Welcome to the Voice of Schodack Blog!
Here's the latest!
I'm glad to see the blog is getting warmed up again!
We have an election coming up in the fall and residents need to be informed on critical issues that affect us. So if anyone has information about town issues and how our new town supervisor is doing,please feel free to enlighten us!
To get detailed information on Schodack financials check out the 2 links below;
Note to all Schodack residents:
We know everyone is busy but if at all possible, PLEASE attend Town Board & Planning Board Meetings. What can really make a difference is a good turnout at these meetings because it will show that residents are concerned and watching so let's pack the town hall!
If they only see a few people at a meeting, it sends the message that we don't care and they will continue to disregard us!
We remain committed to continue our fight for fair elections & responsive leadership in Schodack. With your continuing support we can do it!
The Schodack Republican Party has chosen NOT to run Secor as their candidate for supervisor. This is a direct result of her very close election against a write-in candidate and shows what motivated voters can do, we will have a fair & open election this year because of you!
So feel free to post your thoughts & opinions here and let your voice be heard!
Note; While we encourage you to post your comments, we reserve the right to delete posts that contain vulgarity, offensive comments or personal attacks.
The Voice of Schodack blog was created to give all Schodack residents the ability to voice their concerns about issues that affect them. Our website at http://www.voiceofschodack.com/ will be updated in the next few months for the upcoming election which should be very interesting!
We know everyone is busy but if at all possible, PLEASE attend Town Board & Planning Board Meetings. What can really make a difference is a good turnout at these meetings because it will show that residents are concerned and watching so let's pack the town hall!
If they only see a few people at a meeting, it sends the message that we don't care and they will continue to disregard us!
We remain committed to continue our fight for fair elections & responsive leadership in Schodack. With your continuing support we can do it!
The Schodack Republican Party has chosen NOT to run Secor as their candidate for supervisor. This is a direct result of her very close election against a write-in candidate and shows what motivated voters can do, we will have a fair & open election this year because of you!
So feel free to post your thoughts & opinions here and let your voice be heard!
Note; While we encourage you to post your comments, we reserve the right to delete posts that contain vulgarity, offensive comments or personal attacks.
The Voice of Schodack blog was created to give all Schodack residents the ability to voice their concerns about issues that affect them. Our website at http://www.voiceofschodack.com/ will be updated in the next few months for the upcoming election which should be very interesting!
1,313 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 1313 Newer› Newest»Regardless whether or not Secor pulls this off the way for things to change in this area is have residents participate. It is easy to sit at home and type comments in a blog. Residents need to start taking part in Board meetings and need to start being vocal. We all know that they will try and shut down public comment but if enough people start participating they will have know choice but to listen. Next board meeting Decemeber 13th...mark your calendar now
The Times Union may report that Secor won but it is clear that Ray Lemka truly won this race!
Beth Secor can not be proud of this reported "win." She should be ashamed of herself and her antics to manipulate this election.
Guess you can all go cry in your soup! Take the fat Sgt spy with you!
As you can see all the Secor supporters can do is swagger like the big idiots they are. Beth Secor will NOT be ashamed of her win for office, she will strut around like a peacock!
It doesn't phase this group of scum one bit that they screwed us all out of a choice for who we wanted to run the town. We all know Ray won, if it were a normal election, she would be out to pasture.
Now we need to put this woman on the spot and just maybe impeach the wench once and for all. There is a law suit on her and Nugent, and obviously they are working hard to get us to think the one suing is crazy, and also to turn us against him so no one will want to use it and they will get away with screwing that into the ground.
This is how the SBA plays ball. Turn us against each other, and act like children doing it. Now it is time to make it two years of hell for Secor. Anything that is posted out here with Mr. Cartwright's name on it is by Kellogg and his pals. I wouldn't believe anything posted out here. If you want the facts of what these over aged children are doing, go to the patriot.
I do hope Ray will delete that post with Mr. Cartwright's name on it left by Mike Kellogg and his idiot pals. Beth Secor's followers, the Band of criminal children.
It is up to us everyone. Go to board meeting and make her life hell. Get the democrats to boot Nugent before the next election. Get a new leader in the independent party. Pave the way for a fair election NOW! Not later! TODAY!
Take a chill pill buddy.
Have you been taking your medication?
Go to hell Marcella! Get off our board! You don't live here or have reletives here. YOUR NOTHING TO US! You go take your meds!
So the legal battle begins assuming Ray is ready to duke it out with us supporting him in person and with our $$$$. It's awful what is taking place with this election. Like Flordia all over again. I'm 51, been Republican all my adult life and never missed voting in an election since I was 18. I usually voted republican and have always been a member of the Republican party. I think that is about to change. Perhaps its time that life long republicans like me living here in Schodack seriously think about whether or not we want to belong to this party anymore. I think the residents that are unhappy with the Republcan party both locally and on a national level should seriously consider changing parties. I think there is a huge opportunity to create a strong Democratic party in this town right now and that party can become a politcal force to be dealt with. Perhaps if we can get a large group to go to town hall to change parties all at once creating line out the front door and into the parking lot, the old Guard Republican party will get the message. Uncle Joe, I've been a fan for many many years but no more. I'm done. No mas.
Hey Bruno - CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!
It seems that when the facts are posted out here, Marcella and Kellogg start to fight. WONDER WHY?
No Bruno is deaf unless your waving cash in his face. Then maybe he'll listen for a couple seconds. Other then that.. He could care less.
He is bought and paid for with Jemino by his side.
Times Union:
Secor defeats Lemka in Schodack race
By KENNETH C. CROWE II
Last updated: 4:55 p.m., Friday, November 16, 2007
TROY - Schodack Supervisor Beth Secor defeated write-in candidate Ray Lemka by 11 votes - 1,722 to 1,711 - after the challenged votes were opened and an error was uncovered in the election night tabulation, the Rensselaer County Board of Elections said.
Lemka's write-in votes from the 20 voting machines had not been reviewed since they were first counted, Republican Elections Commissioner Larry Bugbee said.
Secor said she anticipated Lemka's vote tally would shrink. Lemka led in the election as a result of the initial tallies from the machine. Secor ran on the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines. Lemka is a Republican.
The election results are unofficial until they are certified by the Board of Elections.
The Independent:
Final count gives Secor narrow win in Schodack super race
By:KRISTIN SHAW 11/16/2007
SCHODACK-After more than a week of recounts, incumbent town Supervisor Beth Secor has retained her position by 11 votes.
The tally Friday afternoon was 1,722 votes for Mrs. Secor and 1,711 votes for write-in challenger Raymond W. Lemka, according to Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Edward McDonough.
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"I'm very excited to be the supervisor for the next two years," Mrs. Secor told The Independent. "I appreciate all the support so many people gave me, especially during the recount, which was nerve-wracking.
"I don't think we effectively conveyed our message during the campaign and will be setting the record straight," she said.
Mr. McDonough said although Mr. Lemka lost the race, "His write-in campaign is unprecedented."
A number of ballots were challenged, but were, in the end, counted in Mr. Lemka's favor, according to Mr. McDonough. But there were several instances where people wrote in Mr. Lemka's name in the wrong column, and those votes were not counted.
Mr. Lemka said previously that if he lost, he plans to go to court because of problems with voting machines during the election. Mr. McDonough said Mr. Lemka's attorney has until November 26, 20 days after the elections, to file suit.
Mr. MCDonough said that only the state attorney general may call for a new election.
All 1711 people who voted for Ray (and anyone else you can find) need to provide their input to Andrew Cuomo, the NYS Attorney General strongly urging him to order a new vote. He is the only one with the legal authority to do so. Ask him to consider the manipulation that kept Ray off of the Democratic line, and the various issues that occurred at the voting machines. The web link is below:
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/online_forms/email_ag.jsp
I sent him the following message this evening. You are welcome to use any or all of it, but individual messages in your own words will probably have more impact.
"I urge you to order a new election in the race for supervisor in the Town of Schodack (Rensselaer County). A write-in candidate (Ray Lemka) lost the election by 11 votes. There were numerous instances of no writing instrument being available in the voting booths and the paper roll ran out in at least one instance. This came following a concerted effort to keep Mr. Lemka off the ballot on the part of the incumbent and the town attorney who is technically the local head of the Democratic party, but who has failed to put up an opponent to the incumbent for the last two elections."
As eight year residents of Schodack, my husband and I have been both amazed and apalled by this election. We've been following this closely. I'll also admit that I saw the Schodack Patriot a couple years ago and thought "there is a crazy person living in our zip code". My apologies.
There is no question in our minds that the tax increases have been way out of control. As a result, this is the first local race we've ever participated in. It is highly disappointing that Ray Lemka "lost".
Anyone else find it odd that we are fighting for free elections and democracy in Iraq, something we don't have here in Schodack?
What's really amazing is that election officials can't add 10 numbers correctly & the "mistake" was just "discovered" yesterday!
I also remember reading how election officials were going to make sure all machines were working correctly and stocked with paper.
A "custodian" was supposed to be assigned to Schodack so he could respond to machine problems within 10 minutes. A machine ran out of paper and this "custodian" had to drive to Troy to get more! They didn't even have an extra roll of paper available!
No, this election was riddled with problems from the time the polls opened and continued until they closed!
I strongly recommend pursuing a re-vote due to all the issues surrounding this "sham" of an election.
Does anyone know if Ray left instructions with Ms. Soper to pursue a legal challenge? The TU indicated that they have until Nov 20 to file. And since Ray is out of town.....
"It is easy to sit at home and type comments in a blog."
I agree: yes, we need to attend town meetings, and become more vocal (even when public comment is severely restricted - how sad, indeed, in our "free" United States).
But please don't discount the power of the pen.
Many pro-Lemka posts here have contained valuable information: information residents have taken time to research.
This website can help spread information about tax hikes, subdivisions, variances, and others issues. It is hard to get a straight answer from many town officials simply by asking them once the meeting has started. We are placed in a weak position.
We need to have the information ahead of time, and then force our town officials to account for disparities. (In a true democracy, this would not be the case, but sadly, here in Schodack, we need to take the asssertive approach.)
We need this website to share real information - before the meetings begin.
The pen is mightier than the sword (or Secor).
Well said, 9:40 a.m. and I totally agree except for the part about the pen being mightier than the sword. In a normal democratic election, that would probably be true, but this election is so politically corrupt, that no amount of letter writing will expose the degree that politics played. We're suppose to be in Iraq for "democracy." Perhaps Pres. Bush should take a look at this election and then talk about democracy.
I was at the 11/15 special board meeting to approve the budget. When they were talking about things to cut from the budget in order to reduce the tax increase (oxymoron?) why didn't it occur to the supervisor and/or the board to reduce their salaries in order to give the residents more of what we need? Let's see: $2,000 off each board position would more than pay for a much needed new mower for the highway department; $7,000 off the supervisors salary would go a long way toward a new police car. It would be a place to start and would show the townfolks that the board and the supervisor see things clearly.
This election is too close to call. Clearly, both sides think they have won. The best way to settle the supervisor race to the VOTER'S satisfaction is to have a re-vote with Mr. Lemka having a line on the voting machine, possibly as "unaffiliated". Over 1700 votes should be a "petition" message to the Board of Elections that Mr. Lemka should have a line on the voting machines. We could all vote again and then there would BE NO DISPUTING RESULT either way.
One glaring issue that justifies a re-vote; On election day at the Swartz Center, a voting machine was being used from 6am until 8am WITHOUT THE COLUMNS BEING NUMBERED! They finally used masking tape to write the column numbers on! All write-in votes from that machine should count even if they were in the wrong column!
They made a big deal about saying all the voting machines would be checked over to make sure all were working properly, had plenty of paper, etc. and something like this happens, it's just inexcusable that the election officials allowed that to happen!
I have been a resident of this Town since 1985 and are a low income family. Never in my life did I think I would see such corrupt and injust behaviors by town officials.
I've been stripped of my Freedom of Choice and now might have to reconsider leaving this area because of outrageous taxes driven up by a misleading admistration. I too, will contact the Attorney General office to voice my complaint. At the East Schodack fire house, I did notice one of the machines (the last one in the line-up)was broken down (had a line
tied across the front so one could no go thru the curtains.) Did anyone else notice this. I'm not sure what the problem was, I just knew it was not being used. I hope Mr. Lemka will not give up the fight. I will support him right to the end and there after,until the Board of Elections announce the final results.
Why are we even considering this Crown Truck terminal???It is totally against the aquifer protection legislation !!Again and repeatedly, the Boards are ignoring the laws of the town and the wishes of the people...Will it never end????BS and the gang have attempeted to hijack the election and now it's business as usual. The Queen and her court jestors are still treating the peasants like dirt....What next...public floggings???and they fight us with our money !!!! Where are the folks that are supposed to keep an eye on the foxes???Fifty four years in this town and I have never witnessed such corruption and deceit. I suppose the Boards will grant a waiver for this Crown fiasco...they never see a waiver they didn't like especially when somebodys pocket is getting lined with our tax money ka
They do hold public floggings! Go read the Schodack Patriot. You go against Secor and her royal court, you get arrested for threatening to sue them!
So yes it is that bad!
All you antidevelopment people. Where are your children going to work? Why will people move here if they know that they will have no services? School will deteriorate for lack of money, bad teachers etc etc
If you want my land not to be developed then buy it from do not take it without compensation that is socialism. To have a vibrant community you must have reasonable growth not farms who are the biggest polluters. Ray how many abandoned cars do have leaking? How much in pesticides?? Com'on you hippocrite.
no one said anything about being anti-development! Development is fine when done properly. Maybe you should go back and read some more:
The issue is that this administration does not care what the people want. It is their attitude that they know best and how dare anyone else think to have an opinion.
There is something wrong when a candidate has to OWN the parties so that they can make sure no one else can run against them, taking away our right of choice! Not to mention using their positions to TAKE what they want. Playing favorites to the ones they think should be allowed to build a business or go for a zoning change. Basically they are the ones trying to steal your property!
You think the Secor Administration is going to care about little old you and your property if there is a profit in it for them? If you think otherwise... YOUR DREAMING!
Basically we the people have NO RIGHTS with this administration! NONE! THAT is the issue!
I heard that if Secor serves one more 2yr. term, she qualifies for a "Pension"?
Does anyone know if this is valid and how much will she be entitled to?
I have to question the validity of this election. An "addition mistake" discovered at the last minute gives Secor the lead?
So no one re-checked & verified the vote totals until last Friday, that give me the definite perception of some more corruption going on!
But it does not surprise me, this regime will do anything to make sure they can keep riding the Schodack Money Train!
Ray should fight this and get a re-vote!
Will Ray challenge the election results?? It seems he has plenty of good reasons to do so.
I was always concerned by his stated reason for running "to give voters a choice." A noble reason if ever there was one.
However, the unsaid portion of this is does he really want to be the town supervisor? I never got the sense that he had a burning desire, especially at 76 years of age. He was outraged by the efforts to take away the right to choose and rightfully so.
He ran a noble campaign and whether he wins or not has made the old guard take notice that the status quo methods will no longer go unchallenged.
But I think his efforts in challenging the results will indicate whether he really wants the job.
Ray Lemka ran because he is concerned about having a fair, open responsive form of gov't in Schodack & your right to vote for the candidate of your choice.
