Warner's Final Flush

Hamlin’s political rumor mill is drenched with the story about how lame-duck supervisor, Austin Warner the XIV, will permit the proposal giving the town’s water system to Monroe County to come up and BE VOTED ON during next Monday’s meeting!

Warner denied repeatedly during the alleged public hearing last Tuesday that HE would bring up the proposal. He also said that he would not allow it to come up for a vote.

Would the departing supervisor LIE? While it’s shocking to imagine, it IS possible!

Warner will just play dumb when the resolution is presented and seconded. During “discussion” he’ll protest a little bit, but this will be for show. The entire charade has been planned!

The story goes that last Tuesday, prior to going to St. Elizabeth’s, a secret meeting of the Town Board, minus Paul Rath, was held in the Town Hall. To begin with, this meeting was illegal- and it puts what follows in the proper context.

At the gathering, Warner declared that the Water Plan vote MUST be taken in the December 12 TB meeting. He told the board members that he wanted it done because it would be too much of a hassle, and might not even happen, if it were put off until the new administration comes into office.

It was acknowledged that Paul Rath would not vote for the proposal, but everyone else would! George Todd said that he would only vote for it if Warner and the others swore they, and the Hamlin Republican Committee, would support him for reelection in ‘06! Dave Rose who supports the plan, worried that the vote would look like a betrayal to the incoming administration, which has asked for a delay, so he demanded a way to cover his butt! Shirley Hollink will vote yes- but nobody can figure out why. While she hates Austin, she apparently hates the voting public who failed her, and new administration, more!

Dave Rose, because he is second to last in the roll-call, is disguising his support! Here’s how the vote will go: Hollink- Yes; Rath- No; Todd- Yes; Rose- No; and the tie-breaker!, Warner- YES! Motion carried! Hollink gets revenge on the Republicans who didn’t support her; Todd gets a confirmation on his reelection bid; Rose comes out smelling like one having disguised his support with a meaningless “no”; and Warner is the big winner- delivering the Hamlin water system into the clutches of Monroe County while paying off his only two loyal supporters: Judy Hazen and Jim Brezlawski! (He will likely then be able to get the political appointment many think he’s been promised too!)

Shhhh! Listen! Do you hear the sound of a distant toilet flushing? Oh, that’s just our local water system!

Hamlin's long-time Water Supervisor, Eric Peters, had an informative letter in the Hamlin Herald this weekend. He claims that switching to the MCWA will be more expensive for 56% of residents! In addition, all new homes coming on line, and seasonal lake front homes, will be whacked with huge increases for ordinary services.

Supervisor Warner, who claims to be on a virtuous crusade to "bring water to all residents," has yet to produce even one document to support the plan. A simple balance sheet showing cost/benefit would be a good start.

According to research, the Board of Directors of the Monroe County Water Authority is made up entirely of people who have strong connections to both the Real Estate and construction businesses! It has long been claimed that the actual, and demonstrable, goal of the Authority is to open up more and more land to development. (Goodbye deer!) Additionally, the MCWA has a stated goal of becoming a "regional" water supplier. In other words, they want to own the water system from Buffalo to Syracuse, south to Pa.

Former resident Jim Martin, who has studied the MCWA record, notes that out in Darien the MCWA owns some lines which the Erie County Water Authority must use to feed Six Flags. The MCWA has a meter on those lines and charges Erie County a fee to use them! Martin has posed an interesting question: If the MCWA actually just wants access to build new lines into Orleans County, which is their pattern, why don't we permit them to pass through Hamlin, using our lines, and charge them for it! It might result in lower water bills for everyone and the rapid rise of a reserve fund to cover repairs and improvements! Good idea!

GIANT TSUE-NOT-ME POISED TO HIT HAMLIN!

GIANT TSUE-NOT-ME POISED TO HIT HAMLIN!

Lame Duck tells paper, "I'd like to have it done this year!"
...another genius MARTOON!

...another great Martoon.

The turned-out Supervisors of Hamlin and Kendall have decided to hose down the voters on their way out. Both lame ducks have sprung a plan to sell their water departments to the Monroe County Water Authority.

The vanquished Supervisors have obviously been cooking up this scheme for weeks or months- most likely ever since the primary results came in!

The losers have cobbled together a plan to give their joint water district, and ALL of Hamlin's water assets to Monroe County for an astonishing $1. That’s correct, one dollar.

While a complete and reliable list of assets has not yet been presented it will include, at minimum, a $55,000 loader the two towns recently bought.

“Here is your brand new loader Mrs. Brooks! We hope Mr. Brooks makes good use of it!”
“Thank you! Here is your one dollar Mr Warner. Here is your one dollar Mr. Becker. Don’t spend it all at once!”
“We won’t! Bye!”

This is a very, very serious issue and one can only wonder what our Town Board members are thinking.

Boss Warner wants to ram this deal home and do it without supplying the Board with any hard facts. Warner’s entire career has rested on his ability to drag people into his office, march around blustering and buffaloing, saying nothing, until the victim is too tired and confused to resist. Like leaving a hypnotist’s office the poor soul wanders down the hall somehow persuaded that the Supervisor is right. It is a marvel!

No one knows how this scheme will affect taxpayers. It will be worse still for some local residents who will lose their full-time jobs.

This is an important, complicated decision and the Town Boards have an obligation to every single resident to make sure they have all the facts, all the data AND that it is TRUTHFUL!

Boss Warner has always operated with hidden agendas. That’s why his clique has been thrown out of office. He clearly has an agenda in this matter too. Most likely his scheme is to dedicte most of promised construction credits the County has offered to ensure that his loyal friend and supporter, Judy Hazen, gets a waterline. Additionally, Warner has been observed spending a lot of time huddled with Jim Breslawski, the discredited former Planning Board Chairman, at Breslawski’s farm on North Hamlin Road. Why would the Town Supervisor spend half his mornings in meetings with non-resident Breslawski, one of Hamlin’s largest landowners? Is the timing a coincidence? Not likely...

Warner wants to steam-roll Hamlin taxpayers on his way out the door. It is up to our Town Board to stop him! It may be that a proposal to sell all of the community's water districts and support hardware to Monroe County is a good idea but the taxpayers deserve a thorough accounting of the impact, the true costs and the effects on residents of the transaction.

These are just a few of the things the Town Board MUST look at:

* An exact, and VERIFIED balance sheet for the Hamlin Water Department. They, and the resident, deserve to know how well or poorly the system has operated and the revenue it has generated. If the HWD is profitable, we deserve to know why the Town would GIVE IT AWAY? Future earnings are worth something!

* An exact and verified list of the materials and hardware (including vehicles) which will be handed over to the County for one dollar. This MUST be verified. There can be no excuse for somebody “forgetting” an expensive piece of equipment. “Whoops!” is not acceptable!

*A complete accounting of the local jobs that will be lost and any compensation package the town will offer.

* An analysis of the impact this change will have on the quality of service in our community! The importance of this issue cannot be overemphasized! At present, all Hamlin Water Department employees live in Hamlin! When a customer has a problem the response comes from Hamlin! If the problem is not resolved, and this includes BILLING problems, access to a solution is right here in town. When all of these services are moved out to Rochester how will the residents be affected? This is important!

These are just the basics! Our Town Board must act professionally and effectively in this matter. They must demand and scrutinize all the facts. They cannot be negligent.

THERE IS NO RUSH! Just because Boss Warner wants to serve up some pork on his way out of office is not sufficient reason for the other elected officials to put on an apron and help.

The Blog! urges all concerned residents to attend Monday’s Town Board meeting and speak up. We don’t need to get soaked by a couple of lame-ducks.

