Voters have to change their party enrollment months in advance if they want to vote in a primary. That is what is required by New York State election law. But similar rules seem not to apply to elected officials.
Late last night, Enid Futterman exposed something that Gossips also learned recently.
UPDATE! Prior to the CCDC vote in favor of Martin, the voting members of the Democratic caucus numbered eleven. Kathy Eldridge, Greenport Town Supervisor and Independence Party member caucused with the Democrats but couldn’t vote with them until she changed her registration to the Democratic Party two days after the CCDC vote to recommend Martin’s reappointment. Had there been only eleven votes, Martin’s path to reversing the full BoS vote against her would have been a lot easier. She would have needed only six votes, not seven, and she already had four, and a probable fifth and sixth. (If you are wondering if Eldridge’s sudden desire to become a Democrat was tied to the commissioner vote, wonder no more. She changed back to the Independence Party once she was no longer needed to vote against Martin.)
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| Kathy Eldridge |
COPYRIGHT 2020 CAROLE OSTERINK
Proving, once again, that there is no depth to which the County Democratic organization won't stoop to preserve its hegemony. Curious to know who taught who what: the County or the City Dems?
ReplyDeleteThe vote to not reappoint Virginia Martin for Commissioner of the BOE was taken December 11th 2019 by the full Board of Supervisors. The vote was 20-3. The final vote for approval for this position lies with the Supervisors, not a political party, as they know better the qualifications needed and the past performance in question. This is not a popularity contest; this is the leadership of the Board of Elections. There were many good and valid reasons why the previous commissioners were not re-appointed, and it was not solely because of the latest election disaster. A complete overhaul has been needed for some time.
ReplyDeleteThe Democratic Caucus has been bombarded with desperate appeals through personal letters, editorials from Enid Futterman, posting on her bully pulpit, Imby, and by Lulu Friesdat. Many have tried to convince me that some supervisors were ready to change their minds about the commissioner appointment. They don’t seem to realize that we all communicate each other and meet on a regular basis. Each Democratic Supervisor has made their intentions regarding the commissioner position clear to me, and the rest of the caucus. How arrogant to insist that four or more of us would change our positions. I can assure you no supervisor asked for a vote to be taken after the initial one, either in the 2019 or 2020 caucus, or in the full board.
It’s now over two months later, Virginia has retired and another Commissioner is in place and yet the character allegations and desperate measures continue unabated. Not only are people trying their hardest to discredit and slander Erin Stamper, for having the right to run for the position, there is also the Notice of Claim for a lawsuit, naming Virginia Martin among others, from Jim Dolan. No one mentions the basis for the lawsuit; they only bring up his past in an attempt to discredit the message. There is also continued speculation and spreading of distortions and lies about what the caucus did or didn’t do. Now they are going after Kathy Eldridge! The endless smear campaigns, for what purpose?
The Board of Elections was in desperate need of a change of leadership, and it now has two competent people who are working valiantly to correct the mistakes of the past. It’s time to end the one-sided conspiracy theories and move on!
Sarah Sterling
Minority Leader
Columbia County Board of Supervisors
First Ward-Hudson
Sarahsterling12534@gmail.com
"Nothing to see here, folks; keep moving." As someone who does pay attention to things like this in the public sphere, it came as a complete surprise that there was such widespread discontent among the powers that be concerning the Democratic commissioner at the BoE. As someone who has practiced before that body as an attorney, and as a candidate, I never had issue with the Dem operations there or the staff. And I always found the Republican staff cordial as well (if not overly helpful but that's the design of the office isn't it?).
DeleteMoreover, the consistent certainty of Columbia County elections was a direct result of Virginia's work which led her, and our County BoE, to be something of a poster child for clean elections.
Meanwhile, Sarah, your riposte misses the mark while managing to ignore the main evidence about backroom dealings -- what's with the all the party registration changes and re-changes? It beggars belief that this out-of-the-blue personnel change wasn't engineered.
But you're right it's not a conspiracy. It's just continued bumbling of our elected officials, right out in the open.
Ousting someone with a national reputation for running tight, exemplary and reliably honest elections? Yeah...that totally makes sense.
DeleteThe stench of something rotten is pretty strong, despite you protestations...
