Rochester Smoke Out

An article by David Freeman (Senior Science Editor, Huffington Post) asks a good question: Are Politicians Psychopaths?

Unfortunately, the answer is…

…Yes, politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this… That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow – but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.

Len and Terry Bernardo now have an excuse for their irresponsible behavior.

“They say everything in politics is about timing, and trapeze is absolutely about timing. It’s like a pendulum going back and forth,” she said. “Timing is everything.”

“I am committed to providing competent and committed representation to the residents of District One during my term as Ulster County Legislator.”

“The most immediate issue as I write this in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane is helping people.”

“Our financial future depends on the development of a new economic development structure…”

“I’m hoping that three factions of legislators chase down options to present to the Legislature and I would say that not all three groups want all three options to be presented to the Legislature.”

“It’s really being on the state committee and being active on the state committee, attending the state convention, attending the state committee meeting that really start to qualify you to attend the national convention.”

Believe it or not, all the above quotes are seeds from Terry Bernardo’s pumpkin.

A few years back, before every legislative election in Ulster County, those driving on Lucas Avenue were regaled with an electoral sign planted in front of the Bendelius residence, just south of Route 6.

The sign showed – in effigy – Legislator Sue Cummings behind bars. Ruth Bendelius had it in for Sue Cummings for one reason only: Sue supported the idea of a Casino in Wawarsing. Got it? Sue Cummings + Casino = BAD LEGISLATOR in Bendelius’ book.

Fast forward… Let’s quote from “Nevele group lays out plans for RVBA during morning breakfast” – an article in Blue Stone Press:

County Legislature chair Terry Bernardo (R-Accord), also in attendance, said: “As a resident and business owner and a representative of Wawarsing, I personally support the project.” Bernardo, noting that County Legislative Counsel Langdon Chapman has been named Counsel to the Senate Commission on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, said “I hope to use my connections to help you effectuate your plan.”

Surprise, surprise! Terry Bernardo + Casino = GOOD LEGISLATOR in Bendelius’ new book. A pro-Bernardo sign replaced the anti-Cummings sign, and this endorsement appeared in a campaign ad in Shawangunk Journal:

“Terry Bernardo is our best hope for ensuring that Rochester’s needs are heard and taken care of in the Ulster County Legislature. We enthusiastically endorse her.”
– Alan and Ruth Bendelius, Accord

What gives?

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

At the August 14, 2012 Legislative meeting, a few legislators chose to explain their vote on a local law amending the Ulster County Charter, but Legislator Aiello’s speech took the biscuit:

“I would like to commend anybody that volunteers and spends the amount of time that was spend on this Charter revision. Unfortunately, in my particular case and… and… look, I’m not crying over… trust me.

I think everybody in this room knows me well enough that I’d run in China if I had to, I really don’t care, that’s the way I am. But when you take five houses in a different voting district, and you take those five houses and you put them in another voting district, and you cross voting districts, and you make me part of a housing development that I’m really not part of, and people who wanted to really vote for me couldn’t vote for me because the part that I have was on the wrong part of the street, and I got four different plans from Chairman Wadnola at the time. He said I think you’re losing your mind Bob… I mean I’m trying to think who was… was it Vicky who sent me a map that was probably ten by fifteen? Am I right? OK… And it clearly said Bob Aiello was in District 15, I believe that Joe Roberti, no, not Joe, that Dean was in District 16, and our third candidate Mr. Frey was in… in… another district.

So, I didn’t come to the meetings to question my… my district because there were three candidates with three separate districts… Fair enough? Right? If it were under the old rule, Joe Roberti lived down the street from me… Primary – that’s fine…

In my particular case there was a move to dismantle me from this body, it’s not the first time, it’s not going to be the last… and, you know, I’ve been through a lot of things in my life… You know… I challenged the United States Government in Federal Court in a military case and won my case… by myself… 22 years old… married one year.

I tried to address the Commission, by that time 2 minutes was up and I got one of these (cutthroat gesture)… time’s up. I didn’t have enough time to explain my position so I ended up with 3 elections, OK? and no money, and no help, OK?

The night of the Convention it was an attempt at switching boats to get me off the ballot. I had members in my own community take me to the Supreme Court, trying to get my petitions taken off the ballot – they all failed.