Rejecting the bid for Town Justice by publisher Peter Tonery, the citizens soundly recorded their desire that The Blog! continue regular publication. As a Justice, Tonery would have been barred from publishing the highly political news site.

"I know he wanted that Justice job, but this was just too important for the community." said Alfred Campbell, Chairman of the Hamlin Republican Committee and one of the leaders of the effort to retain The Blog!

"It is vital that Tonery continue to publish the website," added James Nesbitt, Chairman of the Planning Board. "The Blog! provides the communitiy with so much essential information- I don't think we could get along without it."

"It is the lifeblood of Hamlin," said outgoing Supervisor Austin Warner III. "I read it religiously."

The problem for incumbents is that they have to campaign on their record. Their record is the public history of their job performance.

Office holders frequently do favors for their constituency. Little things like calling the Highway Supervisor about a lawn ripped up by plows or getting an answer to a question about a water bill, simple things that provide a small service to someone in the community. This earns them some good will and support.

But that is not the job. The job of a Town Board member is to write legislation. They write or repair local laws to better serve the community. This is their only power, this is their duty. The fact that they have contacts and influence inside government is helpful for correcting small, personal issues for citizens, but it is not why they are elected.

Paul Rath’s record as a legislator is dismal.

ACCOUNTING
Rath, a Certified Public Accountant, has never managed to improve the bookkeeping methods of the Town. Hamlin’s accounting methods are archaic and impossible to understand. For years Supervisor Warner has misled and misdirected funding for departments and projects because the budget is impenetrable.

Save for Pat MacIntosh, there is probably no one in local government who actually knows how our tax dollars are spent! And she’s not talking.

Rath has always been in a position to demand a change in accounting. As a CPA he might have demanded an open, transparent accounting process. He’s mentioned it, but never championed it. He never proposed to change it by law.

Hamlin’s budget is as secretive and old fashioned as it was when he first joined the Town Board. The proposed 2006 budget lists an item called “Personnel.” In this category one finds:

Personal Services for $47,529
Equipment for 0
Contractual Exp. for 6000
Total: $53,529

What does this MEAN? Is this open record keeping? Can the public learn anything about how thier money is spent with accounting like this?

Hamlin’s entire budget looks like this! No detail, no explanation, no transparency. No method for tracking payments. This is a “blind budget,” made purposefully to block public scrutiny.

Paul Rath has done little or nothing to improve it. Paul Rath, the CPA. One wonders how his business would prosper if he treated his clients like he treats the citizens of Hamlin.

OPEN GOVERNMENT
As last Wednesday’s meeting demonstrates, Paul Rath is a defender of government closed to the public. That meeting, described below, concerned a proposal to give the Hamlin Water Department to the County. Warner sprung the proposal on the Town Board with no warning. He claimed the “Executive Session” privilege by suggesting it concerned “personnel matters.” The only issue concerning employees was the fact that three local jobs would be lost. THAT is not a “personnel matter” under the Open Meetings Law.

Rath knew that. The moment he learned that the meeting was about public matters, and not protected, he should have acted to cancel it. Paul Rath should have done his duty and made a motion to come out of Executive Session, regardless of the Supervisor’s desire to keep the matter hidden from the public.

According to the Town website, of the 25 meetings from October 2003 (the first date minutes were posted) until October 2005 12 went into Executive Session! Almost 50% of all Town Board meetings ended in secrecy! Six times the reason given was a "personnel matter", three were "litigation matters" and three times, no reason was given! Paul Rath made the motion to go into Executive Session twice, and seconded the motion two other times. All other times he voted "aye", agreeing to the session. Normally it was Warner who made the motion (7 times.)

Almost all of these Executive Sessions were illegal. Lame Duck Supervisor Warner was infamous for lying about the validity of Executive Sessions but where was Rath to stop him? Doesn’t Paul Rath believe in the principle of an “open and honest government?”

Nobody, not one Town Board member, has EVER acted to terminate an illegal Executive Session. They do not respect or support transparent government. Paul Rath and the other Board members seem to believe that election to office enables them to hide decision-making from the voters.

Mr Rath, government and its processes belong to the public. You are not better than any other citizen. It is your duty to promote and protect open government. Mr. Rath, YOU are not royalty.

ACTION
Hamlin faces many serious challenges as a community. Controlled growth is probably the most serious and the one the Town Board has the most direct, immediate power to affect.

Paul Rath has done nothing to address it.

When the DeMarco project reared its ugly head, the stupidity and laziness of the Town Board was revealed. The DeMarco parcel had been zoned for high density housing back in the 1970's. All that time the Board was asleep at the wheel. At anytime they could have acted to rezone the land to prevent a proposal for low-income housing.

Nobody ever acted.

That’s not the worst part. Since the developer dropped the project the Town Borad has still not acted!

At any point after the developer dropped the proposal the Town Board could have rezoned the land and blocked any future problem. They didn’t. They never even talked about it!

They say that fish can only remember things for five minutes. Fish, and the Hamlin Town Board.

Rath failed with DeMarco. Rath failed to get the new Master Plan completed. Rath failed to improve accounting. Rath failed to contest or promote open government. Rath failed to challenge Warner’s divisive and damaging policies.

Rath has failed at virtually every obligation which a Town Board member is elected for.

What is that old adage about leadership? “ Lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Maybe it should end with, “Or don’t get reelected”

SELLING HAMLIN OUT- IN SECRET!

On Wednesday night the Hamlin Town Board met secretly with representatives of the Monroe County Water Authority. The meeting was scheduled to discuss other matters and Town Board members were surprised when Austin Warner called for an “Executive Session.” Both the public and the Town Clerk were kicked out of the meeting!

What followed was a proposal to turn the Hamlin Water Department over to the Monroe County Water Authority!

This idea is not new. Warner discussed it as far back as 1999 when he created the Hamlin Water Committee. That group was charged with persuading Dave Rose, then Highway Superintendent, to use the Highway Department to install waterlines, something Rose had resisted for decades.

Back then, Warner claimed that giving Hamlin’s Water Department to the county was a bad idea. He said that it would not save any money, that we would lose important local services, that it would cut jobs, that County waterline installation was too expensive, and most importantly, he said the County would PAY NOTHING to Hamlin for it!

How does Hamlin benefit from having its own Water Department? First, the service residents receive is excellent. If you have a problem with your water you can be sure someone FROM HAMLIN will be at your door in 30 minutes or less! Second, it was proven, even to the reluctant Rose, that our Highway Department can install waterlines cheaper then the county or outside contractors. If the county takes over, all the work will go to their contractors and the town will lose tens of thousands of dollars in revenues. In addition, the Highway Department might have to cut jobs. That, in turn will impact snow plowing. Third, water users will likely pay more in county fees and service charges.

Let’s look at each of these issues:

SERVICE: Our Water Department employees are RESIDENTS. They live in Hamlin, work in Hamlin and pay taxes in Hamlin. If you live in town, then you are never too far when a call goes out for help. Our Water Department employees have provided many services to residents that aren’t “in the manual.” They’ve helped senior citizens change a washer in a faucet; They’ve advised newcomers to the lakeshore about how to winterize their lines to prevent freezing; They advise home builders on the location of waterlines and easements. That is hometown service.

WATERLINES: Warner had the right idea when he decided that the Highway Department should install waterlines throughout the community. He asked local expert John La Rue to be on the Water Committee. La Rue new the price for virtually every aspect of installation and defeated every objection Mr. Rose made. The Town DOES install waterlines cheaper than outside contractors. More importantly, by having additional summer work, and revenues, the Highway Department can afford to maintain staffing levels sufficient to keep our roads plowed during winter blizzards.

