Complete Streets Feb 8 Workshop in New Paltz

(from the press release)

Highway Superintendent Michael Nielson announces a Complete Streets workshop to be held at the New Paltz Fire House on Plattekill Avenue. The Tuesday, February 8 event will run from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm event and is free to New Paltz residents. The cost is $40.00 for non-residents.

Lois Chaplin of the Cornell University Local Roads Program is the program presenter. Ms. Chaplin’s background includes 20 years of experience as a bicycle and pedestrian safety expert at Cornell, where she has instructed and designed materials for fellow educators, law enforcement, and most recently planners and engineers.

The streets of our cities and towns ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker, wheelchair user, or bus rider. Complete Streets is a national movement bringing attention to the need to plan and design streets accessible to everyone.

The workshop will build upon this public interest and provide background for a wide range of users in ways to make communities safer for everyone. The workshop will include planning strategies, basic design and maintenance principles used in bicycle and pedestrian-friendly communities. Additionally, participants will learn how to perform an assessment of their own community's walkability and bikeability. Other topics covered include traffic laws, essential items for the advocate's "toolkit," education strategies, multi-use facilities, and enforcement.

The workshop is suitable for citizen advocates, local officials and planning board or council members for villages, towns, cities, and counties who are interested in learning the basics of how to safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians in their community.

For more information, contact the New Paltz Highway Department, 845-255-5050. Workshop applications are available online at www.townofnewpaltz.org click on Departments, Highway Department. For more information about Complete Streets, visit their website at www.completestreets.org.

Busing a rhyme

I can't really weigh in on the question of transporting our kids to school without admitting that I have already been hammered for wanting to "hammer on" this issue.  That was the phrase that I used when I I sent a Facebook message on the subject to the three school board members who are my friends there (luckily another board member quietly defriended me after my call for transparency during his last reelection campaign; I'd hate to risk a violation of the open meetings law), and one of those friends took exception to the phrase.

I'm not a musician, but I think that "hammer on" is a way to create a sustained note through continuous pressure on a guitar string.  My board member friend, I fear, anticipated an approach much more aggressive and nasty.  I can't say I can blame anyone on the board for such a reaction; in New Paltz it's rare to find someone who is willing to debate using truth and logic instead of passion and half-truths.  In addition, I'm no stranger to passionately arguing for a position I care about.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson.

Now, about those school buses

I've been following a local school bus strike threat for the Shawangunk Journal, and it's quite amazing what I have learned.  New Paltz drivers start at $22.90 an hour, while Rondout Valley pays about $23 an hour for its bus contractor.  RV's drivers are considering a strike because they make so little, but as it stands now the districts which privately contract are paying a rate per hour that is comparable to our local driver hourly rate.

How much should busing really cost?

Keep in mind, the hourly rate in New Paltz doesn't include sick time, vacation, retirement, vehicle procurement or maintenance.  We voted down a new school bus proposal just last year, and privatizing busing is one of many options the board is going to consider to resolve the insane budgeting problems they face.

I've had people tell me that they would not feel comfortable with contract drivers. This is an emotional argument, and I sincerely hope no board member dares consider it.  I want facts, and only facts, to make this decision.  Facts might include:

• The way that private companies are regulated by the state in comparison to how the district is regulated
• Documented records of safety and screwups.
• A comparison of how often private companies need to send in a substitute unfamiliar with the route versus how often the district needs to do so.
• An analysis of transportation times, both overall and with a substitute at the wheel.
• A comparison of background check requirements.

Starting now, and going forward, I am going to sound a note for privatizing our busing.  Unless strong evidence is presented to show that we really need to be spending three, four, or more times what neighboring districts do for their busing (Rondout Valley privatized 19 years ago, and so far their biggest problem is the threat that three drivers will strike), I am going to continue to keep hammering on that note until I am heard.  Short of consolidating districts (which is outside the scope of this post), I can see no more effective way to save tons of money with very little downside.

No Permanent...

There is a famous quote, which initially pertained to foreign policy, that I often contemplate with respect to my own involvement in local and larger politics:

"Therefore I say that it is a narrow policy to suppose that this country or that is to be marked out as the eternal ally or the perpetual enemy (of England). We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow."

This has evolved to be a guiding principle for success in politics: No permanent friends/allies, no permanent enemies.