He unselfishly gave his time, energy & money to this cause.
Ray Lemka is a retired farmer & business man, but he is also a tireless warrior in the battle for democracy.
I am proud to say that I know this man and as Town Supervisor, he would be one of the best we ever had!
Anyone who questions his motives should be ashamed of themselves!
No matter what the Voice of Schodack Campaign plans to do (challenge the count or not), Ray Lemka and his volunteers can be extreemly proud of themselves.
The entire town knows that Ray actually won this election. 35 additional votes were written just outside the row 7 column, two voting machines ran out of paper at prime voting time with 50 people in line, his name was written all over voting machines in an attmept to write him in, some couldn't open the slide and couldn't cast their vote, some voters were denied assistance and other votes were thrown out because only his first name appeared.
So, you can split hairs and come up with a win for Secor but the entire town of Schodack knows who the real winner is!
Congratulations to Mr. Lemka and the Voice of Schodack campaign!
i guess it was "all about choice" and the people chose !!! congratulations beth -yes you can figure out where this came from by tracking my IP address, might give you something to do today.
Beth doesn't deserve anyone's congratulations. The only reason she won was her political connections and the fact that Joe Bruno's power base would have been eroded slightly if she lost. The political county/state "good old boys" are the ones that made sure she "won" re-election. This town AND school district need to learn how to rein in their spending habits. A little fiscal conservancy in Schodack just might be helpful. And, let's not talk about the need for more "business" (like unsighly, polluting truck terminals) because once their taxes are abated for a decade or more, business won't offer any relief in the near future. Our town and school boards need to be fiscally responsible and not fulfill their respective "wish lists" for "their town."
The people showed their choice by writing in Ray Lemka. They didn't always get it in the exact space, the name exactly as they needed and sometimes it was written on the machine. Some voters couldn't vote because there was no paper!
When you take into consideration these factors, THE VOTERS CHOSE RAY LEMKA!
I've been folowing this race and don't even live in Schodack! Beth Secor should be highly embarassed and highly ashamed of a "win" like this. Obviously she has no pride and no integrity.
Good job Schodack for getting this AMAZING vote out! Should Ms. Secor actually become your Supervisor again go to meetings, speak up and keep after her! If you don't like what's being built in your town go to your Planning Board. Get involved and be heard! Look how far your voice reached during this election! Amazing!
Does anyone know if Ray is going to take legal action about this election?
"All you antidevelopment people. Where are your children going to work? Why will people move here if they know that they will have no services? School will deteriorate for lack of money, bad teachers etc etc
If you want my land not to be developed then buy it from do not take it without compensation that is socialism. To have a vibrant community you must have reasonable growth not farms who are the biggest polluters. Ray how many abandoned cars do have leaking? How much in pesticides?? Com'on you hippocrite."
November 18, 2007 4:21 PM
To “All you antidevelopment People” posted 11/18 4:21 pm. Got to wonder how many beers were involved with those comments. (see above).
But let me respond just the same.
1st – Ray’s supporters and most voters in Schodack from both sides of the campaign are NOT anti-development. Not by a long shot. What most of us favor however is PLANNED development, not this hodgepodge we have been through the past 4 years. We are against spot zoning for “friends” who often hold positions on the Planning Board and ZBA. Think Puccio, Anthony Maier (Crown spot zoning Project), and others who own or have family that own property along Route 9. We are for development that benefits the residents and business already here. Anyone that thinks that most new commercial business, especial truck terminals, will reduce or even slow down our tax increases is dreaming. There is commercial business that will help the tax base. Examples are hotels, office buildings, retail, business parks but that is provided they don’t get these huge tax breaks that leave the residents to subsidize new commercial businesses services. Even these favorable type of commercial enterprises will have minimal effect on the amount of taxes the Town will need to collect. New commercial businesses demand new services. Services cost money hence the vicious tax cycle never ends. In the end, more homes/commercial properties equals more demand for services and more taxes. The only business out there that demands minimal services is farms. From an ecological stand point farms are good for the town (world?) too.
So what to do? I suggest we encourage commercial business that makes living in Schodack convenient and more pleasant. Truck terminals don’t do that, Tractor store retailers or Agway’s catering to home owners & farmers do. Restaurants/hotels do that, used car lots do not. A larger retailer like Bass Pro Shops (my favorite!) or Cabala’s would help, subsidized senior housing while desirable, will not.
2nd You accuse Ray’s supports of jeopardizing the value of your land because they are anti-development. The old guard Republican’s roll out that nonsense every election cycle and you guys fall for it every time. Wake up. Which is going to have a bigger positive impact on your commercial properties value if it moves in next to yours? A hotel or a truck terminal? Bet even you can figure that one out.
So, open another beer and think about it for a few minutes. You will realize I’m right. I hope someday maybe the residents and commercial property owners in Schodack can sit down and work together. I hope we can come up with an intelligent plan to make Schodack a better and affordable place to live while still helping commercial property owners make a profit. There is nothing wrong with either goal and the discussion on how to do it does not have to take place in a boxing ring. But to get there you need an uncompromised mediator running the Town and we don’t have that now. Ray is more likely to bring about a compromise and deserves that chance. Beth has demonstrated she can’t or won’t work with anyone but her pals. She had her chance (twice!) and has failed miserably.
There was a time when serving as a Town Board member was something done as a public service and not a way to pad ones retirement benefit. Beth is looking to improve hers (she already took care of her husbands). Ziegler is triple dipping (police retirement, County Coroners office, and Town Board), and Frank Curtis works for the county and gets to add the $10,000 he makes as a Board member to his county salary base which will increase his retirement benefit. The current Board seems more interested in what’s financially in it for them and their supporters then what is good for the entire Town.
Ray is retired and probably doesn't need the money. He is not looking to profit for his service as Supervisor. This isn't going to be his career nor will it impact his retirement plans (quite the contrary). He just wants to do his best to make things better in Schodack which is certainly a noble and honorable deed.
I just walked into this converstation but I have 1 comment in regards to a Hotel versus a Truck Terminal & that is
demand spurs capitalism.
There is no demand for a Hotel...visit the Comfort Inn off exit 10...a truck terminal that fills all the delivery trucks leaving the farms is in demand...
& those with the least complain the most about development...
"The least..."
To you mean acreage?
Because owning 1000 acres does not give you 1000 votes. Just one.
Do you mean education?
There are many people with advanced degrees in this Town who find Secor's reckless spending and indifference to environmental law abhorrent. Ray Lemka has more than one supporter with a PhD.
Do you mean property value?
A truck stop in a neighborhood's backyard is a sure way to decrease property values. So, yes, I guess you're right: those who complain have the least.
In fact, thanks to Beth Secor and her buddies, our homes are worth less and less each year in real market value, while our taxes go up.
Re: the Cabelas comments --
I believe this is still a possibility they may come to Schodack and if by some chance they do, we will suddenly have all the commercial development we could ask for in a blink of an eye. I wonder what the reaction would be from the anti development people. I personally think it would be great.
I think the overall reaction would be positive but from reading some of the posts on this board and various other places I am not sure.
Exit 10 is nearly fully developed and Exit 11 and 12 are next. Hopefully we will get some business' that the majority will be in favor of and provide some retail, restaurants, groceries and most of all tax relief.
I'm with the above post - I don't think anyone is against ALL development. But we can do better than what we're getting in that Rt-9 exit 12 area. My congratulations to Mr. Ray Lemka, de facto Supervisor of the Town of Schodack. Prior to 11/6, democracy took it on the chin, thanks to the almost unimaginable Secor/Nugent hijinks. Isn't the Dem. chairman supposed to run a candidate against the opposition, and properly post it? Should the Dem chairman take his party to court to sack the faithfuls' choice? Yes, this is what happened. Ray, you got the votes as far as I'm concerned. Anyone who denies that better put down their bong.
OK fact - office buildings hotels use more services than they pay in taxes. Truck terminals pay a lot of taxes compared to services used. I am talking fire =, ambulance and police.
Also do you realize that the senior luxury apts on Route 150 receive tax breaks. Few people do. Please comment on that. The county IDA is out of control
Congratulations to Mr. Lemka for having the courage, integrity and tenacity to start this revolution. And congratulations to Schodack for paying attention and getting involved.
All of the write-ins did elect Mr. Lemka as Supervisor but there were just too many legal rules to be able to count every single vote. The incumbent's win is embarassing. She won through technicalities against an opponent who wasn't even on the ballot! Mr. Lemka and his campaign have the integrity not to waste money on our legal system that unfrotunately one can't count on.
I can't imagine having the gaul to be supervisor if I knew I didn't rightly win. Ms. Secor certainly ins't a role model for integrity.
While it would have been better to win, we have achieved a victory with the movement we created!
The next election will be much different. One of our goals is to insure that no one runs "unopposed" again!
With 2 yrs. to plan & strategize, at the next election there are 2 board members up for re-election & the supervisor, we plan to have candidates running for all 3 positions on a line on the ballot, no more write-in's!
Schodack voters deserver fair elections and we are committed to making that happen!
Secor may have squeaked by this time but we predict a very different outcome at the next election!
From here on, it will not be "business as usual" for the current regime because we're not going anywhere!
From the Times Union, 11/17/07:
"Mr. Lemka ran a very aggressive campaign," Secor said. [....] She said her record was distorted in the campaign.
"We have to clear the record," Secor said. "We have to more effectively communicate our decisions and issues."
A suggestion: print out this quote, and read it before you make ANY remark at a town meeting. Or bring it with you the next time you need help from the town. Maybe they will give us some straight answers then.
OK fact - office buildings hotels use more services than they pay in taxes. Truck terminals pay a lot of taxes compared to services used. I am talking fire =, ambulance and police.
Also do you realize that the senior luxury apts on Route 150 receive tax breaks. Few people do. Please comment on that. The county IDA is out of control
November 19, 2007 8:16 PM
In response to the above post commenting on mine. The point I was making regarding senior housing is the same as yours, it does not help the tax base and requires a lot of services. That is without tax subsidies. If they get tax breaks, it is even worse so on that we agree. I said having senior housing is desirable even if expensive because if you have elderly family members you may want them to be able to live nearby which contributes to the community though there is a cost involved.
On Offices/hotel vs. warehouses - I think you are wrong regarding taxes generated by office buildings/hotels vs. warehouses. Office buildings/hotels inside space is "finished". By that I mean it is built out into useable space using a lot of building materials and fixtures/furnishings. That is all part of the assessed value (or should be if the assessor’s office does what it is supposed to do). A "finished' building is much more valuable then an unfinished one such as a warehouse. A warehouse is no more then a cement pad with 4 walls, roof with little infrastructure or finished space to assess. The assessment will be much lower on a warehouse then on a finished building even if they have the same footprint on the property. Also note warehouses do require a lot of emergency services. Ask the S. Schodack fire department that has to run to Hannaford frequently when people are hurt working in the warehouse areas or the police chasing trucks parked illegally nearby. There is also the nature of the traffic. Granted offices/hotels generate traffic but it is mostly quite low emission cars vs. large noisy diesel trucks around warehouse type buildings. Also truck traffic is more dangerous just because of their size not to mention that while some, certainly not most, trucking companies cut corners on maintenance putting our families in danger by putting unsafe vehicles on the road. Hotels/Office buildings also contain many more people (staff and customers) who work and shop in a community. Typical warehouse might have 10 to 15 people working there tops. I think Crown said they would have less then that even during the day.
Conclusion – Commercial development is more then likely not going to do much to help existing home and business owners with their property taxes. What it can do if it is planned and if you get the right type of development is provide desired services, generate customers for existing businesses, and provide places for Towns people to work. That should be our Town Boards focus but you just can’t seem to get that thought through to them.
Secor's record was not "distorted", but it definitely was 'disturbing"!
Notice that she says "we have to more effectively communicate OUR decisions"
I didn't hear anything like; WE should allow taxpayer's to have more input on issues.
No, Secor will continue her dictatorial style of leadership because "she knows what's best for us"!
Maybe we should start referring to her as "Beth Chavez"!
Re: Beth's claim of a "distorted" vs. "disturbing" record.
I agree with your post above: I meant my earlier post to be taken ironically.
You are absolutely right: even Secor's "sound-bites" to the press reveal her lack of understanding of democracy.
It was perhaps in the vain hope that she might be pinned to her words that I suggested reminding her of them the next time she shuts down public comments, or town workers refuse to give out information.
I think we should start having protests in front of Town Hall! Let everyone know how they violate our rights!
blah blah blah.......sour grapes !!!
Secor has to say something in response to this revolution. What else is she going to say? Admit that an entire town came out in a write-in vote against her making history because of her record?
We won...there's no sour grapes here! Secor may have won with the ease of pulling the lever but everyone in town knows that more people came out to write in "Lemka." He surely won the popular vote!
I must say, this blog use to be intresting...it has really took a bad turn. Personally I feel, Mike Kellogg can express himself here...that is what this is for. Enough already about prostitution rings, state troopers and whatever nonsense is being thrown on this blog. I do not care about that stuff. I am a register voter and a resident of Schodack, I care about how this town is run and being involved in making a difference. Enough of the nonsense please...I am really starting to get turned off by this blog.
I would agree with the last post if it wasn't for the fact that Mike Kellogg doesn't even live here. Not to mention he acts like an over grown child.
The fact of the matter is, this is what this administration is into. Like it or not. I am also a registered voter, and I am disgusted with the facts and goings on around here.
Maybe if Kellogg had something intelligent to say, no one would mind.
its only my opinion..................well not really...it happens to be the majority of the residents of schodack can agree with me about the election any issues you can call me at my office
732-7704
cell is 365-2359
and home in schodack is 479-1703
bet i wont get any calls !!!!!AGAIN !
Please guys....find another blog. My god....
I take it tonight's town meeting went like "Business as usual" for Secor?!
Right back to her old hiltler self, didn't learn a thing did she?
Name calling is immature. People need to take their frustrations out through ,as one person stated, protesting for a re-vote in front of the new (and ugly I might add) town hall. Use your disappointment doing something that will have a positive outcome. Mr. Lemka did us a big favor by allowing us to have a choice, now it's our turn to repay him with support for his efforts without anger. Thank you Mr. Lemka and Mrs. Lemka. In my heart I know you were the winner and you still are as far as I am concerned. The best to both of you.
P.S. let's put forth a positive effort so that this injustice to our community members WILL NOT happen again!
Ok, Lets look at the numbers;
Beth Secor gets 1,722 votes, she is on the Republican, Conservative & Independent lines!
Ray Lemka gets 1,711 votes, he has no lines, voters had to do a difficult "write-in" to vote for him!
Now for the real kicker;
All the others who were running "unopposed" each got an average of 2,400 votes!
So, in one of the most hotly contested races for Schodack Town Supervisor in history, Beth Secor got "less" votes than any of the people running "unopposed"!
Approximately 700 voters who voted for an "unopposed" candidate did NOT VOTE FOR SECOR!
That is far from a "majority" of town residents or voters!
In reality, it's a pitiful showing!
If Ray had a line on the ballot, he would have had a landslide victory.
Now, why do you think Secor & Nugent worked so hard to keep Ray off the ballot?
Because they knew it was the ONLY way they had a chance of winning!
