After the 2000 census, the weighted vote was recalculated, with some significant changes. The big losers were the First Ward and the Fourth Ward, with the votes of their aldermen dropping from 188 to 94 and 184 to 94 respectively. The winners were the Second Ward, whose aldermen gained 24 votes each, and the Third Ward, whose representatives gained 46 votes each.
Now, after the 2010 census, there are two significant changes in the weighted vote. The big loser is the Third Ward, whose aldermen now have 86 fewer votes each. The big winner is the Fifth Ward, whose aldermen have gained 86 votes each.
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| Third Ward Alderman: Henry Haddad (left) and John Friedman (right) |
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| Fifth Ward Aldermen: Robert Donahue (left) and Bart Delaney (right) |
Arrest fishermen and detour dogs from shore. The inner city is being bullied by boulevard bureaucrats...
ReplyDeleteThe Boulevards have a long history in the City of Hudson.
ReplyDeleteThe residents of the Boulevards have and continue to be very community minded supporting several organizations and children education and sports programs. The residents of the Boulevards are, just as any other section of the city, an important part of the community.
As for the weighted vote it is based on population, and it is the system the people of Hudson chose to retain. Even a third ward alderman at that time of the permissive referendum was against implementing a "one man one vote" system for fear of "gerrymandering".
Which voting system the people choose to use is not the most important issue I wish to address.
I was told at one time in the past that the Boulevards were really a part of Greenport (that was from a Second Ward Alderman). I have seen in this Blog many comments of those living in one area of the city against those in another part. Such discriminatory comments will only hold back the city's growth.
Why not Actlikeamench, make use of the name your mom and dad gave you and admit that the city is being run by the fifth ward.
DeleteEven Ray Charles could see through this smoke.
There's room for fishermen and land/dog loving citizens on the shore but the fifth ward bureaurats are put grants ahead of maximum use.
Hudson officials put grants ahead of EVERYTHING else, and they can barely manage that.
Delete(Are/put) is a,typo, bureaurats is not...
DeleteI'd stress the word UNACCOUNTABLE bureaucrats.
DeleteTry FOILing the HDC. You can't.
But within city government, some are not even required to take the Civil Service examination, though they're department heads. Kind of unusual, don't you think?
And if you want to ask a question, just try and find an email address for the city's "Corporate Counsel," Cheryl Roberts. She makes unilateral decisions on a host of issues which direct our fates (including the fate of Furgary), but you cannot contact her in her private office for which we're all paying without going through the mayor himself. How screwed up is that! No email!
But to much of the city's electorate, nothing is amiss. They are the placid, progressive and pliable herd.
Should the market crash, or if an Electro Magnetic Blast closes Lake Shop Rite, we will then ActLikeaCommunity. We’ll all gather at the river to hunt and fish for dinner.
Delete"The River will provide"...
"A long history"? The "boulevards" didn't even exist before the 20th century. At least no houses existed on them.
ReplyDeleteIn the present day "which voting system the people choose" is pretty much the most important issue residents in every other ward than the 5th desire to address. But thanks for downplaying everyone else's interests for us. Far from diminishing our concerns, you've provided more reasons for defending ourselves.
I pay plenty in taxes, but the 5th Ward is hogging the pie. So instead of this "discrimination" malarky, you might think of any unwarranted criticisms as healthy forms of competition instead.
Yours is not the only community in the city.
Thank you, this is the perfect response
DeleteWhere was the issue of the voting system downplayed? The system was and is decided by all the people of the City. What I stated, "Which voting system the people choose to use is not the most important issue I WISH TO ADDRESS. Stop trying to put a spin on other peoples words to fit your so called "healthy form of competition". And, where did taxes come in and "hogging the pie" really!
ReplyDeleteThe inequality of Hudson's voting system was downplayed throughout your comment, implicitly.
DeleteBut it's hard to imagine a greater slap to others than the chutzpah of claiming that the 5th Ward is being discriminated against. Technically speaking, the power which is enjoyed by the 5th Ward is itself an unlawful discrimination against the rest of the city; an actual inequity that requires an actual correction by the actual law.
Until the city decides a lawful course - and if it's not too much to ask, our officials might begin by learning all of the options - then 5th Ward residents personally have more power than the rest of us do over our own taxes.