Section: Croton-on-Hudson Village Elections
March 19, 2008
2008 Village Election Results
In the village election, held March 18, 2008, for two trustee seats, the following number of votes were cast—making Democrats Ann Gallelli and Rick Olver the winners:
Ann Gallelli (D): 1,104
Joann Minett (R): 612
Rick Olver (D): 1,119
Joseph Streany (R): 698
Tools: 
Print
| 
Comments (0)
March 18, 2008
Get Out and Vote Today
Residents can vote in the village election today from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building, located at 1 Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, New York (map).
On the ballot for two trustee seats are Democrats Ann Gallelli, Rick Olver (also Croton Taxpayers) and Republicans Joann Minett and Joe Streany (also Alliance Party).
Tools: Print
| Comments (7)
March 6, 2008
Joe Streany, Environmentalist?
Joe Streany, Environmentalist? We think not. Joe Streany, an employee of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad, is running in the upcoming election for the post of Trustee of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson. He is basing his campaign on no other qualification than his record of self-promoting volunteerism, as if that dubious criterion entitled him to take an active role in the governance of the village. Voters have a right to know the real Joe Streany.
Crotonblog has already shown Joe Streany to be ethically challenged and willing to violate the State Ethics Law governing the actions of public officers. He has admitted to seeking to enrich an organization officered by him—namely, his local sports booster club—by making illegal demands on contractors to the railroad for graft under the guise of being “contributions.” This official blackmail went on for five long years. The whole sordid story of the Joe Streany who does not obey the law can be read in a recent post titled, “Will the Real Joe Streany Please Stand Up?”
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad could hardly be called a paragon of environmental virtue or a good neighbor to this village. It pollutes Croton’s atmosphere by allowing its large diesel locomotives to run endlessly to keep them warm in cold weather. It pollutes the shores and river waters of the village of Croton by dumping carcinogenic materials. And it has polluted its own rail yards so thoroughly as to create a hazardous waste site right under the windows of Half Moon Bay.
Almost twenty years ago, in April of 1989, the railroad was cited by the DEC for pumping pollutants into the Croton Marsh, a tidal arm of the Hudson and Croton Rivers.
Joe Streany, in his capacity as deputy director of safety, can hardly claim ignorance of the Croton Marsh violation. The polluting stream of foul liquid issued from a pipe installed by the railroad, and was plainly visible to everyone from employees and commuters to shore walkers—but not to Croton’s Joe Streany.
The railroad’s deliberate defiance is reminiscent of the days when “robber baron” Cornelius Vanderbilt and his New York Central rode roughshod over competitors and government. His son, William H. Vanderbilt, president of the railroad, is famous for having uttered the phrase “The public be damned” to a reporter.
Crotonblog has uncovered incontrovertible evidence that Joe Streany has little regard for Croton or the health of its citizens. When the chips were down in August of that same year, Mr. Streany revealed his true colors and showed himself to have little desire to protect Croton. The occasion was the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s reversal of its decision to remove railroad ties that had been dumped in the waters of Croton Marsh.
Seen from above on Earthlink, the marsh at low tide looks like some giant had spilled a box of huge toothpicks into this once-pristine haunt of wildlife. The toxic oily sheen on the marsh discourages wildlife and surely killed any unfortunate creatures that made their home there.
Expressing relief at the DEC’s decision, an obviously relieved Joe Streany told a New York Times reporter, “removal of the ties would cost millions and pose a tremendous economic problem for the railroad.” His position, of course, totally overlooks the environmental cost to the village of Croton-on-Hudson of the failure to remove the ties, which are impregnated with creosote made from coal tar.
Pooh-poohing the dangers of creosote, Mr. Streany added that the railroad’s own analysis of the effects of creosote showed that the preservative is not a hazard in the environment. He claimed, with his own peculiar brand of logic, “the ties are old and therefore they have absorbed the creosote.” This completely ignores the fact that in the creosoting process, the ties are forced to absorb the creosote under pressure. Contrary to Mr. Streany’s ridiculous claim, over time the abandoned ties literally release the absorbed water-soluble toxic components and allow them to leach into the surrounding river waters.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer both consider creosote to be a carcinogen. In 2003, the European Union restricted creosote only to professional use, noting that the risk of skin cancer had probably been underestimated previously.
