Meaningless Resolutions?

This is not a post about failed New Year's promises. That wouldn't be in keeping with the basic purpose, which is to question whether Claverack is working or broken. Politics and progress don't seem to mix well in our little town.

In recent Town Board election cycles, Republicans have run as a slate of candidates under the slogan "Claverack is Working". Note that only one elected town position is held by a Democrat, Katy Cashen, who has been a Board member for nearly 12 years.

Katy's not in this picture.

The major actions set out in the Claverack Comprehensive Plan developed 15 years ago have never been implemented. We've seen traffic increase, walkability decrease, little regard for preservation of rural land and scenic beauty, and little restriction of development - like the large solar installations that seem to pop up on any fallow land in the last three years. Claverack has little citizen participation in government and few services compared with neighboring towns like Hillsdale, Taghkanic, or Austerlitz. One might say that the slogan "Claverack is Working" is a little like "Nothing to see here" or "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

You might think The Claverackian is advocating for a Town Board controlled by Democrats. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the 2022 mid-term failure in Columbia County was not enough to point to problems in the party, witness the dramatic increase in Democratic voters moving into the town over the past ten years and the party's inability to harness their own political horsepower. Registered Democrats now outnumber Republicans, but the party can't seem to win elections even at the Town Board level. Worse, with two seats open on the Board in November, Dems reportedly have no confirmed candidates.

Stephanie Sussman, chairperson of the Claverack Democrats, has been active and vocal. Since last spring, Sussman has been pushing hard to get an anti-hate resolution passed by the Town Board. Never mind that such a resolution was passed by the County Board of Supervisors, with an "aye" vote from Supervisor Kippy Weigelt, in response to sporadic reports of white nationalist activity in the County. Never mind that such a resolution would have no effect on Claverack and whether it is working or not. Never mind that no sane politician endorses "Hate", even if some take actions that belie their statements.

Sussman, writing in local media (most recently in IMBY.com, https://imby.com/post/153675), blames Weigelt, indirectly calling into question his ethical stance. This is at best misdirected energy, and a demonstration of the failure of the Democratic party to advocate for concrete improvements to our town and to the way it is governed. At worst, it is simply self-righteous posturing that caters only to single issue voters - the voters who will already vote for Democrats.

Perhaps Sussman feels that winding up far left voters is a legitimate way to respond to the dog-whistle politics of far right candidates; that taking a page from the other team's playbook is a fair political tactic. The Claverackian, for one, would much prefer to see Democrats - and Republicans - talk about Claverack and for Columbia County. How about sidewalks, a town center, an elected County Executive, replacing rural bridges rather than removing them, lower energy use in the town buildings, a Town Hall...