Election Engineering in Red Hook
Red Hook Concerns has been providing some excellent coverage of the post election wooha in Red Hook. Seems the republican old guard, who lost their majority in Dutchess County for the first time in 20 years, wasn't too happy about losing their majority on the Red Hook board. So the Supervisor elect (Sue Crane) stepped down, then appointed a replacement before the newly elected members (Democrats) took their seats. Slick eh? Say nothing of the legality of such moves, why this wasn't in the bylaws is beyond most. The public comment at the first meeting, after the strategically muted announcement, was civil - beyond Sue's smarmy & inexplicably vague responses to concerns. This is Democracy baby! No need to give away the juicy goodness that is the most recent meeting, now that this move has been given some traction (and a petition)... see the video at RHconcerns.
Why is any of this important? Land Use! Zoning is becoming a tremendously important issue as development pressures push northward. Stay tuned for more about the Dursts in Dutchess.
Heres the Poughkeepsie Journal coverage, and the Daily Freeman coverage.