TALK RADIO 1300 on March 11, 2016 at 7:18 pm:
With respect to the issue of public health protection in the Rensselaer County Health District, and what Kathy Jimino is decrying as "stifling mandates," the fact of the matter is that in NYS, where Rensselaer County happens to be located, the state provides funding to the Rensselaer County Health District to provide those public health services pursuant to New York Public Health Law § 600, State aid; general requirements, wherein is stated:
In order to be eligible for state aid under this title, a municipality shall be required to do the following in accordance with the provisions of this article:
1. submit an application to the department for state aid which is approved by the commissioner in accordance with section six hundred one of this title;
2. provide core public health services, as defined in section six hundred two of this title, in accordance with an application for state aid submitted by the municipality and approved by the commissioner;
3. submit a community health assessment in accordance with section six hundred two-a of this title;
4. establish, collect and report fees and revenue for services provided by the municipality, in accordance with section six hundred six of this title; and
5. appropriate or otherwise make funds available to finance a prescribed share of the cost of public health services.
end quotes
That right there is what Jimino is decrying as a "stifling mandate," which it is, but it is not a "state" mandate, it is a mandate from the people of the state of New York who in 1938 voted to amend §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, which section states:
§3. The protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of public concern and provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine.
end quote
Note that that section of OUR NYS Constitution states that the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of public concern, which means a concern of we, the people, which can't be simply tossed aside by Kathy Jimino because she is a petty tyrant who does not like "the people" telling her how to run her county, as if she were royalty as opposed to a mere elected officer of the County.
With respect to "provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine," that includes New York Public Health Law §600, State aid; general requirements.
New York Public Health Law § 601, Application for state aid, provides as follows:
1. The governing body of each municipality desiring to make application for state aid under this title shall annually, on such dates as may be fixed by the commissioner, submit an application for such aid.
end quote
With respect to Kathy Jimino's incessant whining about "stifling mandates," notice that language "The governing body of each municipality desiring to make application for state aid."
Desiring to, as opposed to "must do."
In Rensselaer County, by OUR Charter, the governing body in Rensselaer County is not Kathy Jimino, despite her belief otherwise; the governing body in Rensselaer County is the Rensselaer County Legislature, and if the Rensselaer County Legislature desires to make application for state aid, which it has been doing now for at least the last forty or more years, then it does what the Public Health Law requires and it makes an application for that state aid.
There is no gun held to its head by the state to do so.
And that is called accountability for state monies, something we have far too little of in this Cauldron of Corruption where the culture of corruption grows like barnacles on a boat bottom.
According to New York Public Health Law § 601.2, the application shall be in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe, and shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) an organizational chart of the municipal health agency, and a statement providing the number of employees, by job title, proposed to provide public health services funded by this title;
(b) a budget of proposed expenditures for services funded by this title;
(c) a description of how the municipality will provide public health services;
(d) an attestation by the chief executive officer of the municipality that sufficient funds have been appropriated to provide the public health services for which the municipality is seeking state aid;
(e) an attestation by the municipal officer in charge of administering public health that the municipality has diligently reviewed its state aid application and that the application seeks state aid only for eligible public health services;
(f) a list of public health services provided by the municipality that are not eligible for state aid, and the cost of each service;
(g) a projection of fees and revenue to be collected for public health services eligible for state aid, in accordance with section six hundred six of this title; and
(h) such other information as the commissioner may require.
end quotes
It is actually this section of the NYS Public Health Law that caused then-Rensselaer County Executive John L. "Jack" Buono in 1989 to famously say he could not "in good conscience condone the conduct of an employee who consistently stated that he worked for the State of New York, rather than Rensselaer County" as he told us that the Rensselaer County Associate Public Health Engineer could no longer serve as an engineer in Rensselaer County because the engineer refused to certify that the state funds coming into Rensselaer County to provide for public health services were actually being used for their intended purpose, which is to ensure that public health services are provided in an efficient and effective manner to all persons in the municipality.
As was confirmed in a March 27, 1989 Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning a federal Hobbs Act investigation of endemic corruption in the Rensselaer County DOH, in 1989, public health services in Rensselaer County were not being provided in an efficient and effective manner to all persons in the municipality, and that was by intent, which is to say, state funds were being misused in Rensselaer County at that time:
"According to (name deleted), the results of the State's investigation were that New York State laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, Rensselaer County laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, and there was very little 'enforcement activity' even in the face of illegal sales."
"(Name deleted) also faulted the State of New York Health Department for not auditing Rensselaer County's program."
"(Name deleted) advised that he would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties)!"
"According to (name deleted), the object of any county health department is to protect the public and not to facilitate development."
"In the case of Rensselaer County, it appears that the Rensselaer County Health Department was in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public."
end quotes
Those findings exist because a non-corrupt engineer in the Rensselaer County DOH between 1986 and 1988 did a complete investigation of that endemic corruption and exposed it for the FBI to see, which caused the engineer to be fired by Buono, as well as to become a target for political retaliation, which was not long in coming.
Which brings us back to accountability, where New York Public Health Law § 603, Core public health services; implementation, provides:
1. In order to be eligible for state aid under this title, each municipality shall administer its core public health services in accordance with the standards of performance established by the commissioner through rules and regulations pursuant to section six hundred nineteen of this article.
Each municipality shall, in particular, ensure that public health services are provided in an efficient and effective manner to all persons in the municipality.
end quotes
Had that actually been done here in Rensselaer County, had Rensselaer County actually did what the law required, administer its core public health services in accordance with the standards of performance established by the commissioner through rules and regulations pursuant to section six hundred nineteen of this article, then the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco could never have happened.
But it did happen, right out in plain sight, which is proof positive that Rensselaer County under Kathleen Jimino did not administer its core public health services in accordance with the standards of performance established by the commissioner through rules and regulations pursuant to section six hundred nineteen of this article.
In that case, New York Public Health Law § 603.2 provides "The commissioner may withhold state aid reimbursement under this title for the appropriate services if, on any audit, review of a state aid application or periodic claim for state aid, or other information available to the department, the commissioner finds that such services are not furnished or rendered in conformance with the rules and regulations established by the commissioner, including but not limited to the standards of performance established pursuant to section six hundred nineteen of this article."
In the light of the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, that section of the PHL demands that an investigation be done to determine why it happened, and more importantly, where the funds went that were intended to keep that from happening.
Were those funds again misused as they were in the 1980s under John L. "Jack" Buono?
But such an investigation does not seem to be forthcoming.
To the contrary, we are getting another cover-up, just like the cover-up we got back in 1989, when the FBI was telling us that "In the case of Rensselaer County, it appears that the Rensselaer County Health Department was in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public," and that "one would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties)," which is still the case today.
Despite the passage of all those years, with respect to public health protection in Rensselaer County, not only has nothing changed for the better, but as Hoosick Falls clearly demonstrates, things have gotten even worse.
WHY?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/r ... ment-14166
THE TALK-1300 REPORT
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 12, 2016 at 6:18 pm:
Ah, Jim, what a lot of pure red meat you have tossed out on the floor here!
I wish I had come upon it earlier, but unfamiliarity with this site caused me to miss it.
What a public debate we can have based on this essay of yours above here.
Thank you for that, as the public truly needs to hear that debate had, to cure the abject ignorance that exists here in both Rensselaer County and NYS concerning groundwater protection and who is responsible for what.
And that public debate really needs to start with the subject of what civilized society really is, and whether we in NYS really do have a civilized society in this Cauldron of Corruption anymore.
According to A Short History Of Western Civilization by Charles Edward Smith, Louisiana State University, and Lynn M. Case, University of Pennyslvania, copyright 1948, "Civilized existence is possible only after social institutions such as the family, the kindred, and the tribe have in turn been integrated into political organizations such as city-states, kingdoms, or democracies, wherein governmental devices ensure harmonious relations among individuals."
Harmonious relations among individuals!
What a quaint notion that is in these very inharmonious times we find ourselves now living in, where we have governments we cannot trust with our health and well-being from the town and village level, through the county and state levels, right on up to the top of the federal government itself, down there in the foetid, miasmic political swamp of Washington, D.C., where men and women see all the vices of princely courts: ambition with idleness, baseness with pride, the thirst of riches without labor, flattery, treason, perfidy, but above all the perpetual ridicule of virtue.
With respect to harmonious relations among individuals, as far back as the late 1700s, acceptance of the germ theory of Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, and Robert Koch meant that fully preventing disease transmission required clean water, careful waste disposal, and improving the health of the poor.
And what radical ideas they are, right?
Two hundred years ago, public health measures related to improved hygiene became common in Western Europe and North America, and those reforms included improvements in sanitation and the provision of clean water.
Long before any of us now alive were even born, in public hygiene movements throughout Western Europe and North America, the power of the state was used to enforce adherence to hygienic behavior, including building extensive sanitation and water infrastructures.
Too bad we don't have the same today, what a different world it would be, especially in Hoosick Falls.
With respect to protecting public health in NYS, on November 8, 1938, the people of NYS voted to adopt §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, which section of OUR Constitution, the law of the land here in NYS, states:
§3. The protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of public concern and provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine.
end quote
Think about that for a moment - protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of NYS are matters of public concern.
But what inhabitants?
What public?
Only those who were alive then?
Does that mean only rich Republicans and Democrats?
Or does that mean all of us, regardless of money and political clout?
Does it mean the inhabitants of poor Hoosick Falls village?
Or does it only mean those who live in well-to-do wealthy communities like Chappaqua and Mount Kisco?
And what exactly does protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state really mean?
Do the words even have meaning anymore, which is something I seriously doubt, what with this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco hanging over everyone's head as it is doing?
And more to the point, who gets to decide what those words mean?
Political hacks like Barack Hussein Obama, Judith Enck, Andy Cuomo and Kathleen Jimino?
God help us if that is the case, which is what it now appears to be.
But OUR Constitution doesn't give that power or authority or jurisdiction or discretion to any of that pack of political clowns.
§3 of ARTICLE XVII of OUR New York State Constitution, Public Health, states in clear and unequivocal language that provision for the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of this state shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine.
Now, that is important with respect to your statement above that "It's the government's fault, after all, that Hoosick is in the jam it's in," which is a statement I wholeheartedly agree with, having started my own professional career as a field investigation technician with the NYSDOH in 1966.
