Langdon Corrected

Dear Nieces and Nephews, your Auntie found this “My View” by County Attorney Langdon Chapman, in the THR Friday. Auntie and the Team were, shall we say, seriously irked at the content and with the complete lack of leadership in our County Government. Such a lack, that we have someone like Langdon running the show. (And he does not seem too bright either.) Langdon’s "My View" follows, annotated. (the teacher on Auntie’s team could not resist using the “red pen”):

The Times-Herald Record has a double standard when it comes to covering Orange County government compared to other counties. Orange County has the toughest county campaign finance law in the state. Yet the Record wants to read into the law requirements that simply don't exist. …But should. The law obviously is not good enough. Also you don’t seem concerned with the bias for the County government that is exhibited in the midhudsonneus.com or WTBQ- All Neuhaus Radio.

For example, in complaining about a donation from one company, the Record claims that there are two ways to read the campaign finance law. That law states:

"The contribution limitations specified in this Local Law do not apply to professional business entities when: (i) such contract is awarded to the lowest bidder pursuant to New York State Law." …But should. Think about it, just because they are the lowest bidder doesn’t mean that there is no influence peddling and pay to play. They still got the contract and stand to make millions. So what if they were a few thousand dollars less? And who is to say that they were not informed of the exact figures of the other bids submitted.

The company/donor doing work at the county airport, whom the Record complained about a donation from, was the lowest bidder pursuant to state law and was thereby specifically exempted from the county law. The above language is clear to anyone, except, apparently, to your editorial writer. Just because there is no prohibition in the law doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. There is no prohibition in regards to LYING in a political campaign as Steve did. That lack of prohibition does not mean he should have lied to seniors, residents of Valley View, their families and County workers. And the Veterans. There is no prohibition against scaring the “stuffing” out of these people but should you do it? NO off course not. There is a law against lying about the County Government Center to the people of OC.  And Langdon, did you ever hear the term “spirit or intent of the law” Maybe you should retake that class and get more than the “pass” out of the pass/fail grade.

The Record complains about a May 2014 donation by Amanda Holt to Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus' campaign. It must have been a slow news day for the Record to complain about a donation legally made, and publicly disclosed, more than a year ago. Couple that with the fact that it wasn't even the Neuhaus administration that chose Holt Construction for the county contract on the government center, and the Record's bias becomes more evident. The donation was “legally made” because it used the loopholes that were woven into campaign legislation. The bottom line is that the Holts contributed $6,325 to the Neuhaus campaign, that goes beyond the intent of the law. $4k.

The anti-Orange County bias of the Record is apparent in other ways. Two examples: The Record's support for Ulster County's decision to transfer its nursing home to a local development corporation while condemning Orange County for trying to do the same thing; Do you really want to go there, Langdon? http://www.recordonline.com/article/20150807/NEWS/150809525  Utilizing Ulster County as an example may not be so wise. and the Record's jeering Albany for not maintaining Ulster County's sales tax level, while criticizing Orange County for even thinking about bringing ours to the level that Ulster has been at for years. Not really a fair comparison when you look at actual dollar volume, is it Langdon? Is your argument really “If they did it why can’t we?” wah wah! And Langdon, you are so good at spinning figures we can’t wait for you to be employed by the casino so you can use your talents as odds maker and manipulate wins and losses.

The public knows that different media have their biases, and are smart enough to see through it. Yes the public is smart enough to see this for what it is, marketing 101. Neuhaus has led the way to cut county spending by $30 million magic! He made the 60 million dollar deficit disappear without selling the nursing home as he gloomily proclaimed we should at the beginning of his “reign”  and make Orange County government smaller, getting rid of county employees all while partnering with the private sector to create jobs. That's a record of success every day, not one we have to search a year to find. It’s that partnering with which we are concerned, like “partnering” with Clark Paterson Lee to bloat the government center project so that someone can make millions courtesy of the taxpayers.  

Langdon Chapman is the Orange County attorney. And Auntie thanks you for providing us with so much needed information.

Steve Neuhaus collected $103,000 in the last 5 months. Why he bothered, we don’t know because he will not be elected to any public office after his tenure as Orange County Executive. 

Maybe he should go to Ulster County and barbeque with Mike Hein and Todd D’orio.

Let's face it, the law was written so that trade unions can contribute more than the $4k.

It leaves the door wide open for someone to walk in with a bag full of money. Without the benefit of a money-detecting magnomitor.

We wonder who they had in mind.

   The Hudson Valley Building Construction Trades Council President Todd D’Orio (one of the organizations exempt from this law) with Stevie Thunder.

 

And don’t forget LLC’s, which are also exempt.

LANGDON SAID: “The local law does not impose restrictions on Members of LLCs,"

That’s the point, Langdon, it should.