April 2023 Newsletter

Dear {{ FirstName | default: 'Friend' }},

Welcome to April!

Can you smell spring? The time of banquets, auctions, and indictments! Nothing like a bit of hope after the long cold winter.

This month’s newsletter comes with two tasks.

TASK ONE: Bid on the auction! As of March 31, there was a half gallon of Maple Syrup going for $5, and a $20 gift certificate for honey, going for $5. There are many other great items, gift certificates and local treasures. Bidding ends soon, so bid now.

TASK TWO: Buy your tickets to the FDR banquet, with a special guest and speaker, our Lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. Buy your tickets here. You can also buy tickets by mail. Send a check, payable to SCDC, with a note stating how many tickets and how many are vegetarian to Jean Burton, Treasurer, SCDC, PO BOX 46, Gallupville, NY 12073.

Read on for:

-Tim Knight’s take on running for a local office,

-a concise explanation of the structure of our County Government, and

-news from the Social Committee.

In Solidarity,

Theresa Heary

SCDC Chair

THE ANNUAL FDR BANQUET IS THURSDAY, MAY 11

SAVE THE DATE!

Get ready for a wonderful evening of fabulous food, friends, and inspiration at Chieftans Restaurant, 584 Main Street in Cobleskill.

WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST:

Lieutenant Governor ANTONIO DELGADO

More than familiar with life here in rural upstate New York, Antonio has deep understanding of the political landscape today, and leads with New York State always at front of mind. As our local representative to the US Congress for two terms prior to his appointment and election to his current post, he made it clear that our local priorities matter and our local struggles are his own. We are sure to come away inspired and energized with strategies for what lies ahead.

Tickets are available now by mail, and available online with this link. You can enjoy the cash bar from 5:30pm until dinner at 6:30pm with a buffet menu including beef, chicken or pre-ordered vegetable main dishes. Ticket prices this year: $65 for individuals, $120 for couples, $50 for students and those on limited incomes. Ask about special discounts on full tables!

Tickets will be available until May 4, at which time donations will continue to be accepted. You can mail a check now to claim your seats. Please clearly mark your check FDR Banquet, and include a note stating the number of tickets you want, any additional donation you are making, and if you and/or your guests require vegetarian meals. Make your check payable to SCDC and mail to Jean Burton, Treasurer, SCDC, PO BOX 46, Gallupville, NY 12073. Online tickets are available here and on the schohariedemocrats.org website. To lend a hand or for more information, contact SCDC through email at info@schohariedemocrats.org.

SCDC AUCTION POISED TO SURPASS LAST YEAR!

NEW ITEMS ADDED CONTINUOUSLY!!

KEEP BIDDING TIL THE BIDDING ENDS APRIL 6 at 8pm

Your bids will directly support Democratic candidates all over Schoharie County in this year's local elections, and help us get out the vote! That's fabulous enough, AND you can WIN the items you want! You can still donate items up through APRIL 4th and watch your friends bid up until the last minute!

How to bid? Click on this link!

BIDDING CLOSES AT 8PM on THURSDAY, APRIL 6!!

HELP WANTED: ELECTION INSPECTORS

The Board of Elections will train you for this and you will get paid. There are inspectors from each political party at polling sites. It helps to be good natured and observant, with energy to start early days at polling sites. This is a great way to get involved and serve the whole community. For more information check out the information at this link to the Board of Elections website.

SO, YOU WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE?

By Timothy Knight, SCDC Middleburgh rep

Deciding you want to run for local office can be one of the most important (and daunting) decisions you make as a community member, as there is a lot more involved than simply just putting your name on the ballot and hoping for the best.

Over the past decade, I have run for and won multiple positions at all levels of local government – Library Board, Schoharie County Democratic Committee, County Coroner (elected twice as write-in; once as a joke, and once seriously), and Village Board – which has given me some insight into the joys and perils of campaigning.

Below, I have listed four questions you should ask yourself if you are thinking about running for office.

Step One: Why are you running?

Not only do you need to justify why you are running to yourself (because having good personal reasons to be involved usually translates to the start of your campaign platform), but you will be asked this question repeatedly by your potential constituents. Most voters are willing to have a good-faith conversation about what you as a candidate could bring to the table if elected, so make sure you understand your reasons for doing this.

Step Two: What is your platform?

Once you have figured out why you are running for office, you need to sit down and create a platform to campaign on. Your platform is your two to three reasons (you should never have only one and you should avoid having more than three) why you want to serve your community in a position of authority. These are the reasons you can include in your social media posts, letters to the editor, fliers, and recite to voters when campaigning.

Step Three: Who are your base?

If you are running for Town or County office, this is an easier question to answer because you will likely do so as a Democratic candidate and that inherently provides you with a base of support. However, no one in Schoharie County can be elected on Democratic votes alone. This is where your community involvement comes into play. Are you a small business owner? Do you operate a farm? Did you teach before retiring? Those parts of your background not only provide credibility and demonstrate your connection to your local community, but create natural constituencies outside of party politics.

Step Four: Are you prepared?

Yes, we all understand that running for office means many weekends and weeknights knocking on doors, which means sacrificing the time you could be spending with friends, family, or doing other things you love. However, there is a nastier side to politics that you have to take into consideration: challenging the status quo, especially entrenched incumbents who rarely face a challenge, means risking the possibility of ugly comments, innuendo, and rumors being spread about you.