“A witch’s brew of toxic chemicals.” That’s how an angry John Cronin, then the riverkeeper for the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, described creosote. He told a New York Times reporter that his organization was considering legal action against Metro-North to force it to remove the ties and that the association planned to file notice of its intent this week.
“The state will not, it cannot, stand up to the railroad,” Mr. Cronin said. He added, “the quasi-governmental transportation industry is the most powerful in the state.” Despite what he described as “the railroad’s poor environmental record,” he noted in the same New York Times story dating from August 13, 1989, that the state has taken little action.
Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, and a plan for removal of the ties is now in place. Croton owes no debt of gratitude for this change to turncoat Joe Streany, who unrelentingly fought tie removal tooth and nail all the way. We all know now where his allegiance lies. Even so-called “dumb animals” have the basic good sense not to foul their own nests. But not Croton’s Joe Streany.
Joe Streany, environmentalist? We think not.
Tools: Print
| Comments (0)
February 29, 2008
Will the Real Joe Streany Please Stand Up?
One of the consequences—and costs of doing business with the Metro-North Railroad until not very long ago—was being hit up by Joe Streany for a sizable contribution to his favorite charitable institution, the Croton-Harmon High School Booster Club. Contractors doing business with Metro-North who thought the railroad was free of graft found this out to their sorrow.
Having the squeeze put on you for his Booster Club by Croton resident Streany would be understandable if your business were Deprez Wines & Spirits or one of the Capriccio Pizzerias here in Croton—but Joe Streany’s victims were companies scattered in various parts of the U.S. and that had nothing to do with Croton-on-Hudson. They just happened to be unlucky enough to have been awarded a contract with the Metro-North Railroad. Even so, they were in no position to say no or even to hesitate to whip out a checkbook. As Deputy Director of Safety for Metro-North, it was Joe Streany who managed their contracts with the railroad.
We leave to your imagination what power that gave him over them. We don’t picture that his approach was as blatant as one of Humphrey Bogart’s early movies in which he approaches a saloon owner with one hand in his pocket and asks, “Who you getting your beer from?” Whatever Joe Streany’s approach was, it was persuasive enough to convince five different contractors to part with coin of the realm over a period of five years. No doubt it would have continued to this day if some whistleblower had not revealed Joe Streany’s illegal scam. An investigation into the affair began when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general got the anonymous tip suspected to have come from the co-worker who had warned him about the illegality of what he was doing. This tip was passed on to the state Ethics Commission.
Ethics is defined as the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession. Graft is defined as unscrupulous use of one’s position to derive profit or advantage. It is unethical behavior. Joe Streany is now a Republican candidate for Trustee. He and the Republicans are asking the citizens of Croton-on-Hudson to vote him into an office of public trust requiring the utmost in ethical behavior.
The word “booster” has two definitions. One is someone who vigorously supports a cause. The second definition, in criminal slang, is someone who engages in unlawful activity, such as shoplifting or picking pockets. The five contractors for Metro-North Railroad surely must have felt that their pockets were being picked repeatedly for five years by booster Joe Streany, who apparently has his own peculiar definition of ethics more suited to Boss Tweed and the old Tammany Hall than suburban Westchester. He also had no objection to being entertained with expensive steakhouse lunches.
We can imagine the word getting around among contractors along these lines: “If you are bidding on a Metro-North contract that might come under Joe Streany’s jurisdiction, be sure to add some vigorish to cover the regular payments he will ask you to make to his favorite charity.” Lest we be accused of leveling charges without providing details in full about this sordid affair, here they are. Read them and weep for the good name of your fair village, Croton-on-Hudson.
Croton’s Joe Streany solicited money from Leadcare, Inc., an environment testing facility in Long Island City, N.Y. They made five payments totaling $5,380.00.
Croton’s Joe Streany solicited money from Waste Technology Services, Inc., of Lewiston, N.Y., specialists in waste management and recycling. They made four payments totaling $4,790.00.
Croton’s Joe Streany solicited money from Safeway Environmental Services, a waste management consulting and disposal company in Glencoe, Alabama. They made six payment totaling $2,640.00.
Croton’s Joe Streany solicited money from Day Engineering, P.C., of Rochester, N.Y., environmental engineering consultants. They made four payments totaling $2,050.00.