In the light of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of OUR New York State Constitution which states in clear and unequivocal language that provision for the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of this state shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, it is in order the fault of Hoosick Falls village government, Rensselaer County government, and NYS government that the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination exists.
Having established that provision of clean water goes back to ancient times, we modern-day people should not at all be surprised that in 1952, sixty-four (64) years ago, long before Andy Cuomo and Barack Obama were even born, the NYSDOH had published a technical manual entitled Water Supply Control by Charles R. Cox, which was Bulletin No. 22 issued by Bureau of Environmental Sanitation of the New York State Department of Health under Herman E. Hilleboe, M.D., Commissioner.
With respect to protecting drinking water supplies, at P.23, that Bulletin provided as follows with respect to surface water supplies, which guidance would apply to groundwater sources like Hoosick Falls, as well:
Patrolling Watersheds
The protection of surface water supplies through the enforcement of the State Sanitary Code rules and regulations, as outlined above, requires that routine patrolling of watersheds be organized.
It is possible in this way to locate potential sources of pollution before dangerous conditions exist and to assist property owners in corrective measures.
Such supervision is greatly facilitated through the maintenance of a large map of the watershed area, with colored pins to show the exact location of various types of existing or potential sources of pollution.
end quotes
That, of course, was back in a much different age, when people were still responsible and accountable.
If you don't let crap and chemicals get into your drinking water, then you won't have to worry about what you are drinking, or how to get the crap and chemicals back out.
If the RCHD and the Village of Hoosick Falls had remained responsible and accountable, supervision of the Village water supply would have been greatly facilitated through the maintenance of a large map of their watershed area, with colored pins to show the exact location of various types of existing or potential sources of pollution, such as Saint Gobain.
Going to Chapter 12, p. 199 of that Bulletin from 1952, entitled CHAPTER V OF THE STATE SANITARY CODE, we find this guidance:
This portion of the Sanitary Code pertaining to public water supplies was completely revised on September 25, 1942 to take effect on January 1, 1943.
end quote
1942.
That is before most of us listening to this conversation were even born, and that serves to define the times that we were born into in this state, anyway, back when it was still civilized to ensure harmonious relations among individuals, which means not crapping in or poisoning somebody else's drinking water with chemicals.
With respect to responsibility and accountability, in 1952, that NYSDOH Bulletin provided:
Furthermore, the owner or those operating a public water supply are required to exercise due care in the maintenance and supervision of the supply and arrange for the sampling of the supply in accordance with the sampling program of the State Department of Health.
end quote
Exercise due care!
That means the Village of Hoosick Falls, but in the context of today, where we in NYS live in a Cauldron of Corruption where the culture of corruption grows like barnacles on a boat bottom, and people in positions of responsibility cannot be trusted, and are likely to be looking the other way, especially in Rensselaer County, expecting public officials to exercise due care about anything, starting with groundwater protection, is a great big joke, which is why there is PFOA in the groundwater in Hoosick Falls.
If those operating the public water supply in Hoosick Falls had actually been required to exercise due care in the maintenance and supervision of the supply, then they would not have allowed chemicals of any kind to enter their groundwater supply.
This thing about "but it was unregulated" is a load of crap.
PFOA is a manmade chemical.
As such, it does not belong in a public water supply in any amount.
But the operators of the Hoosick Falls water supply were not required to exercise due care, and so they didn't.
With respect to your statement above that the village didn't know what to do with the findings and neither did the county since neither one of them can or should regulate chemicals in drinking water or any place else, it's just not their thing, with all due respect, that is patently false.
It most certainly is "their thing," as further discussion will clearly demonstrate.
That Kathy Jimino's head of Environmental Health at the RCDOH, Rich Elder, didn't have a clue as to what to do goes to the fact that Rich Elder, who is not an engineer, nor qualified to be an engineer, was simply out of his league, because the real head of Environmental Health in the RCHD is supposed to be a qualified associate level public health engineer, not a political pet of Kathy Jimino's, who believes the RCHD is her personal playtoy to meddle with to score political points for herself, and protection from the law for those who are "protected persons" here in Rensselaer County.
In Rensselaer County, the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, is a professional position involving responsibility for the planning, direction and supervision of the environmental health program of the Rensselaer County Department of Health.
A professional position means a person with a license from the state of New York to practice as a professional engineer.
Rich Elder does not have such professional qualifications, and therefore, should never have been placed by Kathy Jimino in the position a professional engineer is supposed to be occupying to protect and safeguard OUR lives, health and property.
But Kathy wants somebody in that position who is politically reliable to do her bidding, not a professional who would stand up to her and her political meddling, and so we have the unqualified Rich Elder serving as an associate public health engineer in the RCHD, instead of a real engineer, so thanks to Kathy Jimino, we have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, which deserves a "well done, Kathy" from all of us here in Rensselaer County who pay exorbitant property taxes to support the farce known as the Rensselaer County Department of Health, which back in 1989, according to an FBI report, was "in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public," and that one would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties), which is still the case today.
Getting back to who should have been responsible here, in Rensselaer County, it is the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, who is supposed to provide advice and guidance to local officials and the general public in regard to environmental health problems and the measures necessary for improvements and compliance with legal requirements.
In Rensselaer County, it is the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, who is supposed to provide leadership in the promotion of public health through application of environmental practices.
And in Rensselaer County, it was the associate public health engineer who was supposed to be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the Public Health Law and local and State Sanitary Codes in relation to environmental matters, in the course of doing so, supervising enforcement of provisions of local and state Public Health Laws and Sanitary Codes relating to public water supplies and operation of water treatment plants.
Had there actually been such a professional person in that position of responsibility to the people of Rensselaer County, the chemical contamination of the Hoosick Falls water supply should have been nipped in the bud, before it became a crisis.
But there isn't such a person in that position of responsibility, because John L. "Smiling Jack" Buono fired the last one we had back in 1989, because true to his license, that engineer would not lie to the people of Rensselaer County for John Buono, nor would he make and file false reports for John Buono, and so, in the words of the inestimable Fred LeBrun of the Albany Times Union, he had to go.
We simply cannot have honest public officials in Rensselaer County, afterall, and so we don't.
There are no mysteries here as to the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, just a lot of BS and misleading statements.
The Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco belongs to the Village of Hoosick Falls, the County of Rensselaer, and yes, the state of New York.
More to come.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
Ah, Jim, what a lot of pure red meat you have tossed out on the floor here!
I wish I had come upon it earlier, but unfamiliarity with this site caused me to miss it.
What a public debate we can have based on this essay of yours above here.
Thank you for that, as the public truly needs to hear that debate had, to cure the abject ignorance that exists here in both Rensselaer County and NYS concerning groundwater protection and who is responsible for what.
And that public debate really needs to start with the subject of what civilized society really is, and whether we in NYS really do have a civilized society in this Cauldron of Corruption anymore.
According to A Short History Of Western Civilization by Charles Edward Smith, Louisiana State University, and Lynn M. Case, University of Pennyslvania, copyright 1948, "Civilized existence is possible only after social institutions such as the family, the kindred, and the tribe have in turn been integrated into political organizations such as city-states, kingdoms, or democracies, wherein governmental devices ensure harmonious relations among individuals."
Harmonious relations among individuals!
What a quaint notion that is in these very inharmonious times we find ourselves now living in, where we have governments we cannot trust with our health and well-being from the town and village level, through the county and state levels, right on up to the top of the federal government itself, down there in the foetid, miasmic political swamp of Washington, D.C., where men and women see all the vices of princely courts: ambition with idleness, baseness with pride, the thirst of riches without labor, flattery, treason, perfidy, but above all the perpetual ridicule of virtue.
With respect to harmonious relations among individuals, as far back as the late 1700s, acceptance of the germ theory of Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, and Robert Koch meant that fully preventing disease transmission required clean water, careful waste disposal, and improving the health of the poor.
And what radical ideas they are, right?
Two hundred years ago, public health measures related to improved hygiene became common in Western Europe and North America, and those reforms included improvements in sanitation and the provision of clean water.
Long before any of us now alive were even born, in public hygiene movements throughout Western Europe and North America, the power of the state was used to enforce adherence to hygienic behavior, including building extensive sanitation and water infrastructures.
Too bad we don't have the same today, what a different world it would be, especially in Hoosick Falls.
With respect to protecting public health in NYS, on November 8, 1938, the people of NYS voted to adopt §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, which section of OUR Constitution, the law of the land here in NYS, states:
§3. The protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of public concern and provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine.
end quote
Think about that for a moment - protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of NYS are matters of public concern.
But what inhabitants?
What public?
Only those who were alive then?
Does that mean only rich Republicans and Democrats?
Or does that mean all of us, regardless of money and political clout?
Does it mean the inhabitants of poor Hoosick Falls village?
Or does it only mean those who live in well-to-do wealthy communities like Chappaqua and Mount Kisco?
And what exactly does protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state really mean?
Do the words even have meaning anymore, which is something I seriously doubt, what with this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco hanging over everyone's head as it is doing?
And more to the point, who gets to decide what those words mean?
Political hacks like Barack Hussein Obama, Judith Enck, Andy Cuomo and Kathleen Jimino?
God help us if that is the case, which is what it now appears to be.
But OUR Constitution doesn't give that power or authority or jurisdiction or discretion to any of that pack of political clowns.
§3 of ARTICLE XVII of OUR New York State Constitution, Public Health, states in clear and unequivocal language that provision for the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of this state shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine.
Now, that is important with respect to your statement above that "It's the government's fault, after all, that Hoosick is in the jam it's in," which is a statement I wholeheartedly agree with, having started my own professional career as a field investigation technician with the NYSDOH in 1966.
In the light of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of OUR New York State Constitution which states in clear and unequivocal language that provision for the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of this state shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, it is in order the fault of Hoosick Falls village government, Rensselaer County government, and NYS government that the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination exists.
Having established that provision of clean water goes back to ancient times, we modern-day people should not at all be surprised that in 1952, sixty-four (64) years ago, long before Andy Cuomo and Barack Obama were even born, the NYSDOH had published a technical manual entitled Water Supply Control by Charles R. Cox, which was Bulletin No. 22 issued by Bureau of Environmental Sanitation of the New York State Department of Health under Herman E. Hilleboe, M.D., Commissioner.
