Commentary: When offered as a token of TEAMWORK, the process of inclusion and accommodation leads to corruption, discrimination and the exclusion of the consideration of valid differing opinions. To stand by, do nothing, not ask the right question or offer a differing opinion ["not create conflict"/ be a “team player”] in the face of important issues is NOT being a team player. Publicly challenging an elected or appointed official can always benefit such official. An official with integrity MUST be ready, willing and able to answer a question or consider a differing opinion; and if necessary, admit to their mistake. Ask Questions! Exercise Your Right to Know Asking a question or offering a differing opinIon can lead to CHANGE!
This is your RIGHT!

Wish - A desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing.
Wish - An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination; a petition.
Wish - Something desired or longed for. [Wishing does not make it so!]

I can only wish that the Town of Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission could be viable entity in our Town.

I fear such is not the case and the last round of events in our town prove my case - as if I didn't know that already

In the fall 2005 election I ran a clean campaign for Town Council on the Democratic ticket against the incumbent Republican Councilman in my ward, Michael Cifone. I was not successful in my election bid. However, I did receive 40% of the votes cast. On many occasions I do speak out at public meetings regarding historic preservation matters and planning issues, as well as other matters of local concern - always in what I consider to be in a polite carefully worded manner appropriate for the forum in which my comments are presented.

As of June 21, 2006, the Town of Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission[HPC] had a total of 3 vacancies and even now [July 15, 2006] those 3 vacancies still exist.

On June 21st, 2006, after attending a Town Board meeting at which a member of the board requested interested parties to apply, I applied for one of those vacant positions.

READ MY cover letter and resume AND the letters in support of my receiving the National DAR Historic Preservation Award which indicate I am a team player.

I was urged to apply for a position on the HPC by the Town Historian who is also the Chairman of the HPC (However she is also a Democrat]
My appointment was placed on the agenda for the July 12, 2006 town board meeting.

I was never called for an interview, asked for references or asked any questions about my qualifications. As far as I know the Town Historian was not contacted either.

At the Meeting on July 12, 2006 when the resolution for my appointment was read and put up for discussion, my former opponent in the last election could not attack me on my credentials, therefore he decided to attack me personally.

I won't try to give you Michael Cifone's comments verbatim. However I can say that on the record he stated something along the lines of - he couldn't vote for me because I had alienated several boards and proven I was not a team player. This without substantiating his statements even when asked to do so by myself at the end of the meeting when the public is again allowed to comment. I asked for details as to what boards and in what manner I had "alienated" same. ((((((LISTEN))))) To Ginny's comments in rebuttal!

Councilman Cifone's vituperative unsubstantiated self-serving partisan statements regarding his opposition to my appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission were out of line for the forum in which they were presented. [ I say partisan because I was his opponent in the last town election. Perhaps, if these same remarks had come from any other board member or had been made in an Executive Session I had been invited to attend, I would not consider them overly partisan. I am a team player - I'm just not on his Team]

To stand by, do nothing, not offer a differing opinion (to "not create conflict" or as Councilman Cifone would term it "alienate") in the face of important government issues is not at all being a team player, it's being a lemming.

It seems if you offer a differing opinion you are not a team player! Being a team player then seems to mean being a dutiful follower of a dictator (be it town government, a director, political party etc.); a follower who has no thoughts beyond what he/she is told to espouse!

The Town of Poughkeepsie Town Board is 5 Republican - 2 Democrat - one of those being the Democratic Supervisor. The night of July 12 - 1 Democrat and 1 Republican were absent. My appointment was voted down 4-1.

When elected to office one is sworn to serve the Town not their own self-serving interests.

Therefore in my opinion it appears that appointments in the Town of Poughkeepsie are self-serving partisan appointments and not for the benefit of the community.

This type of decision making process in regard to appointments to Town advisory boards and commissions can only serve to defeat the purpose for which such advisory boards and commissions were created. The community at large suffers.

Many commissioners/board members are seated without even a quarter of the experience and knowledge I have. And sadly, many like it this way so that the commission/board is weak or docile or amateurish, or better yet non-functioning and invisible and scared to take stands unless they have received "permission."

(Is this what Team playing is about folks? - I don't think so! )

So Folks if you live in a Town like Poughkeepsie, have credentials, really care about your community and would like to make a difference when it comes to historic preservation [or anything else for that matter] by serving on your Town's HPC or other Commission or Advisory Board - don't open your mouth about anything else of importance in the Town unless you have the "permission" of the Party in Power about what you wish to espouse and above all else don't run for office.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ginny
To: Michaelcifone@aol.com
Cc: Tancredi6ward@aol.com ; Stephan@Elder-Law.org ; georgefinn@hvc.rr.com ; domseminara@aol.com ; Firstwardtop@aol.com ; pmyers@townofpoughkeepsie-ny.gov ; smiller@townofpoughkeepsie-ny.gov
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 9:53 PM
Subject: Re: July 12, 2006 Town Board Meeting Item #23 [Volume #2]

Councilman Cifone:

If I understood your on the record public comments in response to my e-mail quoted below at the end of tonight's meeting correctly:

1.  you reiterated I possessed the qualifications for a position on the Historic Preservation Commission

2.  you indicated the parties involved  ("alientated") have chosen to remain anonymous

3.  and further indicated there is the possibility they may contact me directly

4. you also indicated you were sorry I felt the way I do.

