Hudson Democrats Urge Restructuring of City Government

The Hudson City Democratic Committee has made a formal request with the Hudson Common Council to investigate the possibility of charter revisions to reform the structure of Hudson’s government.

Some of the changes the committee wishes the Council to look at include:

• Elimination of Commissioners
• Elimination of weighted voting by redrawing districts of equal population
• Considering length of terms for officials
• Possibility of decreasing the number of Alderman and/or Supervisors

Both Mayor Richard Scalera and Common Common Council President Donald Moore support the changes and say they are overdue.

President Moore said

“It has become clear there needs to be an administrative structure that represents the character of the city in the 21st century and not the character of the city in the 19th century,” Moore said. “There has been a good deal of discussion about reform of county government, it is only fitting that the city also undertake examination of its own house.”

Mayor Scalera said he supports every piece of the HCDC proposal.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” he said. “Commissioners are heroes in my mind but there is overlapping responsibility. The weighted vote is way overdue to be changed, it’s just not a good way of doing business. I hope the discussion continues on and if the voters are informed and vote I think it’s a good thing for Hudson’s future.”

Read the Committee's request here
Read more in the Register-Star
Read more on the Gossips of Rivertown

Hudson Democrats Endorse Kirsten Gillibrand and Didi Barrett

HUDSON DEMOCRATS ENDORSE 

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND 
FOR US SENATE AND 

DIDI BARRETT 
FOR NYS SENATE

The Hudson City Democratic Committee, at its monthly meeting held March 9th 2010 has unanimously endorsed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in her first election for United State Senator.  Ms. Gillibrand was appointed to the seat by Governor David Paterson last year, to fill the vacancy resulting from Hillary Clinton's appointment as Secretary of State.

Hudson Democrats Chairman, Victor Mendolia said:
"Senator Gillibrand has quickly become a leading, progressive voice, fighting for New York in the Senate.  The fact that she has become such a major force, while an appointed freshman Senator, is remarkable; that she lives here in Columbia County is a also great source of pride for us. The committee has unanimously voted to endorse Senator Gillibrand, and we look forward to working actively and forcefully for her election this Fall." 
 

The committee also unanimously endorsed Dutchess County resident Didi Barrett for New York State Senate (41st SD). Ms. Barrett is a longtime advocate for women and girls and was the founding chair of Girls Incorporated and founder of the New York Women's Foundation. She has also been active in an array of non-profit arts organizations including the American Folk Art Museum, Half Moon Theater and others. In the political word, she has served on the finance committee for both Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign committees.

Chairman Mendolia continued:
"People are disgusted with gridlock in state government. Senator Saland with his thirty years in office, is part of that problem.  We need a fresh voice, without the political baggage, to help break the cycle of pay-to-play in the State Senate.  Didi is not a career politician, she is running because she wants to change Albany. The Hudson City Democratic Committee is proud to have unanimously endorsed her and we look forward to helping her win in November."

Visit Senator Gillibrand's website at kirstengillibrand.com
Visit Didi Barrett's website at didiforsenate.com 

Underpayments to Democrats and No-Show Job for Republican Exposed

The Hudson City Democratic Committee has uncovered documents that expose a pattern of underpayments to Democratic election custodians in the City of Hudson.  

The first instance of the underpayments has been traced to Geeta Cheddie, former Deputy Commissioner at the Board of Elections (BOE) and current 1st Ward Alderman.  Cheddie has admitted to the payment differential but claims that the difference in pay was due to difference in duties between the Republican and Democratic custodians.  There is no basis in fact for this explanation.

After Cheddie was terminated, the underpayments to the Democrats were continued, seemingly with the knowledge of at least some of the Republican BOE staff, until their discovery.


In addition, the committee has uncovered an improper payment to former Republican Deputy Election Commissioner, Michael Nabozny.

A voucher indicates that Nabozny was originally to be paid $150 to be the Republican Party Representative for the 2009 General Election. That is 3 times the amount that the Democratic Party Representative was paid. After the discrepancy was discovered the payment voucher was altered to indicate that he was being paid to be Republican Custodian.  However, the regular Republican Custodian was already paid the proper $300. Those present and working on election day do not recall Nabozny performing the duties for either position on election day. In fact the voucher was signed (attesting that the work had been performed) before the election had even taken place.

The payment voucher is fraught with cross-outs and white-outs. In addition, the voucher was not actually signed by the Republican Commissioner, Don Kline, but rather a subordinate who signed his name.  The voucher should have been co-signed by Democratic Commissioner, Virginia Martin, but the voucher was instead signed by former Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer, overruling the newly instituted policy requiring both Commissioner signatures. To date there has been no explanation as to why Chairman Baer would have signed the document, which in effect circumvented the checks and balances that bi-partisan approvals create. It also remains unclear whether he had the legal authority to do so. To date there has been no comment from current Chairman Roy Brown.

Sam Pratt has done an exemplary job of explaining the details of the issue. 
You can read it at: SamPratt.com and an update here.
Also see "Unequal Pay Rates Cause Stir" in Register-Star and
"Dems Respond to Election Day Disparities" in the Columbia Paper