If the County takes over our water, Hamlin will lose at least three local jobs! Three local people, Hamlin residents, forced onto unemployment.

FEES: The Town adds only about TEN CENTS per thousand gallons to the cost of water for providing local service! This charge is added onto what all of us pay for water from the county, so our “savings” would only be ten cents per thousand! But what about other fees? The county charges “rental fees” on meters and there are always new surcharges from someplace for something. NOBODY in Hamlin will save money on their water bill as a result of switching to the County.

What is the motive? Why would Austin Warner spring this idea at this point in time? He has less than two months left on the job. Giving the Department to the County has always been an option, why propose it just as he walks out the door?

This is the $64,000 question. Nobody knows for sure what Warner is up too. If having a local Water Department was good for the five years and ten months of his “reign,” why is it a bad idea now?

Warner has told Water employees, “The Department is not making enough money.” He admits that it is profitable! That means it is self supporting and offsets taxes! If the problem is that the “profit margin” is not high enough he needs to think it through. Gouging residents is probably not the role of local government. A little profit is probably just right.

This is important: Warner is not SELLING the Department, he is GIVING IT AWAY! In other situations the MC Water Authority has pledged or contracted to contribute millions to a community. They have done this in places which could add big profits or where a given town could provide access to other communities further away.

In Hamlin’s case the County has “promised” to “help” with funding new waterlines. Why “promise?” What not “agree?” Why not have a contract stating what they WILL do? Has anyone ever tried to deposit a “promise” in the bank? Is that the best the Supervisor could do for Hamlin? A “promise” to “help?”

So, if the idea harms residents, puts local people out of work, fails to lower the cost of water- WHY would he do it?

We can only speculate.

Some residents think Warner has been promised a job with the Water Authority after he retires in exchange for the gift.

Some, and this has come from several well connected sources, believe he wants to hand out a little pork while he still has the power.

Apparently there has been a proposal to install a waterline down Brick Schoolhouse Road. The plan has languished because there simply are not enough residents to make it affordable. NYS would not approve the water bond and the district would be rejected.

But not if the County “helps!”

Who lives on this part of Brick Schoolhouse Road? Why none other than Judy Hazen! Hazen, of course, is Republican Town Leader and commander-in-chief of the Warner Republicans! Judy Hazen is the boss of the “Good-Ole-Boys.” Hazen was the person who threatened members of the Hamlin Republican committee at primary time saying, “If you don’t carry a petition for Pat MacIntosh, you are OFF this committee!” While Warner’s planned succession failed miserably, it would be normal for Warner to disregard the good of the entire community just to provide his loyal supporter with a perk.

Can anyone doubt it?

So next Christmas, when company is over and a waterline breaks in the cellar, call the Monroe County Water Authority. You can speak to a nice friendly tape machine, like when you call Niagra-Mohawk. Leave a message. They’ll get back to you.

* * * * *

***UPDATE**** It is widely reported that the reason "The Department isn't making enough money," is because Candidate Pat MacIntosh MISSED A DEADLINE for a water bill payment and that triggered a PENALTY OF $4000!!!

The Blog! will be seeking the records on this!

* * * * *
PS: This illegal “Executive Session” dealt with obvious public information! Once again, no member of the Town Board had the courage, the ethics or the moral fiber to stand up and STOP the meeting. No protest, no dissent. Warner declared an illegal act and the Town Board members consent to participate. Like the guy who drives the car for the bank robbers- they are just as guilty.

For larger version click on this link- Open_Country2-1.JPG

This letter was submitted by Ms. Jeanine Klopp, Asst.Chair of the Hamlin Democratic Committee.


In a time of great uncertainty it is comforting to know that there are dedicated people committed to ideas and values which will make our community a better, safer place to live. These are the principles of the Hamlin Democratic Committee, adopted by resolution in July.

Preserving our rural and agricultural environment
We believe Hamlin must act aggressively to establish limits on development and protect agriculture. Local government must produce a smart, strong and forward-looking Comprehensive Plan which developers and residents can use as a road map for growth, even as it is the foundation of preservation.

Justice for all
We believe that all local laws should be applied and enforced fairly. That every resident is valued and considered equal. We believe that whenever a resident has a problem, or seeks help, local government will respond quickly and with respect. There should be no exceptions.

Open Government
We believe government belongs to the people: that the public has an inalienable right to open meetings and transparent management. We believe it is the duty of local government to actively inform citizens of the issues and decisions it makes, to reach out to the community in a reliable, truthful manner. We believe in welcoming and encouraging residents to take an active role in the town’s management and in the planning of its future.

Prudent and Responsible Administration
The mission of government at any level is to promote and protect
the, “health, safety and welfare” of its citizens. This includes spending tax dollars frugally and intelligently. It means ensuring that every transaction the town enters into is carefully scrutinized to maximize the benefits for the community.

The Importance of Family
Economic forces have created great strains on the American family. Most homes in Hamlin now have two wage earners. Over 85% of our workers drive sixty minutes or more to their jobs every day. Hamlin is where families reconnect, where they relax and recreate. Local government should focus its attention and resources on providing the services which best, most effectively, serve the needs of our working families.

For too long local government has lost contact with what is genuinely important to citizens. It is time to remedy that. This Declaration of Principles is also our political platform. If you believe that these ideals have value please consider supporting our goal of improving local government.

To learn more visit our website at hamlindems.com or attend one of our meetings held on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Town Hall.

Jeanine Klopp

Assistant Chair
Hamlin Democratic Committee

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The Blog! invites other political parties and organizations to submit their letters of purpose.

For years The Blog! has been warning residents about the stubborn campaign, waged by Zoning Board Chairman Norm Baas, to ruin the rural character of Hamlin. In direct opposition to the facts, published research, expert opinion and government studies, Norm Baas has insisted that Hamlin must have smaller lot sizes in our agricultural districts.

His destructive plan is about to be achieved.

The alleged “Comprehensive Plan” Committee, which has been in existence for OVER three years, has finally produced a proposal! The ONLY item of significance in it is the recommendation to shrink the lot sizes.

(While taking three years to produce almost nothing would be noteworthy in other circumstances, it is commonplace in Hamlin. It is SOP and a analysis of the “product “ will be forthcoming!)

According to members of the Committee, past and present, virtually every meeting began with a tedious monologue by Baas about reducing lot sizes. Mind you, he NEVER offered supporting data, never provided any evidence to prove his assertion, he simply, tirelessly, echoed his opinion over and over and over. Perhaps just to shut him up the “Committee” agreed to his position.

However, they did “compromise.” Instead of the two acre parcels Baas wanted they settled on three.

Now, what do the experts in NYS say? The official recommendation of the Agricultural and Markets Department, the Planning Federation and the Department of State is that the BEST way to protect farmland from development is by having minimum lot sizes of TEN ACRES!

These aren’t baseless suggestions either. They have been implemented in many communities and the proof is there. Towns with smaller lot sizes transform into suburbs much more rapidly. Larger lot sizes are a disincentive to both seller and buyer. People who want a “farmette” or country living life style will be willing to purchase the bigger lots. If a farmer has to sell ten acres to a builder the sacrifice to his ag business is significant. That is the FORCE which protects agriculture. It is proven.

But don’t bother Norm Baas with the facts. He is stubborn, old fashioned, out of touch with contemporary planning stategies- and obsessed by this one idea.

Norm is twenty five years behind the times. Oh, and he’s the Chairman of Hamlin’s Zoning Board.

A man who won’t do any research, who holds destructive opinions and refuses to substantiate them- HE is in charge of zoning in Hamlin!

