So what is the lowdown today on the contriversy? Did the judge do the ruling yet? What will happen if he rules for the officers like I think he may do and what about if it goes down the other way? I dont want to see Ang hurt by this. I heard he was on the 11 oclock news last night from friends this morning, but I indeed missed it myself. It was about him saving us the money on the heating gas and oil for the winter. This is another thing that he is for less taxes and the conservs MUST stand up for someone like that. They need to back true conservs. I hope th emen in blue who I am proud to be affiliated with dont want to blame him for exercising his own right too like they have the right. I back them all as well as Angelo S.
So what is the lowdown today on the contriversy? Did the judge do the ruling yet? What will happen if he rules for the officers like I think he may do and what about if it goes down the other way? I dont want to see Ang hurt by this. I heard he was on the 11 oclock news last night from friends this morning, but I indeed missed it myself. It was about him saving us the money on the heating gas and oil for the winter. This is another thing that he is for less taxes and the conservs MUST stand up for someone like that. They need to back true conservs. I hope th emen in blue who I am proud to be affiliated with dont want to blame him for exercising his own right too like they have the right. I back them all as well as Angelo S.
Our opponents have lost nine more districts, leaving them with a total of 26 districts, or 52 committee seats out. Angelo will not be hurt by this. Don't forget Sal, we are the ones who put Angelo on the Conservative line, not the officers. I was asked to provide a press release for the Gazette, which I did. I'll send it to JoAnn and ask her to post it.
The Conservative Alternative: Real Conservatives, Real Differences
FOR RELEASE: Immediately, August 4, 2008
CONSERVATIVE PARTY REFORM FACTION WINS COURT CHALLENGES TO PETITIONS
SCHENECTADY, NY- Reform candidates have won another round in the battle for control of the Schenectady County Conservative Party Committee. Nine more of the Designating Petitions witnessed and filed by Schenectady County Democrats and the current leadership were invalidated in a decision handed down Friday by Schenectady County Supreme Court Justice Vincent J. Reilly Jr. Added to the combination of petitions already invalidated by the Board of Elections, and nine election districts in which the current leadership failed to file, a total of 26 petitions in 26 election districts around Schenectady County have now been lost by the current leadership. The reform candidates will now run uncontested in those districts, automatically winning those committee seats. With two committee seats per election district, this means that the reform faction will enter the September Primary with a 52 seat lead over their opponents. “We had to file valid petitions that met all of the requirements of law to secure our ballots in this primary. Our opponents must meet the same standards, and they did not do that in 26 different committee districts” said Kelly Rhinesmith, longtime political activist, Conservative and leader of the reform faction. The current leadership’s respondent candidates sought to dismiss the reform faction’s petition, claiming that objectors/petitioners lack standing to maintain the preceding and that they were unaware that they had signed objection forms. The Court wrote, “inasmuch as respondents failed to offer any sworn proof in support of this allegation, the Court has no basis to find that any of the petitioners lack standing”. JoAnn Schrom, a Conservative who is working with Rhinesmith and submitted objections to the Board of Elections said “Congratulations to Kelly. I look forward to working her and a Conservative Party leadership that will endorse true conservatives who will ultimately serve the people and give voters a chance to vote for candidates who will demonstrate fiscal responsibility”. Brad Littlefield, another Conservative who has joined Rhinesmith’s faction, said “I endorse Ms. Rhinesmith’s actions and will work with her and her slate of candidates to support the retaking of the Conservative Committee from those who have betrayed the party membership by endorsing liberal candidates for public office”.
In two other Orders to Show Cause filed, the reform faction petitioners also sought to invalidate the authorizations of endorsed County Legislature District 3 candidate, Martin Finn, and Scotia Village Trustee candidate Andrew Kohout. The basis for the objections was the failure of the current leadership to notify all Committee Members of the full committee meeting required to endorse candidates. The Court ruled, however, that the Executive Board of the Committee is empowered to endorse candidates. Rhinesmith said “It was made clear in our Executive Board meeting that the purpose of that meeting was to authorize our Chairman to authorize the designations of the candidates endorsed in the full committee meeting. We felt that if all of the members were not notified, the meeting was invalid, and any actions that followed should also be invalid. It all depends on how you interpret our bylaws”. Rhinesmith said that several sworn affidavits were admitted into evidence from Committee Members who were not notified of the endorsement meeting, as well as the minutes from the meetings, for which she was subpoenaed. Michelle Rickson, the petitioner and a Committee Member in Glenville who is also working with Rhinesmith said “I think this decision can be largely attributed to the ambiguity of our bylaws. The good news is that we filed Opportunity to Ballot petitions in those races, so there will be primaries. We have been very fortunate to have Kelly’s guidance, she knows this process very well”. Donna Novotny, another Conservative from Niskayuna who is also working with Rhinesmith, said “I was glad to participate in the petition process for the Conservative Committee Primary. The party needs to be run by Conservatives, for conservatives, and under no circumstances should Democrats or any members of other parties be collecting and witnessing signatures on our Committee Primary petitions. We were very organized and plan on continuing to be an organized group.” Rhinesmith said she is glad that this part of the process is over so that her group can move on to the campaign. “The drumbeat has begun, and it will be deafening by September 9
Kelly or JoAnn - how many "election districts" or "seats" total?