When I was sick and dying in the hospital… they said, well… we’re going to get him this time… he’s gonna die… and I was criticized and I hold the record for the highest amount of absences in this Legislature because I had cancer.

And I had emails at home yet, nasty emails being home seven days, eight days from MRSA and sepsis and peritonitis, and I lost 55 pounds and I weighed 118 pounds when I came out of that pig pen that they call a hospital in Albany… with lawyers and doctors and had their own selfish interest and their own case in mind, and not me… and not about what was right..

If I had cancer in Kingston I should have had cancer in Albany, but the two pathology reports didn’t say that… and this may not have anything to do, and I know, with redistricting – but it goes to show you that I’m not a dummy… you don’t have cancer one day and you go to Albany to remove it and it’s nothing in there… So I went through all this for nothing. I’m lucky to be alive… I’m thankful to be alive… but I’m a fighter.

And I don’t care who knows it, I went thru hell in this last election. I couldn’t walk, I wasn’t… I paid somebody $500 to walk – and I don’t have $500 to spare – but I did that, OK? Because they added five houses from Bishop’s Gate to the 500 where I live, OK?… and gave me the village… which I willingly took and I will willingly take everything… and I appealed to this Commission at the last minute and got, as I said, that… (cutthroat gesture).

So, do I think it was fair, in my case? No. Am I complaining? No. Put five people on that ballot, I don’t care if you put fifteen people on that ballot, but don’t say you did it fairly, don’t tell me somebody from where Rich Gerentine lives, can come up to Saugerties and say oh, Jeez, that kind of looks like it belongs over there, and I lived here for 64 years… What the hell does he know about Saugerties when he is from Marlboro?

So, by that time, if it wasn’t for Ms. Doxsey’s letter… article, because I wasn’t following it – because remember, we had three separate districts with three separate candidates – until Ms. Doxsey wrote the article “Something suspicious going on in Saugerties.” It caught my eye and I saw my name in the paper. And unfortunately it involved my friend Dean Fabiano, who sits next to me, and it’s got nothing to do with Dean Fabiano, and what it said was that would cause a Primary between Dean and myself. Well, Dean didn’t live there either.

We had three separate districts so somebody decided to change it to force me into a primary; so I won the Primary election, Mr. Frey decided to stay on until Christmas Eve, he’s known the election was over before Thanksgiving. Come General Election time, I was running against Mr. Frey, I was running against – I don’t even remember my opponent’s name, who funded herself with over $10,000 for a Legislative race – and I won.

So, am I happy with my district as it… and the process in evaluating my district? No. Does it matter at this point? Did it matter in November? No.

I don’t feel, and Jeanette was here that night, and Jeanette told me, because I said to her you have a Primary and I believe Mr. Donaldson may have one too at that time and Jeanette, her district has changed, and I said to Jeanette I’m going to let… just make an appeal and I called Ms. Thompson at home because she’s the one who made the quote that Pat Doxsey wrote in the paper about “Something fishy going on in Saugerties.”

So, I’ll leave it at that… and leave you with how I feel about the Charter and being in this new Commission it’s like… it’s like a chimpanzee living in a one room cage waiting for my next banana.

That’s all this is like now! You know… And I’m still not used to this system of government, I’m really not used to it yet… you know, where I can’t ask a department head a question… The levels of people you go through in order to… one simple question…”

At this point Minority Leader Donaldson reached for help: Madam Chair!…
Legislator Aiello turned to David Donaldson:

“OK, OK, I know… I know I’m off… I’m gonna leave Dave… You know… My wife is going to email you some nice pictures from Ireland, because she had the pleasure of going and just came home last week. And you have a beautiful country… So, thank you very much!”

To hear Legislator Aiello, click here, then choose the August 14, 2012 webcast. The speech starts at 67:06.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

Tuesday, August 14, the Ulster County Legislature Circus started more than 30 minutes late. After a 13-minute public hearing and a 25-minute recess, the 7:00 o’clock meeting finally started at 8:08. Ulster County Under-Sheriff Frank Falutico – scheduled to communicate important information – couldn’t wait and had to leave.

So much for Terry Bernardo’s inaugural speech promises:

“We can and must do this without ego or politics as best as we possibly can…
because our job… all our jobs in county government… and we already know this…
is to provide excellent service.”

