Hi all...
Earlier this afternoon I broached an idea at Vassar's Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics confab:
An Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Wall of Truth for Dutchess County-- with anonymous (or with names) vignettes/stories/quotes of racial, sexual, other discrimination locally here in new millennium...
Quite a few folks piped up that they, indeed, were real interested in making such a wall reality!...
[a moveable wall-- hopefully to be of canvas (perhaps real thick paper)-- to be presented, perhaps, after it's filled up with stories from across Dutchess-- at the Mon. May 9th 7 pm full board meeting of our County Legislature]
[if we can't pull together to do this in Dutchess, land of Eleanor Roosevelt-- we should hang heads low; of course would love to work with ERVK on this if they're interested; never too late to TRULY stand up]
So-- if you'd like to help work with us to pull this off and actually bring this to fruition-- let us know!...
[recall insult to injury-- wasn't just Dutchess Co. Leg. GOP that killed DCHRC-- but PoJo too; see below]
Pass it on-- for Eleanor-- and for all of us not yet co-opted by the power structure here in Dutchess...
Joel
444-0599/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
p.s. Thx already to Dr. JoAnne Myers, Political Science and Women's Studies Professor at Marist, for indicating her interest to us in this idea!...
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[on that note-- recall below re: DCHRC originally sent out to my list Feb. 13th]
PoJo cover-up for GOP again-- Feb. 13th editorial-- "OK" to kill Human Rights Commission(!)....
Just when you think the Poughkeepsie Journal can't sink any lower than it has already-- it does again...
To wit-- the Feb. 13th editorial covered up for Steinhaus, Rolison, Co. Leg. GOP-- telling us it's just fine and dandy that Dutchess doesn't have Human Rights Commission any more (after three decades)...(!)...
[send your 250-word letters of outrage in, folks-- to letterstoeditor@poughkeepsiejournal.com!]
Fact: Both Ku Klux Klan AND cross burnings have been here in Dutchess County over past 2 decades.
[racism is alive and well in new millennium, folks; see Tim Wise posted to RedRoom.com last July 10th:
http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/black-powers-gonna-get-you-sucka-right-wing-paranoia-and-rhetoric-modern-racism ]
Fact: Complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission since 2000:
[from African-Americans, Latino immigrants, women, seniors, differently abled, and gays and lesbians]
2009-- 926 (less than '08 only because DCHRC was unable to process calls for 45 days; budget cuts)
2008-- 971 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2007-- 860 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2006-- 817 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2005-- 676 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2004-- 711 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2003-- 768 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2002-- 768 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2001-- 789 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
2000-- 800 different complaints, inquiries, and info requests to our county's Human Rights Commission
[note as well-- our county's Human Rights Commission has also received dozens of complaints about various police departments and our criminal justice system over the past two years alone; the fact is that two GOP county legislators have served for quite a long time as police officers locally-- coincidence?...recall: our county's Human Rights Commission looked into Beacon's Police Department]
Recall this Jan. 4th letter to editor from http://www.PoughkeepsieJournal.com -- more proof racism alive:
Letters to the editor for 1/4/11
JANUARY 4, 2011
Profiling By Police Must Be Stopped
As I complete a decade of residency in Poughquag, my wish is for my family and I to finally feel like residents. This will only be possible when Fishkill law enforcement and New York state police discontinue their racial profiling.
Innumerable, unwarranted and, mostly unpleasant, encounters over the last nine years with both have been endured by my husband and I.
I do not think we are the only ones. I am quite familiar with this area, having attended Vassar College 30 years ago. This is not the Dutchess County I recall and it will not be the Dutchess County I continue to tolerate. I encourage others who have had similar experiences to speak out. Separate rules do not apply to upstate. My quality of life and that of my family will not be arbitrarily degraded because of haughtiness and ignorance. And please, let's not address this solution with another mass training program. This is about improving the hiring and selection process. A cops-and-robbers mentality is for children, not law enforcement "professionals."
Dr. S. T. Smikle
Poughquag
Recall this one from http://www.NYPost.com back in January (also made it to WAMC; not to PoJo tho)...
Race relations a study in black & white
By BRENDAN SCOTT
Last Updated: 3:19 AM, January 18, 2011
Posted: 1:12 AM, January 18, 2011
Opinions about race are softening among white New Yorkers but not among blacks, says a statewide Siena College poll released yesterday...while 60 percent of whites expressed a generally positive view, blacks were nearly the reverse: 63 percent negative-- and the black perspective was virtually unchanged from last year's.
[recall, too-- not one GOP county legislator was willing to explain why they were so bent on killing our county's only Human Rights Commission after decades of service to Dutchess residents (I thought that was particularly cowardly-- their unwillingness to make any public statement whatsoever explaining their actions on this; shouldn't legislators be held publicly accountable and responsible for their actions?)...see http://www.totalwebcasting.com/view/?id=dutchess ; view webcast of Dec. Co. Leg. mtg.]
Fact: Just over the last five years the GOP majority in our County Legislature has targeted youth of color and Latino immigrants for racist scapegoating with the GOP's mailings and statements (re: GOP literature mailed out across Dutchess in 2005 against a bail loan fund-- and re: GOP statements against allowing undocumented workers to have driver's licenses).
Fact: Gay teenagers all over the U.S. are committing suicide due to teasing and bullying comments (and plenty of this still goes on in our schools here in Dutchess; I know this because I work in them).
[check out http://www.PoJoWatch.blogspot.com for more continued Pok. Journal bias]
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[check out this must-read from Tim Wise posted to RedRoom.com July 10th this year-- from
http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/black-powers-gonna-get-you-sucka-right-wing-paranoia-and-rhetoric-modern-racism ]
Black Power's Gonna Get You Sucka: Right-Wing Paranoia and the Rhetoric of Modern Racism
Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity
by Tim Wise
by Tim Wise
July 11, 2010, 7:00 pm
Prominent white conservatives are angry about racism.
Forget all that talk about a post-racial society. They know better than to believe in such a thing, and they're hopping mad.
What is it that woke them up finally, after all these years of denial, during which they insisted that racism was a thing of the past?
Was it the research indicating that job applicants with white sounding names have a 50 percent better chance of being called back for an interview than their counterparts with black-sounding names, even when all qualifications are the same?
No.
Was it the study that found white job applicants with criminal records have a better chance of being called back for an interview than black applicants without one, even when all the qualifications are the same?
No.
Was it the massive national study that estimated at least 1 million cases of blatant job discrimination against blacks, Latinos and Asian Americans each year, affecting roughly one-in-three job seekers of color?
No.
Is it the fact that black males with college degrees are almost twice as likely as their white male counterparts to be out of work?
No.
Is it the data indicating that Chinese-American professionals earn less than 60 percent as much as their white counterparts, even though the Chinese Americans, on average, have more education?
No.
Was it the study that found the lightest-skinned immigrants to the United States make as much as 15 percent more than the darkest, even when the immigrants in question have the same level of education, experience and measured productivity?
No.
Perhaps they finally stumbled upon the evidence suggesting millions of cases of race-based housing discrimination against people of color each year, and this is what has them so incensed?
No.
Or maybe their anger is due to the reports of blatant racism practiced by Wells Fargo, which was deliberately roping black borrowers (to whom they referred as "mud people") into high-cost loans, targeting them for these instruments, and even falsifying credit histories to make black applicants look like greater risks than they were, so as to justify the scam?
No.
Was it the study demonstrating that e-mail inquiries about rental property submitted by people with white sounding names were 60 percent more likely than those with black sounding names to get a positive response from a landlord (meaning an indication that a unit was available for rent), even when the housing had been previously advertised as available?
No.
Maybe they're furious because of the way whites in the New Orleans area conspired after the flooding of the city to keep blacks from returning and being able to find housing on equitable terms, if at all?
No.
Or maybe it's because of the data from the Justice Department, to the effect that blacks are far more likely than whites to have their cars and persons searched after a traffic stop, even though whites, when searched, are more than four times as likely to have drugs or other illegal contraband on us?
No.
Well then, perhaps it's the recent revelations that police in New York City are blatantly profiling blacks and Latinos, stopping and frisking them in massive numbers, even though in 90 percent of all cases, the people they stop are released without any charge because they are found to have done nothing illegal?
No.
Is the source of their anger the data showing that although whites and blacks use and sell drugs at roughly the same rates, African Americans are anywhere from 2.8 to 5.5 times more likely than whites to be arrested for a drug offense, depending on the year?
Or perhaps the state level data indicating that in nine states, blacks are arrested at more than seven times the rate of whites, and in Minnesota and Iowa at rates that are more than eleven times greater than white arrest rates for drugs? Or perhaps the additional data that blacks are more than 10 times as likely as whites to be sent to prison for drug offenses, despite relatively equivalent rates of drug crimes? Or the fact that a majority of persons admitted to prison for drug offenses are black, even though there are about six times more white users nationwide?
No.
Maybe they're beside themselves over the fact that millions of black men who are ex-felons and have paid their debt to society are permanently blocked from voting thanks to disenfranchisement laws that were devised for blatantly racist reasons? Surely they are upset that these laws have led to blacks being denied the right to vote after serving their time at a rate that is 7 times the national average?
No.
Perhaps they're enraged by the way white police officers conspired to murder a black man in New Orleans after Katrina, and then cover up the crime, or the way other whites formed a vigilante terror squad and went hunting for black people in the aftermath of the flooding?
No.
Maybe it was that racist e-mail sent by the white Boston police officer to the reporter at the Boston Globe, in which he called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates a "banana eatin' jungle monkey?"
No.
Then maybe it was the story about that high ranking racist in the Chicago police force who OK'd the torture of black men to extract confessions for years?
No.
Then I bet they must have finally seen that story about the Philadelphia cop who refers to black folks as animals and n-----s. That's it, right?
No.
Could it be that they've read and been moved by the dozens of studies that show the cumulative health effects of racism and discrimination on people of color, and which indicate that doctors do indeed treat patients of color differently, and worse, than their white counterparts? Or perhaps the research that finds how even black women with college degrees, decent jobs and good incomes have infant mortality rates for their children that are higher than the rates for white women who dropped out before high school? And the way that researchers believe stresses associated with racial discrimination are implicated in the worse fetal and neo-natal health of these mother's children?
No.
Perhaps it's the research that shows black students being suspended and expelled from school at far higher rates than white students, even though there are no significant differences in the rates at which students of different races violate serious school rules?
No.
Maybe it's the research indicating that teachers set lowered expectations for children with black-sounding names, independent of observed ability, and even when compared to the child's own siblings who have less identifiably black names. These lowered expectations, based on presumptions of lowered competence and ability then result in lower performance by the stigmatized students.
No.
Or maybe it was that troubling story on CNN about how white children and even many children of color seem to prefer white skin, and think that children with black skin are bad, dirty, mean and ugly?
No.
Well then it must be the blatant stuff. Maybe they finally got around to looking at those images of Tea Party protesters and other assorted conservatives coming to rallies with signs advocating the lynching of Democratic party leaders, or portraying the President as an African witch doctor? Or maybe somebody informed them of all the times that conservative and Republican Party activists have sent around blatantly racist e-mails lately, like those portraying the white house lawn covered in watermelons, or once again with the witch doctor imagery, or likening Michelle Obama to an ape, or picturing the President as a pair of "spook eyes" against a black background?
No.
Maybe they're angry at Tea Party leader Mark Williams for calling the President an "Indonesian Muslim" and a "welfare thug?" I mean, that's pretty racialized rhetoric, right?
No.
Or maybe it was the Tea Party leader in Ohio who tweeted about how he wants to shoot Hispanic immigrants, to whom he refers as "spicks?" (sic)
No.
Well then surely it must have been the story about Tea Party candidate for Governor in New York who sent e-mails picturing the President dressed as a pimp and featuring a group of African tribesman performing a traditional dance, which he referred to as the "Obama Inauguration Rehearsal?"
No.
Perhaps what has them angry is the statement by that Arizona Congressman, to the effect that black folks were better off under slavery than they are today?
No.
Maybe it was because of those guys over at the popular right-wing website, FreeRepublic.com who called the President's daughter, Malia, "typical ghetto trash," and a "whore" whose mother likes to entertain her by "making monkey sounds?"
No.
Or perhaps they finally had enough when they heard about how Rep. Ciro Rodriguez was called a "wetback" by one of his constituents and told to go back to Mexico?
No.
Or maybe it was that lawmaker in South Carolina who called both President Obama and Republican Gubernatorial candidate (and Indian American) Nikki Haley, "ragheads?"
No.
Or perhaps they're upset about how the guy who sponsored the law in Arizona, ostensibly to catch "illegal immigrants" (a law they support), turns out to be pals with neo-Nazis? Or the fact that the organization that takes credit for writing the bill has longstanding ties to blatant racists and hate groups?
No.
Or maybe it was the story about how National Review columnist John Derbyshire told Harvard law students that black achievement lags behind white achievement because blacks are biologically inferior to whites?
No.
Well perhaps it was that story about the motorists in Prescott, Arizona who continually shouted racial slurs at artists who were painting a mural on the walls of a school, which featured children of color who go there? And certainly they must have been upset about the fact that initially the school was actually planning to lighten the subjects' skin color so as to appease locals and a right wing talk show host?
No.
Or maybe they're irate because of the report that employees of the Department of Homeland Security have posted blatantly racist comments about Latino immigrants on web boards?
No.
Surely it must be because of the evidence that uniformed American soldiers are joining up with neo-Nazi organizations and even flaunting their membership in such groups?
No.
It is none of this. Neither the evidence of systemic discrimination against people of color in every walk of American life, nor the repeated examples of blatant racism directed towards people of color individually moves them.
But they're angry nonetheless about racism in America.
They're especially angry about the tax being placed on those who use tanning salons. Because this is racist. Against white people. No, seriously.
Oh, and the President criticized a white police officer for arresting a black man for a crime that, turns out, the black man didn't actually commit, according to state law. That Obama would do such a thing--namely, criticize an officer for making an unjustified arrest--means that white police officers are "under assault" from Obama, and that the President is trying to "destroy" the white officer, no doubt because he's white.
Oh, and since people of color disproportionately lack health care coverage, the President's plan for expanding coverage is obviously a racist scheme to get reparations for slavery.
Oh, and the President is deliberately trying to destroy the economy so as to pay back white people for slavery and hundreds of years of oppression.
Oh, and two black kids beat up a white kid on a bus in Belleville, Illinois--something that is obviously due to Obama being President.
Oh, and the President picked Eric Holder as Attorney General. Since Holder has said Americans have often been "cowards" when it comes to discussing race, this proves that Holder is racist against white people, even though he didn't mention white people. He said Americans, and Americans means white people. So he's a bigot. And so is Obama for picking him.
Oh, and the President nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. And she's a Latina, who notes that she sees the world through the lens of her experience, and that she hopes that experience would positively inform her decision-making. And that means she's a bigot. And the fact that Obama nominated her, as well as Eric Holder, proves that he "views white men as the problem" in America, and that the only way you can get promoted by Obama is "by hating white people." Like Tim Geithner, who most definitely hates your honky ass.
Oh, and the President also nominated Elena Kagan, and Kagan once worked for Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Marshall once said the Constitution as originally conceived--which, ya know, excluded blacks from citizenship--was flawed. Imagine. And this means that Marshall was anti-white, and anyone who worked for him must be too.
Oh, and the Obama Justice Department dropped criminal voter intimidation charges against three members of the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia (while obtaining an injunction against a fourth member). So this proves the Administration is allied with the Panthers, whose Philly leader proclaims that he "hates all white people," and Obama probably agrees with him, and is refusing to prosecute because he doesn't care about white folks' voting rights. In fact, the New Black Panthers are part of Obama's "army of thugs." Even though the same Philly leader of the group didn't support Obama for President, and has called Obama a "puppet" and "slavemaster."
And of course, as a point of fact, the criminal charges against the other three Panthers were dropped by the Bush Department of Justice. And there have been no voters who actually claim to have been intimidated by the Panthers. And even a leading conservative Republican on the Civil Rights Commission says the incident is much ado about nothing.
Oh, and since the Justice Department is considering bringing federal charges against the white officer who killed Oscar Grant--a black man--in cold blood in Oakland last year, this proves that we've returned to the 1950s, only this time it's whites who are the victims of racist oppression. Because it's oppression to bring charges against a white cop who kills someone. Naturally.
Yes indeed, they all agree, Obama is a "reverse racist" who has a deep-seated hatred of white people, and who is like Hitler, and we know this because he's proposing a national service corps to help work on various community problems, and this is just like the Nazi SS, well, except for the murdering part. Or if not Hitler, then at the very least he's just like an "African colonial despot".
