Progress

Thomas Edison once said, “Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.”

I attended last night’s Town Board meeting; partly I admit to see the dynamic of the board now that Mr. Mertz has been ostracized from the Republican Party. I didn’t see any of the other announced candidates in attendance but it’s possible they may have been there. Mr. Mertz, class act that he is, conducted himself in the same manner we’ve grown accustomed to, so no sordid tale to relate. I believe every single resolution, of which there were three pages, were motioned and seconded by a combination of Mr. Della Villa and Mr. Signore, however.

The recently proposed matter of granting the Planning Commission autonomy to select Town Designated Engineers (TDE’s) prompted the most discussion. It was on the agenda as a well-disguised public hearing. Had not Mr. Mertz made some comments that forced Mr. Comenzo and one of the TDE’s to respond, I would have been oblivious that it was a public hearing regarding this issue. I have views of my own on the matter and after listening to the other comments, I weighed in too. I basically expressed concerns about the process and criteria that would be used to produce and maintain the “Approved” list of TDE’s. While I appreciate the effort to improve efficiency of the current planning process, I would like to see the Comp Plan, performance standards, and all other zoning language updated, adopted, and firmly in place before looking to serve developer interests to speed up the process. The lag time currently is not burdensome, in my opinion. I am also concerned about granting hiring power to appointed town officials. I believe that ultimate accountability should remain with the Town Board and that changing the current approach diminishes Town Board accountability.

The answers provided seemed to indicate that accountability for any TDE “mistakes” would become that of the Planning Commission Chairman. I also understood the answer to my direct question about whether there would be a formal, defined process to select preferred engineers or an ad hoc, case-by-case process to be the latter, which also disturbs me. It may be splitting hairs to some degree because as it stands the Town Board usually relies on the Planning Commission engineer recommendation anyway in their determination. Though I didn’t say it last night because many of the people present would have interpreted it as some sort of accusation, I’m concerned that the change in procedure could create a window for a “pay-to-play” component. I wasn’t looking for trouble so I carefully danced around what I was trying to say without causing anyone offense.

I think I actually witnessed progress though on several of the issues foremost on my mind. The 3 CDTC studies were rolled into the existing Comprehensive Plan. That’s a huge advance, I think, and was accompanied by Mr. Comenzo’s stated commitment to getting performance standards and zoning language incorporated also. We’ll hopefully see some upcoming public comment period related to the Comp Plan.

More progress involved the passage of a resolution accepting the land deemed necessary for drainage relief to proceed in Masullo Estates. I’m not holding my breath but it represents another hurdle cleared. I congratulate and thank Mr. Mertz for his tireless effort to see that aspect through.

There was also a brief comment from Supervisor Tommasone regarding what he characterized as forward progress on building a new, long-awaited water tower in Rotterdam Junction. I’ll accept his remark at face value but with all the delays we’ve seen so far with that initiative, I’ll just hope this time is the charm.

Today is President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. His take on progress? “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.”

What?

It appears the Rotterdam GOP has succeeded in ousting Mr. Mertz from the Town Board. Personally, I am dumbfounded that arguably their single best vote-getter would be considered a liability somehow. It’s mind-boggling.

Undeniably the lightning rod for all issues controversial in town, he carried the water on the issues that scared others into silence but mattered most to residents. I suppose the only explanation is that he was carrying water someone else didn’t want carried. The local GOP must have another agenda and I confess, I can’t imagine what it could be.

What seems equally odd is that according to news reports, Mr. Mertz will be replaced by Mr. Suhrada, a Schenectady County GOP legislator, and an extremely vocal and often controversial character in his own right. What perplexes me most is that the GOP is already firmly in control in Rotterdam, soon to have 5 sitting Republicans while the County GOP is in the minority and Mr. Suhrada has proven to be an effective minority voice. This seems to weaken an already tenuous county foothold.

The ART of Government

My philosophy of effective government revolves around 3 important concepts.

Accountability.
Responsibility.
Transparency.

The first two concepts are very closely related but subtly different. I distinguish them apart by thinking of accountability in terms of answerability, while thinking of responsibility in terms of the burden, duties and obligations of having to take action on something. Of course, transparency is simply having it all out in the open for scrutiny.

Getting all 3 together is the real trick.

Then there is the infamous quid pro quo, or “something for something.” Quid pro quo, though not inherently sinister, has increasingly taken on negative connation in the political sphere. In politics, it’s what gets things done. In politics, it’s what sends people to jail. In politics, it serves interests…just usually not yours. Whenever you are presented with a quid pro quo, it’s a potential red flag. Take extra precaution to remain in the light, because if it takes place in the dark, it probably isn’t ethical and maybe even illegal.