"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Town of Rotterdam officials sworn into office Godlewski largely ignored by board in first meeting By John Purcell As of Saturday, January 7, 2012
#Rotterdam — Recently elected Rotterdam officials were recently sworn in front of a gathering of family and friends, but the celebratory spirit ended once the yearly organizational meeting commenced.
#The Rotterdam Democrats presenting themselves as the administration to reunite the town were sworn in on the first day of the year, ready to take charge. Those taking the oath of office were newly elected Supervisor Harry Buffardi, reelected and now Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder, newly elected Councilman Mike Viscusi, new Town Clerk Diane Marco, reelected Town Justice Kevin Mercoglan and reelected Republican Highway Superintendent James Longo. Everyone sworn in thanked the public for supporting them in their bids.
#Supervisor Buffardi introduced his family members standing with him and said his wife, Nancy, is “the leader of the clan” holding the family together.
#“She cares for us and tends to us and even supports us when we decide to do something stupid like run for public office,” Buffardi said as the audience laughed. “I am very happy to serve the Town of Rotterdam in this capacity. I grew up here, it was a wonderful place to live … I would like to continue that tradition and to continue to make this a wonderful town for everyone to raise their children.”
#Deputy Supervisor Calder was also joined by two of his children and his grandchildren.
Wayne Calder, who was reelected and named deputy supervisor is sworn into office Sunday, Jan. 1.
#Calder commented on how he has run for office two years in a row now, first to fill a vacancy and now for a full four-year term, which has kept him and his family busy.
#“Our lives have been nothing but running for office,” Calder said. “We are going to do a good job. We got a good bunch of people here and I can see good things happening. The past is past, this is going to be good.”
#Councilman Viscusi also thanked his family for standing with him in his bid for office.
#“I would like to thank everybody, starting with my family and friends for being here today, but most of all my wife, Raffaela, and my two girls that I drove crazy throughout the whole campaign. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” Viscusi said. “This is all new to me, so I got some things that I need to learn and hopefully I can serve you well, but if there is anything I would like to be your voice.”
#Before diving into the Town Board organizational meeting, Buffardi shared opening remarks outlining his focus for Rotterdam.
#Following flooding from Tropical Storms Irene and Lee, Buffardi said the board would need to research and pursue all forms of assistance the town government can provide affected residents.
#Taxes will remain an issue moving forward, he said.
#“We will strive to maintain the services and at the same time being respectful of the 2 percent property tax cap,” Buffardi said.
#He added the new members of the town’s management team would strengthen the town in facing difficulties ahead.
#“I believe that we have not only recruited but looked around and brought on the best and brightest we could find,” he said. “They are the most suited for the jobs.”
#He said he’s worked with Calder for several years now and is confident in naming him deputy supervisor.
#“We’ve worked together for about 40 years now, actually in some situations that were life and death, so I feel very comfortable having Wayne as the deputy supervisor,” he said.
#Buffardi said he’ll be bringing a unique approach to tow government.
#“It has often been said and perhaps overstated that ‘town government should run like a business’ and I find it a little bit unusual because this is kind of an unusual business to be in,” Buffardi said. “I would like to make a modification to that … and say that town government should run more businesslike.”
Getting organized #The tone for meeting was set early as Councilman Robert Godlewski (who was deputy supervisor under the former administration) called for an executive session to discuss the personnel related matters on the agenda, but failed to receive a second on the motion to bring it for a vote.
#Godlewski called for the executive session because he wasn’t briefed on the agenda before the meeting. Although he is a Democrat, he was a part of the town Democrats splitting from the main party. In the recent primary election he ran for the Democratic nomination for District 4 of the Schenectady County Legislature, but failed in that bid.
#Buffardi confirmed after the meeting that Godlewski wasn’t briefed on the agenda prior to the meeting, but said he planned to include the full board in the future.
#On the very first resolution on the agenda, Godlewski questioned Supervisor Buffardi, asking for more information on the appointment of Katherine McGuirl as Town Attorney.
#“[It] was interesting to hear your comments about open and transparent government, however I am asked to make a decision here to appoint an attorney I don’t have a whole lot of information on,” Godlewski said. “You four over there have met and gone over this whole agenda, everything, and pre-committed your votes. I knew when I asked for that executive board meeting you were going to say ‘no,’ because you have already made your mind up, but I am still a board member, alright.”
