Dutchess County Historian Update - October 14, 2005
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."
Abraham Lincoln
Ginny Agrees - My Effort here is to see if I can bring you the REAL FACTS?
See if you can determine from what I relate here just what the REAL FACTS are!
The following was sent OCTOBER 14, 2005 from Co. Executive Steinhaus in reply to a supporter
of filling the County Historian Position "THIS YEAR" [2005]
Dear ____________ I'm sorry but I don't believe we know each other so let me say hello and also apologize if we have met and I don't recall. I certainly wish you hadn't used such a harsh characterization like the words” failure to keep his word” in the memo you sent to Legislator _____________. Across my 30 years in public service I've always prided myself on keeping my word. Having won 8 successive county wide elections since 1978, fortunately the voters have apparently concluded that they can count on my word. I've always been grateful for that trust and confidence. First let me set the record straight – the funding and implementation plan I submitted last November to the Legislature for moving forward with an effort to fill the historian position was not accepted by the Legislature. Therefore, the time line and schedule originally anticipated was not able to be implemented as much as I wish it could have been. That fact set us back 6-9 months. Therefore, you are making an assertion without regard that the circumstances changed since I made that comment and I was not the one who changed the circumstances. I have in fact had the Dept of Personnel do a recruitment for the position and as a result we do have some candidates for the vacancy. Additionally, we have also recruited a number of community residents to participate as an advisory work group to assist and guide us in the strategic and tactical planning for the office of the Historian. Let me close by simply saying – this is important to me and we are making progress among the hundreds of other responsibilities this office has -- regrettably it apparently isn't to your satisfaction. WRS / DC EXEC |
Ginny's Response to the person the above was sent to [Edited by Ginny]:
See if you can determine from what I relate here just what the facts are!
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?
WHO DO YOU HAVE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN?
| Dear __________, Ginny Buechele here. Thank You for your support. Let me say that last year during the Budget Hearings on the 2005 Budget as proposed by the County Executive, I personally and literally begged the Legislature Budget and Finance Committee not to delete/cut the extra funding in the Budget (amounting to I believe $15,000) which was included by the County Executive in addition to the upgraded Salary for a County Historian. I was told that this $15,000 was for a consultant (or something similar) to help the County Historian set up his/her office. The Budget and Finance Committee felt that the County Historian could set up his or her own office & therefore cut the extra $15,000. At the same time I was assured by the members of the Legislature including the Chairman of the Budget & Finance Committee that they were in favor of restoring the position and preserving our County's history. Still I asked the Committee and the Legislature not to cut these extra funds so as not to send the County Executive the wrong message. Needless to say the Budget & Finance Committee cut the extra funds and the Legislature approved cutting those extra funds. As such the 2005 Budget was adopted. NOW the County Executive appears to be using this cut of funds by the legislature, funds that were in addition to the funds provided for the County Historian Salary, as an excuse for not having filled the position THIS YEAR. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT THE CASE! I don't know who our County Executive is trying to fool but he has not fooled me! Heck, the County Personnel Dept. has had applications for the position as advertised since July 1, 2005, including from myself***, and I have never heard a peep in regard to my application since it was submitted. All I can say is GRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!! Be assured that when County Executive Steinhaus ran for his last 4 year term as County Executive, I did not vote for him - nor - needless to say - will I vote for him if he runs for another 4 year term. Not all those years served by him since 1978 were as County Executive. Prior to being elected County Executive, William R. Steinhaus was our County Clerk. He does not have my trust and confidence! The County Executive in my opinion, is simply NOT a man of his word and now he is trying to blame his lack of presentation of a qualified candidate to the legislature and subsequent appointment of a County Historian on the Legislature! We have not had a County Historian since William R. Steinhaus assumed the Office of County Executive and if it were not for him being hounded to do so by myself as the protagonist and others supporting my endeavors, I strongly feel that he would have never included funding for the position in his 2005 proposed Budget. Now he wants to weasel out of his "THIS YEAR " words. As a side note, it now appears that this years County Historian Salary Funds will not be utilized and will be re-directed to the Unappropriated Fund Balance which will probably be used to pay for the "housing out" of County Jail prisoners due to the lifting of the Jail Variances and this County's Lack of Action on Building a new Jail due to "overcrowding". SAD SAD SAD SAD and very disheartening! I am looking forward to County Executive Steinhaus's 2006 proposed budget this year for the Department of History which includes the County Historian funding lines and hope that the Legislature will send him a stronger message this year during the budget process which in the overall picture may go a loooooonnnnnnggggg way towards forcing the issue. The most important thing is that WE MUST NOT LET COUNTY EXECUTIVE STEINHAUS FORGET! Again, Thank You for your support! It's like Abe Lincoln, said "you can fool some of the people, all of the time; all of the people, some of the time; but you can't fool all of the people, all of the time. Onward! I've had enough - it's time for this battle to have a downright bloody fight! No More Mrs. Nice Guy! Ginny Buechele |
| *** A Note from Ginny : My reason for applying for the position back in June was My efforts in
advocating for a County Historian have always been, and continue to be, to
insure the position is funded and timely filled in order to preserve and
make accessible to the public the history of this original New York County. |