Legislative replay: Democrats mistaken, confused

I was on vacation on May 14 when the Legislature held its last board meeting, so I had to catch up via the Legislature's streaming online video of the meeting. I'm starting to wish I hadn't been on vacation. (OK, that's a lie. Vacation was great. I just wish I hadn't missed that meeting.)

Here's why:

Resolution 136 would seem to be a mundane item, a boilerplate vote to authorize distribution of mortgage tax revenues to the cities, towns and villages. The money is significant – more than $1 million just for the Town of Poughkeepsie, more than $7 million across the county from six months worth of collections. The votes on such measures usually aren't significant. Unanimous approvals.

But this time all 12 Democrats voted against the measure. Huh?

I shouldn't have been surprised. All five Democrats in the Budget, Finance and Personnel Committee had voted against the measure days earlier. I found this odd, so I asked Minority Leader Roger Higgins afterward what the deal was. When he began to state the Democrats' case against the mortgage tax increase backed by the Republicans, I had to stop him. That was a different resolution, I said. This was just to distribute the money already collected.

Higgins seemed surprised and muttered something about a mistake being made in the vote. I didn't think much more about it, figuring the mistake would be corrected by the full board meeting.

It wasn't. The Democrats again voted no.

Later in the meeting, some seemed to realize their mistake and questioned the way the resolutions were presented. Here is my amateur transcription of the scene that took place, starring Chairman Gary Cooper, R-Pine Plains; Minority Leader Higgins, D-New Hamburg; Assistant Minority Leader Sandy Goldberg, D-Wappingers Falls, and Legislator Fred Bunnell, D-Poughkeepsie. The term "consent agenda" refers to uncontroversial resolutions that are approved together unanimously before debate moves to more controversial items.

HIGGINS: Could you go back and tell me when you pulled 136 out of the consent agenda? I don't think it was mentioned earlier that it was not in the consent agenda. And in fact – in fact, we all voted for the consent agenda earlier with that included in it.

COOPER: No, she did not read that.

HIGGINS: Can you – I'd like to see where that was stated whether it's on the video or in the minutes. I need to see that, because –

COOPER: That wasn't on the consent agenda.

HIGGINS: That's correct. I need to see some evidence of that, because frankly, when we voted for the consent agenda, we all assumed 136 was in the consent agenda. So I need you to show me some kind of evidence of that.

COOPER: Well, the evidence would be, if we played the tape back you would see 136 was not read, or the resolution was not read into the – as a consent agenda item. And it will be there. Legislator Goldberg.

GOLDBERG: Then I would just like to make a comment that my intention was always to vote for 136 —

COOPER: Well, we’re already past that.

GOLDBERG: — and when I assumed I had voted for it and didn’t realize – which was my mistake. I certainly apologize for that – but didn’t understand what we were voting on, and I just want the public record to state that. ...

BUNNELL: In a case such as I think is clearly illustrated by what Legislator Goldberg said – and I would echo for myself what she said – it was an honest confusion about this matter.

Dems lag behind GOP on Web

Whether you come to praise or to bury the Dutchess County Republican Party, you have to give them some credit: At least they've entered the 21st century.

When I first took over this beat last year, it was easy to study the major players and structure of the county's Republican party. It's right there on the Web at www.dutchesscountyrepublicancommittee.org. But to figure out who's who among the county's Democrats and what they were up to? Not nearly so easy. I spent an afternoon trying to find a comparable Web site before finally giving up.

I brought this up recently with the county party's chairman, Joe Ruggiero, and he assured me that the Dutchess Demorcats soon would have a Web presence, too.

Ruggiero already has a Web site promoting his own candidacy for county executive. But the Dutchess County Democrats still have a way to go. If you search Google for "dutchess" and "democrats," the first link is to www.dutchessdemocrats.org with the tagline "Coming soon..." Click on the link and nothing happens. At least not yet.

It's Fred and Steve in Beacon

The Beacon mayoral race is shaping up as a battle between two City Council veterans.

Fred Antalek, a former Republican councilman, announced Wednesday that he will seek to replace Mayor Clara Lou Gould, also a Republican, who isn't seeking re-election in November.

The Democrats have picked Councilman Steve Gold as their candidate for mayor.

Michael Moore at Marist?

Not being an expert on health care and the numerous proposals calling for universal coverage, I found Congressman John Hall's forum on the issue last night at Marist College quite informative, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

But I had a sneaking suspicion that a significant portion of the audience fell under the heading "preaching to the converted." One young man, a Marist student who said he suffers from a disability and from the health insurance nightmare that comes with it, made an impassioned plea for help to John Hall, however, many of the people who addressed the panel identified themselves as affiliated with advocacy organizations, typically Democratic or progressive in nature. Some had set up a display outside the auditorium with signs and pamphlets calling for single-payer national health care coverage, and I rode on the elevator before the forum with a man and his daughter, a Vermont physician, who each clutched signs advocating the same.