This should be the last time anyone runs "unopposed" and voters must do a write-in, Schodack residents deserve much better!
I would like to report that Ray Lemka has successfuly completed his hike into the Grand Canyon. He hiked down from the North Rim on Saturday, camped out until Tuesday when he hiked out. He completed the South Rim hike a year ago. Not bad for a 76 year old man! Way to go Ray! His wife Sue provided transportation for his group to and from the entrance and exit points. Ray has been hiking with a group of 12 family members ranging in ages from 3rd grade as the youngest with himself as the oldest!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
So happy to hear Ray and his family are well. We wish them all the best.
Thanks for the "under construction" pages for board members, and new information about Planning Meetings on the main web page.
It's great to have information BEFORE the meetings. Knowledge can transform these meetings from excercises in frustration (sort of a 20-questions game for us residents) into meetings where detailed information is extracted from the applicants.
Just knowing what to ask and what the town laws really are will make a world of difference.
Let's be thankful we got the write-in option, despite all of Secor's and Nugent's efforts, plus the amazing freedom of free speech.
With everyone reading, writing, and sharing information we can make a change for the better in Schodack.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Anonymous said...
Ok, Lets look at the numbers;
Re above post. Also keep in mind that many of us who voted for Ray did not vote for ANY of the other board members. I know of others that will not vote for any candidate who runs unopposed. They just skip over that candidate.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mr. & Mrs. Lemka and their family, to all of his "fantastic supporters" in this town and to the keepers of "Voice of Schodack" . A good holiday to all!
In the political arena, Ray Lemka is a true warrior!
I hope I'm in as good shape as he is when I'm his age!
Happy Holidays To All!
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=248&dept_id=505345&newsid=19051604&PAG=461&rfi=9
From The Independent Opinion/Columns
Editorial: Voters write in a protest
11/23/2007
HAVE YOU EVER written in the name of a candidate in a general election? We never tried it, although we can remember races when "Donald Duck" would have made a better choice than the names on the printed ballot.
To write in a name on Election Day, you must navigate the crowded ballot and find the exact column for the office-a complicated enough task even when you intend to vote for someone whose name does appear on the ballot. Then you must slide up the slot above that column and write in the name of the candidate, using both a first and last name that come pretty close to the way the candidate spells it. And this assumes you have a pen handy, or that someone has not walked off with the pencil placed in the booth for write-ins, or that the pencil has not rolled under the booth and that you can physically reach the slot where you write in the name.
These barriers help explain why candidates with ballot lines have little to fear from write-in challengers except in races where only a handful of people turn out. So what should the public make of the race in Schodack, where Ray Lemka, a retired farmer and former Town Board member running for town supervisor, received 1,711 votes-all of them write-ins?
Mr. Lemka lost to his opponent, incumbent Supervisor Beth Secor, by a mere 11 votes after county elections officials counted all the absentee ballots.
No one can remember when a candidate received so many hand-written votes. And the feat looks all the more impressive when you consider that Ms. Secor had three ballot lines-Republican, Conservative and Independence-and Mr. Lemka had only about three weeks to mount his challenge and educate voters about how to write in his name.
Before the final count, Mr. Lemka said he would challenge the result in court if he lost, because at least one polling place ran out of paper for write-in ballots, and poll officials told voters to come back later. Experience says that judges seldom overturn an election on technical grounds, but with a vote this close and the machine failure so critical to the outcome, we hope Mr. Lemka does get a second chance.
Under other circumstances, we might fault Rensselaer County for failing to prepare adequately, but even ardent Lemka supporters couldn't have anticipated this big a response.
Some will say that winning, even if by a single vote, is all that matters. And Ms. Secor will now have two years to re-establish voter confidence in her and her administration. But think of the humiliation this represents for someone who ran unopposed two years ago and whose supporters spiked Mr. Lemka's chance to appear on the ballot after town Democrats chose him as their candidate.
Assuming she prevails, maybe Ms. Secor will realize that the way she goes about running the town has alienated the voters of Schodack. She gives herself raises while taxpayers get squeezed, launches controversial projects that require far more discussion and generally acts as if she governs by some right of royalty rather than by the consent of the governed.
But while we hope Ms. Secor will learn from this experience, her statements immediately after the election and following the final count would make any reasonable person wonder whether she understands what has happened. At first, she accused Mr. Lemka and his supporters of mounting a campaign of "fear and distortions," a wildly fearful and distorted charge unaccompanied by anything to support it.
When she received confirmation of her victory, she acknowledged her campaign had not "effectively conveyed our message," adding that she now "will be setting the record straight."
That misses the point. Her record doesn't need correction, she does. Schodack government should function in a responsive, transparent and fiscally disciplined manner. But Ms. Secor has presided over an astounding growth in the local tax burden. And that very effectively conveyed her message. The voters feel its impact, and they don't like it.
©The Independent 2007
Thank You Independent!
She won't learn, in her little mind she is right and everyone else is wrong. She knows best and that is that.
Watch and see
Wow! The Independent rarely prints editorials that have much bite to them. This one is nearly as big a repudiation of Secor and her approach to "government" as the vote itself. Congratulations and thanks to the paper and its editors.
Sad to see on the other hand that Ray won't challenge the vote.
THE BIG PRIZE
If Beth Secor has really won this election...wonder what she has won!
Let's see, how about RESPECT, yep and alot of that, with a NO in front. Hey, how about TRUST? A bunch of this, with NO, in front also. USE, you got it, with a big NO right there in front! Now, here comes the best for last, SENSE and of course, she wins absolutely NO in front of that, except for the $CENTS$, she pockets from us, the taxpayers!
Some prize package, huh? Seems like, she would want to hand this election over to the "real winner"...RAY LEMKA! He has won all of the prizes above...RESPECT, TRUST, USE and SENSE from probably 99% of the Schodack voters, with not a single NO in front. As for the other 1%, well what can I say, they evidently don't know a good prize, when they see one! I'm glad to be in the high percentile of voters and also able to recognize a NO type of person!
Has anyone thought about what the negative impact is going to be on the School budget vote this year?...Look at the past few years and see how the positive votes have eroded to a bare minimum. It barely squeaked by lst year. It will take only a very few votes to push it over the edge. If it does go down, we can thank BS and the gang for creating an atmosphere of " development at all cost", irresponsible spending and backlash to their autocratic behavior. People are frustrated at being ignored and huge tax bills. They can't do much about property taxes but they sure can have a direct say on school taxes.. You would think that the multi-board member, Mr. Puccio would consider this when he votes along his patroness's party line...
....So many conflicts of interest !!! ka
SCHOOL BUDGET
This is another area, that desperately needs overhauling bad!
All of these people, who keep voting "yes" are ruining it for the rest of us. They act like it's an honour to just raise those taxes!!! Keep it up and little by little, everybody will lose their homes. Why should SENIOR CITIZENS lose their homes, after years of trying to keep them??? They shouldn't have to be placed in those Senior Living Quarters! As for our kids, they don't need a silver spoon education. They're really not any smarter, than kids of years gone by. Also, what good is a silver spoon education, if there's NOT a house to come home to and go to bed!!! Why, because it was lost in the TAX BATTLE! The people should figure out something better, than just take the "easy" way out and...just raise the taxes again and again and again! I, along with most people would like to keep my house thank you .........................
to retire in and not have to move. Our tax system really stinks, from property taxes to school taxes! Other states make it, so New York
should be able to do the same!
Why should SENIORS CITIZENS and even people, who for Pete's sakes don't even have "KIDS" going to school pay SCHOOL Taxes and are getting "nothing" back in return!
DUMB, huh!!!
Although I have 2 grandchildren in the Schodack schools, I think it's time for the school board to look at a little conservation at budget time. In addition to pouring millions (with overruns) into the CES renovation, I read in the Independent that there is now interest in making this a "green" school which will increase the price tag.
There are many people (my husband and me included) that simply don't want to pay for a lot of goodies that aren't essential for a good education.
It seems the school board as well as the town board is on a free-wheeling spending spree and are throwing money around. It's crazy. Why should residents have to seriously consider moving because no one - and I mean no one - with control in this town can't pull the reins in and be fiscally responsible. Why do we have to be the first local district to be "green?"
How about structuring an austerity budget for a few years to give the town taxpayers a little breathing room?
And let's not forget that next year's reassessment kicks in. How scary is that?
PRESIDENTAL ELECTION
Hey folks, there's a new candidate
on the horizon, from what I have heard! He's actually human, like us. He's down to earth and knows what it's like to be an average American citizen! He probably knows, what's going on better, than our governnment. They seem to be blind to what is really going on here and how we are going down hill and alot of the other countries are going uphill.
...Ever heard of RON PAUL??? He's got a WEBSITE. People have donated around 12-13 millions of dollars, towards his campaign, I also heard. Sounds like there's hope, with another "choice", after all!
I agree, Ron Paul has some good ideas and I like the Libertarian philosophy . But unfortunately the way our system is set up, a third party candidate has very little chance of winning. At best they just take votes away from the major party candidates, which is a shame!
If you think about it, the same major themes have been around forever during elections, taxes, healthcare & education to name a few.
Now think about the trillions of dollars that have been dumped into the education system over the years and they still keep telling us the system is broken and we have to spend more money on it!
Then look at kids who are home schooled, they learn more in less time and are much farther ahead of their peers in public schools!
The true purpose of public education is not to "educate' but to "indoctrinate". What a way for the gov't to control of people by being able to start with children!
If you want a real eye opener, do a search for "Communist Manifesto" and read it. Then compare the 10 major goals to what our gov't is doing and you will see it is almost a carbon copy of the Manifesto!
Yes, it's scary but very real! It's what can happen when people don't want to get involved!
Before going crazy over how our School Board budgeting is conducted I suggest going to the meetings or asking Board members about it. I know a few of them and can say most of the Schodack School Board members are professional UNPAID volunteers doing the best they can. But they only have control over a small percentage of the entire budget. The State and Federal mandates, mostly unfunded, dictate like 95% of the spending. They have control over very little of it. I too question whether someone on the School Board should also be on the Town Planning Board because there is a conflict of priorities there. I also don't like paying the ever increasing schoold taxes when I no longer have a child there but if we are going to request a change, we need to aim at the correct target. The no child left behind program is a joke, the exorbanant costs for special ed students needs to brought under control, and there are other areas that need addressing on a state and Fed level. So while some of the posters anger is justified they should focus their ire on the right organizations. The local School Boards plays only a small part in spending decisions.
Why did Ray decide not to pursue this?
I understand there were voters turned away from polls because they were out of paper ballots and because they were out of paper for the machines. These were not voters for Secor.
Although it was difficult to manage the write in process, the people of Schodack voted overwhelmingly to support Ray.
This is the time to fight!
This is not the time to throw in the towel because everyone knows that it is difficult to have elections challenged.
It is difficult to win a write in campaign - and Ray did.
He should fight for this and be able to realize that which he has already won.
Want to vote? Here'e a new election: Schodack Valley Fire Department - election on December 11.
Voting on:
1) Approval for a quarter-million dollar purchase of property next door to the fire hall.
2) New Fire Commissioner.
Just a couple of notes (while we discuss conflict of interest in the town):
1) Steve Kelly (current chief) is married to Secor's secretary. Steve was the first to sue in the lawsuit against Ray's 3 to 1 win at the Democratic caucus.
2) A quote from the Schodack Valley website: "There is some prime property for sale that is zoned commercial and the district is looking forward to its development." Sounds like Secor to me...not a fire department?
3) The Fire Department collects our charitable contributions and town tax dollars.
I support the wonderful work of our volunteer firefighters 100%. God Bless them all. BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT using a "charitable" organization as a cover for politcal posturing.
Time to go and vote...December 11.
The Town website has the links for this information.
I live in SVFD district but I don't recall ever having an opportunity to vote on what they do or spend and I've lived in the district over 20 years. I was lead to believe just members of the department (firefighters and support group) voted. People who live in the district can vote too?
The notice of the election is posted on the town's web site:
http://www.schodack.org/
It says all registered voters of the district (more than 30 days' residence) may vote at the fire hall, I guess. Proof of residence may be required.
I'd like to know: will the town's fire district payment go up because of this purchase? Was this what that late budget meeting a few weeks ago was about?
Our volunteer firefighters do great work. Best wishes to them.
But...let's get the politics out of the fire hall. It's a few who spoil the whole wonderful volunteer effort. Since when do charity-supported fire departments hold positions on development?
I don't appreciate that my fire chief hired a lawyer to get Ray Lemka off the Democratic ticket, either (and help keep his wife's appointed job).
It's called conflict of interest in many parts. I guess just not in Schodack.
More Comment on Editorial: Voters write in a protest
11/23/2007
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
HAVE YOU EVER written in the name of a candidate in a general election? We never tried it, although we can remember races when "Donald Duck" would have made a better choice than the names on the printed ballot.
To write in a name on Election Day, you must navigate the crowded ballot and find the exact column for the office-a complicated enough task even when you intend to vote for someone whose name does appear on the ballot. Then you must slide up the slot above that column and write in the name of the candidate, using both a first and last name that come pretty close to the way the candidate spells it. And this assumes you have a pen handy, or that someone has not walked off with the pencil placed in the booth for write-ins, or that the pencil has not rolled under the booth and that you can physically reach the slot where you write in the name.
These barriers help explain why candidates with ballot lines have little to fear from write-in challengers except in races where only a handful of people turn out. So what should the public make of the race in Schodack, where Ray Lemka, a retired farmer and former Town Board member running for town supervisor, received 1,711 votes-all of them write-ins?
Mr. Lemka lost to his opponent, incumbent Supervisor Beth Secor, by a mere 11 votes after county elections officials counted all the absentee ballots.
No one can remember when a candidate received so many hand-written votes. And the feat looks all the more impressive when you consider that Ms. Secor had three ballot lines-Republican, Conservative and Independence-and Mr. Lemka had only about three weeks to mount his challenge and educate voters about how to write in his name.
Before the final count, Mr. Lemka said he would challenge the result in court if he lost, because at least one polling place ran out of paper for write-in ballots, and poll officials told voters to come back later. Experience says that judges seldom overturn an election on technical grounds, but with a vote this close and the machine failure so critical to the outcome, we hope Mr. Lemka does get a second chance.
Under other circumstances, we might fault Rensselaer County for failing to prepare adequately, but even ardent Lemka supporters couldn't have anticipated this big a response.
Some will say that winning, even if by a single vote, is all that matters. And Ms. Secor will now have two years to re-establish voter confidence in her and her administration. But think of the humiliation this represents for someone who ran unopposed two years ago and whose supporters spiked Mr. Lemka's chance to appear on the ballot after town Democrats chose him as their candidate.
Assuming she prevails, maybe Ms. Secor will realize that the way she goes about running the town has alienated the voters of Schodack. She gives herself raises while taxpayers get squeezed, launches controversial projects that require far more discussion and generally acts as if she governs by some right of royalty rather than by the consent of the governed.
But while we hope Ms. Secor will learn from this experience, her statements immediately after the election and following the final count would make any reasonable person wonder whether she understands what has happened. At first, she accused Mr. Lemka and his supporters of mounting a campaign of "fear and distortions," a wildly fearful and distorted charge unaccompanied by anything to support it.
