Letter to the Editor Step Right Up to the County Circus

Dear Editor:

Step Right Up

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors has a less than auspicious history of inaction, political shenanigans and internal conflict that includes comic wrangling over seat assignments and the embarrassing episode of board members essentially suing themselves over committee appointments.

Given that history, they should have willingly embraced the suggestion, stewarded by Wayne Stinson and other bright and concerned citizens, to move the county toward a system of governance that included a professional County Executive (a system that works well in other counties). Ever selfish and shortsighted, the County Board moved instead to appoint a County Administrator, a role that would be relativity ineffective, have little or no autonomy and still be subject to the adolescent-like whims of the Board. But alas, even a weak and insignificant change by the Board could not stand up to the backroom political maneuvering as members of the Board moved quickly to first water down the already inconsequential role of the Administrator and then tried to abolish the position altogether before anyone could even be sworn in.

As the little brightly colored circus car that is county government continues to drive around the midway, the clowns continue to trip over their big shoes as they jump in and out of the back seat. If it weren’t for the need to actually govern a county in precipitous economic decline, county residents could watch the entertaining slapstick show with dispassionate amusement. Instead, we all sit in shock and wonder how the county will ever survive without competent leadership and without a vision for the future.

There is only one way to fix this pathetic situation and that is for smart people to move off the sidelines and run for office and for concerned citizens to elect them, support them and participate in the process.  Unless that happens the side show of Schoharie politics will continue to run indefinitely or until the county simply collapses.

Bob Nied