Quoted from 191

I really dont like it that you keep throwing Ang in with these here troublemakers I know he did nothing illegal or wrong in any way over here

Sal:

Your buddy Ang gave his parents proxies to Kelly Rhinesmith- the person who was crushed when she attempted a little coup.  Not a very intelligent choice..............

Let me provide some FACTS that will provide to all the truth about the battle for Control of the Conservative Party Committee.

As Kelly had stated, every signature on the Designating Petitions for the candidates who were run withe Conservative Party Reform Caucus was collected by enrolled Conservative party members.  I, myself, spent days, driving about the county (at my own expense) and speaking with traditional Conservatives who hold conservative values to collect signatures on  approx. 1 1/2 to 2 dozen of the 126 election districts in which we ran candidates.  There were many others, all registered Conservatives, who collected the signatures on the remaining petitions.  Kelly spent many many hours collecting signatures.

In contrast, the signatures that were collected on the Designating Petitions for the candidates that were run by those who control the Executive Board (e.g., Pascarella, Hamilton, Della Rocca, etc.) were overwhelmingly collected by registered Democrats including, I had been told, Schenectady County Board of Elections Democratic Election Commissioner Brian Quail, Schenectady County Attorney Chris Gardner and his county staff, and others.  I believe that Kelly has copies of petitions bearing the names of these individuals as witnesses to the signatures.  I will attempt to obtain some of these documents and post them to this forum as evidence.

The Democratic party's role in collecting the signatures on the DPs, the history of the Conservative party's endorsements of liberal Democrats over the past few years, and the considerable (recent in the past two to three years) enrollment in the Conservative party of law enforcement officers from departments across the county should leave no question that the Democratic party and the police union bosses control the Conservative party.

To the many police officers who have supported Hamilton and his hand-picked party Chairman Pascarella in their control of the party, I pose these questions.  

• Why has the Schenectady Police Department contract gone to arbitration year after year when the Democrats who the Conservative party has endorsed control the Schenectady County Legislature (by an 11 to 4 majority), the City Mayor's office, and the Schenectady City Council?
  
• Who has benefited from Hamilton's control of the party over the past several years?  Was it you with your overdue contract providing a 4% raise or Mr. Hamilton who, as reported by the Daily Gazette, works only a few days a year on police business and makes over $90K?
  

The rank and file deserve better.

One of the fundamental principles of true conservatives is the need to provide for the public safety.  This includes a strong military and national defense, police protection, etc.  The ruling junta of the Conservative party was successful on primary election day securing many more seats primarily because of a smear piece against Kelly Rhinesmith that was mailed to registered Conservatives and because of the many police officers across the county who were directed (ordered?) how to vote.  Many seats were won by only 1 vote.  Even more committee positions were appointed due to district races that ended in a tie.

Pascarella, Hamilton, Della Rocca et. al who presently control my party of 30 years told the public and our law enforcement officers, for whom I hold deep respect and admiration, that those affiliated with the Reform Caucus were against the police.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The rank and file must awaken to find that the leadership has failed them.  Those who purport to be your friends and supporters have allowed you to work for years without a negotiated contract.  Why?

Bradley;

You get the Republicans to pay tens of thousands of dollars to try to take over the Conservative Party and fail miserably, then take exception to the fact that democrats got some petitions signed for Conservatives.

Out of one side of your mouth you and your pal Kelly argue that the the current leaders of the Party are raping taxpayers to get extravagent benefits for the police through negotiations with the dems they are in bed with and then correctly point out out of the other side of your mouth that the democratic majority has actually given them nothing and forced arbitration year after year.  Year after year, an arbitrator has decided the outcome of contract negotiations- not the democrats.

If you really think that the current regime kept control of the party because of a piece put out about Kelly Rhinesmith- all of which was factual- you are sadly mistaken.  

As far as your trying to rally the troops at SPD to throw out their party boss or union head by claiming that they went without a contract for years because of him- you are again misinformed.  The city chose to go to arbitration.

Quoted Text

If you really think that the current regime kept control of the party because of a piece put out about Kelly Rhinesmith- all of which was factual- you are sadly mistaken.  

