Stratton won't accept Schenectady Conservative backing
Schenectady mayor says police influence in party could limit reform efforts

By MIKE GOODWIN, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Friday, June 8, 2007
SCHENECTADY -- Mayor Brian U. Stratton said Thursday that he won't accept the Conservative Party's endorsement in this year's election, describing the party's leadership as little more than a proxy for the Schenectady police union.
"Given my continued commitment to cleaning up the police department and restoring integrity and public confidence, I will not compromise those goals in any manner, both perceived and otherwise, by seeking or accepting the endorsement of the Conservative Party," Stratton said.
     
But leaders of the third party said Stratton didn't have much of a choice: they never considered endorsing him.
"We didn't invite him for an interview," said Schenectady County Conservative Party Chairman Randy Pascarella, whose party is expected to vote on endorsements Sunday. "The Conservative Party endorses people with conservative values. I don't think Brian Stratton is very conservative."
Stratton is a Democrat who has been at odds with the Conservatives for years. The party backed his opponent, Republican Peter J. Guidarelli, in the 2003 mayoral race, but Stratton managed to win a narrow victory.
Over the past four years, Schenectady police officers have worked to increase their power in the Conservative Party, mounting a registration efforts to get family members and other allies in the party.
Last year, the cops toppled members of the Schenectady County jail guards union who held leadership positions in the party's executive committee. The jail guards then began an effort to take over the local Working Families Party.
The mayor said he couldn't accept the third-party's cross-endorsement amid his efforts to reform the police department, which is the focus of a grand jury investigation into missing drug evidence. So far, one officer has been arrested and a supervisor is on paid leave while the department evaluates how he handled evidence.
Stratton's recent choice of former State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett to take over as the city's public safety commissioner has rankled some police officers.
Earlier this week, Bennett announced he planned to take over discipline of police officers rather than continue the city practice of using an outside arbitrator to decide officer discipline. Schenectady Police Benevolent Association President Robert Hamilton said the union is weighing whether to file a legal challenge to the change.
Hamilton, a member of the county Conservative Party's executive board, declined to address Stratton's remarks.
Several Democratic insiders said the party's county leaders fear anger over the battle in Schenectady could lead the Conservatives to endorse Republican candidates for county legislature seats and town government posts in the county's suburbs, where the races are usually more competitive.
While the Conservatives have had little impact on races in the city, their endorsement could make the difference in suburban races where Democrats either trail the GOP in enrollment or have only a nominal advantage.
Stratton's re-election chances probably will not be imperiled by his refusal of the third-party line.
His party enjoys a heavy enrollment advantage over the Republicans in the city and the GOP is having difficulty finding even a nominal candidate to run against him this year, leaving little risk for the mayor to reject the third party line. So far most speculation has centered on a run by city Republican Chairman Mike Cuevas to simply ensure Stratton has an opponent.
Pascarella said the influence of the cops is overstated.
Of the roughly 3,000 Conservatives registered in Schenectady County, Pascarella said, "We might have 100, 150 officers who are Conservatives."
Goodwin can be reached at 454-5465 or by e-mail at mgoodwin@timesunion.com.




Why is Cooke endorsed by the Conservative party?? The democrats party platfrom and the conservative party platform are polar opposites. I believe it is a contract year for the RPD, and the next supervisor will be negotiating that contract.  Seeing as how the current republicans on the board pissed off the RPD with the whole police commission thing.  Looks like the police are trying to get one of their guys in there to do the negotiating.  The conservative party seems to be the party of political prostitution.

The Conservative Party

of New York State















2007 Conservative Party Legislative Program

The Conservative Party, beginning its 45th year, continues to be the champion of the working taxpayers of New York State.

We came into existence to provide an alternative to the liberal, big government policies that had taken NYS from the heights of the Empire State toward the depths of a state in fiscal despair.

The Conservative Party made substantial contributions in bringing New York State back from a credit rating equal to junk bond status; however, we still have a long way to go before New York's rating is truly good.  Runaway spending must be curtailed and our legislators can not rely on tax hikes to balance an inflated budget.  If New York continues on this path, we will again be faced with fiscal Armageddon, businesses will continue to close and new businesses will find states with less tax burdens and regulations.

