East Greenbush Talks

Friday, November 25, 2016

Shop Small Business Saturday

11/16/16 EG Town Board Meeting

The following were unanimously adopted except where noted.

· 212-2016 Authorize Purchase of a Point of Sale System Computer for Town Clerk’s Office

· 213-2016 Extend General Water District to Include 150 Ridge Road, owned by Kamal Swami and Avani Swami

· 214-2016 Local Law #4, Adopting/Ratifying the Land Subdivision Regulations of the Planning Board and Adopting an Amendment Thereto

· 215-2016 Refund of the Filing Fee for Small Claims Assessment Hearing

· 216-2016 Authorize Public Works Personnel Positions

· 217-2016 Agreement with Rensselaer County Concerning Snow and Ice Removal

· 218-2016 Purchasing Clerk to Solicit Bids for High Flow Articulated Compact Loader for Snow and Ice Removal on Sidewalks

· 219-2016 Provisionally Appoint Christopher Ochs Motorized Equipment Operator Heavy (MEOH) in Public Works Congratulations and welcome!

· 220-2016 Adopt Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 Councilor Mary Anne Matters voted “No”. 220-2016 included the following language “with dissenting votes cast by Councilor Matters, duly approved a preliminary budget” on 10/24/16. I honestly don’t recall a person’s previous vote reflected in the body of a subsequent resolution. Seriously?

· 221-2016 Addition of CDPHP EPO 120 Plan to the Town Policy

· 222-2016 Refer Application for L. Browe Asphalt Services Pavement Batch Plant Planned Development District to Town Planning Board for Review and Recommendation

· 223-2016 Create Assistant Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer and Appoint Nicholas Petramale as Assistant Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer and Part-Time Fire Inspector Congratulations and welcome!

· 224-2016 Conditional Job Offer to Griffin S. Hotaling for Police Officer Congratulations and welcome!

· 225-2016 Honoring Gerald Middleton for Fifty Years of Service to the Best-Luther Fire Department Congratulations and thanks!

· 226-2016 Appoint William Mahan Bingo Inspector Congratulations and welcome back!

· 227-2016 Create Part-Time Operations Consultant and Appoint Terry Sharp to that Position Congratulations and welcome!

Pete Stenson

East Greenbush

Thursday, November 17, 2016

ELECTION REFLECTION

Donald J. Trump has been elected the 45^th President of the United States. Was his victory due to the polls, pundits, prognosticators or that he tapped into the angst many feel about being forgotten by Washington? Who could blame them?

Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican) said in late 2010 “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.” Too late to stop the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or the Affordable Care Act (2010), but early enough to block any other Obama initiative. Those feeling the angst weren’t forgotten – they were downright abandoned!

President Elect Trump made a good number of promises and walked back some during his campaign. Will his tax cuts and program expansions, i.e. the military, be subjected to the same requirement that they be paid for by offsetting program cuts or will they grow the deficit a la the Reagan tax cuts?

Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will not likely support every Trump initiative but they won’t likely fight every one either. I believe and hope they will support initiatives that are good for America and her people! Pelosi has already indicated support for an infrastructure program (I assume provided it doesn’t include the “Wall”).

“Good” is the operative and subjective word. Political parties generally have the same goals but different approaches to achieving them. Tax cuts or increased spending to grow a stagnant economy? Help for the struggling or empowerment? Fewer or increased regulations? Critical choices all.

Regardless, we should all insist that the Washington “elite” work together to address the many issues this nation faces. Their success will be our success! Or will the masses be abandoned again?