SCHENECTADY COUNTY Lawmakers to look at licenses Legislature may pass measure against Spitzer idea BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
Schenectady County legislators will consider a proposal tonight directing the county clerk to not issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The measure directs County Clerk John Woodward to follow state and federal laws by requiring applicants to provide a valid Social Security number. If approved by the Legislature, Woodward will have to disregard Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s recent directive to the contrary. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on the sixth floor of the county office building; the date was changed due to Election Day. Minority Republicans are sponsoring the resolution. It is unclear how many Democrats on the Legislature will support a political shot against Spitzer. Spitzer’s proposal has generated controversy across the state, mostly along party lines. Several Democrats in the county Legislature, however, said they would support the proposal. Democrats control 11 of the 15 seats. Woodward, a Democrat, voted with three other Democratic county clerks to support Spitzer’s directive at a meeting held by the state Association of County Clerks in October. The vote was 29-4, with three abstentions and 16 clerks not present. Schenectady County Republicans brought the measure to the Legislature last month but were unable to obtain a vote on it prior to Tuesday’s election. Democrats said Republicans filed the measure with the wrong committee; Republicans said Democrats stalled it. The Republican measure states: “Our county, state and nation have spent billions to improve the security of all Americans and to identify those who might wish to harm us. Historically, terrorists seeking to attack the United States have used validly issued driver’s licenses from other states as a means of identification to accomplish their ends. The September 11th hijackers all used drivers licenses to purchase their Airline Tickets, as well as rent cars and hotel rooms.” It called Spitzer’s directive “both ill-advised and unlawful.” CAMPAIGN ISSUE Republicans used Spitzer’s directive as a campaign issue against Democrats Anthony Jasenski and Robert Godlewski, candidates for two seats in District 4, comprising Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown. They mailed campaign literature that said the two men supported Spitzer’s proposal. The mailer showed a driver’s license featuring the face of Mohammed Atta, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 plane attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. The independent Fair Campaign Practices for the Capital Region said the Republican campaign piece was untrue because both Godlewski and Jasenski said they oppose Spitzer’s proposal. In other business, legislators will schedule interviews with candidates interested in serving on the Metroplex Development Authority. The candidates are currently serving members Kenneth Bulko, Robert Wall and Sharon Jordan and newcomer Patrick Saccocio. Rotterdam Supervisor Steven Tommasone recommended Saccocio to serve on Metroplex after Arthur Brassard resigned. Brassard left to devote full time to his position as Schenectady County Republican election commissioner. Under Metroplex’s statute, town supervisors for Rotterdam, Niskayuna and Glenville and the supervisors in Princetown and Duanesburg (who work jointly on their recommendation), as well as the mayor and City Council are eligible to each recommend a person to Metroplex’s 11-member board. The county Legislature appoints the remaining members and must approve by majority all recommendations.
Ahhhh...but will the dems go against their fearless leader 'steamroller' Mr.Spitzer? Or will they do the right thing for the residents of Schenectady County?
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
Savage was quoted by the Daily Gazette during a recent interview as stating that the measure that the County Legislature will consider will NOT be that sponsored by Carolina Lazzari and that it will differ from the Republican resolution in that it will NOT prohibit County Clerk Woodward from issueing licenses to illegal aliens.
It is time that Mr. Jasenski, Mr. Hughes, and other Democratic members who have publically stated their opposition to Spitzer's order act in accordance with their words.
We may as well get use to it folks. Don't expect anything different coming out of that county legislature than what we haven't seen displayed already. ALL decsions will be of democratic bases. They will not even consider the representation of the reps. So for all of us who are represented by a rep, it will be unproductive and blocked by the dems. Fair representation? HARDLY!
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
SCHENECTADY — Schenectady County legislators will decide tonight whether to support Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s directive requiring the county Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The Legislature also will distribute $2.2 million in mortgage tax receipts to local municipalities. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. on the sixth floor of the County Offi ce Building, 620 State St. Minority Republicans are sponsoring the driver’s license resolution. They want County Clerk John Woodward, a Democrat, to ignore fellow Democrat Spitzer’s directive and “follow state and federal” law, which require applicants to submit valid Social Security numbers to receive driver’s licenses. Some Democrats in the county Legislature say they support the Republican proposal The mortgage tax distribution is done annually, and covers a period up to Sept. 30. This year’s distribution will be as follows: Delanson, $2,965; Duanesburg, $101,588; Scotia, $48,761; Glenville, $472,100; Niskayuna, $481,420; Princetown, $51,035; Rotterdam, $477,980; city of Schenectady, $521,895.