For our purposes, there are a total of 127 election districts in the county(there are actually 128, but there is one district in which there are no Conservatives, so there are no committee representatives there). There is a total of 254 seats. 128 committee seats would constitute a majority. Our opponents also had eight declinations, and only substituted in one. Two were in a district they already lost, so that is another five seats lost, giving us a total of 57 seats up going into the primary.
For our purposes, there are a total of 127 election districts in the county(there are actually 128, but there is one district in which there are no Conservatives, so there are no committee representatives there). There is a total of 254 seats. 128 committee seats would constitute a majority. Our opponents also had eight declinations, and only substituted in one - so that is another seven seats lost, giving us a total of 59 seats up going into the primary.
Thanks Kelly. Still technically a minority, if I'm reading this right. Any chances for more seats/districts coming?
Thanks Kelly. Still technically a minority, if I'm reading this right. Any chances for more seats/districts coming?
Not for now - the legal challenges phase is over. But, there will be LOTS more coming on Sept. 9. To start ahead by that many seats is huge for us. On another note, they challenged our Opportunity to Ballot petition for the District 3 Legislature race...but they lost. That decision was handed down earlier today. So the write-in primaries for both Tim MacFArlane(Legislature) and Armon Benny(Scotia Village Board of Trustees) will go on...and we expect the pencil wielders to prevail!
Quoted from Salvatore: how can they back this Finn guy to be a legislatior again? Miss Rhinesnith are you for FINN? That is terrible, MADDONE!!!!
Sal,
Several of us carried Opportunity to Ballot forms and collected signatures for Republican Tim McFarland to enable him to wage a write in candidacy for the Conservative party endorsement for the District 3 seat in the Schenectady County Legislature. As such, Mr. McFarland would be opposing Democrat Martin Finn who was endorsed by the current "leadership" of the Conservative party. McFarland will have to win the Conservative party endorsement much like Angelo Santabarbara did by asking supporters to write in his name on Primary Day, Sep. 9th.
One additional bit of information that you may find interesting, Sal. After Santabarbara waged a successful write in campaign for the Conservative party endorsement for Schenectady County Legislature (District 4 Rep) and after Angelo Santabarbara won the race for the seat on the Legislature with the highest vote count of any of the four candidates (2 Democrats and 2 Republicans) and even after Mr. Santabarbara had served in office for nearly five months, he was NOT sent an invitation to the Conservative party Mixer in May. You may want to contemplate why those who are presently in control of the Conservative party Executive Committeee opted not to invite Santabarbara despite his overwhelming support from the enrolled members of the Conservative party.
how can they back this Finn guy to be a legislatior again? Miss Rhinesnith are you for FINN? That is terrible, MADDONE!!!!
I am not for Finn. I was the only member of the Executive Board to vote against his endorsement. And you're right, Sal - it IS terrible. But as I have said, if the current Committee and Board are not rebuilt, this will ALWAYS happen. They will always endorse Demokratz in the county races.
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Conservative faction enters primary with lead
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
A faction seeking to take control of the Schenectady County Conservative Committee is heading into the Sept. 9 primary with a 52-seat lead over its opponents. The faction, headed by longtime political activist and conservative Kelly Rhinesmith, needs 128 seats to win a majority in the primary. They already have 52 uncontested seats from challenging the current leadership’s designating petitions through State Supreme County in Schenectady County and the Schenectady County Board of Elections. On Monday, Schenectady County State Supreme Court Judge Vincent J. Reilly Jr. invalidated nine designating petitions witnessed and filed by Schenectady County Democrats and the current leadership. With control of the committee, the factioncan can oust Chairman Randy Pascarella and others, including Robert Hamilton, president of the Schenectady City Police Benevolent Association. “What happens now is we go to primary. We will stage a big effort. We have plenty of people working for us,” Rhinesmith said. Initially, Rhinesmith had filed 252 challengers for 126 committee districts in the Sept. 9 primary, and Pasquarella’s group filed 111 petitions. Reilly also ruled against challenges by the Rhinesmith faction to invalidate committee endorsements of Democrat incumbent Martin Finn of Niskayuna and Scotia village trustee candidate Andrew Kohout. Rhinesmith based her challenge on the grounds the current leadership failed to notify all committee members of the full committee meeting required to endorse candidates. Reilly ruled the committee’s executive board is empowered to endorse candidates. Rhinesmith said the faction will launch opportunities to ballot against Finn and Kahout for the Conservative Party line in the Sept. 9 primary. The Rhinesmith faction has long contended the local Conservative Party committee is controlled by Democrats and labor unions. Democrats and Pascarella dispute the allegations, saying Republicans are attempting to take over the party. If not directly involved, Republicans, including key staff members with the office Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, are closely watching the battle of control unfold. Schenectady County Republican Chairman Tom Buchanan said he believes the committee’s current leadership is finished. “They need to win three-quarters of the remaining primaries. I don’t see how they can do it,” he said.
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