News Release from the Office of the DC Executive
Dutchess Democrats kill seven open space preservation projects to save 1,000 acres

excerpt from the release...“It is especially disturbing that Legislator Mansfield has abandoned support for the additional 100 acres to be saved in the Red Hook “bread basket” where the county partnership matching local Red Hook money has been such a tremendous success and where Red Hook residents have been so committed to saving local farms,” said Steinhaus. ...
CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE RELEASE.

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County Bonding issues
Dutchess lawmakers debate
bonds, green issues

POUGHKEEPSIE – Over $6 million in bonding would finance reconstruction of several Dutchess County buildings, roads and bridges.  The two bonding resolutions, about 3.2 million for buildings, and $3 million for roads and bridges, are in discussion stage.  There was a good deal of discussion in the Public Works and Capital Projects Committee Thursday.

Most of the debate was on just one component of the buildings bond – some $870,000 for replacing the conventional HVAC system at the highway building with a geo-thermal system.

Director of Physical Facilities Roman Yasiejko conceded conventional would save money, in the short run.

“If you don’t appropriate the funds for this, we’re going to go ahead and build the building as a conventional HVAC system without the geothermal.  That’s okay; we can do that.  But, what we’re saying is that we found a better way,” Yasiejko said. “The better way is going to cost a little bit more money, but, there’s a significant payback in order to do this.”

The current money situation facing the county concerned some legislators, including Democrat Tom Mansfield, who felt he was not getting sufficient information on where the county currently stands with its finances.

“So the question is: How we can be expected to be making an educated decision on this, with so little information.”

Commissioner of Finance Pamela Barrack had distributed a memo noting, among other things, that so far, revenues are a bit below expectations for the year.

Yasiejko said that actually makes the point for doing the work now.  “What we’re doing here is actually saving taxpayer dollars”, he claimed, saying putting off what he termed “anticipated maintenance” will just mean it will cost more later. 

Yasiejko noted they are encountering their own surprises, including an HVAC system in the Market Street building that failed just 12 years after installation.

Again, the bonding resolutions were for discussion only.  Votes will come later.

5/9/08 MidHudson News online

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What is his stand?
Red Hook Legislator has yet to weigh in...

It is curious to see in the first breaking Poughkeepsie Journal article on 3/12/08, that Joel Tyner (D-Rhinebeck) recruited the support of "neighboring" Red Hook Legislator Tom Mansfield (D-Red Hook), who happens to be the Environment Liaison to the Cooperative Extension-Agriculture. Yet he did not have the common courtesy to even notify the Pine Plains Legislator, Gary Cooper (R-Pine Plains) of his intention to introduce a resolution that would directly effect his constituents.
     Quoted from the article: "Tyner said he was working with Legislator Tom Mansfield, D-Red Hook, on a revision for the resolution. He hopes to move the resolution through the Environment Committee and have it ready for a vote on the legislative agenda by mid-April."
     This is "ground breaking" activity for the Legislature to be entertaining. This resolution, if passed, would also seem to usurp the professional work of the Dutchess County Planning Department's recommendations and advice regarding issues of this nature.
     Even though Tyner asserts that this Durst project presents issues that will indirectly effect his Rhinebeck and Clinton constituents, he is trying to lure our freshman legislator into a trap that could backfire on Mansfield in the future. We have enough issues in our separate towns to concentrate on. District 20 is Mansfield's first priority as far as time and energy spent on his watch. This smells of partisan politics at its worst - minding other district people's business is not the job of our district's elected official.

3/16/08 Daily Freeman:
Tyner seeks Dutchess legislation opposing Durst plan

3/12/08 Poughkeepsie Journal:
Legislator seeks to stop Carvel project

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Legislature Notice
Meeting Monday

The Dutchess County Legislature will have a Committee of the Whole meeting at 4 p.m. Monday to discuss a solution that approves a ground lease for the Dutchess Community College Association to build dorms. The Legislature will have a regular board meeting. The Legislature's Budget, Finance and Personnel Committee will discuss the dorms issue at 5 p.m. Wednesday, and the Legislature will have a special board meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday to vote on the matter.

All meetings are held on the 6th floor of the County Office Building, 22 Market St., Poughkeepsie. - 3/9/08 Poughkeepsie Journal

See related article in Sunday Poughkeepsie Journal

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Don't ask any Questions! Part II

I guess I struck a sour chord with "someone!" I recently published a re-write of the "Don't ask any questions!" Red Hook Bugle article on The Red Hook Rooster Group forum. It elicited the following anonymous reply:

You're kidding right?
For those who don't know, Dick Wambach is the recently resigned chair of the Red Hook Republican Committee so he is certainly qualified to talk about poor leadership, politics as usual and partisan games. Not to mention an expert on appointing people to positions without allowing for prior discussion, resumes, backgrounds, qualifications and so forth.
     This is no different than what happened in 1992 and 2000 and what will happen if the GOP is defeated in November and the Democrats take the White House in January. The new administration will replace all the existing paper-pushing political appointees who do the prior party's bidding with their own loyalists who will no doubt push the same papers the same way.
     Funny you never complained about this practice when it was your people being appointed to push the paper. - progress4rh

Rooster moderator, Charlie Rubin said, "Would it be so hard for people to put their real names down, progress4rh et al?
     It's a little frustrating to see people "unmask" others while remaining anonymous themselves...
     You can always just sign the bottom of your posts..."

Progress4rh has yet to identify himself or herself. Just proves people like this have no decency. Tear other people apart because they don't agree with you, then hide in the shadows for another opportunity to attack. Shame on them for their antics. - Dick Wambach

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Don't ask any questions!

 

The Democrats in the Dutchess County Legislature fired the staff and hired a new Clerk and Deputy Clerk.  We wish we could report about the qualifications of these new public officials, but Tom Mansfield and his Democratic colleagues would not provide their resumes or allow these public officials to answer any questions.

 

How could this be possible?  The Legislative Clerk is responsible for serving all of the legislature and handling the administrative duties for this branch of government.  Our Legislator, Tom Mansfield said he was going to provide new leadership.  So far, he has provided disappointment.

 

Why were no resumes supplied? Why couldn't these highly paid public officials be asked any questions?  What are their qualifications?  What is their background? 

 

They may very well be good for the jobs.  Apparently, Tom and his friends don't think we have any right to know.  This is no sign of new leadership.  It's more of the same old partisan games!  ¶

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