So, Papa are you stating here for the record that the statements that were made in the mailing were true?

We could have a battle of wits on this forum.  However, your chances of winning would be dim.

You post from a position of anonimity because you are too gutless to stand behind your statements.

Quoted Text

You get the Republicans to pay tens of thousands of dollars to try to take over the Conservative Party and fail miserably, then take exception to the fact that democrats got some petitions signed for Conservatives.

While we're discussing finances, Papa, mind telling these good folks on this forum why you haven't filed any of the campaign disclosures that are requried under NY State Election Law since January?  You had a party mixer/fundraiser in May and another reported "fat cat" fundraiser in August.  Could it be that you don't want the public to see the contributions made by Democratic office holders?  And, don't reply that the reports were filed in hardcopy with the Schenectady Board of Elections.  I filed a FOIL in early September and was told that the last filing was in January 2008.

I'm not a conserv, but after following this whole thing and talking with some of the real conservs and reading about Mr. Littlefield, it appears that they were truly trying to take back the conservative  party only because they were passionate about the conserv ideology. The words 'coup' and 'faction' were clearly misused here.

And perhaps I am missing something here, but what is the big whoop if the reps did in fact finacially support the conserv's cause? Is this illegal? And does it really matter that much? And for that matter, why would the current conservs try to hide the fact that the dems are contributing to their cause? It just doesn't make sense.

It appears that one set of conservs that are being financed by dems are blaming the other set of conservs for excepting financing from reps and visa versa. This conservative party is apparently being divided by 2 major parties. Why would an independent political party that has prided itself for decades for being just that...independent from any major party, allow themselves to be 'sold out'?

And that's why I am a 'blank'. They all stink!!!

Quoted from 78

So, Papa are you stating here for the record that the statements that were made in the mailing were true?

We could have a battle of wits on this forum.  However, your chances of winning would be dim.

You post from a position of anonimity because you are too gutless to stand behind your statements.

Mr. Littlefield please give it a rest. You and your blond bombshell have 2 years to come up with your next brilliant strategy. Perhaps you should grab a flute and walk around the streets playing it and see if you can get any rats to follow you. As we have seen your chances at that would be more successful.

Brad,

I have to agree with papa on this one.  I would have left out the niceties toward the Schenectady PD, their record stands on its own.  Hamilton heads the PBA in Schenectady, and the rank and file choose their leader.  You know what they say birds of a feather flock together. I have a few of Mr. Hamilton's union brothers that may have voted him to his union leadership, some oldies but goodies, it might bring back some fond memories of the SPD's finest:  Michael Hamilton Jr., Nicola Messere, Michael Siler, Richard Barnett, and the most recent Jeffery Curtis.  And let's forget Sgt. Snow himself, Greg Kaczmarek. Crook....crook.....crook.......crook.

I'm a big believer of judging a person by the company they keep.  

With the moral and ethical deficit within the Schenectady PD with Hamilton as Union President.  The Schenectady County Conservative Party can expect the same ethical and moral clarity under Hamilton's leadership.

first my dear friends here how can you up there on th etop of th epage say that Angelo GAVE the parents the proxy from Rinesmith whichever this means? how do you know he was involved with any of it just because his parents voted one way or another or what? That is crazy. My family members vote too but if my cugine votes for Obama does that mean I am for him? Also what is this Mr Ciciero where you gotta knock the police all the time. Next time the rapist comes to get the wife or the murderer comes for the family then call a pizza delivery man or maybe call the town supervisor or even call a plumber and see how good they are at helping save the lives over there. You never appreciate the police man until you need them bad, my friends. I am tired of that and nothing is hardly ever proved but the media likes to stir up th e pot against the police and then glorify the low life killers and dope peddlers out there and we over here suffer more. What is wrong with you people?

