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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
New legislator one of youngest ever
County body convenes first meeting of new term
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

Jeff McDonald may well have made history on his first day on the Schenectady County Legislature.
At the age of 28, the civil engineer who helped restore his family’s historical Stockade Inn restaurant became one of the youngest county legislators in recent memory. In fact, aside from former legislature chairman Peter Guidarelli — who also was 28 when he took office — county officials attending the inauguration ceremony Tuesday couldn’t recall any past member younger than the newly installed Democrat.
    “Right now, I’m taking it all in,” he said before the legislature convened its organizational meeting. “I have a vested interest in the county and I can’t wait to be a part of the decision-making process.”
    McDonald trounced former Schenectady Mayor Albert Jurczynski — who ironically was once the youngest person ever elected to the City Council — for one of two District 2 seats up for election in Schenectady. Incumbent Democrat Gary Hughes was elected to the other seat and named the legislature’s majority leader Tuesday.
    McDonald brings with him to the legislature both enthusiasm and a good work ethic, explained City Court Judge Guido Loyola, who swore him into office. Loyola recalled once seeing McDonald driving a new Ford Thunderbird and wondering how a young man could afford such a car.
    “When I asked him how he bought a new car, he looks at me and says ‘I work hard,’ ” the judge reflected.
    But McDonald isn’t the only fresh face joining county government this year. Also inaugurated Tuesday was Republican Angelo Santabarbara, 35, who was the top vote getter in District 4.
    Also a civil engineer, Santabarbara is the recently appointed chairman of Rotterdam’s Industrial Development Agency. Like McDonald, he said he’s ready to start serving his constituents in Rotterdam, Princetown and Duanesburg and looks forward to hearing the needs of the people who elected him.
    “It’s about the people, and without them, I wouldn’t be here,” he said after being sworn in by Republican state Assemblyman George Amedore. “I’d love to say I won, but we won together.”
    Also taking the oath of offi ce were Michael Petta, D-Schenectady, Vincent DiCerbo, D-Schenectady, and Tony Jasenski, D-Rotterdam, all of whom won four-year terms in November. Joining them were Republicans Robert Farley, R-Glenville, and James Buhrmaster, R-Glenville, who also won re-election.
    As expected, Susan Savage was reelected chairwoman of the Legislature, despite a pro forma push by Republicans to place James Buhrmaster in the seat. Savage, a Democrat, has held the position since her party assumed a majority in the legislature in 2004.
    Likewise, the Republicans attempted to install Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, as the legislature’s vice chairman, only to be thwarted by the majority party. County Democrats teamed to elect Judith Dagostino, D-Rotterdam, to the position.
    After being sworn in by U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, Savage reflected on the positive changes that have swept through the county. In four years, she said, the county has witnessed more than $100 million worth of private investment in the Rotterdam Industrial Park, a rebirth of Schenectady’s State Street, expansion at General Electric’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna and 650 new jobs coming to the company’s plant, which straddles the city border.
    “It’s sometimes difficult to remember how bad it was back then,” she said of Schenectady County four years ago. “The county didn’t have smart growth, it had no growth.”
    After being named majority leader, Hughes, D-Schenectady, called on local officials throughout the county to work together for a better Schenectady. He stressed the need to continue efforts toward establishing shared services and economic development.
    “Together, we can make good on the promise that Schenectady County’s best days are yet to come,” he said.
    Farley was re-elected minority leader for his third two-year term. In his remarks, Farley outlined initiatives to deliver wireless Internet broadband service throughout the county and to freeze taxes for residents 65 years or older and earning less than $65,000 annually.
    Farley also asked county officials to leave party politics behind when it comes to economic development efforts. He urged legislators to recall and rekindle efforts from a decade ago, when the Metroplex Development Authority was created.
    “There are no Democrats or Republicans when it comes to business and economic development,” he said. “We’re all Schenectadians.”

