February

Jablonski put politics ahead of poll workers
All political parties depend upon the goodwill of Election Day poll workers to work long hours and safeguard the voting rights of all Americans.
     We are grateful to those who step forward each year - and for meager pay - to dedicate their time, patience and energy to public service. That hundreds of election workers unnecessarily had their pay delayed for weeks must not be repeated.
     It is good that Dutchess County Comptroller Diane Jablonski apologized for the errors that led to the hold-up. Accountability is essential for good government on every level. Yet to me, Jablonski's apology did not go far enough.
     The true problem is Jablonski's inordinate blurring of politics with county business and her inability to distinguish the two.
     Instead of doing the job for which she was elected, Jablonski was preoccupied with coordinating the Democrats' takeover of the county Legislature. Officiating over a caucus reorganization meeting - as Jablonski did - is a role traditionally assigned to the county party leadership, not to an elected official charged with important county business.
     Dutchess County would have been better served with the comptroller's attention focused on the accounting details of paying election workers rather than managing her party's election in the Legislature.
     I hope the comptroller's failure to ensure correct payment to poll workers will serve as a wake-up call to Jablonski to leave politics to party leaders. Elected officials should focus their time and energy not on politics, but instead on the common good of those they were elected to serve.
Corinne S. Weber
Chairwoman
Dutchess County Republican Party
Red Hook

County should be trimming, not hiring
Let's see now, the state is in debt by at least $50 billion and more if you count public authorities. On top of that, you have a gap of $4 billion in this year's budget proposal.
     The back room borrowing by the state will continue, since the people are bypassed and not able to vote on the large borrowings.
     A bogus corporation was created to accomplish that.
     The county is short, because the state pushes more responsibility down to the lower governments.
     The Dutchess executive, William Steinhaus, imposed a hiring freeze on the Legislature, seeing the enormity of the problem of overspending by government.
     Yet, our legislators want to sue the county executive because they are not able to hire new help - help they already have.
     Don't they see the problem of larger government and the size of overspending? And finally, the reason they give is: "To protect the power and integrity of the Legislature."
     The people are powerless and that needs to change.
Gunther H. Luhrs
Hopewell Junction

County Democrats emulate worst of D.C.
Thank heaven we finally have a county government that acts like the real deal in Washington. Now that the Democrats, under the leadership of Roger Higgins, have taken control of the Legislature, "We the People" of Dutchess County have so much to look forward to.
     In their first 30 days in office, the "Higgins Group" has accomplished so much. They have restored the sharp division between the parties, even to the point of restoring segregation to the chamber's seating arrangement - just like they do in Washington.
     They have taken steps to breach a legal employment contract with the present legislative counsel.
     Now they may sue the executive branch of our government because they don't agree with the county executive's cost-cutting measure of an across the board hiring freeze. It seems Higgins doesn't understand that an across the board measure only works if it is "across the board," and without exceptions. But Higgins doesn't have to be a part of any belt-tightening measure, and he is going to spend the taxpayers' money on a lawsuit to prove it.
     What do with have to look forward to under the leadership of Higgins? More spending in our budget? More taxes? More bickering? More lawsuits?
     One thing is for sure: thanks to Higgins, Washington gridlock has found its way to Dutchess.
Robert R. Sappe
Fishkill