I get the pragmatism and compartmentalizing of issues, but - My biggest problem with this is that if I ally with people who I have previously not just disagreed with, but who have actually conducted themselves in a way I deem poorly or have otherwise exhibited bad behavior - am I not validating and legitimating their previous stances and/or behavior by aligning with them?

Discuss.

ps. I know this is a blog about New Paltz issues & um, if you don't think this is an issue for more than just one resident (me!) I urge you to read the last six months of That Paper.

Sennett is a "Formidable Candidate"

According to Hudson Valley Times reporter Hugh Reynolds, the Ulster County DA seat is "in play" this year and New Paltzian Jonathan Sennett is a "formidable candidate".

Many New Paltzians (& others in the county...) may have had a chuckle - I know I did - when Reynolds noted that Sennett needed, "some tweaking of out-of-step leftish tendencies".

What makes Reynolds think "leftish tendencies" would be out of step? Where's the evidence? Part of Sennett's previous campaign platform was to repeal the Rockefeller drug laws. Now that is a done deal.

What else you got? His predicted opponent, incumbent Holly Carnwright, has not exactly been, shall we say - "Tough on Crime". This portends to be a feisty election, I look forward to intense debates about how we handle crime and punishment in our county.

Gary Kitzmann

New Paltz Democratic Committee Member Gary Kitzmann died yesterday after a long illness at Kingston Hospital.

According to Glenn McNitt of the Political Science department at SUNY New Paltz, "Gary was a long time leader of the campus community, as Chair of the Physics Department, a Vice President for Academics for the UUP Chapter, senior member of the faculty, an elected Trustee of the Village Board, and a NYS Committeeman of the Democratic Party from Ulster County."

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, January 15th at the Copeland Funeral Home.

A 2011 Wish List for New Paltz

• A New Paltz high priority study proposal that includes a solution for a New Paltz government that will be both efficient (less dollars) and effective (more democracy & representativeness) & be something both village and town residents can be enthusiastic about
• A school district budget that passes on the first vote - one that does not devastate the academic program, does not unduly increase the tax burden, and if includes job elimination it is done only via attrition and retirements
• An Albany that has the gumption to shift the tax burden off homeowners and to a more progressive system - e.g. income
• A solution for the middle school dilemma & all school district buildings that is uniting, not divisive
• A logical code of conduct in our schools, which eliminates the practice of zero tolerance and in necessary cases instead of sending kids home for “out of school suspension” better punishes or teaches them
• An equitable fee system at Moriello Pool & a way for all town residents to have year-round access to the playground there
• A redistricted county political map that includes a logical district map for New Paltz’s county legislator district
• A civil and feisty race for this new district seat, with a winner that is focused on New Paltz’s issues (not using it as an obvious stepping stone)
• A more logically mapped congressional district
• A successful run for county DA by New Paltzian Jonathan Sennett
• Civil and feisty campaigns for village mayor and trustees this spring, with familiar faces and new contenders
• A mayoral campaign that results in a win by someone who actually knows New Paltz
• An even greater turnout (compared with 2008) at the Democratic caucus this fall
• A New Paltz Democratic Committee that actually endorses and campaigns for its candidates
• Hotly contested runs for town supervisor, town board, clerk, & highway superintendent
• A viable second, or even third, political party (sorry Butch)
• An election where every candidate is listed only on the line of the party that he or she is actually registered in
• More shared services and collaborations between the town, village, school district, and SUNY
• A new SUNY New Paltz president who is genuinely committed to the entire New Paltz community
• A wider South Putt Corners Road
• Water and sewer infrastructure for South Putt Corners Road
• A New Paltz GreenWorks map of our carbon footprint - so we can measure our reductions
• Wetlands and watercourse laws passed in the town and village
• Prioritization of sidewalks as the cornerstone of our community - instead of repairing concrete, brick, and bluestone with black top - restoration and expansion of our historic sidewalks (Stone Ridge is an excellent model)
• A Millbrook Preserve - with firmer commitments from the surrounding landowners to donate their land
• Complete master plans for both the town and village that are constructed in sync and are actually used to guide our planning and development
• A recognition by the residents who live west of the Wallkill that it makes no sense to build in a flood plain
• A decisive win in the fight against fracking
• More public access TV shows
• No more tasers for SUNY or New Paltz police
• That Woodland Pond is able to stay open, let alone make its PILOT payments
• A summer camp for kids in New Paltz
• Record setting attendances at the New Paltz Third Saturday Art Loops, COTA, the Regatta, the Taste of New Paltz, and all our parades: Halloween, Gay Pride, Memorial Day, and Phools Parade
• More Questionable Authorities shows!
• That Family of New Paltz gets more support & there are less people that need them
• A reliable local newspaper that prioritizes information over sensationalization

Happy New Year from KT Tobin & Terence P Ward

Zero tolerance . . . policy or tradition?