And for sure, Obama is the reason race relations are so strained: not because of the ongoing discrimination against people of color, which the data indicates is commonplace, or because of the incendiary rhetoric coming from conservative commentators. But because of Barack Obama.
Race relations could never be strained by say, for instance, having a white talk show host fantasize about murdering a black congressman with a shovel.
Or by another host calling undocumented migrants from Mexico "invasive species".
Or by spreading lies about how 5 million so-called "illegal aliens" were given subprime mortgages, as a way to blame the undocumented for the housing meltdown, even though there is no evidence whatsoever to support the fabricated claim.
Or by alleging that ACORN (a community-based organization comprised mostly of people of color) committed massive voter fraud so as to help elect Obama, even though there is no evidence that a single illegitimate vote was cast due to ACORN's voter registration efforts, and despite the fact that when a few ACORN operatives filed phony voter registration cards, it was ACORN itself that alerted election officials to the problem
Or by a prominent conservative commentator insisting that white men are experiencing the same kind of oppression that blacks faced for years, even as that commentator has previously reminisced fondly about the days of segregation.
Or by another radio host and prominent conservative author blaming "multicultural" people for "destroying" the country, or calling Arab Muslims "non-humans," or fantasizing about killing people in the "civil rights business."
Or by another radio host and prominent conservative author referring to the mostly black residents of New Orleans, in the wake of Katrina as "worthless parasites" and "human parasitic garbage" because of their high rates of welfare receipt. Even though, according to Census data, there were only 4600 households in all of the city receiving cash welfare at the time of the flooding, which was less than 4 percent of all black households in the city, and whose annual benefits came to only around $2800 per year.
Or by walking around with a sign suggesting that President Obama intends to put white people into slavery.
Or by saying that President Obama only won the election because he's black, and if he weren't black, he'd be a tour guide in Honolulu.
Or by saying that the only reason Colin Powell endorsed Obama was as an act of racial bonding.
Or by saying that Oprah Winfrey is also successful only because she's black.
Or by blaming the economic collapse on fair lending laws and lending to minorities, even though all the evidence suggests such laws and such loans had nothing to do with the housing or larger economic crises.
Or perhaps by having a right-wing talk show host announce a plan for conservatives to "take back the civil rights movement," and compare himself to Martin Luther King Jr. This, even though conservatives were almost uniformly opposed to the movement and King, and even though the talk show host's favorite authors, whose work he promotes regularly, viewed the movement as a communist conspiracy and referred to civil rights activists as animals.
Or by another conservative comparing himself to Dr. King, and speaking of how much he respects King's legacy, even as he--the conservative--has said he believes private businesses should have the right to discriminate on the basis of race.
No, none of those things could strain race relations, or further racism.
And certainly not when compared to a tanning booth tax.
While on the face of it, these kinds of right-wing inanities may seem so absurd as to hardly merit being taken seriously, it's important to step back and think about the internal logic of even the most outlandish claims. I mean, no one can honestly believe that health care reform is reparations. After all, what the hell kind of reparations is it where you have to get sick first in order to get paid? That's not a good hustle. And no one can really believe that some white kid got beat up on a bus because it's "Obama's America," as if the President had sent a text message to those black guys saying: HEY, YNOT BEAT SUM CRAKA ASS 4 ME, U DIG?
But the intellectual strength of the claims is not the issue. It doesn't matter. From a political perspective, even the most insane-sounding claim about Obama's supposed hatred for white people makes sense. It's a perfect way to prime white racial fears and anxieties, to say, in effect, they're coming for your money white folks, and then your children. In a nation where the population will be half people of color within 25-30 years, and where the popular culture is now thoroughly multicultural (and thus many of the icons don't look the way they used to), and where the President doesn't fit a lot of people's conception of what such a person is supposed to look like, and where the economy is in the toilet for millions, playing upon white anxiety is the perfect recipe for political mobilization.
They've said very clearly that they want their country back. And if we who oppose the right don't challenge these folks for the racists they are, or continue to shy away from making race an issue (as if it weren't already), they just might get it.
Tim Wise is the author of five books and over 250 essays on race. His latest is Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 2010).
Sunday, March 27, 2011
help push for public hearing for Dutchess residents re: Indian Point evacuation plan!...
[I just sent this letter below to Dutchess County Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith and my 24 colleagues in our County Legislature (following up on original Mar. 15th letter I sent to the other 24 county legislators)...if you live here in Dutchess County and want to avoid armageddon here in our valley-- and agree with me that Indian Point needs to be shut down asap-- then piggyback on this letter below I've just sent-- and send a letter yourself to our county's Emergency Response Coordinator and my colleagues too!...(their email addresses are just below)...Joel]
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From: Joel Tyner
To: dsmith@co.dutchess.ny.us, emergresponse911@co.dutchess.ny.us
Cc: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us
Subject: Emergency Response Coordinator Smith (Dana), Colleagues-- Dutchess County residents need public hearing re: Indian Point evacuation plan for us...
Date: Mar 27, 2011 7:52 AM
Dutchess County Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith
392 Creek Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Dear Coordinator Smith (Dana)-- and my colleagues in our County Legislature:
Let's work together to hold a public forum as soon as possible on current evacuation plans for Dutchess County residents in the event of an emergency at Indian Point!
As Rep. Eliot Engel recently reminded us all (see below), "The terrorists flew over Indian Point on 9/11 going to the World Trade Center."
Moreover, as the folks at http://www.Riverkeeper.org tells us:
"It is possible for an earthquake to strike at Indian Point; a 2008 study by Columbia University Earth Observatory seismologists found that IP’s three reactors sit at the intersection of two active seismic zones. [see: http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2235 ]
According to August 2010 NRC data, Indian Point is now considered the most dangerous plant in the country when it comes to the risk of meltdown due to earthquake. Based on recent information gathered by the government and the Columbia University study, the NRC data shows the odds of core damage potentially leading to a meltdown now are 72% higher than previously believed.
Indian Point also has the highest population density surrounding a nuclear plant in the United States, with 20 million people living within a 50 mile radius. It is also the plant with an evacuation plan that former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt called unworkable, in a 2003 report commissioned by New York Governor George Pataki.
Columbia University says the risk of an earthquake as large as 7.0 on the Richter scale is possible at Indian Point. Entergy admits it can’t handle an earthquake of this magnitude and that at best the plant could withstand a magnitude 6.1 earthquake. This is highly significant because the energy released in a 7.0 level earthquake is roughly 30 times more powerful than a 6.1."
[ http://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/stop-polluters/power-plant-cases/riverkeeper-responds-to-japan-nuclear-plant-crisis/ ]
More to the point-- recall this as well from the New York Times' March 20th-- "Fukushima, Indian Point, and Fantasy" by Peter Applebome:
"The most in-depth analysis of the evacuation planning for Indian Point was a 256-page report commissioned by Gov. George E. Pataki and completed in 2003 ][2003-- eight years ago!] by a firm headed by James Lee Witt, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It concluded that the plans were drafted to comply with regulations rather than to create an effective strategy to protect the population, and that they assumed people would comply with government directives rather than do what seemed to be in their own best interests. Citing these and other concerns, the report said: 'It is our conclusion that current radiological response system and capabilities are not adequate to overcome their combined weight and protect the people from an unacceptable dose of radiation in the event of a release from Indian Point.'" [see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/nyregion/21towns.html ]
So-- please let me know as soon as possible when and where you might be available to hold such a forum; short of shutting down Indian Point (which needs to happen anyway but may not happen soon enough), the least the taxpayers of Dutchess County deserve is an open, public forum on what the evacuation plans might be for local residents in the event of an emergency at Indian Point.
Thank you.
Yours,
Joel Tyner
County Legislator
Clinton/Rhinebeck
444-0599
[also see NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Mar. 18th letter-- much more good, pertinent info here:
http://www.riverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3-18-11-Schneiderman-Letter-to-NRC.pdf ]
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Fact: "Only .75% of New York's area would be needed for solar panels to produce all of the electricity needed for our state."
-- Dr. Richard Perez of SUNY-Albany
[ http://www.asrc.cestm.albany.edu/perez/publications/Solar%20Resource%20Assessment%20and%20Modeling/Papers%20on%20Resource%20Assessment%20and%20Satellites/Is%20there%20really%20enough%20sun-07.pdf ]
Fact: Germany has less sunlight than NYS but has solar panels all over, the Town of Babylon lends
homeowners money for solar, and NJ, PA, MA, CT, and DE all more heavily incentivize the purchase of
solar for their state residents than New York does here. [see http://www.NYSEIA.org ]
Fact: GOP County Executives in Orange, Rensselaer, and Rockland counties have all enacted county-level
sales tax exemptions on sale/installation of residential solar panels; also NYC, Albany, Broome, Clinton,
Columbia, Erie, Essex, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Schuyler, Suffolk, Tompkins, Warren,
and Yates counties.
[ http://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/publications/sales/pub718s_510.pdf ]
Fact: Dutchess County homeowners and businesses could save $1 billion over the next ten years on
energy efficiency according to Sustainable Hudson Valley Chair David Dell. Fact: 90% of NYS homeowners
eligible for free energy audits ( http://www.NYSERDA.org ; 331-2238).
[we truly do not need Indian Point; see http:www.petitiononline.com/pacehere ; http://www.Clearwater.org ]
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From http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/cuomo-orders-safety-review-of-indian-point-nuclear-plant/ ...
Cuomo Orders Safety Review Of Indian Point Nuclear Plant
March 16, 2011 6:54 PM
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (credit: Flickr)
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (credit: Flickr)
kramer
Reporting Marcia Kramer
BUCHANAN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered a complete safety review of Westchester County’s Indian Point nuclear plant after startling new information was revealed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The NRC reportedly ranked Indian Point as the reactor with the highest risk of earthquake damage in the United States, even higher than the twin reactors in California’s quake zone, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer.
“The Indian Point power plant is the most susceptible to earthquake because reactor number three is on a fault,” Gov. Cuomo said.
Experts say Indian Point is about one mile from the intersection of two faults, and that has the governor concerned.
The plant is just 24 miles from New York City, and according to the NRC, it’s the plant with the highest possibility of earthquake damage.
Cuomo wasted no time in ordering an immediate safety review.
“I’ve had concern about Indian Point for a long time. As attorney general, I did a lot of work on Indian Point,” he said. “My position was that it shouldn’t be relicensed. My position was that it should be closed. I understand the power and the benefit; I also understand the risk, and this plant – in this proximity to New York City – was never a good risk.”
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From http://www.lohud.com/article/20110324/NEWS01/103240380/Lowey-Engel-want-hearings-nuke-licensing ...
Lowey, Engel want hearings on nuke licensing
The Journal News Mar. 23, 2011 8:10 pm
Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, have asked the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold the hearings and vowed to reintroduce legislation to force federal regulators to evaluate the relicensing of aging power plants with the same criteria used to license new plants.
"It is unacceptable that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not required to take into account factors like population, national security and evacuation plans in determining the relicensing of aging nuclear power plants like Indian Point," Lowey said.
Under NRC regulations, population density, evacuation plans and security issues are not normally part of an extension of a nuclear plant's operating license. The agency has repeatedly pointed out during Indian Point's relicensing review that those issues are part of continuing regulation of the plant.
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the agency would "be responsive" to testifying at a hearing on the topic of nuclear power plant emergency planning.
"We work closely with (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and our other federal, state and county partners to ensure that each plant has an emergency plan capable of addressing all situations," Sheehan said. "Once every two years, that plan is put to the test, with the NRC assessing the company's on-site actions and FEMA evaluating off-site actions."
Lowey and Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, have called for the closure of the nuclear plant for years.
Engel said the threats of terrorism and natural disasters are "all too real" not to tighten licensing regulations.
"The terrorists flew over Indian Point on 9/11 going to the World Trade Center," Engel said. "Because of its location, it is too inviting a target. The condition of the plant should be enough to have it closed, but the NRC seems to be too tolerant of nuclear facilities' condition in renewing licenses."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also called for the closing of the nuclear plant, which sits about 30 miles north of the Bronx-Westchester County border.
Cuomo had expressed strong opposition to Indian Point being able to produce electricity through 2035. The plant's current license expires in 2015.
On Tuesday, Cuomo's staff and Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy left a meeting at NRC headquarters with the agency promising to put Indian Point at the top of its list of plants that will be assessed in-depth for seismic risk.
Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton's position as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee means he will make the final decision on the hearing request.
Upton supports nuclear energy — his southwestern Michigan district is home to two plants, one owned by Entergy, the company that owns Indian Point.
He said as recently as last week that he continues to see "safe nuclear energy as a vital component of America's present and future energy mix."
An attempt Wednesday to reach Upton was unsuccessful.
If two local congressional representatives have their way, there will be federal hearings on licensing nuclear facilities situated in densely populated areas.
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From http://www.radiation.org/spotlight/reactorclosings.html ...
Decrease in Infant Death Rates After Reactor Closings
Downwind Counties < 40 MILES
Joseph J. Mangano, Radiation and Public Health Project, 12/10/03
Infant Deaths (< 1 Yr)
Reactor
Year Closed
Percent Change
Permanently Closed
LaCrosse, WI
1987
-15.4
Rancho Seco, CA
1989
-16.0
Fort St. Vrain, CO
1989
-15.4
Trojan, OR
1992
-17.9
Big Rock Point, MI
1997
-42.4
Maine Yankee, ME
1997
- 9.3
Zion, IL
1998
-17.0
Temporarily Closed
Pilgrim, MA
1986
-24.3
Millstone, CT
1995
-17.4
Total for Nine Areas
-17.3
US Average Change
1986-2000
- 5.6
Notes:
1. "Before" period = year before and year of closing; "after" period = two years after closing.
2. Only includes areas with nearest operating reactor at least 70 miles away.
3. Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, www.cdc.gov
4. Actual rates for nine areas are 8.02 deaths under one year per 1,000 live births before shutdown (1285 deaths/160,150 births), and 6.63 after shutdown (1094/164,904).
Decrease In Childhood Cancer Incidence After Reactor Closings
Downwind Counties < 40 Miles
Joseph J. Mangano, Radiation and Public Health Project, 12/10/03
Childhood Cancer Incidence Rate (< 5 Yrs.)
Reactor
Year Closed
Percent Change
Permanently Closed
LaCrosse, WI
1987
-38.6
Rancho Seco, CA
1989
-25.4
Fort St. Vrain, CO
1989
-12.0
Big Rock Point, MI
1997
-53.3
Maine Yankee, ME
1997
-29.9
Zion, IL
1998
- 7.6
Total for Six Areas
-23.9
US Average Change
1986-1998
+ 0.3
Change in Connecticut After
Partial Test Ban Tresty
Went Into Effect
1963-64 vs.
1965-71
-25.5
Notes:
1. "Before" period = year before and year of closing; "after" period = seven years after closing
2. "After" periods are under seven years for Big Rock Point (1998-00), Maine Yankee (1998-01), and Zion (1999-2000).
3. Only includes areas with nearest operating reactor at least 70 miles away.
4. Sources: State cancer registries.
5. Actual rates for five areas are 26.32 cancer cases per 100,000 children under age five before shutdown (82 cases/311,519 children) and 18.64 after shutdown (216/1,158,906).
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From: Joel Tyner
To: dsmith@co.dutchess.ny.us, emergresponse911@co.dutchess.ny.us
Cc: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us
Subject: Emergency Response Coordinator Smith (Dana), Colleagues-- Dutchess County residents need public hearing re: Indian Point evacuation plan for us...
Date: Mar 27, 2011 7:52 AM
Dutchess County Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith
392 Creek Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Dear Coordinator Smith (Dana)-- and my colleagues in our County Legislature:
Let's work together to hold a public forum as soon as possible on current evacuation plans for Dutchess County residents in the event of an emergency at Indian Point!
As Rep. Eliot Engel recently reminded us all (see below), "The terrorists flew over Indian Point on 9/11 going to the World Trade Center."
Moreover, as the folks at http://www.Riverkeeper.org tells us:
"It is possible for an earthquake to strike at Indian Point; a 2008 study by Columbia University Earth Observatory seismologists found that IP’s three reactors sit at the intersection of two active seismic zones. [see: http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2235 ]
According to August 2010 NRC data, Indian Point is now considered the most dangerous plant in the country when it comes to the risk of meltdown due to earthquake. Based on recent information gathered by the government and the Columbia University study, the NRC data shows the odds of core damage potentially leading to a meltdown now are 72% higher than previously believed.
