Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Debate & Other Things.......








Link to MPNnow article about primaries.

I thought there was going to be a debate before the primary?

I remember reading in this article that Mr. Ament wanted 3 debates, moderated through the Women League Of Voters or something......but Mary Ellen Heyman didn't think it was "up to him" to decide the venue, and she wanted "unbiased" moderators.

Then, David Seeley said getting in three debates before 9/15 is: “highly unlikely,” he thinks one debate will be scheduled, “and if he (Ament) conducts himself in a civil manner, we will do a second.”

Sooooo.......when is the debate?

It would be nice to hear what each of them has to say, in a "moderated" atmosphere.

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The D&C finally has an article out about the Apprenticeship Law - the issue is pretty much over and done with until/if the Town Board decides to bring it back up for discussion again. I did find some information in this article pretty interesting, though.





(the blue on the last page is just what was included in the screen shot from the 2nd page.)

For instance:

Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman said board members need time to digest all the information they received and said the board will revisit the issue but did not specify when.

"Will it be in the next three months? Probably not," she said. "Will it be within the next three years? Most likely. We've studied this for four years. I don't think a few more months will matter."

They "need time to digest all the information" and "They've studied this for four years".....but when a FOI request was sent in asking for the information that they studied......it was denied because the "The documentation constitutes intra-agency material that is not statistical or factual tabulations of data......" among other reasons. Link to blog about FOI request and denial.

If they "studied this for four years".....they must have SOMETHING to share with the residents......dontcha think? What have they been studying the past four years?

It's not like we're asking for top secret CIA information.......we'd just like to see what they reviewed and studied the past four years, to help us understand why they would even offer this law as a resolution.

I also thought this was interesting too:

Erie County effectively suspended its apprenticeship law in 2008 because County Executive Chris Collins said the law harmed local businesses, drove up costs and wasted tax dollars. Erie County spokesman Grant Loomis said county officials were able to "defang" the law after the County Legislature failed to act on Collins' proposal to scrap it, and said the county no longer is honoring the law.

"The Apprenticeship Law is the most anti-business, anti-taxpayer law on the books," Collins said in a statement posted on the county's Web site. "The law was nothing more than the legislature's majority's effort to bolster union support at the expense of hardworking taxpayers."

Link to Erie County website.

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The D&C also has an article up about the primary on September 15th.




"Heyman said she is proud of her record and mentioned ongoing work to renovate Route 590 near Sea Breeze into a town road"


Which was initiated by David Schantz. Back in the mid 1990's, Schantz proposed re-doing the 590 part in Irondequoit....to make it a "gateway to Irondequoit" and proposed the idea to then Representative Jim Walsh who then secured $8 million in federal grants, and almost $5 million from NYS. Planning for this project began in 2004.....BEFORE the "pirate" took over as Supervisor. Schantz did all the work for this, secured almost $13 million in grants for this......and Heyman takes the credit.

"development of a lakeside trail that winds through Durand-Eastman."

Which was initiated, and up to, the County (at the time, CE Jack Doyle)...and David Schantz back in 2003 I believe.

In this article, they talk about the trail and Heyman is quoted:

"We wanted residents to be aware that we were beginning work and who to contact if there were problems," Garland said. "We think we've got a good project."

Town leaders like Irondequoit Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman aren't so sure.

"This (the town's portion of the trail) was budgeted for last year," Heyman said. "It's a (Supervisor)

Schantz project we're going to complete."

She goes so far as to say the county has "forced us into" starting the project.

Heyman said. "It seems foolish to move ahead ... but there seems to be no one in a position of authority willing to listen to us."





It was a Schantz project. One she thought was "foolish". But now, it's good enough for her to list as an accomplishment on her campaign website.


David Schantz also sat on the coordinating committee for the Irondequoit Bay Harbor Management Plan and was concerned with steep slopes, storm water management etc......but Heyman makes you think it was all HER idea.......all hers and hers alone.

When Heyman lists all of her "accomplishments"......take it for what it's worth, as most of the projects she is claiming as her "accomplishments" were from the ideas and work of David Schantz.

Now, I know that at every opportunity, this administration likes to blame the past administration for all of the things "ignored" in Irondequoit......but you take a look at what they have "done".....and you can clearly see that it came to fruition BECAUSE of the past administration doing all of the work and securing funds.....and then the current administration claims that they are the only ones who've ever done anything for this town.

Kinda like when Ament orchestrated all the renovations to Pinegrove....and then Heyman took all the "collaborative credit" for it. Arrgh!

Think about what Heyman has really accomplished during 4 years of being Supervisor.