Readers of The Blog! are urged to be alert to the public hearings on this awful proposal and turn out to oppose it!
*** *** ***

Please click on the link below to read about an enlightened NYS farming community which recently INCREASED its minimum lot sizes to ten acres. Their local government is mostly farmers!

PlanningNews.jpg

WHEN "GOOD GUY" IS NOT ENOUGH

FEMA's Brown was a "Good Guy"

In last month’s Republican Primary a new generation of voters joined forces with a broad cross section of more traditional Hamlin voters to oust the Warner administration from power. The vote against Pat MacIntosh was a staggering 67%! Fully two-thirds of the Republicans who were involved, informed and motivated enough to cast primary votes sent a clear message: “Out With The Old!”

It was the first chime from the bell announcing the end of the “Good-Ole-Boy” era.

There will be a new Supervisor that is certain. Dennis Roach has the credentials, the education and the experience to be Hamlin’s first “modern” leader. Roach has had a long professional career in the navy and private sector. Individuals who advance in the military must show ambition, determination, competitiveness and a commitment to education.

These are exactly the virtues that have been missing from local government for too many years!

Hamlin confronts many serious issues in it’s future. The most important of which is the speed and shape of development. For almost a decade the Chairman of the Zoning Board, Norm Baas, has advocated reducing the minimum lot size in agricultural, low-density districts. This is precisely the opposite of what dozens of studies, in NYS and across the US, prove is the method to preserve and protect farmland. ***

Meanwhile, for years the Chairman of the Planning Board, Jim Nesbitt, has pushed a clandestine plan to find government money for his pet issue: Getting tax-payers subsidize the Brockport Yacht Club! With Warner’s consent, Nesbitt quietly created the specious “Sandy Harbor Management Committee,” a bogus, wasteful expansion of local government. The Committee was invented as an “official” entity to disguise the goal of obtaining grants to pay for the dredging needed to allow sailboats out to the lake. The Yacht Club, in a painfully obvious reversal of the “Personal Responsibility” virtue claimed by conservatives, reasoned that if other boaters use the inlet then the taxpayers ought to fund the dredging! The BYC pretended it didn’t know that power and pleasure craft don’t require dredging! Nesbitt’s shabby committee hit a moral low point when it claimed that one of it’s goals included “ Homeland Security,” thereby enabling it to apply for Federal grant money!

The new Supervisor will be saddled by a Town Board comprised of men who have had their government jobs for too long. Rose, Todd and Rath are conditioned by too many years of service to an apathetic and dysfunctional administration. Hamlin’s town Board is renowned for its lack of imagination, initiative and willingness to work. While they “liaison” with local organizations, they have never studied or discussed critical planning and development issues.

However, they are all “good guys!” No question about that. Each of these individuals is bright, friendly and out-going. They just don’t DO anything. Being a “good guy” is not very hard. Studying, committing to on-going training and analyzing complicated ideas is. Voters must consider if “good guy” is sufficient reason to support local officials who hold the future of the community in their hands.

Dennis Roach is obviously a smart, pro-active individual motivated by a genuine desire for public service. Unfortunately for him, he will likely inherit a disinterested, dysfunctional Town Board.

It’s unfortunate for Hamlin too. One step forward, three steps back.

==================================================================

*** Read a story from the Spring 2005 "PLANNING NEWS" published by the New York Planning Federation about the Town of Flemming, outside Auburn. The community is 90% agricultural and recently passed a new zoning ordinance making the minimum lot size in Ag. District TEN ACRES! The Supervisor, a third generation farmer, said, there is "strong support from the local farm community" for the new law.

NOTE: This is a LARGE .jpeg file so give it a moment to load.

PlanningNews.jpg

HE'S BAAAAACK!!

Local chicken farmer Jim Breslawski is back at it. Like some horrible bad penny he reappeared last night at the meeting of the Hamlin Republican Committee. Our beloved and fearless leader, Supervisor Warner, actually nominated Breslawski for membership on the committee!!!

Paul Rath, finally mustering some juavos, challenged the nomination saying that since Breslawski didn’t live in Hamlin he was not eligible for membership. The enraged, red-faced SlawMan hissed, “I DO live in Hamlin. That’s all been taken care of!” Then he swore at Rath a little bit and finished by saying, “I have been reinstated.”

I don't think so...and it's news to the MC Board of ElectionS!

How was Jim “reinstated?” He simply filled out and mailed in a new voter registration card claiming he lived at 1534 North Hamlin Road!

He did this ONE MONTH after the Monroe County Board of Elections ruled that he DID NOT reside at 1534 North Hamlin Road and revoked his right to vote in Hamlin!

ONE MONTH!*

Once again, everybody in town knows that JB lives at 26 Deer Track Lane in CLARKSON!

Jim just doesn’t care.

Is this rational behavior? Does it make sense to risk felony prosecution for voter fraud? Does Austin Warner have even half a brain?

Arrogance and blind, stupid stubbornness is the likely answer.

Bawwkk! Stay tuned!

[*Go to The Blog archives for Thursday, March 24, 2005 to see the letter from the Board of Elections, dated 3/18/05 and read about JB resiging from the Planning Board as a consequence. Jim's "new" voter registration was recorded in the BoE offices on 4/13/05!]

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The sodas are in a cooler on my front porch. Help yourself. They're really old and warm. Mostly flat.

More on the marathon 2 1/2 hour HRC meeting coming. Judy Hazen and Butch Warner's power play largely failed. It gradually dawned on them that alienating 95% of Hamlin Republicans was not a good move.

The Editor

HE'S BAAAAACK!!

Local chicken farmer Jim Breslawski is back at it. Like some horrible bad penny he reappeared last night at the meeting of the Hamlin Republican Committee. Our beloved and fearless leader, Supervisor Warner, actually nominated Breslawski for membership on the committee!!!

Paul Rath, finally mustering some juavos, challenged the nomination saying that since Breslawski didn’t live in Hamlin he was not eligible for membership. The enraged, red-faced SlawMan hissed, “I DO live in Hamlin. That’s all been taken care of!” Then he swore at Rath a little bit and finished by saying, “I have been reinstated.”

I don't think so...and it's news to the MC Board of ElectionS!

How was Jim “reinstated?” He simply filled out and mailed in a new voter registration card claiming he lived at 1534 North Hamlin Road!

He did this ONE MONTH after the Monroe County Board of Elections ruled that he DID NOT reside at 1534 North Hamlin Road and revoked his right to vote in Hamlin!

ONE MONTH!*

Once again, everybody in town knows that JB lives at 26 Deer Track Lane in CLARKSON!

Jim just doesn’t care.

Is this rational behavior? Does it make sense to risk felony prosecution for voter fraud? Does Austin Warner have even half a brain?

Arrogance and blind, stupid stubbornness is the likely answer.

Bawwkk! Stay tuned!

[*Go to The Blog archives for Thursday, March 24, 2005 to see the letter from the Board of Elections, dated 3/18/05 and read about JB resiging from the Planning Board as a consequence. Jim's "new" voter registration was recorded in the BoE offices on 4/13/05!]

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The sodas are in a cooler on my front porch. Help yourself. They're really old and warm. Mostly flat.

More on the marathon 2 1/2 hour HRC meeting coming. Judy Hazen and Butch Warner's power play largely failed. It gradually dawned on them that alienating 95% of Hamlin Republicans was not a good move.

The Editor

The Thing That Wouldn’t Die!

The local Republican rumor-mill is buzzing with the story that Austin Warner thinks he has enough political currency to try for a power grab inside the Hamlin Republican Committee!