Of course, their views count as much as "ordinary" residents, and Hall seemed conscious of the diverse backgrounds of his audience. He also is scheduled to meet later this week with small business owners.

So what does this all have to do with Michael Moore, you ask? Not much. Except that before the forum a young woman, possibly college-age, tried to stick a hand-made sign to the wall outside the auditorium announcing the upcoming release of Moore's new documentary, "Sicko," about the country's health care conundrum.

Hall's chief of staff, Jean Bordewich, sternly told the woman to take the sign down. Hall wanted to hear all points of view, Bordewich said, and wouldn't let the forum be hijacked by one side or the other. Even so, she said it was fine to hand out the informational brochures, which could never hope to be as polarizing as the director of "Fahrenheit 9/11."

County legislators file fiancial disclosures

Most Dutchess County legislators didn't have much to disclose this year. They, and dozens of other county employees, are required by the county's code of ethics to file reports by May 15 identifying any financial relationships in the previous calendar year that might pose conflicts of interest. Straw Poll's review of the legislators' disclosures found only three with something to say.

Chairman Gary Cooper, R-Pine Plains, disclosed that he is a sales representative for Peckham Industries, a company that sells road materials and sometimes submits bids for county and state projects. Cooper also disclosed some vacant land in Amenia and Pine Plains that he owns.

A comment on another local political blog accused Legislator Fred Knapp, D-Poughkeesie, of failing to file his disclosure. He was late, but he filed it. He signed it May 15 and it wasn't received by the county Finance Department until May 18. In it, he acknowledges that his wife, Fran Knapp, is a election commissioner and collects a salary from the county.

And Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represented Red Hook until he left the Legislature in December to take a seat in the state Assembly, said he had no financial relationships to disclose under the county's code of ethics. But he attached a memo that noted he had been the village of Tivoli mayor, his father is employed by the county Department of Public Works and a company he works for has contracts with local municipalities, businesses and nonprofit agencies. He said he would have acted appropriately if these relationships had overlapped with his work as a county legislator.

Post-holiday roundup

A few stories to pass along...

Dick Anderson announced today that he's back in the running for the Dutchess County clerk on the Democratic ticket after he was unseated in 2003 by Republican Colette Lafuente. If he gets the nomination, his Republican challenger in November will be Brad Kendall, who was appointed to the position last year after Lafuente retired.

Republicans are using a new radio add to link U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Hudson, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in votes on peanuts and fish. Sounds like an interesting entree, but there's more to this story than a high-protein diet.

And Gov. Eliot Spitzer was in Pine Plains on Monday to participate in the town's Memorial Day parade and ceremonies. Spitzer, who owns a home nearby in Columbia County, says he likes the local coffee.

Murphy followup

A couple quick followup notes on tributes to the late Michael Murphy:

1) Dutchess County flew a county flag Friday morning over 22 Market St. and then lowered it halfway in Murphy's honor. The flag was given to Murphy's family later in the day during the burial ceremony at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Millbrook.

2) County Executive William Steinhaus said the start of the Dutchess Rail Trail near Morgan Lake in Poughkeepsie will be named the Michael P. Murphy Trailhead, one of four trailheads planned along the 12 mile trail from Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction. The county's rail trails were among Murphy's most prized projects as public works commissioner. Construction of part of the Dutchess Rail Trail is expected to start this year.

Michael Murphy: 1952-2007

Even the most experienced reporters worry that they will come back from an assignment with nothing to write. I found myself today with the opposite problem: I couldn't keep my pen moving fast enough to get down everything said today at the funeral for Michael Murphy.

By the end, my notebook was filled with quotes, some nearly illegible from my rapid scrawlings, all with high praise for the life of Murphy, a longtime public servant who most recently worked as Dutchess County's public works commissioner.

Here is one.

"Mike was in his glory when he was surrounded by his friends, of which there were so many," said Steve Wing, who delivered the eulogy. "And when you became Mike's friend, you became his friend for life."

Reporters have to keep an objective distance from their sources, and this can be difficult when those sources are genuinely decent and inspiring people. I never got to know Murphy that well, let alone enough to become his friend, though several of my colleagues in the newsroom here knew him for years and were shaken by the news of his death.

I think I learned of Murphy's cancer last fall around county budget time. I was told that he had taken a turn for the worse, and the outlook was grim. But then, maybe a month later, I saw him again at a Legislature meeting, seemingly back to normal. He continued working to the end.

Since then, after hearing stories about the man, I wish I knew him better. The word "dignity" kept coming to my mind, though I know the word is limited. Only one of many to describe Murphy's clear passion for life and the people he served.