So Sal, my dear friend over there, are you saying that Cicero's assessment is incorrect over here? I believe that s/he was doing nothing but stating the facts that are read almost weekly in the newspaper. I believe Cicero was just stating facts without assumptions.

http://www.dailygazette.com

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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Filing shows GOP’s role
Conservatives blast Republicans over primary
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    The Schenectady County Republican Committee paid legal and postage expenses associated with efforts to take over the county Conservative Committee and oust its leadership, according to a recent financial filing.
    The effort widened an existing rift between the two political parties, with the chairman of the Conservatives calling for the ouster of Republican Chairman Tom Buchanan.
    “They shouldn’t support him, considering that their own chairman would do that and take votes away,” said Conservative Committee Chairman Randy Pascarella.
    He said the Conservative committee will no longer work with Buchanan in elections but would still work with Republican candidates on endorsements. “That would not be fair to the voters of Schenectady County because Tom Buchanan has no character. It’s not fair to some good candidate who could do good for our county,” Pascarella said.
    Buchanan did not return a phone call for comment.
    The Republican committee’s post primary financial disclosure lists two key expenses: $1,610, for postage and $2,500 in legal fees to Thomas Spargo. Both expenses are dated Sept. 3. The primary was Sept. 9.
    Spargo appeared in state Supreme Court in August to assist Kelly Rhinesmith and her Conservative Reform Caucus in challenging designating petitions filed by the county Conservative committee’s leadership. Spargo, a former Albany County judge, is one of the state’s top election law attorneys, Pascarella said.
    The caucus and its allies also mailed six fliers to 2,700 Conservatives in the county, spent several days delivering literature door to door and made automated phone calls to Conservatives, reminding them about the primary.
    Conservative Committee Chairman Pascarella estimates Rhinesmith, Republicans or both spent some $40,000 on the effort to wrest control from the current leadership. He cited costs for six mailings, other campaign material and legal costs; more financial fi lings are pending.
    Pascarella said the Conservative committee hired private investigators to determine who spent the money and where it came from. “We will investigate this until we get to the bottom of this,” he said.
    Rhinesmith’s caucus needed 128 of the 250 seats to gain a majority and the committee, which would have allowed it to appoint new leaders.
    “We spotted them 52 and we still ended up with 198 seats. They won zero in the primary,” Pascarella said. Conservatives re-elected executive committee members Monday, including Pascarella.
    Pascarella said he was not surprised to learn county Republicans assisted Rhinesmith. “We knew that from the beginning,” he said.
    Rhinesmith, however, consistently denied county Republicans assisted her and said that she and her caucus paid all their own expenses. In a July interview, she said: “We have been doing this for a long time and we have financed all of our efforts ourselves. Conservatives will dig into their own pockets to fund a cause.”
    Rhinesmith did not return a phone call for comment. She said she will not speak with The Daily Gazette, calling its coverage biased against her and toward Democrats.
    After its primary victory, the Conservative committee wasted no time in cleaning house. It ousted Rhinesmith from the executive committee, where she had been recording secretary. She was reelected to her seat on the Conservative Committee.

Quoted from 78

While we're discussing finances, Papa, mind telling these good folks on this forum why you haven't filed any of the campaign disclosures that are requried under NY State Election Law since January?  You had a party mixer/fundraiser in May and another reported "fat cat" fundraiser in August.  Could it be that you don't want the public to see the contributions made by Democratic office holders?  And, don't reply that the reports were filed in hardcopy with the Schenectady Board of Elections.  I filed a FOIL in early September and was told that the last filing was in January 2008.

Bradley:

Just waiting for you to file for the 15,000 flyers you and yours mailed out, Spargo expense,etc.

Quoted from 215

Bradley:

Just waiting for you to file for the 15,000 flyers you and yours mailed out, Spargo expense,etc.

Two wrongs dont make it right.  Why doesn't the conservative party "leadership" lead by example and follow the law? Then go after the other side once you've done the right thing?

I guess the treasurer resigned and didn't file whatever reports she was suppose to- so they appointed a new treasurer and he has to get up to speed and file.

Quoted from 78

So, Papa are you stating here for the record that the statements that were made in the mailing were true?

We could have a battle of wits on this forum.  However, your chances of winning would be dim.

You post from a position of anonimity because you are too gutless to stand behind your statements.

Statements about Kelly true?    Ummmmmmmm...    Yes, Bradley they were true.  I assume you are referring to the mention of her arrests and threats against public officials,et al