2005 Claverack Democratic Platform
Here we present our 2005 platform—as relevant today, of course, as it was in the midst of our 2005 campaign:
| The 2005 Claverack Democratic Platform |
| Speak to Us |
A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE OF CLAVERACK
Democrats for
Claverack 2005
| How we will preserve the character of our town for future generations |
| How we will promote the prosperity and wellbeing of our community |
| How we will make a difference to the quality of life in our town |
TIMES ARE CHANGING, AND IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE.
The current Republican Town Board of Claverack does a fine job making sure the snow gets plowed and organizing trips for our seniors, but on long-term strategic issues that will affect every citizen in our town—and most of all our children—it’s taken constant and insistent urging by citizens themselves to get the Board to act. It’s true that the Board has finally implemented restrictions on mining, created a water district in the hamlet, appointed a Comprehensive Plan Committee, joined the Greenway, and launched a Website—all admirable achievements, but these are all initiatives the Board stubbornly resisted and adopted only under intense public pressure and scrutiny from Democrats.
Claverack Democrats, even as bystanders in government, have been holding public forums, conscientiously attending government meetings, and directly, proactively addressing these issues for the past four years—because we were wise to changing circumstances.
And times are certainly changing. Right now, we see as clearly as anybody that a major crisis is looming—and even if it’s not yet a full-blown crisis, it’s a serious threat that demands a level of expertise, organization, enterprise, conviction, communications skills, vision, and competence that the current Town Board has failed to demonstrate, and that Claverack Democrats have in abundance.
The fact is, Claverack is falling under the threat of random development which could devastate its original character. Second-home buyers and “expatriates” from New York and elsewhere are gravitating to Columbia County, and to Claverack at its center, at a new rapid pace, raising property prices and property taxes and attracting developers eager to exploit its favorable position as the last truly rural environment this side of the Hudson River between New York City and the Capital Region.
Without the right mix of vision and competence, over the coming years, Claverack (and Columbia County in general) could go the way of Dutchess County, which was once predominantly rural, but much of which is now suburban sprawl. Our town’s beautiful open landscape, with all of its farms and clusters of residential settlement (each with its own distinct character and scale), could soon be transformed into a homogeneous hodge-podge of expensive one, two, and five acre lots resembling a kind of upstate Long Island. Our farms are fast disappearing, and might soon be replaced by new, ill-configured subdivisions and commercial developments that violate all established principles of sensible planning.
Many of us who grew up here are already no longer able to afford houses in the community, but, ironically, increasingly depend upon newcomers for our livelihoods. A balance needs to be found, so that the prosperity brought by newcomers is nurtured without threat to long-time residents—especially farmers, and growth is beneficial to all citizens, preserving the character of the Town, while advancing its economic prospects. We’re not against development, but we are for good, smart, well-planned development.
These are issues which the Town Board of Claverack can effectively address. Land use protection can be achieved only at the grassroots level, especially in a home rule state like New York, and that is why the role of the Town Board in engaging these issues is so important.
The measures we intend to promote are outlined in the following pages. Claverack Democrats have a clear direction for managing our town’s future as a community: to protect the interests of long-time residents and to take every available measure to nip sprawl in the bud before it starts to hit us full force.
That’s why it’s time for a change.
THE DEMOCRATIC BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE OF CLAVERACK
TO PROTECT OUR UNIQUE COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Uncontrolled residential development in Claverack will drive school taxes through the roof. We need to stop developers in their tracks, now. Not only that, open space is already becoming a threatened resource, and we need to take urgent action to protect the rural character of our town. We will:
TO FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BRING JOBS TO CLAVERACK
Today, fewer and fewer jobs provide a true living wage. We stand for more and better and higher-paying jobs for all in a balanced economy with a healthy mix of business. We will:
TO PRESERVE THE AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE HUDSON VALLEY
Our land is a valuable resource, but it's under constant development pressure. We intend to keep agriculture a viable and vibrant component of Claverack's economy and way of life. We will:
TO ASSURE GOOD HOMES FOR ALL IN A CHANGING REAL ESTATE MARKET
With skyrocketing property prices and taxes, many find it increasingly difficult to find or maintain homes here. We will work to keep Claverack affordable for all our citizens by fostering creative solutions to housing needs. We will:
TO EMPOWER NEIGHBORHOODS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE
No community in our town should be excluded from the opportunity to have a voice in decisions that affect its quality of life, to benefit from improving public services, and to be secure and safe. We believe strongly in the power of local communities to play an active role in regenerating their neighborhoods and in the power of local government and local business to help them. We will:
TO ADOPT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
A Comprehensive Plan sets forth the goal and means of making a community the best place it can be to live, work, and visit. In a fast-changing world, it is an essential tool for planning for the future and maintaining and improving our current quality of life. We will:
TO FIGHT FOR THE TOWN AT COUNTY AND STATE LEVEL
Unknown to many, our Town Board, like every other town board in Columbia County, can influence decisions made at both County and State level. That’s because our Town Supervisor is automatically appointed to the Board of Supervisors that runs the County. In fact, because representation on the County Board is weighted according to population, and because Claverack has one of the highest populations in the County, our Town Supervisor has considerable influence. We need a Supervisor who will fight for Claverack and fight for the County. When a Democratic Town Supervisor is elected, he or she will:
TO ENCOURAGE OPEN GOVERNMENT AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
We Democrats believe in participatory democracy. Whatever our political beliefs and affiliation, local government is really about competence and fairness, which is why citizens must have the opportunity to voice their opinions on how they're being governed, and to draw attention to the issues that matter to them most. But we also need effective, accountable, elected legislators. When Democrats are in government, we will:
The current Town Board of Claverack consistently fails to address the concerns and needs of citizens and their neighborhoods:
| ? | Why isn’t our Town Board applying for grants to improve the Town’s infrastructure? |
| ? | Why for thirty years have people been asking for sidewalks in the hamlet and they’re still not there? |
| ? | Why are Philmont residents subject to what is in effect double taxation, paying both Village and Town taxes? |
| ? | Why doesn’t the Town Board pressure the State to revise speed limits throughout the Town? |
| ? | Why can’t you run a home business in your barn or den and hire the employees you need? |
| ? | Why is the current Town Board so tight-fisted when it comes to community events? |
| ? | Why doesn’t our Town Board do anything to clean up eyesores like the Town Garage? |
When elected, Claverack Democrats will listen to citizens’ concerns about issues like these and put your interests first, before outside interests, before budgetary interests, before workload interests, and without conflict of interest. We’ll make sure that you have a real, live voice in decisions that affect your neighborhood and livelihood. We’ll call special meetings when necessary, and if there are disputes, we won’t dodge the bullets or impose our own view: we’ll take responsibility as your elected representatives to work out fair and wise solutions. That’s why it’s time for a change.