Serious spending restraint by government is an absolute necessity to ensure New York’s economic future.  “Reform” has become the buzz word, and serious reform will take place if the following recommendations are enacted. We must keep the public spotlight on “member items” and enact a viable Initiative, Referendum and Recall bill as well as term limits for all elected officials.  The pension systems, public authorities and the department of education all need to adopt ways to root out excessive spending to restore public trust.  Judicial reform should be in the direct election of Judges for shorter terms.  Our Legislative Program seeks to restore common-sense into a legislative process that has for far too many years looked for ways to benefit itself rather than its people.

The Conservative Party urges the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government to adopt the following proposals in order to restore New York's fiscal credibility, properly educate our children, keep our citizens safe and maintain the values that made New York the Empire State.

These proposals are concise and need immediate attention.  We are certain that enactment of the following proposals will bring a quick reversal in New York's bleak fiscal outlook.

TAXES AND SPENDING:

            The Conservative Party recommends that the following be acted upon:

1.       The Conservative Party is committed to helping the taxpayers residing in New York State and firmly believe that tax reform and relief is needed immediately and must include the following measures:

a.                   Reduce the personal income tax on all New Yorkers, allowing working people to keep more of their hard-earned wages and salaries;

b.                   Reduce the corporate income tax on all businesses in New York, to stimulate more investment and job creation;

c.                   No reinstatement of the “Commuter Tax”;

d.                   Hold total state spending growth at/or (preferably) below the inflation rate;

e.                   Elimination of state income tax on dividend earnings;

f.                    End the hidden tax hike of “bracket creep”;

g.                   Cap the growth in school property taxes;

            i.          No increase in fees, licenses, gasoline and cigarette taxes or other so-called "luxury and/or sin taxes";

            j.           Eliminate the New York State estate tax;

            k.         Private business pensions should have the same tax exemption as state pensions;

l.          Local government entities, such as Fire Districts, Libraries, School Districts, should have voter approval of budgets, prior to contracts becoming effective;
(I see the police department was conveniently left out)
m.        Opposition to unfunded mandates.

2.   Requirement of a 2/3 majority vote for any tax increase.

3.   Adoption of a constitutional amendment limiting any increase of state spending to the rate of inflation.

4.   Force the government to live within its means. Further cuts in state spending are necessary in order to cut taxes for residents and businesses, which will encourage savings, investments and job growth.

5.   Adoption of a constitutional amendment to ban “appropriation-backed” debt that does not have voter approval.

6.   Adoption of a constitutional amendment that lists the total debt expected from a bond act.

7.   Prohibit public authorities from issuing new debt except for capital improvements backed by a stable revenue stream paid directly by the project's beneficiaries - for example: bridge tolls.

8.   Medicaid must be reformed to curtail spending.  Among some of the reforms Medicaid should adopt is the elimination of programs that are not covered by private insurance carriers, for example; transportation to doctors appointments.  Every effort has to be made to eliminate fraud and to recover the monies paid on fraudulent claims.

9.  Pension Reform.  While it is understood that the New York State Constitution does not allow pension benefits to be "diminished or impaired", the current defined-benefit pension entitlement should be changed to a defined-contribution retirement savings plan for government employees.

10. Support of a constitutional amendment to end all “back door” borrowing and to allow the voters of New York to have more than one bond issue on the ballot.

11. Continue job creation through tax reduction by elimination of the Gross Receipts Tax.



LAW ENFORCEMENT:

In order to keep our streets safe and conducive to business the Conservative Party recommends:

Ø    Restoration of the Death Penalty

Ø    Legislation to end parole for all convicted felons, as well as mandatory imposition of a sentence of life without parole upon conviction of a third independent felony.

Ø    We also believe that bail should be denied to defendants charged with commissions of felony crimes of violence and that community safety should be considered in bail decisions.

Ø    We support legislation that allows one to be prosecuted as a felon after a 3rd independent misdemeanor offense.

Ø    DNA databanks should include anyone convicted of a criminal offense.

Ø    The statute of limitations for rape, sexual assault, or serious violent felony offenses for all offenders, should be repealed.

Ø    Violent sexual predators should be placed in civil confinement for life.

Ø    Police departments and related law enforcement agencies should be allowed to access former employers’ records in order to hire the best possible candidates.

Ø    Citizens, in good standing, have the right to protect themselves with legally purchased firearms.

Ø    No further restriction should be placed on the rights of law-abiding citizens who legally own guns.  

Ø    Those who use illegal guns should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ø    We reject any effort to legalize mind-altering drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.