Indian Point also has the highest population density surrounding a nuclear plant in the United States, with 20 million people living within a 50 mile radius. It is also the plant with an evacuation plan that former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt called unworkable, in a 2003 report commissioned by New York Governor George Pataki.
Columbia University says the risk of an earthquake as large as 7.0 on the Richter scale is possible at Indian Point. Entergy admits it can’t handle an earthquake of this magnitude and that at best the plant could withstand a magnitude 6.1 earthquake. This is highly significant because the energy released in a 7.0 level earthquake is roughly 30 times more powerful than a 6.1."
[ http://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/stop-polluters/power-plant-cases/riverkeeper-responds-to-japan-nuclear-plant-crisis/ ]
More to the point-- recall this as well from the New York Times' March 20th-- "Fukushima, Indian Point, and Fantasy" by Peter Applebome:
"The most in-depth analysis of the evacuation planning for Indian Point was a 256-page report commissioned by Gov. George E. Pataki and completed in 2003 ][2003-- eight years ago!] by a firm headed by James Lee Witt, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It concluded that the plans were drafted to comply with regulations rather than to create an effective strategy to protect the population, and that they assumed people would comply with government directives rather than do what seemed to be in their own best interests. Citing these and other concerns, the report said: 'It is our conclusion that current radiological response system and capabilities are not adequate to overcome their combined weight and protect the people from an unacceptable dose of radiation in the event of a release from Indian Point.'" [see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/nyregion/21towns.html ]
So-- please let me know as soon as possible when and where you might be available to hold such a forum; short of shutting down Indian Point (which needs to happen anyway but may not happen soon enough), the least the taxpayers of Dutchess County deserve is an open, public forum on what the evacuation plans might be for local residents in the event of an emergency at Indian Point.
Thank you.
Yours,
Joel Tyner
County Legislator
Clinton/Rhinebeck
444-0599
[also see NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Mar. 18th letter-- much more good, pertinent info here:
http://www.riverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3-18-11-Schneiderman-Letter-to-NRC.pdf ]
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Fact: "Only .75% of New York's area would be needed for solar panels to produce all of the electricity needed for our state."
-- Dr. Richard Perez of SUNY-Albany
[ http://www.asrc.cestm.albany.edu/perez/publications/Solar%20Resource%20Assessment%20and%20Modeling/Papers%20on%20Resource%20Assessment%20and%20Satellites/Is%20there%20really%20enough%20sun-07.pdf ]
Fact: Germany has less sunlight than NYS but has solar panels all over, the Town of Babylon lends
homeowners money for solar, and NJ, PA, MA, CT, and DE all more heavily incentivize the purchase of
solar for their state residents than New York does here. [see http://www.NYSEIA.org ]
Fact: GOP County Executives in Orange, Rensselaer, and Rockland counties have all enacted county-level
sales tax exemptions on sale/installation of residential solar panels; also NYC, Albany, Broome, Clinton,
Columbia, Erie, Essex, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Schuyler, Suffolk, Tompkins, Warren,
and Yates counties.
[ http://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/publications/sales/pub718s_510.pdf ]
Fact: Dutchess County homeowners and businesses could save $1 billion over the next ten years on
energy efficiency according to Sustainable Hudson Valley Chair David Dell. Fact: 90% of NYS homeowners
eligible for free energy audits ( http://www.NYSERDA.org ; 331-2238).
[we truly do not need Indian Point; see http:www.petitiononline.com/pacehere ; http://www.Clearwater.org ]
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From http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/cuomo-orders-safety-review-of-indian-point-nuclear-plant/ ...
Cuomo Orders Safety Review Of Indian Point Nuclear Plant
March 16, 2011 6:54 PM
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (credit: Flickr)
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (credit: Flickr)
kramer
Reporting Marcia Kramer
BUCHANAN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered a complete safety review of Westchester County’s Indian Point nuclear plant after startling new information was revealed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The NRC reportedly ranked Indian Point as the reactor with the highest risk of earthquake damage in the United States, even higher than the twin reactors in California’s quake zone, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer.
“The Indian Point power plant is the most susceptible to earthquake because reactor number three is on a fault,” Gov. Cuomo said.
Experts say Indian Point is about one mile from the intersection of two faults, and that has the governor concerned.
The plant is just 24 miles from New York City, and according to the NRC, it’s the plant with the highest possibility of earthquake damage.
Cuomo wasted no time in ordering an immediate safety review.
“I’ve had concern about Indian Point for a long time. As attorney general, I did a lot of work on Indian Point,” he said. “My position was that it shouldn’t be relicensed. My position was that it should be closed. I understand the power and the benefit; I also understand the risk, and this plant – in this proximity to New York City – was never a good risk.”
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From http://www.lohud.com/article/20110324/NEWS01/103240380/Lowey-Engel-want-hearings-nuke-licensing ...
Lowey, Engel want hearings on nuke licensing
The Journal News Mar. 23, 2011 8:10 pm
Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, have asked the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold the hearings and vowed to reintroduce legislation to force federal regulators to evaluate the relicensing of aging power plants with the same criteria used to license new plants.
"It is unacceptable that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not required to take into account factors like population, national security and evacuation plans in determining the relicensing of aging nuclear power plants like Indian Point," Lowey said.
Under NRC regulations, population density, evacuation plans and security issues are not normally part of an extension of a nuclear plant's operating license. The agency has repeatedly pointed out during Indian Point's relicensing review that those issues are part of continuing regulation of the plant.
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the agency would "be responsive" to testifying at a hearing on the topic of nuclear power plant emergency planning.
"We work closely with (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and our other federal, state and county partners to ensure that each plant has an emergency plan capable of addressing all situations," Sheehan said. "Once every two years, that plan is put to the test, with the NRC assessing the company's on-site actions and FEMA evaluating off-site actions."
Lowey and Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, have called for the closure of the nuclear plant for years.
Engel said the threats of terrorism and natural disasters are "all too real" not to tighten licensing regulations.
"The terrorists flew over Indian Point on 9/11 going to the World Trade Center," Engel said. "Because of its location, it is too inviting a target. The condition of the plant should be enough to have it closed, but the NRC seems to be too tolerant of nuclear facilities' condition in renewing licenses."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also called for the closing of the nuclear plant, which sits about 30 miles north of the Bronx-Westchester County border.
Cuomo had expressed strong opposition to Indian Point being able to produce electricity through 2035. The plant's current license expires in 2015.
On Tuesday, Cuomo's staff and Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy left a meeting at NRC headquarters with the agency promising to put Indian Point at the top of its list of plants that will be assessed in-depth for seismic risk.
Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton's position as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee means he will make the final decision on the hearing request.
Upton supports nuclear energy — his southwestern Michigan district is home to two plants, one owned by Entergy, the company that owns Indian Point.
He said as recently as last week that he continues to see "safe nuclear energy as a vital component of America's present and future energy mix."
An attempt Wednesday to reach Upton was unsuccessful.
If two local congressional representatives have their way, there will be federal hearings on licensing nuclear facilities situated in densely populated areas.
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From http://www.radiation.org/spotlight/reactorclosings.html ...
Decrease in Infant Death Rates After Reactor Closings
Downwind Counties < 40 MILES
Joseph J. Mangano, Radiation and Public Health Project, 12/10/03
Infant Deaths (< 1 Yr)
Reactor
Year Closed
Percent Change
Permanently Closed
LaCrosse, WI
1987
-15.4
Rancho Seco, CA
1989
-16.0
Fort St. Vrain, CO
1989
-15.4
Trojan, OR
1992
-17.9
Big Rock Point, MI
1997
-42.4
Maine Yankee, ME
1997
- 9.3
Zion, IL
1998
-17.0
Temporarily Closed
Pilgrim, MA
1986
-24.3
Millstone, CT
1995
-17.4
Total for Nine Areas
-17.3
US Average Change
1986-2000
- 5.6
Notes:
1. "Before" period = year before and year of closing; "after" period = two years after closing.
2. Only includes areas with nearest operating reactor at least 70 miles away.
3. Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, www.cdc.gov
4. Actual rates for nine areas are 8.02 deaths under one year per 1,000 live births before shutdown (1285 deaths/160,150 births), and 6.63 after shutdown (1094/164,904).
Decrease In Childhood Cancer Incidence After Reactor Closings
Downwind Counties < 40 Miles
Joseph J. Mangano, Radiation and Public Health Project, 12/10/03
Childhood Cancer Incidence Rate (< 5 Yrs.)
Reactor
Year Closed
Percent Change
Permanently Closed
LaCrosse, WI
1987
-38.6
Rancho Seco, CA
1989
-25.4
Fort St. Vrain, CO
1989
-12.0
Big Rock Point, MI
1997
-53.3
Maine Yankee, ME
1997
-29.9
Zion, IL
1998
- 7.6
Total for Six Areas
-23.9
US Average Change
1986-1998
+ 0.3
Change in Connecticut After
Partial Test Ban Tresty
Went Into Effect
1963-64 vs.
1965-71
-25.5
Notes:
1. "Before" period = year before and year of closing; "after" period = seven years after closing
2. "After" periods are under seven years for Big Rock Point (1998-00), Maine Yankee (1998-01), and Zion (1999-2000).
3. Only includes areas with nearest operating reactor at least 70 miles away.
4. Sources: State cancer registries.
5. Actual rates for five areas are 26.32 cancer cases per 100,000 children under age five before shutdown (82 cases/311,519 children) and 18.64 after shutdown (216/1,158,906).
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Common Cause NY Ex. Dir. Susan Lerner @ Rhinebeck Village Hall Mar. 24th w/Dare Thompson, Pres. of Mid-Hudson LWV-- join us!...
Hi all...
Wake the neighbors, phone the pets-- each one reach one...
Come out come out wherever you are to join us this coming Thursday, Mar. 24th at 6 pm at Rhinebeck Village Hall at 76 East Market Street-- for our "Fair Redistricting: Crucial for Democracy" forum-- with special guest speakers Susan Lerner (Executive Director of Common Cause NY) and Dare Thompson (President of the Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters)-- pass it on!...
See CitizensRedistrictNY.org for state-level example of Citizens Redistricting Committee that Susan Lerner and Common Cause are putting together that we need to follow here in Dutchess-- and please let us know asap if you're interested in helping us to do just that asap here in our county!...
Fact: The U.S. is the only advanced democracy in the world where politicians choose their districts.
[from http://www.GerrymanderingMovie.com -- who can help me set up screening of this in Dutchess?]
Another thing I learned recently from Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters Pres. Dare Thompson at screening of "Gerrymandering" at Rosendale Theatre is that the meeting minutes for the Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment are all online at the official Ulster County Legislature website(!)...
[see: http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (and below)-- mtg. minutes from their Feb. 16th, Feb. 9th, Jan. 26th, and Jan. 19th meetings are all there online-- THIS IS MODEL FOR DUTCHESS, FOLKS!]
Again-- as I've written to you all, I really and truly do need your help, folks, if you are a progressive or person of conscience here in Dutchess County and want to do what you can to stop current GOP Co. Leg. majority from gerrymandering current Dem 6 (+ Doxsey) completely out of existence...
Soon enough I'll be meeting with Rolison and Cooper (as rep from Dem caucus); I really do need help from you all to help me research and advocate for the best and most fair redistricting plan possible for Dutchess County (even if it might not be accepted by GOP, we still need to push for it!)...
For much more on all this see http://www.EndGerrymandering.com -- and these four websites as well:
http://www.AmericansforRedistrictingReform.org ; http://www.ElectionLawBlog.org ;
http://www.BrennanCenter.org/content/pages/redistricting_for_advocates ; http://www.FairVote.org ...
[NYTimes Feb. 23: "Pledge? What Pledge?" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23wed3.html ]
I can NOT do this alone, folks-- I really need a bunch of you activists out there to help me on this!!!...
Time for y'all to step up to the plate-- asap!...
Pass it on...
Joel
444-0599/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
p.s. We've been told that former Ulster County Dem Chair John Parete has already filed a lawsuit to make sure that the recommendations soon to come for redistricting from that county's independent Commission on Reapportionment are mandated to be followed-- not summarily tossed aside; needed!...
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From http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (click on "Commission on Reapportionment")...
Commission on Reapportionment Members-- Commission members were selected from a pool of interested parties representing the various geographic areas of the County and were selected as follows-- two by the Majority Leader of the Legislature; two by the Minority Leader of the Legislature; these four members then chose the remaining three members:
Dare Thompson (Pres. League of Women Voters of Mid-Hudson Region)
Vernon Benjamin (former Saugerties Co. Leg.)
Paul Benkert (founder of Allways Moving and Storage in Kingston)
Michael Catalinotto (former Saugerties Town Justice and Town Attorney)
Cynthia Lowe (Director of Community Foundation of Ulster County)
Richard Messina (Marlboro Lions Club and Hose Company)
William West (former Ulster Co. Leg. Chair
The Ulster County Administrative Code states that the Commission is "to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the decennial federal census and reapportion (the districts) as necessary to meet established standards in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County, keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town, city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party."
The Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment has adopted these principals to successfully complete their task:
* An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts.
* The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
* The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body.
* In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, with consideration of racial and ethnic diversity.
This website was developed to keep the public apprised of our activities and includes meeting agendas, minutes and video.
Our goal is to work within a transparent process, to provide opportunities for the public to have direct input into the process and to develop districts that reflect the diversity of the population of Ulster County with consideration of race and ethnicity.
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From Common Cause's CitizenRedistrictNY.org...
The Problem
Partisan Redistricting has Undermined New York’s Representative Democracy
Right now in New York State, redistricting is completely controlled by the State Legislature, which is more interested in protecting the interests of incumbents than serving the voters.
For decades partisan wrangling has led to gerrymandered redistricting maps, collusion among the major political parties to create safe Congressional and State Legislative districts, the packing and splitting of concentrations of voters in underserved urban communities of color to weaken or strengthen their influence to gain partisan advantage, and weird and contorted district boundaries.
Redistricting Decisions Play a Critical Role in Having Maintained Albany’s Legislative Status Quo for Decades. In the last 20 years, America has changed. Twenty years ago, the Internet and i-pods were nowhere to be found. Yet, when it comes to majority party dominance, not much has changed. Incumbents are re-elected at a higher rate in New York than almost anywhere in the country – almost no legislator fails to be re-elected – and critical issues have consistently failed to be addressed.
Redistricting Decisions Play a Significant Role in New York State’s Lack of Competitive Elections. New York State elections are incredibly one-sided. Incumbent state legislative candidates are re-elected at a staggering rate. How district lines are drawn contributes to this phenomenon. The difference in enrollments between the two major parties is close enough in only 25 of the 212 legislative districts (11 percent) to permit competitive elections on a frequent basis. And in over 2500 general election races in the past 24 years, a challenger has beaten an incumbent only 34 times.
Divided Legislative Control Shows That Partisan Redistricting Has Distorted Legislative Representation. If district lines were drawn to benefit constituents or communities of interest, one would expect that Senate and Assembly districts would share many common boundaries; instead, the lines for each body look radically different. Democrats have maintained a stronghold in the Assembly and Republicans have an impregnable hold on the Senate — revealing that legislators drew the district lines to benefit the parties, not the communities they represent.
Redistricting decisions undermine the concept of “one person, one vote.” Only 29 of 212 legislative districts (14 percent) are within one percent of the “ideal size.” While not illegal, New York has legislative district lines that can be dramatically different in size. A recent analysis of district populations created in 2002 found that State Assembly districts ranged in size from 121,111 people to 133,038 people, and State Senate districts ranged in size from 290,925 people to 320,851 people.
Redistricting creates unfair and unconstitutional prison gerrymandering. The State Constitution provides: “For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence … while confined in any public prison.” NY CONST. art. II §4. Yet, the State currently does the opposite, severing people who are incarcerated from the home districts to which they are most likely to return, and treating them as residents of the county where the facility they are confined is located. This prison-based gerrymandering is unfair and dilutes the votes of those who do not live in proximity to prisons. Thirteen counties already remove prison populations from their population counts when drawing county legislative lines. Fairness demands that the State do the same.
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More from www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (click on "Commission on Reapportionment")...
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: February 16, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Chambers, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Bea Havranek, UC Attorney; Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert
Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Rick Umble,
IS Tech Team Leader; Vic Work, Commissioner of Elections; Hugh
Reynolds, Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Lee Cane, LWV; Victoria
Fabella, Deputy Clerk, Legislature; Fawn Tantillo, Beth Murphy,
Michael Harkavy, Philip Schacter, Rokki Carr
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:05 PM.
…
A motion was made by Richard Messina, Seconded by Paul Benkert, to approve the Minutes from the
February 9, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Rick Umble- Update: Commission Website
Sylvia and Rick demoed the website for the Commission. Vicky handed out hard copies of each screen for
the Commissioners to review for approval.