For example: did you know that I was once arrested for drug use? Neither did I until a Schoharie Town Councilman told me about it. Besides being absolutely untrue, the rumor confirmed one thing for me: politics is a nasty business, and you have to be prepared for what people will say about you; after all, no good deed goes unpunished.

Ultimately, running for office is an incredibly rewarding experience. You meet people you never would have otherwise; you engage in the purest form of democracy in your local community; and, if you play your cards right and the political gods look favorably upon your candidacy, you get the opportunity to govern – which is really, really awesome – and then you can turn your platform into promises delivered and change effected.

OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE IN A NUTSHELL, from schohariedemocrats.org website, edited by S. Meredith & B. Finnegan

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

The driving political force within the Schoharie County government is its Board of Supervisors, which is made up of sixteen supervisors who are elected in their respective towns. Each supervisor has a "weighted vote" on the Board based on the population they represent, a system devised to give more power to supervisors who represent more populous towns. Supervisors serve a dual function within our county, as they are both the chief executive and legislator in their towns. They make county-wide decisions on the Board of Supervisors, similar to legislators, though they do not not represent districts of equal population.

As initially conceived, the Board of Supervisors system mimics the composition of our national Senate: equally empowered representatives elected from specific locales of varying size. However, this system was ruled unconstitutional in Reynolds V. Sims for State and County legislatures, because densely populated districts were being disenfranchised to the benefit of sparsely populated districts (like the US Senate currently), which is how the weighted vote was introduced.

Each Supervisor casts a weighted vote that reflects the percentage of their town’s population in the county, meaning the Blenheim supervisor's vote casts 33 votes while the Cobleskill supervisor's vote casts 481 votes. The weighted vote component of this system has given supervisors of larger municipalities more power at the expense of smaller municipalities.

COUNTY OFFICIALS

In addition to the Board of Supervisors, there are nine countywide elected officials in Schoharie County: (1) Treasurer, (1) Sheriff, (1) Judge, (1) District Attorney, (4) Coroners, (1) Clerk. Each of these officials possess powers and responsibilities that are legally separate from the Board of Supervisors, while other county officials - agency and department heads, specifically - are hired by and answer to the Board of Supervisors in their quasi-executive role.

Although Schoharie County does not formally have an executive branch of county government, the Board of Supervisors did establish the position of County Administrator in 2015 to oversee daily governance and produce an annual budget proposal. The Board of Supervisors also elects a chairman from among its membership to lead the Board and act as an executive during times of emergency, such as natural disasters or pandemics.

TOWNS & VILLAGES

There are sixteen towns and six villages in Schoharie County. Villages are unique within the county in that they are non-partisan entities, in which candidates for mayor or trustee either run as independents or form their own local parties. In the Village of Middleburgh, for example, there are elected officials from both the “Middleburgh First Party,” and the “Bull Moose Party,” while the Town of Middleburgh representatives are elected using primarily the traditional political parties.

Whereas non-partisan candidates in villages petition the public directly to be on the ballot, Democrat or Republican candidates in our towns attend caucuses held by members of the community from each of the political parties. Caucuses are essentially party-run events where candidates are nominated and selected by present party members. Primaries in Schoharie County happen, but they are exceedingly rare in that they require an individual to challenge their own party’s nomination choice.

DEMS Gathered in March

by Mimi McGiver, SCDC Schoharie rep

Our social gathering on Friday, March 24 at Green Wolf Brewery in Middleburgh was a relaxed evening, ebbing and flowing comfortably as people came and went. When I first arrived, I knew a couple of the 8 people already hanging out enjoying the evening. Just after six p.m, five members of the SCDC trailed in. By the time I left at 8:30 there were double that number of us chatting and celebrating the end of the week. Our lively and friendly conversations seemed to fill the room; mingling with other patrons at the Brewery. Though it was hard to count as people came and went, at one point I counted 18 people I could identify as being part of the Schoharie County Democratic Committee! One person described that it is a pleasure to know other Schoharie County democrats, saying, “I don’t feel like such a unicorn.” Others said it was so nice to meet other people with similar viewpoints, making it feel comfortable to discuss different ideas and opinions. For Committee members especially all this was even more relaxed since no votes were required! A fun and lively evening was had by all. If you missed this gathering, mark your calendar for THURSDAY, APRIL 20 5:30p.m. at Wayward Lane Brewing, 255 Ward Lane in Schoharie! In upcoming months we’ll gather in Conesville, Jefferson, Fulton!

TOWN HAPPENINGS:

CHECK THIS LINK TO THE CALENDAR FOR YOUR TOWN & VILLAGE BOARD AND COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY MONTH

Date: APRIL 20, 5:30 PM SOCIAL GATHERING

Where: IN SCHOHARIE Wayward Lane Brewing, 55 Ward Lane, Schoharie no RSVP necessary but appreciated: socialcommittee.scdc@gmail.com

Date: April 10, 7PM Middleburgh Democratic Club

Where: Middleburgh Library, Main St., Middleburgh. Bylaws, officers and candidates will be on the agenda! for more information contact Jim Buzon 1957jsb@gmail.com

April 2023 Newsletter

schoharie county democratic committee