Democrats Speak

It was a great turnout by Democrats from both of the political sides. Nearly 300 people packed the Elk’s Lodge and to Spain’s credit, he held a fair caucus and a fair vote. Mark Evers won a squeaker by 2 votes over Josh Sabo. We do not have the count on the other races but the results were Spain and Desso winning narrowly for Council and Devery and Connolly holding off challenges by larger margins of 50 or more.

The biggest vote getter in the Democratic Party remains Mark Premo who crushed his opponent more than a 2 to 1 margin. The total Premo vote was nearly 200.

Whether the two factions can come together remains in doubt. The vote was a close reflection of the narrow split in the Democratic Committee itself. On any given night the turnout could have gone the other way. Suffice to say that all eyes now focus on the GOP Primary, just 13 days away. If Republicans elect the now Democratic Slate, the Greenbush Party becomes the only voter choice in November.

Whatever the outcome, Democrats came out and exercised their right to vote. In the end, we get the government we deserve. Hold on to your hats folks. It’s going to be an interesting ride. Yes, Jim Germano was at the caucus for those who might have wondered.

Caucus Day

This little trophy came to the North Greenbush Pipeline yesterday, left on the door of a town Democrat asking him to vote for “Spain’s endorsed slate” of Republicans and Democratic sympathizers. It was signed by none other than Democrat turned Conservative turned Democrat, that political chameleon himself, F. James Germano.

With Hurricane Felix raising havoc on the high seas, this architect of political havoc in North Greenbush keeps marching on! Good luck to Felix James Germano and his GOP slate at the Democratic caucus!

Dedrick to Chair Caucus

There is a movement afoot to have former Supervisor Bill Dedrick to serve as Chair of the Democratic Caucus. He is viewed as a straight shooter by all sides and would remove any cloud over the fairness of the vote and conduct of the caucus. Tonight will tell the story.

Caucus Day

The long fought for and awaited Democratic Party Caucus takes place tonight at 7PM at the Troy Elk’s on RT 4. Every registered Democrat in North Greenbush is eligible to attend and cast their vote to nominate candidates to represent their party in the November elections.

Republicans are hoping to capture the Democratic line with the help of Jeff Spain, the Chairman of the Democratic Party who is supporting the GOP endorsed candidates for Supervisor, Town Board and Highway Superintendent.

The party committee he leads has refused to file a Financial Disclosure Statement with the Board of elections and are 54 days past due. We can only guess why, but nevertheless, the refusal to obey the law casts a pall on the party and those candidates who embrace this conduct.

How this caucus is conducted may well define the public perception of Democrats in North Greenbush and the Chairman of the Democratic Committee who must convene the caucus. If he attempts to engage in games which are designed to impede voting or stack the election to favor his slate, his reputation will be permanently tarnished by such actions.

If on the other hand he acts to ensure a fair and impartial election, he can take a step towards healing divisions over development, party purges, perceived disloyalty and other divisive acts which continue to divide Democrats in North Greenbush.

A Chair of the Caucus must be decided by a vote of the qualified Democratic voters present at the caucus. How that vote is conducted and the fairness with which it is handled will be watched closely by Democrats and by people everywhere watching through the eyes of the news media.

We wish Democrats well in this exercise in Democracy and encourage all to attend and VOTE!

Late Financial Disclosure Count:

Kyran Devery
Today is Day 54 for the North Greenbush Democratic Committee violation of State Election Law requiring the on line filing of a Financial Disclosure Report due July 15, 2007. Laws apparently don’t apply to the “reformed” democrats under Jeff Spain and his Treasurer, Tax Collector Kyran Devery.

Mark Premo Seeks Re-Election as NG Highway Supt.

Mark Premo, North Greenbush Highway Superintendent for the past 4 years, has announced his candidacy to seek re-election to another 2 year term. Premo stated that much has been accomplished during the past two terms to improve services, build morale and streamline department operations.

The Highway Committee which consists of volunteers who donate their time to setting goals for this department have done much to provide citizen input and support for the changes needed to give the best service possible to town residents. I am especially pleased with the 5 year plan the Committee is putting together to help us identify and plan for the department’s needs in the face of increasing development and the demands this makes on personnel, equipment and services.

Premo noted that the greatest challenge he faces comes from ever increasing efforts to politicize the Highway Department. The new Democratic leader Jeff Spain, insisted that I denounce his political adversaries as a condition for his endorsement and the Conservative leader Mr. Casale, has allied himself with the Democrats and County Republicans to keep me off the ballot. They have endorsed a developer as their candidate and have even gone so far as to get a 19 year old, with no experience and no commercial drivers license, to oppose me in a Working Families Primary.

