The Rohr Administration's promise of 'open communication,' and 'transparency' has proved to be most...fallacious in its first month.
For the readers of this blog, here are some things to consider:
1) Several people have complained that their calls ad emails to Supervisor Rohr remain unreturned and unanswered.
2) The creation of the full-time bookkeeping position was specifically to rehire Joanne Lown as she had priority in and the $8000 paycut to the Comptroller was not done voluntarily as the administration claims...the Comptroller was instructed she will take a pay cut.
3) Their wish is rehire James McKenna as a police chief is overshadowed by the fact that he is a co-worker of Bill Truitt and Don Goddard by the Village of Fishkill. We should also note that acting Chief Benson has a time period of eighteen months to serve as an acting chief before being appointed permanently, should he pass the Chief's test. Jim McKenna has a rather questionable charachter and history indicated by court documents published on this site. Also noted in the connection between Joanne Lown and James McKenna who were involved in an affair to which is also noted in the court transcripts.
4) The administration's call for fiscal responsiblity is bogus:
a) they used funds balance to restore Walt Doyle's salary.
b) they gave the deputy receiver taxes a 5% increase in pay which was not authorized by the previous town board.
c) they rehired Joanne Lown who was responsible for several hundred thousand dollars of errors which was disclosed in two seperate audits.
e) they hired a clerk in the town asssessor's office part-time at $12 per hr.
f) The connection of all of these individuals is that they are associates and friends of Aileen Rohr and as to each other.
Other issues have arisen that need to be addressed, but in order to do so, one must have an understanding of the application of power.
Max Weber, a prominent political theorist, defined power as as the ability to control the behavior of others, even
against their will. According to Weber, the most direct source of political power is coercion, or the right to use or threaten physical force. The use of physical force may be appropritate in some instances, it improper in most. Other means to achive power is through the application of soft power, which may be through discourse or in the example of Hyde Park politics, controlling the agenda and the information provided to the public.
Steven Luke's theories of the three dimensions of power is rather befitting in regards to the Rohr administration. Lukes identifies manipulation and authority as two forms of power which do not necessarily involve evident conflict. People abide by the power of authority because they either respect or accept its legitimacy. Compliance tothe power of manipulation often goes unrecognized by the conformer because focus is placed on irrelevant matters and the key aim is downplayed. In neither there observable (overt or covert) conflict, but latent conflict occurs because the individual may be agreeing to something contrary to their interests withouteven knowing. The three dimensional view of power then, criticizes the behaviourial focus of the first two dimensions and adopts the consideration of hidden social forces and conflict which exercise influence by shaping the consciousness of the individual or organization. This view strays from the others in that it focuses not only on decisions and nondecisions but on other ways to control the political agenda which are not made deliberately by the choice of individuals or groups.
To further support the validity of this arguement is the recent actions of the Town Board and the control of the agenda and information (or lack of) provided in workshops.
1) The most recent issue is that of stop signs on Franklin Road which was first acknowledged in a town board meeting by Yancy McArthur. Since that date, it has been an issue. The question is...why is the subject of three stop signs now in the public sphere? It is because those who control the agenda have a vested interest in these three traffic devices. If they did not, then this issue would have been disregarded or not even acknowledged.
2) Bill Truitt appears to have a vested interest in these signs along with Yancy McArthur. At the recent workshop Mr. Truitt gave a short presentation in regards to the stop signs and gave the matter of his opinion that speed should not be an issue as to the presence of these traffic devices. However, he did not provide to the public at this workshop of the findings of a traffic consultant which supposedly supported having a three way stop and fully disclose this information to the public. Is Bill Truitt the sock puppet of Yancy McArthur who first brought this issue to the attention of the Town Board? And if so, why? Is it because he wishes to align with Yancy McArthur who according to rumor wishes to run for Assemblyman Joel Miller's seat upon his retirement?
*Do note that the issue of speed is not an issue according to Mr. Truitt and apparently safety is not one either as well considering he had his weapon discharge while allegedley under the influence of alcohol at the Rod and Gun Club last fall. He was not arrested at the time of the incident as he turned over his weapon to the officer who responded to the call.
By controlling the agenda and the information that disclosed, the town board now has the power to influence the opinion and behaviors of others (unknowingly).