Some interesting developments unfolded in the halls of New Paltz High School this week.  Several students were caught violating school policy on drugs, and the district's "zero tolerance policy" rolled into action, with the principal meting out multi-day out-of-school suspensions pending hearings.  Despite the fact that the case is swathed in rumor and cloaked in the secrecy necessary for dealing with kids, it's an opportunity to see how the school's code of conduct and due process work.

By cobbling together scant official reports with the existing rumor mill and some knowledgeable sources, I pulled together some details of the case.  Students generally believe that a dozen students were involved, but none of those questioned were able to provide more than one name.  The official line from superintendent Maria Rice was that the number I had heard was grossly exaggerated, and a source close to the investigation claimed that it was really only five students.  I spoke to the one kid whose name the other students knew, and he confirmed that the accusation was of selling marijuana (and, I'm going to guess, possession).  I was able to gather very little information about the other cases, but it appears that one of the other students may have been caught with a weapon (brass knuckles) and turned over the alleged drug dealer to cop a plea.

Now the fun begins.  At the beginning of the school year the board said that they were going to be looking at the "zero tolerance policy."  I reviewed the code with a board member, looking for a quote about that member's position on zero tolerance.  It took some time for the member to wade through the code of conduct, which didn't surprise me, but what did was what we didn't find . . . zero tolerance.

Wikipedia says that "zero-tolerance policy in schools is a policy of punishing any infraction of a rule, regardless of accidental mistakes, ignorance, or extenuating circumstances."  However, the district's code provides for a wide range of consequences for drug charges, ranging from an oral warning to permanent suspension from school.  (This is the same range of punishment that can be meted out for lying, possessing a cell phone or iPod on school premises, and using an obscene gesture.)  The superintendent is explicitly given the right to consider "extenuating circumstances" and other information when deciding on or approving of a disciplinary action.

With the board member befuddled, I contacted the district office to ask exactly where this "zero tolerance policy" exists.  I got a request to FOIL the info, and I'm considering exactly what to ask for.

The language of discipline in schools has changed.  OSS (out-of-school suspension) was not in my vocabulary as a kid - you were suspended, or you were not.  It was always in school.  If a kid got kicked out, we called it "expelled," and I think it happened once in my school years.  Now we have OSS and ISS, and OSS is considered a viable option.  Let's see how that works, shall we?

This kid is out of school until he gets a hearing in a week or so.  He will get maybe two hours of tutoring a day, and unless his parents don't work, he will be otherwise unsupervised.  So by sending him home, the schools have committed to spending money on a tutor above and beyond what his teachers already cost, right?  And since he's accused of breaking the law, I assume that there is some possibility that in his free time he will roam the community and perhaps do something that will require police activity - also paid for by my tax dollars.  If the student was remanded to the school as a non-dangerous but disruptive student, he could get his work sent to him all day long and require neither tutors, nor police.

Sounds to me like the school district is foisting off its problems on the rest of us.  I've talked about the problems with OSS before, and I think it needs to change.  If a kid is a danger to the schools he needs to be out of there - but that probably means the police need to be involved.  I doubt there is a case where the kid is really a danger and some kind of professional intervention (mental health, police, whatever) is not needed.  Why can't you keep the rest of these kids in the building?  Why are they being sent home?  It doesn't appear to be mandated by law, and so far I can't find the actual "zero intelligence tolerance policy" which is taking things out of their hands . . . so why is the school washing its hands and putting the problem back in our laps?

Considering the number of administrators making more than $150,000 a year, I think they can find a way to do just that.  We're paying them a lot, and I would like to see them use those well-paid brains to come up with a better idea, like keeping kids in school.