When she received confirmation of her victory, she acknowledged her campaign had not "effectively conveyed our message," adding that she now "will be setting the record straight."
That misses the point. Her record doesn't need correction, she does. Schodack government should function in a responsive, transparent and fiscally disciplined manner. But Ms. Secor has presided over an astounding growth in the local tax burden. And that very effectively conveyed her message. The voters feel its impact, and they don't like it.
©The Independent 2007
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Added: Friday November 23, 2007 at 10:45 PM EST
Schodack Supervisor Race
We could not agree wih your editorial more, it is shameful how Beth Secor and the Town Board in Schodack totally disregard the people who pay their salaries!
The election officials made a public statement about how they were making sure all voting machines were working properly and fully stocked with paper for write-in ballots. They even said there would be an election custodian on duty to respond to voting machine problems anywhere in Schodack.
The reality was quite a different story! At the Swartz Senior Center, a voting machine was being used from 6am until 8am that did not have the columns numbered! They finally used masking tape to write the numbers on. Another machine ran out of paper, voters who were in line to vote were told to come back later because someone had to drive to Troy to get more paper! Oh, and that custodian went home at 4:30pm just as the heaviest voting was about to begin. That's what they consider being prepared?
There were too many irregularities to consider this a fair election. But the Voice of Schodack will continue to be a force for fair and democratic gov't in Schodack. We are already planning for the next election with the goal of making sure no one up for re-election runs "unopposed" and having a line on the ballot to avoid having the need for voters to "write-in".
We are proud of what we accomplished with the support of residents who desire change. So we don't consider this the end, it's just the dawning of a new era in Schodack politics because we aren't going anywhere!
Voice of Schodack, Schodack NY
Added: Friday November 23, 2007 at 12:00 PM EST
A strong statement
Thank you for making such a strong, unswerving statement about the Schodack Town election. As a former Schodack resident who now lives in Stuyvesant, I still follow events in Schodack. Ms. Secor's record as supervisor has been less than impressive, asyou noted. But what really troubles me (and many people) is the sheer doggedness with which she and Town Attorney Timothy Nugent (a Democrat) denied Ray Lemka a spot on the ballot and denied Schodack voters any alternatives. What an insult to democracy. Their behavior has been shameful.
Sean Cummings
Sean Cummings , Stuyvesant, NY
HOUSECLEANING NEEDED
In regard to the previous post, about the up coming SCHODACK VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT election.
I also, am another resident, who didn't know, we could vote, Steve Kelley's wife is Beth's secretary and the property next to SVFD, zoned commercial, but up for sale for its development(?)
Now, for the "big kicker" of all, is that Steve Kelley was involved with the lawyer and others to get our man, "RAY" off the DEMOCRATIC TICKET! Well, "eat my shorts" and(#*o#*o)! Is there anywhere, or anything, or any official in Schodack, that isn't corrupt. If so, please come forward. Schodack
is in desperate need of such!
Let's connect the dots.
1) SVFD is proposing a new building project costing a quarter million dollars.
2) SVFD Chief Steve Kelly was the FIRST to file the lawsuit getting Ray's 3 to 1 Democratic caucus win thrown out.
3) Steve's wife, Dawne, is Beth's appointed secretary. Want to call the Supervisor to find out about something? 9 out of 10 times Dawne gives you the "answer." Except lately, the "answer" has been pro-Secor spin, not the truth.
4) Dawne Kelly writes the SVFD web site. The web site states the Fire Department supports the development of land in our area = pro-Secor position.
5) Why is a charity and tax supported Fire Department so wrapped up in politics? They ask for your "charitable" donation, yet openly support Secor.
6) The first fire house was donated. What happened to that original spirit? We've sure changed since then...and not for the better.
By the way...thank you to all volunteer emergency workers. This nonsense is a slap in the face to all of those who volunteer because it's the right thing to do.
Get the politics out of the fire house. And go and vote December 11.
Not to get off any subjects out here, but this seems to go along with all these recent posts.
Beth Secor and Tim Nugent are being sued for conflict of intrest according to the Schodack Patriot. I seem to remember someone else posting out here that that law suit may help in our fight to take back the town.
Kind of funny how all the dots connect to the same people all the time.
I just wanted to point that out. This seems to be the Secor way of doing things. Yet, no one does anything about it.
Welcome Tractor Supply...
Did you know - Almost everything offered at Tractor Supply is and has been available in Schodack for 10 or 20 or 30+ years? You have long-time businesses selling farm and garden supplies, work clothing and boots, building, fencing and yard materials, outdoor power equipment, etc.
Competition is good for everyone and I welcome anyone to the fray. Patronize the stores you choose and please don't forget your long-time local businesses competing head to head with Tractor Supply:
Curtis Lumber
Green Meadow Farm
Nassau Country Value (Agway)
Northeast Auto Parts
Tinkers Premium Power
Van's Gift Shop
Oh, and one last dot to connect:
7) How is taking commercially zoned property OFF the town tax rolls helpful? That's what the SVFD quarter-million dollar proposal is doing: the new fire house takes high-tax property off the tax roll. There is LESS tax base for the town but MORE taxes for SVFD residents.
Why don't they get some land donated to them? Secor sure is tight with plenty of developers.
Again: our respect goes out to honest emergency volunteers; we just want the politics out of the fire house.
That would go under planning. In other towns, they try and regulate to a certain extent the businesses set up in the town so there won't be thins kind of competition and drive business out of the town.
Colonie is a big one for that. The lesser amount of the same type of business, the less empty or vacant buildings there will be.
Wonder when Secor will think of something like that?
I also read the patriot, and am glad to see someone is going after Secor and Nugent for their game of conflict of intrest. But is also seems they are working very hard to wipe that guy out before he gets them to court.
Talk about no one doing anything. What is wrong with our fearless leader Joe Bruno or Kathy Jemino?? Guess they don't stand to profit if their pals Secor and Nugent don't win that fight. POOR BABIES!
I got a question, the Town employees got the day after Thanksgiving off as a "holiday" and are getting Monday Christmas eve off as an employee "holiday", are they charging time accruals for those days like the rest of us or are those days freebies at our expense?
our town has business planning.
If your not part of the royalty known as the SBA or a big business that has a ton of money behind it. Then your not allowed to build here.
The law according to Secor - Nugent.
Mark the date, December 11:
The Schodack Valley Fire Department is having a vote on buying 3 acres of land for a parking lot and storage area - for a quarter of a million dollars. This does not include the costs of any possible building. Land only. No improvements.
So, it's over $70,000 an acre (and it will be taken off the tax rolls). Who are they buying it from? How much is our fire assessment tax going up because of this?
All SVFD district residents can vote on this December 11, not just fire department members. Voting is at the fire hall.
I just looked at the online edition of The Record and the editorial today is the same editorial that appeared in The Independent last Friday. I'm very happy to see there is more attention being paid to the supervisor's election. I think it would be wonderful to see it in the Times Union as well.
Regarding land purchase for Schodack Valley fire department. The land that surrounds the fire house is owned be Peters who owns Green Meadow western and riding gear store. I imagine she owns the land the firehouse is looking to purchase. But the price seems pretty steep considering she has been trying to sell if for many years and the current real estate market. If the purchase is for the mined area behind the fire house they need to be very careful. The land was mined much further down then it should have been and is only a few feet above the water table. The land (behind the current firehouse) is very vulnerable to spills etc.
Thank you for the above information. First, I want to state I admire and support our many volunteer emergency workers.
However, I do not admire a charity- and-tax-supported fire company's web site being used to make pro-development statements, especially when site’s author is a Secor appointee, who has received a 39% salary hike.
Secondly, I do not admire a fire chief filing lawsuits to get a political caucus voided. There were other people at the caucus who did not agree with Ray's win, yet, Steve Kelly was the first to file the suit. Another conflict of interest.
Third: the town has vacant land near a brand new wellhead: the old town hall. Maybe some of this land could be given or leased to the SVFD? I am sure in another year we will be asked to vote on a multi-million dollar new fire house. At least this way the land would be much cheaper, and the old fire house (in a residential area) could be sold to off-set costs. Plus: they'd get near instant access to 9 & 90 for emergencies.
Most people try to avoid the appearance of "conflict of interest." Sadly, it seems some members of the SVFD embrace it: in fact, they have taken great financial benefit from it.
I was taught to admire our men and women in uniform: be they police, fire rescue, or military. I do not think the actions of some SVFD members reflect a noble spirit.
I will no longer send donations to the SVFD until the politics are cleaned out.
This whole county operates on "conflict of intrest". Take a good look, Secor and the SBA have their hands in EVERY pie in this town. The ones who embrace it are the ones profiting the most.
The profits unfortunatly are over our backs. They have had us all snowed for a very long time. Even with us watching them and connecting the dots, they still go their merry way.
Not to beat a dead horse, but read the patriot. Everything they have said over the past couple years we are facing out here now. They knew where the bodies were barried and we are digging them all up now.
As a 20 year resident here, I feel like a fool not seeing all this corruption a long time ago. The things they do to people is unforgivable. They even have others in other parts of to county playing in their game.
Unfortunatly the game is to screw us all out of what we have. I remember a couple other posts that were deleted from here with names of players in this scam, and one was the Irish Store. The only Irish Store I know of is McGrath in Brunswick. He is known as "the king of politics"
Now look at what they are all doing to us. The good ol boys are screwing us into the ground. ALL of us. Still!
Conflict of intrest? Not even their bed buddies Bruno and Jemino care. They won't care until the whole county is up in arms and after all their heads. It is the whole county that is corrupt... Not just Secor. She just got caught red handed.
The above post raises good points, but I think what is most troublesome about the SVFD situation is that is involves people who want to be looked up to. Heck -- the SVFD web site says they are "heroes"!
Businesses have long been involved in politics (hopefully, honestly) -that's free enterprise.
It is truly sickening, however, when a charity-supported, tax-supported "volunteer" organization has been corrupted.
Let's vote December 11 to send a message: get the politics out of our fire halls. Plus: get the price of that land down, or look elsewhere!
If anyone wants to start "undoing" the corruption in Rensselaer County they need to start voting against Joe Bruno. That means voting against every Republican running (I'm a registered Republican)in every election.
Take a look at North Greenbush and the Mall Development being pushed through. The town has NO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN and the supervisor has gone to great lengths to make sure there isn't one. The supervisor makes 20K and drives a Jaguar. Just who do you think is paying him off? Just who do you think is forcing this development without planning?
Joe Bruno, Kathy Jimino and the Rensselaer County Corrupt Repbulicans with the help of deep pocket developers. If you want to send a message DO NOT SHOP AT THE
4 & 43MALLS WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETE!
If you think Schodack is bad...take a look around. It will be worse and Schodack is next in line.
Obviously some businesses in this area are not playing politics on an honest level. Regarding the patriot, look what they have done to that man and his family in the name of profits. No one is doing anything to stop it obviously, it has gone on for years.
They think we are all stupid and they will get away with the theft and destruction of a family so the certain few can profit. The same few that come up in this blog over and over.
You think this group would realize that if that man gives up on his law suit and it suddenly "disappears" we won't figure out they won and got away with murder basically. But they don't seem to care. Not what we think of them or what their reputations end up being.
Another thing, did anyone know that Beth Secor's cousin is an EMT? So the tentacles are not only in the Fire Dpt. they are in all aspects including the school.... All the areas of importance to us. Look closely and find the same names and relationships in those dpts.
This county is disgusting. I am ashamed to live in such a corrupt despicable place and feel bad for all those who have no choice but to put up with it.
It's important to note: being an EMT, volunteer fireman, policeman, or otherwise contributing to our community is not bad. You folks are wonderful!
What we object to is the few people (and it's only a few) who use their positions to further their own interests (like 39% raises and filing Nugent-backed lawsuits).
SVFD: please come up with a better plan for your new land, because as it is, it's going to get voted down. The price is way too high.
Also: the Kelly-Secor connection is a major conflict of interest. Someone has to resign here to clean up the fire house.
I think they meant that Secor's cousin being an EMT means there is more then likely politics in another volunteer organization.
Rule of thumb is where ever there is ties to Secor and Nugent, it is usually for control, and political gain.
That is probably what the last was pointing out
So if this is all true, and you look at it. Even though it is kind of morbid. But Secor and the rest of the ELITE grew could get away with killing us and no one would be the wiser.
They are in the police dpt, fire, emt, courts... All they need is some dirty doctors and they have us all.
Sorry to put it that way. But this reality is disturbing! No wonder Bruno hides his dirty little head.
He is the kingpin of all this garbage!
Wow has this blog gone off the deep end! "Corruption, killing us off, screw us out of what we have"
where does this come from? I see a lot of accusations of such things but never any concrete examples.
Are we getting a little crazy here?
Take a deep breath folks -- the glass is half full -- not half empty.
Proof?? How much more do you need? The election was a ton of proof! But you want it broken down for you.
Go look at the town web site. Who is on the ZBA? Nugent, Goold (SBA president and Vice President) Who is in the police dpt? Secor's husband is supposedly retired. (Once a police officer always a police officer, retired or not) EMT's so it is said here is Secor's cousin, and in the fire dpt is her appointed Secretary and her husband.
As for the courts EVERYONE knows that Wagner is a Secor supporter and does her bidding, so is Peter.
So what more proof do you want? Who else is in place we don't know about? School board? Who sits on there with ties to the SBA?
It is true, they have their little fingers in all the pies and it is all out of control. So off the deep end? I think not.
I was raised to respect officials as well, but what is going on here is disgusting! I also read the patriot... maybe you should to. Look what Secor and Nugent did. They USED all these dpt's to steal and destroy a persons reputation and it is all the people I just named here. You want proof.. your not looking close enough.
I agree with the last poster...what has happened to this blog???? Repeat after me...deep breath(count to 10)...deep breath(count to 10). Lets get a grip and FOCUS!
I agree with the other posts to a point. No I don't think they are out to kill people, but I do think it is a matter of control for these people.
They are into everything. They do use their positions to screw the people who stand up to them. That has been proven. As for teh fire department, they shouldn't be there. But they are unless we all get off our computers and vote them out.
The real focus should be to get people like Tim Nugent out of his postion in the Democratic party and someone in there that will put up a candidate.
Face it folks, we are stuck with Secor, she isn't going to budge because bottom line is she gets her pension after this 2 years. Unless she is impeached in the process, we are stuck with her. We will also be paying for her for the rest of her life.
That is the reality here. Her and her pals need to be pryed out of their positions and real people who will do a real job put in. That won't happen without us getting out and voting, and working in our respective parties to make sure this never happens again.
One of the most telling things about Schodack and its politics is the fact that we all (including me) don't post our names - we all push the button for "anonymous."
I can't answer for everyone else, but for me, I do it out of fear. Will "she" screw me by manipulating my assessment? Supposedly that can't be done, but I'm not going to bet on it.
Will she screw me by having the town police harrass me? I'd like to think it can't happen, but I am sure not willing to bet on it. Not here in Schodack, not under the thumb of Beth Secor.
Mr. Goold has been on the planning board (thankfully) for many years before Mrs. Secor came to office. If there is a person with greater integrity in any position in this community, I would like to meet them.