FAMILY RIGHTS:

We believe the legislature should reaffirm that a marriage must be defined as a contract between a man and a woman and reject all efforts to legalize same sex marriages.  We also believe that legislation is needed to prohibit the adoption of a child by an unmarried homosexual partner of the natural parent. Legislation that seeks to expand the Human Rights Law to include "transgender" persons must be rejected.

PRESERVATION OF LIFE:

The Conservative Party staunchly believes that all human cloning must be banned and that stem-cell research is limited to adult stem cells, amniotic fluid and fetal cord blood research.  We believe that   New York’s present abortion law should be repealed and we re-adopt the prior statute permitting only therapeutic abortions only under the most clearly defined conditions hazardous to the life of the mother. Unborn victims of violence should be given the full protection of our laws.  Tax dollars should not be used to prevent or end a pregnancy. Elderly, terminally ill, and patients who cannot advocate for themselves should have the full protection of the law to prevent attempts to prematurely end their lives.  Efforts must be made to ease adoption laws in New York State so that traditional families can provide a loving home to unwanted or abandoned children.

EDUCATION:

The Conservative Party recognizes that a good education is vital for members of society to prosper.  We believe that every parent should have the opportunity to send their children to the best school available.  Educational tax credits should be available to parents.  We believe that state government should set the minimum standards, but that local governments should have control.  English should be established as the official language and bilingual educational programs should be eliminated.  All disruptive violent students should be removed and placed in special schools.  Teachers who have acted in any serious unprofessional manner must be stripped of tenure and prevented from teaching in the future.  We oppose allowing Courts to determine New York State's system for educational financing and support.  We support the proposal that school districts should only invest in programs that have been proven to work prior to any new funding.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

We must reestablish a climate that is business friendly, and eliminate burdensome taxes and regulations that prevent society's entrepreneurial spirit from soaring.  Businesses must be allowed to conduct their business in an atmosphere that lets the free-market dictate what is best for it as long as the business is not promoting substances that are illegal or promoting illegal behavior.  Companies should be allowed to hire the best-qualified person without fear of breaching hiring quotas.  The free market must determine wages to be paid.  Workers should be held responsible if they contribute to their own injuries. Tort reform is absolutely necessary for encouraging the free flow of business in New York State as well as Workers Compensation reform.

HOUSING:

The free market, not government controls, is the only way to have quality affordable housing.

WELFARE:

New York State must adopt the strictest federal reforms, give control to the local counties to set limits for the amount of payment, allow for 100% sanctions if the public assistance work rules are not adhered to, require full restitution if fraud is used to obtain benefits, and firmly establish that each recipient is in our country legally.

PRISONS:

While many states are releasing prisoners to balance their budgets, we firmly believe that this method is not in the best interest of our citizens.  Governments' role is to protect its citizens from those who have harmed innocent people.  We also believe that prison should be a place where, when released, one would never want to return.  Prisoners should have to work toward reentry into society by realizing that food, shelter and clothing cost taxpayers money and should make every effort to pay for them.  Frivolous lawsuits must not be allowed and conjugal visitation rights should be eliminated.

LABOR RELATIONS:

Agency shops allow large member unions to be unresponsive to its membership and should be eliminated.  Union members’ First Amendment right of freedom of speech and assembly should be reaffirmed and be protected against arbitrary disciplinary actions. We support strengthening the Taylor Law and are strongly opposed to attempts to allow mediators to declare that officials are bargaining in bad faith.

CONSERVATION, RECREATION AND ECOLOGY:

The unreasonable and massive takeover of private lands by state and local government must end.

HIGHER EDUCATION:

The Conservative Party believes that higher admission standards will restore our public institutions of higher learning to their former greatness and continue to oppose open enrollment.  Safeguards must be in place before any incentives of free tuition to prospective students are offered.

LEGISLATURE:

The members of our Legislature should set an example during these troubled financial times by immediately cutting their legislative member items and make them part of the budget process with full scrutiny.  Additionally, if a budget is not enacted by March 31, no action should be taken on any other bills, with the exception of legislation necessary for public safety.  Once a budget is adopted, all other business should be concluded within 30 days. Legislation to prevent any public official from collecting their pension if convicted of a felony must be enacted.

