When the government causes a problem such as they did in Masullo by not maintaining the drainage system, allowing houses with 5' of fill to be built across a natural drainage area, and allow a culvert to be placed 12" higher than an original culvert then it's governments job to fix the problem. Maybe if Rotterdam had a qualified engineer that knew what the heck was going on some of these disasters could be avoided, like what happened in Horizon Estates with the drainage problem there that the town had to fix as well.

GB-you impolored Mertz to run?  Good grief man you would have done better getting me to run on your ticket. LOL

Quoted Text

The typist was making $37,000?  That is more than the former director made at $34,000 approx.  with a Master's Degreee in Educational Psychology and a long history of experience AND was a former business teacher for Draper High School and did her own secretarial work.  So she saved the town $37,000.  You reps were jerks to throw her out just because your feelings were hurt over a damn sign that you illegally placed on her property. Bwhaawaaa! ROTFLMAO

Of which former director are you referring?  You appear to know a great deal about her credentials and speak very
favorably of her.  Is she a friend or family member or is this simply political partisanship?

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

No, Mike just did it because he has an axe to grind with the Republican party as a whole.

It appears that the local reps are the only ones that have their own axe to grind with each other. They should be spending time on that issue instead wasting time on frivolous issues. IMHO

On part of this I agree with GB Mike is a piece of SH!T he had no business running for office he is nothing but a two bit spoiler and deserves all possible ridicule!!!!!!!! Also GB notice in all of his ranting and raving and accusing you of asking stupid questions not once did mike say that he supports mcgarry, kinda interesting, no?


That said I gotta tell ya GB I view BM the SAME way i view Mike. BM and Mike were all about going to town board meetings to bash tomasson, week in and week out tomassone did that tomassone did this steve didnt do this steve didnt do that yet where FU(K have they been with this administration!?!?!?!?!? This supervisor is a FU(KING TYRANT and these two havent said a word...oh wait that's not true mcgarry wrote that letter to the editor bashing parisi, dileva and martin for CUTTING the proposed tax hike and he DEFENDED bob godlewski and the supervisor's oppresive budget...yup GB, sounds like a real conservative right there BWAHAHAHAHA

All the NNTP guys are the same they are dems in reps clothing. TJ Hooker is laughing all the way to election day that he managed to get the reps competing against each other so that his fool hardy candidates can waltz into town hall

Quoted from black spidey

On part of this I agree with GB Mike is a piece of SH!T he had no business running for office he is nothing but a two bit spoiler and deserves all possible ridicule!!!!!!!! Also GB notice in all of his ranting and raving and accusing you of asking stupid questions not once did mike say that he supports mcgarry, kinda interesting, no?


That said I gotta tell ya GB I view BM the SAME way i view Mike. BM and Mike were all about going to town board meetings to bash tomasson, week in and week out tomassone did that tomassone did this steve didnt do this steve didnt do that yet where FU(K have they been with this administration!?!?!?!?!? This supervisor is a FU(KING TYRANT and these two havent said a word...oh wait that's not true mcgarry wrote that letter to the editor bashing parisi, dileva and martin for CUTTING the proposed tax hike and he DEFENDED bob godlewski and the supervisor's oppresive budget...yup GB, sounds like a real conservative right there BWAHAHAHAHA

All the NNTP guys are the same they are dems in reps clothing. TJ Hooker is laughing all the way to election day that he managed to get the reps competing against each other so that his fool hardy candidates can waltz into town hall

You appear to be missing a major point here. It is apparent that JS would not support BM in the last election because he wasn't a rep. MO was and yet JS didn't support him. However, now that BM has switched to the rep party, JS all of a sudden is a party loyalist and will support him BECAUSE he is a rep??? It just doesn't add up!!

The bottom line here is that the rotterdam reps are still as dysfunctional and broken as ever. For a decade they were too damn lazy. Like I said before......the reps were non existent long before the independent candidates ever made the scene. The reps have no one but themselves to blame.

People just got tired of wating.....