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Vote opposes Spitzer license plan Withdrawal of proposal expected BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Schenectady County legislators approved a resolution Tuesday night to oppose Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants despite knowing well before the vote the governor is expected to withdraw the proposal today. News of Spitzer’s decision broke over the Internet around 8:45 p.m. as county legislators debated their measure. County staff circulated copies of news reports to the Democratic majority while Republicans learned of it from other sources. Legislators nonetheless continued their debate and voted on the measure nearly 90 minutes later. The final vote was unanimous, 14-0, with Legislator Michael Petta absent, and Republicans joining Democrats. The resolution directed Spitzer to modify his proposal to grant licenses to “undocumented immigrants.” Pretending she did not know the governor would withdraw the plan, county Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, DNiskayuna, joked that perhaps the governor would see the county’s vote in the morning and change his mind. “As goes Schenectady County, so goes the state,” she quipped. Leaders of both parties said they continued the debate to show their respective positions were correct and that they had to vote regardless of the news, which they described as rumor. Legislator Michael Eidens, DNiskayuna, said the news was “irrelevant to this vote.” The final resolution was an amended version of a proposal the four-member Republican caucus submitted before the Nov. 6 elections. The governor’s proposal caused a huge backlash and gave Republicans a strong issue on which to bash Democrats. County Democrats, however, bottled the measure up in committee for a month. When they did bring it out for a vote, they delivered an amendment that, in the words of Republicans, “emasculated” their proposal. The amendment, introduced by Eidens, stripped the Republican proposal of most of its language, substituting new language and trimming the measure to approximately eight sentences. The amendment said the county Legislature “is opposed to that portion of Governor Spitzer’s proposal that would issue a state license to undocumented immigrants.” Eidens said, “This body does not have the legal authority to amend state law or to direct the county clerk to disobey the governor’s directive.” The Republican measures would have directed the County Clerk John Woodward to reject Spitzer’s directive and not issue drivers licenses to anyone who could not produce a valid Social Security number. It also included language about the illegal nature of Spitzer’s directive and how it could precipitate terrorist attacks on America. If approved in its original language, it would have directed Democrat Woodward to defy the governor. Woodward had earlier said he would support the governor’s proposal. Legislator Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, said Democrats pulled a “bait-and-switch” with the amendment. “You played it to the public that you would stop it from happening before the elections, and then you substituted chicken for lobster. It’s not even chicken, it’s dog food,” he said. Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Glenville, livid about the Democrat’s amendment, said it “redacts all language that says that drivers licenses cannot be issued to illegal aliens and it allows the department of motor vehicles to issue licenses. We have to stand up and take a stand that we cannot do this in Schenectady County.” Legislator Vincent DiCerbo, D- Schenectady, said “everyone here is in opposition to the governor’s directive” and that the final resolution does not “roll out the welcome wagon for illegal aliens. We are expressing strong opposition to the governor’s directive.”
Pretending she did not know the governor would withdraw the plan, county Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, DNiskayuna, joked that perhaps the governor would see the county’s vote in the morning and change his mind. “As goes Schenectady County, so goes the state,” she quipped.
Let's hope this isn't true!
I heard of Mr. Spitzer's decision to withdraw his plan to grant illegals drivers licenses between 5pm and 6pm last night, before the county legislature meeting, on the news, while sitting in my mom's hospital room. So the county legislatures were forewarned.
County staff circulated copies of news reports to the Democratic majority while Republicans learned of it from other sources. Legislators nonetheless continued their debate and voted on the measure nearly 90 minutes later.
I question why the county staff, that are supposed to serve the residents of the county, chose to circulate copies of the news reports to only the Democratic majority. These county employees are paid by the Schenectady County taxpayers. If the county staff cannot perform their jobs to serve the interests of county residents without allowing their political partisanship to adversely impact their work, they should be dismissed.
Word of Spitzer's apparent decision even reached the floor of the Schenectady County Legislature, which Tuesday night was in the midst of debating whether to pass a proposal to voice its opposition to the controversial licensing plan.
During the meeting, a phone rang in an adjacent office. Someone from a television station was looking for comment, given the apparent development. That prompted County Attorney Chris Gardner to pull a copy of a wire story about Spitzer backing off of his plans.
Legislator Philip Fields then called Spitzer's office to see if the story was true, and was told "unofficially" that it was.
So, the Schenectady County Legislature arrived at the party long after the food was gone and the band had stopped playing.
Legislator Lazzari sponsored legislation opposing Spitzer's plan prior to the October meeting of the County Legislature. The majority party "leadership" decided to delay discussion, debate, and a vote until after Election Day had passed for (valid) reasons unknown. During last evenings vote on the issue, Savage suggested that the Governor would likely rescind his decree once he learned that the County Legislature had passed (amended) legislation that expressed opposition but that implemented no actions/consequences (e.g., prohibiting County Clerk Woodward from issuing NY State Driver's licenses to illegal aliens). She was, of course, already aware that Spitzer would be announcing his decision to rescind the order on the next day.
I was, once again, disappointed in our County Legislators who continue to place party politics above public interests. I also continue to be dismayed by the lack of public interest in county government as evidenced by the small number of residents who were in attendance for other than ceremonial matters.
Brad, maybe the lack of residents is due to the fact that they know that the can attend the meetings and voice their displeasure with the proposed amendments and full well know that it won't do any good as the Dem majority will do what it wants anyway.
You know what happens when you p*ss into the wind b4 you do it don't you, you get the same reaction when you voice your concerns at the county council meetings. You're right about it's better to try and lose than not try at all. I just wish that it would do some good when people have concerns and that the legislatures would really take time, listen, investigate the problem b4 belittling the person who brought up the problem.
I just wish that it would do some good when people have concerns and that the legislatures would really take time, listen, investigate the problem b4 belittling the person who brought up the problem.
Shadow,
I agree with your assessment. I have made comments during the privilege of the floor only to be "corrected" by the Chairperson during my floor time (in violation of the rules) and by other Legislators after the POF had concluded when I could not challenge the (mis)statements and misrepresentations made by our "representatives".
Despite the arrogance and disdain for their constituents exhibited by many of the county legislators, I believe that it is important that the public attend these meetings to voice their concerns and opinions and to observe the actions and hear the statements that are made by the individuals who we elected to govern our county.
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