The Hayseeds blog, No. 170 for the week starting August 13, 2006.
July 30, 2006
Hayseeds No. 169
August 13, 2006
Hayseeds No. 170
August 20, 2006
Hayseeds No. 170
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The big Connecticut Democratic Primary that we all are watching to see what people think on the war and how it will reshape politics in our country.
My money's on Ned Lemont with the recent polls that show him coming out ahead. Should Lieberman lose out, many Democrats are going to have to change their loyality to Ned Lemont or stick with somebody whose no longer their party's candidate.
Should Lieberman win then we will have to see who he will caucus with. It looks like the Republican candidate won't win, and that many Republicans might support Liberman in a Liberman-Lemont race.
Then again, that's another state and not New York's problem. While our friend, Jon Tasansi is bringing up interesting questions about Hillary in New York, it looks like he doesn't have much of a chance against Clinton.
Last weekend we were out hitting the streets in Chatam among other locations, getting the word out about Kirsten and next week we will be out in Rhinebeck and Clifton Park. People are really excited about her and she was great at the Meet and Greet last Saturday.
There are so many beautiful communities in her district, and so many interesting people. Many of them are losing out under a Republican Congress, as much as having John Sweeney as a Congressman. Too many small towns and farms are simply having the equity drained out by the rich through regressive policies.
The reality is it doesn't matter whether or not Sweeney is your friend or he can beat Kirsten in a cow milking contest (not that either has tried yet—maybe at the Scaghticoke Fair ?). What does matter is the number of potholes on the highway you take to work, the cost of school taxes driving people off their land, and a war that's stripping people and resources out of local communities.
It looks like the Democrat-Chronicle seems to think that Spitzer needs clear positions on things like Taylor's Law and Wick's Law that effect things relating to union construction projects and union negogations for public employees.
Spitzer's speeches mostly have focused on bold initatives, and he hasn't said specifics on many things. Yet, should we be tying our next governor's hands like that before he even gets elected on specific issues? The times, people, and issues change over time.
There is a decent record to go for Spitzer based on his actions in the Attorney General's office. Yet, we must not confuse his actions with that of his office or of the insitution.
It turns out that the due date for school taxes is also the day that people should start getting their tax rebate checks from the state.
Figuring that all the checks won't arrive on one day across the state, many of them will come in throughout the week before the election.
It looks like Gillibrand may have some opposition on the Republican side, with the incumbent going out and touting all the pork he's brought home for district, while supporting the Republican's misguided policies.
Can he do it? It's not clear as Kirsten is a formidable opponent and it's a terrible year for Republicans. This will be the year that people like Sweeney are so out of touch with their people will get voted out of office.
It looks like the Town of Berne has decided it to be too expensive to maintain it's own facilities and is looking to partner with the county.
Breslin likes the idea, as does the the town. It does seem like a waste to have facilities only a couple of miles apart, and the need to take town plows at 3 MPG over county roads doing nothing but driving. No jobs will be lost as the county will take over all the equipment and employees that formally did town roads.
It should be interesting to see if roads are better plowed, particularly town roads that traditionally have gotten plowed less as the town has to drive out many miles to get to them, costing more then really is neccessary. Hopefully though, the county will continue it's excellent snow removal successes and not be distracted by the aditional roads.
The success of this program should be careful to watch. If it works it could save the hilltowns a lot of money as it expands to other towns, not to mention a lot of Rural New York.
It looks like every candidate for governor has decided it's not worth their while to piss off people who live along the proposed route of NYRI and have done their part to distance themselves from the proposal.
The amazing thing in how much politicans have distanced from these powerlines, and how much the issue has been spun by people like the Anti-NYRI alliance. Some realities the anti-NYRI people and our chicken politicans must realize:
Certainly Faso's thougths that we could upgrade existing lines makes a lot of sense, as does considering burying cables underground or doing other things to minimize the visual impact in sensitive areas. But let's get it built and stop wasting valuable energy.
Who else would NYC be talking about two days after he kicked Lieberman's butt in the primary. He's victory is mostly of interest to us in New York with the political science ramifications.
We've heard from years from countless sources that all good party men support the party in government, the elected officals that are members of the party. You should support the incumbent rather then trying to challenge him.
Certainly incumbents often beat challengers. Yet, in many cases winning on the Democratic or Republican is a given based on demographics. It's neccessary that people choose the best candidate, and that will ultimately be the one that will win.
Ned Lemont will ultimately be the person who will win in Connecticut. Lieberman may try to give him trouble as an independent candidate, but hopefully the voters will see through him or he will take the advise of party people and resign his candidacy.
It seems like Lieberman is now the Paul Clyne of the Connecicut Democratic Party. He's sticking around, claiming he can win not as a Democrat but as a right-wing independent whose found his party dumping him. Ned Lemont may not have the WF people to help him out, but he does have the full support of the DFA people down there.