Mr. Pucio has been one of the most active community volunteers this community has ever had. Would any of you conspiracy theorists be willing to serve on the school board for over 10 years? I wouldn't but I am thankful that an intelligent, hard working person like Paul Puccio is willing. Not suprising with his background that he would be asked to join the planning board.
If anyone thinks these people don't have the best interests of Schodack in mind then you don't know these two gentlemen very well.
I wasn't talking about Mr. Goold, I was speaking of Sue Goold, you know, Beth Secor's campaign manger, and supposed Democrat herself.
Conspiracy theory, like someone said previously, you aren't looking in the right places.
They Do use their positions to get to the people who speak up against them. Why are YOU posting anonymously if we are theorizing out here? Why not post YOUR name if this is all theory?
Ok, so now your going to tell us Nugent's intentions are for the good of this town. That is why he is on the board as it's lawyer.
Just because they haven't gone after you for something doesn't mean they don't do it. They are counting on people like you to not believe they do.
I can tall you from personal experiance THEY DO!
A previous commentator mentioned that since we were or are so close to winning this election, we should continue to fight. I agree 100%...It's a shame to throw it in without a fight and I am extremely disappointed in the no-challenge decision...it just gives BS and the gang the green light to go ahead with business as usual. Proof of which is the continued support by the gang of the Crown affair. How many times must they be told, IT'S AGAINST THE LAW !!! Special waivers will always come through in this town when their agenda is threatened..They have already spent our tax money on lawyers and lost the suit against them while the good folks nearby with a real stake in the matter put out their hard earned money to beat them. It''s interesting to see that the GANG doesn't live anywhere near the proposed Crown site nor does the Planning Board members...I really hope the PB does the right thing and stands up for the people for once. I wonder how much consideration of disruptive projects would occur if the administration members were adversely effected. I'll bet the waivers would be few and far between. Of course, we wouldn't have to worry about a lot of this if there were a comprehensive developement plan in place, as is required . Oh well, guess it's just business as usual.
Now the whining starts! Town residents had the perfect opportunity to oust Secor and I'm not talking about the Write-In, It's the republican primary that was the best chance because it would have given Ray Lemka the Republican line on the ballot eliminating the need for a write-in!
The write-in was the next best option and a bullet proof margin of 100+ write-in votes would have sent Secor packing!
The next election is not far away. Secor and 2 board members are up for re-election so let's learn from our mistakes! The Primary is the critical element, that's the best way to guarantee having a candidate get on the ballot!
did you know kellogg is a svfd social member ?
Can someone tell us about the voting proceedure at the firehouse? Most people have never voted in the fire district elections and are not familiar with it. Do they use the regular voting machines or paper ballots or what?
By the way, I have some acreage I'd be willing to sell for $80,000+ per acre.
Wuold someone from the fire company please post an explaination of the land proposal describing the purchase price, what fees will be paid and to who and who currently owns the property. This will shed some light on what you are asking for and will help us make better decisions at the polls.
Also, since SVFD is a non-profit volunteer organization that is always in need of contributions, couldn't some of these services be donated to the company?
Thanks for getting this comment thread back on track. To have our movement make real change, it may help to remember the following:
1) We need to be repectful. Ray was respectful during his campaign, even while pointing out some really serious problems and all-out corruption. Sarcasm is fine -- but attacks on private life aren't. Let's keep that attitude, out of respect for Ray and ourselves.
2) Let's not attack the ENTIRE planning board, volunteer fire department/EMT program. Most of those folks are generous, honest people. We just want to point out a few bad apples.
3) Let's focus on the PUBLIC actions (i.e. a lawsuit against Ray or getting a salary hike) of these "bad apples." Let's not comment on who they eat dinner with. If we dig enough (FOIL requests, newspapers) we can find plenty of factual, public information. Always give the source (website, minutes, etc.) if you can. Many posts already do this.
4) Focus on letting others know about PUBLIC events, like a vote or meeting. This way, the majority of folks can do something.
5) Does this mean we have to follow a higher standard than Nugent-Secor? Yes, but sometimes you have to take the higher road...we'll be glad we did.
Voice of Schodack: hope this post isn't out of line. Please comment...& we hope this reflects Ray's and your values. Thanks!
Schodack Valley Fire Department: you would have a lot more support if you could please explain what this new purchase is about.
Is a multi-million dollar fire house next? Tell us now, please. Kindly remember over half of Schodack voters don't like the Secor-style bait-and-switch.
Please remember you ask us for donations. We've never gotten a single acknowledgement (that's ok, figure you want to save postage). But, out of respect, please list on your website an itemized account of who is doing each service and for how much. There are a lot of professionals in your district who can help you as a donation.
And why the high price tag? I too would like to get $80,000 an acre. The first firehouse & land were donated!
NYS Public Officers Law $74.2
Code of Ethics: Rule with respect to conflicts of interest.
"No officer or employee of a state agency...should have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature, which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest."
$74.3. Standards. "No officer or employee of a state agency...should accept employment or engage in any business or professional activity which will require him to disclose confidential information which he has gained by reason of his official position or authority."
So, is the SVFD a not-for-profit, or not? Please disclose. If you are NYS not-for-profit, you cannot campaign or give the appearance of it by NYS law.
Is it ethical that SVFD Chief Steve Kelly filed a lawsuit to block Ray's win at the Democratic caucus?
And his wife campaigns and works (with a big raise) for Secor?
Then a quarter-million $ FD vote is a few weeks after the election?
SVFD: please explain.
Regarding land next door to the Schodack Valley Fire Department:
Assessed value of 3.33 acre parcel: $20,000.
Assessed value of 8.98 acre parcel: $2,500.
Granted, assessed values are usually low, but in any case, the price tag for the 3 acre purchase (over $80,000 per acre) seems quite high.
I agree it was underhanded but I wish Ray would admit that he was in cahoots with anti-development forces of Gable and Natoli
Here we go again. This is the same negative campaign nonsense BS used when she ran against Eileen and Ray four years ago. Why is it that if someone is pro planned development the old guard republicans try to cast them as anti-development? It is not at all the same thing. I don't know of anyone that is anti-development but I know a lot of residents that are anti dumb development which is what we have now. No plan, no organization, spot zoning, focused it seems on nothing but more truck terminals. Give it a rest already. Repeating the same thing over and over (that pro planners are antidevelopment) isn't going to make it true. If you feel that plopping down any type business any old place is a good plan, you’re entitled to your opinion. But because many many others, not just a few, don't feel that way doesn't mean they are anti-development. Only that we want good planned economically feasible development. Can you comprehend that?
Regarding those who supported Ray, there were many of us who came to support him that had been at odds with him in the past. I’m sure a few took him by surprise. I’m sure that when he found I was in his corner he was surprised because we had banged heads many times over the years. But given the alternative, everyone had to make a choice and sometimes that means getting by your personal feelings for the good of Town. I can’t speak for Ms. Gable or Ms. Natoli (if they were in fact supporters) but that is why I supported Ray. Ms. Secor screwed up the first time she was in office with her spending practices and she doing it again. Enough! She should be thrown out of office before she bankrupts everyone that lives in Schodack. Taxes and irresponsible spending. Those were my motives for supporting Ray. Nothing more and nothing less. The reasoning shouldn’t be that hard to follow.
Coalitions, formal or informal, are part of politics. The voters probably went into the following groups:
Beth:
1) Town Employees, their cousins, their sisters, and their aunts. This being Schodack, this is a HUGE group. You should see the weddings.
2) Developer buddies (like the guy who got his own special zoning classification next to the Cumberland Farms: hey, let’s make it up as we go along, shall we?).
3) People who like Goold’s cider.
4) Cul-de-sac people who are new, and pulled the lever because they find Beth ok. Not great, but ok. Some talk of a library. Libraries seem ok. And heck, she was unopposed, right?
5) Some Fire and Rescue people, who have ties to #1 & #2.
6) Members of certain boards who hold land on Route 9, and enjoy the smell of gasoline. And money.
7) People who were asleep since June, 2003.
Ray:
1) Seniors who want to keep their family homes. They actually READ their tax bill, and grew up when arithmetic was taught early and well.
2) Younger people who passed 4th grade math.
3) People who read newspapers.
4) People who like to drink clean water; not so fond of gasoline smell in pasta water.
5) People who prefer the patter of woodland chipmunks to the cries of feral cats feeding out of strip mall dumpsters.
6) People who understand you can drive North or South on Route 9 to get groceries. You can, really.
7) People who own pens.
Could not vote, but is looking into ways to get Beth a 12 vote spread:
1) Tim Nugent.
If you know Ray Lemka at all, he's the most INDIVIDUAL and INDEPENDENT person around. He's never in cahoots with anyone. He has his beliefs, sticks to them and has NEVER been afraid to stand up and express them. Sometimes people don't like that.
If people who were against him in the past supported him, it was because this time they agreed with his beliefs and view of the issues.
Ray Lemka is a man of sterling character, and represents the interests of many people. I'd like him to be appointed to the Town's Board of Ethics.
First thing for them to review:
the Schodack Valley Firehall situation.
Asking for a quarter million dollars a few weeks after an election the SVFD chief helped "rig"?
Here's our very own Town Code: "No town employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest."
I don't see how Secor's appointed secretary (Dawne Kelly) can be exempt from this. Her husband was the first to file the law suit to get Ray's name thrown out.
And now the Kellys would like us to vote them 1/4 million for an $80,000 an acre purchase. I'm all for fire protection, but...
By the way...who is currently on this Board of Ethics?
Yup, if there's one thing you learn about Ray Lemka after spending any length of time around him is that he knows what he thinks and he says it. It doesn't waver, he's not afraid and he's crystal clear.
That drove Elizabeth Gable up a wall when he brought to light problems in the town during the Natoli era. She wrote inflamatory things just as she has done this time against Secor.
Ray Lemka would never support Gable's poison pen. That's not his style. I hope Elizabeth Gable stops to think about her poison pen and just who she is hurting, in addition to her target of the moment. She could say the same things and get the same point across with half the venom.
You don't think Natoli or Gable's plan was to get Ray elected and then run against him in two years and beat him. Also truck terminalks once again generate the most net revenue. Hotel office buildings use significant amount of resources (electricity, fire, ambulance etc) If anyone says that exit 10 is bad development has to be calssified as anti development. Look I do not support Beth but Ray is not a babe in the woods
You might want to consider, however, that truck terminals lower neighborhood property values. Assessments can't be as high, hence fewer taxes.
A disaster at a truck terminal would consume a vast amount of fire and ambulance services -- and one did happen in Schodack a few years back.
Many businesses are given tax waivers for 10+ years -- hardly ever happens with homes.
It is a matter of balance between the two. Good planning helps keep the balance; not the spot-zoning and the exception-of-the-month system we have now.
That's what most folks want: a fair balance.
It will only be "business as usual" if we allow it!
If Secor & Co. start doing things we don't approve of, we let them know! And I don't mean at a board meeting where she is in control, I would like to see a full on protest with hundreds of residents in front of Town Hall and every news channel we can get there reporting on it!
If Secor persists with disregard for residents, then we should start a petition for a re-call vote, if possible.
Secor and the Town Board have gotten away with alot over the last 4 yrs. and we only have ourselves to blame! The only way to get change is if "We The People" do something about it!
We have 2 yrs. to finish what was started with this election, we almost did it this time!
Next election we should not only make this Secor's last term, we need to make changes to the Town Board because 2 seats are up for re-election and they should not run "unopposed"!
The Schodack Valley Fire Department needs our approval to buy 3 acres for a quarter million dollars on December 11.
How will the land be used? I don’t think they need 3 acres of parking lot, and the site is too small for emergency “practice.” There are other county sites (like on Rt. 150) for that. So I take it the land will be for a larger fire hall.
Just as an estimate: a fire hall one-third the size of our new highway department (~$3 million total) might be ~$1 million.
It seems like poor planning to hit SVFD residents with the costs of a new town hall, new highway building, and expensive land (and soon, a building?) all within a few years.
And keep in mind, SVFD residents will pocket this fire hall cost, not the entire town, so it will “seem” like $3-4 million dollar project, since there are fewer households to pay for it.
Yes, there are more developments in the district, but, developers don’t pay much on land only, and it will be years before all these new homes are built in this stagnant market. Besides, it looks like we will have to pay an additional tax: that makes developing land in the district less enticing.
Schodack, and the Schodack Valley Fire District in particular, are turning out to be pretty expensive places to live.
I'd encourage the Fire Department or Town to hold a public forum before the vote.
Anonymous said...
You don't think Natoli or Gable's plan was to get Ray elected and then run against him in two years and beat him. Also truck terminalks once again generate the most net revenue. Hotel office buildings use significant amount of resources (electricity, fire, ambulance etc) If anyone says that exit 10 is bad development has to be calssified as anti development. Look I do not support Beth but Ray is not a babe in the woods
November 29, 2007 8:47 PM
Regarding the above posts – I think you are wrong on most counts:
• Natoli and Gable – Know both, they aren’t interested in running for office. If they were, the golden opportunity would have been this year. I don’t think either will run in two, four, or six years.
• Truck terminals are not going to generate more tax revenue then a hotel. Again it is finished space vs. a shell. Yes hotels/office buildings will require emergency services. I don’t know if it would be more or less then a warehouse type operation but given there are more people thus more potential for a medical problem I can understand your reasoning. But warehouses are somewhat dangerous with fork lifts, heavy material, hazardous material, and not a lot of supervision so there is a lot of potential for injuries there too. Could be a wash as far as emergency services are concerned.
• Electricity – Yes but not at town expense so is that a concern?
• Exit 10 – I don’t recall anyone saying that the overall development of exit 10 was bad. But there were several issues.
1. This was another spot zone. The town ran over the property of a neighbor putting the main entrance not only beside her home but on her property!
2. Let’s not forget the 20 year IDA tax abatement granted to distributor of the Briggs & Stratton small engine parts.
3. Has the development on both sides of Miller road been an asset to the Town? Probably. (But I bet the hotel is assessed for a lot more then say a Duye Pyle down on Route 9). Anyway, you wouldn’t get an argument from me that the development at Exit 10 is a good thing but still we the tax payers in the state, county, and Town subsidized part of the development because of the tax waivers granted the developer. Whether that was fiscally beneficial to the Town is difficult to determine. Also note there is supposed to be a large hotel going in to the larger development on the south east side of Miller Road at some point. The past Town Planning director who helped get this project through was supposed to get a job at the hotel when it was built. Funny how that stuff happens. Haven’t heard anything about the hotel going up in years so I don’t know what happened to that project. I do recall no one was against it as long as they paid there own way (no tax waivers).
Ray a babe in the woods? In the woods – yes. Babe? Only in Susan’s eyes…….
(Sorry Ray, couldn’t let that one go by….)
I did not say more revenue I said "net revenue"
At exit 10 the town did not put the entrance anywhere the developer did.
Why aren't you concerned of the IDA tax abatement the senior luxury apts on 150 got!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are not satisfied with Exit 10 then you are clearly anti-development because that is one of the best examples of development. Near an exit, bothers no one and is tastefully done.
"you are clearly anti-development"
Wow! There's a lot of old debate team tricks in the above post:
1) All or Nothing: the post implies any one who comments on a new building MUST be against it, and all buildings. End of story.
