July 2015
Candidacy at Risk—Backdoor Antics
30/07/15 15:00
Angie Minew’s candidacy is at risk. Although Saugerties Conservative Party’s rank and file voted unanimously to give Ms. Minew the endorsement for County Legislator for District 2, and although no-one else expressed an interest in the position, we were advised that Opportunity to Ballot petitions were carried for Santos Lopez behind everyone’s back and were then handed in at the Board of Elections. This, of course, would force us to a costly primary. The following correspondence relating to this matter are listed below, which may be read by clicking where indicated.
To read the letter to Santos Lopez, which includes a synopsis of the facts relating to this matter including an explanation of the process, the legal reason for our objection to the petitions, and the basis of our frustration with Santos Lopez and the way he accomplished this, click here.
To read Santos Lopez’ reply to my letter (as noted above) in which he responds to some, but not all of the cited complaints, click here
To read the final answer to Lopez’ reply, click here
To read the letter to Santos Lopez, which includes a synopsis of the facts relating to this matter including an explanation of the process, the legal reason for our objection to the petitions, and the basis of our frustration with Santos Lopez and the way he accomplished this, click here.
To read Santos Lopez’ reply to my letter (as noted above) in which he responds to some, but not all of the cited complaints, click here
To read the final answer to Lopez’ reply, click here
Ciarlante Constituent Day
14/07/15 17:28
Gaetana Ciarlante is opening her campaign for Saugerties Town Supervisor with her first in a series of Constituent Days.
The first of these will be at the Glasco mini park on Sunday July 19th from 2:30- 3:30pm.
Ciarlante is the Conservative Party candidate for Town Supervisor and she has also accepted the candidacy from the Reform Party.
Saugerties residents are invited to bring their questions, concerns, and ideas and to enjoy some light refreshments provided by the Ciarlante for Saugerties campaign committee.
Voter registration forms will also be available for those wishing to register, enroll in a party or change address.
Please try to attend.
The first of these will be at the Glasco mini park on Sunday July 19th from 2:30- 3:30pm.
Ciarlante is the Conservative Party candidate for Town Supervisor and she has also accepted the candidacy from the Reform Party.
Saugerties residents are invited to bring their questions, concerns, and ideas and to enjoy some light refreshments provided by the Ciarlante for Saugerties campaign committee.
Voter registration forms will also be available for those wishing to register, enroll in a party or change address.
Please try to attend.
Charles Lantz's Dribble
09/07/15 23:12
This letter by George Heidcamp is in response to Charles Lantz’s letter, Heidcamp’s coup (read here), from the Saugerties Times (July 9, 2015). Heidcamp’s coup was written in response to “Saugerties Cons, GOP team up against ‘radical left-wing’ agenda” (Will Dendis, Saugerties Times, 6-19-15). (read here)
Charles Lantz’s Dribble
People join the Conservative Party because they embrace specific values and principles and want to elect like-minded individuals into office. Too often, however, someone gets the Conservative endorsement, runs as an Independent and then votes with the Democrats. In other words, they use the Conservatives to help them get what they want....tell me, what is the sense of that?
The bottom line is this, the County Conservative Committee, of which I am but one member, have decided that we’ve had enough of being used. We don’t want people who simply collect endorsements....we want leaders who will work toward limiting our government, lowering our taxes, etc. We want our candidates to pledge allegiance to conservatives principles, not to report to me or anyone else and, to reiterate, this decision was made by the County Conservative Committee. It includes the entire County of Ulster, all of the towns therein.
The Conservative Party advertised for those seeking the Conservative endorsement to send their resume to Gaetana. Joe Roberti and Allyson Barbaria were the only registered Republicans (2 out of 3,200) to respond. A committee, consisting of nine members, interviewed the prospective candidates. Both of the candidates were endorsed because they were in line with Conservative values and had no problem signing a pledge to uphold our Party’s principles—the claim that the candidates would have to report to Mr. Heidcamp is a figment of Mr. Lantz’s imagination..
As to Fred Costello, Freddie declined to sign the pledge that had been adopted by the County Conservative Party. Still, we allowed his father to put his name into nomination for a vote. The truth is, Freddie lost 37-7.
Why in the world would registered Democrat Charles Lantz be so concerned about a Republican-Conservative coalition? Is he afraid of a united front? Probably. I believe Mr. Lanze’s letter is nothing more than an attempt to sway the public using elementary psychology, a feeble attempt to generate some anger among Republican voters so they come out and vote against the Conservatives’ candidates and thus frustrate the unity between the parties. No matter whom the voters may chose to nominate, I’m sure most people are smart enough to follow their conscience rather than Mr. Lantz’s dribble.
George Heidcamp, Chairman Saugerties Conservative Party
Charles Lantz’s Dribble
People join the Conservative Party because they embrace specific values and principles and want to elect like-minded individuals into office. Too often, however, someone gets the Conservative endorsement, runs as an Independent and then votes with the Democrats. In other words, they use the Conservatives to help them get what they want....tell me, what is the sense of that?
The bottom line is this, the County Conservative Committee, of which I am but one member, have decided that we’ve had enough of being used. We don’t want people who simply collect endorsements....we want leaders who will work toward limiting our government, lowering our taxes, etc. We want our candidates to pledge allegiance to conservatives principles, not to report to me or anyone else and, to reiterate, this decision was made by the County Conservative Committee. It includes the entire County of Ulster, all of the towns therein.