Vernon asked for a link to display public feedback/e-mails from the public. The process for posting public
feedback was agreed upon as follows: Sylvia will set up a group e-mail address so all of the Commissioners
and Vicky will receive every e-mail that comes in. Vicky will forward every e-mail to Bea. Bea/Bea's Office
will review all e-mails from a legal perspective and respond giving approval (or not) to Vicky for each e-mail
to be posted. Vicky will send all approved e-mails to the IS department to post on the website in an area
designated for public feedback. Commissioners will not respond individually to e-mails. Each week, e-mails
received will be discussed at the meeting. If the Commission agrees that an issue needs to be addressed,
then the minutes would reflect so.
Dare Thompson motioned, Seconded by Paul Benkert, to officially publish the Commission website. All in
favor. Carried. Vicky will communicate with the IS Department to make the site live. Changes/updates to
the site will be made as needed or requested by the Commission.
…
IS and Planning Departments- Update: Software
Rob Leibowitz discussed the software used in Dutchess County. Although free, you need Arc Map to use it,
there is no support for it and it doesn't have tremendous reporting capabilities.
2
IS and Planning still concur that Autobound is the best option for the Commission. Rob demoed the full
version of Autobound for the Commission.
Michael Catalinotto motioned to purchase the Autobound software. Seconded by Dare Thompson, with all in
favor. Carried.
Rich Messina: Q./ Is there anything available on the State level, data, maps, input etc. that either party
may have that could be of use to us? A./ Dennis Doyle: We have everything out there but just so the
Commission understands, we have block maps, but we do not have the data for the blocks.
Vernon Benjamin: Q./ Can you provide the Commission with those maps? A./ Dennis Doyle: Yes.
…
Suggested Guidelines for Purchase of Software and Use
Bill West proposed the following guidelines:
1) Request Chairman of UC Legislature purchase recommended software
Software recommended is __________________________.
Request IT to check on type of program documentation available- i.e. hard copy or on line
2) Software to be installed by UC IT on UC server and password protected. Installation of 2010
census data to be overseen by UCIT.
3) Clerk of the UC Legislature to oversee installation and use of software
4) Clerk of the UC Legislature and the seven members of the Reapportionment Commission be provided
with appropriate password for access for software and census data.
5) UC IT department head be requested to provide members of the Commission the necessary
instructions and assistance in the use of the software at mutually agreeable times.
Use of the IT training facilities- with multiple computers- is requested
6) UC IT is requested to research possibility of giving Reapportionment Commission members access
to software and census data on their home computers and the cost of doing so and to report this
information to the Reapportionment Commission.
7) Clerk of the UC Legislature check with Committee on Open Government for an opinion on having
software instruction sessions open to public and media.
Bill West made a motion to move the guidelines for discussion, Seconded by Michael Catalinotto.
Discussion ensued and the following changes to the guidelines were suggested:
Cynthia Lowe made a motion, seconded by Michael Catalinotto to replace "Clerk of the UC Legislature" in
every instance it appears with "Deputy Clerk of the Legislature Victoria Fabella." All in favor. Carried.
3
Vernon Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Michael Catalinotto to replace "UC IT" in every instance it
appears with "IS, in consultation with the appropriate UC Planning Department Staff." All in favor. Carried.
A motion was made by Dare Thompson, Seconded by Cynthia Lowe, to strike #7 from the guidelines.
Motion Defeated 3 - 4. Ayes: Benjamin, Lowe, Thompson.
Bea told the Commissioners that training is not a meeting of the body for the purpose of making a decision
or conducting business. Training and educational sessions can be closed if the Commission wishes.
The following version of the guidelines was adopted unanimously by the Commission:
Suggested Guidelines for Purchase of Software and Use
1) The Commission on Reapportionment directs the Planning Department to purchase recommended
software. Software recommended is Autobound. The Commission requests IS to check on the type of
program documentation available- i.e. hard copy or on-line.
2) Software to be installed by UC IS on UC server and password protected. Installation of 2010
census data to be overseen by UC IS in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff.
3) Deputy Clerk of the UC Legislature Victoria Fabella to oversee location and use of software
4) Deputy Clerk of the UC Legislature Victoria Fabella and the seven members of the Reapportionment
Commission be provided with appropriate password for access to software and census data.
5) UC IS Department, in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff, is requested to
provide members of the Commission the necessary instructions and assistance in the use of the software at
mutually agreeable times.
Use of the IS training facilities- with multiple computers- is requested
6) UC IS, in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff, is requested to research
possibility of giving Reapportionment Commission members access to software and census data on their
home computers and the cost of doing so and to report this information to the Reapportionment
Commission.
7) Software instruction sessions are not open to public and media.
Paul Benkert motioned, Seconded by Rich Messina, to direct the Planning Department to purchase the
Autobound Software with 3 copies of the Autobound LE application until it can be determined if it is
feasible for the Commissioners to have the program at home. All in favor. Carried.
Michael Catalinotto suggested that in the future any appropriation for the Reapportionment Commission be
made to the Commission, under its control.
…
Meeting Facilitator
Cynthia Lowe motioned, Seconded by Vernon Benjamin, to rotate the meeting facilitator.
Motion adopted 4 - 3. Noes: Catalinotto, Messina and West.
The Commissioners will rotate facilitating each meeting in reverse alpha order. Since Bill has already acted
as facilitator, Dare Thompson will be the facilitator next week. Rich Messina requested that he be skipped
in the rotation, as he wishes not to facilitate a meeting.
…
Review of Informational Meeting with Legislature 2/15/11
All Commissioners were pleased with their communications with the Legislature.
…
Town Board Meeting Script
The Commissioners have reviewed the Talking Points developed by Cynthia Lowe.
Michael Catalinotto requested that the last line be changed from "especially with respect to race and
ethnicity," to "with consideration of race and ethnicity."
The Commission reviewed and approved its informational brochure for distribution at the Board
Meetings/to the public. Color copies of the brochure can be printed within the County and will cost .50¢
per copy. The Commission requested 500 copies be printed before the 1st town board meeting.
…
Next Week's Agenda
o Rob Leibowitz- New Map Review (Old Block Data used within the software to start to see what
23 member districts look like) Rob will bring the Commissioners hard copies of the block map.
o Town of Ulster Town Board Meeting Review
…
Adjournment
A motion was made by Bill West to adjourn the meeting, with all in favor. Carried. The meeting was
adjourned at 4:58 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
1
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: February 9, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Library Conference Room, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Legislators Wadnola, Provenzano, Rodriguez, Hochberg, and Maloney;
Bea Havranek, UC Attorney; Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert
Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Rick Umble,
IS Tech Team Leader; Hugh Reynolds, Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV;
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk, Legislature; Fawn Tantillo, Beth
Murphy, Michael Harkavy, Philip Schacter, Rokki Carr, Trisha
Schacter
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:02 PM.
…
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto, Seconded by Vernon Benjamin, to approve the Minutes
from the January 26, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Guidelines for Filming Meetings
The Commission has been asked to have their meetings videoed. Although permitted, the Commission has
set guidelines for filming their meetings.
o The filming process can in no way be disruptive to, or interfere with, the meetings.
o There will be no artificial light.
o The camera will remain on the tripod during filming.
o The Commission requests the videos be shared with the County for use on the Commission's
website.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Rick Umble- Update: Commission Website
Sylvia showed the Commissioners the framework that has been developed for the website thus far.
Input is needed from the Commission to determine what the content on each page should be. Vicky will e-
mail IS as necessary with new information to be posted to the site to keep it current.
Vernon Benjamin requested that the current 33 member district map be posted under the draft plan
section until new information is available.
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Beth Murphy, the citizen filming the meetings, will send all video to Sylvia and the video will be posted on
the site along with the meeting agendas and minutes.
There was discussion about public feedback and ability to post comments to the site. Bea Havranek
commented that legal would need to review this kind of public input before it's posted. The County has a
duty and right to protect its personnel and also to protect the general public. There couldn't be anything
on there that could be considered slanderous or libelous. This is not a blog. The purpose of it is to provide
information through your authority as the Commission. Bea also told the Commission that she is the sole
advisor for the County. If any issues come up as a result of this Commission, she would be the person that
would represent the County.
The Commissioners discussed posting an e-mail address for the public to send comments to. E-mails sent to
this address would automatically be forwarded to all members of the Commission.
Bea reminded the Commissioners that all e-mails, including the responses back from the Commissioners, are
FOILable.
Sylvia said she could take all e-mails received and publish them on the site in one running document for
people to scroll through.
There was discussion about adding a "Resources" page or posting links to resources.
The Commission agreed to post on the homepage of their website the 4 principles of redistricting
developed at the Pocantico Redistricting Conference which Dare circulated amongst the Commission.
…
IS and Planning Departments- Update: Software (See Redistricting Software Options handout)
Sylvia reviewed the Software Options handout with the Commission. Rick Umble explained that his and Rob
Leibowitz's recommendation would be the Autobound Pro Redistricting Software ($5,100). It is comparable
to the Maptitude Software demoed for the Commission at the last meeting. It has a lite version,
Autobound LE, which is geared towards Legislators who don't have a background in GIS. That version costs
$980 per user. It is geared towards generating proposed plans that can be imported into a more robust
redistricting program. The Autobound LE application can be purchased and will open up in either the
Maptitude or Autobound more robust software versions for analysis.
Vernon Benjamin: Q./ What about taking this on the road to show people? A./ Rick Umble: It is possible.
The Autobound LE version would make it easiest to do that.
Dare Thompson: Q./ Are there free software versions out there that can be accessed by anyone
interested? A./ Sylvia said she is not familiar with the accessibility of such software. Bill West
commented that he has gotten calls from someone in Woodstock who is drafting plans with free software
that Bill suspects requires a technical knowledge base to use. Bill has requested this individual provide info
on this software to share with the Commission, but has yet to receive any information.
Dennis Doyle asked the Commissioners if they each want a copy of Autobound LE or are they comfortable
with a lesser number of licenses that would be available for their use.
Discussion ensued about the location of the computer(s) containing the redistricting software. No decision
was reached.
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Bill West said the woman from Dutchess County who is in charge if their reapportionment was going to send
Bill an e-mail with the description of the software they are using there. She has yet to do so. Bill
requested that the Planning Department follow-up with Dutchess County to see what kind of software they
have.
The Commission agreed to vote on a software package at the next meeting based upon all of the
information available to the Commission as of the time of the next meeting.
Dennis Doyle reviewed the handout Principles for Transparency and Public Participation in Redistricting
from the Brookings Institute which he believes may be useful to the Commissioners.
…
Public Comment Venues
The Commissioners reviewed the Town Board Meeting Schedule. Although all Commissioners are welcome
to attend all/any meetings, the Commission decided to designate two specific Commissioners to appear at
each meeting. Designations are as follows:
Tuesday, February 15, 2011- 6:45 PM- Meeting with the Legislature- All Commissioners in Attendance
Thurs., Feb. 17th- 7:00PM Town of Ulster Town Board Mtg, 1 Town Hall Dr. Lake Katrine- Cynthia & Paul
Thurs., Feb. 24th- 7:30PM Town of New Paltz Town Board Mtg, 1 Veterans Drive- Dare & Paul
Monday, Feb. 28th- 7:00PM Town of Marlborough Town Board Meeting, Rte. 9W, Milton- Dare & Richard
Tues., March 1st- 7:00PM Marbletown Town Board Meeting, 3775 Main St., Stone Ridge- Bill & Richard
Weds., March 2nd-7:00PM Saugerties Town Board Mtg, Frank Greco Sr. Ctr, Market St.- Michael & Vernon
Thursday, March 3rd- 7:00PM Shawangunk Board Mtg, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill- Paul & Richard
Monday, March 7th- 7:30 PM Esopus Town Board Mtg, 284 Broadway, Port Ewen- Bill & Paul
Tuesday, March 8th- 7:30 PM Woodstock Town Board Meeting, 45 Comeau Drive- Bill & Vernon
Although all Commissioners will try to attend, the Town Board Meetings on the schedule for April will be
designated to specific Commissioners at a later date.
Any Commissioner who can not make one of their designated meetings will call Vicky so she can find a
replacement.
Bill West said the purpose of attending the Town Board Meetings is to begin to gather input from the
public, to listen to concerns of the Boards, specific problems they would like to be considered, etc.
Michael Catalinotto said the Commissioners attending the meetings should introduce themselves, state
their purpose, and listen to suggestions to take back to the rest of the Commissioners.
Paul Benkert suggested the two Commissioners assigned to a meeting take the lead at that meeting.
Cynthia Lowe suggested coming up with a script so that every Town Board gets the same information.
Cynthia will draft a script and circulate it amongst the Commissioners for input.
…
Meeting with the Legislature
The Commissioners agreed to have Legislative Chairman Wadnola introduce them at the meeting. Vicky will
speak to the Chairman about introductions in alpha order.
…
Deadline for Agenda Items
The Commissioners agreed that any suggestions for the agenda, other then what's been discussed and
agreed upon at a previous meeting, need to be submitted to Vicky by noon on Monday for Wednesday's
meeting. Vicky will send out the agenda by COB on Monday.
…
Legislative Counsel Opinion
The Commissioners reviewed the opinion of Legislative Counsel which concurs with the opinion of Bea
Havranek dated November 18, 2010. The Commission is hopeful their plan will remain intact.
…
Next Week's Agenda
o Make Software Decision
o Fine tune Town Board Meeting Script
o Review of Informational Meeting with the Legislature on 2/15/11
…
Adjournment
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto to adjourn the meeting, Seconded by Bill West, with all in favor.
Carried. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
1
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: January 26, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Library Conference Room, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia
Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Roland Bloomer, Assistant County
Attorney; Laura Walls, Assistant Comptroller; Hugh Reynolds,
Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,
Legislature; Beth Murphy, Saugerties Resident
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:01 PM.
…
A motion was made by Bill West, Seconded by Michael Catalinotto, to approve the Minutes from the
January 19, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Oath of Office
After discussion, reviewing legal opinions and reading the oath, the Commissioners unanimously agreed to
sign oaths of office.
…
Presentation: Dennis Doyle and Robert Leibowitz, Redistricting Software
(See handouts: A Brief Introduction to Census Geography For Reapportionment and Maptitude for
Redistricting: Extension for ArcGIS)
Rob Leibowitz gave a thoroughly review of the handout A Brief Introduction to Census Geography For
Reapportionment. Mr. Leibowitz then gave a demonstration of the software.
Software Cost :Approximately $3,500
The Commission will be working with Census Block Data- 100% Count
ArcGIS is a mapping program the County Planning Department uses for things such as
referrals, analysis, open space planning, etc. The software being looked at is an extension
that plugs into the existing program for the sole purpose of redistricting.
The County currently has this program extension on a 30-day trial.
The program allows you to select blocks on the fly within a district and it will tell you the
total population that you have selected within that district. It tells you your deviation as
you select blocks in and out to establish district boundaries.
2
The district boundaries are real in terms of the geography that can be found on the ground.
All census blocks, census tracts and census districts have a real place on the ground, i.e. a
political subdivision, a street, a stream, or something so you can actually find them.
Dennis Doyle commented that the program allows you to establish multiple ways to split the
populations and add and subtract. He suspects that geographically the Commission will come
to an agreement of what a base district looks like. Then there will be additions and
subtractions off of that base to suit the individual members of the Commission until a
consensus is reached.
Election Districts can be overlaid on the maps.
Michael Catalinotto: Q./ Did we have a consultant work on that Reapportionment 10 years ago? A./ Rob
Leibowitz: I believe one of the political parties hired somebody. People also came to my office with their
own digital plans and I put them in a geographic format so they could be submitted for review.
The Commission discussed trying to avoid altering election districts. Bill West commented that
Commissioner of Elections Tom Turco said the Board of Elections has the authority and ability to establish
a new election district if it comes down to that.
Dennis Doyle suggested thinking about criteria to get to a consensus around what constitutes best fit, i.e.
geographic boundaries, election districts, population diversity, etc. Then, once the census data becomes
available, the Commission would have a general consensus about how to start drawing districts.
Dare Thompson commented she can't imagine undertaking this task without software.
Cynthia Lowe: Q./ When do we need to make a decision about the purchase? A./ Within the next 30 days
before the trial runs out.
Vernon Benjamin commented that he believes the Planning Department should move forward with obtaining
the software.
Bill West said there are other available options the Commission needs to consider.