Blueberry Hill East the section of the Pine Bush west of Washington Ave Extension last year was logged and then brush hogged, and burnt over earlier this summer in an attempt to clean up and restore this compromised part of the Pine Bush.
Years ago, a large portion of this area was bulldozed and it had been decades since it had last been burnt. When the Pine Bush isn't burned regularly through natural fires or lightening, things like invasive Black Locus and other fast growing trees that can put up with this unfertile soil can put up with it.
The area wasn't particularly nice at that point, overgrown with trees and destinctively not Pine Bush-like. Scrub Pines were nowhere to be found nor where any of the native vegetation. It was a place to go for a walk, but not with the beauty that we enjoy in other places.
Last winter though they went in and cleaned up things. It was pretty big wind-swept and barrien in the winter after being brush hogged with that massive machine they got from Vermont. It had a mysterious beauty at the same time, which became more apparent as spring came and the subsiquent burns of the initial plants were completed.
As Chris Hauver notes, the results have been nothing short of spectualar.
In an attempt to keep views from getting totally grown over the DEC for years has cut back the brush for mountain views, much like they do to maintain trails in the forest preserve.
The Adirondack Porn Agency has raised some concerns about that and suggested that such a pratice be stopped as it might be unconsitutional logging in the Blue Line District.
Pataki's people sure have made a caricature of the APA. Does anybody believe that the people during the Consitution Convention of 1886 were concerned about the state maintaining senic vistas along trails? Clearly there is something different between the wholescale cutting by big chainsaws and skidloaders, and cutting the brush back.
Next Tuesday it looks like they are going to be having a big party at the new Spitzer 2006 headquarters over at 126 State Street.
Tom Suozzi has had an offical Albany headquarters for a long time now. It should be interesting to see what specifically will be up here rather then their main New York City office.
No they aren't looking for garbage insomuch as something else that Albany wants with the garbage you ship to them—money.
It looks like they need the money to fund their appeal to the court of last resort: the Court of Appeals. Even if you don't care about garbage, Coeymans, or even the Hilltowns, this case will set important precidents that will make a difference.
You have to fight every move the city does, as it's not known for it's rational or legal moves. Or maybe for their pure brilliance in doing illegal things to circumvent the SERQA process.
If we take a page from the P5 Pine Bush landfill expansion and read into Friends of Van Cortlandt Park v. City of NY, the city's insistance on buying the land first means that SERQA will be steamrolled through as it to the lead agency appears as the only pratical choice for dumping trash as the city has invested $5 million in this chunk of land.
From Jim Travers:
On September 5, 2006 the City of Albany will become the owners of the Coeymans land on which they desire to build a regional landfill.
Albany will certainly try to maximize their profit by taking in as much garbage as they can from far away areas, (the city's option agreement with the landowners stated they will gather trash from a wasteshed 100 miles in radius from their current Rapp Road landfill), most probably including trash from New York City.
If Albany is successful in purchasing the Coeymans land, you can be sure that there will be an endless line of garbage barges coming up the Hudson River from NYC and other Hudson River Valley communities.
Not all garbage will be transported by barge, though. Daily, a great number of tractor trailers loaded with garbage will also be making their way to Coeymans, perhaps by traveling through your community.
We, the members of SCRAP, Selkirk Coeymans Ravena Against Pollution, over the past twelve years, have been doing our very best to prevent Albany from acquiring the Coeymans lands and now we desperately need the public's help.
The City of Albany has continually disregarded a judges court order barring them from making any payments towards the purchase of the land until such time as they have filed with the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
It's been twelve years now and Albany still has not filed a DEIS with DEC, yet they have continued to make payments to the landowners in complete defiance of the judges order.
The court system in New York is quite complex and it is difficult for those not familiar with its hierarchy to understand. I will try to explain where in this system our lawsuit is right now. Please bear in mind as you read on that I am not an attorney.
First, there was a ruling in our favor on our initial suit from the county court which sought to prevent Albany from purchasing the Coeymans land. The Judge declared that Albany was prohibited from expending any monies towards the land purchase until they had filed a DEIS with DEC.
Albany appealed this lower court judge's ruling and lost their appeal. (This is the lowest level of the state court's Appellate Division) Then Albany appealed this decision to the state's intermediate appellate division and the judge hearing the case was reassigned and had to be replaced. (he was appointed to a higher court)
This intermediate level Appellate division judge has now reversed the lower courts ruling, finding in favor of Albany, which allows Albany to purchase the land before filing a DEIS.
This judge has blatantly disregarded the law in his ruling and both our lawyer and the special counsel the Town of Coeymans has hired to represent them feel will be easily overturned, but only if we appeal his decision to the Court of Appeals, New York State's highest court.
This is where we are today. We have filed with the court the papers which have preserved our right to appeal, but we need to raise $7,500 immediately, approximately 75% of the anticipated legal fees, in order for our lawyer to 'perfect' the appeal.
