Petitions in the Rain

I’ve been collecting signatures today for my campaign for County Legislature, (as well as for my fellow candidates). It’s something I thoroughly enjoy: good exercise and the opportunity to meet some great folks.

Except when it pours rain.

I was doing my best to ignore those grey clouds a little while ago. However, they didn’t ignore me. Down came the soaking rain. Since I was canvassing my neighborhood, I opted to wait out the rain at home.

When I opened the door, my wife looked at me quizzically. I stood in the doorway with water dripping off my head. With an amused smile on her face, she asked, “Is it raining again?”

I answered nonchalantly. “Nope. Just fell into a swimming pool.”

Looks like there might be a break in the precipitation. Time to clip the pedometer onto the ol’ belt and head out with some more petitions…

The Politics of Ice Cream – the Sequel

Last summer I wrote a post about the successful return of the ice cream truck to Niskayuna, NY. That left only one community near my home which bans the treat-filled trucks. Actually, it is my hometown of Rotterdam, NY with the ban on ice cream trucks.

It looks like Rotterdam could follow Nisky’s lead. I received this comment from “Joe” to my previous post last night:

Just an update my son Michael approached the town of Rotterdam 6/22 with a petition to bring ice cream trucks back to rotterdam. The town supervisor seemed to embrace the idea. Hoping to get a resolution voted on by the next town meeting will keep you all posted

I opened my copy of the Daily Gazette this morning and read this:

An 8-year-old boy’s appeal to the Town Board may prompt Rotterdam to end a decades’ long ban on ice cream truck vendors.

Michael Pierce turned in a petition with 50 signatures during yesterday’s town board meeting. (Good for him! I can attest that it takes a fair amount of work to collect that many signatures.)

Sounds like it’ll be up for public comment at next month’s board meeting. More ice cream and politics down the road! Stay tuned for the yummy updates.

Private Employees, Public Pensions and the Taxpayer

Here’s one to make your head spin. I hope I do the topic justice.

Sunday’s front-page story on the Times Union caught my eye. (It’s now available online.) The headline:

You pay for it: Tax dollars help cover pensions for private lobbying

Note to newspaper editors: putting “you pay for it” in the headline makes it more likely that I will read it. And this story, like so many others also increases my blood pressure. If you’ve got the time, I encourage you to read the whole story.

The TU reports that a number of private non-profits partake in the state’s public retirement system. Yeah… taxpayer funded pensions. It’s all perfectly legal, approved by the State Legislature decades ago. Groups such as the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and the New York Association of Counties (NYSAC) receive this publicly-funded benefit.

Did I mention that these group actively lobby the State Legislature? I’m starting to get twinges of “conflict of interest.”

Furthermore, many of their employees are paid quite well. Some receive solid six-figure salaries. No biggie, right? Sure, until I read this buried near the end of the TU story:

The leaders of the non-state agency groups, who can get raises without approval by the Legislature, may end up with pensions that well exceed what lawmakers, state commissioners, judges or governors will get in retirement. The payouts for everyone in the pension system are based on the top three years of compensation.

I cringed.

It gets better. These organizations are largely funded through dues paid by towns, counties, etc. Wait, make that taxpayers. But don’t worry, because they are looking out for the best interests of those government entities.

Also found out they provide periodic training. Again from the TU story:

Nick Caimano, a former member of the Warren County Board of Supervisors and, before that, a Queensbury town councilman, said he attended training sessions organized by the municipal associations and found them to be of little value. “If both those associations ceased to exist tomorrow, the only thing that would happen is that our local governments would have more money.”

And that makes me wonder about how this works in Schenectady County where I am running for County Legislature. After perusing the county’s nearly $300 million 2011 budget, (a great cure for insomnia, by the way), I discovered this line item:

Municipal Association Dues

This appropriation covers the cost of dues in various associations not specifically related to any one department.

The amount of this specific appropriation is $13,469. I’m guessing that it’s a portion of the dues paid to have groups like NYSAC “lobby” for the county.

Do these organizations provide a good service to the public? At this point, I’m not convinced. But I certainly want to know if we’re getting any bang for our buck, especially at the county level.

After all, whether it’s dues or pensions, we are paying for it.

6/22/11, 2 AM update: this post is also published on my campaign blog.

Albany County: At it Again

Even though I’m running for Schenectady County Legislature, I find myself keeping an eye on the Albany County Legislature. They’re notorious for bringing intrusive legislation to Albany County. I also worry about their ideas creeping across county lines.