It seems Warner wants to take control of the party by becoming the new Chairman! Al Campbell, the present chair was hand-picked by Warner, plucked fresh from the Knights of Columbus at SEAS. Warner wants the job now that he is “retiring” as Supervisor.

He is like the trick birthday candle that won’t go out!

Doesn’t Warner realize that he has completely blown his authority inside the party? He just finished leading Steve Minarik, Pat MacIntosh and Gerry Hutchison into the Little Big Horn of Republican primaries! Despite this, he thinks that he has sufficient influence to make himself Chairman.

WAKE UP, AUSTIN!

YOU BLEW IT!

Hamlin’s Republican voters just decided who has the authority to speak for them. Dennis Roach collected 54% of the vote- more than MacIntosh and Hollink combined! That vote was a crystal clear mandate. The power in the Hamlin Republican Committee belongs to the victors.

That’s what democracy is about.

Is it astonishing pridefulness that permits Warner to think he still has some authority? Who would support him? Does the little clique of GOB’s who rigged the nomination for MacIntosh last spring still believe they rule the party?

Does Warner think he has any credibility with Monroe County Republicans after turning in such a disaster in the primary? Steve Minarik must be furious that he bought into Warner’s salesmanship and backed such big losers.

Warner played all his cards and was trumped on every one. He tried to bluff the voters but they kept raising him. Roach and Marchetti took all his cash. Warner is busted and out of the game.

Republican voters sent a powerful message to their Committee, and the members had better heed it: The winners of the primary DON’T NEED YOU!

HUZZAH! HUZZAH!
Zoning Board acts to community’s benefit!

In Monday’s ZBA meeting the request by the developer for “Country Estates” to have .3 acre lots was denied!

This is good news for Hamlin. The developer asserted that the homes he planned to build on these tiny lots would sell for $175,000- righhhht.

Too bad for Hamlin the ZBA failed to make their determination based on the most important reason for refusal: Hamlin does not need any more “cheap” housing.

Residents want limitations on new development and this 70+ unit project would not have been an asset to the community. THAT is a legitimate reason for refusal.

As expected ZBA Chairman Norm Baas did his usual head-shaking routine about how the board was going to be sued, demonstrating once again how little he knows about his job! Baas showed both his ignorance of zoning matters and his unshakable prejudice for granting variances regardless of their impact on the community.

Good job Zoning Board! You did the right thing. Maybe next time you can do it for the right reasons.

FOOTNOTE: It is ironic that the first significant variance request was denied right after the Zoning Law was modified to MAKE IT EASIER TO GRANT THEM!

NEW TODAY!
Political Cartoon by Jimmy M. Bell
Cick on link...
EmperorDOA.jpg

The benefits just keep piling up!

Friday night, 9/16.

Nine PM.

Gas prices:
Tops 3.09
Bob’s 3.01
Prince’s 3.11
K&K 3.09

Thank you Hamlin Planning & Zoning Boards!

When the Tops Corporation asked for five variances and approval to build a gas station within 1/4 mile of three others, the Boards assured the public that the benefit to them would be lower gas prices. With plenty of winks and nods, these geniuses assured Hamlin residents that another gas station would benefit us.

Plenty of citizens, including the other station owners, small business persons who live and work in Hamlin, told board members that the actual result would be a loss of revenues to their businesses of about 25% EACH! With plenty of nods and winks the public looked at each other and said, “Somebody’s gonna fold.”

Most benevolent Planning Board Co-Chairman Jim Nesbitt pontificated on the challenges he faced when Tops started selling cards in competition with his wife’s gift shop. His expert economic advice to the other gas station owners was essentially, “You’ll live...or you won’t.”

That’s how Hamlin’s local government works. They sure know what they’re talking about.

And we REALLY appreciate the lower gas prices too!

. . . . . . USS Hamlin Disaster goes to the bottom

SHIP OF STATE SCUTTLED

A new generation of Republican voters spoke with an overwhelming voice in last night's primary election. The message was clear and decisive.

WE WANT NEW LEADERSHIP!

Tired of the dissmal "Good-ole-boy" organization which has crippled local government for nearly a decade, Republican voters came out in unprecedented numbers to stage a dramatic, and uncontestible, coupe.

Austin Warner's hand picked successors, Pat MacIntosh for Supervisor and Gerry Hutchison for Town Board, were crushed by challengers Dennis Roach and Mike Marchetti.

The two men, campaigning as a team, swept the vote grabbing a huge 50% total in a three way race for Supervisor and four way contest for town board.

Supporter's gathered at "North of the Border" resturant to celebrate.

"This is a tremendous victory!" said former Town Board member Ed Evans. "It shows that Hamlin Republicans were fed up with the abuse of power. They have given these new leaders a huge mandate."

"These election results will revitalize the Hamlin Republican Committee," said Sue Evans. "Many of the good people who were driven away will be anxious to return."

Despite a torrent of money from Monroe County Republican Chairman Steven Minarik the MacIntosh campaign was a complete bust. Estimates of MacIntosh's spending run as high as ten thousand dollars, unprecedented for any campaign in Hamlin, astonishing for a primary.

"I think the County GOP did their survey and were shocked that local Republicans were not willing to blindly support the endorsed candidates." said one local Marchetti supporter, "Minarik tried to buy Hamlin and found out it wasn't for sale!"

The lame-duck administration of the Hamlin Republican Committee trekked to the turf of the victorious challengers to offer their bewildered congratulations. One observer remarked, "It's hard to imagine what they have to say to Denny and Mike. They didn't back them and threatened anybody who did with being kicked off the committee. I suppose it's gracious."

Political observers anticipate that the desiccated remains of the Warner Republicans will soon be forced to exit the HRC.

"They backed the wrong horses," said a lifelong resident and Republican. "They overplayed their hand. They are now obsolete. Roach and Marchetti don't owe them anything. The voters have spoken overwhelmingly. The old guard is gone."

. . Only Steve Minarik's inedible head and feet remain after his Cane Corso attack dogs turned on him. The animal later died of rabies.

LIAR FLYER, Part 75

If anyone needed more proof that Pat MacIntosh’s campaign is being managed and funded by Steve Minarik, they only have to look at the stupid “attack flyer" Republicans received yesterday.

And it is, REALLY STUPID! The attack is about Shirley missing two budget votes in five years. Of course, it doesn’t reveal that Austin Warner orchestrated one of those absences, calling a special meeting specifically on a date she was going to be out of town! Hollink objected, and asked for an earlier date when she would be in Hamlin, but Warner and the Town Board overruled her!

Her other absence was to attend the funeral of her mother-in-law! Nice of PatMac to criticsize Hollink for THAT!

Naturally, they failed to mention that PatMac never attended ANY MEETINGS about ANYTHING, save the ones on the budget! PatMac’s “attendance” was non-existent!

Why didn’t Minarik attack Shirley on REAL issues? Hollink has been a determined opponent of the Hamlin library since it began. Hollink has always participated in illegal “Executive Sessions” where public business is conducted in private. A “real” campaign” would pick on real issues. This is just the usual Minarik smear stuff.

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$$$$$$$$$$$

When MacIntosh’s campaign ends, the cost will approach $10,000!

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!

For a PRIMARY!

What is going on here? Steve Minarik didn’t even know how to spell Hamlin until two months ago! Now he’s dumping ten grand into a PRIMARY?

Something is very, very fishy. If PatMac is elected, Hamlin government will owe a tremendous dept to Minarik.

What will it be? What will it be?
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DOGS OF WAR

This pattern of four “nice-nice” mailers followed by two nasty vicious attack pieces is standard, CLASSIC, Steve Minarik campaign style. He always shoots off his mouth about “negative advertising” but he practices it more than anyone, everyone else combined.