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Bringing new attitude to politics
New county legislators hope to promote more bipartisan spirit

By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer  
First published: Wednesday, January 9, 2008

SCHENECTADY -- Despite being on opposite sides of the political aisle, the two newest Schenectady County legislators, sworn in on New Year's Day, have a lot in common.
Jeff McDonald, 28, and Angelo Santabarbara, 35, both grew up in Rotterdam and earned college degrees in civil engineering. Santabarbara now lives there with his wife and two children, while McDonald, who is single, lives in Schenectady, where he runs the Stockade Inn. McDonald's family also owns the restaurant Pinhead Susan's.
     
The two new legislators, who both also serve on the industrial development agencies in their municipalities, are optimistic they can use the skills from their day jobs to promote harmony among the 15-member body, dominated by Democrats.
"No one has a reason not to work with me," said Santabarbara, who represents District 4. "I want to try to find a way to work with anyone, regardless of who holds the majority."
Santabarbara figures his greatest obstacle will be to "try to get my thoughts and ideas heard" because he is in the minority party.
McDonald, who represents District 2, also expressed dismay at the partisan nature of county politics. He stressed he has no interest in being a career politician but instead wants to have a role in moving the county forward.
McDonald said he hopes to bring more of a business mentality to county government. He said running the family business with its large staff has sharpened his financial acumen and taught him about managing resources.
McDonald hopes to expand the tax base to lift some of the burden off tax-weary homeowners and look at look at ways to reduce the cost of construction in the county.
Santabarbara believes the critical thinking needed to develop engineering solutions will serve him well in the legislature. He said the two biggest issues facing lawmakers this year are taxes and legislation to limit where sex offenders live.
"There is no single way to solve any problem," said Santabarbara, chairman of the Rotterdam Industrial Development Agency. "You have a lot of different ways to get to the same point." Paul Nelson can be reached at 454-5347 or by e-mail at pnelson@timesunion.com.

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Sch’y County Dems have their own brand of water torture

   Each single dollar misspent by the Democratic majority on the county Legislature is like a raindrop. No single raindrop ever thinks it’s responsible for the flood. But every dollar misspent adds to the flood that drowns up in property taxes.
   The high-dollar, fat-cat hand made up for Ed Kosiur is just such an example of the recklessness that is awakening the people to the flood that comes streaming at us. County Democrats valued party loyalty and partisanship over qualifications. They even closed the libraries early to provide this plum to Kosiur.
   The take that Kosiur will somehow make our youth program more “robust” is a calculated lie that seems like something a huckster vacuum cleaner salesman would drop on you. Or a professional PR man. The word “robust” is designed to make us feel that we are getting some great deal.
   Instead we got a pig in a poke. A deluge of raindrops to add to the flood of taxes that is drowning us, and chasing our upstanding, productive youth to places with more opportunity and lower taxes. There are thousands of counties in America with lower taxes. Under Chairwoman Susan Savage and county Legislators Judy Dagostino, Brian Gordon, Phil Fields and Anthony Jasenski Sr., we have gained the distinction of having the 10thhighest taxes in America. Yes, higher than Palm Springs, West Palm Beach, Aspen, Beverly ills, Honolulu, the richest parts of Manhattan, the Hamptons, Newport Beach, Jupiter Island and Georgetown.
   So the next time someone tries to sell you a more “robust” this or a more “robust” that, remember how less “robust” your bank account looks because of it. But just as easily, look around our county and see if it looks as “robust” as the places above, all places with lower taxes and less wastefulness in spending.
JOSEPH SUHRADA
Rotterdam The writer is a Republican county legislator.  

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I am a little disappointed that the paper had so much trouble transposing my letter, what with all the typos.

The original has 'us' in place of 'up' in the third sentence of the first paragraph. It has the word 'job' on the first sentence of the second paragraph..."high-dollar, fat-cat JOB hand-made for Ed Kosiur..."

And don't forget that I do know that the place is called "Beverly HILLS" not Beverly "ILLS" but somehow the folks over there weren't sure.

OH, and I DIDN'T write the headline, letter writers don't get to do that...but it was pretty neat anyhow.


See, if I was a professional PR man or copywriter, I bet they would be more careful getting my letters printed correctly! But some of us have to produce something for a living...