Rebuttal

Turn the Other Cheek

Those were some pretty funny comments made by Alfred Campbell, Chairman of the Hamlin Republican Committee, in Wednesday's D&C. The story was about the energized Democrats who have shocked Republicans throughout the county by assembling a slate of candidates to run for local office here in town.

Right off the bat Campbell attacked, accusing the Dems. of putting forward candidates who hadn’t met with Republican approval!

In a previous D&C article, Democratic Town Leader Steve Klafehn had expressed the hope that local Democrats could work together with Republicans. To which Campbell said, “the slate doesn’t appear to be in keeping with Klafehn’s professed interest in having Republican leaders and Democrats work amicably together.” Apparently, Campbell believed that Steve’s words had given Republicans the right to select Democratic candidates!

Campbell then went on, trying to suggest a breach among the Dems saying, “If the Democrats put up candidates with different agendas, it might undermine what Steve is doing with the party.” It is certainly gratifying that the Republicans show such concern over the solidarity of their opposition.

However, Al is not familiar with the constitution of a typical Democratic organization. Unlike the tight lipped, lock step culture of the Hamlin Republicans, local Dems thrive on their differences. They reject stasis and blind conformity. They embrace diversity and believe that the best solutions evolve from conflicting ideas.

Also, in typical fashion, Mr. Campbell is guilty of the very thing he accuses the Dems of. Instead of nurturing an “amicable” relationship, his first comments to the media are divisive and aggressive. He has not offered an open hand or greeting. Instead of, “We welcome You!” he puts forward dark suggestions of dissent.

Perhaps that’s to be expected. Given that his own organization is embroiled in a contentious primary, it’s no wonder he sees the shadows of discord everywhere.

The Hamlin Dems are fine. They are charged up. They are unified, enthused and argumentative. They are also forgiving. They hold no grudge toward the splintered Republican party and look forward to working with its remnants after the primary.

Coming Soon!


Meeting Highlights

Monday’s Town Board was very eventful! Ed Evans put on a masterful display of “Here’s all the stuff I do. How ‘bout You?” giving a nearly endless report on all the meetings and committees he’s attended. You have to admire Ed, he does get out there. Unfortunately, it also suggests that he might dissolve into a messy “micromanager” if elected Supervisor. He’s very accustomed to being alone in the spotlight and often tries to be all things to all people.

During the Public Forum Jim Martin asked a detailed question about the costs to the town of maintaining the ESL ATM. He specifically asked the Supervisor if the electrical costs quoted in the recent newsletter at “$300" was for a day, week, month or year. Mr. Warner replied that the $300 was an annual cost for electric service. Martin questioned that, noting that there is a a fifty amp service to the machine. Warner asserted that it only costs Hamlin about $300 a year to maintain the ATM. Stay tuned.

There was a prolonged discussion about a new regulation making it easier for the town to cite and act on abandoned or overgrown properties. The town can’t just go on somebody’s property to cut the grass without first notifying the owner that they are in violation. The new regulation would speed up the process. It is another example of Hamlin being behind the times and slow to react. The issue of abandoned property has troubled the community for years without getting any legislative attention. This is because most of the properties are located in Huntington Park and local government is notorious for neglecting and spurning the residents of that development. With the upcoming primary and election there is now a selfish urgency to act. Business as usual.

There was a long and politically charged discussion on setting a public hearing date on the issue of increasing the minimum frontage for lots in RVL districts. More on this issue under its own article in a few days.

Speaking of the election, the board disclosed a horribly blatant election year stunt to garner attention for themselves- at the taxpayers expense of course. Without any prior public debate, the group revealed a plan to buy a giant LED message board to put in front of the Town Hall. This is intended to replace the existing lighted sign. It is so pitifully obvious what their plan is. Won’t it be remarkable when the “ribbon-cutting/lighting ceremony” occurs just before the election and creates a photo-op in the local papers?

This stunt is almost laughable. Only it’s not funny. The reason is COST. The town is looking at only two models of message board. One costs $7200 and the other $7700!

Pretty expensive photo-op wouldn’t you say? I wonder if any or our representatives have bothered to poll the public about whether they want to spend seven grand on a blinking sign. Hey, but why ask the public when the real point is to get “free ink” for your campaign.

The Republicans always carp about “no new taxes” yet our leaders have raised taxes three consecutive years. For what? For a flashy new sign I guess.

Casting its ballot.

Petition Denied

One of the least understood, and most distasteful, parts of the election process is “invalidating petitions.” As many people know, the path to democracy begins with prospective candidates canvassing their election area collecting signatures from registered voters. If you are a Democrat, Republican or other party, you must collect signatures from valid party members. If your party is recognized by NYS you need only collect 5% of the registered voters to qualify for the ballot. This applies to a primary as well as the general election.

After these petitions are collected they are validated at each party’s headquarters and then made available for public scrutiny. Anyone, especially an opponent, may examine the petitions in an effort to find fault and have them disqualified. If enough petitions are denied, then the candidate is booted from the election process.