With respect to protecting drinking water supplies, at P.23, that Bulletin provided as follows with respect to surface water supplies, which guidance would apply to groundwater sources like Hoosick Falls, as well:
Patrolling Watersheds
The protection of surface water supplies through the enforcement of the State Sanitary Code rules and regulations, as outlined above, requires that routine patrolling of watersheds be organized.
It is possible in this way to locate potential sources of pollution before dangerous conditions exist and to assist property owners in corrective measures.
Such supervision is greatly facilitated through the maintenance of a large map of the watershed area, with colored pins to show the exact location of various types of existing or potential sources of pollution.
end quotes
That, of course, was back in a much different age, when people were still responsible and accountable.
If you don't let crap and chemicals get into your drinking water, then you won't have to worry about what you are drinking, or how to get the crap and chemicals back out.
If the RCHD and the Village of Hoosick Falls had remained responsible and accountable, supervision of the Village water supply would have been greatly facilitated through the maintenance of a large map of their watershed area, with colored pins to show the exact location of various types of existing or potential sources of pollution, such as Saint Gobain.
Going to Chapter 12, p. 199 of that Bulletin from 1952, entitled CHAPTER V OF THE STATE SANITARY CODE, we find this guidance:
This portion of the Sanitary Code pertaining to public water supplies was completely revised on September 25, 1942 to take effect on January 1, 1943.
end quote
1942.
That is before most of us listening to this conversation were even born, and that serves to define the times that we were born into in this state, anyway, back when it was still civilized to ensure harmonious relations among individuals, which means not crapping in or poisoning somebody else's drinking water with chemicals.
With respect to responsibility and accountability, in 1952, that NYSDOH Bulletin provided:
Furthermore, the owner or those operating a public water supply are required to exercise due care in the maintenance and supervision of the supply and arrange for the sampling of the supply in accordance with the sampling program of the State Department of Health.
end quote
Exercise due care!
That means the Village of Hoosick Falls, but in the context of today, where we in NYS live in a Cauldron of Corruption where the culture of corruption grows like barnacles on a boat bottom, and people in positions of responsibility cannot be trusted, and are likely to be looking the other way, especially in Rensselaer County, expecting public officials to exercise due care about anything, starting with groundwater protection, is a great big joke, which is why there is PFOA in the groundwater in Hoosick Falls.
If those operating the public water supply in Hoosick Falls had actually been required to exercise due care in the maintenance and supervision of the supply, then they would not have allowed chemicals of any kind to enter their groundwater supply.
This thing about "but it was unregulated" is a load of crap.
PFOA is a manmade chemical.
As such, it does not belong in a public water supply in any amount.
But the operators of the Hoosick Falls water supply were not required to exercise due care, and so they didn't.
With respect to your statement above that the village didn't know what to do with the findings and neither did the county since neither one of them can or should regulate chemicals in drinking water or any place else, it's just not their thing, with all due respect, that is patently false.
It most certainly is "their thing," as further discussion will clearly demonstrate.
That Kathy Jimino's head of Environmental Health at the RCDOH, Rich Elder, didn't have a clue as to what to do goes to the fact that Rich Elder, who is not an engineer, nor qualified to be an engineer, was simply out of his league, because the real head of Environmental Health in the RCHD is supposed to be a qualified associate level public health engineer, not a political pet of Kathy Jimino's, who believes the RCHD is her personal playtoy to meddle with to score political points for herself, and protection from the law for those who are "protected persons" here in Rensselaer County.
In Rensselaer County, the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, is a professional position involving responsibility for the planning, direction and supervision of the environmental health program of the Rensselaer County Department of Health.
A professional position means a person with a license from the state of New York to practice as a professional engineer.
Rich Elder does not have such professional qualifications, and therefore, should never have been placed by Kathy Jimino in the position a professional engineer is supposed to be occupying to protect and safeguard OUR lives, health and property.
But Kathy wants somebody in that position who is politically reliable to do her bidding, not a professional who would stand up to her and her political meddling, and so we have the unqualified Rich Elder serving as an associate public health engineer in the RCHD, instead of a real engineer, so thanks to Kathy Jimino, we have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, which deserves a "well done, Kathy" from all of us here in Rensselaer County who pay exorbitant property taxes to support the farce known as the Rensselaer County Department of Health, which back in 1989, according to an FBI report, was "in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public," and that one would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties), which is still the case today.
Getting back to who should have been responsible here, in Rensselaer County, it is the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, who is supposed to provide advice and guidance to local officials and the general public in regard to environmental health problems and the measures necessary for improvements and compliance with legal requirements.
In Rensselaer County, it is the associate public health engineer, not the unqualified Rich Elder, who is supposed to provide leadership in the promotion of public health through application of environmental practices.
And in Rensselaer County, it was the associate public health engineer who was supposed to be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the Public Health Law and local and State Sanitary Codes in relation to environmental matters, in the course of doing so, supervising enforcement of provisions of local and state Public Health Laws and Sanitary Codes relating to public water supplies and operation of water treatment plants.
Had there actually been such a professional person in that position of responsibility to the people of Rensselaer County, the chemical contamination of the Hoosick Falls water supply should have been nipped in the bud, before it became a crisis.
But there isn't such a person in that position of responsibility, because John L. "Smiling Jack" Buono fired the last one we had back in 1989, because true to his license, that engineer would not lie to the people of Rensselaer County for John Buono, nor would he make and file false reports for John Buono, and so, in the words of the inestimable Fred LeBrun of the Albany Times Union, he had to go.
We simply cannot have honest public officials in Rensselaer County, afterall, and so we don't.
There are no mysteries here as to the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, just a lot of BS and misleading statements.
The Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco belongs to the Village of Hoosick Falls, the County of Rensselaer, and yes, the state of New York.
More to come.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 13, 2016 at 7:01 pm:
Getting back to the public health services we in the Rensselaer County Health District are entitled to as a matter of law in NYS, public health services which should have prevented the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, New York Public Health Law § 602.1, Core public health services, provides that to be eligible for state aid, a municipality such as Rensselaer County must provide among the following core public health services as follows:
(e) Environmental health, which shall include activities that promote health and prevent illness and injury by assuring that safe and sanitary conditions are maintained at public drinking water supplies, food service establishments, and other regulated facilities; investigating public health nuisances to assure abatement by responsible parties; protecting the public from unnecessary exposure to radiation, chemicals, and other harmful contaminants; and conducting investigations of incidents that result in illness, injury or death in order to identify and mitigate the environmental causes to prevent additional morbidity and mortality.
end quote
An environmental health program in the Rensselaer County Health District, over which Kathy Jimino has no direct control as a mere county executive with no public health qualifications nor medical qualifications, which shall include activities that promote health and prevent illness and injury by assuring that safe and sanitary conditions are maintained at public drinking water supplies puts the onus of assuring that safe and sanitary conditions were maintained at the public drinking water supply of Hoosick Falls directly on the Rensselaer County Health Department, not on Judith Enck at the EPA, not on the NYSDEC, not on the NYSDOH, but squarely on the RCHD, and the RCHD quite obviously dropped that ball, or we wouldn't have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco staring us in the face today.
An environmental health program in the Rensselaer County Health District that really promoted health and prevented illness and injury by protecting the public from unnecessary exposure to chemicals, and other harmful contaminants similarly should have served to keep PFOA out of the Hoosick Falls drinking water.
And there is another ball that was dropped.
The unanswered question remains why was that ball dropped?
Was it by intent, or because of incompetence?
When can we expect a rational answer to that question?
When can we expect to see some accountability here?
Why are we taxpayers paying for public health services in Rensselaer County we obviously are not getting?
Is this a case of theft of services, where money intended for public health protection and promotion is being siphoned off by Rensselaer County government for other purposes?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/r ... ment-14166
Getting back to the public health services we in the Rensselaer County Health District are entitled to as a matter of law in NYS, public health services which should have prevented the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, New York Public Health Law § 602.1, Core public health services, provides that to be eligible for state aid, a municipality such as Rensselaer County must provide among the following core public health services as follows:
(e) Environmental health, which shall include activities that promote health and prevent illness and injury by assuring that safe and sanitary conditions are maintained at public drinking water supplies, food service establishments, and other regulated facilities; investigating public health nuisances to assure abatement by responsible parties; protecting the public from unnecessary exposure to radiation, chemicals, and other harmful contaminants; and conducting investigations of incidents that result in illness, injury or death in order to identify and mitigate the environmental causes to prevent additional morbidity and mortality.
end quote
An environmental health program in the Rensselaer County Health District, over which Kathy Jimino has no direct control as a mere county executive with no public health qualifications nor medical qualifications, which shall include activities that promote health and prevent illness and injury by assuring that safe and sanitary conditions are maintained at public drinking water supplies puts the onus of assuring that safe and sanitary conditions were maintained at the public drinking water supply of Hoosick Falls directly on the Rensselaer County Health Department, not on Judith Enck at the EPA, not on the NYSDEC, not on the NYSDOH, but squarely on the RCHD, and the RCHD quite obviously dropped that ball, or we wouldn't have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco staring us in the face today.
An environmental health program in the Rensselaer County Health District that really promoted health and prevented illness and injury by protecting the public from unnecessary exposure to chemicals, and other harmful contaminants similarly should have served to keep PFOA out of the Hoosick Falls drinking water.
And there is another ball that was dropped.
The unanswered question remains why was that ball dropped?
Was it by intent, or because of incompetence?
When can we expect a rational answer to that question?
When can we expect to see some accountability here?
Why are we taxpayers paying for public health services in Rensselaer County we obviously are not getting?
Is this a case of theft of services, where money intended for public health protection and promotion is being siphoned off by Rensselaer County government for other purposes?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/r ... ment-14166
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 14, 2016 at 7:06 am:
Getting back to things in here with respect to lines of communication between the RCHD and the NYSDOH and NYSDEC and Judith Enck of the EPA, and who has authority and jurisdiction concerning the health and well-being of the people who live in Rensselaer County, by vote of the people of Rensselaer County in 1946, long before Andy Cuomo was even born, and as a direct result of the adoption of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, Rensselaer County became a Health District pursuant to the NYS Public Health Law.
With respect to health districts such as Rensselaer County in NYS, New York Public Health Law § 2 provides the following definitions:
1. Whenever used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated or unless the context or subject matter requires a different meaning, the following terms shall have the respective meanings hereinafter set forth or indicated:
(a) Department. The term department means department of health of the state of New York.