Their latest brilliant idea is a proposal that would ban the sale of tobacco products in Albany County pharmacies. The logic for this is pharmacies are supposed to be institutions focused on health. A pharmacy is no place for the evils of tobacco that threaten to destroy our society.

Never mind that many pharmacies are in grocery stores, or that they sell a whole boatload of items that aren’t terribly healthy.

Furthermore, I didn’t realize that people went to the pharmacy counter for their nicotine fix.

It gets better. Just read this definition of “pharmacy” from the proposed law:

“Pharmacy”, for the purposes of this Local Law shall mean any place in which drugs, prescriptions or poisons are possessed for the purpose of compounding, preserving, dispensing or retailing, or in which drugs, prescriptions or poisons are compounded, preserved, dispensed or retailed, or in which such drugs, prescriptions or poisons are by advertising or otherwise offered for sale at retail as defined by and pursuant to New York Education Law – §6802.

Gee, what did I do with that prescription for my asthma poison? With a definition like that, I think cigarettes sound like a downright healthy choice.

Seriously, it would be a terrible precedent. If county representatives don’t like a particular product, they can create excuses to ban its sale at particular locations. Then make the law’s definitions so broad that it could effectively ban the sale of that product anywhere in the county. Voila! Problem solved. Evil purged from the county!

The way I read it, any business selling over-the-counter medicine might also be subject to the ban on tobacco sales. Like so many local laws, it’s poorly written. I’m not certain, but couldn’t this law apply to local gas stations, convenience stores, and retail outlets without a pharmacy if they so much as have an aspirin for sale?

Now, I don’t smoke. I teach my children that smoking is bad. I don’t need a group of legislators to do that for me. I think I’ll stick to an old phrase that’s tried and true. I’ll “just say no” to cigarettes and to bad legislation.

A little publicity…

It’s buried fairly deep, but I did get a mention in a Marv Cermak story on the Times Union’s website. You have to click to find the mention on the second page:

Word has it party leaders [county Republicans] are considering endorsing Wade Abbott and Chris Tomaselli [as candidates for county legislature]. Abbott was one of the prime movers in the origination of the Tea Party movement in the Capital Region.

Certainly, I would be very grateful to receive the Republican endorsement. And I will strongly support Chris Tomaselli for whatever office he chooses to run. Chris is a good guy, just the candidate we need in local government.

The rest of the article provides interesting insight into local politics, too.

5/17/11, 11:00 PM update:

Looks like Chris will be sticking with his run for Rotterdam Town Board according to his Facebook page. I would certainly welcome him as a running mate for the county legislature positions, but I know he will do a lot of good in Rotterdam when elected to town board. He’s certainly got my support!

Not to bore you…

I’m watching video from this month’s Schenectady County Legislature meeting.

Riveting stuff. Really. Nothing like an overabundance of legalese to kill any desire to write.

All sarcasm aside, the subjects being discussed are very important, but it is cutting into my writing time tonight.

I won’t bore you with the details. Not yet, anyway.

Weighty Issues in County Politics

Here’s the latest Schenectady County political issue that I’m digging into. I’m sure it’s far more arcane and complicated than I can adequately describe in a brief blog post, but let me give it a shot.

According to the latest census data, action is required on the part of the county legislature to ensure relatively equal representation in the county. Due to uneven shifts in the county’s population over the last decade, the City of Schenectady is not being adequately represented in the legislature. Legislators from the city effectively represent more constituents, (per legislator), than is the case in the rest of the county.

It’s a problem that requires a solution, and apparently it needs to be solved quickly. As I understand it, that solution has to happen within 60 days of receipt of the census data.

There are two options most frequently discussed. The first is to increase the number of county legislators by adding nine more. Yikes. I have yet to figure out the math for that idea. Fortunately, I haven’t heard anyone who supports it.

The other, and the one proposed by the legislature, sounds a bit more sane… at least on the surface. It’s a weighted voting system that will change the value of each legislator’s vote based on the district they represent. For example, legislators from District 4, (the district I’m running in), will have a vote valued at less than those of a legislator representing a district in the city. Here’s the breakdown:

• District 1 (City of Schenectady): 1.0572
• District 2 (City of Schenectady): 1.0799
• District 3 (Niskayuna, Scotia, Glenville): 0.9939
• District 4 (Rotterdam, Duanesburg, Princetown): 0.9048

A weighted voting system sounds better than adding a bunch of legislators, right? Well, here’s a sticking point: it might not be constitutional. That’s the argument being made by minority leader Robert Farley, and I think we need to take that argument very seriously. The weighted system seems like a way to “game” the system, and it makes me very antsy.