ELECTIONS:

Political campaigns should not be financed with tax dollars and attempts to allow instant voter registration should be rejected.  The Conservative Party opposes any effort to diminish the power of those enrolled in a political party to control their own party.  Direct election of all judges should be required.  Citizens should be allowed to have Initiative, Referendum and Recall.  Term limits for all elected officials should be enacted, with no more than 10 years in each house and two four-year terms for statewide officials.  Photo identification should be required and presented to the poll inspectors before voting, as well as when first registering to vote.  

GOVERNMENT SERVICES:

New York State, since the earliest days of our Nation, has been a beacon to people coming to America.  Today, we welcome those who come to our state – legally.  While we welcome all who come to our shores, we insist that our government services must be limited to those who are here legally.  Government service providers should require proof that people who require services are here legally.  Additionally, all government forms should only be printed in English only.  Citizens who vote should do so in English.  As we stated, we recognize the wonderful contributions immigrants have made to America, but we also recognize that immigrants who have made these contributions, assimilated American values and the English language.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE IN PUBLIC LIFE:

Now more than ever, the values of our faiths and the Judeo-Christian moral code are needed.  If Congress and the Legislature open each Session with a prayer, why then, do we deny that very same privilege to tomorrow’s leaders in public school classes and functions?

The Founding Fathers’ debated what they hoped to be the values of this new nation and chose as the very first line of the Bill of Rights:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.  They knew the importance of religion in our daily lives and specifically denied government choosing which religion should be practiced, yet emphasized that government could not stop people from practicing their religion of choice.

Therefore, we urge the legitimization of the traditionally accepted role of nonsectarian religious observance in our public schools, through a proposal by the New York State Legislature, of an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, making it clear that non-denominational, non-coercive prayer in public schools shall not be prohibited; and that individual or group religious observance or activity shall not be prohibited, infringed, or discriminated against through refusal of reasonable accommodation or by any other form of disparate treatment.

Adopted: 01/13/2007

New York State Public Employees Fair Employment Act - The Taylor Law

What Is It?

The Public Employees Fair Employment Act, commonly known as the Taylor Law, is a labor relations statute covering most public employees in New York State-- whether employed by the State, or by counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, public authorities or certain special service districts. It became effective September 1, 1967 and was the first comprehensive labor relations law for public employees in the State, and among the first in the United States. It is the legal foundation used by GOER in its negotiations with New York State's public employee unions.

What Does It Do?

The Taylor Law:

grants public employees the right to organize and to be represented by employee organizations of their own choice;
requires public employers to negotiate and enter into agreements with public employee organizations regarding their employees' terms and conditions of employment;
establishes impasse procedures for the resolution of collective bargaining disputes;
defines and prohibits improper practices by public employers and public employee organizations;
prohibits strikes by public employees; and
establishes a state agency to administer the Law- The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
Administration Of The Taylor Law

The New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) was created as an independent, neutral agency to administer the Taylor Law. The three member Board is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the State Senate. The Board's major responsibility is to act as an umpire in disputes arising under the Taylor Law. Other responsibilities include: administration of the Taylor Law statewide; resolution of representation disputes; provision of impasse resolution services; adjudication of improper practice charges; designation of management/confidential employees; determination of employee organization responsibility for striking and ordering forfeiture of dues and agency fee check-off privileges; and, administration of grievance and interest arbitration panels.

Resolution of Contract Disputes

Mediation: Generally under the Taylor Law there are four impasse resolution systems, and in each system, mediation is the required first step. Either or both parties may request mediation assistance by filing a "Declaration of Impasse" with PERB's Director of Conciliation. The mediator is appointed by the Director from PERB's full-time staff or its panel of per diem mediators. The mediator acts as liaison between the parties, and seeks to effect a settlement through persuasion and compromise.


Fact-Finding: If mediation fails to resolve the impasse, then Fact-Finding is the next step. The fact-finder may attempt to resolve the dispute through further mediation. If not, or if unsuccessful in that effort, the fact-finder then holds a hearing, takes testimony of witnesses, accepts briefs from the parties, and then makes a written, nonbinding recommendation for settlement to both parties. The Fact-Finder then makes the report and recommendations public within five days of transmission of the report to the parties.



Binding Arbitration: For New York State Police units, the procedure is similar to what the law provides for local police, fire fighters, and certain transit employees. The Taylor Law provides that if the dispute is not resolved in mediation, PERB, on petition of either party, will generally refer the dispute to arbitration. Arbitration for New York State Police units is restricted to issues directly related to compensation and the decision of the arbitrator is binding on both parties.