Croton’s Joe Streany solicited money from York Analytical Laboratories, of Stratford, Connecticut, which provides analyses to establish conformity with environmental legislation. They made five payments totaling $1,990.00.
According to the state’s Ethics Commission, such solicitations are illegal. A co-worker had warned Streany that he was violating the ethics law. Nevertheless, in each of five years, Streany solicited and received donations to the club from the five contractors he dealt with as a railroad employee. In addition to these donations, one of the contractors treated him to a $105.50 lunch at The Palm, a Third Avenue steakhouse in New York City noted for its giant steaks, surly waiters and expensive tabs.
Brought up on charges by the Ethics Commission, Streany admitted to violating the state ethics law by soliciting a total of $16,850 between 1998 and 2002 from five companies with Metro-North contracts. According to a settlement agreement reached in Albany on Nov. 10, 2004, he agreed to pay $2,250 to settle the charges, a mere slap on the wrist, according to The New York Post.
“RAIL BIG’S BAD BOO$T,” Nov 10, 2004 (Click image to enlarge.)
Persons who violate the Public Officers Law can be fined, suspended or removed from employment. Walter Ayres, a state Ethics Commission spokesman, said Streany could have been slapped with fines totaling a quarter of a million dollars, since he could have been fined $10,000 for each of his 25 violations.
Streany earned $107,000 a year, or $2,057.69 a week, making his fine the equivalent of little more than a week’s salary. Dan Brucker, Metro-North spokesman, said no other action would be taken against Streany, who had worked for the railroad more than 30 years.
Readers may remember a famous contest in which the first prize was a one-week stay in the exciting city of Philadelphia with all expenses paid. The second prize in the contest was two weeks in Philadelphia. Crotonblog can imagine a similar contest among contractors. First prize: A contract with Metro-North Railroad. Second prize: A contract with Metro-North Railroad managed by Joe Streany.
As we noted, Joe Streany is now a Republican candidate for Trustee. He is asking the citizens of Croton-on-Hudson to vote him into an office of public trust requiring the utmost in ethical behavior. Do the voters want to elect a person who has violated the law and has shown repeated inability to recognize the difference between right and wrong? We hope not.
Editor’s Note: For readers who want all the gory details, we include the findings of the New York State Ethics Commission dated November 4, 2004 below. To view a full-size version of this document, please follow this link: NYS Ethics Commission In The Matter of Joseph Streany.
Tools: Print
| Comments (7)
January 30, 2008
Croton Dems Nominate Ann Gallelli, Richard Olver for Trustees in March Election
On Tuesday evening, January 29, 2008, over two dozen village Democrats convened at the Croton Free Library’s Ottinger Room in the local Democratic Committee’s Nomination Caucus to select candidates for the upcoming Village elections. The two Trustee seats held currently by Ann Gallelli and Charles Kane will be on the ballot on March 18, 2008.
Trustee Ann Gallelli received the nomination to seek a re-election. Attorney and former UN official Richard Olver received the nomination for the Trustee slot now held by Mr. Kane.
The surprise of the evening was Mr. Kane’s decision to retire from the Village Board and not seek a third term. A popular incumbent and life long resident, Mr. Kane remarked, “I enjoyed working on the Village Board with Leo and with Ann.” Mr. Kane thanked the Croton Democrats for the opportunity to represent the Village on their slate.” Mr. Kane received a standing ovation following his brief remarks which were eloquent in their support of Ms. Gallelli and Richard Olver.
Continue reading "Croton Dems Nominate Ann Gallelli, Richard Olver for Trustees in March Election."
Tools: Print
| Comments (3)
January 20, 2008
Croton Republicans: No Runs, No Hits, Two Goofs
The Croton Republican Committee recently issued a news release detailing the results of an election of officers and inviting registered Republicans to attend their monthly meetings. It was first published on another blog favored by a small, inbred breakaway group of Crotonites unhappy with Crotonblog. Because it was news, Crotonblog picked it up and posted the news release as written. Here’s what it said about the election of the committee’s top officers:
The Croton Republican Committee elected a new slate of officers including District Leaders to serve for the upcoming year. The new officers include Chuck Trendell (Chairperson) and Bob Wintermeier (Co-Chairperson).
