Queensbury residents speak out on ethics decision
Glens Falls becoming hub of protests; ATF season tickets are now on sale
Please consider supporting The Front Page with a paid subscription: HERE
At its heart, ethical behavior is simply knowing right from wrong.
It's common sense.
It's what makes the Queensbury Town Board's current inaction so frustrating.
A month ago, Queensbury Ethics Board ruled that Town Board member Tim McNulty had a conflict of interest because he also held the top leadership position of the Warren County Republican Committee. The conflict arises because that gives McNulty power over the other three Republican members on the Queensbury Town Board.
Even if he has never used that power, it doesn't look good.
Since the Ethics Board ruling on Feb. 11, the Town Board has done nothing to address the issue.
On Monday night, five members of the public came forward to ask for the board to address the issue. Earlier in the week, I had asked members of the public to come forward if they were concerned about the conflict.
"It doesn’t take any courage or integrity to be a ‘yes man or a ‘yes woman,’ to a man who is essentially is the leader of the band of one political party or another," Susan Andrews said about McNulty's conflict. "But someday one of your children or grandchildren may question you about the meaning of ethics in politics and every day life. I can only hope you will have developed a stronger practice of ethics by then.”
"I implore the Town Board to address what they are going to do to about this problem," Judith Tully said. "I cannot stress enough how imperative this matter is. This conflict is a huge problem and will not be solved by ignoring the issue. It is obvious that Mr. McNulty does not represent the residents of Queensbury in a bipartisan manner."
Two members of the public applauded the Ethics Board for their handling of this matter with Andrews saying she applauded them for "their courage of their convictions to call it what it is."
I second that as well.
It takes some courage to speak your mind in a public meeting so all five should also be applauded.
When they were done speaking, Supervisor John Strough, who is a Democrat, said that the Town Board was planning on dealing with the issue in a future workshop, but that they wanted to do so in a transparent manner.
Unfortunately, that workshop has not been scheduled.
Tim McNulty followed up with a prepared statement defending his right to be on both organizations by citing the First Amendment.
McNulty used this defense after the Ethics Board ruled. And while the First Amendment guarantees McNulty the right to say he should be allowed to hold both positions - just as I am allowed to say he doesn't - nowhere does it guarantee him the right to ignore a conflict of interest.
It is an odd defense.
McNulty has the right to serve on the Town Board. And he has the right to serve as chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee, but what the Ethics Board said was that the current ethics policy does not address whether he can do it simultaneously. In their view it was a conflict.
Not one of the other three Republicans on the Town Board said a word Monday.
That speaks volumes.
Tony Metivier, a long time council member, who felt the wrath of the Warren County Republican Party when he voted the wrong way on the issue in 2017 was mute.
Michael Dixon, who is running against Strough for town supervisor, also said nothing, although he previously indicated this was a political issue with only Democrats complaining. Strough immediately corrected him that the two people filing the complaint - one was me - were not Democrats.
Scott Gushlaw also said nothing.
Do they have no opinion on the ethics of the Town Board - if that is true that is a big concern - or are they afraid of offending McNulty? Certainly, they must have an opinion.
Their failure to weigh in could lead you to believe they are not comfortable crossing someone who is essentially their political boss.
This country is in a crisis right now and at the heart of that crisis is what is right and what is wrong. I know I can't do much about that, but here at home I can still weigh in and make my voice heard. So can you.
Five other people made their voices heard on Monday.
I'm hoping 5 or 10 more do so on Monday, April 7 and demand that the board address this issue once and for all in public.
McNulty can put this matter to rest by resigning from one of his positions.
This fall, Dixon will square off against Strough in the supervisor election.
The biggest issue facing the town right now is McNulty's conflict of interest and the Town Board failure to address it. Where Dixon stands on that issue will say a lot about his own ethics or whether he can speak his own mind.
Bird flu
After the update on bird flu by North Country Public Radio, I heard from one reader who found a single dead goose lying in the grass at Haviland's Cove in Glens Falls. The reader said she has visited the cove for 10 years and never saw a dead goose or duck before.
The reader flagged down a Department of Public Works worker who removed the bird for disposal. She was unsure whether the bird would be tested for bird flu.
Geese are especially susceptible to avian influenza so it might be something to look out for.
The reader was concerned that pets might stumble upon other dead birds and be at risk and warned others to be careful if they do find deceased birds.
Downtown protests
Glens Falls is again becoming a hub for protests for what is happening in Washington, D.C.
The North Country Light Brigade is planning on be out again on Friday at Centennial Circle and Saturday is "We Rise Saturdays" at noon in City Park in front of Crandall Library. Participants are encouraged to bring signs to this peaceful gathering which continues to grow each week.
On Sunday, the Indivisible ADK/Saratoga group will be holding an "Empty Chair Town Hall" meeting in protest of Elise Stefanik's continued absence in the district from 2 to 3 p.m. at Crandall Public Library.
Residents are invited to share their stories and voices to what concerns them.
ATF promo
Reminder that Adirondack Theater Festival season tickets have gone on sale.
I've been a season ticket holder for a couple decades and recommend ATF's lineup of original shows every year. This year I have a conflict since my play The Last American Newspaper will have a staged dramatic reading July 25-27.
It is not part of the season ticket purchase, but you can add it on as part of the ticket. Individual show tickets will go on sale later.
Chapman trivia
The Chapman Museum will be holding a special "Hops & History" event on Tuesday, April 9 at Mean Max Brew Works in downtown Glens Falls.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Chapman will sponsor a women's history trivia night at 7 p.m.
The program is $10/person. To register, please call (518) 793-2826.
King of disinformation
It would be funny if it wasn't also true.
Voice of America gone
There are so many important stories flying under the radar these days and one is the demise of Voice of America.
Few of us are going to be familiar with its work since its work is mostly done overseas spreading the message of freedom and democracy all around the globe.
The Columbia Journalism Review posted this account of VOA's final days from the people journalists who worked there.
It is another black eye for America.
Weather forecasts
The Poynter Institute, a leading journalism advocacy group, posted a story by reporter Angela Fu about the cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and how weather forecasts around the country will be affected.
It's a brief question and answer segment that should raise your concerns and answer some questions.
Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.
Tim McNulty’s conflict of issue is not fictitious. It is real and should be the concern of every Queensbury resident, especially the 60 percent of us who are not Republicans. Mr McNulty’s prepared statement about his First Amendment Rights was a smoke screen. No one who objects to his position on the town council is trampling upon his rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. What we object to is his position a Chairman of the Warren County Republicans will most likely affect how the other Republican members of the town board vote because he is essentially their boss. As I was listening to his statement, it was obvious that he was taking a page out of the Trump playbook. I sincerely hope that the residents of Queensbury won’t be fooled by such rhetoric . We need to show up at every board meeting and express our concern until something is done about this issue.
"McNulty can put this matter to rest by resigning from one of his positions."
Just a thought — if there’s no intent to gain from holding both a local party committee office and a local elected position, then why, given the ethics board ruling and the resultant criticism, would someone work so stubbornly to maintain both positions?