Ballston Republican Committee

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Letter to Editor by Patrick S. Ziegler

On Tuesday, January 5, the Ballston Town Council held their first meeting of 2010.  Sadly, Supervisor Patti Southworth and the newly elected Jeremy Knight made clear that they will continue a years-long tradition of undermining fellow Councilmembers for political gain with shameful disregard for the best interests of the Town.  It has become painfully obvious that Supervisor Southworth and her minions prefer not to resolve Ballston’s water issue but rather, to use the dilemma we now face to their political advantage for as long as possible.  Granted, there was an unfortunate oversight which resulted in two water deals, committing our Town to the daily purchase of more water than we could use in the foreseeable future.  A former Town Attorney lost his job as a result and a former Republican Councilman lost a bid for the Supervisor’s seat with the water deal for which he voted hanging over his head.  But it is now three years since the ink dried and the Democrat/Independent Patti Southworth (who has made a political living criticizing the arrangement) has proven utterly incapable of securing a resolution.  Or perhaps we should be asking if Southworth’s apparent incompetence is actually a matter of will. 

By refusing to pursue solutions to Ballston’s water problem, the Southworths have been able to focus their energy on attacking their Republican counterparts, most notably Mary Beth Hynes.  To her credit, Councilwoman Hynes succeeded where Southworth has failed by reaching an agreement with the Saratoga County Water Authority which reduces Ballston’s daily water purchase requirement.  For her efforts, Mary Beth was blindsided by a cowardly setup undoubtedly orchestrated by the Southworths, questioning her ability to vote on the proposed agreement as she also sits on the Water Authority Board.  Supposing Patti had proven able to work with fellow Saratoga County Supervisors to reach a water-sharing agreement, would Republicans have been expected to welcome an arrangement which would save the Town hundreds of thousands of dollars?  Or would Mary Beth have requested a ruling on an inflated conflict of interest charge?  The good people of Ballston should be ashamed of Patti’s and Jeremy’s behavior.  Their pettiness and grandstanding is not due to an honest misreading of a water contract but a reprehensible commitment to the politics of personal destruction.  Town Democrats and Independents have proven, yet again, that their only goal is holding onto power and destroying their political opponents.  It is imperative that we all begin attending Town meetings in force and demanding that Patti Southworth and Jeremy Knight support a water deal that is in the best interest of the Town of Ballston.

Town Councilwoman Mary Beth Hynes announced earlier this week that she has successfully renegotiated Ballston’s water agreement with the Saratoga County Water Authority–a deal which could save the Town as much as $2 million in these challenging economic times.  In an October 9 editorial, The Ballston Journal’s Charles Hogan wrote that Mary Beth’s efforts were “instrumental in solving the largest single problem facing her Town,” effectively upstaging Supervisor Patti Southworth who has been unable to secure a satisfactory resolution to the issue herself.  As Hogan aptly noted, “It is seldom that a Town Council member, rather than a Town Supervisor,” strikes such a landmark deal but “Mary Beth Hynes seems to have pulled off that feat.”

In fact, the Councilwoman’s decisive action reflects the striking difference in approach between Mary Beth and Ballston Democrats.  While her political rivals spent two years unfairly assailing Republicans for signing a second water deal, Mary Beth quietly went to work in the hope of either renegotiating one or both of our purchase agreements or finding a nearby municipality willing to purchase water from the Town of Ballston.  This week’s announcement should come as a welcome reminder to townspeople that their elected Republican officials remain committed to addressing the issues not their political opponents.

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Professional Association is sponsoring a “Meet the Candidates” night at Ellms Farm, located at 468 Charlton Rd. in Ballston Lake, on October 7 at 6:30 p.m.  The event will be moderated by the League of Women Voters and should prove to be an informative evening.  It can be difficult to evaluate candidates from afar so please come down and join us.

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Business and Professional Association is sponsoring a “Meet the Candidates Night” on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Ellms Family Farm, 468 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa.  It will be open to all members of the public and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County.

Please join us for this important, informative event as your Republican candidates will be sharing their ideas, goals and successes with the voting public.  This is a great opportunity for voters to hear the facts directly from the candidates.