#What followed in response from Buffardi was repeated in some form throughout the meeting many times: “Is there any other discussion?”
#Buffardi ignored Godlewski every time he asked a questioned during the meeting.
#“Ignoring the question is not answering it,” Godlewski said to Buffardi, who responded, “That’s correct.”
#After Buffardi still didn’t answer Godlewski’s question, the councilman denounced Buffardi.
#“Apparently you don’t believe in open and transparent government,” Godlewski said.
#Since the other four Town Board members were unified, Godlewski’s vote didn’t have an effect on approving resolutions.
#There were a total of 67 resolutions on the agenda spanning more than 5 pages, of which Godlewski voted in dissent on 12 resolutions. Often before voting down a resolution, he asked a question and received no response.
#After the meeting Buffardi explained his avoidance of answering any of Godlewski’s questions.
#“I just didn’t want to degrade it to a forum of an argument that I’ve seen in past board meetings,” Buffardi said. “The purpose of discussion is to discuss, not to argue. I accept his comments and move on.”
Ahh yes, discussion has been redefined on day one. No opposition, frozen out of meetings, just like the county meetings. Rules are - keep your mouth shut, don't waste your breath, the dictatorship will do what they want.
I'm usually not a fan of Bob God but sounds like he made some legitimate points and asked sound questions during the meeting. His questions represented what any concerned Rotterdam resident would want to know. And what happened? The new Supv couldn't / wouldn't respond. To quote HB, “The purpose of discussion is to discuss, not to argue." So why didn't HB discuss??? There you have it....another two years of the Supv doing what he (and his party) wants. And why? Because he can....not because it is in the best interest of the residents.
Rotterdam will be worse off with the 'REUNITED' bunch then they were with the 'REVITALIZE' bunch!!
I predict that this time the taxpayers will take the side of BG and rally behind him! Apparently he will be the only voice the rotterdam taxpayers will have!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
ROTTERDAM Public to have fewer periods to talk Supervisor wants orderly meetings BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Better come early and prepared if you plan on commenting at Rotterdam’s Town Board meetings. Supervisor Harry Buffardi has truncated the three public comment periods down to one, which will be conducted at the beginning of the agenda for the bi-monthly meetings. Public comment periods for agenda items and personnel items were both eliminated. Members of the public wanting to speak during privilege of the floor will also be required to sign up before the meeting is called to order. Comments will also be directed toward the chairman of the meeting, instead of individual board members. Buffardi said the changes are aimed at streamlining the meetings and to restore order. Many of the meetings under the administration of Frank Del Gallo descended into shouting matches and drawn-out dialogues between the public and the board. “We’re looking to bring some dignity, order and respect to board meetings,” he said Friday. And it’s already starting to work, Buffardi said. The organizational meeting Jan. 1 lasted less than two hours, despite there being 67 different resolutions on the agenda; the session was in stark contrast to the board’s organizational meeting in 2011, which had an agenda with 56 resolutions and lasted for more than four hours. Buffardi said the public also shouldn’t expect a dialogue with the board. He said the time allotted for privilege of the fl oor belongs to the public and shouldn’t be dominated by board member comments. “The privilege is all theirs,” he said. “Us interrupting them or bringing up our points takes away from their dialogue.” The Del Gallo administration also attempted to limit dialogue between the board and the public last year. He asked that questions addressed to the board be answered at a later date, thereby giving board members time to research their answers carefully rather than give hasty responses. But the effort didn’t last long. By the second year of Del Gallo’s term, the meetings were often character- ized by caustic exchanges between members of the public and town offi cials. “We’re trying to reduce the open conflicts that we see at meetings,” Buffardi said. There is no law requiring municipal entities to allow the public a chance to comment during business meetings, said Bob Freeman, the executive director of the state Committee on Open Government. While the state’s open meetings law provides ample opportunity for the public to attend meetings, he said there is no provision to allow them the right to speak. “What they have done [in Rotterdam] may not be typical, but clearly the Town Board has the right to establish rules to govern their proceedings,” he said. ....................>>>>...................>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1
Restore order? Reduce open conflicts? Or is it that the new admin just will not answer the questions that reveal their master plans? Or perhaps they don't know the answers. Now that they are in office, do they care what the residents have to say? Two long years.
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