with what is right and what is wrong. Section IV. Paragraph C, is dead wrong.
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