(b) Commissioner. The term commissioner means commissioner of health of the state of New York.
(c) Health district. The term health district means a county health district, part-county health district, city, town, village or consolidated health district having a separate board of health.
(d) County health district. The term county health district means a health district comprising the entire county heretofore or hereafter established.
(f) County department of health. The term county department of health means that division of the county government having jurisdiction over the public health of a county or part-county health district.
(g) County health commissioner. The term county health commissioner means the executive officer of a county department of health.
(h) Local board of health. The term local board of health means the board of health of a county, part-county, city, village, town or consolidated health district.
(i) Municipality. The term municipality means a city, village, town or consolidated health district.
(j) Local health officer. The term local health officer means the health officer of a county, part-county, city, village, town or a consolidated health district.
(k) Sanitary code. The term sanitary code means sanitary code of the state of New York.
end quote
And before I move on, let me specifically shine a spotlight on New York Public Health Law § 2.1 (f), which states in clear and unambiguous regulatory language that even someone as unmolested by enlightenment as Kathy Jimino should be able to comprehend and understand, that the term county department of health means that division of the county government having jurisdiction over the public health of a county or part-county health district.
And in the context of this thread, let me up the focus to these specific words from that section of OUR NYSPHL: having jurisdiction over the public health of a county.
If those words have their normal meaning, or any meaning at all, for that matter, then responsibility for the protection and promotion of the public health everywhere in Rensselaer County, including Hoosick Falls, is the jurisdiction of the Rensselaer County Department of Health, not Judy Enck of the EPA, or Howie Zucker of the NYSDOH or Cuomo lackey Basil Seggos at NYSDEC, who recently handed Andy Cuomo $10 MILLION of OUR tax dollars from out of the Superfund kitty with no questions asked, because everybody knows that all the money in the state treasury is really Andy Cuomo's money, because he is our king, and kings always own the state treasury.
As to jurisdiction, that is defined as the official power to make legal decisions and judgments, or the extent of the power to make legal decisions and judgments.
Now, with respect to the year 1946 and the formation of the Rensselaer County Health District, there was no Judy Enck or the federal EPA.
The EPA would not come into existence until 1970, twenty-four (24) years later.
In 1946, there was no New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Like the EPA, which has no jurisdiction over the public health of Rensselaer County, the NYSDEC would not come into existence until 1970, and like the EPA, the NYSDEC also has no jurisdiction over the public health of Rensselaer County.
That jurisdiction is vested by OUR laws in the RCHD, which over the years has become nothing more than a patronage mill and a worthless appendage of Kathy Jimino and the Republican party, which makes it totally worthless to each and every one of us here in Rensselaer County who rely on it for the protection and promotion of OUR health.
And in 1946, when the Rensselaer County Health District came into being, there was no office of the Rensselaer County Executive, nor was there a Rensselaer County Legislature.
Those would not come into existence until 1971, in LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Of direct importance to this discussion of lines of authority and who is responsible for what, Article 17 of the 1971 Rensselaer County Charter, entitled Intermunicipal Relations, states in clear and unambiguous language that again, even someone as unmolested by enlightenment as Kathy Jimino should be able to comprehend and understand, as follows:
Section 17.00 Local Government Functions; Facilities and Powers Not Transferred, Altered or Impaired
No function, facility, duty or power of any city, town, village, school district or other district is transferred, altered or impaired by this Charter.
end quotes
What that states in clear and simple language is that in 1971, twenty-five (25) years after the Rensselaer County Health District was created by vote of the people of Rensselaer County in 1946, no function, facility, duty or power of the Rensselaer County Health District was transferred, altered or impaired by the 1971 Rensselaer County Charter.
And there I will rest, for the moment, but as always, much more yet to come.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
Getting back to things in here with respect to lines of communication between the RCHD and the NYSDOH and NYSDEC and Judith Enck of the EPA, and who has authority and jurisdiction concerning the health and well-being of the people who live in Rensselaer County, by vote of the people of Rensselaer County in 1946, long before Andy Cuomo was even born, and as a direct result of the adoption of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, Rensselaer County became a Health District pursuant to the NYS Public Health Law.
With respect to health districts such as Rensselaer County in NYS, New York Public Health Law § 2 provides the following definitions:
1. Whenever used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated or unless the context or subject matter requires a different meaning, the following terms shall have the respective meanings hereinafter set forth or indicated:
(a) Department. The term department means department of health of the state of New York.
(b) Commissioner. The term commissioner means commissioner of health of the state of New York.
(c) Health district. The term health district means a county health district, part-county health district, city, town, village or consolidated health district having a separate board of health.
(d) County health district. The term county health district means a health district comprising the entire county heretofore or hereafter established.
(f) County department of health. The term county department of health means that division of the county government having jurisdiction over the public health of a county or part-county health district.
(g) County health commissioner. The term county health commissioner means the executive officer of a county department of health.
(h) Local board of health. The term local board of health means the board of health of a county, part-county, city, village, town or consolidated health district.
(i) Municipality. The term municipality means a city, village, town or consolidated health district.
(j) Local health officer. The term local health officer means the health officer of a county, part-county, city, village, town or a consolidated health district.
(k) Sanitary code. The term sanitary code means sanitary code of the state of New York.
end quote
And before I move on, let me specifically shine a spotlight on New York Public Health Law § 2.1 (f), which states in clear and unambiguous regulatory language that even someone as unmolested by enlightenment as Kathy Jimino should be able to comprehend and understand, that the term county department of health means that division of the county government having jurisdiction over the public health of a county or part-county health district.
And in the context of this thread, let me up the focus to these specific words from that section of OUR NYSPHL: having jurisdiction over the public health of a county.
If those words have their normal meaning, or any meaning at all, for that matter, then responsibility for the protection and promotion of the public health everywhere in Rensselaer County, including Hoosick Falls, is the jurisdiction of the Rensselaer County Department of Health, not Judy Enck of the EPA, or Howie Zucker of the NYSDOH or Cuomo lackey Basil Seggos at NYSDEC, who recently handed Andy Cuomo $10 MILLION of OUR tax dollars from out of the Superfund kitty with no questions asked, because everybody knows that all the money in the state treasury is really Andy Cuomo's money, because he is our king, and kings always own the state treasury.
As to jurisdiction, that is defined as the official power to make legal decisions and judgments, or the extent of the power to make legal decisions and judgments.
Now, with respect to the year 1946 and the formation of the Rensselaer County Health District, there was no Judy Enck or the federal EPA.
The EPA would not come into existence until 1970, twenty-four (24) years later.
In 1946, there was no New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Like the EPA, which has no jurisdiction over the public health of Rensselaer County, the NYSDEC would not come into existence until 1970, and like the EPA, the NYSDEC also has no jurisdiction over the public health of Rensselaer County.
That jurisdiction is vested by OUR laws in the RCHD, which over the years has become nothing more than a patronage mill and a worthless appendage of Kathy Jimino and the Republican party, which makes it totally worthless to each and every one of us here in Rensselaer County who rely on it for the protection and promotion of OUR health.
And in 1946, when the Rensselaer County Health District came into being, there was no office of the Rensselaer County Executive, nor was there a Rensselaer County Legislature.
Those would not come into existence until 1971, in LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Of direct importance to this discussion of lines of authority and who is responsible for what, Article 17 of the 1971 Rensselaer County Charter, entitled Intermunicipal Relations, states in clear and unambiguous language that again, even someone as unmolested by enlightenment as Kathy Jimino should be able to comprehend and understand, as follows:
Section 17.00 Local Government Functions; Facilities and Powers Not Transferred, Altered or Impaired
No function, facility, duty or power of any city, town, village, school district or other district is transferred, altered or impaired by this Charter.
end quotes
What that states in clear and simple language is that in 1971, twenty-five (25) years after the Rensselaer County Health District was created by vote of the people of Rensselaer County in 1946, no function, facility, duty or power of the Rensselaer County Health District was transferred, altered or impaired by the 1971 Rensselaer County Charter.
And there I will rest, for the moment, but as always, much more yet to come.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 14, 2016 at 6:02 am:
And moving right along here with respect to public health services in the Rensselaer County Health District which we pay for twice, once in property taxes at the county level, and once in income taxes, at the state level, but which we do not actually receive from either level, public health services which if delivered would have caught this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco and prevented it, New York Public Health Law § 602-a.1, entitled Community health assessment, provides that "Every municipality shall submit to the department no more frequently than every two years, a community health assessment."
Has Rensselaer County ever really done this?
I seriously doubt it, because if they had done this, they would have caught the fact long ago that there was something seriously wrong in Hoosick Falls, and here I want to say that assertions by the state of NY or Rensselaer County or Judy Enck that PFOA is safe to drink are totally asinine, but are exactly the kind of mindless crap one would expect from all three.
Where is the scientific proof that PFOA is safe to drink?
As to that community health assessment, New York Public Health Law § 602-a.2 provides that "The community health assessment shall be in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe, and shall include, but not be limited to (a) an estimate and description of the health status of the population and factors that contribute to health issues."
Tell us, Kathy Jimino what is the health status of the population of Hoosick Falls?
Any cancer clusters on the horizon that you and your worthless excuse of a county health department are aware of?
And what factors could possibly have contributed to them?
And how about you, Howie Zucker?
Do you know what the health status of the population of Hoosick Falls is?
Or are you too busy carrying Andy Cuomo's coat for him and singing his praises to have time to know any of that stuff which it is your responsibility pursuant to the PHL to know?
New York Public Health Law § 602-a.2(b) calls for identification of priority areas for health improvement, in conjunction with the state health improvement plan; and (c) calls for identification of public health services in the municipality and in the community and other resources that can be mobilized to improve population health, particularly in those priority areas identified in paragraph (b) of this subdivision; while (d) calls for a community health improvement plan consisting of actions, policies, strategies and measurable objectives through which the municipality and its community partners will address areas for health improvement and track progress toward improvement of public health outcomes.
end quote
I wonder if the vaunted corruption fighter the Albany Times Union has FOIL'ed all of those documents so it can do a big expose on the public corruption in Rensselaer County and in the state DOH that has resulted in such poor health in Hoosick Falls when the taxpayers up there were paying good money in taxes to have it be otherwise.
When can we expect to see some people held accountable here?