It isn’t clear from this whether the Co-Chairperson of the Croton Republican Committee is a partner or associate of equal rank and responsibility (like a coauthor or cofounder) with the Chairperson. Or is the Co-Chairperson intended to be a subordinate or assistant to the Chairperson (like a copilot)?
Following Crotonblog’s publication of this item, Bob Wintermeier, Co-Chairperson of the Republican committee, anxious to disavow the impression of a connection with Crotonblog or even to acknowledge our existence, published the following disclaimer on that other blog. He apparently failed to notice an error in the news release or the inconsistency in references of himself his disclaimer. The following is what appeared on that other blog as an addendum to the news release. The boldface emphasis is Mr. Wintermeier’s. Here’s what he wrote:
I’ve been informed that the preceding article [the news release] about the Croton Republican Committee election results was also published on the Croton Blog. As Vice-Chairman of the Croton Republican Committee, I want to assure Croton residents that we did not publish the Croton Blog article. Anyone has the right to copy and post a Public Notice so long as it does not contain errors! Free publicity is always appreciated.
The wording ”I’ve been informed” shows an amazing lack of curiosity or journalistic zeal on Mr. Wintermeier’s part. All he had to do was to log onto Crotonblog.com to verify that the news release was there and that we had made no changes to it. Crotonblog assures him that neither he nor his computer will get a virus or a social disease if he logs onto Crotonblog.com.
Speaking of errors, Mr. Wintermeier apparently is unsure of the exact title he now holds. His disclaimer above says that he is Vice-Chairman of the Republican committee. The news release says his title is Co-Chairperson of the committee. We’d venture to say Vice-Chairman is not the same as Co-Chairperson. It sounds like a somewhat different designation from the job title in the news release. Aside from being sexist, the title of Vice-Chairman seems to mean that Mr. Wintermeier’s role (as Vice-Chairman or Co-Chairperson) is subordinate to the Chairperson or Chairman.
So, Crotonblog’s question is: What are you, Mr. Wintermeier? Co-Chairperson, as the news release stated? And if so, which of the two kinds of Co-Chairperson are you? Or are you really the Vice-Chairman, as your disclaimer states?
Continue reading "Croton Republicans: No Runs, No Hits, Two Goofs."
Tools: Print
| Comments (1)
January 16, 2008
Croton Republican Committee Elects New Officers
The Croton Republican Committee elected a new slate of officers including District Leaders to serve for the upcoming year. The new officers include Chuck Trendell (Chairperson) and Bob Wintermeier (Co-Chairperson). Steve Riccio and Jean Kraemer were reelected as Committee Treasurer and Secretary respectively. All officers and District Leaders have been active in community affairs and served on the Croton Republican Committee for several years.
Chuck lived in Croton for 44 years and is a retired Marketing Executive from Laser Systems Corporation. He served as a Village of Croton on Hudson Trustee from 1980 to 1982.
Bob retired from IBM as a Program Manager after 35 years with IBM. He lived in Croton since 1966 where he was actively involved with Scouting and Holy Name of Mary church activities. Following retirement, he became an active member of the Croton Republican Committee.
Continue reading "Croton Republican Committee Elects New Officers."
Tools: Print
| Comments (2)
June 25, 2007
Croton Democrats Seek Survey Respondents
Dear Neighbor,
Greetings! The Croton Democratic Committee very much wants to understand your needs and desires with regard to Croton’s future. For that reason we are asking for 5 minutes of your time to fill out an on-line survey.
Please click through to this link (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=226583923339) to access the survey, managed by the company SurveyMonkey.com (or copy and paste it into your browser). This is a very informal (and short!) set of questions. Please feel free to leave blank any questions that you don’t wish to answer.
We encourage you to be as frank as the questions warrant. All responses are anonymous, private and secure. This process does not link email addresses with individual responses, nor does it allow access to your email address to SurveyMonkey.com or any other organization. In case you prefer to fill out the survey anonymously and return it to us via US Mail, please click through to the survey, print it out and mail it to me at the address shown below.
Continue reading "Croton Democrats Seek Survey Respondents."
Tools: Print
| Comments (0)
April 16, 2007
The Deep Roots of Democratic Defeat: An Analysis of Croton's 2007 Election
It has been said that a community gets the government it deserves. Whether this is true for the village of Croton-on-Hudson after the 2007 election remains to be seen. Now that the dust has settled from that bitterly fought contest, introspection may be in order. As elections go, it was not a pretty spectacle, marked as it was by vicious incidents of malice, prevarication and spite. Nevertheless, enough time has now elapsed for conclusions to be drawn and lessons to be learned.
