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This is to the best of my knowledge - if anything is missing or wrong, I'm sure our not shy readers will let me know.
Friday 4/15 7pm /root Debate, 60 Main Street - Mayoralty and Trustee candidates
Sunday 4/17 1pm TownGownConnect Debate @ Village Hall - Mayoralty candidates only (Broadcast LIVE on Channel 23)
Thursday 4/21 8pm SUNY New Paltz Debate - Mayoralty candidates only
Monday 4/25 7pm Chamber of Commerce Debate @Deyo Hall - Mayoralty and Trustee candidates
Wednesday 4/27 6pm Main Course Meet-and-Greet with all candidates, hosted by Butch Dener
Tuesday 5/3 ELECTION DAY 12-9 at the Village Fire House
Update - Oracle coverage and video of the Woodland Pond debate on 4/11
Reminder - Debate today at Village Hall will be broadcast live on Channel 23
19 comments:
I'm struck by the lack of volubility among the political crowd about this village election, and other matters. It reminds me of those unsettling moments when one steps into the woods and finds them silent. No birds chirping. No creatures scurrying. No wind in the trees. Maybe just the damp cold stench of schemers scheming, or maybe not.
At least @ the Main Course Event there will be delicious appetisers provided,
the other forums will just be feeding you the same bull.
Watched the Woodland Pond debate video. Helpful.
In keeping with my view that village government is about stoical attention to mundane details, especially for the mayor, I'll stick with my first take: Jean Gallucci (mayor), Rick Bunt and David Ruger (four-year trustee seats), and Shari Osborn (two-year trustee seat).
I appreciate that some of the other candidates have entered the arena: Both Jon and Amy Cohen, Ariana Basco, and Emily Crocetti are to be commended for stepping forward and offering their service.
I don't view those running together on the single issue of ending the village (by consolidating it with the town) as good faith candidates. (Nor do I find the arguments for consolidation convincing.) Whether or not to dissolve the village is a question that goes to the voters. It's not decided by the board. The board's job is to govern the village.
@Martin-
Say what you like about our motives, but the One Community Party had no intention to "end the village". Nor do we intend to "dissolve the village", no matter how often this false claim is repreated.
The One Community Party also states that the issue of consolidation or unification should be put to referendum, contrary to your further claim.
Peter, you've been talking about consolidating the two New Paltz governments for years. No matter how you want to couch it, that means nothing less than getting rid of the village as we know it, as the discrete inner municipality that governs the core settlement within the town, the one with the water mains and sewers, the downtown businesses, etc. The Village of New Paltz. When consolidation happens the meaning and purpose of that government will be gone, and the town will remain. That is not a false claim.
And I did not say that your party would not put the question of "consolidation or unification" to a vote. I said precisely that it can only be decided by a vote. That it is not a question the board can decide. And that since the board's job is to govern the village, that there is a lack of good faith in a slate of candidates whose core issue is ending the village.
I can't imagine anything that would entice me to vote for Ruger. Is that name a firm part of the Galluci ticket, Martin, or just your choice out of a bunch of independents?
Ruger is not associated with Gallucci, as far as I know. (I should add that I don't know Gallucci or Ruger personally. Have never met or spoken to either.) Considering the alternatives, he and Bunt strike me as the best choices. We're not in heaven, so there are no perfect candidates. Ruger is a businessman and by many accounts a good guy. How that will turn out at the board table remains to be seen, of course.
The main objection to Ruger seems to be that in addition to running his business, Smitty's, he is also a landlord. That doesn't bother me.
I'm not bothered by Ruger being a landlord. Or by Bunt or Jonathan Cohen or Amy Cohen being one either. But boy, I'd hate to see mayor and two board seats go to landlords. What seems to unite them is a interest in making as much from their properties as possible while taking as little responsibility as possible for the state of those properties and what goes on at them. That's fine. That's what I would do, too. Self-interest is fine. But it's not consistent with the public interest, and we need more balance then we'd get with that crew.
You've never been a tenant of his, then. A local official once told me Ruger is known locally as "the slumlord of New Paltz." Don't trust him to do what's right for the community. He'll do what's in his best interests, as dictated by his wife.
Why does the "Butch Dener" event at the Main Course conflict with the Village Board meeting? It totally eliminates two candidates from attending and the other candidates for VB should be attending board meeting, don't you think?
No, Andrea,
It is only an hour event,, unless folks wanna stay longer.
The incumbents can mingle & then leave.
It was not intentional, The Main Course picked the date due to their availability.
The incumbents have tried to destroy his business already, let him make a living when he can.
See ya there, WE hope.
bd
The Main Course event starts at 6pm, so that's an hour and a half before the village board meeting. Enough time to go have a snack and schmooze at a "meet and greet with all candidates" hosted by someone who is aggressively backing some candidates while viciously attacking others. That's pretty funny, and what a warm and open atmosphere it should be! Maybe I'll go to that one; I love situations like that.
I'm going to the Main Course event just to see what Martin looks like. I've never seen him IRL.
(McPhillips, not Sherow)
I'll be wearing a fez, but it's not safe to approach unless I move the tassle to the right side.
12:08 in the interest of open & honest dialogue,, maybe you should disclose YOUR personal history with the rugers & your landlord - tenant dispute ?
or do you just wanna sit & throw stones @ folks trying to DO SOMETHING ???
sheesh, personal agendas again !
It's personal experience that's informing a public policy decision I get to make as a voting citizen. I absolutely don't trust the Rugers as far as I can throw them. Your mileage may vary, but I'm certainly free to express my opinion.
I also don't see how it's "throwing stones" by pointing out that I don't think that their priorities will be good for our community.
(BTW, "throwing stones" is a portion of an idiom that, as far as I can tell, doesn't apply to this situation.)
I'm not sure why you refer to me by a number, "One Who Knows"...my name is right there. Where's yours?
" You've never been a tenant of his, then. A local official once told me Ruger is known locally as "the slumlord of New Paltz." Don't trust him to do what's right for the community. He'll do what's in his best interests, as dictated by his wife. "
THAT is "throwing stones" where i come from, but you folks really like dictating our way of doing politics, don't you ?
Seems like a nasty post from where I stand, but according to Jeff Logan, " all politics in NP is nasty" HAHA wonder what he is saying today ???
As for the other assumption, I am NOT the Host of the event, just the M.C. The Main Course is the "Host",
and Yes, it will be a fun event. OPEN & HONEST questions with no posturing,, a Dialogue !
All will be welcome,, even ME.
Some of the posters here really like to dictate how this conversation goes, but I "Don't follow Leaders & I Watch the Parking Meters" so SUE ME !!
Hope to see Ya'll on Wednesday.
bd
Butch, stating a personal opinion and making a prediction has nothing to do with "dictating how this conversation goes" -- but you seem to be trying to do that just fine.
You can whine about it all you like, but if my experience is that a candidate is ethically inadequate to make decisions for a community (rather than for his own bank account), then I feel I have not only the right but also the obligation to share that view with others. I certainly haven't heard anybody contradict me yet...there have only been complaints that I said anything about it at all.
Again, I respect that your mileage may vary, and I welcome the alternative views of others...but don't try to shame me out of saying something you don't want others to hear.
By the way...
"At least @ the Main Course Event there will be delicious appetisers provided,...the other forums will just be feeding you the same bull."
How is THAT not "throwing stones"?
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