Republicans can expect to receive a flyer today attacking Dennis Roach. Roach has extremely good credentials and plenty of experience to be a town Supervisor- in ANY town. Roach retired from the Navy as a Warfare Captain. From there he administered several organizations for the military and then, as a civilian, managed educational programs for both SUNY Brockport and Gates/Chili.

Roach has a Masters degree in Public Administration. How will PatMac and Minarik attack THAT?!

The Blog predicts that Minarik will accuse Roach of “inexperience,” that he doesn’t “know the community” and that he’s “soft on Democrats.”

Roach has been a Hamlin resident for almost ten years, he has a world of practical management experience and believes that good government is inclusive.

It will be interesting to see how the Minarik/MacIntosh attack dogs try to sink the Captain.

RELEASE THE HOUNDS! We'll see if they can swim.

LIAR-FLYER The Devil is in the Details!

LIAR-FLYER The Devil is in the Details!

By now Hamlin's long suffering Republicans have seen at least four of these propaganda pieces. As described below these 8x10, four-color, glossy, two-sided flyers are VERY expensive. They have, obviously, been paid for with out-of-town money.

There is NO WAY Pat MacIntosh has raised $5000 plus for a PRIMARY campaign!

Why is Steve Minarik and the Monroe County Republican Committee so interested in making sure that Pat MacIntosh is elected supervisor?

What do they have to gain? What are they trying to protect? What are they afraid of?

Maggie Brooks seems to be deeply involved in this primary effort. She appears on MacIntosh's mailing and has recorded an automated phone message.

Most people know that the Monroe County GOP is closely linked to developers and construction companies. Typically, the top five donors to the County Executive campaigns are builders.

DeMarco is a developer and signifigant contributor to the GOP.

Could this be the link?

Mike Marchetti was the principle organizer to the effort to stop the DeMarco low-income housing project. Marchetti is allied with Dennis Roach.

Is the money being spent on Pat MacIntosh "pay back" for blocking the DeMarco project?

What is Pat MacIntosh going to owe her Monroe County GOP sponsors?

How bad will that be for Hamlin?

I wish we knew.

*************************************************************
Item #1: For the past four years Pat MacIntosh has represented Austin Warner in all matters relating to the town budget. During public hearings MacIntosh has fielded all questions from taxpayers and Town Board members alike. She alone could answer questions about transfers, changes in line-items and increases or reductions. It was apparent that MacIntosh, not Warner, created and managed Hamlin’s budget.

That makes her responsible for it, even if she was never elected to do it!

MacIntosh is responsible for a compounded increase in Town taxes of almost 10% since Warner came into office!

MacIntosh had the responsibility but not the accountability. Maybe the taxpayers will do that now!

* * * * *
Item #2: “Preserve Hamlin’s quality of life and provide valuable services to residents of all ages.” Oh, OK Pat!

MacIntosh has been one of the most dogged and aggressive opponents of the Hamlin library, second only to Shirley Hollink!

MacIntosh was the architect of a scheme to grab the library’s $200,000 bequest and put it into the town budget! Working behind the scenes, she pushed Warner to write a Town Board resolution which would have snatched the library’s gift away!

MacIntosh wanted to grab the library money to try to keep the tax increases down!

The Trustees of the Hamlin library had to fight tooth and nail to protect those funds which were designated for building and new books. Luckily for Hamlin, the Trustees were tough and well advised. They refused to sign the resolution. Ultimately, they made MacIntosh and Warner back down and preserved the bequest.

MacIntosh, of course, has never used the library herself! That’s why stealing it’s endowment is compatible with, “ provide valuable services.”

* * * * *
Item #3: Gerry Hutchinson says, “Through the development of the comprehensive master plan we have crafted a vision that will preserve the rural character of our town.”

WHAT RUBBISH!

He doesn’t even know the NAME of the thing he’s supposed to be writing!

Hutchinson has “chaired” this committee for over two years and the document is not yet delivered!

The old one is 26 pages! In all likelihood less then 20% of it will be changed. How hard can it be? How many years does it take to update 6 pages???

The Blog appreciates some of the problems Hutchinson has had to cope with. A key member of the committee is Hamlin’s Zoning Board Chairman Norm Baas and, as everyone knows, Norm hates to read. It must have been very difficult to move the process along with players like that on the team.

Of course, Gerry doesn’t mention that the public has been prohibited from attending his meetings! All these Warner Republicans spew noise about “open government” but Gerry Hutchinson’s Comprehensive Plan Re-Write Committee is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!

Unfortunately for Hamlin taxpayers Gerry’s “vision” will have to wait a while. Under the law any committee closed to public scrutiny becomes “advisory” only. Whatever “plan” he comes up with will have to be entirely re-written by the Town Board! That’s the only way to make it legal!

Hamlin has seen a 10% increase in approved housing in 2005 alone!!! I hope Hutchinson doesn’t dawdle too much longer on “his vision.”

ANOTHER LIAR-FLYER!

The Blog asked Molly Clifford, manager of the Duffy-For-Mayor campaign, to estimate the cost of the glossy, four-color flyers Pat MacIntosh is mailing to every Republican in Hamlin.

Clifford judged that EACH PIECE cost about seventy cents to produce and mail. $.70 EACH!

There are about 2400 Republicans registered in Hamlin. Many are two Republican households but about half are not. This means that the MacIntosh flyers are being mailed to about 1800 addresses. 1800 homes x 4 flyers x $.70 equals $5040!

Five thousand bucks! And there will probably be more!

No doubt Pat wants us to believe she is a, “fiscal conservative.”

The latest flyer has a picture of all the endorsed candidates with Maggie Brooks and carries a “message” from her. Brooks says, “My highest priority as your County Executive is property tax stability.”

Maggie Brooks campaigned to lower taxes, promised to not cut services and pledged to balance the county budget. Immediately upon her election she raised property taxes by about 16% (the single largest hike in county government history,) she cut services and failed to balance the budget.

Thanks for the endorsement!

MacIntosh pledges, “...to keep town taxes stable so that Hamlin will remain a desirable place to live and raise a family.” However, for the five years she worked for Austin Warner town taxes increased every year! If you read her literature or talk to her boosters they will tell you that it was actually MacIntosh who designed and administered the town budget. That means it was actually MacIntosh who raised your taxes five years in a row.

The truth is that Pat MacIntosh and Austin Warner never could manage the Town Budget. That’s why she needs to try to BUY this election!

With the help of a few lousy endorsements and a lot of county money!

Click here to see the latest Liar Flyer.
Hamlin%20Maggie%20Flyer%20back.JPG
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Yesterday automated phone messages by Maggie Brooks began hitting Hamlin homes. These cost around .13 - .15 cents per call. Times 1800 homes! Why is the County so desperate for MacIntosh to win this primary? After all, the other challengers are REPUBLICANS TOO!
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NEW! NEW! POLITICAL CARTOON! Click here:
%21Pat-Maggie%20Cartoon.JPG

Beginning around the first week in August the Monroe County Republican Committee began an exhaustive telephone survey of Hamlin Republicans. They intentionally minimized their identity to better elicit the truth from voters. They were shocked and frightened by what they heard.

They learned that average Hamlin Republicans were extremely dissatisfied with the Warner administration, it’s policies and it’s failure to lead the town in a positive direction. County GOP leaders learned that change was imminent. They heard that most Republicans would not support Austin Warner’s hand-picked candidate, his secretary, Pat MacIntosh.

Upon learning this they summoned local Republican leadership to find out what was happening.