Personally, I think we should be looking at other solutions, too. But since it was proposed by the majority Democrats, I wouldn’t hold my breath that another solution is likely. Next month’s legislature meeting will have a period of public comment, but I expect the weighted system will pass. Could be an interesting period of public comment, though.

I have yet to see all 15 legislators present this year during all votes at legislative meetings. Conceivably, with only an even number of legislators in attendance, a vote could come to a tie. But what happens when the weighted system is applied? Would the passage or failure of a resolution come down to tiny fractions of a vote? Does that open up the county to lawsuits? Is it even legal?

I plan to ask that during the public comment period.

Change at the top

This could be quite positive, at least for Schenectady County. Susan Savage, chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, is stepping down to take a six-figure position in one of my favorite organizations: New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance.

According to a story by Paul Nelson in today’s Times Union:

The Niskayuna Democrat has been tapped to become assistant deputy commissioner with the department’s Office of Real Property Tax Services…

Now that’s a heckuva title to have to put on an office nameplate.

Seriously though, this is a significant change for the county legislature. It’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic changes in next month’s meeting. I’m looking forward to it.

On a practical basis, it will not change the political balance of the legislature at all. Well, at least until November. Here’s hoping!

And now that I’ve bored most of my readers to tears… I promise to post something non-political shortly.

Yesterday’s Formal Announcement

Yesterday evening was the formal announcement for my campaign for Schenectady County Legislature. It was also my first fundraiser. I had the privilege of joining Brian McGarry, candidate for Rotterdam Town Supervisor and James Longo, candidate for Rotterdam Highway Superintendent as local candidates for public office.

I am grateful for everybody who showed up, for everybody who donated to my campaign! In this economy, money is tight for the vast majority of us. I wish I could better express the extent of my gratitude.  Often though, the most important words are the simplest. To all of my supporters:

Thank you!

Political campaigns cost money. As a brand new candidate for public office, I am becoming well aware of that fact. Too often, we see cases where political campaign funds were not spent wisely. That will not be the case in this campaign. I will spend campaign funds with great care. I am a firm believer in being efficient and careful with money, especially money that has been donated.

Asking for money for a political campaign is not easy. It shouldn’t be. The donations made to my campaign reinforce the seriousness of it. Each penny is a token of trust, a sign that the donor believes that I will spend it wisely, and ultimately, an indication that they believe I will be a good representative. I take that responsibility very seriously.

Onward…

The Campaign Announcement

I know that it’s not exactly a secret. I am formally announcing my candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature representing Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown, NY.

Here’s the press release that I am currently sending out to various media outlets:

Wade Abbott Announces Candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. – Wade Abbott, a registered Republican and an organizer of Tea Party rallies in 2009, announces his candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature, District 4. A formal announcement will take place in mid-March.

Abbott is pleased to accept the invitation of Brian McGarry, candidate for Rotterdam Town Supervisor, to join him on the No New Tax Party independent ballot line in November’s general election. “It is an honor to join Brian, a fiscal conservative and one of the founders of the No New Tax Party,” said Abbott. “I look forward to campaigning closely with all the No New Tax Party candidates to bring positive fiscal change to Schenectady County.”

Abbott also seeks the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties. “These traditional parties play an important role in local politics, and I look forward to sharing my viewpoints with the various committees during the endorsement process,” said Abbott. “With the party endorsements and the formation of an independent ballot line, we can take a step toward moving our county government in the right direction.”

Schenectady County government must shift its focus away from spending policies that drive property taxes upward, sending residents out of state. “Now is the time to dramatically change the makeup of our county government in a way that will bring fiscal relief to county residents and the constituents in Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown.”

Wade Abbott and his wife Ellen have been married for 12 years and are the parents of two boys. Abbott is a graduate student and a blogger. He was an organizer for the successful 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party. He believes that it is time to bring a Citizen Legislator to Schenectady County and would be honored to represent Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown in that capacity.

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I look forward to the upcoming campaign. I am humbled by and appreciative of the support that I am receiving from volunteers and mentors.

In mid-March I expect to have a formal kickoff event and fundraiser. In the upcoming days I also expect to get a website up and running. More information on that down the road.