I vowed to reduce my presence on this message board while serving as Brian McGarry's Campaign Manager.  However, I believe that it is necessary to comment on a few of the issues and assertions that have been made on this thread.

As a disclaimer, I have spent countless hours in the past many years supporting conservative-minded Republican endorsed candidates including those campaigning for Duanesburg Town Supervisor, Rotterdam Town Board and Supervisor, Schenectady County Legislature - District 4, NYS Assembly and State Senate, and three Congressional candidates, most recently Colonel Chris Gibson who won the election in the NYS 20th Congressional District.  As you are aware, in 2009 I also campaigned on the No New Tax Party independent ballot line with three other individuals, enrolled Republicans and Conservatives, who believed that both of the major parties at all levels of government had abandoned the citizens to support big government solutions that favor special interest groups and connected friends and political donors.  

I have great respect for Brian, Michael and John and know all of them to be fiscal conservatives.  Their positions on (most) social issues are not of (primary) concern to me (a social conservative with a libertarian persuasion on some issues) as social issues don't play a large role in local government.  It is my opinion that all of these men are individuals of principle and virtue.  I will take the heat of some who will claim otherwise, but based on my interactions when Brian, Michael, and John, I find them to be more deserving of respect than many in political circles, past and present.

While a county resident, I supported Joe Suhrada and the other Republicans who served on the County Legislature, spending many hours attending monthly meetings of that disfunctional government body, though my involvement in our representative form of government was strictly limited, by the Democratic "leadership", to 3 minutes during the privilege of the floor.

The No New Tax Party platform centered around our opposition to the creation of any new local taxing authority/districts.  This was a timely position in light of the debate over creating a new tax district to support a not-for-profit EMS organization when there was a private sector solution that would provide quality service without resulting in an increase in property taxes to Rotterdam residents, many of who were and are already paying for ambulatory transport services through their insurance.  The NNTP slate of candidates also pledged to work to reign in spending so that property taxes could be controlled.  We proposed a 0% tax "freeze".  At that time, it was believed that we could commit to a property tax freeze for at least the first two years of our terms.  This would, however, require difficult choices be made, budgets to be cut, and tough, but fair, negotiations for contracted services.

As some have pointed out on this message board, the name No New Tax party may be viewed as misleading or disingenuous in today's economic climate where the federal and state governments are reducing or eliminating funding for mandated programs and servcies and inflation is of growing concern and of imminent reality.  Perhaps the name of the independent ballot line should be changed.  However, the sentiment, convictions, and intentions of those who will share this line have not wavered from the fiscally conservative ideals that led to its formation.  If the Republican or any of the established parties wish to endorse our candidates because the party membership agrees with the platform of smaller and less expensive government, that is welcome.  If they don't, we are well prepared to move forward, to primary for the established party lines and to, once again, collect the necessary number of signatures to create an independent ballot line.

And, I welcome the support of all who desire real change, not the same old tired partisan politics, for Brian's campaign and that of the other candidates who will share the line with him.  

Note the difference of tenor between those who are clinging to power and those who will bring about inevitable change?  Brian has vowed to wage an issues oriented campaign and not to engage in the "blood sport" that has tarnished the reputation of so many.  A return to civility, respect, and service to elected office is long overdue.  Residents of the Town of Rotterdam and Schenectady County deserve and should expect better.

Bumble I got that and that is why I disagreed with the rest of GB's post. I don't support BM now, just like I didnt support him then. Brad consider my appoints above aimed squarely at you as well. We really don't care what you think!!! Where were you when FDG was screwing us??????????????????? It's still about being a spoiler get off our backs!!!!!!

Quoted from black spidey

Bumble I got that and that is why I disagreed with the rest of GB's post. I don't support BM now, just like I didnt support him then. Brad consider my appoints above aimed squarely at you as well. We really don't care what you think!!! Where were you when FDG was screwing us??????????????????? It's still about being a spoiler get off our backs!!!!!!