Inquiring minds would like to know, including mine.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/r ... ment-14166
And moving right along here with respect to public health services in the Rensselaer County Health District which we pay for twice, once in property taxes at the county level, and once in income taxes, at the state level, but which we do not actually receive from either level, public health services which if delivered would have caught this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco and prevented it, New York Public Health Law § 602-a.1, entitled Community health assessment, provides that "Every municipality shall submit to the department no more frequently than every two years, a community health assessment."
Has Rensselaer County ever really done this?
I seriously doubt it, because if they had done this, they would have caught the fact long ago that there was something seriously wrong in Hoosick Falls, and here I want to say that assertions by the state of NY or Rensselaer County or Judy Enck that PFOA is safe to drink are totally asinine, but are exactly the kind of mindless crap one would expect from all three.
Where is the scientific proof that PFOA is safe to drink?
As to that community health assessment, New York Public Health Law § 602-a.2 provides that "The community health assessment shall be in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe, and shall include, but not be limited to (a) an estimate and description of the health status of the population and factors that contribute to health issues."
Tell us, Kathy Jimino what is the health status of the population of Hoosick Falls?
Any cancer clusters on the horizon that you and your worthless excuse of a county health department are aware of?
And what factors could possibly have contributed to them?
And how about you, Howie Zucker?
Do you know what the health status of the population of Hoosick Falls is?
Or are you too busy carrying Andy Cuomo's coat for him and singing his praises to have time to know any of that stuff which it is your responsibility pursuant to the PHL to know?
New York Public Health Law § 602-a.2(b) calls for identification of priority areas for health improvement, in conjunction with the state health improvement plan; and (c) calls for identification of public health services in the municipality and in the community and other resources that can be mobilized to improve population health, particularly in those priority areas identified in paragraph (b) of this subdivision; while (d) calls for a community health improvement plan consisting of actions, policies, strategies and measurable objectives through which the municipality and its community partners will address areas for health improvement and track progress toward improvement of public health outcomes.
end quote
I wonder if the vaunted corruption fighter the Albany Times Union has FOIL'ed all of those documents so it can do a big expose on the public corruption in Rensselaer County and in the state DOH that has resulted in such poor health in Hoosick Falls when the taxpayers up there were paying good money in taxes to have it be otherwise.
When can we expect to see some people held accountable here?
Inquiring minds would like to know, including mine.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/r ... ment-14166
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 14, 2016 at 5:41 pm:
Young Cuomo did not really acquit himself very well in Hoosick Falls yesterday according to an account of his visit in the Albany Times Union entitled "Cuomo organizes last-minute trip to Hoosick Falls for PFOA update - Communities across N.Y. facing issue of water contamination, governor says" by Lauren Stanforth and Matthew Hamilton published Monday, March 14, 2016 where he was said to get bristly when questioned at the press conference about why he hadn't visited Hoosick Falls since a spotlight was placed on the contamination by concerned citizens and profiled in the first in a series of stories published in the Times Union in December.
"Every situation that deals with an emergency, there's always criticism," he said.
"Some snarky reporter always finds something to criticize."
Oh, really, Andy, my goodness gracious, how very rude of them to question you, our glorious king, long may be your reign.
They should have been chanting your praises, instead, I suppose.
And what on earth are we to make of this inane statement from out of the mouth of our dear king Andy: "If you were going to stay away from a situation because you were going to be criticized, you would be under your bed as an elected official."
Actually, I think if king Andy were to spend a lot more time hiding under his bed, instead of meddling in our public health protection and promotion system to score political points for himself, we would all be a lot better off in this state than we are today, where people are afraid to drink the water because of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and gross negligence in our regulatory agencies going back to the time of Andy's dad, Mario Cuomo, who presided over a corrupt state Health Department according to its then-commissioner, Dr. David Axelrod.
Above here, Andy tells us "The state continues to take aggressive action to protect the health and safety of Hoosick Falls residents."
Well what about the rest of us in Rensselaer County, Andy?
Why isn't the state taking aggressive action to protect our health and safety?
Why is the state only taking aggressive action to protect the health and safety of Hoosick Falls residents?
Are the rest of us in Rensselaer County second-class citizens then?
That callous disregard for the health and safety of those of us in Rensselaer County who don't live in Hoosick Falls is most disturbing in light of statements attributed to young Cuomo in the Times Union article, where he said there are 80,000 unregulated chemicals in the world, and that such contaminations will become standard in communities like Hoosick Falls in the future.
"This is a problem communities across the state continue to face."
Why, Andy?
How come?
Is it because of political meddling by political hacks on the make like yourself, where you say "And I don't want Vermont to have safer standards than New York."
What kind of a lunatic statement is that?
Why, Andy?
Why do you want the people of New York state to be less safe than the people of Vermont?
What's in it for you if we are less safe than the people of Vermont?
Campaign contributions from those who want to be able to poison our drinking water with impunity and immunity from the law conferred upon them by yourself?
And in a state where we, the people, have amended OUR Constitution by adoption of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, and again in 1969, when king Andy was 12 years old, when the people of New York state, myself among them, voted to amend ARTICLE XIV of the New York State Constitution by adding §4, which stated "The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products" and "The legislature, in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise, the protection of agricultural lands, wetlands and shorelines, and the development and regulation of water resources," where does this strutting popinjay Andy Cuomo get off telling us that our health and safety are in his hands, when Andy Cuomo is not a doctor, nor is he qualified to be one, nor does he have any public health training, and thus is not qualified to tell us what standards he wants for chemicals contaminating our drinking water?
As to whose duty it is to set those standards, it is clearly not the political meddler Andy Cuomo, as can be seen from a review of the 1985 NYSDEC CPP document, wherein is stated under the heading WATER QUALITY STANDARDS AND CLASSIFICATIONS, that "The New York Water Quality Standards are the foundation for the state's water pollution control and water quality protection efforts."
"The Standards provide the specific criteria for the management and protection of New York's waters."
"Both surface and groundwater standards are developed in accord with State administrative practices, including public hearing."
"They are approved by the State Environmental Board prior to filing as regulation with the Secretary of State."
"Toxic and certain non-conventional pollutants are a much more complex issue."
"Hundreds of thousands of organic and inorganic potentially toxic chemicals exist today."
"To evaluate candidates for regulation through standard setting, the Environmental Conservation Department has established an interagency ambient water quality standards program."
"The Division of Water first develops candidate substances for a toxicity review."
"It's determined whether the compound is widely encountered in the State through review of discharge permit data and other sources."
"Human health and aquatic toxicity scientists in State agencies review the literature to determine availability of toxic effect data."
"Protocol for the development of numerical values have been developed through the standards setting process."
"The literature on a compound is reviewed against the protocol to determine whether enough information is available to propose a value for the compound under scrutiny."
"The toxic concerns of issue covered by the protocol for public health include carcinogens, poisons and palatability."
"Once a preliminary determination has been made that a high confidence value can be proposed, it is placed onto the agenda of a scientific review group from outside of State government, made up of experts in human health and aquatic toxicity."
"After their review, the substance is placed onto the agenda for inclusion as a standard with the next update of the water quality regulations."
end quotes
Clearly, the regulation of PFOA in NYS is not the responsibility of a political hack like Andy Cuomo, and with good reason, because Andy could be trusted to likely sell us out to a higher bidder.
In support of that assertion that it is not Andy's responsibility, under the heading Groundwater Standards and Classifications (6 NYCRR Part 703) in the NYSDEC CPP from 1985, we have:
Groundwater standards and classifications provide enforceable targets for management of quality in that they prescribe the best usage of the groundwater in any particular locality and the maximum allowable concentrations of various pollutants in the groundwater according to the intended best usage.
These standards and classifications are adopted pursuant to the Environmental Conservation Law, sections 17-0301 and 17-0809.
There are currently no federal requirements for the development of groundwater standards and classifications.
Effective September 1, 1978, the Department revised its regulations entitled Groundwater Classifications, Quality Standards, and Effluent Standards and/or Limitations for the purpose of preventing pollution of groundwaters and protection of the groundwaters for use as potable water.
All fresh groundwaters in the state are classified as GA reflecting the policy that the best usage of fresh groundwater in the state is for sources of drinking water.
end quotes
What I think as a licensed professional engineer as well as a grandfather who himself was born here is that it is past time to get this Andy Cuomo back on a leash because his job as we gave it to him in OUR Constitution is to take care that our laws are enforced, a job he seems incapable of handling.
Get Andy Cuomo's hands off our public health protection and promotion system now before he makes a bigger mess of things than they already are right now.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/c ... ment-14221
Young Cuomo did not really acquit himself very well in Hoosick Falls yesterday according to an account of his visit in the Albany Times Union entitled "Cuomo organizes last-minute trip to Hoosick Falls for PFOA update - Communities across N.Y. facing issue of water contamination, governor says" by Lauren Stanforth and Matthew Hamilton published Monday, March 14, 2016 where he was said to get bristly when questioned at the press conference about why he hadn't visited Hoosick Falls since a spotlight was placed on the contamination by concerned citizens and profiled in the first in a series of stories published in the Times Union in December.
"Every situation that deals with an emergency, there's always criticism," he said.
"Some snarky reporter always finds something to criticize."
Oh, really, Andy, my goodness gracious, how very rude of them to question you, our glorious king, long may be your reign.
They should have been chanting your praises, instead, I suppose.
And what on earth are we to make of this inane statement from out of the mouth of our dear king Andy: "If you were going to stay away from a situation because you were going to be criticized, you would be under your bed as an elected official."
Actually, I think if king Andy were to spend a lot more time hiding under his bed, instead of meddling in our public health protection and promotion system to score political points for himself, we would all be a lot better off in this state than we are today, where people are afraid to drink the water because of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and gross negligence in our regulatory agencies going back to the time of Andy's dad, Mario Cuomo, who presided over a corrupt state Health Department according to its then-commissioner, Dr. David Axelrod.
Above here, Andy tells us "The state continues to take aggressive action to protect the health and safety of Hoosick Falls residents."
Well what about the rest of us in Rensselaer County, Andy?
Why isn't the state taking aggressive action to protect our health and safety?
Why is the state only taking aggressive action to protect the health and safety of Hoosick Falls residents?
Are the rest of us in Rensselaer County second-class citizens then?
