No joy in Mudville—or in Sullivan County

I recently heard former congressman John Faso use the well-known phrase “there’s no joy in Mudville” when describing the current situation for Republicans in the House of Representatives on a radio panel.  

The state of our county legislature under the failed leadership of Robert Doherty and his yes-men Mike Brooks, Nick Salomone, George Conklin and Alan Sorensen leaves no joy for all residents of Sullivan County.  

Instead, and on their watch, we’ve seen county jobs go unfilled, health rankings remaining nearly last in the state, a sweetheart deal at the airport and the Adult Care Center’s lease and potential sale agreement cause a decline in rating from four stars to one.  We’ve seen people die because of opioids in our county while the legislature took its sweet time to appropriate drug settlement money. We’ve seen the DA’s office go without adequate funding for its staff while the county attorney’s office has gotten more staff at higher pay. We’ve seen highly qualified women and men leave county positions. In meetings we’ve seen division, disruption and ultimately in court, a verdict of defamation. 

Do Robert Doherty, Mike Brooks, Nick Salomone and George Conklin deserve reelection? Do we trust the fractured Republican party’s choice of candidates in ethically challenged Terry Bernardo and Amanda Ward or the inexperience of Joanne Jasper?  The answer is a resounding NO. 

Sullivan County deserves better leadership.  We deserve leadership with no agenda other than to serve the residents.  We deserve leadership that brings with it a wealth of life, professional and government experience. We deserve leadership that understands the need for communication, compromise and connection with employees and residents.

Vote for Matt McPhillips, Nadia Rajsz, Brian McPhillips, Maryallison Farley, Cat Scott, Luis Alvarez, Justin Picciotti and George Nikolados for a better future for our county.  

With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer—

On November 8th in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Doherty and his team struck out.

Anne Hart
Chair, Sullivan County Democratic Committee
Kiamesha, NY

Keeping the party bosses out of power

The former chairman of the Sullivan County Republican Party has endorsed my opponent for the District 1 Legislator position. This is not the first, nor will it be the last endorsement the latter will receive from either current or former party bosses. 

Quite simply, if I were a party boss invested in the perpetuation of the good-ole-boys’ network, I would endorse a candidate who would carry out the old way of doing business too. 

I do not work for party bosses; I work for the voter and taxpayer. 

My opponent will say anything or do anything to grab what all the party bosses want—power. They want to say who gets what job, who gets their land purchased at inflated prices, who gets what contracts, etcetera. All of these deals cost the taxpayer. 

The position is not a popularity contest; there are actual responsibilities to the role. 

I decided to run after the last legislature overspent its revenues through three consecutive fiscal years. I put an end to the wink-and-nod deals and now they are angry. They are coming after me because I won’t sit silently as they, the party bosses, continue to try and enrich themselves at your expense. 

I have ruffled some feathers, but we have seen some great results. We have: 

Cut taxes 

Made the county financially sound 

Backed Sheriff Schiff with equipment and gave all his employees a fair contract—making it a career, not just a job. 

Made record investments in our county’s infrastructure, and will do it again this year 

Made the first the years of college free for all local students 

There is a lot more work to be done for you, the taxpayer. Don’t let a change in leadership rewind the county to high taxes, increased high-density housing and crumbling infrastructure. 

Robert Doherty
District 1 Legislator
Bethel, NY

Look at commissioners’ track records before deciding

Recently, I have noticed a surge in letters endorsing commissioner candidate Caceres. However, these letters primarily address the issue of warehouses, which, to my understanding, is not within the purview of county commissioners. I find it essential to have a well-rounded perspective on various issues facing our county.

Has there been any communication about Ms. Caceres’ strategies for supporting individuals with disabilities or our esteemed veterans? Additionally, I’m curious about her stance on the medical expansion proposed by Matt Osterberg and Ron Schmalzle. And what of the county’s recycling plan at Bennett Avenue? Where does she stand?

In contrast, Matt Osterberg and Ron Schmalzle have presented comprehensive plans that address these concerns and more. Their leadership has indeed made a discernible difference in Pike County, from enhanced ambulance services and improved health care infrastructure to housing solutions for the disabled and seniors, and tax benefits for veterans, to name a few.

I urge residents to make an informed choice on November 7. Consider the proven track record of Osterberg and Schmalzle.

Robert Ruiz
Milford, PA

What do we want for Bethel?

In my opinion, the Town of Bethel should declare a moratorium on new construction. 

The town is hiring a planner to help determine what Bethel should look like in the future. (The last comprehensive plan was developed in 2006.) How does it make sense to have the answer predetermined because of out-of-control construction?

Once every inch of grass and the last vestiges of trees have been replaced by buildings, asphalt and concrete, and the last remnants of an idyllic rural area have disappeared, what could a planner possibly offer us?

Bethel will be gathering input from the stakeholders, but in the meantime, large tracts of land are being reduced to dirt and replaced with high-density housing. Construction plans for two massive buildings with parking lots have been proposed right in the lake drainage basin, with an unknown impact on the lake itself. 

At a recent town board meeting, the increase in traffic accidents and fatalities was discussed. Apparently, the state police are being consulted. Why would there be consideration for not one, but two hotels on 17B in close proximity to each other, when traffic is already a concern? Currently cars park on both shoulders in that very area, making it impossible to pull over to let emergency vehicles get through. 

Is there any doubt that increasing automobiles and pedestrians in an already busy area is just asking for trouble?

With money coming into the area to buy up whole parcels of land, how can Bethel attract young families? Where is the affordable housing?

Where do we see the town in five or 10 years? Who will move here for year-round living? How can businesses, including farming, thrive without new young workers?

If we truly want to see young families move to this area, we need to be able to offer an affordable, attractive lifestyle. Once everything is built up, it will be too late. 

Money spent on a planner will just be wasted if construction is allowed to go forward now. Either save the money or declare a moratorium. A planner can only work with “what is,” not “what might have been.”

Mary-Ellen Seitelman
White Lake, NY