I didn't think this day would come so soon, but life is full of surprises, some wonderful, some tolerable and some downright ugly.
This is a good one. My fiancee recently took a job in Hartford, and I'll be heading out there with her later this month. The downside is that I'll be saying goodbye to the Poughkeepsie Journal on Thursday, and the short, happy life of Straw Poll shall come to an end.
This blog has developed a small but devoted following in the past few months. I suspect that most of you are folks on the inside of government keeping tabs on the folks around you, though I'm sure other readers are average people on the outside looking in. (Like spectators at the zoo, perhaps?)
At any rate, I'm sure this won't be the last, nor the best, local politics blog to be launched by the Poughkeepsie Journal, so stay tuned. And in the meantime, I hope you all do your part to keep government officials in check.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The joy of committees
Back from vacation, I have updates to pass along on two committees formed by the Dutchess Legislature.
The first is the county tax policy committee, which formed in January to figure out what to do if revenues fall short of expenses and how to distribute taxes fairly. This committee was supposed to submit a report by June 1, but several factors led to delays, including a mistakenly long public comment period and committee members' vacations, Chairman Joe Davis said.
Davis said this morning that a final report would be submitted soon. He never said he meant today. Sure enough, later today, a quick call to the county Legislature revealed that Davis had sped up the process and dropped off a copy of the report.
Its conclusions: Taxes raised by county government appear to be adequate and “as fair as can be expected given the complexity of and limitations on county tax policy."
That's more than has been produced yet by the county's 11-member WiFi committee, which is supposed to consider how the county might create a county-wide wireless Internet network.
The Legislature asked for a final report by Oct. 15 and a progress report by today. A quick call to the county Legislature revealed that the committee hasn't even met yet.
The first is the county tax policy committee, which formed in January to figure out what to do if revenues fall short of expenses and how to distribute taxes fairly. This committee was supposed to submit a report by June 1, but several factors led to delays, including a mistakenly long public comment period and committee members' vacations, Chairman Joe Davis said.
Davis said this morning that a final report would be submitted soon. He never said he meant today. Sure enough, later today, a quick call to the county Legislature revealed that Davis had sped up the process and dropped off a copy of the report.
Its conclusions: Taxes raised by county government appear to be adequate and “as fair as can be expected given the complexity of and limitations on county tax policy."
That's more than has been produced yet by the county's 11-member WiFi committee, which is supposed to consider how the county might create a county-wide wireless Internet network.
The Legislature asked for a final report by Oct. 15 and a progress report by today. A quick call to the county Legislature revealed that the committee hasn't even met yet.
Friday, June 29, 2007
More TGIF tidbits
Members of Congress voted themselves a 2.7 percent cost-of-living pay increase starting later this year. U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, who voted against the $4,400 a year increase, said he would donate the extra pay to charity. He'll decide which charity later this summer, before the increase takes effect Oct. 1.
Meanwhile, Hall also drew fire this week from potential election opponent Kieran Michael Lalor of Peekskill, who criticized Hall for not staking a clearer position on immigration. Lalor touted his own hard-line approaches to cracking down on illegal immigration. He is considering a run for the Republican nomination to challenge Hall in November 2008.
In Dutchess County politics, a proposed domestic partnership registry is back on the county Legislature's agenda. Republican leaders had pulled the legislation creating the registry, citing a missing dollar figure, but Democratic sponsors submitted a revised copy with the figure. It is scheduled for discussion Thursday at the Government Services & Administration Committee meeting.
And finally, expect to see local party faithful scurrying about town the next few weeks as they gather signatures by the July 19 deadline for nominating petitions. You might say the election season doesn't officially start until the close of business that day. Or you might say the last election season never really ended.
Have a good weekend. Straw Poll will return on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Hall also drew fire this week from potential election opponent Kieran Michael Lalor of Peekskill, who criticized Hall for not staking a clearer position on immigration. Lalor touted his own hard-line approaches to cracking down on illegal immigration. He is considering a run for the Republican nomination to challenge Hall in November 2008.
