. . .Returning Government to the People, One Town at a Time

It Ain't Over 'til It's Over (Yogi Berra)

[submitted as Letter to the Editor]

Since 2013 I have been the frequent subjects of Klaus’ editorials but yet I have never met this self-proclaimed expert and boastful historian. Until that year I had never heard of him, but since then when I hear his named mentioned it is always with annoyance, like a pesky small fly that flits around enough to make a buzz but doesn’t accomplish much. Unlike other members of the press, Klaus does his mischievous work uninformed and reports rumors as facts which suggests a tone of cowardice. On the occasions when he is in visual range he is hurrying to rub elbows with the power mongers in the room, perhaps in hopes their status might rub off on him. During my 2013 campaign my personal visit to his home received no response.

Contrary to his claims I did not “lose big” in 2013 when there were only 446 registered Conservative voters in Saugerties and I received 1261 votes. That was 283% more than was expected! Simply arithmetic shows that it was Republicans and some conservative Democrats who crossed over their party lines to vote for me contrary to the confabulation of Klaus. Kelly Myers received 1982 votes but it was only 58 % of her party’s backing (3410 registered Republicans voters.) And even worse was Helsmoortel’s win with 2405 votes with a mere 54% from the 3 parties 4,425 enrollment which endorsed him. Do the math! My win was big time in that I received almost 3 times the amount of the Conservative party’s enrollment.

By calling Hellsmoortel “the obvious winner” he repeats the theft done by his idol on the Saugerties voters in their obvious attempt at controlling the election. He later repeats his acclamation that there “is not really going to be a supervisor race.” Why does he applaud this assault on democracy when he should be lamenting this occurrence? Though Helsmoortel may have the backing of 3 parties (would have been 4 if he had succeeded in getting Working Families) all things are possible especially with his continued record breaking spending.

In addition to robo calls, I contacted all GOP Committeemen personally and rank and file Republican voters some via phone, and letters. I contacted former supervisor Kelly Myers and asked for the good of the people of Saugerties that we work together. To date I have received no response from her. Considering that my opposition’s win was the combined work of 3 political machines: Catalinotto, Costello, and Helsmoortel the 19 vote lead that Klaus cites is nothing to brag about.


As a registered Democrat, Klaus’ reveling about the unraveling of the Republican Party is evident. Perhaps it is even more delightful to him that it is being orchestrated by Mike Catallinotto Sr., the GOP’s former boss, who left his veiled retirement from politics bringing with him 3 family members to the Republican Committee to control and silence the voice of the Republican Party.

Gaetana Ciarlante, Town Supervisor Candidate
Conservative Party and Reform Party