The Monroe County Republican machine is much like a union “closed shop.” They are organized in a hierarchical fashion, similar to an army. Like the military, they expect and demand absolute loyalty and obedience. A structure like this cannot tolerate variations. The edifice is bound by an understanding that every unit unquestioningly supports the decisions and actions of every other. This is a rigid, inflexible command structure.

This is one reason why it is so very successful in electing candidates and such a failure at helping citizens. The Monroe County Republican Committee is about getting and keeping POWER. Legislative power. Principally the power to direct tax dollars into projects which profit their supporters and financiers.

Even a cursory review of the top donors to county Republican campaigns reveal the obvious relationship between construction companies and legislation creating construction projects. The county GOP is owned and operated by business- big corporations.

Look at the pointless “Renaissance Center.”

Or Haliburton. Republicans stealing from the taxpayers and handing and it to their friends in business- the worst kept secret in America.

This rigid system can only function properly when each unit acts in concert with all the others. So when the County GOP machine found out that there was overwhelming dissension by Republican voters toward the existing administration and its endorsed candidates they reacted in the only way they could.

They committed thousand and thousands of dollars in an effort to get those endorsed candidates elected.

Never mind whether they were good or bad, effective, educated, visionary. None of that junk mattered. All that mattered is that the party structure be preserved. Since Austin Warner and his little clique of 15 or 16 old-time players control the local Republican committee, they stood to receive the full financial backing and campaigning clout of the Monroe County Republican machine.

That is exactly what has happened.

Last week Republicans were mildly surprised to receive a glossy 8 x 10, four-color, two-sided, flyer in their mail. Many were even more surprized when they received another one two days later. Then everyone was startled when a THIRD glossy 8x10 arrived yesterday.

There will probably be another one too.

Normally, campaign literature carries identification of who has paid for the product and the mailing. These flyers are unidentified! They have only this message, “Not paid for at taxpayer expense.” Yesterday’s mailing featured a photo of Supervisor Warner and his hand-picked successor Pat MacIntosh. The banner headline said, “A Personal Message from Supervisor Warner.” This mailing is exclusively a campaign piece for Ms. MacIntosh yet it has no mention of the sponsor. No where does it say “Paid for by the committee to elect...”

It is almost a certainty that this mailing was paid for by the Monroe County Republicans. In all likelihood it was produced by Steve Minarik’s personal advertising agency as well.

If it was, it violates New York State Election Law. Just like the Hamlin Republican Committee has violated the law.

But hey, “We’re Republicans! Who cares about the law? Who cares about ethics? Who cares about anything but getting our guys elected so we can hand them millions and millions in tax dollars?”

What is the result of Republican governance in America today?

Nationally, we are crippled by a national debt larger then any in history; Bloodied and burdened by a war of aggression with no concept of victory; Revealed to the entire world as a racist nation uninterested in saving the lives of poor citizens; a government greedily dedicated to a predatory plan of “Privatization” and “Global Markets;” a nation which has abandoned the founding principles of fairness and equality in taxation; America is now a nation who’s organizing principle is to find ways of giving more to the wealthiest few at the expense of the rest.

On the county level we hear relentless complaining about a social safety net for our poorest, most vulnerable citizens challenged only by the drumbeat for more tax dollars to build entirely valueless construction projects.

In Hamlin we read lies on campaign literature about “open government,” “lower Taxes,” and “Preserving our Local Character.”

The truth is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE! But truth is the cost of sustaining Republican legislative power. Lying is cheap and the rewards are so great.

The machine is a great success. Utterly corrupt, throughly immoral, but a huge success.

* * *

Click on link below to see the Warner/MacIntosh flyer.
AW%23%20.JPG

HAMLIN REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE VIOLATES ELECTION LAW!

HAMLIN REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE VIOLATES ELECTION LAW!

Documents obtained by The Blog reveal that the Hamlin GOP has illegally financed Pat MacIntosh!

In a serious violation of New York Election Law the Hamlin Republican Committee has been caught red-handed making illegal contributions to Supervisor Warner’s hand-picked successor. Disclosure Statements, filed with the Board of Elections, reveal that the HRC gave $750 to Warner’s secretary, Pat MacIntosh in her bid to win the upcoming Republican Primary.

“Election Law is very clear on this point,” said an official from the BoE, “Every candidate in a Primary contest must be treated equally. All Party organizations are barred from donating to, or otherwise underwriting, ANY candidate- including the endorsed one!”

A Primary is a special election limited to the enrolled voters of one party. The local committee may endorse a candidate. However, if a person obtains the required number of signatures of party members he or she becomes a legitimate and equal contender.

This year in Hamlin two people are challenging the endorsed candidate. Town Board member Shirley Hollink and retired Naval Captain Dennis Roach are competing for the nomination. Neither one has received anymoney from the local Republican Committee.

Corrupt or simply stupid?

The Disclosure Statement of the Hamlin Republican Committee plainly lists a payment on June 28, 2005 to, “The Campaign to Elect Pat MacIntosh.” The official Disclosure Statement of MacIntosh shows she received the payment the same day.

Some residents are questioning the motives of the HRC.

“Could they be that dumb?” asked one local Republican who asked to remain anonymous, “I mean, they had to know it’s not legal. This isn’t their first primary. They just don’t care.”

Another Hamlin Republican speculated that the illegal contribution reveals how badly the MacIntosh campaign is faltering. “They must be desperate. The Committee know it’s illegal for them to donate but they don’t care about the law. They must be very scared.”

Who are these people?

MacIntosh has received money from some other questionable sources.

* On June 17, 2005 she got $1217.36 from “The Campaign to Elect Austin Warner.” This is apparently the remains of Warner’s personal war chest. Most of that money is left over from $3000 donated by the Monroe County Republican Committee to the HRC in 2003 which was later transferred into Warner’s personal committee.

* $500 was contributed by Angel & Michilina G. Grande of 3 Summer Haven Drive. Readers of The Blog will remember that this was the residence which received a citation from Building Inspector Larry Gursslin which led to his firing. Gursslin found the property to be in violation of Hamlin Zoning code and issued a citation followed by a summons for “failure to conform.” Supervisor Warner came under intense political pressure from neighbors who intimated he would suffer political reprisals if he didn’t force the Building Inspector to drop the matter.

When Gursslin refused to dishonor his oath of office, Warner had him fired by a 3 to 2 vote of the Town Board. Councilman Evans and Paul Rath both stated, on the record, that the dismissal was not legal since it failed to follow the procedures described in the Town’s Employee Handbook.

Shirley Hollink and George Todd joined Warner in voting to terminate.

Gursslin subsequently filed suit against the town for federal civil rights violations, restoration of his job, back pay and other damages. The case is pending before Federal Court in Rochester and will likely result in Hamlin losing it’s Liability Insurance coverage.

* On July 25, Mr. William Sentiff of 188 Creighton Street, Rochester 14612 donated $250 and J. A. Doberstein Jr., PO Box 10252, Rochester, NY 14610 donated $500.

It is likely that these donations came from a pool of contributors maintained by Monroe County Republican Party Chairman Steve Minarik. These are loyal Republicans willing to send money to campaigns which are in trouble. Because the money does not go through the County organization there is no violation of Election law. Not in the letter of the law anyway.

* The Pinewood Country Club, 1189 Ogden-Parma Town-line Road, 14559, kicked in $250 and The Garden Factory, 2126 Buffalo Road, 14624 put in $100. Donations of this type are commonly referred to as “Special Interest.”