In Dutchess County politics, a proposed domestic partnership registry is back on the county Legislature's agenda. Republican leaders had pulled the legislation creating the registry, citing a missing dollar figure, but Democratic sponsors submitted a revised copy with the figure. It is scheduled for discussion Thursday at the Government Services & Administration Committee meeting.
And finally, expect to see local party faithful scurrying about town the next few weeks as they gather signatures by the July 19 deadline for nominating petitions. You might say the election season doesn't officially start until the close of business that day. Or you might say the last election season never really ended.
Have a good weekend. Straw Poll will return on Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Conservatives endorse Republicans
Not many surprises in the Conservative Party endorsements for elected offices in Dutchess County government this year. The party is nearly unwavering in its support for Republicans.
The Republicans' four-man slate for county-wide elections in November is the Conservatives' slate. That would be incumbents Bill Steinhaus for executive, Butch Anderson for sheriff, Bill Grady for district attorney and Brad Kendall for clerk.
And in the 25 legislative districts, 20 of the Republican candidates for county Legislature received Conservative endorsements.
The other Conservative endorsements are Jim Doxsey, a Conservative running in District 1 with the backing of county Demcorats; Sue Tooker, the Democratic candidate in District 2, and Dominick Aquafredda, a District 10 candidate who was registered with the Independence Party as of last year.
The Conservatives have yet to endorse anyone in Districts 14 and 15, where the Legislature's Democratic leaders Roger Higgins and Sandy Goldberg were running unopposed at last check.
How important is a Conservative endorsement? That's debatable, but it's fair to say the party's influence is greater than its numbers. In Dutchess County, 3,381 voters were enrolled as Conservatives as of April, when the latest statistics were compiled by the State Elections Board. That translates to about 2 percent of all county voters.
The Republicans' four-man slate for county-wide elections in November is the Conservatives' slate. That would be incumbents Bill Steinhaus for executive, Butch Anderson for sheriff, Bill Grady for district attorney and Brad Kendall for clerk.
And in the 25 legislative districts, 20 of the Republican candidates for county Legislature received Conservative endorsements.
The other Conservative endorsements are Jim Doxsey, a Conservative running in District 1 with the backing of county Demcorats; Sue Tooker, the Democratic candidate in District 2, and Dominick Aquafredda, a District 10 candidate who was registered with the Independence Party as of last year.
The Conservatives have yet to endorse anyone in Districts 14 and 15, where the Legislature's Democratic leaders Roger Higgins and Sandy Goldberg were running unopposed at last check.
How important is a Conservative endorsement? That's debatable, but it's fair to say the party's influence is greater than its numbers. In Dutchess County, 3,381 voters were enrolled as Conservatives as of April, when the latest statistics were compiled by the State Elections Board. That translates to about 2 percent of all county voters.
Monday, June 25, 2007
What's in store for Saland and Leibell?
Expect some good-natured ribbing Tuesday night when Dutchess County's two state senators submit to a roast organized by the Dutchess County Young Republicans.
What else could this mean for Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, and Sen. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson? The ghost of Dean Martin, bad jokes and uncomfortable anecdotes? You'll have to attend to find out (at $55 a ticket).
The event will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Links in Union Vale. For more information contact Young Republicans Chairman Bryan Cranna at 845-757-3933, or visit www.dutchessyr.com.
What else could this mean for Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, and Sen. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson? The ghost of Dean Martin, bad jokes and uncomfortable anecdotes? You'll have to attend to find out (at $55 a ticket).
The event will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Links in Union Vale. For more information contact Young Republicans Chairman Bryan Cranna at 845-757-3933, or visit www.dutchessyr.com.
Friday, June 22, 2007
McGuire says she's in it to win it
Susan McGuire caught some people by surprise by declaring her candidacy for Dutchess County clerk on the Independence Party line. What had been shaping up as a contest between Clerk Brad Kendall, the Republican, and former Clerk Dick Anderson, the Democrat, has become a three-way race for one of the top jobs in county government.
And you thought the county executive race would be exciting.
Straw Poll checked in with McGuire today to get the inside scoop.
