BY PETER MULLER
The League of Humane Voters was active in endorsing and electioneering
on behalf of candidates for various local offices in general election of
2005. To see how we did in general, please visit our web-site at
http://humanevoters.org .
All wins are satisfying, but especially satisfying to me was a race in
the Ulster County legislature. In 2004 the Ulster County Legislature had
proposed to give a grant of $25,000 to the Ulster County Federation of
Sportsmen to build a brood house to raise pheasants. Over our protests and
with the staunch assistance of some legislators from the minority
Democratic Party (prior to the recent elections) the grant was compromised
down to $7,500.
Not what we wanted – but better than then original proposal.
All this was instigated by a legislator who was a member of the Ulster
County Federation of Sportsmen, Brian Hathaway. He happened to be a
Republican and at least a four-term incumbent.
The newly formed Ulster County chapter of LOHV targeted Hathaway for
replacement in 2005. We found his opponent, Phil Terpening, to be
receptive to our ideas and in need of our support.
LOHV mailed to its members in that district and Phil Terpening beat
Brian Hathaway by about 250 votes! Much to our surprise, the wins went
beyond that. The day following the election, a local paper, The Daily
Freeman in Kingston reported:
“For the first time in more than 25 years and only the second time
ever, Democrats on Tuesday took control of the Ulster County
Legislature, turning a 16-17 minority into an apparent 21-12 majority.”
It was a good lesson for all legislatures to learn – I’m sure our views
will no longer be casually dismissed as they had been prior to our
participation in the legislative contests.
Please continue to check our website
http://humanevoters.org in January for our New York State upcoming
legislative agenda.
Another amazing LOHV victory is that ALL candidates endorsed by the NYC
chapter of LOHV WON!
LOHV can only post results of elections in this newsletter.
