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The public be damned


Published:
Saturday, October 10, 2009 2:14 AM EDT
Jack Scheriff
on behalf of
Columbia County Electrical Contractors Association

For over a decade, the Columbia County Electrical Contractors Association (CCECA) has promoted the need for county-wide licensing for electricians.

The CCECA is a 35 year old organization made up of full-time electricians, electrical inspectors, distributors and other county residents dedicated to promote electrical safety and safe, code-compliant installations here in Columbia County.

We’ve given the county leaders all the statistics supporting electrical licensing, demonstrated that this would not be a burden on taxpayers and homeowners, and presented a petition in support of licensing signed by over 500 people including electrical inspectors, electricians, insurance agents, homeowners and business people.


We’ve also provided copies of the licensing laws from surrounding counties (Dutchess, Greene, etc.) and surround states that show the Columbia County is an island of non-licensing in the Hudson Valley.

Despite our efforts, this matter has been strangled in the “Legal Committee” of the Board of Supervisors, chaired by Supervisor Douglas McGivney (D-Kinderhook). Mr. McGivney has effectively killed this proposal: there has been no committee discussion, no compromise, no public debate, no viable research, and no democracy in action.

Mr. McGivney has even been given a letter with photographs attached showing some of the wiring atrocities in his own TOWN performed by uninsured, unlicensed electricians, and he has ignored them.

It seems that Mr. McGivney is not thinking of the safety of county residents and has chosen to make this a political issue; which was not the intent of the CCECA at all.

Where else can you find an organization that is willing to police itself in order to weed out incompetence? We are not afraid of competition, but all county residents should be afraid of incompetent competitors.

Now, Doug isn’t the only famous Democrat from Kinderhook. Here is what another Democrat had to say: “There is power in public opinion in the Country-and thank God for it; for it is the most honest and best of all powers - which will not tolerate an incompetent or unworthy man to hold in his weak or wicked hands the lives and fortunes of his fellow citizens.” Martin Van Buren (8th President of the United States)


Doug McGivney should be ashamed of himself. The public has a right to have a view on this issue.

Perhaps Pat Grattan can help protect the citizens of Kinderhook and Columbia County if he is elected Supervisor of Kinderhook this November.

 



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Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of registerstar.com.

ron Knott wrote on Oct 10, 2009 7:14 AM:

" Thanks, Jack and others. I have thought it would be a benifit to the residents of our county to have such a program, as I too have first hand seen many situations, where wiring issues were the cause problems.
Ron Knott "

stonepound wrote on Oct 11, 2009 3:00 AM:

" Too bad the republicans did not regulate the Banking industry. In fact one might ask why they are so in favor of regulating housing codes and could care less if our financial system is about to collapse! "

OV Observer wrote on Oct 11, 2009 9:42 AM:

" This is perhaps the most strained excuse for a political attack that I have ever witnessed. The Greene County law that is approvingly referenced above requires individual homeowners to get a permit to work on their own homes. In order to get a permit, the homeowner needs to pay $50 every two years and appear before the County Board of Electrical Examiners. The failure to do so is a crime, punishable by up to a year in jail. Is this what Mr. Scheriff wants Pat Grattan to bring to Columbia County? I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the party against government interference in people's lives? "

stonepound wrote on Oct 11, 2009 2:17 PM:

" The republicans what us to live in a nanny state! "

OV Observer wrote on Oct 15, 2009 8:55 AM:

" Supervisor McGivney has responded:

http://dougmcgivney.blogspot.com/2009/10/proposal-by-electrical-firms-for.html "

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