For the readers of this blog, here are some things to consider:
1) Several people have complained that their calls ad emails to Supervisor Rohr remain unreturned and unanswered.
2) The creation of the full-time bookkeeping position was specifically to rehire Joanne Lown as she had priority in and the $8000 paycut to the Comptroller was not done voluntarily as the administration claims...the Comptroller was instructed she will take a pay cut.
3) Their wish is rehire James McKenna as a police chief is overshadowed by the fact that he is a co-worker of Bill Truitt and Don Goddard by the Village of Fishkill. We should also note that acting Chief Benson has a time period of eighteen months to serve as an acting chief before being appointed permanently, should he pass the Chief's test. Jim McKenna has a rather questionable charachter and history indicated by court documents published on this site. Also noted in the connection between Joanne Lown and James McKenna who were involved in an affair to which is also noted in the court transcripts.
4) The administration's call for fiscal responsiblity is bogus:
a) they used funds balance to restore Walt Doyle's salary.
b) they gave the deputy receiver taxes a 5% increase in pay which was not authorized by the previous town board.
c) they rehired Joanne Lown who was responsible for several hundred thousand dollars of errors which was disclosed in two seperate audits.
e) they hired a clerk in the town asssessor's office part-time at $12 per hr.
f) The connection of all of these individuals is that they are associates and friends of Aileen Rohr and as to each other.
Other issues have arisen that need to be addressed, but in order to do so, one must have an understanding of the application of power.
Max Weber, a prominent political theorist, defined power as as the ability to control the behavior of others, even
against their will. According to Weber, the most direct source of political power is coercion, or the right to use or threaten physical force. The use of physical force may be appropritate in some instances, it improper in most. Other means to achive power is through the application of soft power, which may be through discourse or in the example of Hyde Park politics, controlling the agenda and the information provided to the public.
Steven Luke's theories of the three dimensions of power is rather befitting in regards to the Rohr administration. Lukes identifies manipulation and authority as two forms of power which do not necessarily involve evident conflict. People abide by the power of authority because they either respect or accept its legitimacy. Compliance tothe power of manipulation often goes unrecognized by the conformer because focus is placed on irrelevant matters and the key aim is downplayed. In neither there observable (overt or covert) conflict, but latent conflict occurs because the individual may be agreeing to something contrary to their interests withouteven knowing. The three dimensional view of power then, criticizes the behaviourial focus of the first two dimensions and adopts the consideration of hidden social forces and conflict which exercise influence by shaping the consciousness of the individual or organization. This view strays from the others in that it focuses not only on decisions and nondecisions but on other ways to control the political agenda which are not made deliberately by the choice of individuals or groups.
To further support the validity of this arguement is the recent actions of the Town Board and the control of the agenda and information (or lack of) provided in workshops.
1) The most recent issue is that of stop signs on Franklin Road which was first acknowledged in a town board meeting by Yancy McArthur. Since that date, it has been an issue. The question is...why is the subject of three stop signs now in the public sphere? It is because those who control the agenda have a vested interest in these three traffic devices. If they did not, then this issue would have been disregarded or not even acknowledged.
2) Bill Truitt appears to have a vested interest in these signs along with Yancy McArthur. At the recent workshop Mr. Truitt gave a short presentation in regards to the stop signs and gave the matter of his opinion that speed should not be an issue as to the presence of these traffic devices. However, he did not provide to the public at this workshop of the findings of a traffic consultant which supposedly supported having a three way stop and fully disclose this information to the public. Is Bill Truitt the sock puppet of Yancy McArthur who first brought this issue to the attention of the Town Board? And if so, why? Is it because he wishes to align with Yancy McArthur who according to rumor wishes to run for Assemblyman Joel Miller's seat upon his retirement?
*Do note that the issue of speed is not an issue according to Mr. Truitt and apparently safety is not one either as well considering he had his weapon discharge while allegedley under the influence of alcohol at the Rod and Gun Club last fall. He was not arrested at the time of the incident as he turned over his weapon to the officer who responded to the call.
By controlling the agenda and the information that disclosed, the town board now has the power to influence the opinion and behaviors of others (unknowingly).
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