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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Struggling GOP needs to rebuild amid election losses, defection
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    The Schenectady County Republican Party needs to get its house in order as soon as possible, especially in a year of three key state races, GOP officials said.
    The party is in free-fall after losing control of Rotterdam supervisor position and seats on the Town Board, a key stronghold, during the November election and from the New Year’s Eve defection of Republican Angelo Santabarbara of Rotterdam to the Democratic Party.
    Santabarbara’s switch leaves just two Republicans on the 15-seat Schenectady County Legislature: James Buhrmaster and Robert Farley, both of Glenville.
    Buhrmaster said Republicans are struggling in Schenectady County. “We have to sit down and decide where we want to go,” he said.
    The Schenectady County Republican Party’s executive committee plans to hold a strategy meeting this week to evaluate its options, said Chairman Tom Buchanan. “Priority number one is how we will deal with the threat in the western portion of the district,” he said, referring to the No New Tax Party.
    Buchanan said, “Our options are allowing the No New Tax Party to run the Republican Party, shutting them out or picking something in between. All options are on the table.”
    Said Buchanan, “Any no tax, low tax group that can garnish 17 percent to 18 percent of vote has a place at the table.”
    Brian McGarry, who helped form the No New Tax Party last year, said he was heartened to hear of Buchanan’s olive branch. “If we can match energies, we are unbeatable. This could be a threshold moment for the Republican Party. The path to victory is with the Republican Party. We are looking to work with them.”
    Brad Littlefield, another No New Tax Party organizer, said he would welcome a shift in the Republican Party toward embracing the party’s fiscally conservative wing, as represented by the No New Tax Party.
    “If we saw such a shift, it would eliminate the necessity for independent challenges,” Littlefield said.
    McGarry and Littlefield said people remain interested in the No New Tax Party and want to run under its banner this year or in 2011. The No New Tax Party existed only for the November election. Organizers have to collect between 700 and 1,000 signatures each year to reactivate the party for each election.
    The No New Tax Party formed in August to field candidates for Rotterdam seats and for a seat in District 4 of the county Legislature, which comprises Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown.
    The party’s candidates pledged to vote against any new taxes. It was particularly vocal against a proposal by Rotterdam Republicans to form a special taxing district to assist the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services. Town Republicans later decided to put the matter to public referendum, helping to deflect the new party’s platform.
    While none of the No New Tax Party candidates won in November, they attracted more than 17 percent of the vote in local Rotterdam races. Buchanan said the new party siphoned votes away from Republicans and helped Democrats to win in the town.
    Buhrmaster said the No New Tax Party has split the GOP in Rotterdam, causing infighting that threatens to hurt the party as it prepares for key races for state Senate and the Assembly, all of which are currently controlled by Republicans. ...................>>>>.................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01001&AppName=1

Olive branch??  A resignation from the chair would be a good start.

as with all contracted services unless there is a contractual clause stating ownership it belongs to the party completing the work

ie your medical record belongs to your doctor not you - you may request a copy of the work be sent to a new doctor but you cannot have the original

not supporting either party but the Town needs to get smart and have an ownership clause in all service contracts

Quoted from TippyCanoe

as with all contracted services unless there is a contractual clause stating ownership it belongs to the party completing the work

ie your medical record belongs to your doctor not you - you may request a copy of the work be sent to a new doctor but you cannot have the original

not supporting either party but the Town needs to get smart and have an ownership clause in all service contracts

Assuming you meant to post this in another thread (http://www.rotterdamny.info/m-1262690384/), the "party" you're speaking of would be the taxpayers, wouldn't it?

What did buchannan have a change of heart in 24 hours? In the TU article, he pretty much said that there would be no consolidation with the NNTP. The gazette article says just the opposite.

I am a registered blank. I would switch and support the rep party IF buchannan stepped down, KR was out of the picture, and someone from the NNTP, such as Littlefield or Mertz took the county chair seat.

It would be advantageous for the rep party to re-energize with the NNTP candidates and their affiliates. (are there are many out there)

Bottom line, they went against the Republicans already.  Will they go against their own now?  Or maybe join with the Dems and go against them?  It's easy to justify dishonesty when you say it's in the best interest of the taxpayer.  Truth be told, I'd rather get what I pay for in taxes than have dishonest politicians.  And the NNTP guys have proven to be just that.

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Quoted from trustbutverify:
... Truth be told, I'd rather get what I pay for in taxes than have dishonest politicians.  And the NNTP guys have proven to be just that.

TBV,

Care to substantiate your accusation that I am a dishonest politician?  I would be pleased to speak with you.  My cell phone is 281-9182.

I have done nothing dishonest as you assert.  If you have evidence to support your accusation, please post it here publicly for all to
see.  But, you better have your facts straight.  I espouse the need for transparency and accountability in elected officials.   And,
although I was not elected by the voters, I hold myself to the same standards.

Nothing underhanded took place after you didn't get your endorsement?  You didn't go behind the backs of committee people who heard you out, and run on a separate ticket?  I'd say that's being less than honest, wouldn't you?  Mertz has done the same type of underhanded thing for years.  He works with the NYS Assembly hacks to influence local elections.  And look what happened...they can't even keep themselves in line!  As for McGarry, he celebrated with the Dems on election night, and is filling a position many believe to be illegally vacated!