That callous disregard for the health and safety of those of us in Rensselaer County who don't live in Hoosick Falls is most disturbing in light of statements attributed to young Cuomo in the Times Union article, where he said there are 80,000 unregulated chemicals in the world, and that such contaminations will become standard in communities like Hoosick Falls in the future.
"This is a problem communities across the state continue to face."
Why, Andy?
How come?
Is it because of political meddling by political hacks on the make like yourself, where you say "And I don't want Vermont to have safer standards than New York."
What kind of a lunatic statement is that?
Why, Andy?
Why do you want the people of New York state to be less safe than the people of Vermont?
What's in it for you if we are less safe than the people of Vermont?
Campaign contributions from those who want to be able to poison our drinking water with impunity and immunity from the law conferred upon them by yourself?
And in a state where we, the people, have amended OUR Constitution by adoption of §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, and again in 1969, when king Andy was 12 years old, when the people of New York state, myself among them, voted to amend ARTICLE XIV of the New York State Constitution by adding §4, which stated "The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products" and "The legislature, in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise, the protection of agricultural lands, wetlands and shorelines, and the development and regulation of water resources," where does this strutting popinjay Andy Cuomo get off telling us that our health and safety are in his hands, when Andy Cuomo is not a doctor, nor is he qualified to be one, nor does he have any public health training, and thus is not qualified to tell us what standards he wants for chemicals contaminating our drinking water?
As to whose duty it is to set those standards, it is clearly not the political meddler Andy Cuomo, as can be seen from a review of the 1985 NYSDEC CPP document, wherein is stated under the heading WATER QUALITY STANDARDS AND CLASSIFICATIONS, that "The New York Water Quality Standards are the foundation for the state's water pollution control and water quality protection efforts."
"The Standards provide the specific criteria for the management and protection of New York's waters."
"Both surface and groundwater standards are developed in accord with State administrative practices, including public hearing."
"They are approved by the State Environmental Board prior to filing as regulation with the Secretary of State."
"Toxic and certain non-conventional pollutants are a much more complex issue."
"Hundreds of thousands of organic and inorganic potentially toxic chemicals exist today."
"To evaluate candidates for regulation through standard setting, the Environmental Conservation Department has established an interagency ambient water quality standards program."
"The Division of Water first develops candidate substances for a toxicity review."
"It's determined whether the compound is widely encountered in the State through review of discharge permit data and other sources."
"Human health and aquatic toxicity scientists in State agencies review the literature to determine availability of toxic effect data."
"Protocol for the development of numerical values have been developed through the standards setting process."
"The literature on a compound is reviewed against the protocol to determine whether enough information is available to propose a value for the compound under scrutiny."
"The toxic concerns of issue covered by the protocol for public health include carcinogens, poisons and palatability."
"Once a preliminary determination has been made that a high confidence value can be proposed, it is placed onto the agenda of a scientific review group from outside of State government, made up of experts in human health and aquatic toxicity."
"After their review, the substance is placed onto the agenda for inclusion as a standard with the next update of the water quality regulations."
end quotes
Clearly, the regulation of PFOA in NYS is not the responsibility of a political hack like Andy Cuomo, and with good reason, because Andy could be trusted to likely sell us out to a higher bidder.
In support of that assertion that it is not Andy's responsibility, under the heading Groundwater Standards and Classifications (6 NYCRR Part 703) in the NYSDEC CPP from 1985, we have:
Groundwater standards and classifications provide enforceable targets for management of quality in that they prescribe the best usage of the groundwater in any particular locality and the maximum allowable concentrations of various pollutants in the groundwater according to the intended best usage.
These standards and classifications are adopted pursuant to the Environmental Conservation Law, sections 17-0301 and 17-0809.
There are currently no federal requirements for the development of groundwater standards and classifications.
Effective September 1, 1978, the Department revised its regulations entitled Groundwater Classifications, Quality Standards, and Effluent Standards and/or Limitations for the purpose of preventing pollution of groundwaters and protection of the groundwaters for use as potable water.
All fresh groundwaters in the state are classified as GA reflecting the policy that the best usage of fresh groundwater in the state is for sources of drinking water.
end quotes
What I think as a licensed professional engineer as well as a grandfather who himself was born here is that it is past time to get this Andy Cuomo back on a leash because his job as we gave it to him in OUR Constitution is to take care that our laws are enforced, a job he seems incapable of handling.
Get Andy Cuomo's hands off our public health protection and promotion system now before he makes a bigger mess of things than they already are right now.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/c ... ment-14221
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 15, 2016 at 6:08 am:
With respect to what Andy Cuomo's job in OUR government really is, section 3 of ARTICLE IV of OUR NYS Constitution which is law of the land here in NYS as binding on young Andy Cuomo as it is on the rest of us in this state, states as follows:
The governor shall expedite all such measures as may be resolved upon by the legislature, and shall take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
end quote
With his miserable performance in office to date, especially with respect to protecting our health and well-being, and taking care that our drinking water has been protected, which it hasn't, it appears young Cuomo is simply in over his head in that position where he is out of his league, which is to say, young Andy is too incompetent to be governor of this state, as well as too untrustworthy.
Now, as anybody who knows our state's history can tell you, Andy Cuomo would not be the first incompetent and untrustworthy governor we have been saddled with, and he likely won't be the last, because as was stated by Albany U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a Times Union article by Matthew Hamilton and Casey Seiler entitled "Bharara: My job isn't to interfere with politics - In exclusive sit-down, prosecutor details thoughts on state government" published February 8, 2016, the people of NYS have the absolute right to elected a bonehead to the office of governor, which is what we have accomplished with the election of Andy Cuomo as governor, and that "no matter what laws you have in place, the people of the state of New York are electing such criminally-minded people that they're going to break the law no matter what," which again seems a clear reference to Andy Cuomo himself.
Thankfully, having experienced incompetent and inept and untrustworthy governors in the past, Lord Cornbury coming immediately to mind here, our forefathers gave us relief in section 5 of ARTICLE IV of OUR NYS Constitution, to wit:
§5. In case the governor is impeached, is absent from the state or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor, the lieutenant-governor shall act as governor until the inability shall cease or until the term of the governor shall expire.
end quotes
Clearly, Andy Cuomo has proven himself beyond a shadow of a doubt of being unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor, because he is unable to understand constitutional government, and he is unable to take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
It is simply beyond him and his limited grasp on reality, the reality that we common people have to live in each day of our lives, a reality that demands that we not get poisoned by the water we need to drink each day to have life.
Thus, it is time to set Andy Cuomo aside and put the lieutenant governor in charge.
The sooner the better.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/c ... ment-14221
With respect to what Andy Cuomo's job in OUR government really is, section 3 of ARTICLE IV of OUR NYS Constitution which is law of the land here in NYS as binding on young Andy Cuomo as it is on the rest of us in this state, states as follows:
The governor shall expedite all such measures as may be resolved upon by the legislature, and shall take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
end quote
With his miserable performance in office to date, especially with respect to protecting our health and well-being, and taking care that our drinking water has been protected, which it hasn't, it appears young Cuomo is simply in over his head in that position where he is out of his league, which is to say, young Andy is too incompetent to be governor of this state, as well as too untrustworthy.
Now, as anybody who knows our state's history can tell you, Andy Cuomo would not be the first incompetent and untrustworthy governor we have been saddled with, and he likely won't be the last, because as was stated by Albany U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a Times Union article by Matthew Hamilton and Casey Seiler entitled "Bharara: My job isn't to interfere with politics - In exclusive sit-down, prosecutor details thoughts on state government" published February 8, 2016, the people of NYS have the absolute right to elected a bonehead to the office of governor, which is what we have accomplished with the election of Andy Cuomo as governor, and that "no matter what laws you have in place, the people of the state of New York are electing such criminally-minded people that they're going to break the law no matter what," which again seems a clear reference to Andy Cuomo himself.
Thankfully, having experienced incompetent and inept and untrustworthy governors in the past, Lord Cornbury coming immediately to mind here, our forefathers gave us relief in section 5 of ARTICLE IV of OUR NYS Constitution, to wit:
§5. In case the governor is impeached, is absent from the state or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor, the lieutenant-governor shall act as governor until the inability shall cease or until the term of the governor shall expire.
end quotes
Clearly, Andy Cuomo has proven himself beyond a shadow of a doubt of being unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor, because he is unable to understand constitutional government, and he is unable to take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
It is simply beyond him and his limited grasp on reality, the reality that we common people have to live in each day of our lives, a reality that demands that we not get poisoned by the water we need to drink each day to have life.
Thus, it is time to set Andy Cuomo aside and put the lieutenant governor in charge.
The sooner the better.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/03/c ... ment-14221
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 14, 2016 at 2:48 pm:
As I follow this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, Jim, and the comments made in the Albany Times Union and on Channel 10 by various individuals involved, from Charley "Chuck" Schumer down through Judith Enck and Andy Cuomo and Kathy Marchione and Steve McLaughlin and Howie Zucker and Richard Elder and Hoosick Falls Central School Superintendent Kenneth Facin, and right on down to the people of Hoosick Falls themselves, including the children in the Hoosick Falls H.S. who Facin and the Cuomo administration manipulated and exploited in a political dog-and-pony where they had the children publicly beg Andy Cuomo on TV Channel 10 to come and save them from the PFOA, all I can think of is what a pitiful and deplorable state of abject ignorance we now live in in this county and in this state.
What I have been posting above here is schoolboy history every single person residing in Rensselaer County should know like the back of their hand.
Civics!
Sense of place.
If you don't have a clue as to what you are part of, then how can you function as a productive citizen in a functioning democracy?
And the simple answer is you can't!
Or at least that is what I was taught on the first day of kindergarten when I was young.
People today don't know we have a state Constitution that is far more protective of our rights, at least on paper, than the federal version, which isn't even good for toilet paper, anymore, Barack Obama having used it so many times in the last eight years to wipe his backside with.
There are people living in Rensselaer County today who can't even tell you what town they live in, all they can tell you is what subdivision they live in, as if their homeowner's association were the only government that there was in this county.
All of this stuff about the amendment of the state Constitution in 1938 to protect our health and the creation of the Rensselaer County Health District in 1946 and the role the county health department was to play in protecting our health in this county are things I was taught as a mere child, and are things I was supposed to know about in order to be a responsible, productive citizen of my town, this county, this state and this nation, in that order.
If you don't know where the people before you have been, then how on earth can you have a clue as to where you are going to carry on or improve on what they put in place for the protection of our health and well-being?