The Conservative Party advertised for those seeking the Conservative endorsement to send their resume to Gaetana. Joe Roberti and Allyson Barbaria were the only registered Republicans (2 out of 3,200) to respond. A committee, consisting of nine members, interviewed the prospective candidates. Both of the candidates were endorsed because they were in line with Conservative values and had no problem signing a pledge to uphold our Party’s principles—the claim that the candidates would have to report to Mr. Heidcamp is a figment of Mr. Lantz’s imagination..
As to Fred Costello, Freddie declined to sign the pledge that had been adopted by the County Conservative Party. Still, we allowed his father to put his name into nomination for a vote. The truth is, Freddie lost 37-7.
Why in the world would registered Democrat Charles Lantz be so concerned about a Republican-Conservative coalition? Is he afraid of a united front? Probably. I believe Mr. Lanze’s letter is nothing more than an attempt to sway the public using elementary psychology, a feeble attempt to generate some anger among Republican voters so they come out and vote against the Conservatives’ candidates and thus frustrate the unity between the parties. No matter whom the voters may chose to nominate, I’m sure most people are smart enough to follow their conscience rather than Mr. Lantz’s dribble.
George Heidcamp, Chairman Saugerties Conservative Party
Candidates on Parade
04/07/15 18:21
Fourth of July brought out the candidates, their signs, their flags and give-aways.
Gaetana Ciarlante, candidate for Town Supervisor, was out with a float bedecked with Gaetana for Supervisor signs. One small black sign simply says, “Go! Gaetana Go!” (bottom left). That sign was her very first when she ran last time, it was placed on her lawn early one morning by someone hoping that she would be running. 
Angie Minew (candidate for legislator) was also on parade with a red, white and blue float.
To see more photos from the parade, click here.
Conservative vs Democrat
02/07/15 21:38
Lanny Walters’ recent article, “What Saugerties Democrats Believe” (Saugerties Times, June 29, 2015), points out a number of government programs important to Democrats. (click here to read Walters’ article)
In stark contrast, rather than relying on government programs, Conservatives believe in self-reliance, as illustrated in the following rebuttal to the Walters’ article:
What Saugerties’ Conservatives Believe
America’s founding fathers—the individuals who led the American Revolution against the British Crown to establish the United States, or more narrowly, those who were instrumental in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States and signing the Declaration of Independence—consisted of individuals with the vision of a liberated republic based on the Judeo-Christian principles that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While the founding fathers separated church from state, they did not separate God from state. They recognized God as the source of our rights and cited biblical morality into the founding documents and laws, as well as our values and culture. Acknowledging God as the source of our rights, keeping Judeo-Christian religious morality in the state, and basing our laws on reason and common sense have contributed to America’s character, and have made this an exceptional nation—in fact, the greatest nation in the history of the world.
Since those early formative days, these fundamental values have made our country strong and successful, and should remain essential to America’s spirit and culture for years to come. The Conservative Party embraces America’s traditional values of—truth and honesty, self-reliance, hard work and competition, charity, justice, respect, humility, self-restraint, combating evil, respect for life, and the following of Christian principles
The Conservative Party also supports—
Rule of Law and removal of elected officials who don't follow the Constitution,
Limited Executive Orders, with laws written only by Congress ,
State and local control of education,
Support of the Second Amendment,
Separation of powers,
Support of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments,
Small government with less regulations,
Lower taxes,
Limited grants and mandates,
Honest elections with valid voter ID,
Color-blind justice .
Support of the American Dream,
Enforcement of Immigration Laws,
Free-market capitalism ,
Responsible development of natural resources ,
Opposition to U.N. Agenda 21 (click here to read more about Agenda 21)
In stark contrast, rather than relying on government programs, Conservatives believe in self-reliance, as illustrated in the following rebuttal to the Walters’ article:
What Saugerties’ Conservatives Believe
America’s founding fathers—the individuals who led the American Revolution against the British Crown to establish the United States, or more narrowly, those who were instrumental in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States and signing the Declaration of Independence—consisted of individuals with the vision of a liberated republic based on the Judeo-Christian principles that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While the founding fathers separated church from state, they did not separate God from state. They recognized God as the source of our rights and cited biblical morality into the founding documents and laws, as well as our values and culture. Acknowledging God as the source of our rights, keeping Judeo-Christian religious morality in the state, and basing our laws on reason and common sense have contributed to America’s character, and have made this an exceptional nation—in fact, the greatest nation in the history of the world.
Since those early formative days, these fundamental values have made our country strong and successful, and should remain essential to America’s spirit and culture for years to come. The Conservative Party embraces America’s traditional values of—truth and honesty, self-reliance, hard work and competition, charity, justice, respect, humility, self-restraint, combating evil, respect for life, and the following of Christian principles
The Conservative Party also supports—
Rule of Law and removal of elected officials who don't follow the Constitution,
Limited Executive Orders, with laws written only by Congress ,
State and local control of education,
Support of the Second Amendment,
Separation of powers,
Support of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments,
Small government with less regulations,
Lower taxes,
Limited grants and mandates,
Honest elections with valid voter ID,
Color-blind justice .
Support of the American Dream,
Enforcement of Immigration Laws,
Free-market capitalism ,
Responsible development of natural resources ,
Opposition to U.N. Agenda 21 (click here to read more about Agenda 21)