Share This On Facebook| Heritage Days resolution becomes political debate over vacant Dutchess County position |
| POUGHKEEPSIE – What appeared to be a routine resolution declaring October 23 through November 1 to be known forever as “Dutchess County Heritage Days” turned into a lively, and very political, debate over lack of a county historian.
The position, an appointee by the county executive, has been vacant for three years. Democrat Minority Leader Sandra Goldberg said designating Heritage Days without a historian is doing it backwards. “Things keep being asked of other people in the county to step up to the plate and do something that, were a county historian in place, a county historian would do that,” she said. Other Democrats argued this is the time to fill a funded position. Deputy Majority Leader Republican Angela Flesland said the resolution should be supported as is, because that would put pressure on the current county executive, or a new one who takes office in January, to fill the post. Another Republican, James Miccio, said there are enough people available, with historical duties, to do what is needed, including in his hometown of Fishkill “Probably the heart of the Revolutionary War history in Dutchess County, and we have an able town historian, and a few of them that work at the Van Wyck Homestead that would be very interested in and happy to work with this,” he said. “You don’t need one county historian, as I said the other day and it was said this evening, I think that will push this to maybe get a county historian.” Despite more than 10 minutes of lively debate, in the end, only three Democrats opposed the resolution, and Heritage Days is now part of the Dutchess County calendar, with or without a county historian. |
On April 12, 2011, By James R
Town of Poughkeepsie Democrats
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Due to the Super Majority Legislature failing to fund a County Historian in 2010 or 2011, by this I mean not the $1.00 dollar figure which Legislator Flesland referred to as she stated was adequate to fulfill the position. One must first actually properly fund this position that County Executive Steinhaus cut to $1.00 in 2009, plus has not appointed one since 2008. Now the Super Majority GOP run Legislature says it wants a County Historian to do work for them when they failed to fund the position? Legislator Sandy Goldberg is correct in saying the cart before the horse. I also voted NO on this Resolution as I too pushed to fund a County Historian for a number of years now.
The resolution SPECIFICALLY speaks to a County Historian doing work for the county, yet GOP members would not properly remove the wording for this Executive appointed position. Another sad day in the County.
If only they would follow the laws already in place instead of beating around the bush with psuedo & unnecessary resolutions just to present a false picture for the upcoming elections. Thanks Jim for voting NO on this utter nonsensical resolution. Out of the last 20 years Dutchess has only had a County Historian for 2 1/2 & now they think they will pull one out of thin air.
Thanks Ginny for recognizing this blatent disreguard and disrespect of our Counties History. For too long the residents have been victims of this failed leadership and will it change with the new? Time will most surely tell.