2) Renaming and name calling: just asking questions about new building MUST BE anti-development. Not pro-planning, not just curious, they are plain and simple bad anti-development people.
3) Internal contradiction: the post acknowledges some problems about a driveway (blames the developer), yet concludes the hotel "bothers no one." I guess the hotel's neighbor is a nobody, then?
4) Causation: if the Town grants permits or fails to enforce approved plans regarding driveways (or other problems), then the Town is responsible. The developer may have done the actual error, but the Town granted the permission to work.
Oh, and...
5) Change the subject: the topic was Exit 10, yet, the post insists the other writer must clearly have no concern about the Rt. 150 senior apartments.
6) Multiple exclamation points: why not shout!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A proven technique.
Sorry, got to go shovel my driveway. ;-)
I am confused..
IDA Tax breaks for luxury apts.. good or bad??
Where is there not a neighbor?
I am pro-planning but clearly farms, which pollute more than anything, I should know I work on one for 20 years, is not the way to go.
If you do not think Natoli does not want to run then you do not know her like I do.
"I'd encourage the Fire Department or Town to hold a public forum before the vote."
If this land purchase is to be paid for by residents in the form of increased assessments, fees or taxes, a public forum should be REQUIRED, if not, then it should be DEMANDED!
Remember, we have the power of the vote. As it stands now, this SVFD land purchase should be voted down!
What area does SVFD serve? Because if I live in that area, I will make sure I vote NO!
For the district, check their website, or call them:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/svfc32
They indicate: 2 miles of Routes 9 & 20; 2 1/2 miles of Route 20 from the split of 9&20. 3 miles of NY Route 9 from the junction of 9&20.
I support fire protection and admire our volunteers.
But, I am pretty upset about the lawsuit filed by SV Fire Chief Steve Kelly. He basically "fixed" our election.
At the time Chief Kelly also held an appointment by the Town. His wife also holds an appointed job (the 39% salary hike one).
Both Town and State ethics laws clearly state this is a conflict, and illegal.
Plus, as a tax and charity supported organization, volunteer fire departments should avoid the appearance of political involvement. What Chief Kelly did was pretty overt.
That land seems to have a high pricetag as well.
Obviously, Mr. Kelly was not worried about any potential "flashback" when he signed his name to the lawsuit. Since he saw fit to get involved in the lawsuit that deprived us of a fair election, we can now return the favor and deny him what he wants by voting down this ridiculously expensive ($80,000/acre)land purchase. We should all boycott "Pizza Night" until he resigns as chief too! What goes around, comes around! We must put a stop to all the corruption in this town.
The volunteers who make up our fire depts. and EMS are extraordinary people who sacrifice their time and risk their lives, while the rest of us sit at home nice and comfy. They deserve our respect and thanks. Having said that, if you are like me, pissed off at the way democracy was kicked in the teeth by a conspiring clique of townfolk residing in both parties, who would rather have Schodack resemble a politcal backwater than lose power, then the only sensible thing to do is say no to the fire dept. land purchase. Vote no, if for no other reason than retribution for Chief Kelly's role in denying a choice to Schodack voters. They say elections have consequences, well, indeed they do. Let's show Chief Kelly there are consequences.
Anonymous said...
I did not say more revenue I said "net revenue"
At exit 10 the town did not put the entrance anywhere the developer did.
Why aren't you concerned of the IDA tax abatement the senior luxury apts on 150 got!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are not satisfied with Exit 10 then you are clearly anti-development because that is one of the best examples of development. Near an exit, bothers no one and is tastefully done.
December 1, 2007 6:58 AM
Net Revenue – Interesting term. But I still don’t think Possible lower cost for supplying emergency and other services to a warehouse type enterprise will offset the considerably higher amount of gross tax revenue a hotel or office building will generate. If you know of a study that says otherwise, I’d like to see it. I have considerable experience managing office and warehouse space. The difference in rent ranges from 3 to 4 to 1. ($15 to $18 per sq. ft. vs. $4 to $6 per sq. ft.) around the Capital District.
The Town inspected and authorized the driveway and never noticed or worse, possibly ignored the fact the entrance road was not where it belonged. The neighbor brought it to the Towns attention to no avail. She had to sue to try to get the Town/developer to follow its own plans. This happens all the time if you happened to be favored developer. But if you happen to be a resident with their deck 3’ to close to your neighbor, watch Building Inspectors come a running….
I didn’t know about the tax abatements for the apartments on Route 150 but thank you for letting us know about it. But to answer the question, no I am not and would not have been in favor of tax abatements for this business who buses its residents to county tax supported facility like the Swartz Center. On that we agree.
Re Exit 10, you’re not paying attention. I said you would get no argument from me that the development there was a good thing. My issue is with the tax breaks given to some developers and the fact the Town/developer took advantage of women who had lived on her property for many many years. Her reward for having the road put on her property is to have tractor trailer exhaust pipes bellowing at her first floor window level. I hope you aren’t saying that was OK. Could she or should she have sold her property? I would have because I think she got a reasonable offer but the fact is she didn’t want to move disrupting her life and should have a choice. She was there first.
I don’t’ think everyone was thrilled with Exit 10. I pretty sure long time local business man Mr. Stahlman wasn’t thrilled to have a competing Mobile gas station put in with in a half mile of his. I would also guess that all the traffic at the hotel and gas station doesn’t thrill the nearby residents either but I haven’t heard of any complaints. If they don’t have a problem, I certainly don’t. And I do agree the designs, layouts, etc. of the development around Exit 10 was done well.
So again, most others and I you seem to take issue with are NOT anti-development. We just favor good planned commercial and residential development.
SVFD Land Purchase
If the SVFD does not give us more information on the deal for the 3+ acres they want to purchase, then there should be a concerted effort to defeat this request. Please post some details.
is everyone bored yet????????? i sure am !!!
The Schodack Valley Fire Department land proposal sadly typifies our current Schodack politics.
- Major acquisition without a public forum
- No information on tax or fire rate hike
- No information on future work there (new fire hall? what's the cost?)
Think about it: you could not get a business loan without showing future plans for land or a building.
There is a second aspect to the purchase which is problematic: the favors exchanged between SVFD Chief Steve Kelly and Beth Secor. His filing the lawsuit to get Ray off he ballot is unethical and illegal, since he held an appointed government post, as does his wife.
I didn't know my charitable contributions to the firehall were supporting someone who wanted to "fix" our recent election.
SVFD: we respect those of you who volunteer because it's the right thing to do. Please give your district members the same respect and let us know what this land is for, and why the high pricetag.
And get the politics out of the firehall.
Dear VoS readers and contributors- I would like to talk about the Schodack Valley Volunteer Fire Company and the Schodack Valley Fire District. As you just read, they are two entirely different entities. The Schodack Valley Volunteer Fire Company DOES NOT employ Steve Kelly ,or anyone else for that matter. SVFC is a group of people who live and love the town of Schodack and our neighbors.The fire company owns the property and building at 1553 Schodack Valley Rd. We pay a mortgage on the MEMBER built addition by hosting fund raisers like Pizza Nights and golf tournaments etc. Tax dollars Do Not pay the bills associated with the fire company. The boycotting of SVFC pizza nights only serves to hurt people who care about our town and it's people and property.The Schodack Valley Fire Disrict is the entity that you pay fire taxes to. It has an elected Board Of Fire Commissioners. There are no behind the door politics that take place at the public meetings of the Fire Disrict. The public is welcome to attend if they reside in the Schodack Valley Fire Distict. If you look at your tax bill you can tell if you live in the SV tax district.Once again, Steve Kelly is not employed by the Schodack Valley Fire District.He recieves NO financial compensation for his duties as Chief of the SCHODACK VALLEY FIRE DEPT.Mr Kelly was elected chief by the members and was approved for that position by the elected board of fire commissioners. It is certainly understandable that an explanation is due the public in regards to the percieved conflict of interest reguarding Mr Kelly/Supervisor Secor/SVFC/SVFireDist. Mr Kelly happens to be a taxpayer and unfortunately a volunteer fire chief also. He DOES NOT speak for me or any of the other dedicated fire company members. It is the lack of information from the fire company that has created the sense of wrong doing. There is NO wrong doing, just an appearence of wrong doing. Don't punish all of the volunteers for the one you don't agree with. I have limited knowledge about fire taxes but I assure you, if you replaced the volunteers with paid fire fighters, you really wouldn't be able to afford to live in Schodack.I do have a vast amount of knowledge reguarding being a Schodack Valley firefighter. I am a 33 year life member. I saw the place grow from the small barn to the larger facility that stands today. We currently don't meet OSHA standards because our truck room isn't large enough to offer the required safety zone around our fire trucks. The safety zone allows firefighters to walk a safe distance around the perimeters of the trucks, thus limiting the chance of accidentally running over firefighters. The Schodack fire taxpayers will eventually meet the same fate that is happening in our school districts. Their fire districts will be forced to comply with OSHA mandates. There is NO plan to build a new Schodack Valley fire house. The Schodack Valley Fire District wants to buy 3 acres adjoining the fire company property so that when the day of recogning comes, there will be room to expand without a HUGE bill for a new building somewhere else.The price of the property is very high. Has anybody every dealt with Pauline? I feel the best course of action is for taxpayers to bite the bullet and buy this property so we can insure a more financially sound future. I think when you get the facts, you will see how little your fire tax will go up.
Respectfully
James Adams
Dear Mr. Adams:
I sincerely appreciate your reply. As I am sure you can tell, frustration was mounting due to almost no information regarding this land purchase.
Your letter is very helpful, but still leaves several unanswered questions. My family would appreciate any help you or other members might give.
Regarding the land: you wrote "...very high. Has anybody every dealt with Pauline?"
Suggestion: Might you use our inquiries/concerns to negotiate down the price?
Reagrding the new building: It appears the land IS for a new building because of the need to meet OSHA standards.
Suggestion: Could you give us a time frame on the building? What might be the cost to us district members? We'd just like some numbers: that is reasonable.
Regarding the statement: "There is NO wrong doing, just an appearence of wrong doing."
I have worked as both a volunteer and paid administrator for non-profit organizations for over 20 years. My heart goes out to you. We do our work because we love it; we love our communities as well.
That said....the "appearance" of conflict-of-interest behavior is ENOUGH, under state and town laws to be illegal.
Mr. Kelly is appointed by an elected Board...? I am afraid I don't quite see how he is completely disconnected from the Fire Hall. He is your Chief, plus holds an appointment by the Town (Safety Advisory Committee). Plus, his wife is Beth's secretary, and writes your website (which makes some sort of pro-development statement -- why?)
There were 20 others who voted for Beth Secor at the Democratic caucus. No one is disputing their right to file lawsuits. We'd just like to know why Steve was first in line to file a lawsuit given his town position and firehall postion...and now wants us to vote on some expensive land.
To keep public faith in the SVFD, someone needs to be accountable. As you well know, those of us in the non-profit sector need to keep the public's trust. Sometimes it takes a resignation.
Again deepest respect to you and all non-political volunteers.
Steve Kelly in fact holds 2 official positions in our town government: Safety Committee, and also the Town's Fire Investigation Unit.
He held these posts when he filed a political lawsuit to ensure Secor's unopposed ticket. Some might say this is how the election got "fixed."
Seems pretty direct example of politics in the firehall to me. Town ethics laws do apply.
Beth Secor, Tim Nugent, or SVFD: please explain.
Mr. Adams, thanks for your helpful letter. You wrote:
"Mr Kelly....DOES NOT speak for me or any of the other dedicated fire company members.
I see from SVFD's website that Steve Kelly is BOTH a Director and the Chief.
If Steve's also on the Board of Directors, then he is pretty directly involved with the finances?
Could you please tell us who is the attorney hired to handle the land transaction we are to vote on? (Attorney fees are mentioned in the notice.)
Excellent letter to the editor in todays Independent pointing out reporter Kristin Shaws lack of factual content in her articles about the Democratic caucus in Schodack.
I've often felt that her articles contain too much of her own opinion, rather than strictly factual reporting. Her bias is obvious. She seems inclined to be an editorial writer as opposed to a reporter. Also the headline writer for her articles regularly skews the headline towards the negative side.
I especially liked the final sentence that said "....save her opinions, or those on whose behalf she may be speaking, for the op-ed page." Well said Mr. Franklin!
Mr. Adams defense of Mr. Kelly is admirable but unfortunately seems to be a veiled attempt to disassociate Mr. Kelly from SVFD. He is the chief and is very involved in town politics, it is what it is!
Regarding the "bite the bullet" comment;
We are tired of "biting the bullet", we have been doing it since Secor was elected 4 yrs. ago!
$240,000 for 3 acres of land is absurd and should be VOTED DOWN! I don't care that you think my fire assessment will go up "very little", because my Town & Highway Taxes have gone up 40% in 4 yrs!
Find another way to pay for this exhorbitantly priced land instead of picking our pockets to do it!
Yes, I like the way the person that wrote the editorial was only concerned about the "legality" of the Democratic Caucus and not to deprive Schodack residents of a fair election, even though the result did just that!
He says he would have done the same thing if Secor won the Caucus, and he thinks we should believe him?
Sure Kristin Shaw's articles on the write-in campaign in Schodack were wonderful. I thought that because I agreed with her.
But, has anyone ever asked Ms. Shaw what her background is in Journalism or communications? I do have such a degree and over the years I've found it hard to believe she has the same.
Thanks, Mr. Adams, for your letter. But I am still voting "no" December 11.
Here's why:
1) You admit the price tag is high, and blame the landowner. A "no" vote will help you get the price down.
2) You ask us to "bite the bullet" and pay for it, but you don't know how much our taxes will go up. I don't vote "yes" for vague projects. Respect us: give us some real numbers first.
3)Someday a new firehall is needed: that's understandable. So when? How much will our taxes go up? Why do you need this "overpriced" land right now? Have these OSHA rules kicked in? No...and you don't even know if they will apply.
4) Attacks on Ms. Shaw aside, there were many people who could have filed a lawsuit to block the Democratic caucus. Am I now to conclude Mr. Kelly is a "hero" because he actively, overtly, and illegally (in terms of conflict-of-interest) meddled in politics?
This is in insult to those who work and volunteer in the non-profit sector. Steve Kelly is not just a FD member, he is the Chief, plus holds 2 Town positions (not to mention his wife's Town job).
Mr. Kelly demonstrated a total lack of integrity and judgement. His deliberate actions make the whole Fire Department look suspect. You see, where there's smoke, there's fire. How was this lawyer paid for, for example? Pizza Night money?
I am voting "no" December 11, and the SVFD will not receive another donation from me until Chief Steve Kelly resigns.
By the way, Chief Steve Kelly hired quite the lawyer in his lawsuit:
"Thomas J. Spargo is a former Supreme Court Justice from Albany, New York, who was removed from the bench in 2006 after allegedly soliciting funds from lawyers during cases, leading to a permanent ban from judicial office in the United States of America."
- Wikipedia entry. Google his name for more articles.
Ethically-challenged people of a feather flock together.
"I am voting "no" December 11, and the SVFD will not receive another donation from me until Chief Steve Kelly resigns."
AGREED, I will be following suit as well- and YES I do live in the SV Fire District. I have also encouraged my neighbors to do the same. Mr Kelly needs to be held accountable.