Cynthia Lowe and Vernon Benjamin were in agreement that any software recommendation should come from
the County Planning Department, the experts who are available to the Commission. If the program doesn't
integrate with the software the County currently has, then there could be several issues including wasting
a lot of time justifying if the information produced is correct or not.
Paul Benkert: Q./ Is there other software that can work with what the County currently has? A./ Rob
Leibowitz: I believe there are stand-alone versions that are data driven and don't visualize the maps. They
are essentially just databases that crunch the numbers. I'm not fully aware of what's out there yet.
Dennis Doyle said if asked to evaluate the best program he suspects they would look for the ability to bring
in other criteria that the Commission decides is important to the decision process into that package,
election districts, different barriers, etc.
Dare Thompson would like to add ethnicity of populations as a criteria item. She believes it is a basic thing
to look at in the redistricting process. Dare is currently unfamiliar with the communities of interest in UC,
where they are, and what the Commission should be trying to protect.
3
Rob Leibowitz showed that ethnic breakdown can be illustrated for consideration when using the demoed
software.
Rob Leibowitz pointed out that the Census produces its mapping data directly to the ArcGIS format.
Sylvia Wohlfahrt recommended that the Commission define the pieces of information that it will use in the
decision making process and gather the criteria in a requirements document and present it to the other
vendors that have this product. The vendors come back with proposals to evaluate. This Request-For-
Quote process is very quick. The Commission can have proposals within a couple of weeks of getting your
criteria.
The Commission agreed to move forward with the process Sylvia suggested.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Commission Website
The website can be a link off of the existing County website for a nominal fee.
Sylvia requested input from the Commission on the types of things the Commissioners would like to see on
the website and the level of interactivity the Commission would like to have with the public.
Bill West: Q./ The Charter Commission had a website. What did they have on their site? A./ Sylvia: Just
documents, agendas, and things of that nature.
There was discussion amongst the Commissioners as to whether the website should provide an opportunity
for the public to post comments.
Sylvia said typically when you accept information back you take on a large responsibility of monitoring the
content you get to make sure there is nothing offensive, or what gets put out there is not perceived as
your opinion. It is certainly much easier if the Commission has complete control of what gets posted on the
site.
Rob Leibowitz suggested using the website for dissemination purposes only, and list easily identifiable
contact information for those who want to share something with the Commission.
Sylvia went on to recommend posting agendas, calendars, minutes, links to maps, status updates of what the
Commission is currently working on, and a contact e-mail address (which can be set up as a group so that
each Commissioner receives the e-mail).
Dare Thompson suggested taking time to think about the idea of the public posting comments or blogging
and revisiting the topic at the next meeting. She would like to see as much public input as possible. There
may be a way to do it so that the person needs to identify him/herself. Everything you read about
redistricting talks about transparency and as open a process as possible, as much back and forth as
possible. It's only done once every 10 years. This is not a small question.
The Commissioners agreed to think about the issue of blogging/public comment on the website and revisit
the topic at the next meeting.
The Commissioners agreed to have Vicky be the liaison between Sylvia and the Commission for the purposes
of providing information pertaining to the website.
4
There was discussion about the website containing a short bio on each Commissioner, including town where
the individual resides. Short bios should be e-mailed to Vicky.
…
Public Comment Venues
Bill West suggested considering meeting with Town Boards at their public meetings. There will be an
audience and there is existing structure to those meetings- people are aware of them and we can be placed
on the agenda. For the initial go-around it may be the best way to encourage public participation.
The Commission agreed that it was a good idea to attend the Town Board Meetings to get input from the
Supervisors and Board Members. Vicky will reach out to all the Town Supervisors and Mayor Sottile to see
if there is interest and map out a schedule of when the meetings are.
The Commission reviewed a list of eleven potential venues around the County where public hearings can be
held. (See handout: Potential Venues, Commission on Reapportionment Public Hearings)
Bill West suggested reviewing the list of venues but holding off on picking locations until the Commission
hears back from the Town Supervisors and also first schedules a meeting for input from the Legislature.
…
Meeting with the Legislature
Bill West said the purpose of meeting with the Legislature was to introduce the Commission as a group and
ask for concerns, interests and input.
Michael Catalinotto reiterated the County Charter says "allow timely input from the County Legislature and
its members."
The Commissioner's reviewed the Legislative Calendar for the month of February and decided that it would
me most convenient to meet with the Legislative Body on the day of Session, February 15, 2011, as all
Legislators would already be planning on coming to the building for their monthly meeting.
The Commissioners agreed to have Vicky send a request to the Majority and Minority Leaders saying the
Commission is available on Feb. 15th- is it possible to meet with the Legislative Body on that evening and if
so what time would you suggest. Vicky will take their recommendation to Chairman Wadnola for official
approval.
…
Preparation for Meetings
Bill West asked the Commission if there were any handouts or informational material the Commissioners
thought should be developed for distribution at any of the public meetings, i.e. a copy of the section of the
Charter that discusses the Commission on Reapportionment.
Paul Benkert recommended directing individuals to the County Website to view the Charter if they have any
questions.
Cynthia Lowe said the Commission wants the public to be aware that the Commission itself has a website.
5
Bill West suggested making a sign for display at public hearings that says you can find up to date
information about the Commission and the reapportionment process at ________ (web address).
Vernon Benjamin suggested creating a pamphlet similar to the one the Executive created re: the Esopus
Creek water problem. It should have info on the Commission, what is it, what are we supposed to do, some
details about it, where we are going to meet, etc. The Commission agreed that after the website is
created, it should be relatively easy to cut and paste the info into a handout format.
Dare Thompson explained to the Commissioners that many government groups across the county worked
together to develop the following essential principles which represent a long-term national effort to reach
consensus on how best to tackle redistricting:
1. An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting
efforts.
2. The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
3. The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and
opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by
the redistricting body.
4. In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner
that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, especially racial and ethnic
diversity.
Dare will send out the background to this summary to all the Commissioners to review. Dare believes these
4 principles should be listed on all of the Commission's literature, including the website.
…
New Business
The Commission agreed that Dare will correspond with the Planning Department and report back to the
Commission re: any info the Planning Department may have that will give the Commission insight to the
diversity of the County.
Discussion ensued re: number of enrolled voters and where incumbents live not criteria for decision making.
The Commission expressed concern about the final plan adoption by the Legislature. The Commissioners are
eagerly waiting on the official opinion from Legislative Counsel regarding this issue.
The Commissioners agreed that their meeting with the Legislature would inaugurate their road trip. At the
next meeting the Commission will discuss and schedule meetings around the County.
…
Adjournment:
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto to adjourn the meeting, Seconded by Rich Messina, with all in
favor. Carried. The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
######################################################
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: January 19, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Chambers, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert Leibowitz, Sr. Planner;
Clinton Johnson, First Assistant County Attorney; Geraldine Romano,
Legal Secretary; Laura Walls, Assistant Comptroller; Hugh Reynolds,
Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,
Legislature; Beth Murphy, Saugerties Resident; Mike Harkavy,
Saugerties Resident
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:04PM.
…
Oath of Office
Bill West told the Commission that Bea Havranek contacted the Legislative Office and suggested the
members of the Commission sign an oath of office.
Mike Catalinotto explained that his research showed that one of the indicia of being a public officer is
the taking of an oath. As you know, you can't be a member of this group if you are a public officer. Are we
creating a problem for ourselves by doing it? Mr. Catalinotto does not see a need for it. He said the group
can agree as a whole to sign the oath, but he is just raising the point.
The Commission Members unanimously agreed to not sign the oath at this time. The subject can be
revisited should the County Attorney provide ample reason for doing so.
First Assistant County Attorney Clinton Johnson explained that there is a 30 day window for completing
oaths. Therefore, he believes Bea Havranek will clarify relatively quickly whether taking the oath is a
necessity or not.
Bill West commented that Legislative Counsel is aware of the County Attorney's suggestion to have oaths
signed by Commission Members and will provide further advisement should it be necessary.
2
…
Member Introductions
Cynthia Lowe explained that the Commission is a group of equals. There is no official Chair of the
Commission. All members may add to the agenda or comment as to what's going on. Bill West is acting as a
de facto chair. Despite this, all members are encouraged to speak up and express his/her opinion at any
time.
Vernon Benjamin- Former County Legislator from the 1980's. Applied for this position because he heard it
on NPR and was struck by what Gerald Benjamin said; just the way he used the word "fair" in talking with
Dr. Chartock on that day. Vernon thought that if he didn't apply he might be kicking himself later. There
is no other motivation for serving on this Commission. Vernon is proud to be here and would like to
reiterate that we are here to get a job done and do it in a way that satisfies the people of Ulster County.
If anyone doesn't think we will accomplish this, they might as well leave the table now.
Cynthia Lowe- She have no past, current or future political aspirations. Cynthia is involved in this because
she feels the Charter is a valuable change in the way we govern ourselves in Ulster County and she wanted
to contribute to that process. She believes that if the group makes this a thoughtful and nonpartisan
process, we'll succeed in what we are trying to do. While Vernon thinks that we are going to satisfy the
residents of UC, I think that the best transaction will be if everyone is slightly unhappy. We don't want
everyone to be completely satisfied or we haven't really done our job. In my day job, I'm the Director of
the Community Foundation in UC. This is all part of making UC a better place.
Rich Messina- Rich is a Marlboro resident who is married with three children. He works full-time as a sales
manager for a construction company. Rich is very active in the community. He has been involved in the
Lion's Club, Fire Company, Make a Wish, the local chapter of the National UNICO organization; just about
every organization out there. Rich got involved with this Commission because he felt it was his time to give
back to the County.
Paul Benkert- Born and raised in Kingston, now lives in Highland. Paul is married and has three young
children. He has been involved with the Rotary for 15 years and is currently in his second term as
President. Paul got an email about the Commission on Reapportionment from the County Executive's Office
and he thought it sounded interesting. He was involved in politics as a city committeeman 15 years ago.
Looking at the districts the way there are now doesn't make sense to him. Paul wants to get the job at
hand done and he wants to do it right.
Michael E. Catalinotto- Michael is an attorney with the firm Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto. He is
a former Chair and member of the Kingston Hospital Board. He has been on the Council of the SUNY New
Paltz institution. He was the Chairman of the Republican Committee in Saugerties, but is no longer active in
politics. Michael took this opportunity because it is something novel. It's never been tried before to have
a citizen's committee don the actual reapportionment of a county for county legislature purposes. On top
of that, we have the added responsibility for downsizing which makes the problem a little more complex and
more challenging. We have a golden opportunity to show that citizens can participate and come up with a
plan that is not politically involved.
Dare Thompson- A career League of Women Voters person; currently President. Redistricting and
reapportionment in a fair way is as basic as it gets for us. We fought for the Charter and are very happy to
see this included. Several of us signed up for the selection process. Dare believes one of the reasons she
3
was selected was her location, as she understands there was an interest in geographic spread. She thought
it was a good sign that everyone knew she was on the LWV and still let her join the Commission.
Bill West- Woodstock resident, former Chairman of the County Legislature, Town Supervisor, semi-retired.
Bill believes this is a historic occasion. We are the first group under the Charter to fulfill this obligation.
We are the first group to reduce the Legislature to 23. So this is pretty unique and hopefully we can set
the tone for all future endeavors of this type. Bill hopes that people look back and think this group did a
good job. Bill believes to date it has been a very collegial experience and expressed his appreciate to all
members for their willingness to serve.
…
Review Materials Available to Commission Members
The Commission reviewed the following handouts:
1) Map showing towns, 2000 census and projected 2009 census
2) Section C-10 of the Ulster County Charter
3) Map showing towns and election districts with the number of enrolled voters
4) Brennan Institute Published Report on Process to Consider for Reapportionment sent into the Legislative
Office via e-mail from Beth Murphy of Saugerties. Vicky will e-mail a copy to all Commission Members.
…
Census Data:
Bill told the Commission that he spoke with the Planning Board and the Census data will probably not be
available until the end of February, possibly March, worse case the end of March. If we get the data in the
middle of March, we are on a very compressed time frame to get this done because in fairness to all of the
parties, they have to get their candidates and they have to know where the candidates are living. In June
comes the convention for parties and they start carrying petitions.
Dennis Doyle- We have been tasked to provide technical information to the Commission and we are a census
data affiliate so we have direct access to the census bureau and agencies that deal with the bureau. One of
the things that may be helpful to the Commission is to understand the structure census data which is not
just based on municipal basis. Beyond the municipal level it goes down to something called census tracts.
Beyond census tracts it goes to census block groups, beyond census block groups it goes to actual census
blocks. That's the kind of data you may be looking at in terms of your divisions of where district lines run.
Dennis said his department would be more than happy to do a presentation or bring individual members up
to speed on what census geography looks like. The Commission should also know that the Legislature in
working with the County Executive has set money in our budget to provide technical assistance outside the
resources that are available in UC should you request it. We intend to act as staff to the Commission. We
therefore hope that you develop a communications protocol.
With the census information we hope will be released in February, worse case March, we will get total
population. We will not get group quarters counts until sometime in May. Group quarters counts are
important because there is a state law that is going to require for reapportionment purposes that prison
populations need to be brought back to their last area before they were incarcerated. So, even when we
get the census data we will have to pull out the prison population associated with it. There is a really good
website that gives an overview of NYS re this issue: prisonersofthecensus.org
We do have population projections in estimates for the municipalities. There is software out there that
will essentially do the population distributions for various districts based on what you plug into it. We do
not currently own the software but we can purchase it.
4
Another thing to think about is how you are going to communicate to the general public. Do you want to
develop a website?
…
Future Meeting Dates:
The Commission Members agreed to schedule meetings for every Wednesday from 3PM to 5PM until their
task is complete. The meeting will be canceled if there is no business to conduct during a particular week,
or the Commission may choose to meet more frequently if necessary.
…
Venues for Public Meetings:
Michael Catalinotto said the Commission is tasked with allowing for timely input from the County
Legislature and its members and the maximum of public participation and comment.
The Commission would like to hold approximately 10 public meetings around the County. The meeting in
Kingston can be held in Legislative Chambers, with all Legislators invited. Vicky will develop a list of
potential venues and contacts for the Commission to consider. The Commission would prefer to hold Public
Hearings on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7PM.
…
Opinion on Plan Adoption Process
There were questions raised as to whether the Legislature would vote on the plan the Commission presents.
Does the Legislature plan on making changes to the plan or will it be accepted as presented? The
Commission agreed to write a letter to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Legislature requesting
Legislative Counsel's opinion on the Reapportionment Plan adoption process. Bill will write the letter and
circulate it via e-mail amongst the Commission Members before Vicky sends out the official request.
…
Communication Process:
The Commission agreed to communicate with departments or put in requests for information as a unified
group instead of making individual requests.
…
Presentation Request for Next Meeting:
The Commission is interested in communicating with the public via a website. Vicky will arrange to have
Sylvia Wohlfahrt from IS present at the next meeting re: the website and any other services that may be
available to the Commission. Dare Thompson expressed interest in the software Dennis Doyle briefly
mentioned. Cynthia Lowe suggested Dennis present information about this software at the next meeting.
Vicky will arrange to have Dennis present to the Commission at the meeting next Wednesday, 1/26, at 3PM.
…
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:51 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
About The Commission
The Commission on Reapportionment was established by the Ulster County Charter to create 23 single member districts for the Ulster County Legislature using 2010 census data. Below is the section of the Ulster County Charter that discusses the Commission.
Ulster County Charter
Search site:
C-10. Commission on Reapportionment.
A.
A Commission on Reapportionment shall be established as soon as practicable after the
availability of data from the census of 2010 to create 23 single-member districts for the
Ulster County Legislature and thereafter to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts
no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the
decennial federal census and reapportion them as necessary to meet established standards
in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County,
keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town,
city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving
no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party. This
Commission shall consist of seven members who are County residents, are eligible to
register to vote and are not public officers or employees.
B.
To establish a pool from which members will be appointed, no later than three months
prior to the anticipated first meeting of the Commission on Reapportionment, the County
Executive shall widely solicit interest in serving on the Commission through such means
as direct mail and e-mail contact with civic groups, public service announcements on
radio and television and in daily and weekly newspapers, paid advertisement and
announcement on the County website.
C.
Initial appointments to the Commission on Reapportionment from the pool of interested
parties gathered in this manner shall represent various geographic areas of the County
and shall be made no later than 60 days after the census data becomes available, with
two members appointed by the Legislature's majority leader and two members by the
Legislature's minority leader.
D.