Petitions are generally denied because of oversight. For example, if a witness (the person who actually collected the signatures) fails to date the document then the entire list of names on that sheet is thrown out. Obviously, the potential candidate and his/her volunteers must be diligent.

However, examination and the effort to invalidate is strictly optional! The Board of Elections does not seek to invalidate, only the opposition party or candidates. The opponent, tries to deny the voters a choice by removing a candidate on a technicality. It is a pitiful and dishonorable way of preventing democracy. It is willful, and those who do it know they are intervening in the democratic process. They do not want, "to let the voters decide.”

Hamlin has first hand experience in this matter. Six years ago the Republicans invalidated the petitions of a prospective Democratic candidate. That year there was no opposition in our local elections. No Hamlin voter had a choice. It was like a Banana Republic with only one line of local candidates. These people were delighted that they did not have to respond to an opponent and were content to deny their constituents a political choice.

Ironically, Ed Evans was a Town Board member at that time and advocated for the Republicans to invalidate the Democratic petitions. How the worm turns. Now the Republicans, lead by incumbent Austin Warner and guided by the experienced Dave Rose, are scrutinizing the petitions of challenger Ed Evans in his primary effort. If they can deny the Republican voters a primary choice they will. That shows how much they value the democratic process. Maybe it shows a little fear as well. It sure doesn’t show much class.

Hamlin Senior, James Martin (no relation to David), stands ready to break ground.


The Latest Development

There was good news for Hamlin at last night’s Planning Board meeting. A very preliminary concept was presented for a senior living development which would be built behind (east) Tops Plaza. The property, known as the Beehler/Kronenberg parcel, would be home to some 46 “townhouses” and 72 “condos.” The development would be age restrictive, with at least one home-owner 55 or older. Likely it would be managed by a homeowners association which would determine issues such as landscaping, recreational facilities, etc.

Chris Schlieter of the PB suggested the developers consider questions of access, public transportation and greenspace. The real purpose of the presentation was to measure support for the concept and gain a recommendation to seek rezoning from the Town Board. The PB supported the plan and made the recommendation.

This would be an excellent and important development for Hamlin. For many of our population there is no place to move to when they want to quit the burdens of property and maintenance. This opportunity would help keep long time residents near their families. It would also be key to attracting new services to the community. A dense population base of seniors is attractive to banks, pharmacies, restaurants and health care providers.

This is just what Hamlin needs. Let’s hope it is supported.

Beautiful Downtown Antennaville! (WDBJ-Texas)

Hallelujah!

George Kimble has seen the light. The plans to move the radio antenna targeted for Hamlin is underway! Read below, submitted by Les Wilson.
Thanks Les.

See http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WMJQ
and
http://www.fybush.com/nerw-030609.html

As first hinted here on NERW a few months ago, there's an allocations shift
in the works for upstate NEW YORK, and it involves WMJQ (105.5 Brockport).
Right now, George Kimble's station is operating at low power with a
directional antenna from one tower of WASB (1590 Brockport), whose religious
and Spanish programming has been simulcast on the FM for a few years now. A
CP to move to a taller tower a few miles north in the town of Hamlin has
been stalled by local opposition.

Now WMJQ has a new plan: an application to move down the dial to 104.9 and
to move its transmitter site eastward, toward Rochester. From the new site
in Ogden, alongside route 531, 104.9 would use 4900 watts at 111 meters
above average terrain, which should put a much more respectable signal over
the city than 105.5 currently does.


Two interesting notes here: first, this is likely to cause a headache for
WIRQ, the class D noncomm station at Irondequoit High School that's been
bumped from 90.9 to 93.3 to 94.3 to 104.7 by new allocations, and is now
likely to be bumped again; second, the application's engineering work was
done by the chief engineer of Family Life Ministries, the fast-expanding
regional religious network in western New York...

Hey Ogden, give us a call...

Slipping Up

There was an excellent column by Mark Hare in Tuesday’s D&C. He said, “What we have in Albany is not legislative or governmental incompetence. What we have is a Banana Republic. Things don’t get done because they don’t have to get done.”
That is a precise description Hamlin’s town government too. It is perfect, and for exactly the same reasons- no competition. Without it there is no incentive for elected officials to respond to voters. Hare writes, “Legislative races are essentially noncompetitive...which means lawmakers are beholden to their leaders (who control the money), not the voters. The Speaker or majority leader can get rid of or marginalize a legislator; the voters cannot.”

That perfectly describes the situation in Hamlin. Local government is out of touch with the ordinary citizen, they are under no outside political pressure and they have grown so complacent that initiative is avoided at all costs. They ignore or exclude voters from the political process- unless faced with imminent anarchy like the Tower event.

They did “get rid of or marginalize a legislator,” remember what happened to Ed Evans?

For years, local government has only looked to, and responded to, the small inner clique which rules the Hamlin Republican Committee. Since the voters don’t matter, why shouldn’t they cater to them exclusively?

Watch out. The Republic is about to get peeled.