I wonder if "eminent domain" law can be used to get this overpriced land?
It's obvious that they want a new firehouse and need more land. Why doesn't Chief Kelly use his political connections and ask Secor to give him a good deal on the land the old Town Hall is on? After all, Secor does owe him for spearheading the lawsuit to keep Lemka from getting the Democratic line on the ballot!
What time on Dec. 11th can we vote on this land deal? I can't wait to VOTE NO!
Before you vote, make sure to read the proposition over well because it could be worded so a "NO" vote would actually be a vote to "authorize" the land purchase!
When it involves voting, trust no one!
It looks like there will be only 3 hours in which to vote next Tuesday: 6 pm to 9pm at the fire house itself.
Link is on the Town's main web page.
Planning...a word we hear but don't seem to heed.
Yes: a new fire house will be needed as population grows. But, maybe it's time to think about sharing services and setting aside public land for this increased demand.
I agree with you: why not grant the FD a "deal" on the old Town Hall land? Would put a large FD right next to the police, and give better access to 9 & 90. There's a major wellhead there already (at taxpayer expense). Plus it takes the FD out of a residential area (Do the FD neighbors want a new 8-10 bay fire house next door?)
We will get stuck buying this land, and then get stuck again paying for a $1 million plus fire house. Are there water lines in that area? Another bill, if not.
The corruption just puts the icing on the cake.
I'm voting for no land putchase -- you're right, have to read the prop to see if it's a "yes" or "no."
Just talked to the Board of Elections. They do not handle Fire Department elections.
There is a three hour window to vote.
SVFD: please provide:
1) absentee ballots
2) the names of the "poll watchers" or persons doing the count
3) the prop's exact wording posted on your website
Thanks!
By the way, Chief Steve Kelly hired quite the lawyer in his lawsuit:
"Thomas J. Spargo is a former Supreme Court Justice from Albany, New York, who was removed from the bench in 2006 after allegedly soliciting funds from lawyers during cases, leading to a permanent ban from judicial office in the United States of America."
- Wikipedia entry. Google his name for more articles.
Ethically-challenged people of a feather flock together.
Re above post: Other points of interest. Mr. Spargo is the premier election attorney in NYS and some would argue in the nation. He has always represented the interest of the Republican Party. He was involved with Bush’s “election” mess in Florida and he is involved with elections here in NYS. I’m not a fan of the results of his work but frankly, I’d rather have him on my side of the table in an election battle then on the opposite side. He is that good.
What is unique here is Spargo was hired by Nugent and company who are supposedly democrats. There was a conspiracy between the Schodack Republican’s in power and Democrat’s or their family members employed by Beth’s republican supporters to keep Ray off the Democratic line. The hope was to deny Schodack residents a choice. Spargo was just the hired gun doing a job. Kelly’s wife is Beth’s secretary who has enjoyed a 40% raise the past few years. Nadine Fuda’s husband is a Democrat supposedly who also was involved with denying Ray democratic line. Nadine was just recently promoted to Planning director from assistance planning director. Basically, Beth has established supporters in both major parties in Schodack by paying off the democrats and republicans with our tax dollars. Nice arrangement if you can pull it off.
Bottom line, the resident’s of Schodack got screwed over by their elected and appointed officials, these officials’ immediate family members, and our incompetent Board of Elections. Should the SVFD members pay for what happened? Probably not but I think they are going to anyway. Those of us who live in the district or in town will return the favor when ever we can. This will be the first of many opportunities to voice our displeasure with what took place and I highly recommend voting against this purchase. Why give Kelly the satisfaction of getting what he wants and why reward Pauline Peter’s for being unreasonable and difficult? As they say, pay back is a b…. If the Kelly’s are no longer associated with the SVFD, the vote to buy this land might have a better chance of this action passing. Ball is in SVFD’s court.
Good luck gentleman.
Mr. Adams stated "Tax dollars Do Not pay the bills associated with the fire company."
Respectfully, Mr. Adams, your own website (written by Dawn Kelly) states that the Company owns the building. The Company charges the District for its use. The District collects a direct tax from SVFD residents.
Plus, Steve Kelly is a Director and Chief, plus holds 2 Town posts. His wife and daughter also work for the Town. I don't see how somehow Mr. Kelly has nothing to do with the Fire Hall-District-Town-Company. Seems he has a lot to do with all of them.
Perhaps there is one intermediary step here...but, if you follow the money, you see where it comes from, and goes!
Secondly, if the land owner asks too much: go and find some cheaper land elsewhere. When people complain about developments, that's what Nadine Fuda tells them to do: move!
What's good for the goose...
In the above post: "Should the SVFD members pay for what happened?"
1) Mr. Nugent and Mr. Kelly needed to think about this before Steve Kelly signed his name on the lawsuit.
2) As Director and Chief of a non-profit agency that receives donations AND taxes, Mr. Kelly needed to think about this before hiring a "top-gun" lawyer. How did he pay for Spargo? With pizzas? Even giving the appearance of money laundering shows incredibly poor judgement.
3) I don't want my kids saluting corrupt officials at parades. Time to resign.
Hello Again VoS- I will try to shed some more light on the proposed Schodack Valley Fire District land purchase. I recieved the following from the board of fire commissioners. By the way, I agree that if more info was given prior to now, you folks wouldn't be distrustful of your volunteer fire fighters. I personally have been witness to negotiations with Mrs Peters for over 20 years. She is a very tough business person. She has her entire property marketed by a real estate firm for $789,000. The 3 acre portion that the fire district would like to purchase would be bonded for approx $190,000 over a 5 year period. I have been told there will be NO TAX increase resulting from the purchase.In the last 6 years, the taxpayers in the Schodack Valley Fire District have only seen a 7 cent per thousand tax increase. As you can obviously tell, I see the benefits of the land purchase. First and foremost, There is NO plan to build a new fire station-PERIOD !!! There is absolutely no room for expansion of the current building. The fire disrict has no plans for expansion now either. Please take the time to look at the fire station. The westerly corner of the truck room lies only 25 feet from the property line and dangerously close to Route 150. The land purchase would enable the fire district, when prudent, to expand the building when necessary. This is not the Town of Colonie. You will never see a palace replace our meager fire station. To sum it up, this will be an investment in the future. Please do not let your distrust penalize myself and fellow Schodack Valley firefighters a safe working condition in years to come.
Dear Mr. Adams:
I want to thank you again. You are obviously trying to "do the right thing" and provide information. Thank you!
But if you read some of the posts (and perhaps talked to folks), I don't think people are against a modest improvement in the firehall. We don't want our firefighters hurt, really. We question the corruption, high price, and lack of tangible plan.
You write: "There is NO plan to build a new fire station-PERIOD !!!" yet then you write "The land purchase would enable the fire district, when prudent, to expand the building when necessary."
Which is it?
Some folks have suggested post-poning the purchase (why reward Ms. Peters?), and look into sharing services with E. Schodack. Why not think about the land at the old Town Hall? There's a new well there, great access, and you'd be next to the police. They will need a new building before long, too.
I think you will find residents would be glad to vote on -- with a frugal budget -- a real plan for fire-police hall that is safe, spacious, and perhaps saves us money by consolidating services.
It just may be that we need to do this in 5-10 years, not now, while we are reeling from a town hall and highway department bill.
With great respect,
a SVFD resident and local volunteer
Mr Adams:
Then call for Mr Kelly's resignation as Chief...plain and simple!
"How did he pay for Spargo? With pizzas? Even giving the appearance of money laundering shows incredibly poor judgement."
Mr. Kelly: time for a resignation from both the Board of Directors and as Fire Chief.
Mr. Adams wrote: "The westerly corner of the truck room lies only 25 feet from the property line and dangerously close to Route 150."
Why continue to build or improve a structure so "dangerously close to Route 150"?
So you must mean to demolish the old fire hall? And build new? What's the budget on this?
I cannot support the land purchase based on Mr. Adams's own assertions. There are too many contradictions & it hasn't been thought out well.
Totally agree with above post. Those of us in the district need another high priced, ill-conceived purchase like we need another hole in the head. How easy this proposal would have been approved had not the uproar over the election occurred. This would have been rammed down our throats with no debate and little voter turnout. Now, it's different. People are pissed! I will never approve this plan;(1) because of the ridiculous price,
(2) because of Chief Kelly. I've told my kids, regarding the firehouse pizza night, that until the Chief is gone, "No more pizza for you!"
I am a resident in the SVFD, maybe what we should do seeing that again.....no information about the purchase of this land is readily available, is put a flyer or something of that nature together and do a mailing or mail drops to have as many residents in this district come out and vote against this purchase. Knowledge is power. Again folks... power in numbers. We proved it once before, let's do it again. Vote no for this nonsense!!!!!
For fliers, you might want to mention:
Only 3 hours to vote: 6 pm to 9pm. Vote is at the firehouse (Rt. 150 & Old Post Rd.) Give a map, if needed. Bring proof of address.
Since we don't know the wording of the prop - it's hard to say if we should vote "yes" or "no." Ask the voters to read carefully!
And somehow...I just know they will run out of "paper" at this election, too!
Voters need to show up in force because you can bet every Tom, Dick and Harry associated with the firehouse will be there to vote yes on the prop. In case you haven't noticed, new firehouse construction tends to be quite elaborate these days. Without a handle on this matter by the voters, you'll get the Taj Mahal instead of a functional, practical facility. Wonder if I need a lawyer to translate the tricky wording I'm sure we'll see. Anyone got Tim Nugent's number?
Thanks Mr. Adams for you and the other volunteers efforts at the firehouse and thanks for the information regarding the purchase of the land.
My only objection is the overpaying for the land just because the seller is difficult. Has the firehouse had an appraisal done by a certified appraiser or realtor to determine what the fair market value is??
That should be done before any purchase is agreed to.
Also, as you will notice from this blog - there are more conspiracy theorists here than with the JFK assasination. They are looking for a new cause to fight against and Mr. Kelly currently fits the bill.
You better check all the other firefighters to make sure that none of them are 2nd cousins to Ms. Secor, or her secretary, or the local dog warden, etc. If they are, they will be the next conspiracy target.
Good luck with your purchase - I am for it at the right price!
If Schodack waits just a few years until massive development comes to your town, the deep pocket developers will offer your fire company free land and a new fire house to garner their support to destroy your town with heavy retail development. This is exactly what happened in Defreestville. The fire company came out big and strong supporting development and selling the Village of Defreestville down the river while eyeing new digs.
If you want to send deep pocket developers a message that they can't come and detroy small towns & neighboring towns, boycot the 4 & 43 mall once complete in Defreestville.
Regarding this comment: "...there are more conspiracy theorists here than with the JFK assasination."
There are some factual and some facetious comments on this blog.
There's one mentioning "cousins and sisters and aunts." Perhaps the writer failed to notice the direct quote from a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. That tipped readers off that the comment was meant to be humorous. It poked fun at Lemka supporters too. Did you also think another writer was bringing Tim Nugent into the SVFD voting booth? Conspiratorial!
Regarding Mr. Kelly as cause-of-the month:
Most comments reveal a deep respect and appreciation for volunteer firefighters. Respect means wanting what's right for them and the community. Even Mr. Adams feels the land has a high price tag.
We are also concerned at the lack a plan for building or renovation. Most JKF conspiracy-types aren't fond of public forums on building budgets.
Regarding Mr. Kelly's being first to file a political lawsuit: there were 20 other people who might have done this. Holding Town positions as Mr. Kelly did made his particular actions unethical, and under state and town law, illegal.
I'd like to see a higher standard from those I send donations too.
I hope you do too.
I can't keep quite anymore....
I am a very quite resident in Schodack, but VERY wealthy. Nobody even probably has heard of me. I supported Mr. Lemka in his write in campaign. The corruption of Schodack politics has gone on to long. Now I read about this Mr. Kelly character.
I am not the type of person that gets involved but I cannot keep it to myself anymore.
I have contacted my attorneys in the city to discuss this matter further with them. I am meeting with them on Friday. I understand that there is a vote on Tuesday and I am going to see that there is not even going to be a vote until I and this community gets some answers. I am gone to see that Mr. Kelly and anyone associated with what is going on here is brought to court. Not only will he not hold any kind of post in Schodack but will not want to live in this Town. I plan on having my attorneys dig very deep into this matter with Mr. Kelly.
The election has gone and past and unfortunately Mr. Lemka didn't win. But in realty he did.….. he woke a whole bunch of us up and when I say it's going to be a long two years for Ms. Secor, I mean it. My name will be out shortly and I have accepted the consequences behind it. It will be well worth it.
Stay tuned for some actions.
Thank you.
Dear "had enough":
I understand your frustration.
Please consider: let's all vote Tuesday and perhaps the land purchase will get voted down.
A few things can happen then:
(1) The SVFD can negotiate a much lower, more reasonable price.
(2) The SVFD can hold a public forum on their plan. Folks can suggest ways to cut costs, or volunteer services. We all benefit!
(3) The SVFD will get the message that mixing up our tax dollars, charity, and politics is a sure way to enrage voters.
(4) To save face, Mr. Kelly needs step down from his posts as both Director and Chief. He is welcome to continue to live in Schodack... I'd just don't think he should be entrusted with something so precious as our FD.
Thanks!
Public input? What's that? Taxpayer notification of big issues? What for? It's been clear for some time now that community leaders in this town don't feel the need to inform the public, or, God forbid, seek OUR permission to spend OUR money.
I wouldn't have known a damn thing about this firehouse deal unless I read it here. Unfortunately for the volunteer firefighters, they are going to suffer the consequences. We do not take them for granted, they are special people. But enough is enough.
Re: the above post: "Unfortunately for the volunteer firefighters, they are going to suffer the consequences."
Perhaps not: they might get the land price down...or at the very least, come up with an actual building plan/timeline/cost analysis due to voter scrutiny.
We've been through enough "buildings-gone-wild" in Schodack to know sometimes a little patience is a good thing.
"We've been through enough building gone wild in Schodack"
Could I ask you for specific examples of this?
Lets see -- the Red Oaks project, that some may have classified as this, but where does that stand? Dead in the water is what I hear?
Where has a large development been approved in the last few years? Yes they come before the Town, are made to jump thru all the hoops and then don't occur for one reason or another.
A couple of truck terminals? Is this what your refering too?
"Building gone wild" I don't see it but I hear you and others say this over and over but never get specific examples? Where is this occuring in Schodack? What do you classify as "building gone wild?"
I'll tell ya what, I don't know about "building gone wild", I wasn't referring to that, I am talking specifically about "spending gone wild", and a corresponding lack of consent of the governed when it comes to spending our money.
Dear anonymous (4:18 pm):
My comment was "buildings-gone-wild." Buildings: the plural.
Kindly use the copy-paste the next time you repeat my statements so you get it right.
Buildings: as in the Town Hall - the lease-to-own option gone wild.
The Town Highway Garage - the budget gone wild.
Wild implies unplanned & untended. Many of us in the building trades found the lack of forethought with these two projects the reason they went sour for the taxpayer.
The SVFD proposal risks following the same path. We are basically told: Are we building? Demolishing? Wait and see! Not a well-planned project (yet): but they want taxpayer money for it up front.
