Republican candidates come out swinging

Democrats attacked for ‘promises not kept’

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Republican county chairman John LiGreci set an aggressive tone when he accused Democrats of overspending, creating unnecessary new government jobs and not fulfilling promises they made when they were swept into the majority in January 2004.

The occasion was a news conference at the Sullivan County Government Center on March 15 to announce Republican candidates for the November elections.

The election at the county level will cover all nine legislative seats, as well as a judge, a coroner and county clerk.

Robert Kunis, who was voted out of office in 2004 after eight years as a legislator, went on the attack against his opponent Ron Hiatt, and even more so against county chairman Chris Cunningham.

Kunis called Cunningham’s state-of-the-county declaration that the county is in good shape “an insult to anyone who lives here and knows what is going on.”

In a theme repeated by other candidates, he said, “this is a closed government, folks.” He also faulted Democrats, who now enjoy a seven-to-two majority in the legislature, for raising taxes in each of the past four years, and “creating jobs to reward political cronies.”

Kunis, who switched parties in October 2002, was voted out of office in part because of voter dissatisfaction with the state of the county landfill in District Eight, which includes part of the Village of Monticello, as well as parts of the towns of Thompson and Fallsburg. He criticized Hiatt’s plan to have the county purchase properties that are most affected by landfill odors. “Where will the money come from?” asked Kunis. “Another tax increase.”

In response later in the day, Cunningham said the landfill issues are largely solved. The odors are gone. He said the landfill was mismanaged by the prior county manager and the former manager of the department of public works, both of whom are now gone.

On the tax issue, Hiatt said that members of both parties were in favor of all of the increases, including the sales tax increase request for this year. On the issue of open government, Hiatt recalled that when Republicans were in control prior to 2004, they would often interrupt meetings for private caucuses to discuss issues. This practice, he said, did not happen under the Democrats.

David Sager, a chiropractor who has served as a county coroner for eight years, is running for the legislative seat in District One, which includes the towns of Tusten, Cocheton, Bethel and part of Delaware, and which is currently held by Cunningham. Cunningham announced on March 13 that he would not run this year, and a Democratic candidate for the seat has not yet been announced.

At the news conference, Sager said he had “never seen morale in this buildingžthe government centeržany lower.” He accused Democrats of “back-stabbing,” mishandling the landfill and “playing the political blame game” in terms of the county budget.

In response, Cunningham called Sager’s remarks “a negative diatribe,” and said none of the Republican candidates at the news conference offered anything positive. “The people will see though this,” he said.

Other announcements at the news conference included Republican Tony Leone, a retired businessman who will run against Democrat Elwin Wood in District Three, which includes the Town of Rockland and parts of Liberty and Neversink.

No Republican candidate has yet been announced for District Five, which includes the towns of Fremont and Callicoon and parts of Liberty and Delaware. Democrat Frank Armstrong was appointed to represent the district after Rodney Gaebel moved to become the Republican commissioner of the board of elections.

In District Six, which includes parts of the towns of Liberty and Fallsburg, Republican incumbent Jody Goodman will run against Democratic challenger Michael Gozza.

In District Seven, which includes parts of the towns of Fallsburg and Neversink, Republican incumbent Leni Binder will run again; Democrats have not yet named a challenger.

In District Nine, which includes part of the Village of Monticello, and part of the Town of Thompson, Democratic incumbent Sam Wohl will run again; Republicans have not yet announced an opponent.

Democratic incumbent Jonathan Rouis will run again in District Four, which includes part of the Town of Mamakating; a Republican challenger has not yet been named.

In District Two, which includes the towns of Highland, Lumberland and part of Mamakating, Democratic incumbent Kathy LaBuda will run against Republican Charles Penna, who currently serves as the supervisor of the Town of Mamakating.

Penna draws ire of environmental groups

Mamakating supervisor Charles Penna has not only launched a race for a seat on the county legislature, he has also launched an attack on environmental groups in Mamakating. Specifically, he aimed his blasts at the Basha Kill Area Association (BKAA).

On March 8, Penna posted a page on the town web site, warning residents that the BKAA is bent on keeping all development out of the town, and that environmental groups threatened the value of resident’s land and homes. He called the group’s members “anti-capitalist, enviro-nazis.”

But Penna’s targets lately have also included other groups such as the Phillipsport Community Center. In late February he wrote a letter to the Gerry Foundation, attempting to kill a $1,500 beautification grant that was to be used for planting evergreens around the center.

On March 12, he also tried to prevent a BKAA member from attending a public meeting of the Town of Mamakating Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. When the member showed up anyway, Penna cancelled the meeting.

When he announced his legislative candidacy on March 15, Penna was asked about the appropriateness of posting his own strong views on the town web site. He said he was entitled to as a “freedom of speech” issue.

Critics have blasted back.

BKAA president Paula Medley charged that Penna was using his elected office to pursue a vendetta against her organization. Medley said he is angry with the organization because of the perception that the group nearly cost him the election to the post of supervisor in November 2005.

At a Mamakating town meeting on March 20, a long list of residents spoke out against Penna and the web postings.

Other Mamkating board members said they were totall unaware of the content of the messages before they were posted, and they voted unanimously thatt in the future they would review any personal writings from Penna to be posted on the town web site.

However, some of the residents at the meeting showed support for Penna, and applauded when he made remarks tying environmental groups to the lack of jobs and in Mamakating and Sullivan County.

It appeared to several observers that Penna is trying to position himslef as a pro-business, anti-environmentalist candidate for the upcoming election.