Legislative Hearing: In those instances where arbitration is not permitted, if one or both parties does not accept the fact-finding report in its entirety, then for public employees (with the exception of public employees of educational institutions, police, fire fighters and certain transit employees) the next step is a legislative hearing. The Governor's Office of Employee Relations submits to the Legislature a copy of the fact-finding report plus the agency's own recommendations for resolving the dispute. The employee organization may submit its recommendations for settling the dispute as well. A public hearing is then conducted by the Legislature or a legislative committee to hear the positions of both sides. The Legislature usually directs both parties to resume negotiations but occasionally, the legislature will choose to impose employment terms. Such imposition may be for no more than a single fiscal year. A legislative determination cannot change the terms of an expired agreement unless the employee organization has waived its right to stand on those terms.



Conciliation: Is mediation assistance which PERB may offer, at its discretion, if an impasse continues after a fact-finding report has been issued.



For additional information see Article 14 of the NYS Civil Service Law, which is the full text of the Taylor Law.
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It is very clear that the backing of Bill Cooke by the conservatives may be questionable. First, does Mr. Cooke's idiology side with the dems or conserv's? They are entirely different. When you have Bill Cooke aligned with the unions, it may be apparent that this is a push from the PBA (who is also conservative) to have Mr. Cooke in office to partake in the RPD union negotiations. Then when you add Randy Paquarella, the conservative chair in the mix, it is sounding more and more like old time democratic Rotterdam. The conservative party's motives should be in question here. As well as Mr. Cooke's, the PBA and Mr. Pasquarella.

Quoted Text

Ø    Police departments and related law enforcement agencies should be allowed to access former employers’ records in order to hire the best possible candidates.

Just in case Ken Lay's relatives apply???

Quoted Text

Ø    We reject any effort to legalize mind-altering drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.

To late:

adderall
xanax
ativan
zoloft
paxil
prozac
ritalin

the list is endless.......and...we pay for them taxed and all......

OK, I read through a bit of this, and will have to go back and check it out a bit, but my eyes are just going buggy.  Maybe if I run for the town board, I'll go for the Conservative line.  I think I would enjoy running there more than the Republican line.  This county has given a bad name as of late to just about ANY political line, but definitely to the Democrat, and with the possibility of the Republicans nominating a possible Democrat.  I just wonder if there's something up with this.  Was it copied directly from a website somewhere?  I do see that the bullet point for the letter H is not on there.  Something that is no longer believed in and it was copied and not renumbered/relettered?

Oh, I think we can find something good and bad in each political party. We just find one that fits our idiology and go with it.

My question is when we have political parties that differ on all issues, and yet both parties will endorse the same candidate. Now, I don' call THAT bipartisan....I call it something fishy!

As far as what Cicero posted, I read it as the Conservative party just walks the line between the dems and reps. But in the case of Rotterdam,  it may appear to some that it walks the line with the RPD/PBA. Why else would the conservative party endorse Bill Cooke who is clearly a dem who ran against Tomasone in the last election and lost. And if memory serves me correctly, Tomasone received the conservative endorsement during the last elections. What  could have happened to change the mind of the conservatives?

Quoted from bumblethru

What  could have happened to change the mind of the conservatives?

Guess they just got confused who they are.

Quoted from BIGK75

OK, I read through a bit of this, and will have to go back and check it out a bit, but my eyes are just going buggy.  Maybe if I run for the town board, I'll go for the Conservative line.  I think I would enjoy running there more than the Republican line.  This county has given a bad name as of late to just about ANY political line, but definitely to the Democrat, and with the possibility of the Republicans nominating a possible Democrat.  I just wonder if there's something up with this.  Was it copied directly from a website somewhere?  I do see that the bullet point for the letter H is not on there.  Something that is no longer believed in and it was copied and not renumbered/relettered?

This is the website: http://www.cpnys.org/

I'll take a look at some point.

It is just a version of a lobbying group, at least that is what it appears to be.......I will read further also

As quoted by Cicero:

Quoted Text

Seeing as how the current republicans on the board pissed off the RPD with the whole police commission thing.  Looks like the police are trying to get one of their guys in there to do the negotiating.  The conservative party seems to be the party of political prostitution

.

The smart and informed people know this to be truth.
The others don't know what side of the bed to get out on.
Hope the Conservatives are getting paid enough for their prostitution.

Let the PBA back Cooke in the upcoming election as I don't think he has a chance of winning against Tommasone from what I've been hearing.