=================================
Relevant Part of NYS Election Law
§ 2-126. Party funds; restrictions on expenditures.
No contributions of money, or the equivalent thereof, made, directly
or indirectly, to any party, or to any party committee or to any person
representing or acting on behalf of a party or party committee, or any moneys
in the treasury of any party, or party committee, shall be expended in aid of the designation or nomination of any person to be voted for at a primary election either as a candidate for nomination for public office, or for any party position.
===============================

Click on links below to see the relevant pages of the Disclosure Statement as .jpeg files.
Statement from MacIntosh Committee showing individual contributors
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Statement from MacIntosh Committee showing Hamlin Republican Committee "Transfer"
%21PatMac%20donations%20GOP%201-05.jpg

Statement from Hamlin Republican Committee showing "Transfer" to MacIntosh committee in violation of Election Law
%21Pat%20Mac%20GOP%20Xfer%201-05.jpg

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A final note: During January and February of ‘05 the Hamlin Republicans apparently held a series of raffles for fund raising purposes. These were some type of “lottery.” Winners included: Al Campbell $25; Tom Ingraham, $50; and Jim Nesbitt, $25. This is hillarious- THEY ALL KEPT THE MONEY!

IS HAMLIN DOOMED?
(See Correction below)

Not far west of Hamlin is a gigantic mixed-income housing tract on Route 31A in Holley. It is a vast project of “double-wides,” and it has proven to be a disaster for the Town.

Local officials are loath to talk about it because the agricultural land sold to the developer came from some of the Town’s most prestigious farms. Although the community was promised that the housing project would benefit them, the reverse has happened.

Many of the inhabitants of these "estates" gobble up services while returning practically nothing in tax relief. According to a knowledgeable source the Holley school district now has the highest concentration of “special needs” students, per capita, in New York State. Because the project offers such cheap entry level housing it has become a magnet for broken families, prisoner families, and cohabitation of convenience.

Hamlin may be facing a similar project but our Zoning and Planning Boards don’t see it.

Last month the Planning Board gave preliminary approval to a proposal to build 70 houses adjacent to, and south of, Lake Breeze. What makes this plan such a potential disaster is that the developer wants .3 acre lots. POINT THREE ACRE! Right now, under Hamlin Zoning Code, the smallest permissible lot size is .4 acres in a Residential-High Density district!

The builder wants lot sizes smaller than those in Huntington Park.

What kind of houses could those possibly be?

The Planning Board, as it normally does, ducked any serious inquiry into the validity of the plan. Instead, as it normally does, handed it off to the Zoning Board for their decision on a variance.

The courageous folks on the Planning Board, always diligent to protecting Hamlin from undesirable development, once again hid behind the skirts of Norm Baas and the horrifically incompetent Zoning Board.

To Baas’s credit, he promptly held a joint “workshop” with the ZBA, the PB and a few members of the advisory Conservation Board. Only Dave Rose from the Town Board showed up to listen.

Unfortunately for Hamlin property owners the workshop produced absolutely nothing. Nothing but the inevitable head-shaking of Baas and his predictably vague but dire warnings about being sued by the developer if he is denied.

NOTHING people! Just a prolonged conversation about the punishing effects of small lot sizes on the Zoning Board! The entire conversation seemed to revolve around how the ZB was going to have to spend the next few years granting set-back variances for these new homeowners to put in pools and decks.

As usual, it was all about them!

This meeting, which held promise for finding a way to kill this bad idea, collapsed into a muddle of whining about how much work it would be for the Zoning Board! What a bunch!

This is important to note: not one person, not a single appointed or elected official who attended the workshop questioned whether the proposed development was good for Hamlin!

Not one.

No one asked if the project fit into the Comprehensive Plan. No one asked the essential philosophical question of this community: “DO WE NEED ANYMORE HOUSING PROJECTS?”

Nobody asked if the proposal was “in conformance” with the dominant philosophy of the existing property owners in Hamlin which is- “NO MORE DEVELOPMENT!”

Why didn’t they ask?

The answer is simple. They don’t think like that. They are conditioned to look at every project like it has a RIGHT to be built. Norm Baas espouses an antiquated, cock-eyed, pseudo-Libertarian notion that if you own land you are entitled to exploit it any way you want.

Sorry Norm. That idea was swept away with the first zoning law at the turn of the century! The 19th century!

Zoning laws exist to protect taxpayers from having the value of their property destroyed by the self-interests of another property owner.

What the ZBA and the PB of Hamlin can’t fathom is that access to money, the ability to buy a big chunk of land and make a deal with a builder, doesn’t grant a developer more rights then the surrounding landowners.

They just don’t get it. They don’t understand that they are responsible to the EXISTING PROPERTY OWNERS more than FUTURE ones.

The citizens of Hamlin want Hamlin to stay rural.

Local government just can’t or won’t hear that message.

But local residents don’t know how to help themselves. They just keep supporting the status quo.

Keep voting Republican everybody. Make sure Norm sticks around for another 25 years.

============================================

Correction: The Blog originally identified the nearby development as being in Albion. This was an error. It is located in Holley and the impact to taxpayers is on the Holley school district. The Blog aplogizes for any confusion.

Below is a letter from a concerned reader abou this issue. The author's name has been withheld and slight changes made to protect the author's identity.
* * *
Dear Pete,

I have just read your latest posting on the Blog, and I have a few comments to make.

First of all, let me tell you that my husband and I resided in Hamlin for 20+ years, in the Huntington Park subdivision, and I worked for the Town for (some) of those years. Yes, I am a Republican, and yet I don't always agree with my party. I vote the person, not the party. This is not what I'm writing about.

I know that you don't like criticism, as evidenced in your reply to M. Depew posted 8/22/05 in which you state that you "don't give a damn" about other opinions, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway.

My husband and I now live in ------ Estates West. We moved here 2 years ago. Here are the true facts:

1. ------ Estates West is located on route 31A, not route 31

2. The children attend Holley schools, not Albion.

3. Our lot is bigger than the one we had in Ryan Homes.

4. Our park is 3 miles west of Brockport in the Town of Clarendon.

5. Our homes start at 70M to over 100M. Do you consider this low income?

6. Could you be referring to Oak Orchard Estates outside of Albion, instead of ------ Estates West?

I fully agree with you that the lots in the Ryan Homes tract are very, very small, and I wouldn't want to go to a smaller lot than that either. That is one reason we moved from Hamlin to ------ Estates. I would like to invite you to come to my home any time (my husband and I are now retired) and see for yourself the size of our lot and the caliber of our manufactured home.

If, as I believe, you just had the wrong name on your Blog piece, I am asking you to correct it so that the people reading your editorials won't think we moved to a slum.
We'll be looking for you at our home. We are on the north side of route 31A. Stay on the road you come in on and our number is ---.

Thank you for considering this email.

Sincerely,
M--

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Comment- It is never the intention of The Blog to harm residents or taxpayers. Unfortunately, sometimes this happens as an indirect result of a story. This is one such occasion.

The Blog has learned that there is a range of housing types and prices in this development. There are "upscale" homes and there are other less desirable ones.

No one can control who their neighbors are. Sometimes they start out good, then turn bad. However, the nature of this huge housing project has allowed many families who are in need of special services to concentrate there.

It is The Blog's opinion that every community has an obligation to provide a per-centage of low income housing. However, in an uncontrolled setting that per-centage can tip the scales of the property values for the entire community.

If a large burden of consumers who cannot pay their share of taxes is shifted onto the backs of the remaining property owners, then these owners move away. A cycle of decline begins.

Any community which does not monitor and regulate itself may be open to such shifts and the inevitable declines it produces. That is why the example of this housing tract was used as an example.

The Blog had no intention to condemn by association all the people who live there.
ED