I believe their ultimate goal is to attempt to abolish the elective office of Highway Superintendent and to make the Department a tool of the town board by appointing a political patronage person to run the department. I will oppose this effort just as the voters of North Greenbush did in two separate referendums aimed at abolishing the elective office of Highway Superintendent. The people, and not the political bosses, should be able to hire and fire the highway superintendent based on performance.

I am proud to have received the endorsement of the Working Families Party and the new Greenbush Party which was formed by citizens who are fed up with the divisive and destructive political climate in town hall. This effort to get total control of town government saw the leaders of the 4 major parties make a deal in which the same candidates were being endorsed for Supervisor, a town board seat and Highway Superintendent. If successful, voters would have no choice in November and the bosses, thru this deal, would decide who ran the town, instead of the voters.

Next week, I will seek the nomination by the Democratic Party at their Caucus, Sept 5th at 7PM at the Elks Lodge. I will not accept the endorsement of Democratic Chairman Jeff Spain or those few Democrats who are backing his effort to surrender his party nomination to the County Republican Party and their nominees. Because I have such strong roots with the Democratic Party and because Mr. Casale, the Conservative Chairman is using his party control to benefit his business interests with the water district contracts, I have left the Conservative Party and enrolled once again as a Democrat.

I have received the endorsement of the Rensselaer County Democratic Chairman, Thomas Wade and felt the enormous support of the County Democratic Committee at a recent meeting I attended in Troy. At this meeting I witnessed a 133 to 20 vote of the committee which ensured a caucus in North Greenbush.
I know that Mr. Spain and his group of supporters do not reflect the feelings and wishes of the vast majority of Democrats either in North Greenbush or Rensselaer County. I will continue to do a great job as Highway Superintendent and serve all citizens regardless of party affiliations. In so doing, I will continue to be a positive reflection on town government and the party I call my own.

Late Financial Disclosure Count:

Kyran Devery
Today is Day 53 for the North Greenbush Democratic Committee violation of State Election Law requiring the on line filing of a Financial Disclosure Report due July 15, 2007. Laws apparently don’t apply to the “reformed” democrats under Jeff Spain and his Treasurer, Tax Collector Kyran Devery.

Jann Liberty Candidate for NG Town Clerk

The North Greenbush Pipeline wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!

Jan Liberty, who lives in the Wynantskill area of North Greenbush has announced her candidacy for the office of North Greenbush Town Clerk. “I am honored to accept the nomination from the newly formed Greenbush Party. It is my hope that through this party we can restore honesty and non-partisanship to our local government. We need and want a town government that makes town residents proud to live here and I hope to play a role in that process as Town Clerk”.

There is no room for the backdoor politics that have become all too familiar with our Town and the way it is run. I believe the Greenbush Party can restore a CHOICE to all who believe they have NO alternative.

I have spent most of my life in this Town. I chose to raise my family here. It is not only my heritage but my legacy to my children. I have dedicated myself to the enhancement of the Youth Programs by being a longtime member and past Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Board, DARE Committee and various other youth oriented groups. My husband Mike serves on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee and is helping guide our community to a bright future where smart growth will govern development decisions. I am committed to this work and oppose the political interference that has been injected into the process by the Supervisor’s office.

The time is now to stand up and say "I want to make our community proud of town government". We need to unite the town against the partisan politics and divisiveness that has gripped town hall. I am also proud to run with a bipartisan slate of candidates representing several political party affiliations, all of whom will work together for the good of our town. Their only desire is to restore faith and honesty in the town we ALL call home.

I am especially proud to run with and support Mark Premo, our outstanding Highway Superintendent. Mark has done a great job for our town and I am proud to be running with him.

As Town Clerk, I intend to keep politics out of this office and put service to our residents as the only priority of this office. I look forward to a vigorous campaign and extend my sincere thanks to the more than 500 town residents from all political parties who signed my petitions for Town Clerk to put people before politics.

Late Financial Disclosure Count:

Kyran Devery
Today is Day 52 for the North Greenbush Democratic Committee violation of State Election Law requiring the on line filing of a Financial Disclosure Report due July 15, 2007. Laws apparently don’t apply to the “reformed” democrats under Jeff Spain and his Treasurer, Tax Collector Kyran Devery.