After the invasion fiasco at Bay of Pigs, President John F. Kennedy, who accepted total responsibility for the ill-advised attempted invasion and disastrous defeat, remarked at a 1961 press conference, “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” Let us now examine the 2007 election in an attempt to trace and uncover its paternity and learn something about its family history.
In the bridge game of local politics there are some truisms that have become rules of the game. First, emotion trumps logic every time. Another truism is that a single issue, repeated endlessly to the exclusion of all other issues, trumps every other issue, especially if it is accompanied by lies, innuendo, and libel and slander. It is no exaggeration to say that the Croton Republicans ran on a single issue, subsumed under the all-inclusive term of Metro Enviro, although that entity was long gone from the village.
In the 1992 and 1996 national elections, Democratic campaign manager James Carville advocated the formation of “truth squads” to respond to Republican lies. These squads, traveling with Bill Clinton, sprang into action immediately with press releases and position papers to set the record straight. Yet, in the 2007 election, Democrats passively allowed supporters of the Republican stand-ins (called the Alliance Party because they had lost the Republican line on the ballot) to preempt the letters pages of The Gazette newspaper with lies and false charges that invariably went unchallenged.
This year, Republican Mayor Gregory Schmidt was handily reelected with 56% of the vote, a plurality that any candidate in a national election would kill for. His Democratic opponent, Trustee Ann Gallelli garnered only 44%. This was not the first time these two candidates have squared off in a mayoral bid. Rather, it was a repetition of Ms. Gallelli’s loss to Mr. Schmidt in 2005, only worse.
However, in the recent past victory has not always been as elusive for Croton’s Democrats. As former Democratic Governor of New York and unsuccessful Democratic candidate for President Al Smith was fond of saying, “Let’s look at the record.”
In 2001, Republicans were so disorganized they could not find a sacrificial lamb to run against Robert Elliott, who had won the mayoral election five times. He ran unopposed and won, bringing with him four-term Trustee Georgianna Grant and newcomer Leo Wiegman. Left in the dust were Gregory Schmidt and Carole Mahon.
In 2002, with two trustee seats vacant, Democrats fared badly. Despite her impressive credentials as a computer scientist, Fran Allen and banker Jon Gopelrud were defeated handily. The victors were chiropractor Gregory Schmidt and attorney Deborah Yurchuk-McCarthy. The magic ingredient was Metro Enviro, which has been used by the Republicans as a club to beat Democratic candidates ever since.
In 2003, Mayor Robert Elliott narrowly beat one-year Trustee Gregory Schmidt by margin of only 2%. Thomas Brennan, who had been a frequent and outspoken critic of the Democratic administration on the Metro Enviro issue, threw his hat in the ring with retired gym teacher and former Trustee Don Daubney. Both lost. Repeating their wins in 2001, Trustees Georgianna Grant and Leo Wiegman retained their seats.
In 2004, Republican Trustee Gregory Schmidt was re-elected, joined by political newcomer Democrat Charles Kane. Losing for the second consecutive time was Thomas Brennan. Democrat Tom Burniston, a former trustee, also failed to garner enough votes. Deborah Yurchuk-McCarthy, making preparations to move from Croton to Scarsdale, did not seek re-election.
In 2005, after seven terms, Mayor Robert Elliott, busy with career concerns and perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, did not seek re-election. With another year left in his second term as trustee, Republican Gregory Schmidt ran again for mayor and won with 53% of the vote. His opponent, former Trustee and Planning Board Chair Ann Gallelli garnered only 47% of the vote. In the race for trustee, winners were Democrat Leo Wiegman and Republican Thomas Brennan. The losers were Democrat Georgianna Grant and Republican newcomer James Steinberg, an attorney. Despite his failure to win, newly-elected Mayor Schmidt appointed Mr. Steinberg as a trustee to serve for the remainder of his term.
In 2006, defeated mayoral candidate Ann Gallelli ran for trustee with Trustee Charles Kane and won easily. On the Republican side, trustee-by-appointment James Steinberg failed again to win an election. Running with Mr. Steinberg and trailing him in the vote was virtually unknown substance abuse recovery executive Jose Gonzalez.