Today, as was proven by the children in the Hoosick Falls H.S. who Facin and the Cuomo administration manipulated and exploited in a political dog-and-pony broadcast by Channel 10, where they had the children publicly beg Andy Cuomo on TV to come and save them from the PFOA, the children in Rensselaer County, or at least the Hoosick Falls H.S., are not being educated in citizenship as I was.
Rather, they are literally being taught ignorance of their surroundings, and the form of government they are supposed to become a part of, and instead are being indoctrinated in how to be subservient to authority figures like Andy Cuomo, the candy man of Hoosick Falls come to sprinkle $10 million around the town, to help out the local economy and in doing so, score some needed political points for his presidential campaign which is upcoming.
It makes me think of these following words from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, circa 1787 which were used by my kindergarten teacher to explain to us young adults in her kindergarten class why it was that we were there in her classroom at that moment in time to be educated:
"And say, finally, whether peace is best preserved by giving energy to the government or information to the people."
"This last is the most certain and the most legitimate engine of government."
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people."
"Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them."
"And it requires no very high degree of education to convince them of this."
"They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
end quotes
Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them.
They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.
Those words, of course, are found quite threatening by tyrants who want to rule by edict as does our own King Andy Cuomo who was quoted in the Albany Times Union on January 3, 2016 as follows:
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed local governments to get homeless people out of the winter cold by will or, if necessary, by force.
The governor signed an executive order Sunday requiring municipalities statewide to get the homeless into shelters when the temperature (including wind chill temperature) drops to 32 degrees or below.
If a homeless person refuses to go to a shelter, the order authorizes police to take them off the streets involuntarily.
For his part, the governor seemed confident his order is on solid legal footing.
"If there's a challenge to the state law, I will defend it," Cuomo said on WCBS 880.
"I will be responsible because its my edict."
"A local police commissioner can just say, 'Go sue governor Cuomo; he made us do it.'"
end quotes
That makes Andy Cuomo sound much more like Gaius Verres, a Roman magistrate notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily, who had badly plundered the Sicilian homeland while governor there, and who was subsequently prosecuted by Cicero and sent into exile than it makes him sound like a Teddy Roosevelt or Al Smith, so no wonder Andy wants abject ignorance of our form of government taught in our schools today, as was demonstrated in the Hoosick Falls H.S. political dog-and-pony show on February 12, 2016.
That political dog-and-pony to aggrandize Andy Cuomo in the eyes and minds of the people of Hoosick Falls was the subject of an article entitled "Gov. Cuomo: $10 million heading to Hoosick Falls News comes on same day students beseech governor to help to clean up water" by Kenneth C. Crowe II in the Albany Times Union on February 12, 2016, wherein was stated:
The state will spend $10 million from its Superfund to buy filtration systems for town of Hoosick homes dealing with contaminated water and to make efforts toward an alternative source, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday night.
Cuomo's announcement comes the same day that admittedly scared and emotional Hoosick Falls High School students called on the governor to lobby on their behalf to provide them with clean drinking water.
"No one should have to question the safety of their water," Cuomo said in a statement.
The chemical perfluorooctanoic acid was discovered in the village supply two years ago and since then in private wells in and around the village.
PFOA has become a four-letter nightmare for Hoosick Falls students who say they've been haunted by warnings not to drink, cook with or bathe in the water.
It drove them to call an assembly and news conference Friday at the high school where hundreds of them applauded when their student leaders asked Cuomo to act on their behalf.
end quotes
Were that one of my children put up on the stage at Hoosick Falls H.S. to beseech Andy Cuomo to help to clean up their drinking water, as opposed to demanding of Andy Cuomo why his administration allowed their drinking water to be poisoned in the first place, I personally would be quite embarrassed for them, and quite concerned about the level of ignorance they had been taught at Hoosick Falls H.S. that had them begging Andy Cuomo, instead of holding him accountable, as he should be in connection with is fiasco.
And people are surprised that we have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, and in the words of Andy Cuomo himself in today's Times Union, many more such fiascos to come in this state as a result of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and gross negligence in our public health protection and promotion system that goes back in time to the reign of Mario Cuomo, Andy's father, and comes back forward to Andy's own.
Go figure.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
As I follow this Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, Jim, and the comments made in the Albany Times Union and on Channel 10 by various individuals involved, from Charley "Chuck" Schumer down through Judith Enck and Andy Cuomo and Kathy Marchione and Steve McLaughlin and Howie Zucker and Richard Elder and Hoosick Falls Central School Superintendent Kenneth Facin, and right on down to the people of Hoosick Falls themselves, including the children in the Hoosick Falls H.S. who Facin and the Cuomo administration manipulated and exploited in a political dog-and-pony where they had the children publicly beg Andy Cuomo on TV Channel 10 to come and save them from the PFOA, all I can think of is what a pitiful and deplorable state of abject ignorance we now live in in this county and in this state.
What I have been posting above here is schoolboy history every single person residing in Rensselaer County should know like the back of their hand.
Civics!
Sense of place.
If you don't have a clue as to what you are part of, then how can you function as a productive citizen in a functioning democracy?
And the simple answer is you can't!
Or at least that is what I was taught on the first day of kindergarten when I was young.
People today don't know we have a state Constitution that is far more protective of our rights, at least on paper, than the federal version, which isn't even good for toilet paper, anymore, Barack Obama having used it so many times in the last eight years to wipe his backside with.
There are people living in Rensselaer County today who can't even tell you what town they live in, all they can tell you is what subdivision they live in, as if their homeowner's association were the only government that there was in this county.
All of this stuff about the amendment of the state Constitution in 1938 to protect our health and the creation of the Rensselaer County Health District in 1946 and the role the county health department was to play in protecting our health in this county are things I was taught as a mere child, and are things I was supposed to know about in order to be a responsible, productive citizen of my town, this county, this state and this nation, in that order.
If you don't know where the people before you have been, then how on earth can you have a clue as to where you are going to carry on or improve on what they put in place for the protection of our health and well-being?
Today, as was proven by the children in the Hoosick Falls H.S. who Facin and the Cuomo administration manipulated and exploited in a political dog-and-pony broadcast by Channel 10, where they had the children publicly beg Andy Cuomo on TV to come and save them from the PFOA, the children in Rensselaer County, or at least the Hoosick Falls H.S., are not being educated in citizenship as I was.
Rather, they are literally being taught ignorance of their surroundings, and the form of government they are supposed to become a part of, and instead are being indoctrinated in how to be subservient to authority figures like Andy Cuomo, the candy man of Hoosick Falls come to sprinkle $10 million around the town, to help out the local economy and in doing so, score some needed political points for his presidential campaign which is upcoming.
It makes me think of these following words from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, circa 1787 which were used by my kindergarten teacher to explain to us young adults in her kindergarten class why it was that we were there in her classroom at that moment in time to be educated:
"And say, finally, whether peace is best preserved by giving energy to the government or information to the people."
"This last is the most certain and the most legitimate engine of government."
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people."
"Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them."
"And it requires no very high degree of education to convince them of this."
"They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
end quotes
Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them.
They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.
Those words, of course, are found quite threatening by tyrants who want to rule by edict as does our own King Andy Cuomo who was quoted in the Albany Times Union on January 3, 2016 as follows:
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed local governments to get homeless people out of the winter cold by will or, if necessary, by force.
The governor signed an executive order Sunday requiring municipalities statewide to get the homeless into shelters when the temperature (including wind chill temperature) drops to 32 degrees or below.
If a homeless person refuses to go to a shelter, the order authorizes police to take them off the streets involuntarily.
For his part, the governor seemed confident his order is on solid legal footing.
"If there's a challenge to the state law, I will defend it," Cuomo said on WCBS 880.
"I will be responsible because its my edict."
"A local police commissioner can just say, 'Go sue governor Cuomo; he made us do it.'"
end quotes
That makes Andy Cuomo sound much more like Gaius Verres, a Roman magistrate notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily, who had badly plundered the Sicilian homeland while governor there, and who was subsequently prosecuted by Cicero and sent into exile than it makes him sound like a Teddy Roosevelt or Al Smith, so no wonder Andy wants abject ignorance of our form of government taught in our schools today, as was demonstrated in the Hoosick Falls H.S. political dog-and-pony show on February 12, 2016.
That political dog-and-pony to aggrandize Andy Cuomo in the eyes and minds of the people of Hoosick Falls was the subject of an article entitled "Gov. Cuomo: $10 million heading to Hoosick Falls News comes on same day students beseech governor to help to clean up water" by Kenneth C. Crowe II in the Albany Times Union on February 12, 2016, wherein was stated:
The state will spend $10 million from its Superfund to buy filtration systems for town of Hoosick homes dealing with contaminated water and to make efforts toward an alternative source, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday night.
Cuomo's announcement comes the same day that admittedly scared and emotional Hoosick Falls High School students called on the governor to lobby on their behalf to provide them with clean drinking water.
"No one should have to question the safety of their water," Cuomo said in a statement.
The chemical perfluorooctanoic acid was discovered in the village supply two years ago and since then in private wells in and around the village.
PFOA has become a four-letter nightmare for Hoosick Falls students who say they've been haunted by warnings not to drink, cook with or bathe in the water.
It drove them to call an assembly and news conference Friday at the high school where hundreds of them applauded when their student leaders asked Cuomo to act on their behalf.
end quotes
Were that one of my children put up on the stage at Hoosick Falls H.S. to beseech Andy Cuomo to help to clean up their drinking water, as opposed to demanding of Andy Cuomo why his administration allowed their drinking water to be poisoned in the first place, I personally would be quite embarrassed for them, and quite concerned about the level of ignorance they had been taught at Hoosick Falls H.S. that had them begging Andy Cuomo, instead of holding him accountable, as he should be in connection with is fiasco.
And people are surprised that we have the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, and in the words of Andy Cuomo himself in today's Times Union, many more such fiascos to come in this state as a result of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and gross negligence in our public health protection and promotion system that goes back in time to the reign of Mario Cuomo, Andy's father, and comes back forward to Andy's own.
Go figure.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... ment-14205
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 15, 2016 at 5:38 pm:
When Rensselaer County LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 was passed, entitled A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, I was just back from Viet Nam, which place was an environmental disaster, thanks to our bombing and Agent Orange, which I, like so many other Viet Nam veterans, was poisoned with.
