Its no surprise an attempt to maintain the purity of the voting pool in Cape Vincent is going nowhere...The Town Board had sought to make voters show ID with a Cape address to vote in this year's municipal elections. The idea was to combat what some see as undo meddling in town affairs by seasonal residents who are registering to vote in Jefferson County perhaps in hopes of electing anti wind board members.
The resolution passed by the board never really had the force of law, but was more an effort to publicize the registrations in hopes of making the election an us against them vote.
Election officials and now Attorney General Schneiderman have dismissed the effort as something the Town cannot do.
However, those who want pro-wind board members so that local property owners can cash out have raised an issue. They can use that issue to perhaps stimulate turnout of their flock. In that sense the board's resolution accomplished its goal.
Watertown Daily Times Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York
14 comments:
The people who don't live in the area must reregister quickly where they do live or they risk losing their STAR school tax exemption. If it ever comes back. Ya gotta jump around if you wanna play corruption.
R Willley
I hate the rich summer people that come up here and spend their money at the restaurants and on contractors and the landscapers. We should build a windmill in front of every one of their homes.
Yes, maybe it would be better if the rich summer people spent their summers elsewhere. We don't need them to be spending their money here.
It can also cause outrage for those summer people that were on the fence about changing their registrations. This move could lose them more votes than it gains for them.
And by the way, I don't think STAR gets affected... just a simple scare tactic.
And Mr. Mayor, I see you didn't point out that two board members that voted for this illegal law have wind contracts....
Did you just presume that it's such a well-known fact that it necessary to make mention of it?
We don't need them to own prperty here either. Why have those jerks own a house on Tibbetts point? Let those houses sell for half price to some prison guard...er I mean corrections officer, and pay half the taxes they are now.
Your Star exemption has nothing to do with where you vote. You have to chose a primary residence for Star Exemption. If you have more than one residence you then choose the residence you want to vote at. You don't even have to own the residence.
The best example in New York State is our Governor. He owns several homes of his own and spends time at the Executive Manson. But he chose to vote at his girlfriend's home, which he doesn't own.
Anon 6:14 it does no good to post false information.
Making constant fun of me is OK by me. That is exactly what I expect when I visit the Mayor's blog. But pretending you have the right information on the Star is irresponsible.
Providing incorrect information is a disservice to the folks who come here.
It said in the WDT, that you may lose your Star. That was misleading. The Times did not get that one right. The 300 plus people who have decided to vote in Cape Vincent live there more than 30 days a year. They pay taxes in Cape Vincent 365 days a year and have every right to vote in Cape Vincent.
Of the 300 plus new registrants in the Cape, nearly every person who has changed has said they have done so to combat the corruption in the Town government.
You can get a STAR exemption on only one residence. Therefore, Mr Wiley, there is nothing misleading about the WDT story. You are being more misleading than the Times. If you're willing to try to vote in two places, you do have to be careful how you do it. It is legal, but you have to make sure you are filling out the forms in a timely manner to beat all the deadlines. I wish you luck in your efforts to secure the votes of people who don't live here.
I don't think luck has anything to do with it... but I bet the corruption does...
People don't just switch their voter registration on a whim, do they? There has to be a very good reason , like corruption and conflict of interest.
I bet a lot of folks DID stay out of it at first, but you can't really blame them for wanting to clean up a government full corrupt officials. Officials who stand to get a lot of money, that increases with the more turbines they cram into the town, and ALSO deciding on how much noise they can make, and how far (or close!) they will be to people...
If there is any "luck" here, it is how the guys with the financial conflicts of interest managed to stay in office for so long!
You are advising people who do not live here to vote in local elections. You are doing this to influence the outcome of these elections. It is perfectly legal for you to do so. Do they change their voter registration on a whim? Apparently you believe they do. I simply wish you luck on your efforts to sway your local election. The fact that you have made this effort defending your actions can only mean my observations are accurate. Have a nice windless day.
The only thing mindless is the concept that the property owners should not get a voice in the property laws simply because they do not live here 365 days per year. Even though they pay property taxes 365 days per year. Maybe you could compromise and give them 3/5 of a vote...that would be mighty white of ya. Naaa, they are rich so you hate them and I hate them too.
When any party goes on a voter drive to sign people up to vote they're doing so to influence the outcome of an election! That's kinda the point... it's just that the people in Cape have a secret weapon on their side - there are crooked officials in office acting illegally.
And the people DO live there - for at least 30 days out of the year.
But the fact that you have made the effort to avoid addressing the corruption can only mean my observations are accurate.
Local government corruption
Do you defend it, condemn it, or just ignore it?
If people have the money to buy multiple properties, then they should be able to influence elections all over the place. They shouldn't have to live there at all. In fact, in places like Cape Vincent, they don't.
In Cape Vincent, or anywhere for that matter, you only have to live there 30 days out of the year.
Additionally, a lot of these cottages (or trailers) have been handed down - what makes you think the people that are changing their residence (legally) have a lot of money?
More importantly, what are your thoughts on the corruption?
Do you defend it, condemn it, or ignore it?
I have no problem with you trying to get people to vote in CV who don't live there. It is perfectly legal to do so. Carry on. I hope you defeat the wind. Now if only you would stop crapping in the river I'd be happy. But that is not a fashionable issue at this time. Clearly, the out of towners have no stake in sh#t in the river.
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