These four appointed Commissioners shall select the additional three Commission
members from the pool previously established no later than 70 days after the census data
becomes available. In the event that the additional three Commission members are not
appointed by the prescribed deadline, the appointment of the initial four members will no
longer have force and effect and these members will no longer be eligible to serve on the
Commission on Reapportionment. The majority and minority leaders will make
alternative appointments in the manner prescribed in this section, and the four newly
appointed members will appoint three additional members so as to allow the Commission
to convene no later than six months after the census data becomes available.
E.
The Commission will reapportion in accordance with a process that allows timely input from the County Legislature and its members and the maximum of public participation
and comment, and in accord with a calendar it adopts for itself after consideration of
New York State Election Law that assures that elections in newly apportioned districts
will be held in the year ending in "1" in every decade.
The Ulster County Administrative Code states that the Commission is "to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the decennial federal census and reapportion (the districts) as necessary to meet established standards in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County, keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town, city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party."
The Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment has adopted these principals to successfully complete their task:
* An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts.
* The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
* The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body.
* In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, with consideration of racial and ethnic diversity.
This website was developed to keep the public apprised of our activities and includes meeting agendas, minutes and video.
Our goal is to work within a transparent process, to provide opportunities for the public to have direct input into the process and to develop districts that reflect the diversity of the population of Ulster County with consideration of race and ethnicity.
##################################
Commission on Reapportionment
Members
Commission members were selected from a pool of interested parties representing the various geographic areas of the County and were selected as follows:
Two by the Majority Leader of the Legislature
Two by the Minority Leader of the Legislature
These four members then chose the remaining three members.
Below you can learn about the seven Commissioners.
Vernon Benjamin of Saugerties is a writer, consultant, and educator who served on the Ulster County Legislature from 1984-89 and has had an extensive background in government and public service. He currently serves the Town of Saugerties as a consultant on economic development and other matters.
Paul Benkert was born and raised in Kingston, New York. He is a graduate of Kingston High School, Class of 1986. Paul founded Allways Moving and Storage in Kingston in 1990, Allways Self Storage in 1998 and Benkert Realty, a Commercial Real Estate Company, in 1999. Paul has resided in Highland since 1999 with his wife Alison and his three children, Emily 11, Sean 9 and Ashley 8.
Michael Catalinotto is the senior partner of the Albany and Saugerties law firm of Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is a member of the New York State, American, Albany County and Ulster County Bar Associations. Catalinotto is a graduate of New York University and the Columbia Law School.
He is a former member of the New York State Advisory Committee on the Civil Practice Law and Rules, and the College Council of the State University of New York at New Paltz and is a former chairman of the Kingston Hospital Board of Trustees.
An active member of the Saugerties community, he is a former town justice, town attorney and former member of the Ulster County Ethics Committee. He has served as president of the Saugerties Rotary Club and member and advocate of the Saugerties Council of the Knights of Columbus, the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce and the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce.
Cynthia Lowe has been the Director of the Community Foundation of Ulster County since November, 2007. Prior to that position she was a member of the senior management of a community bank in Orange County for fifteen years. She is a Certified Public Accountant and was a practicing accountant In Kingston for ten years. She is currently the Chair of Finance and incoming Chair of the Board of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. She is the treasurer of Friends of Historic Kingston and a member of the Kingston Sunrise Rotary Club. Cynthia and her husband Glenn Sutherland have lived in the Town of Ulster for over 20 years.
Richard Messina lives in Marlboro and is married with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He is a 20 year member with the Marlboro - Milton Lions club, a 20 year member with the Marlboro Hose Company, a 20 year member of Marlboro Unico and has been on the Board of Directors for 17 years and is still very active with the organization. Richard is currently Chairman for Cooley's Anemia in his hometown area. He was involved with Marlboro Youth Baseball and started the Girls Softball program. Richard is employed as sales manager for a construction company, and is not involved with any political party.
Dare Thompson is the President of the League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region, a past president of the LWV of Rhode Island and a past Vice President of the LWV of Ohio, and a former member of two strategic planning committees of the national LWV. She has served as executive director of three non-profit arts organizations since 1982.
William West is a resident of Woodstock. He has been active in numerous local and County civic organizations, in addition to serving as an officer of a national trade association. He has served as Town Supervisor and Chairman of the Ulster County Legislature. William has been a member of the Board of Directors of several banks and an insurance company. Currently, he is semiretired from the family business. William is a graduate of SUNY Oswego and served in the US Army for 18 months over seas.
Wake the neighbors, phone the pets-- each one reach one...
Come out come out wherever you are to join us this coming Thursday, Mar. 24th at 6 pm at Rhinebeck Village Hall at 76 East Market Street-- for our "Fair Redistricting: Crucial for Democracy" forum-- with special guest speakers Susan Lerner (Executive Director of Common Cause NY) and Dare Thompson (President of the Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters)-- pass it on!...
See CitizensRedistrictNY.org for state-level example of Citizens Redistricting Committee that Susan Lerner and Common Cause are putting together that we need to follow here in Dutchess-- and please let us know asap if you're interested in helping us to do just that asap here in our county!...
Fact: The U.S. is the only advanced democracy in the world where politicians choose their districts.
[from http://www.GerrymanderingMovie.com -- who can help me set up screening of this in Dutchess?]
Another thing I learned recently from Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters Pres. Dare Thompson at screening of "Gerrymandering" at Rosendale Theatre is that the meeting minutes for the Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment are all online at the official Ulster County Legislature website(!)...
[see: http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (and below)-- mtg. minutes from their Feb. 16th, Feb. 9th, Jan. 26th, and Jan. 19th meetings are all there online-- THIS IS MODEL FOR DUTCHESS, FOLKS!]
Again-- as I've written to you all, I really and truly do need your help, folks, if you are a progressive or person of conscience here in Dutchess County and want to do what you can to stop current GOP Co. Leg. majority from gerrymandering current Dem 6 (+ Doxsey) completely out of existence...
Soon enough I'll be meeting with Rolison and Cooper (as rep from Dem caucus); I really do need help from you all to help me research and advocate for the best and most fair redistricting plan possible for Dutchess County (even if it might not be accepted by GOP, we still need to push for it!)...
For much more on all this see http://www.EndGerrymandering.com -- and these four websites as well:
http://www.AmericansforRedistrictingReform.org ; http://www.ElectionLawBlog.org ;
http://www.BrennanCenter.org/content/pages/redistricting_for_advocates ; http://www.FairVote.org ...
[NYTimes Feb. 23: "Pledge? What Pledge?" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23wed3.html ]
I can NOT do this alone, folks-- I really need a bunch of you activists out there to help me on this!!!...
Time for y'all to step up to the plate-- asap!...
Pass it on...
Joel
444-0599/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
p.s. We've been told that former Ulster County Dem Chair John Parete has already filed a lawsuit to make sure that the recommendations soon to come for redistricting from that county's independent Commission on Reapportionment are mandated to be followed-- not summarily tossed aside; needed!...
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From http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (click on "Commission on Reapportionment")...
Commission on Reapportionment Members-- Commission members were selected from a pool of interested parties representing the various geographic areas of the County and were selected as follows-- two by the Majority Leader of the Legislature; two by the Minority Leader of the Legislature; these four members then chose the remaining three members:
Dare Thompson (Pres. League of Women Voters of Mid-Hudson Region)
Vernon Benjamin (former Saugerties Co. Leg.)
Paul Benkert (founder of Allways Moving and Storage in Kingston)
Michael Catalinotto (former Saugerties Town Justice and Town Attorney)
Cynthia Lowe (Director of Community Foundation of Ulster County)
Richard Messina (Marlboro Lions Club and Hose Company)
William West (former Ulster Co. Leg. Chair
The Ulster County Administrative Code states that the Commission is "to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the decennial federal census and reapportion (the districts) as necessary to meet established standards in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County, keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town, city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party."
The Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment has adopted these principals to successfully complete their task:
* An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts.
* The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
* The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body.
* In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, with consideration of racial and ethnic diversity.
This website was developed to keep the public apprised of our activities and includes meeting agendas, minutes and video.
Our goal is to work within a transparent process, to provide opportunities for the public to have direct input into the process and to develop districts that reflect the diversity of the population of Ulster County with consideration of race and ethnicity.
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From Common Cause's CitizenRedistrictNY.org...
The Problem
Partisan Redistricting has Undermined New York’s Representative Democracy
Right now in New York State, redistricting is completely controlled by the State Legislature, which is more interested in protecting the interests of incumbents than serving the voters.
For decades partisan wrangling has led to gerrymandered redistricting maps, collusion among the major political parties to create safe Congressional and State Legislative districts, the packing and splitting of concentrations of voters in underserved urban communities of color to weaken or strengthen their influence to gain partisan advantage, and weird and contorted district boundaries.
Redistricting Decisions Play a Critical Role in Having Maintained Albany’s Legislative Status Quo for Decades. In the last 20 years, America has changed. Twenty years ago, the Internet and i-pods were nowhere to be found. Yet, when it comes to majority party dominance, not much has changed. Incumbents are re-elected at a higher rate in New York than almost anywhere in the country – almost no legislator fails to be re-elected – and critical issues have consistently failed to be addressed.
Redistricting Decisions Play a Significant Role in New York State’s Lack of Competitive Elections. New York State elections are incredibly one-sided. Incumbent state legislative candidates are re-elected at a staggering rate. How district lines are drawn contributes to this phenomenon. The difference in enrollments between the two major parties is close enough in only 25 of the 212 legislative districts (11 percent) to permit competitive elections on a frequent basis. And in over 2500 general election races in the past 24 years, a challenger has beaten an incumbent only 34 times.
Divided Legislative Control Shows That Partisan Redistricting Has Distorted Legislative Representation. If district lines were drawn to benefit constituents or communities of interest, one would expect that Senate and Assembly districts would share many common boundaries; instead, the lines for each body look radically different. Democrats have maintained a stronghold in the Assembly and Republicans have an impregnable hold on the Senate — revealing that legislators drew the district lines to benefit the parties, not the communities they represent.
Redistricting decisions undermine the concept of “one person, one vote.” Only 29 of 212 legislative districts (14 percent) are within one percent of the “ideal size.” While not illegal, New York has legislative district lines that can be dramatically different in size. A recent analysis of district populations created in 2002 found that State Assembly districts ranged in size from 121,111 people to 133,038 people, and State Senate districts ranged in size from 290,925 people to 320,851 people.
Redistricting creates unfair and unconstitutional prison gerrymandering. The State Constitution provides: “For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence … while confined in any public prison.” NY CONST. art. II §4. Yet, the State currently does the opposite, severing people who are incarcerated from the home districts to which they are most likely to return, and treating them as residents of the county where the facility they are confined is located. This prison-based gerrymandering is unfair and dilutes the votes of those who do not live in proximity to prisons. Thirteen counties already remove prison populations from their population counts when drawing county legislative lines. Fairness demands that the State do the same.
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More from www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html (click on "Commission on Reapportionment")...
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: February 16, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Chambers, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Bea Havranek, UC Attorney; Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert
Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Rick Umble,
IS Tech Team Leader; Vic Work, Commissioner of Elections; Hugh
Reynolds, Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Lee Cane, LWV; Victoria
Fabella, Deputy Clerk, Legislature; Fawn Tantillo, Beth Murphy,
Michael Harkavy, Philip Schacter, Rokki Carr
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:05 PM.
…
A motion was made by Richard Messina, Seconded by Paul Benkert, to approve the Minutes from the
February 9, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Rick Umble- Update: Commission Website
Sylvia and Rick demoed the website for the Commission. Vicky handed out hard copies of each screen for
the Commissioners to review for approval.
Vernon asked for a link to display public feedback/e-mails from the public. The process for posting public
feedback was agreed upon as follows: Sylvia will set up a group e-mail address so all of the Commissioners
and Vicky will receive every e-mail that comes in. Vicky will forward every e-mail to Bea. Bea/Bea's Office
will review all e-mails from a legal perspective and respond giving approval (or not) to Vicky for each e-mail
to be posted. Vicky will send all approved e-mails to the IS department to post on the website in an area
designated for public feedback. Commissioners will not respond individually to e-mails. Each week, e-mails
received will be discussed at the meeting. If the Commission agrees that an issue needs to be addressed,
then the minutes would reflect so.
Dare Thompson motioned, Seconded by Paul Benkert, to officially publish the Commission website. All in
favor. Carried. Vicky will communicate with the IS Department to make the site live. Changes/updates to
the site will be made as needed or requested by the Commission.
…
IS and Planning Departments- Update: Software
Rob Leibowitz discussed the software used in Dutchess County. Although free, you need Arc Map to use it,
there is no support for it and it doesn't have tremendous reporting capabilities.
2
IS and Planning still concur that Autobound is the best option for the Commission. Rob demoed the full
version of Autobound for the Commission.
Michael Catalinotto motioned to purchase the Autobound software. Seconded by Dare Thompson, with all in
favor. Carried.
Rich Messina: Q./ Is there anything available on the State level, data, maps, input etc. that either party
may have that could be of use to us? A./ Dennis Doyle: We have everything out there but just so the
Commission understands, we have block maps, but we do not have the data for the blocks.
Vernon Benjamin: Q./ Can you provide the Commission with those maps? A./ Dennis Doyle: Yes.
…
Suggested Guidelines for Purchase of Software and Use
Bill West proposed the following guidelines:
1) Request Chairman of UC Legislature purchase recommended software
Software recommended is __________________________.
Request IT to check on type of program documentation available- i.e. hard copy or on line
2) Software to be installed by UC IT on UC server and password protected. Installation of 2010
census data to be overseen by UCIT.
3) Clerk of the UC Legislature to oversee installation and use of software
4) Clerk of the UC Legislature and the seven members of the Reapportionment Commission be provided
with appropriate password for access for software and census data.
5) UC IT department head be requested to provide members of the Commission the necessary
instructions and assistance in the use of the software at mutually agreeable times.
Use of the IT training facilities- with multiple computers- is requested
6) UC IT is requested to research possibility of giving Reapportionment Commission members access
to software and census data on their home computers and the cost of doing so and to report this
information to the Reapportionment Commission.
7) Clerk of the UC Legislature check with Committee on Open Government for an opinion on having
software instruction sessions open to public and media.
Bill West made a motion to move the guidelines for discussion, Seconded by Michael Catalinotto.
Discussion ensued and the following changes to the guidelines were suggested:
Cynthia Lowe made a motion, seconded by Michael Catalinotto to replace "Clerk of the UC Legislature" in
every instance it appears with "Deputy Clerk of the Legislature Victoria Fabella." All in favor. Carried.
3
Vernon Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Michael Catalinotto to replace "UC IT" in every instance it
appears with "IS, in consultation with the appropriate UC Planning Department Staff." All in favor. Carried.
A motion was made by Dare Thompson, Seconded by Cynthia Lowe, to strike #7 from the guidelines.
Motion Defeated 3 - 4. Ayes: Benjamin, Lowe, Thompson.
Bea told the Commissioners that training is not a meeting of the body for the purpose of making a decision
or conducting business. Training and educational sessions can be closed if the Commission wishes.
The following version of the guidelines was adopted unanimously by the Commission:
Suggested Guidelines for Purchase of Software and Use
1) The Commission on Reapportionment directs the Planning Department to purchase recommended
software. Software recommended is Autobound. The Commission requests IS to check on the type of
program documentation available- i.e. hard copy or on-line.
2) Software to be installed by UC IS on UC server and password protected. Installation of 2010
census data to be overseen by UC IS in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff.
3) Deputy Clerk of the UC Legislature Victoria Fabella to oversee location and use of software
4) Deputy Clerk of the UC Legislature Victoria Fabella and the seven members of the Reapportionment
Commission be provided with appropriate password for access to software and census data.
5) UC IS Department, in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff, is requested to
provide members of the Commission the necessary instructions and assistance in the use of the software at
mutually agreeable times.
Use of the IS training facilities- with multiple computers- is requested
6) UC IS, in conjunction with the appropriate Planning Department Staff, is requested to research
possibility of giving Reapportionment Commission members access to software and census data on their
home computers and the cost of doing so and to report this information to the Reapportionment
Commission.
7) Software instruction sessions are not open to public and media.
Paul Benkert motioned, Seconded by Rich Messina, to direct the Planning Department to purchase the
Autobound Software with 3 copies of the Autobound LE application until it can be determined if it is
feasible for the Commissioners to have the program at home. All in favor. Carried.
Michael Catalinotto suggested that in the future any appropriation for the Reapportionment Commission be
made to the Commission, under its control.
…
Meeting Facilitator
Cynthia Lowe motioned, Seconded by Vernon Benjamin, to rotate the meeting facilitator.
Motion adopted 4 - 3. Noes: Catalinotto, Messina and West.