Wells: Possible election issue?

With Republicans and Democrats in Dutchess County staking out opposite positions on the issue of mandated tests of private wells before home sales, the issue is sure to make its way into political campaigns this fall.

Both sides could use the issue to their advantage. Most Republicans argue that well tests are essential but should remain voluntary. Democrats say a law mandating the tests would educate property owners and protect homebuyers.

A county-wide well-testing measure was passed by the Dutchess Legislature in January, mostly along party lines, but it was blocked by a veto by County Executive Bill Steinhaus, a Republican.

Meanwhile, Westchester County passed its own law this week mandating private well tests. Rockland is the only other county in the state to require such tests.

County Dems Election Roundup: Spring Edition

Straw Poll checked in today with Dutchess Democratic Party Chairman Joe Ruggiero to see how the party's ticket is shaping up for the November elections.

Ruggiero is at the top of that ticket after declaring Tuesday that he would run for county executive against Bill Steinhaus, the Republican incumbent. That means Ruggiero won't run for re-election as Wappinger town supervisor. Ruggiero said he would resign as party chairman if elected county executive.

It's looking like former Dutchess County Clerk Dick Anderson will try to win his old job back after he was defeated in 2003 by Colette Lafuente, the former Republican mayor of Poughkeepsie.

"He kind of told us after he narrowly lost last time that he wanted another shot," Ruggiero said.

Lafuente retired last year, and fellow Republican Brad Kendall was appointed to complete her term.

Anderson hasn't formally announced his campaign to challenge Kendall, though he has been seeking the support of party leaders around the county, Ruggiero said. The Town of Poughkeepsie Democrats already have endorsed Anderson.

The Democrats have two potential candidates considering a challenge to District Attorney Bill Grady. Ruggiero said neither has committed to running yet.

And Sheriff Butch Anderson, a Republican, seems safe for another term. No Democrat has come forward to challenge him, Ruggiero said, but there still is time.

As for the Legislature, nearly all of the Democrats' incumbent legislators are running for re-election, with the exception of Fred Knapp, who is running for Poughkeepsie mayor instead. Steve White will take Knapp's place as the Democratic candidate in District 9.

Whew! That's quite a bit to keep track of. And there will be more to report from the Republican side. Stay tuned.

Bill vs. Joe in November

It sounds like the past week has been eventful in county politics, with a Republican convention and slates coming together for county-wide elections this fall.

I guess I have some catching up to do. For now, here's some low-hanging fruit to pick. Wappinger Supervisor Joe Ruggiero, a Democrat, announced today he will challenge County Executive Bill Steinhaus, a Republican. This should be an interesting election.

More to come...

... but not until later this month. I'm on vacation next week, so Straw Poll will be on a short hiatus. If you have tidbits in the meantime, send them to me at dpaulsen@poughkeepsiejournal.com and I'll try to come back and hit the ground running.

Enjoy yourselves.

Bunnell is "torn," Kelly doesn't care

After about 10 months reporting on the Dutchess Legislature, there's one thing I've learned to expect: Legislator Fred Bunnell's regular requests to abstain from votes.

I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'd say he has abstained from more votes than any other legislator in my short time on the beat. It's a pretty safe bet that he'll do so at least once during each monthly cycle of meetings.

Years ago, when I was reporting on municipal government in Wausau, Wis., I grew accustomed to the rule that lawmakers couldn't abstain unless they had a good reason, usually a conflict of interest that prohibited them from voting. I think the idea was that lawmakers should be compelled to go on the record on issues by voting, and that we should expect them to make tough choices. That is what they are elected to do, after all.

So I was surprised to learn that Dutchess legislators don't have the same burden in justifying an abstention. All they need is permission from a committee chairman or the Legislature chairman.

Usually, when Bunnell asks to abstain, he cites some variation on the "lack of adequate information" explanation. Usually, the chairman grants his abstention.

Today was different.

When it came time for the Budget, Finance and Personnel Committee to vote on a measure increasing the county mortgage tax from 1 percent to 1.25 percent, Bunnell, a Poughkeepsie Democrat, said he would be abstaining. Committee Chairman David Kelly, a Pawling Republican, asked him why.

"I'm torn," Bunnell replied.

Kelly said that wasn't a good reason and told him to vote.

Bunnell protested Kelly's ruling before saying simply, "I choose not to vote."

"I take that as a 'no' vote," Kelly said, and moved on to the next legislator. The measure passed with unanimous Republican support and near unanimous Democratic opposition.

Near unanimous because one Democratic vote was missing. Legislator Fred Knapp had left the meeting early and was marked "absent."