In 2007, every Democratic candidate for office was rejected by voters. Most notable was that Ms. Gallelli, the lowest vote-getter of all, received fewer votes than newcomer running-mate Sally Odland, who never spoke at a single village board meeting in the run-up to the election. Although eminently electable in prior years, Leo Wiegman was defeated, an upset that was a surprise to many. However, this is not surprising considering that only 39% of registered voters went to the polls.
What happened? The Republicans have single-mindedly run on one emotional issue for the past six years: Metro Enviro, as if it were the only crucial concern for Croton. Also known as 1A Croton Point Avenue, this construction and debris transfer station, most recently operated by Regus Industries, has also polarized the voters of Croton. Preferring to explore all legal options including a negotiated settlement, Trustee Ann Gallelli and her running mates found themselves on the wrong side of a very complex issue this year.
And the simple negativistic approach of “no negotiating” advanced by supporters of the Schmidt ticket prevailed. As a matter of fact, Republican campaign insiders and Schmidt core supporters stopped at nothing in their quest to win this election. For example, a dummy letter was planted in the agenda for the February 5th board meeting, and Republican supporters used the letter as the jumping-off place for an evening’s organized electioneering by supporters that stalled village business for the evening.
At the same time, the Democrats can hardly be called victims of the Republican’s manipulations. They willingly played the part of sacrificial lambs.
For example, when Charles Trendell got up at this same February 5, 2007, public meeting and accused the Democrats of taking bribes from the waste industry, they did nothing. The popular wisdom that public figures or public officials cannot be libeled is incorrect. It so happens that such demonstrably false statement statements constitute slander when made publicly and it is incumbent on the accuser to prove the statement, not the responsibility of the accused to prove the untruth of the statement. But when broadcast over TV, the same statements constitute libel, with significantly higher penalties for making them. Did the accused trustees immediately bring suit for libel? They did not. They sat there and took their verbal drubbing like good little lambs.
Every time a critical and often untrue letter to the editor from regular contributors like Mark Aarons, Thomas Brennan, Maria Cudequest, Don and Doris Daubney, Susan Konig, Joann Minett, James Moore, Robert Wintermeier and Marie Yurchuk would appear in the Gazette, their lies and misstatements went unchallenged and unanswered.
When Richard Pellicci’s cartoons depicting them as cockroaches or calling them the “cash for trash trio,” also appeared in the Gazette, they failed to respond in kind. Are there no Democratic cartoonists in all of Croton?
When the Schmidt ticket proclaimed that 30,000 trucks, up from a previous figure of 20,000, would rumble through Croton spewing noxious gases and leaving a harmful trail of debris, not one Democratic candidate demanded that they substantiate their astronomical numbers—even though they knew they had no basis in fact, but had been plucked out of the air. Yet every one of the Republicans’ exaggerated claims about threats to the public health, safety and welfare of Croton’s population were modern adaptations of the “big lie” technique of the master liar, Adolf Hitler: Tell whopping big lies and repeat them often enough and soon the people will believe them. The Bush administration has fine-tuned this technique and uses it regularly on a gullible American public.
When Croton Republicans distributed a color flier by mail with rats and roaches on it reading, “The threat is real!!! Rats and Roaches infest Croton-on-Hudson!!!” the Democrats never challenged the false flier’s statements.
There it is. The Alliance party won because they were willing to win at any cost—including libel, slander, lies and deception. The Democrats lost because they never bothered to nail those lies to the barn door every time they surfaced. Shame on them.
Quo vadis, Croton Democrats? If any conclusions are to be drawn from this brief history, it is that “local boy (or girl) makes good” is still a significant watchword. Witness two Democrats, Bob Elliott, a proven vote-getter and a local boy, and the same for Charlie Kane, another local boy. Deborah Yurchuk-McCarthy, a local girl (Croton Harmon High School, Class of 1977) made good for the Republicans.
In the meantime, the Democrats have an enormous problem on their hands: How to stop the aggressive Republican juggernaut? Two seats will be at stake in the 2008 local election: those of Charlie Kane and Ann Gallelli.