I can only assume until such time as your anonymous sources contact me in writing directly or on the record that there are no such alientated parties. Your July 12, 2006 comments remain unsubstantiated.  Perhaps you should consider urging these so called  "anonymous" sources to contact me in writing as soon as possible in order that you can consider your debt paid and interest does not accrue on your account.  If you were a member of the press I could possibly understand your allegiance to your sources who I can only assume are also elected or appointed officials in the Town.  However, being an elected public official who made unsubstantiated comments on the record - I consider it your duty to reveal your sources on the record in order to substantiate them. 

You may have said you were sorry I feel the way I do.  You should feel sorry your July 12, 2006 public comments remain unsubstantiated.

Virginia A. Buechele
Mail To: P O Box 243
Pleasant Valley, NY 12569

cc: Susan Miller, Town Clerk
Susan - I would be most appreciative if you would again be so kind as to place a printed copy of this e-mail in each of the Ward Councilman's Mail Boxes at Town Hall as well as that of the Town Attorney. Thank You for all you do. 
Ginny

----- Original Message -----
From: Ginny
To: Michaelcifone@aol.com
Cc: Tancredi6ward@aol.com ; Stephan@Elder-Law.org ; georgefinn@hvc.rr.com ; domseminara@aol.com ; Firstwardtop@aol.com ; pmyers@townofpoughkeepsie-ny.gov ; smiller@townofpoughkeepsie-ny.gov
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 11:30 AM
Subject: July 12, 2006 Town Board Meeting Item #23 [Volume #1]

Dear Councilman Cifone,

As of this date (July 26, 2006) your public comments of July 12, 2006 remain unsubstantiated.

It is necessary when someone is accused and reprimanded that they understand the circumstances which superseded the reprimand. In the case at hand, the accused must demand particulars.  I believe in the legal world this is called "discovery". The accused demands discovery!

If you have forgotten exactly what your comments were and do not yet have access to the minutes of the July 12, 2006 meeting, you can listen to your comments by clicking on the link below! http://www.geocities.com/ginnyflies/71206mtgcifone.wav

Perhaps you will be able to provide the accused with copies of specific meeting minutes and/or correspondence to the Town which point to the facts behind your accusations and reprimand.

The victim of your unsubstantiated public comments has credentials which speak for themself, your public accusations and reprimand did not.

Thank You in Advance,
Virginia A. Buechele

cc: Susan Miller, Town Clerk
Susan - I would be most appreciative if you would be so kind as to place a printed copy of this e-mail in each of the Ward Councilman's Mail Boxes at Town Hall as well as that of the Town Attorney. Thank You for all you do. 
Ginny

August 24, 2006

An Open Letter from Ginny. . . . . .

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support of my appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission when same was once again on the Town Board Regular Meeting Agenda last evening.

Unfortunately, the Rep. Majority on the Town Board objected to the Resolution in regard to my appointment and it was not allowed to be discussed and in turn voted on.  However, members of the public were allowed to comment on the resolution at the beginning of the meeting since the resolution was an agenda item. Therefore, two letters of recommendation and the public speaking comments were entered into the record but for those of you who sent e-mails those comments will not appear in the minutes of the meeting.  E-mails are public record.  Consequently I can only assume that the e-mails will remain on record in Town Hall.  In what form I do not know.

The Board did approve by a 5-2 margin the appointment of Michael Kelsey who has no experience in historic preservation and whose only qualifications are that he is an attorney (or soon to be attorney?) and has worked as an aide to Joel Miller.  He lives in the 3rd Ward of the Town and with his appointment the HPC now has 3 of the 6 resident members from the 3rd Ward and no representation from the 4th ward.  The ward in which I reside and which includes the Historic former Hudson River Psychiatric Center.

At the meeting on August 9th, Councilman Krakower brought up the matter of Ward Representation on the HPC since it appears he was concerned about over representation from any one ward - leaving the other wards without representation on the HPC.

With the appointment last night of Michael Kelsey who resides in the 3rd ward there are now 3 on the commission from the 3rd ward - I can only assume that will be a very historic ward  - and the 4th Ward has no Representation - where the Psych center is located.

What is even sadder is at the Aug. 9  meeting when Councilman Krakower brought up his concern about Ward Representation on the HPC, Councilman Seminara made a joke about if there was no representation in a ward or two and over representation in another . . . . . that ward would be very historic and - hahaha - all his cronies laughed.

When I brought this up at the end of last night's meeting and expressed my concern that there now would be  3 residents from the 3rd ward and no representation from the 4th ward where the former Psych Center is located and which is being considered for development, Councilman Krakower said he suggested I find a qualified person in the 4th ward interested in serving - I sneered back and then smiled and said "Stephan, I think you know who that person is."

So goes Historic Preservation in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Again I must say -  The Republicans in the Town of Poughkeepsie obviously do not want a viable Historic Preservation Commission.

I will wear my rejection as a badge of honor. If I had displayed no competence in historic preservation, I would have been appointed.  In the future if there should be openings and they should happen to be advertised - these words should be included -  

"Incompetent persons only need apply!"

Thank You again for your support .

Ginny

Town of Poughkeepsie August 23, 2006 Meeting Summary See Item 10
Turn up your volume and click here ((((LISTEN)))) to proceedings regarding the referring of the resolution regarding Ann Shershin's appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission (Item #11) to the Ethics Committe and the proceedings regarding the appointment of Michael Kelsey (Item #12) to the Historic Preservation Commission.