Rail trails and campaign dollars

Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus was a key participant in a workshop Tuesday on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which was the basis of a story in today's Journal. Another key participant in the workshop was Clough Harbour & Associates, the design firm that is working on the rail trail for the county.

Straw Poll footnote: Clough Harbour also is a contributor to Steinhaus' campaign committee – at least $2,000, according to online records maintained by the State Elections Board.

Is this notable? Maybe. Maybe not.

Clough Harbour, after all, has spread thousands of dollars in campaign cash all over New York's political landscape. Eliot Spitzer's successful campaign for governor last year benefited from the firm's donations. So did John Bonacic, the Republican state senator from Orange County.

As for Steinhaus, he hasn't limited his corporate donor pool to Clough Harbour, either. His January campaign finance disclosure includes the names of a major developer (Ginsburg), a fitness center chain (Arteaga) and a Hyde Park lab that tests well water (Smith).

Gould and Knapp in the spotlight

Two sparsely-worded press releases spit out of the Poughkeepsie Journal fax machine today, each offering food for thought in city politics in Dutchess County.

And that means both cities in Dutchess County.

The first was from Dutchess County Legislator Fred Knapp, rumored to be considering a run against Poughkeepsie Mayor Nancy Cozean, a fellow Democrat. Knapp is holding a news conference Wednesday to discuss "City of Poughkeepsie Mayoral Campaign." He wouldn't reveal any more.

And in Beacon, Mayor Clara Lou Gould, the lone Republican behind the table these days at City Council meetings, is holding her own news conference Thursday.

When I was covering the southern Dutchess beat last year, the buzz in Beacon was whether Gould, 79, would step aside this year after 18 years as mayor. She played the tease this evening when asked if she will have news about her political future: "I think there might be," she said.

That's all we'll know until Thursday.

Wager will call Millbrook home

As Richard Wager tries to gain momentum for a bid for Congress in the 20th District, he can check one thing off his list: an address in the district.

Wager, a Republican, is a native of Hyde Park but lives in Manhattan, where he works for the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He and his wife closed Friday on a house in Millbrook, and he plans to spend more and more time upstate as the year progresses.

"We've got a wonderful house in a great little spot," Wager said. Three bedrooms. Built in 1898. Just outside the village. Furniture on the way.

Straw Poll had to ask: What did you pay for the place?

Wager declined to answer.

"It's good reconnecting with old friends," he said. "I obviously love the area, so we're very excited about the house."

And he said his fundraising for a potential 2008 challenge to U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Hudson, has been going so well that he's changed his exploratory committee to a full-fledged campaign committee: Wager for Congress.

It's a Grand Old Party at the Grand

The Dutchess County Republican Committee has scheduled its convention for May 16 at the Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, and there's still a tiny bit of suspense surrounding the party's picks for county-wide offices heading toward the November elections.

Committee Chairwoman Corinne Weber was still marveling at the result of the Kentucky Derby when Straw Poll contacted her by phone this evening to check in. (She didn't win any money.)

Weber said District Attorney William Grady, Sheriff Butch Anderson and Clerk Brad Kendall all have confirmed their interest in running on the Republican ticket. That leaves only County Executive William Steinhaus, who has yet to say publicly whether he will run for a fifth four-year term.

Straw Poll has a hunch. We'll know for certain soon: Weber said Steinhaus is expected to make an announcement sometime next week.

Candidates wanted

The Independence Party is looking for candidates in Dutchess County.

If you want to run this year for local office on the Independence line or with the party's endorsement, let party leaders know soon.

Send requests, including a contact phone number and the office you are seeking, post-marked by May 18 to Dennis Zack, P.O. Box 116, Fishkill, NY 12524, or Laura Downing, 25 Lincoln Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

All the tax data you never knew you wanted

My name is Dave and I'm a numbers addict. Nothing excites me more than a well-plotted Excel spreadsheet, and I've been known to spend hours rummaging through government budgets to make sure the figures add up.

So when I discovered recently that Kathy Myers and her team of experts in the Dutchess County Real Property Tax Service Agency had used the county's Web site to post annual tax rate and assessment data back to 1973, I felt like I had won the lottery.

Why should anyone care? Well, a lot of people probably don't care. But if you're a numbers addict like me – or if you want to do some cutting-edge analysis of government fiscal trends over more than three decades – this is an indispensable resource.

For example, would you have guessed that the assessed value of properties in Rhinebeck was just over $35 million in 1973? It's nearly $1.3 billion today. And with revaluation a hot topic these days in Dutchess County, you can get a sense for how the numbers fell in past revaluations because the documents include each town's ever-changing equalization rates.

If I've put you to sleep with my numbers reverie, I apologize, but check back here later and I'll try to distill some of the figures into a few trends that might raise a few eyebrows. And let me know you find anything interesting in your own research.