Of course, back then, like with PFOA today, Agent Orange was deemed safe for humans to be exposed to, and so we were.
That was a period of great change with respect to environmental protection in this state, with the amendment of ARTICLE XIV of the New York State Constitution by adding §4 in 1969, which section stated "The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products" and "The legislature, in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise, the protection of agricultural lands, wetlands and shorelines, and the development and regulation of water resources."
It was that amendment to our Constitution, along with §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, and the fact that Rensselaer County was a Health District with one of the best health departments in the state that brought me back to Rensselaer County where I was born, as opposed to elsewhere.
When Rensselaer County LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 was passed, Section 1.00, Title, stated as follows:
This Charter together with all subsequent amendments thereto shall constitute the form of government for the County of Rensselaer and shall be known and may be cited as the Rensselaer County Charter.
Section 1.01, Purpose, stated "Among the purposes of this charter are; the accomplishment of greater efficiency, economy and responsibility in county government; the securing of all possible county home rule; and, the separation of legislative and executive function."
end quote
With the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco looming large on the horizon, I would invite the reader to ponder the question of whether in fact the County Charter under Kathleen Jimino has succeeded in its purpose of the accomplishment of greater efficiency, economy and responsibility in county government.
As to the securing of all possible county home rule, ARTICLE IX of our state Constitution, entitled Local Governments, §2(c) states that in addition to powers granted in the statute of local governments or any other law, (i) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to its property, affairs or government and, (ii) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to (10) the government, protection, order, conduct, safety, health and well-being of persons or property therein.
Protection.
Order.
Safety.
Health.
Well-being.
All things we are not getting here in Rensselaer County today, where all we are getting is a bill of goods with a high price tag attached for the nothing we are getting in return from the RCHD, which is an abject failure when it comes to protecting and promoting our health in this county.
We pay filet mignon prices and all we get is a smear of grease on the plate for our money when it comes to protection and promotion of our health; we don't even get a little piece of gristle or fat.
What a rip-off!
With respect to protection and promotion of health in the Rensselaer County Health District at the time LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 - A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK was passed, Section 8.02, Board of Health, of ARTICLE 8 of the Charter, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH provided that "There shall be in the Department a Board of Health whose members shall continue to be appointed by the County Legislature in the manner and for the term provided in the Public Health Law," and of direct relevance to this discussion of the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, "The Board of Health, subject to the provisions of the Public Health Law and the State Sanitary Code, shall have the power to consider any matters that may come to its attention relating to the preservation and improvement of public health within the County."
Does the preservation and improvement of public health within Rensselaer County include keeping chemical contaminants of any kind, including PFOA, which has never been found to be safe for human consumption, out of our drinking water?
A question for our times.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... pas-fault/
When Rensselaer County LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 was passed, entitled A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, I was just back from Viet Nam, which place was an environmental disaster, thanks to our bombing and Agent Orange, which I, like so many other Viet Nam veterans, was poisoned with.
Of course, back then, like with PFOA today, Agent Orange was deemed safe for humans to be exposed to, and so we were.
That was a period of great change with respect to environmental protection in this state, with the amendment of ARTICLE XIV of the New York State Constitution by adding §4 in 1969, which section stated "The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products" and "The legislature, in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise, the protection of agricultural lands, wetlands and shorelines, and the development and regulation of water resources."
It was that amendment to our Constitution, along with §3 of ARTICLE XVII of the New York State Constitution, Public Health, approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938, which made the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state matters of public concern such that provision therefor shall be made by the state and by such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the legislature shall from time to time determine, and the fact that Rensselaer County was a Health District with one of the best health departments in the state that brought me back to Rensselaer County where I was born, as opposed to elsewhere.
When Rensselaer County LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 was passed, Section 1.00, Title, stated as follows:
This Charter together with all subsequent amendments thereto shall constitute the form of government for the County of Rensselaer and shall be known and may be cited as the Rensselaer County Charter.
Section 1.01, Purpose, stated "Among the purposes of this charter are; the accomplishment of greater efficiency, economy and responsibility in county government; the securing of all possible county home rule; and, the separation of legislative and executive function."
end quote
With the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco looming large on the horizon, I would invite the reader to ponder the question of whether in fact the County Charter under Kathleen Jimino has succeeded in its purpose of the accomplishment of greater efficiency, economy and responsibility in county government.
As to the securing of all possible county home rule, ARTICLE IX of our state Constitution, entitled Local Governments, §2(c) states that in addition to powers granted in the statute of local governments or any other law, (i) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to its property, affairs or government and, (ii) every local government shall have power to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution or any general law relating to (10) the government, protection, order, conduct, safety, health and well-being of persons or property therein.
Protection.
Order.
Safety.
Health.
Well-being.
All things we are not getting here in Rensselaer County today, where all we are getting is a bill of goods with a high price tag attached for the nothing we are getting in return from the RCHD, which is an abject failure when it comes to protecting and promoting our health in this county.
We pay filet mignon prices and all we get is a smear of grease on the plate for our money when it comes to protection and promotion of our health; we don't even get a little piece of gristle or fat.
What a rip-off!
With respect to protection and promotion of health in the Rensselaer County Health District at the time LOCAL LAW NO. 2, 1971 - A LOCAL LAW ADOPTING A COUNTY CHARTER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENSSELAER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK was passed, Section 8.02, Board of Health, of ARTICLE 8 of the Charter, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH provided that "There shall be in the Department a Board of Health whose members shall continue to be appointed by the County Legislature in the manner and for the term provided in the Public Health Law," and of direct relevance to this discussion of the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco, "The Board of Health, subject to the provisions of the Public Health Law and the State Sanitary Code, shall have the power to consider any matters that may come to its attention relating to the preservation and improvement of public health within the County."
Does the preservation and improvement of public health within Rensselaer County include keeping chemical contaminants of any kind, including PFOA, which has never been found to be safe for human consumption, out of our drinking water?
A question for our times.
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/t ... pas-fault/
Re: THE TALK-1300 REPORT
TALK RADIO 1300 on March 18 2016 at 3:10 pm:
I don’t think any of us older Viet Nam veterans who are grandfathers here in Rensselaer County and who care about our grandchildren’s health and well-being are at all surprised that Charley “Chuck” Schumer, or “Wall $treet Charley” as he is affectionately known in NYC, came out in a POLITICO article by Scott Waldman on Feb. 1, 2016 as declining to criticize either state or local officials in connection with the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco.
Charley “Chuck” wants this scandal back under the rug, and pronto, because for Charley “Chuck” and his political cronies, this is a political sinkhole that threatens to open up right where Charley “Chuck" happens to be standing, likely in front of a bank of TV cameras, and suck him right in.
If there were to be an investigation, of course, questions would be asked, and when questions are asked, powerful political people like Charley “Chuck” Schumer can get embarrassed, or worse, and my goodness, we simply can’t have that happen, can we, and we get a cover-up instead, and a very professionally done one, if I say so myself, as a student and observer of government cover-up efforts here in NYS.
Q: Senator Schumer, when you took Sonia Sotomayor around the capital to introduce her to your political cronies as your personal choice for a Supreme Court justice, how exactly was it that you were able to deal with or explain away that little matter in what has become known in NYS political circles as the “Right To Retaliate” case, or “Spitzer’s Law,” where as a circuit judge on the 2d Circuit Court of Appeals in NYS, Sonia Sotomayor buried the sworn affidavit of an Albany Police Officer who was a witness to a civil rights violation by the state of NY itself where a licensed professional engineer in Rensselaer investigating continuing endemic corruption in the Environmental Health Division of the RCHD was incarcerated in a secure mental facility, a cage, at the Stratton VA Hospital based on a fraudulent Mental Hygiene Law 9.45 order issued by a political doctor in Rensselaer County at the request of Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino, so she could have the engineer silenced?
And how did you deal with Sonia Sotomayor allowing Eliot Spitzer to enter perjured testimony before her in 2005 in the “Right To Retaliate” case when she awarded NYS and Rensselaer County the right to use fraudulent Mental Hygiene Law 9.45 orders to silence critics?
How did you explain that away?
Or didn’t you have to?
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/f ... ment-14239
I don’t think any of us older Viet Nam veterans who are grandfathers here in Rensselaer County and who care about our grandchildren’s health and well-being are at all surprised that Charley “Chuck” Schumer, or “Wall $treet Charley” as he is affectionately known in NYC, came out in a POLITICO article by Scott Waldman on Feb. 1, 2016 as declining to criticize either state or local officials in connection with the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination fiasco.
Charley “Chuck” wants this scandal back under the rug, and pronto, because for Charley “Chuck” and his political cronies, this is a political sinkhole that threatens to open up right where Charley “Chuck" happens to be standing, likely in front of a bank of TV cameras, and suck him right in.
If there were to be an investigation, of course, questions would be asked, and when questions are asked, powerful political people like Charley “Chuck” Schumer can get embarrassed, or worse, and my goodness, we simply can’t have that happen, can we, and we get a cover-up instead, and a very professionally done one, if I say so myself, as a student and observer of government cover-up efforts here in NYS.
Q: Senator Schumer, when you took Sonia Sotomayor around the capital to introduce her to your political cronies as your personal choice for a Supreme Court justice, how exactly was it that you were able to deal with or explain away that little matter in what has become known in NYS political circles as the “Right To Retaliate” case, or “Spitzer’s Law,” where as a circuit judge on the 2d Circuit Court of Appeals in NYS, Sonia Sotomayor buried the sworn affidavit of an Albany Police Officer who was a witness to a civil rights violation by the state of NY itself where a licensed professional engineer in Rensselaer investigating continuing endemic corruption in the Environmental Health Division of the RCHD was incarcerated in a secure mental facility, a cage, at the Stratton VA Hospital based on a fraudulent Mental Hygiene Law 9.45 order issued by a political doctor in Rensselaer County at the request of Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino, so she could have the engineer silenced?
And how did you deal with Sonia Sotomayor allowing Eliot Spitzer to enter perjured testimony before her in 2005 in the “Right To Retaliate” case when she awarded NYS and Rensselaer County the right to use fraudulent Mental Hygiene Law 9.45 orders to silence critics?
How did you explain that away?
Or didn’t you have to?
Paul R. Plante, NYSPE
http://www.talk1300report.com/2016/02/f ... ment-14239