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

I chuckle every time I see this photo…
Terry holds the mike while Mike holds the audience’s attention!

Terry Bernardo is the Chairwoman of the Ulster County Legislature.
Mike Hein is the Ulster County Executive.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

On August 14, 2012 Freeman reported:

Ulster County lawmakers have scrapped an 11th-hour plan to solicit proposals for the purchase of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency’s assets.

Instead, county legislators are expected to consider today a resolution crafted last week to form a 13-member “non-partisan” commission to make recommendations to the county Legislature on the future of the beleaguered agency.

(The resolution was approved in the Legislature’s meeting on August 14.)

Hein called the creation of the Commission “another embarrassing example of failure to lead by the legislative chairwoman,” and said the Legislature has once again shown itself “to be either unable or unwilling to address this tough issue.”

Legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo could not be reached for comment, but – one week before – she wrote:

“This is exactly why we have a deliberative committee process — so legislators can bring up ideas, discuss them, and make them better. Former legislatures have failed to address the RRA issue and this legislature is doing all we can to take a hard look at the serious ideas that are being considered.”

Former legislatures have failed to address the RRA issue? Wasn’t Terry Bernardo part of a former legislature? How exactly did she address the issue one year ago besides sending this email to Rochester Republican Committee?

In the linked Freeman article the Legislator Carl Belfiglio is quoted as saying:

“I didn’t think that anybody got the message of exactly what flow control was and I think mostly what had happened was some of the legislators not understanding exactly what it was kind of made blanket statements about taking money out of one pocket and putting it in the other or (that it would be) some kind of legalized monopoly.”

Then Town of Rochester Councilwoman Manuela Michailescu refused to accept that Belfiglio included Bernardo among “the legislators not understanding exactly what” flow control was, and sent this email to which she never received an answer:

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

Interesting article in Rockland County Times about a secret meeting – behind a cemetery! – seeking to save the Conservative Party Chair’s position:

Influential kingmaker in Clarkstown and Rockland politics, Ed Lettre, the executive director of the Rockland chapter of the Conservative Party, called a “secret meeting” involving major players from all five Rockland County political parties last week.

His purpose? To get everyone on board with a plan to keep his team of Conservatives in power, as he is facing a powerful challenge from a group led by former party chair Nick Longo. In return, of course, he told those in his camp he’ll help to keep them in power too.

Take a look at the comments below and tell me things are different in Ulster County:

Jeanine Vecchiarelli
Words positively fail me. We know there is dishonesty, graft and collusion among the Party heads in Rockland, and in general. But the depth and breadth, and the proof that these bosses are completely willing to act against their Parties’ principles as well as against the will of their registered members in order to keep their power is beyond breathtaking. Thank you, Dylan, for exposing this deplorable activity beyond all shadow of doubt.

Barbara Gries
Thank you, Dylan, for your investigation and reporting of this. We need more like you. With corruption like this it is no wonder that our county finances are in such a mess. The more I get involved in the political goings on in Rockland, the more convinced I am that the corruption in our government begins in the political parties. We need party leadership that is decent and honest and rooted in the same principles on which this country was built, not about how to use party position to gain and remain in power.

Read all about the House of Horrors in our neighbors’ County.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco

Read the Puppet On A String? – an article about the state of the Republican Party in Rockland County. It should ring a bell.

What we’re trying to do is save the Republican Party. We have a leadership in this County that has made the voters not even want to come out to vote. They’re disgusted with party politics.
…
“We believe that years of ineffective leadership has reduced our party’s relevancy. The erosion of Republican core principles led to the financial calamity we now have in our County. What is the long term impact on the taxpayer, when we no longer have an opposition party to challenge Democrats? The role of the opposition party is to protect the taxpayers from uncontested power of the majority over the minority. The party leadership has forgotten that they work for us and not the other way around. As a result, we are forced to take this less than conventional route to restore these principles by replacing the leadership.

Disturbing news, even more so for those who remember Rockland political party head indicted, an article about the chairwoman of the Rockland County Independence Party being indicted for perjury and falsifying petitions.

You bring the tar, I will bring the feathers.

– Jon Dogar-Marinesco