By far, you stand out above your cronies, Brad.  You are a nice person, and I believe had (at one point) the best interest of the taxpayers at heart.  But when you lay down with dogs, you wake up with flees.  I'm anxious for you to shake off the flees and fight your fight.

Brad Littlefield-New REP County Chair. Brain McGarry-replace the sausage man in ROTT.
     Change you can believe in. A full REP slate, a REP committee that actually meets and money in the bank.

TBV,

Although you may not agree with my decision and actions re: running for office on an independent ballot line, your
disapproval does not constitute dishonesty on my part.  Yes, I did run without the Republican party endorsement
or that of any established party.  I believe that I, and all Americans, are free to run for political office with whatever
endorsements or lack thereof we may or may not secure.  

And, although I had campaigned for many Republican party endorsed candidates in the past, I am not currently
an enrolled Republican nor was I when I interviewed for the endorsement.  No promises were made by me to the
committee.  Wasn't that, after all, why I wasn't awarded the party endorsement, because I stated that I, and not the
party boss(es) and political handlers, would run my own campaign and make my own decisions based on my
conservative beliefs?  Had I made promises to the committee in exchange for the endorsement and then broken
those promises, that would have been dishonest.

I appreciate your clarification of your comments.  I apologize that you do not support my objectives of providing an
alternative to voters.  I will, however, remain involved and engaged in politics in whatever role that I can to promote
open government that is accountable to the people and that will defend our personal freedoms, our Constitution,
and our national sovereignty.

And, for the record, I have the utmost of respect for all of my running mates.  Rather than being complacent, each
took a stand about those issues that were important to them and tried to make a difference in their community.  It is
important to understand that, unlike traditional political parties, there was/is not a single voice that speaks for all of us.  
We are each independent people who shared a fiscally conservative message and platform.  The decisions of Mertz,
O'Conner, and McGarry are theirs and not mine to make and to stand behind.

I continue to welcome your call at any time to discuss those things that I have done and where I intend to focus my
efforts going forward.

Brad ~ don't fall for this, how do you expect Tom & Jerry to react after their hand picked candidates lost?

Here's a little reality check ~ I know for a fact that O'Connor said he would run with or without the committee's support and I would imagine the committee faced the same prospect with Mertz.  The GOP had an opportunity to support O'Connor, Mertz and Littlefield and declined ~ seems to me they became free agents.  If the leaders in the party were unable to manage bringing these guys in the fold, they shouldn't be in leadership positions ~ simple as that.

By the way ~ everyone knows the committee is a joke ~ want proof?  Who is the new Rotterdam GOP Chairman?  How many campaigns has he worked on?  How many fundraisers has he attended?  Who on the Committee did Parisi sacrifice to put in his people?  What a joke ~ talk to Committee people who were thrown aside because there was a fear that they wouldn't do as they were told.

Well Felipe, I want those people who were tossed aside to come back.  We need them and we need the NNTP candidates as well.  We need live, warm bodies willing to work on campaigns and fundraisers.  AND we need to come together for the sake of the taxpayer and party principles, not to form another club.  I'm too new to know all the previous games and players and frankly it's water over the bridge.  Let's start anew!

Brad ~ don't fall for this, how do you expect Tom & Jerry to react after their hand picked candidates lost?

Here's a little reality check ~ I know for a fact that O'Connor said he would run with or without the committee's support and I would imagine the committee faced the same prospect with Mertz.  The GOP had an opportunity to support O'Connor, Mertz and Littlefield and declined ~ seems to me they became free agents.  If the leaders in the party were unable to manage bringing these guys in the fold, they shouldn't be in leadership positions ~ simple as that.

By the way ~ everyone knows the committee is a joke ~ want proof?  Who is the new Rotterdam GOP Chairman?  How many campaigns has he worked on?  How many fundraisers has he attended?  Who on the Committee did Parisi sacrifice to put in his people?  What a joke ~ talk to Committee people who were thrown aside because there was a fear that they wouldn't do as they were told.

Not falling for anything Felipe.

It is easy to respond with consistency when your objectives, decisions and actions are based on principle and not on politics.

TBV expressed displeasure with my decision to run on an independent line.  That is his/her perogative.  We are all entitled
to our opinions.  I was only responding to the accusation of dishonesty.

And, huskyhowls, I look forward to again being able to work w/ the Republican party - at the right time and under the
right conditions.

Quoted from 347

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By the way ~ everyone knows the committee is a joke ~ want proof?  Who is the new Rotterdam GOP Chairman?  How many campaigns has he worked on?  How many fundraisers has he attended?  Who on the Committee did Parisi sacrifice to put in his people?  What a joke ~ talk to Committee people who were thrown aside because there was a fear that they wouldn't do as they were told.

The NNTP and their many supporters should team up with the rep committee people who were thrown aside and take over the party IF buchannan AND tebano don't resign. Buchannan and Parisi and their pittance of followers need to be made insignificant within the party in order for the party to re-build.

Let's bring some integrity and fiscal conservatism back into politics. The reps and dems and cons obviously are not capable of doing that! IMHO