The Commissioners will rotate facilitating each meeting in reverse alpha order. Since Bill has already acted
as facilitator, Dare Thompson will be the facilitator next week. Rich Messina requested that he be skipped
in the rotation, as he wishes not to facilitate a meeting.
…
Review of Informational Meeting with Legislature 2/15/11
All Commissioners were pleased with their communications with the Legislature.
…
Town Board Meeting Script
The Commissioners have reviewed the Talking Points developed by Cynthia Lowe.
Michael Catalinotto requested that the last line be changed from "especially with respect to race and
ethnicity," to "with consideration of race and ethnicity."
The Commission reviewed and approved its informational brochure for distribution at the Board
Meetings/to the public. Color copies of the brochure can be printed within the County and will cost .50¢
per copy. The Commission requested 500 copies be printed before the 1st town board meeting.
…
Next Week's Agenda
o Rob Leibowitz- New Map Review (Old Block Data used within the software to start to see what
23 member districts look like) Rob will bring the Commissioners hard copies of the block map.
o Town of Ulster Town Board Meeting Review
…
Adjournment
A motion was made by Bill West to adjourn the meeting, with all in favor. Carried. The meeting was
adjourned at 4:58 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
1
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: February 9, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Library Conference Room, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Legislators Wadnola, Provenzano, Rodriguez, Hochberg, and Maloney;
Bea Havranek, UC Attorney; Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert
Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Rick Umble,
IS Tech Team Leader; Hugh Reynolds, Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV;
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk, Legislature; Fawn Tantillo, Beth
Murphy, Michael Harkavy, Philip Schacter, Rokki Carr, Trisha
Schacter
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:02 PM.
…
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto, Seconded by Vernon Benjamin, to approve the Minutes
from the January 26, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Guidelines for Filming Meetings
The Commission has been asked to have their meetings videoed. Although permitted, the Commission has
set guidelines for filming their meetings.
o The filming process can in no way be disruptive to, or interfere with, the meetings.
o There will be no artificial light.
o The camera will remain on the tripod during filming.
o The Commission requests the videos be shared with the County for use on the Commission's
website.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Rick Umble- Update: Commission Website
Sylvia showed the Commissioners the framework that has been developed for the website thus far.
Input is needed from the Commission to determine what the content on each page should be. Vicky will e-
mail IS as necessary with new information to be posted to the site to keep it current.
Vernon Benjamin requested that the current 33 member district map be posted under the draft plan
section until new information is available.
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Beth Murphy, the citizen filming the meetings, will send all video to Sylvia and the video will be posted on
the site along with the meeting agendas and minutes.
There was discussion about public feedback and ability to post comments to the site. Bea Havranek
commented that legal would need to review this kind of public input before it's posted. The County has a
duty and right to protect its personnel and also to protect the general public. There couldn't be anything
on there that could be considered slanderous or libelous. This is not a blog. The purpose of it is to provide
information through your authority as the Commission. Bea also told the Commission that she is the sole
advisor for the County. If any issues come up as a result of this Commission, she would be the person that
would represent the County.
The Commissioners discussed posting an e-mail address for the public to send comments to. E-mails sent to
this address would automatically be forwarded to all members of the Commission.
Bea reminded the Commissioners that all e-mails, including the responses back from the Commissioners, are
FOILable.
Sylvia said she could take all e-mails received and publish them on the site in one running document for
people to scroll through.
There was discussion about adding a "Resources" page or posting links to resources.
The Commission agreed to post on the homepage of their website the 4 principles of redistricting
developed at the Pocantico Redistricting Conference which Dare circulated amongst the Commission.
…
IS and Planning Departments- Update: Software (See Redistricting Software Options handout)
Sylvia reviewed the Software Options handout with the Commission. Rick Umble explained that his and Rob
Leibowitz's recommendation would be the Autobound Pro Redistricting Software ($5,100). It is comparable
to the Maptitude Software demoed for the Commission at the last meeting. It has a lite version,
Autobound LE, which is geared towards Legislators who don't have a background in GIS. That version costs
$980 per user. It is geared towards generating proposed plans that can be imported into a more robust
redistricting program. The Autobound LE application can be purchased and will open up in either the
Maptitude or Autobound more robust software versions for analysis.
Vernon Benjamin: Q./ What about taking this on the road to show people? A./ Rick Umble: It is possible.
The Autobound LE version would make it easiest to do that.
Dare Thompson: Q./ Are there free software versions out there that can be accessed by anyone
interested? A./ Sylvia said she is not familiar with the accessibility of such software. Bill West
commented that he has gotten calls from someone in Woodstock who is drafting plans with free software
that Bill suspects requires a technical knowledge base to use. Bill has requested this individual provide info
on this software to share with the Commission, but has yet to receive any information.
Dennis Doyle asked the Commissioners if they each want a copy of Autobound LE or are they comfortable
with a lesser number of licenses that would be available for their use.
Discussion ensued about the location of the computer(s) containing the redistricting software. No decision
was reached.
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Bill West said the woman from Dutchess County who is in charge if their reapportionment was going to send
Bill an e-mail with the description of the software they are using there. She has yet to do so. Bill
requested that the Planning Department follow-up with Dutchess County to see what kind of software they
have.
The Commission agreed to vote on a software package at the next meeting based upon all of the
information available to the Commission as of the time of the next meeting.
Dennis Doyle reviewed the handout Principles for Transparency and Public Participation in Redistricting
from the Brookings Institute which he believes may be useful to the Commissioners.
…
Public Comment Venues
The Commissioners reviewed the Town Board Meeting Schedule. Although all Commissioners are welcome
to attend all/any meetings, the Commission decided to designate two specific Commissioners to appear at
each meeting. Designations are as follows:
Tuesday, February 15, 2011- 6:45 PM- Meeting with the Legislature- All Commissioners in Attendance
Thurs., Feb. 17th- 7:00PM Town of Ulster Town Board Mtg, 1 Town Hall Dr. Lake Katrine- Cynthia & Paul
Thurs., Feb. 24th- 7:30PM Town of New Paltz Town Board Mtg, 1 Veterans Drive- Dare & Paul
Monday, Feb. 28th- 7:00PM Town of Marlborough Town Board Meeting, Rte. 9W, Milton- Dare & Richard
Tues., March 1st- 7:00PM Marbletown Town Board Meeting, 3775 Main St., Stone Ridge- Bill & Richard
Weds., March 2nd-7:00PM Saugerties Town Board Mtg, Frank Greco Sr. Ctr, Market St.- Michael & Vernon
Thursday, March 3rd- 7:00PM Shawangunk Board Mtg, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill- Paul & Richard
Monday, March 7th- 7:30 PM Esopus Town Board Mtg, 284 Broadway, Port Ewen- Bill & Paul
Tuesday, March 8th- 7:30 PM Woodstock Town Board Meeting, 45 Comeau Drive- Bill & Vernon
Although all Commissioners will try to attend, the Town Board Meetings on the schedule for April will be
designated to specific Commissioners at a later date.
Any Commissioner who can not make one of their designated meetings will call Vicky so she can find a
replacement.
Bill West said the purpose of attending the Town Board Meetings is to begin to gather input from the
public, to listen to concerns of the Boards, specific problems they would like to be considered, etc.
Michael Catalinotto said the Commissioners attending the meetings should introduce themselves, state
their purpose, and listen to suggestions to take back to the rest of the Commissioners.
Paul Benkert suggested the two Commissioners assigned to a meeting take the lead at that meeting.
Cynthia Lowe suggested coming up with a script so that every Town Board gets the same information.
Cynthia will draft a script and circulate it amongst the Commissioners for input.
…
Meeting with the Legislature
The Commissioners agreed to have Legislative Chairman Wadnola introduce them at the meeting. Vicky will
speak to the Chairman about introductions in alpha order.
…
Deadline for Agenda Items
The Commissioners agreed that any suggestions for the agenda, other then what's been discussed and
agreed upon at a previous meeting, need to be submitted to Vicky by noon on Monday for Wednesday's
meeting. Vicky will send out the agenda by COB on Monday.
…
Legislative Counsel Opinion
The Commissioners reviewed the opinion of Legislative Counsel which concurs with the opinion of Bea
Havranek dated November 18, 2010. The Commission is hopeful their plan will remain intact.
…
Next Week's Agenda
o Make Software Decision
o Fine tune Town Board Meeting Script
o Review of Informational Meeting with the Legislature on 2/15/11
…
Adjournment
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto to adjourn the meeting, Seconded by Bill West, with all in favor.
Carried. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
1
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: January 26, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Library Conference Room, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert Leibowitz, Sr. Planner; Sylvia
Wohlfahrt, Director, IS; Roland Bloomer, Assistant County
Attorney; Laura Walls, Assistant Comptroller; Hugh Reynolds,
Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,
Legislature; Beth Murphy, Saugerties Resident
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:01 PM.
…
A motion was made by Bill West, Seconded by Michael Catalinotto, to approve the Minutes from the
January 19, 2011 Meeting. All in favor, Carried.
…
Oath of Office
After discussion, reviewing legal opinions and reading the oath, the Commissioners unanimously agreed to
sign oaths of office.
…
Presentation: Dennis Doyle and Robert Leibowitz, Redistricting Software
(See handouts: A Brief Introduction to Census Geography For Reapportionment and Maptitude for
Redistricting: Extension for ArcGIS)
Rob Leibowitz gave a thoroughly review of the handout A Brief Introduction to Census Geography For
Reapportionment. Mr. Leibowitz then gave a demonstration of the software.
Software Cost :Approximately $3,500
The Commission will be working with Census Block Data- 100% Count
ArcGIS is a mapping program the County Planning Department uses for things such as
referrals, analysis, open space planning, etc. The software being looked at is an extension
that plugs into the existing program for the sole purpose of redistricting.
The County currently has this program extension on a 30-day trial.
The program allows you to select blocks on the fly within a district and it will tell you the
total population that you have selected within that district. It tells you your deviation as
you select blocks in and out to establish district boundaries.
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The district boundaries are real in terms of the geography that can be found on the ground.
All census blocks, census tracts and census districts have a real place on the ground, i.e. a
political subdivision, a street, a stream, or something so you can actually find them.
Dennis Doyle commented that the program allows you to establish multiple ways to split the
populations and add and subtract. He suspects that geographically the Commission will come
to an agreement of what a base district looks like. Then there will be additions and
subtractions off of that base to suit the individual members of the Commission until a
consensus is reached.
Election Districts can be overlaid on the maps.
Michael Catalinotto: Q./ Did we have a consultant work on that Reapportionment 10 years ago? A./ Rob
Leibowitz: I believe one of the political parties hired somebody. People also came to my office with their
own digital plans and I put them in a geographic format so they could be submitted for review.
The Commission discussed trying to avoid altering election districts. Bill West commented that
Commissioner of Elections Tom Turco said the Board of Elections has the authority and ability to establish
a new election district if it comes down to that.
Dennis Doyle suggested thinking about criteria to get to a consensus around what constitutes best fit, i.e.
geographic boundaries, election districts, population diversity, etc. Then, once the census data becomes
available, the Commission would have a general consensus about how to start drawing districts.
Dare Thompson commented she can't imagine undertaking this task without software.
Cynthia Lowe: Q./ When do we need to make a decision about the purchase? A./ Within the next 30 days
before the trial runs out.
Vernon Benjamin commented that he believes the Planning Department should move forward with obtaining
the software.
Bill West said there are other available options the Commission needs to consider.
Cynthia Lowe and Vernon Benjamin were in agreement that any software recommendation should come from
the County Planning Department, the experts who are available to the Commission. If the program doesn't
integrate with the software the County currently has, then there could be several issues including wasting
a lot of time justifying if the information produced is correct or not.
Paul Benkert: Q./ Is there other software that can work with what the County currently has? A./ Rob
Leibowitz: I believe there are stand-alone versions that are data driven and don't visualize the maps. They
are essentially just databases that crunch the numbers. I'm not fully aware of what's out there yet.
Dennis Doyle said if asked to evaluate the best program he suspects they would look for the ability to bring
in other criteria that the Commission decides is important to the decision process into that package,
election districts, different barriers, etc.
Dare Thompson would like to add ethnicity of populations as a criteria item. She believes it is a basic thing
to look at in the redistricting process. Dare is currently unfamiliar with the communities of interest in UC,
where they are, and what the Commission should be trying to protect.
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Rob Leibowitz showed that ethnic breakdown can be illustrated for consideration when using the demoed
software.
Rob Leibowitz pointed out that the Census produces its mapping data directly to the ArcGIS format.
Sylvia Wohlfahrt recommended that the Commission define the pieces of information that it will use in the
decision making process and gather the criteria in a requirements document and present it to the other
vendors that have this product. The vendors come back with proposals to evaluate. This Request-For-
Quote process is very quick. The Commission can have proposals within a couple of weeks of getting your
criteria.
The Commission agreed to move forward with the process Sylvia suggested.
…
Sylvia Wohlfahrt, Commission Website
The website can be a link off of the existing County website for a nominal fee.
Sylvia requested input from the Commission on the types of things the Commissioners would like to see on
the website and the level of interactivity the Commission would like to have with the public.
Bill West: Q./ The Charter Commission had a website. What did they have on their site? A./ Sylvia: Just
documents, agendas, and things of that nature.
There was discussion amongst the Commissioners as to whether the website should provide an opportunity
for the public to post comments.
Sylvia said typically when you accept information back you take on a large responsibility of monitoring the
content you get to make sure there is nothing offensive, or what gets put out there is not perceived as
your opinion. It is certainly much easier if the Commission has complete control of what gets posted on the
site.
Rob Leibowitz suggested using the website for dissemination purposes only, and list easily identifiable
contact information for those who want to share something with the Commission.
Sylvia went on to recommend posting agendas, calendars, minutes, links to maps, status updates of what the
Commission is currently working on, and a contact e-mail address (which can be set up as a group so that
each Commissioner receives the e-mail).
Dare Thompson suggested taking time to think about the idea of the public posting comments or blogging
and revisiting the topic at the next meeting. She would like to see as much public input as possible. There
may be a way to do it so that the person needs to identify him/herself. Everything you read about
redistricting talks about transparency and as open a process as possible, as much back and forth as
possible. It's only done once every 10 years. This is not a small question.
The Commissioners agreed to think about the issue of blogging/public comment on the website and revisit
the topic at the next meeting.
The Commissioners agreed to have Vicky be the liaison between Sylvia and the Commission for the purposes
of providing information pertaining to the website.
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There was discussion about the website containing a short bio on each Commissioner, including town where
the individual resides. Short bios should be e-mailed to Vicky.
…
Public Comment Venues
Bill West suggested considering meeting with Town Boards at their public meetings. There will be an
audience and there is existing structure to those meetings- people are aware of them and we can be placed
on the agenda. For the initial go-around it may be the best way to encourage public participation.
The Commission agreed that it was a good idea to attend the Town Board Meetings to get input from the
Supervisors and Board Members. Vicky will reach out to all the Town Supervisors and Mayor Sottile to see
if there is interest and map out a schedule of when the meetings are.
The Commission reviewed a list of eleven potential venues around the County where public hearings can be
held. (See handout: Potential Venues, Commission on Reapportionment Public Hearings)
Bill West suggested reviewing the list of venues but holding off on picking locations until the Commission
hears back from the Town Supervisors and also first schedules a meeting for input from the Legislature.
…
Meeting with the Legislature
Bill West said the purpose of meeting with the Legislature was to introduce the Commission as a group and
ask for concerns, interests and input.
Michael Catalinotto reiterated the County Charter says "allow timely input from the County Legislature and
its members."
The Commissioner's reviewed the Legislative Calendar for the month of February and decided that it would
me most convenient to meet with the Legislative Body on the day of Session, February 15, 2011, as all
Legislators would already be planning on coming to the building for their monthly meeting.
The Commissioners agreed to have Vicky send a request to the Majority and Minority Leaders saying the
Commission is available on Feb. 15th- is it possible to meet with the Legislative Body on that evening and if
so what time would you suggest. Vicky will take their recommendation to Chairman Wadnola for official
approval.
…
Preparation for Meetings
Bill West asked the Commission if there were any handouts or informational material the Commissioners
thought should be developed for distribution at any of the public meetings, i.e. a copy of the section of the
Charter that discusses the Commission on Reapportionment.
Paul Benkert recommended directing individuals to the County Website to view the Charter if they have any
questions.
Cynthia Lowe said the Commission wants the public to be aware that the Commission itself has a website.
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Bill West suggested making a sign for display at public hearings that says you can find up to date
information about the Commission and the reapportionment process at ________ (web address).