Will voters decide that preserving a “loyal opposition” makes for good government? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
Tools: Print
| Comments (18)
March 23, 2007
Croton-on-Hudson Village Election
In anticipation of reader queries about Crotonblog’s reaction to the Croton-on-Hudson election, the editors of Crotonblog should like to inform readers that we are working on a feature article offering a detailed analysis of election results and the implications of that election for the future of Croton.
Tools: Print
| Comments (13)
March 20, 2007
Trash Talk: Alliance Party Candidates Still Peddling Their Big Lie
THIS JUST IN:
DATE: March 20, 2007, Election Day
TIME: 7:52 AM
PLACE: Croton train station
Still desperate to win support for their failed campaign, Alliance Party incumbents Brennan and Schmidt with novice candidate Konig are seen in this Crotonblog video still mouthing the BIG LIE about 30,000 trucks invading Croton.
Video transcription:
Thomas Brennan: “Croton elections. Keep trash out of Croton. Croton elections. Keep trash out of Croton. Vote for the non-trash party—the Alliance Party. Keep trash out of Croton. Village elections today. Croton village elections. 20 to 30 thousand C&D trucks coming through if they are allowed to make a deal. Keep trash out of Croton. Thank you. Village elections. Keep trash out of Croton. Croton elections.
Susan Konig: “That’s Okay. Where you can masquerade as a journalist and no one will say anything. Village elections today.”
Dr. Gregory Schmidt: “Croton elections today. Croton elections today. Croton elections today. Croton elections today. Hey how you doing? Croton elections today. Croton elections today.”
Download this video clip of “Trash Talk: Alliance Party Candidates Still Peddling Their Big Lie” to your video iPod (how to guide).
Tools: Print
| Comments (19)
March 19, 2007
Candidate Schmidt Dummies Up Under Crotonblog's Barrage of Questions
In the past year Crotonblog politely posed a series of 16 questions to Mayor Dr. Gregory Schmidt in our regular column titled “What’s up, Doc?”. Here are the questions we asked Mayor Schmidt and his considerably less-than-eloquent answers.
| OUR QUESTIONS | HIS RESPONSE |
| 1. Why do Croton Republican lawn signs include a website address that doesn’t exist? | nothing |
| 2. Why does the Croton Republican’s website include a purloined copy of the village’s $20,000 logo? | zip |
| 3. Now that Croton Republican Committee Chairman Rob DiFrancesco has been fired, who’s in charge of your party? | zilch |
| 4. When news of Croton’s “fake water bill” scam made national and international news, you said nothing. Why? | zippo |
| 5. Is Croton really going to spend millions on a new community center based on your survey initiative that yielded paltry results? | zero |
| 6. When your single-issue supporters misuse the privilege of addressing the board of trustees, how come you never call the meeting to order? | blank |
| 7. Why did your hand-picked village attorney remain on the payroll after she chose not to renew her contract with the village? | diddly squat |
| 8. Why did it take you and Trustee Brennan two years to send out a simple community center survey that still has not been tabulated? | goose egg |
| 9. Why did you invite Regus Industries’ principal to meet with the board in July 2006, and rebuff him ever since? | naught |
| 10. Your supporter Richard Pellicci went ballistic and demanded that the he not be photographed when addressing the board. Why did you allow his request to stand? | cipher |
| 11. Croton has spent over $1.4 million in legal fees related to the waste transfer station located at 1A Croton Point Avenue. How do you expect the village to keep paying for your “no negotiate” stance? | nichts |
| 12. Each year the Croton Rotary Club, of which you are a member, holds an annual car show at the train station parking lot. No one is ever asked to pay for parking during the event. So, why did you want to charge parkers who attend Clearwater? | rien |
| 13. The village assessor forgot to extend property tax credits to seniors in 2006. Why did you refuse to offer them tax credits for their overpayment? | nada |
| 14. Why did you vote against a resolution to retain an attorney who specialized in eminent domain law in connection with 1A Croton Point Avenue? | niente |
| 15. You voted to authorize $175,000 in spending to build a skatepark in Croton. Why did you decide to attach a fee for use by Croton residents? | nihil |
| 16. Why was nothing done about the suggestion to bottle Croton water and sell it? | nullity |
Based on this unresponsive record, who could possibly think that the Sphinxlike Gregory Schmidt, who doesn’t even answer citizens’ emails, deserves to be re-elected mayor of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson?
Tools: Print
| Comments (25)