The urgency is based upon the adage "Possession is 9/10th of the law".
If Albany completes their transaction and becomes the owners of the land, it will be much more difficult to prevent them from creating a regional landfill in Coeymans, regardless of the quantity of wetlands the area is known to contain.
According to Mr. Rotello, the Town of Coeymans attorney, the out of town law firm the town has hired has filed with the court documents seeking the Town of Coeymans be granted 'Intervener' status in the appeal process and also has filed an Amicus (friend of the court) brief seeking an injunction from the court prohibiting Albany from finalizing the sale of the Coeymans lands.
There are two problems that arise from this, as I see it.
First, there is no guarantee that the court will grant the Town intervener status, seeing that the Town of Coeymans has done relatively little legally over the last twelve years to oppose Albany's purchase and planned landfill.
Secondly, if we do not file an appeal, there will be nothing for the court to grant the Town to intervene in.
If there is no appeal before the court, there can be no injunction granted to prevent the land sale.
We will tirelessly continue our pursuit to find the funding necessary to pay our lawyer the legal fees necessary to file the appeal, even if we cannot file our appeal until after September 5th, the date scheduled for Albany to take possession of the Coeymans land.
So please help in any way you can. $1, $5, $10 - any amount you can give towards this worthy cause will be greatly appreciated.
If you love our beautiful Hudson River Valley and want it to be preserved for future generations, please give generously.
If we don't stop this landfill from becoming a reality, the Hudson River and all our communities along the Hudson Valley will eternally suffer the consequences.
Contributions can be mailed to SCRAP, PO Box 79, Coeymans, New York 12045.
If anyone wants or needs more information, please feel free to contact me at this email address. I have dial-up internet service, so trying to reach me by phone will be difficult, but here's my phone number: 518-756-7591. Email: jatrav@yahoo.com
I sent in my check for $20 dollars to SCRAP just a few minutes after I got the email. Maybe you need some visuals.
Earlier this week we heard the John Sweeney camp complaining about trackers or as he called them stalkers coming from Gillibrand's campaign.
These people typically are volunteers that go and try to record the message of the candidates then give them to their campaign to show the hypocracy and differenting messages.
Not surpisingly though, Gillibrand gots pictures of Sweeny people taking photos of Gillibrand events. It happens and it's politics.
That seems like to the only appropiate caption from the TU Blog:
This afternoon I helped out the Spitzer Action Network, a group of activists supporting Spitzer seperate from his campaign, distrobute literature to all those crossing the bridge going to Alive at 5. We certainly weren't alone.
The Faso people including Republican candidate for governor John Faso was there, as was a staffer from the Tom Suozzi campaign. Faso was really nice, as was the guy from the Suozzi campaign. There is such a mutal respect for each other's candidates and the hard work us activists do, despite all the mud slinging we do in public.
It can get dirty in politics, at least at a superfiscal level. We call each other names, but at the end of the day we can all get back together. I've met both Suozzi and Faso, and I really respect these men at a personal level even if I don't agree with their politics. Faso like so many of the Republicans are just such kind and intellegent people, and certainly I would call them friends.
Sometimes I run into Republicans at local bars, and they are usually very good people when you get to meet them for more then just a handshake or a brief discussion like we did with the Suozzi people. You might think it's bad for party people to fraterinize, yet I think it only allows us to have more compasion for the other side, and see while we might disagree with the means we are all fighthing for the same great ends.
That's an interesting question that is posed by a Democracy Corps Study on White Rural Voters and how Democrats can make inroads into getting those votes. See also the actual polling numbers.
It's an interesting study. It points out that Democrats do best when the discuss the big picture issues, and don't get dragged down on the sometimes painful things the Republicans kind of like to troll on. Our party can give people good health care and a strong economy, without forcing pinko values on people, much less suggesting that everybody must get an abortion or some kind of absurd environmental regulation.
Dan Van Wripper this week takes a very cynical look at the plans to build a massive chip fab in Malta. He looks at the long history of environmental degregation of electronics manufacturing, the fact that we are taking a vast wooded expanse that has seen little use besides WW II rockets testing and turning it into suburbia, and the reality that the suburbian model is depedent on cheap fuel to continue to exist.
There's nothing really to dispute in his article. He presents all of the downsides of the plant, and that it's a big gamble. Many people still think Marcy outside of Utica was a better place to put it rather then in a greenfield, particularly with the city of Utica being in such desprate shape these days. The suburban model is outmoded, but until people start seeing that with higher fuel prices we will probably continue our cynical and destructive behavior.
The good news I tend to realize is that still suburbia is relatively small in Upstate New York. Drive 10 or 15 miles anywheres in Upstate and your well into the country with fields around, and real rural towns start maybe a little bit father then that. There is a lot of New York out there, but we still the whole manacured lawns thing is kind of painful.