It is unfortunate that in today's political climate that the word 'spoiler' is used so freely by the major political parties. This word is used as a 'safeguard' against any outside competition or ideology or mind thought different than those of the two major parties. The two major parties do not want to disrupt the status quo....the flow of 'politics as usual'.

I'm sure that the independent candidates are not wasting their own time and money in the political snake pit to be a 'spoiler'.

'Spoiler' is just a lame excuse the local reps are using for their own inadequacies and laziness.

There's a lot of bitterness still left from the last election.

No bumble that isnt where im coming from...i think there are individuals who really think they can make a difference and run for office not to spoil races but to help people...i dont think mertz, brad, mike, or mcgarry fit that mold. I think they are dems working for dems to hurt reps.

That said even for 3rd party candidates running for "good" reasons i still question the utility...not to protect the major party but to protect us. a third party will not have the power to win. by supporting a third party we then give aid to the major party that we disagree the most with...sure id like to see both major parties go away but that aint happening. so id much rather see reps win than dems...

When a major party refuses to listen to the wishes of their members what choice do the members have but to form a party of like minded people. It doesn't matter whether the party is the Dem or Rep. The main reason why so many people are now listed as independent is due to the fact that both major parties ignore the wishes of we the people and instead care only about their party.

Quoted from black spidey

No bumble that isnt where im coming from...i think there are individuals who really think they can make a difference and run for office not to spoil races but to help people...i dont think mertz, brad, mike, or mcgarry fit that mold. I think they are dems working for dems to hurt reps.

That said even for 3rd party candidates running for "good" reasons i still question the utility...not to protect the major party but to protect us. a third party will not have the power to win. by supporting a third party we then give aid to the major party that we disagree the most with...sure id like to see both major parties go away but that aint happening. so id much rather see reps win than dems...

The word 'spoiler' is used to protect the 'major party 'status quo'. It is not to protect 'us'. That is just lame and disingenuous.
Not supporting candidates because they don't fit  your mold is what everyone does. No matter what party they represent.

As far as dems working for dems just to hurt the reps? That is what the copservatives do.

Like I said....the local reps need to start focusing on more important issues than 4 guys in a boat!! They have been lazy and complacent for a decade. Allowing the dems to build their empire. The people got tired of waiting and independents popped up all over the county. So now the local reps are using independent candidates as their scape goat. Blaming them for their decade of laziness.

People just got tired of waiting.....plain and simple.....nothing more....nothing less.

Quoted from black spidey

No bumble that isnt where im coming from...i think there are individuals who really think they can make a difference and run for office not to spoil races but to help people...i dont think mertz, brad, mike, or mcgarry fit that mold. I think they are dems working for dems to hurt reps.

That said even for 3rd party candidates running for "good" reasons i still question the utility...not to protect the major party but to protect us. a third party will not have the power to win. by supporting a third party we then give aid to the major party that we disagree the most with...sure id like to see both major parties go away but that aint happening. so id much rather see reps win than dems...

        So B.S., you would like to see both major parties go away.  But you want the third party to go away to protect one of the major parties (REPS).  And in the abscence of a viable REP candidate, wouldn't you facilitate a DEM loss by embracing a third party candidate providing more strength?  Even if it wasn't a REP candidate being elected, at least it's not a DEM, doesn't that work for you, isn't that better than nothing??

Political leadership only see's as far as the next election, practical leadership looks to the next generation.  Though the NNTP candidates may lose a few battles, with the unshakable commitment to the cause they will ultimately win the war.  People need to stop being scared of losing the NEXT election.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  That's what the establishment wants, they want you to lose, get discouraged, and then go away.  Voter apathy is a friend of the party.  They would rather have you stay home and not vote than try to make a difference outside the rules they set up.

I agree that third party candidates for presidents are a very difficult task to pull off.  You have to deal with different election laws in 50 different states, and all the hurdles set up by the two parties that control federal and state governments. It is tough get the plurality of 100+ million votes in 50 different states.  But for a town race with around 10,000 - a plurality is very doable.