First of all, there is the matter of McGuire’s employment. She had been working as human resources director for the Town of Fishkill, but she took an unpaid leave of absence starting Feb. 1 for “personal family reasons.” She still has the option of returning to the job later this year, but she has yet to decide whether she will.
“Right now, what I’d like to do is win the county clerk seat,” she said.
McGuire, a 51-year-old Fishkill resident, said she changed her party affiliation from Republican to Indpendence shortly after losing a close race for the District 16 seat in the county Legislature to Democrat Alison MacAvery in November 2005. She sees the Independence Party as a welcome alternative to the two major parties, and she sees herself as a viable alternative to the two other clerk candidates.
McGuire’s boss at the Town of Fishkill was Supervisor Joan Pagones, who had sought a governor’s appointment to county clerk last fall but was passed over for the job by Gov. George Pataki in favor of Kendall. McGuire dismissed speculation that Pagones influenced her decision to run for the job this year.
“I think she was just as shocked as Brad Kendall and Dick Anderson,” McGuire said. “The truth is, I honestly feel it’s the right thing to do.”
And you thought the county executive race would be exciting.
Straw Poll checked in with McGuire today to get the inside scoop.
First of all, there is the matter of McGuire’s employment. She had been working as human resources director for the Town of Fishkill, but she took an unpaid leave of absence starting Feb. 1 for “personal family reasons.” She still has the option of returning to the job later this year, but she has yet to decide whether she will.
“Right now, what I’d like to do is win the county clerk seat,” she said.
McGuire, a 51-year-old Fishkill resident, said she changed her party affiliation from Republican to Indpendence shortly after losing a close race for the District 16 seat in the county Legislature to Democrat Alison MacAvery in November 2005. She sees the Independence Party as a welcome alternative to the two major parties, and she sees herself as a viable alternative to the two other clerk candidates.
McGuire’s boss at the Town of Fishkill was Supervisor Joan Pagones, who had sought a governor’s appointment to county clerk last fall but was passed over for the job by Gov. George Pataki in favor of Kendall. McGuire dismissed speculation that Pagones influenced her decision to run for the job this year.
“I think she was just as shocked as Brad Kendall and Dick Anderson,” McGuire said. “The truth is, I honestly feel it’s the right thing to do.”
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Campaign wordplay on a sunny day
Wappinger Supervisor Joe Ruggiero got the endorsement today of the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council in his race for Dutchess County executive.
That's not entirely surprising given that labor traditionally is a Democratic constituency, and Ruggiero is a Democrat, though Council President Todd Diorio also said County Executive Bill Steinhaus, a Republican, hadn't attended union meetings or candidate interviews when asked.
As Diorio gave his brief speech, I followed along on his press release and was amused by this misspelling of the county executive's name: "Steinhouse."
I certainly don't bring this up to mock Diorio or his affiliated unions – more to highlight the idiosyncracies, for lack of a better term, between written and oral communication. (I'm hardly one to criticize someone's spelling, as I clutch my Webster's New World Dictionary like a security blanket.)
Perhaps a more relevant observation – though only slightly more relevant – was the way Ruggiero described Steinhaus in accepting the endorsement. As with many political candidates, he dispensed with the proper name altogether for the impersonal "my opponent."
That's not entirely surprising given that labor traditionally is a Democratic constituency, and Ruggiero is a Democrat, though Council President Todd Diorio also said County Executive Bill Steinhaus, a Republican, hadn't attended union meetings or candidate interviews when asked.
As Diorio gave his brief speech, I followed along on his press release and was amused by this misspelling of the county executive's name: "Steinhouse."
I certainly don't bring this up to mock Diorio or his affiliated unions – more to highlight the idiosyncracies, for lack of a better term, between written and oral communication. (I'm hardly one to criticize someone's spelling, as I clutch my Webster's New World Dictionary like a security blanket.)
Perhaps a more relevant observation – though only slightly more relevant – was the way Ruggiero described Steinhaus in accepting the endorsement. As with many political candidates, he dispensed with the proper name altogether for the impersonal "my opponent."
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