North Greenbush Reality Check

Delores “CB” Celeste

Jo “CB” Ashworth

On Saturday I received a Google News Alert for North Greenbush, and upon opening the alert, I found a link to a letter published in The Record titled, “The GOP in Democrat clothing”.  Although the online version didn’t include the author’s name,  I suspected from the title it was penned by C.B. Smith.

My suspicion became stronger when I read the first sentence, “It is remarkable to see in print the proof that so many people registered as Democrats in North Greenbush really are tools of the Republican Party and remain Democrats only to sabotage the party.”. At this point I was laughing so hard, I cried.  Now I’ve always suspected that C.B. had a problem grasping reality,  but I was now certain the man was half a sandwich short of a full picnic.

The Oxford Dictionary defines reality as “the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or may be thought to be”.  Apply that to C.B.’s letter, and it’s clear  a “reality check” is in order.

FACT: The 2009 NG Democratic Caucus  was attended by 206 “voters”, as compared to this year’s 209. A difference of only three votes or 1.4%.

FACT: Between August 2009 and August of 2010 the enrollment of registered democrats in North Greenbush has seen little or no change.

FACT: The majority of the voters attending the caucus were the same voters who attended in 2009, meaning  the voters didn’t change, only their perspective of the party, its leadership and its candidates did.

FACT: When C.B.’s slate won in 2009, the members of the party were called voters.  When his candidate lost in 2010, these same people became “tools” of the GOP!!!

FACT: The purpose of the caucus is not to select someone to “oppose [a] Republican”, it’s about selecting someone who if elected will serve the people.

FACT: Every candidate endorsed by the Ashley & Smith leadership, and  elected to a town office,  has failed when it comes to “serving the people”.

FACT: Delores Celeste was handpicked by Ashley & Smith.

FACT: Delores Celeste LOST BY A 2-1 MARGIN playing on the home field.

FACT: The outcome of the 2010 caucus was clearly a vote of no confidence in the current leadership of the North Greenbush Democratic Committee.

REALITY CHECK: The caucus was attended by people (all wearing democratic clothing) who are tired of Ashley and Smith’s dirty & destructive politics.  People who have witnessed the unwarranted personal attacks on those who have worked hard, and continue to work hard to make North Greenbush a better place to live and work.  It was attended by people who are tired of Ashley and Smith blaming others for their own failures and shortcoming.  People who want to elect someone with proven leadership skills and who will no be just another cog in the “political machine”.

It’s clear to me that integrity won over politics at the 2010 caucus.  The voters were given a choice, and their choice was not to endorse “C.B. in Celeste clothing”.  After all, they did that in 2009 and so far the “C.B. in Ashworth clothing” has proven to be just another entry in the long list of failures for the A.S.S. team.