More $ figures are available on the Voice of Schodack main page.
How about this...
Plan for a new fire station on part of the 45 acres the town owns on Rt. 150 across from the old town hall. The SVFC could merge with the East Schodack Fire Company, which is an easy 5 miles away on the same Rt 150. Both (taxing) fire districts could merge and maybe save substantial money.
Put the SVFC land purchase on hold until more and/or better planning is done.
"The SVFC could merge with the East Schodack Fire Company..."
I agree. Plus, the police are close by, and they will likely need a larger building in 5-10 years or so. Centralizing fire and police seems like a wise long-term plan.
SVFD: please sit down and come up with a long-range plan. Why continue to improve a fire hall that Mr. Adams said was "dangerously" close to Rt. 150?
Overpaying for the land will put the new firehouse budget back a quarter million dollars. Even Mr. Adams admits the price is steep.
I'm voting "no" for now, but I'd vote "yes" with improvements to your plan. Please make efficient use of our tax and charitable dollars. That's a reasonable request from your district members, and not an attack on the good work many of you do.
"What ever you say Secor clowns."
No really- I am not a Secor supporter. I was an individual that was VERY active in Ray's campaign. I personally feel you jeopardize the integrity of this site and would prefer you keep your talk to your site. Not this site. You are "turning off" many of the residents that come to this site daily and catch up with what it going on. I cannot speak for ALL residents but I know a majority that do not want this site to reflect your site. Please respect my opinion and the opinion of others. I understand you have had trouble with the current administration and your site is a great place to address this- not here. Thanks
Notice seen on Indenews.com, if anyone is qualified and seeking employment. It would be nice to have it filled by a Schodack resident: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19087833&BRD=248&PAG=461&dept_id=462341&rfi=6
The Independent has an immediate opening for a full-time news editor for our southern Rensselaer County edition.
The position involves assigning stories and photos, editing copy, laying out pages and some reporting. A benefits package is included. The Independent has earned national and state recognition for its reporting and commentary. We value and support enterprise journalism. The workplace is collegial, competitive, demanding and idiosyncratic. We can consider only applicants who already live in or near our readership area and who have some experience in journalism. A working knowledge of state and local government is a huge advantage. Previous editing experience is helpful but not essential. The Independent is an equal opportunity employer.
Applicants should email a cover letter, resume and two writing or editing samples in the body of the email (not attached) to the editor, Parry Teasdale, pteasdale@IndeNews.com.
I wish this guy would shut his mouth! We are trying to talk about Schodack corruption here and this guy Marcella keeps on trying to fight, obviously to keep us from the truth.
I am sorry, but I rememebr back a month or so and Mr. Cartwright and the others at the patriot promissed they wouldn't write on this blog, they have ket their work, but the other person out here is right, one mention of that blog or the law suit and this guy goes off and slanders it. If anything we are sick of people like him shooting their mouths off.
I hope someone worth while goes for the job at the Independant.
I will be voting NO on Tuesday, I am a resident of the SVFD district and want more details of the long term plans, not a surprise later.
I would like to ask the voice of schodack, if your going to delete posts defending what other residents say then I would like to ask you to delete the other posts out here by the secor supporters, like about not having a truck and licenses revoked and so on.
If your going to delete, do it all the way.
I don't feel that the mention of the patriot by another resident telling someone to go to that site is a crime. They want to bring a law suit against our enemies, and someone pointed out more total corruption.
Please delete the rest of the slander by this group.
I agree with the VOS supporters comment posted on December 7, 2007 10:51 AM, regarding the frequent posts on VOS from the person behind the Schodack Patriot.
The VOS blog should not be co-opted by a single, nor even a few individuals to carry on a very personal individual cause or vendetta against Secor and her cronies, no matter how justified or not they may be in pursuing such a singular crusade against Secor.
The VOS is meant to be a more general forum, not a clone of the Schodack Patriot. Since the Patriot already exists and has its own positive or negative standing, the Patriot should remain your vehicle for this sort of vitriol. There is no need to drag its content onto this blog.
I, also, think that it diminishes this blog and its ability to present alternate voices to the Secor Administration, when you do it. I, myself, have visited the Patriot a couple times when seeking news on Schodack. I didn’t know what to make of the Patriot, but its content, accusations, and language discouraged me from seeing it as an independent source of information about Schodack.
I, also, opposed Secor and supported Ray Lemka. So, I am one more opponent of Secor and supporter of VOS, who asks you to please not compromise the integrity of VOS by posting, so flagrantly and often to VOS. Both your tirades and your attempts to portray yourself as multiple persons just do not come across well or sympathetically. I don’t think you are gaining ground with other citizens by blogging here.
Thank you for understanding that we do not oppose you, and I am not judging your cause, we just think you already have your own forum and should stick to it. I wish you well enough with pursuing your cause through it and not here on the VOS blog.
"There's a new well there, great access, and you'd be next to the police. They will need a new building before long, too."
We already spend one third of the total town budget for the Schodack Police Dept! Why does a rural town with a very low crime rate need such a large police force? Clifton Park has a much larger population and has NO Police Dept. The State Police are what they have.
The comments you refer to were being deleted at the same time you were writing your comment.
While we try to monitor this blog and delete inappropriate comments, invariably some are not removed quickly enough.
SKC
I agree with you. I also don't feel that if someone mentions that site out here that post should be deleted. I as I said and it was deleted, have NOTHING to do with the partiot.
I feel their language has been a little strong, but maybe they have put up with so much from some of the residents and administration of this town that they are more then fed up, like us who are sick of them, we however had not had to tolerate such rude behavior from this group.
I was only defending the right of a resident that posted a responce to the comment from Had Enough.
It is true how ever that if any of those issues are brought up here, a secor supporter is right there to slander it.
I do believe that they have had to put up with this type of behavior and it sickens me that this towns Administration is a part of it and won't clean it up. Says a lot about Secor. Not to mention her pals Jemino and Bruno. from what it reads out there, they have put up with their behavior for over five years.
We have only been trying to do something about it out here for a few months.
Maybe we should forgive their fed up attitude out there. I would be past plesant if I had to deal with what they have.
Again, I have NOTHING to do with that blog. I am a resident of this town and it disgusts me how corrupt this place it.
But in small towns like this, it seems to be easy for people like Secor and the SBA to get away with the crimes they have done. In some cases I feel it is too late to change it.
If the residents want to change and get the people who have FIXED themselves into the positions they are in, it will be all out war in this town.
Obviously Jemino doesn't care, she is as useless as Secor.
I'm sorry, that is my opinion. I don't think the writters of the patriot are writting out here. In previos posts out on their site they said the wouldn't. I for one nelieve them.
jim.......how is peaches ???
Just a reminder: this coming Tuesday, December 11: 6 pm to 9pm (three hours): Vote at Schodack Valley Fire Hall on proposal to purchase 3 acres of land next to building for $250,000. The firehall is at the Old Post Rd. & Rt. 150.
All residents of the Fire Disctrict may vote; proof of residence may be required.
General information for readers (also read 2 letter from Mr. Adams of the firehall, above):
1) Land works out to about $80,000 an acre.
2) So far, these has been no public forum on this purchase. Mr. Adams did point out that Fire Co. meetings are open to the public.
3) The SVFC owns the buildings, and charges the cost to the District. The District charges residents a direct tax. No information is currently available on the change in tax rates for the purchase and/or new fire hall.
4) The SVFC may or may not be building a new or additional fire hall on this land. Information is not available at this time.
5)There were issues brought up about the current SFVD Chief and Director Steve Kelly filing the lawsuit to invalidate the recent Democratic caucus, regarding conflict-of-interest and town ethics laws. Also, how this relates to the non-profit, charitable status of the FD. No comments appear available at this time.
6) Other issues included: lowering the purchase price, moving the firehall to cheaper land, coming up with a long-term plan, and consolidating some services with E. Schodack Fire Company, presuambly, all to save costs.
Hope this helps summarize our discussion.
The main thing is to vote, be it "yes" or "no," but it sure is good to have a choice! Be sure to read the prop carefully, to see if "yes" mean "no money" etc. (Nothing against the Firehall...all props seem tricky this way).
Hope this helps...see you at the Fire Hall Tuesday, December 11!
What are the outlines of the SVFD? Is there map posted on line to show what streets and addresses are included within it? Does it include any addresses on Maple Hill Road?
Most of us don't know the specifics of what fire district covers us, until we need them. We all find at least some ways to contribute to fundraising for them and the Ambulance Service but don't know many of the details and inside stories.
Thank you to all of you who do donate your time and large parts of your lives to making these volunteer services work to protect us all. You are appreciated.
However, these Emergency Services need planning the same way this whole town needs a plan. And both should offer openess and candor to the public. Thank you Jim Adams for trying to explain what you could of this, but we haven't hears a thing here from Chief Kelly.
If I determine that I am in the SVFD, I will turn my family out to vote no, until all of this is more open to public scrutiny and choice. I fear Kelly has sullied these waters with his apparent conflicted interest relationships with Secor and Nuggent?
Is Nuggent the attorney who the SVFD has hired for this land acquisition or is Tom Spargo hired by Kelley for this, too?
Here's the fire district:
"2 miles of Routes 9 & 20; 2 1/2 miles of Route 20 from the split of 9&20. 3 miles of NY Route 9 from the junction of 9&20."
SVFD's website:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/svfc32
I have not found any info. on it regarding the purchase.
Voice of Schodack:
Could you post a map of the SVFD on your main page? Or list the residential roads besides 9 &20, etc.?
Thanks!
I urge all concerned residents and taxpayers to retrieve their "Rensselaer County - Town of Schodack 2007 Tax Bill" and confirm that you are indeed covered by SVFD. You will find such information on the bottom left of the bill under "Property Taxes." The description of the area covered by SVFD, as relayed in this blog, is insufficient to determine if your home lies w/i the district. It might not be a bad idea to bring your ID and this bill with you when you cast your vote. Lord knows what obstacles you'll encounter.
I'm concerned too that Jim Adams writes above that the existing hall has setback problems.
Looks like they might be backing into some pretty expensive engineering and site work on this pretty expensive land.
How about getting a building plan together -- and giving us some of the costs first -- before the deed is signed & a shovel hits the ground?
Regarding the comments about corruption in the Town of Schodack I feel like I am out of the loop. I have never read any public info regarding charges against Mrs. Secor, the SBA or others. I would think that if if these were valid charges they would be written about in the local newspapers.
If anyone is in the loop and can explain what the Schodack Patriot rants are about I would be interested in hearing the charges.
Re: the Patriot - the content of that blog seem to me to be not credible due to the language, tone, bad grammar, misspellings and ravings of the creator. I am not familiar with most of the people mentioned in those rants. Plus I am not aware of what the "crimes" are that are being referred too.
Can anyone help?
I thought ray was for the towns people, but I guess if u are a Svfd menber u are no good. Im glad he didn't win even tho I voted for him his reality is really showing now
THE SECOND TO THE LAST COMMENT WAS RIGHT ON THE MONEY-THE PATRIOT IS GARBAGE AND WRITTEN BY A LUNATIC NAMED CARTWRIGHT. THE PEOPLE HE IS PERSECUTING-MARCELLA, SECOR, NUGENT. KELLOGG, GOULD, SOPHIA. ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE COMMUNITY....HE IS A MENTAL PATIENT !!! PEACHES !
To the curious one a few posts above, re Schodack corruption - it's not that there is criminal activity going on - there are many, many good, hardworking people in the town hall. The issue to me is there is this coziness between the Supervisor and the opposition that is both amazing and sleazy at the same time. On the one hand, you gotta tip your hat to her. Getting the opposition party chairman in your pocket is no small feat. On the other hand, it is small town politics at its worst, and in the end, bad for us voters, as evidenced by the Democratic caucus debacle in Sept. That's a large reason many feel that change is necessary, if not long overdue.
As for the Schodack Patriot - your hunch is right on. Pay it no mind.
Unfortunately, it has infected this blog.
Correct. The Schodack Patriot blog site is garbage and contains many personal unfounded attacks. The writer of that blog has all the earmarks of the nut that was holding hostages at Mrs. Clinton's office. He has had numerous orders of protection filed against him for harassment and threats made against those he rants about on that site. He has also been arrested many times for the same. All the so called lawsuits mentioned on the site are bogus, have been thrown out of court or were filed without merit.
Glad to see Dan Marcella and his pals are busy working on destroying the credibility of the facts posted out on the Schodack Patriot.
Mary Sophia, the back bone of the community? For what? Her hookers and drug sales? Sue Goold?
How were cases files without merit? A law suit with a lawyer wouldn't be filed without merit, as for the emails I have seen posted on there sent by a band of cowards hiding their return address so they can avoid prosecution, that tells me there is something going on.
My question is why hasn't the blog master deleted these posts obviously written by Dan Marcella and his pals in a desprate attempt to slander AGAIN!
As usual, there is a reference to the patriot out here, time to throw the usual fit and argue as they always do?
So what is your problem with this Cartwright person anyway Marcella? Can't steal his company and get your daughter out of a marriage she has been in for over 12 years? Failed to ruin their holidays with the endless persecution of him and his family so you and the rest of your so called "Back Bone" of the community can force him to work for your people and make all the profits while you, Hey, save his pension. Isn't that special!
Sorry pal, I have read that blog back to from, and I would not be pleasant after dealing with the garbage you people have shoveled, and now your shoveling it here.
If the law suit filed against you people is without basis, then I guess we will all know the truth when trial time comes. So why don't you shut up about it and get back to the situation at hand.
The SVFD.
No because there is mention of the patriot out here and you people need to get it removed and throw mud because that is all you know how to do.
Busted AGAIN!
I know I will be paying close attention to this "unfounded" law suit filed against Secor, Nugent and the SBA. Seems the pillars you respect so much have a nasty habbit of sticking it to all of us.
If people are wondering what that blog is fighting about maybe you should take the time and read two years worth of garbage pulled by her royal highness Secor and her band of SBA miscrents. instead of dismissing it as unbased facts and "rantings".
What proof do YOU have these people didn't do all this? Obviously none, just a lot of mud slinging in a desprate attempt to get the town not to focus on what these people are really doing to others if you get in the way of them making a profit.
So shut up and talk to us when the trial comes. Prove it there not here!
Mary Sophia the pillar of the community! You have to be kidding!
Sorry to tell you but I know her and this is the same Mary that used to perform sexual favors for drugs down in Castleton!
The same Mary that would sleep with anyone if there was a profit in it for her.
Basically she is a home wrecker. She hangs out with Sue Goold, Mike Kellogg, and the rest. Makes you wonder what they are into!?
Obviously someone is spreading it real thick for that comment by the so called FRANK RIZZO alias (Secor and her cronies in reality)
The last post is right.
Stop slinging your mud out here and prove it in court. We are sick of reading about all your bickering. It really does seem that when people mention that blog, a fight erupts.
But there is nothing to it....
You really must think we are stupid.
Everyone knows Mary! Who you kidding!
I read the latest post on that blog, One of them sent another email to Mr. Cartwright asking why they don't allow posts out on the Patriot. They even have an email address posted on it to send these "emails" to them and still they accuse.
So obviously since they can't post out there and throw mud, they decided to do it here.
Lucky us!
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