Vernon Benjamin suggested creating a pamphlet similar to the one the Executive created re: the Esopus
Creek water problem. It should have info on the Commission, what is it, what are we supposed to do, some
details about it, where we are going to meet, etc. The Commission agreed that after the website is
created, it should be relatively easy to cut and paste the info into a handout format.
Dare Thompson explained to the Commissioners that many government groups across the county worked
together to develop the following essential principles which represent a long-term national effort to reach
consensus on how best to tackle redistricting:
1. An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting
efforts.
2. The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
3. The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and
opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by
the redistricting body.
4. In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner
that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, especially racial and ethnic
diversity.
Dare will send out the background to this summary to all the Commissioners to review. Dare believes these
4 principles should be listed on all of the Commission's literature, including the website.
…
New Business
The Commission agreed that Dare will correspond with the Planning Department and report back to the
Commission re: any info the Planning Department may have that will give the Commission insight to the
diversity of the County.
Discussion ensued re: number of enrolled voters and where incumbents live not criteria for decision making.
The Commission expressed concern about the final plan adoption by the Legislature. The Commissioners are
eagerly waiting on the official opinion from Legislative Counsel regarding this issue.
The Commissioners agreed that their meeting with the Legislature would inaugurate their road trip. At the
next meeting the Commission will discuss and schedule meetings around the County.
…
Adjournment:
A motion was made by Michael Catalinotto to adjourn the meeting, Seconded by Rich Messina, with all in
favor. Carried. The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
######################################################
OFFICE OF THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF GROUP: Commission On Reapportionment
DATE: January 19, 2011
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
PLACE: UCOB, Legislative Chambers, 6th Floor
MEMBERS PRESENT: Vernon Benjamin, Paul Benkert, Michael Catalinotto, Cynthia Lowe,
Rich Messina, Dare Thompson, Bill West
MEMBERS EXCUSED: None
OTHERS ATTENDING: Dennis Doyle, Planning Director; Robert Leibowitz, Sr. Planner;
Clinton Johnson, First Assistant County Attorney; Geraldine Romano,
Legal Secretary; Laura Walls, Assistant Comptroller; Hugh Reynolds,
Reporter; Tom Kadgen, LWV; Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,
Legislature; Beth Murphy, Saugerties Resident; Mike Harkavy,
Saugerties Resident
…
The meeting was called to order by Bill West at 3:04PM.
…
Oath of Office
Bill West told the Commission that Bea Havranek contacted the Legislative Office and suggested the
members of the Commission sign an oath of office.
Mike Catalinotto explained that his research showed that one of the indicia of being a public officer is
the taking of an oath. As you know, you can't be a member of this group if you are a public officer. Are we
creating a problem for ourselves by doing it? Mr. Catalinotto does not see a need for it. He said the group
can agree as a whole to sign the oath, but he is just raising the point.
The Commission Members unanimously agreed to not sign the oath at this time. The subject can be
revisited should the County Attorney provide ample reason for doing so.
First Assistant County Attorney Clinton Johnson explained that there is a 30 day window for completing
oaths. Therefore, he believes Bea Havranek will clarify relatively quickly whether taking the oath is a
necessity or not.
Bill West commented that Legislative Counsel is aware of the County Attorney's suggestion to have oaths
signed by Commission Members and will provide further advisement should it be necessary.
2
…
Member Introductions
Cynthia Lowe explained that the Commission is a group of equals. There is no official Chair of the
Commission. All members may add to the agenda or comment as to what's going on. Bill West is acting as a
de facto chair. Despite this, all members are encouraged to speak up and express his/her opinion at any
time.
Vernon Benjamin- Former County Legislator from the 1980's. Applied for this position because he heard it
on NPR and was struck by what Gerald Benjamin said; just the way he used the word "fair" in talking with
Dr. Chartock on that day. Vernon thought that if he didn't apply he might be kicking himself later. There
is no other motivation for serving on this Commission. Vernon is proud to be here and would like to
reiterate that we are here to get a job done and do it in a way that satisfies the people of Ulster County.
If anyone doesn't think we will accomplish this, they might as well leave the table now.
Cynthia Lowe- She have no past, current or future political aspirations. Cynthia is involved in this because
she feels the Charter is a valuable change in the way we govern ourselves in Ulster County and she wanted
to contribute to that process. She believes that if the group makes this a thoughtful and nonpartisan
process, we'll succeed in what we are trying to do. While Vernon thinks that we are going to satisfy the
residents of UC, I think that the best transaction will be if everyone is slightly unhappy. We don't want
everyone to be completely satisfied or we haven't really done our job. In my day job, I'm the Director of
the Community Foundation in UC. This is all part of making UC a better place.
Rich Messina- Rich is a Marlboro resident who is married with three children. He works full-time as a sales
manager for a construction company. Rich is very active in the community. He has been involved in the
Lion's Club, Fire Company, Make a Wish, the local chapter of the National UNICO organization; just about
every organization out there. Rich got involved with this Commission because he felt it was his time to give
back to the County.
Paul Benkert- Born and raised in Kingston, now lives in Highland. Paul is married and has three young
children. He has been involved with the Rotary for 15 years and is currently in his second term as
President. Paul got an email about the Commission on Reapportionment from the County Executive's Office
and he thought it sounded interesting. He was involved in politics as a city committeeman 15 years ago.
Looking at the districts the way there are now doesn't make sense to him. Paul wants to get the job at
hand done and he wants to do it right.
Michael E. Catalinotto- Michael is an attorney with the firm Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto. He is
a former Chair and member of the Kingston Hospital Board. He has been on the Council of the SUNY New
Paltz institution. He was the Chairman of the Republican Committee in Saugerties, but is no longer active in
politics. Michael took this opportunity because it is something novel. It's never been tried before to have
a citizen's committee don the actual reapportionment of a county for county legislature purposes. On top
of that, we have the added responsibility for downsizing which makes the problem a little more complex and
more challenging. We have a golden opportunity to show that citizens can participate and come up with a
plan that is not politically involved.
Dare Thompson- A career League of Women Voters person; currently President. Redistricting and
reapportionment in a fair way is as basic as it gets for us. We fought for the Charter and are very happy to
see this included. Several of us signed up for the selection process. Dare believes one of the reasons she
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was selected was her location, as she understands there was an interest in geographic spread. She thought
it was a good sign that everyone knew she was on the LWV and still let her join the Commission.
Bill West- Woodstock resident, former Chairman of the County Legislature, Town Supervisor, semi-retired.
Bill believes this is a historic occasion. We are the first group under the Charter to fulfill this obligation.
We are the first group to reduce the Legislature to 23. So this is pretty unique and hopefully we can set
the tone for all future endeavors of this type. Bill hopes that people look back and think this group did a
good job. Bill believes to date it has been a very collegial experience and expressed his appreciate to all
members for their willingness to serve.
…
Review Materials Available to Commission Members
The Commission reviewed the following handouts:
1) Map showing towns, 2000 census and projected 2009 census
2) Section C-10 of the Ulster County Charter
3) Map showing towns and election districts with the number of enrolled voters
4) Brennan Institute Published Report on Process to Consider for Reapportionment sent into the Legislative
Office via e-mail from Beth Murphy of Saugerties. Vicky will e-mail a copy to all Commission Members.
…
Census Data:
Bill told the Commission that he spoke with the Planning Board and the Census data will probably not be
available until the end of February, possibly March, worse case the end of March. If we get the data in the
middle of March, we are on a very compressed time frame to get this done because in fairness to all of the
parties, they have to get their candidates and they have to know where the candidates are living. In June
comes the convention for parties and they start carrying petitions.
Dennis Doyle- We have been tasked to provide technical information to the Commission and we are a census
data affiliate so we have direct access to the census bureau and agencies that deal with the bureau. One of
the things that may be helpful to the Commission is to understand the structure census data which is not
just based on municipal basis. Beyond the municipal level it goes down to something called census tracts.
Beyond census tracts it goes to census block groups, beyond census block groups it goes to actual census
blocks. That's the kind of data you may be looking at in terms of your divisions of where district lines run.
Dennis said his department would be more than happy to do a presentation or bring individual members up
to speed on what census geography looks like. The Commission should also know that the Legislature in
working with the County Executive has set money in our budget to provide technical assistance outside the
resources that are available in UC should you request it. We intend to act as staff to the Commission. We
therefore hope that you develop a communications protocol.
With the census information we hope will be released in February, worse case March, we will get total
population. We will not get group quarters counts until sometime in May. Group quarters counts are
important because there is a state law that is going to require for reapportionment purposes that prison
populations need to be brought back to their last area before they were incarcerated. So, even when we
get the census data we will have to pull out the prison population associated with it. There is a really good
website that gives an overview of NYS re this issue: prisonersofthecensus.org
We do have population projections in estimates for the municipalities. There is software out there that
will essentially do the population distributions for various districts based on what you plug into it. We do
not currently own the software but we can purchase it.
4
Another thing to think about is how you are going to communicate to the general public. Do you want to
develop a website?
…
Future Meeting Dates:
The Commission Members agreed to schedule meetings for every Wednesday from 3PM to 5PM until their
task is complete. The meeting will be canceled if there is no business to conduct during a particular week,
or the Commission may choose to meet more frequently if necessary.
…
Venues for Public Meetings:
Michael Catalinotto said the Commission is tasked with allowing for timely input from the County
Legislature and its members and the maximum of public participation and comment.
The Commission would like to hold approximately 10 public meetings around the County. The meeting in
Kingston can be held in Legislative Chambers, with all Legislators invited. Vicky will develop a list of
potential venues and contacts for the Commission to consider. The Commission would prefer to hold Public
Hearings on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7PM.
…
Opinion on Plan Adoption Process
There were questions raised as to whether the Legislature would vote on the plan the Commission presents.
Does the Legislature plan on making changes to the plan or will it be accepted as presented? The
Commission agreed to write a letter to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Legislature requesting
Legislative Counsel's opinion on the Reapportionment Plan adoption process. Bill will write the letter and
circulate it via e-mail amongst the Commission Members before Vicky sends out the official request.
…
Communication Process:
The Commission agreed to communicate with departments or put in requests for information as a unified
group instead of making individual requests.
…
Presentation Request for Next Meeting:
The Commission is interested in communicating with the public via a website. Vicky will arrange to have
Sylvia Wohlfahrt from IS present at the next meeting re: the website and any other services that may be
available to the Commission. Dare Thompson expressed interest in the software Dennis Doyle briefly
mentioned. Cynthia Lowe suggested Dennis present information about this software at the next meeting.
Vicky will arrange to have Dennis present to the Commission at the meeting next Wednesday, 1/26, at 3PM.
…
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:51 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Victoria Fabella, Deputy Clerk,Ulster County Legislature
##################################################
About The Commission
The Commission on Reapportionment was established by the Ulster County Charter to create 23 single member districts for the Ulster County Legislature using 2010 census data. Below is the section of the Ulster County Charter that discusses the Commission.
Ulster County Charter
Search site:
C-10. Commission on Reapportionment.
A.
A Commission on Reapportionment shall be established as soon as practicable after the
availability of data from the census of 2010 to create 23 single-member districts for the
Ulster County Legislature and thereafter to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts
no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the
decennial federal census and reapportion them as necessary to meet established standards
in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County,
keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town,
city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving
no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party. This
Commission shall consist of seven members who are County residents, are eligible to
register to vote and are not public officers or employees.
B.
To establish a pool from which members will be appointed, no later than three months
prior to the anticipated first meeting of the Commission on Reapportionment, the County
Executive shall widely solicit interest in serving on the Commission through such means
as direct mail and e-mail contact with civic groups, public service announcements on
radio and television and in daily and weekly newspapers, paid advertisement and
announcement on the County website.
C.
Initial appointments to the Commission on Reapportionment from the pool of interested
parties gathered in this manner shall represent various geographic areas of the County
and shall be made no later than 60 days after the census data becomes available, with
two members appointed by the Legislature's majority leader and two members by the
Legislature's minority leader.
D.
These four appointed Commissioners shall select the additional three Commission
members from the pool previously established no later than 70 days after the census data
becomes available. In the event that the additional three Commission members are not
appointed by the prescribed deadline, the appointment of the initial four members will no
longer have force and effect and these members will no longer be eligible to serve on the
Commission on Reapportionment. The majority and minority leaders will make
alternative appointments in the manner prescribed in this section, and the four newly
appointed members will appoint three additional members so as to allow the Commission
to convene no later than six months after the census data becomes available.
E.
The Commission will reapportion in accordance with a process that allows timely input from the County Legislature and its members and the maximum of public participation
and comment, and in accord with a calendar it adopts for itself after consideration of
New York State Election Law that assures that elections in newly apportioned districts
will be held in the year ending in "1" in every decade.
The Ulster County Administrative Code states that the Commission is "to meet and evaluate existing legislative districts no later than 60 days after the necessary census data becomes available from the decennial federal census and reapportion (the districts) as necessary to meet established standards in state and federal law for equal and fair representation of all people in Ulster County, keeping districts compact and contiguous while taking also into account existing town, city, village and election district boundaries and defining geographic features but giving no consideration to providing advantage to one or another political party."
The Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment has adopted these principals to successfully complete their task:
* An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts.
* The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
* The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body.
* In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, with consideration of racial and ethnic diversity.
This website was developed to keep the public apprised of our activities and includes meeting agendas, minutes and video.
Our goal is to work within a transparent process, to provide opportunities for the public to have direct input into the process and to develop districts that reflect the diversity of the population of Ulster County with consideration of race and ethnicity.
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Commission on Reapportionment
Members
Commission members were selected from a pool of interested parties representing the various geographic areas of the County and were selected as follows:
Two by the Majority Leader of the Legislature
Two by the Minority Leader of the Legislature
These four members then chose the remaining three members.
Below you can learn about the seven Commissioners.
Vernon Benjamin of Saugerties is a writer, consultant, and educator who served on the Ulster County Legislature from 1984-89 and has had an extensive background in government and public service. He currently serves the Town of Saugerties as a consultant on economic development and other matters.
Paul Benkert was born and raised in Kingston, New York. He is a graduate of Kingston High School, Class of 1986. Paul founded Allways Moving and Storage in Kingston in 1990, Allways Self Storage in 1998 and Benkert Realty, a Commercial Real Estate Company, in 1999. Paul has resided in Highland since 1999 with his wife Alison and his three children, Emily 11, Sean 9 and Ashley 8.
Michael Catalinotto is the senior partner of the Albany and Saugerties law firm of Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is a member of the New York State, American, Albany County and Ulster County Bar Associations. Catalinotto is a graduate of New York University and the Columbia Law School.
He is a former member of the New York State Advisory Committee on the Civil Practice Law and Rules, and the College Council of the State University of New York at New Paltz and is a former chairman of the Kingston Hospital Board of Trustees.
An active member of the Saugerties community, he is a former town justice, town attorney and former member of the Ulster County Ethics Committee. He has served as president of the Saugerties Rotary Club and member and advocate of the Saugerties Council of the Knights of Columbus, the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce and the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce.
Cynthia Lowe has been the Director of the Community Foundation of Ulster County since November, 2007. Prior to that position she was a member of the senior management of a community bank in Orange County for fifteen years. She is a Certified Public Accountant and was a practicing accountant In Kingston for ten years. She is currently the Chair of Finance and incoming Chair of the Board of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. She is the treasurer of Friends of Historic Kingston and a member of the Kingston Sunrise Rotary Club. Cynthia and her husband Glenn Sutherland have lived in the Town of Ulster for over 20 years.
Richard Messina lives in Marlboro and is married with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He is a 20 year member with the Marlboro - Milton Lions club, a 20 year member with the Marlboro Hose Company, a 20 year member of Marlboro Unico and has been on the Board of Directors for 17 years and is still very active with the organization. Richard is currently Chairman for Cooley's Anemia in his hometown area. He was involved with Marlboro Youth Baseball and started the Girls Softball program. Richard is employed as sales manager for a construction company, and is not involved with any political party.
Dare Thompson is the President of the League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region, a past president of the LWV of Rhode Island and a past Vice President of the LWV of Ohio, and a former member of two strategic planning committees of the national LWV. She has served as executive director of three non-profit arts organizations since 1982.
William West is a resident of Woodstock. He has been active in numerous local and County civic organizations, in addition to serving as an officer of a national trade association. He has served as Town Supervisor and Chairman of the Ulster County Legislature. William has been a member of the Board of Directors of several banks and an insurance company. Currently, he is semiretired from the family business. William is a graduate of SUNY Oswego and served in the US Army for 18 months over seas.
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