Another wrinkle is that the vote of the supervisors is unweighted, so a vote of one of the five Hudson supervisors (1,300 or so population each) for confirming a recommendation of the Democratic Committee has the same weight as a vote of the Kinderhook supervisor (8,000 population). It is one thing to violate the one person
ReplyDeleteone vote rule for internal party matters such as minority or majority leader. It is quite another to do so for an independent statutory position such as party Board of Elections commissioner with a fixed term of office who after being appointed cannot be removed. Despite this problem, there was "no interest" I was told with respect to reforming this unjust and very probably illegal system while the Dem Commissioner issue was being considered by the supervisors. (By the way, the approval of the Democratic Committee's recommendation of Virginia was never separately voted upon by the Dem supervisors alone during the 30 day period allocated for their vote alone, even though a few of such Dem supervisors were not even in office in December when the entire board of supervisors voted own Virginia, so the new supervisors never had to go on record as to their vote on the matter, and in fact avoided making any public announcement as to how they would have voted to my knowledge, which falls short of the degree of public accountability that I think is appropriate.)
A weighted versus unweighted vote could potentially have made a difference in the outcome. If it had been a weighted vote, the number of Democratic supervisors needed to approve Virginia would have been less than with an unweighted vote system, potentially as low as 5. So even the gross mal-apportionment of the supervisors, particularly on the Dem side due to the oddity that Hudson has five supervisors (all Dem) for one city, while the towns, as noted above have but one each. So this unjust and almost certainly illegal system needs to be reformed via one method or another, voluntarily or involuntarily,one way or the other before the next go round, where I anticipate there might be yet another fight over the identity of the Dem Commissioner. There are different points of view as to how the party commissioners should conduct themselves in office. So a lot rides on this issue in my view.
This whole thing is a mess from almost every conceivable standpoint. That is my opinion. Others think that on this issue that I am an irritating officious intermeddler who should be put on ignore if not quarantined. That was actually put in writing by one of the players, whom I shall not identify at this time. That is OK. Politics can be a contact sport, and it is clear that I was not put on this planet to be loved. And I accept that, and whatever metaphorical scarlet letter may be appended to my chest below what is for the moment my heart monitoring device. But I am not dead yet. My interlocutors will need to be patient on that one. It may be awhile.:)
Good comments all, except for Sarah Sterling's which does not set the record straight at all. On the contrary.
ReplyDeleteI did copious research before writing and publishing my piece on Imby.com.
First of all, there has been no concrete information that I could verify that constitutes "good and valid reasons" why Virginia Martin was not reappointed commissioner. And believe me, I tried.
Second, there were FOUR supervisors committed to vote for Virginia in a vote of the caucus. No need to change their votes as they never voted against her (Two were new to the caucus in 2020. One of the supervisors who voted for her originally was not a member of the 2020 caucus.) One other indicated a likelihood of changing and two others were waffling. And I concur with Steve Dunn about the ludicrous apportionment of supervisors and votes; all other votes, both in the caucus, the BoS, and the CCDC are weighted; why not this crucial and very, well, weighty one.
Third, no one is or was trying discredit Erin Stamper for “having the right to run". There was no "slander". Slander is the spreading of lies. There was background research consisting of conversations with people who had direct experience. Research that should have been done by the party leadership, and was communicated in a private and confidential email to said party leadership. It was not slander. It was not hearsay. It was true and verifiable.
Fourth, the lawsuit by Jim Dolan, a disgruntled, dismissed employee who threatened Virginia, is baseless.
Fifth, as for Kathy Eldridge, who supports an elected official who changes her party for the sole purpose of voting against Virginia and changes it back as soon as her vote is no longer needed? No effort to conceal her motivation.
There are no conspiracy theories here; there are only verifiable facts and exposing of lies that were spread about Virginia, not Erin. The purpose is to correct the record. Read the piece at the link in Carole's piece if you want to know at least part of what really happened. If you want to know more, wait for the unexpurgated edition.
The Democrats need, especially at this time to support one another as we will witness an onslaught against our party from the Republicans this 2020 in mega dimensions. The Dems do not need someone from within slinging this kind of garbage at one another. It is kind of unbelievable that someone who has gone through this kind of character assassination first hand would mount the same against another woman, and another party leader.
ReplyDelete