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NEWS/LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Week of October 20 – October 26, 2017
Martin for Public Saratoga County Hires Law Firm to Address Opioid Crisis Safety Commissioner SARATOGA COUNTY — According to a statement provided by Gramercy Communications, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors took decisive action in a special board meeting this month to ramp up its fight against the opioid crisis. The supervisors have authorized the retention of the New York City-based law firm Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC to pursue litigation against companies and potentially physicians responsible for careless practices related to the manufacturing, distribution and prescriptions of opioid pharmaceuticals. “Like most areas of the state, opioid abuse has become an epidemic in Saratoga County,” said Stillwater Supervisor Ed Kinowski, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “The ease of access, and over-prescription of these dangerous drugs has led to the death of too many of our friends and neighbors. The misrepresentation of the nature of
these drugs has led to an alarming rise in addiction and overdoses.” “Saratoga County has invested significant resources to combat opioid abuse and addiction,” said Saratoga County Administrator Spencer Hellwig. “We’ve trained our first responders to take action when they encounter someone experiencing an overdose. We’ve also had to increase our social services programs to aide residents who are struggling with addictions. In addition to the irreplaceable cost of life, the strain on time, training, and equipment for our county is not minimal.” The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors is looking to recoup some of the resources that have been invested in this fight. By pursuing litigation against manufacturers, distributors and those who inappropriately prescribe opioids, the county looks to recover some of the financial costs associated with training programs, purchases of equipment,
and the development of increased public services to help aide residents fighting their addictions. There will be no costs to taxpayers. The law firm will only be compensated in the form of a portion of any settlements that may be reached, according to the statement provided by Gramercy. Other municipalities across the country have retained Napoli Shkolnik, including Nassau County and the City of Dayton, Ohio, which has been referred to as the “heroin epicenter” of the country. To date, the firm represents nearly twenty municipalities nationwide. “This disease of addiction is a difficult one to combat,” said Catherine Duncan, Saratoga County’s director of Public Health Services. “Our county has expanded programs to address the rise in requests for treatment and continues to work collaboratively with community partners to raise awareness of the dangers of addiction.”
We are fortunate to have an eminently qualified candidate for Commissioner of Public Safety in Saratoga Springs: Peter Martin. This is an important position with the largest budget and the largest number of departmental employees of the five commissioners. It requires a dedication to public process and attention to detail, as well as the ability and willingness to devote many hours beyond what the job pays. We already have an excellent police chief and fire chief; the job of the commissioner of public safety is not to take over their responsibilities but to ensure all aspects of public safety including traffic management, safe streets and emergency services run smoothly and efficiently. I have known Peter for several years and have always seen him go above and beyond the call of duty.
He took it on himself to create an on-boarding program for new members of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee to make them immediately productive. He has tirelessly attended every City Council meeting (at least every one that I have attended) as a Saratoga County supervisor. In working with him on some volunteer causes I have seen he is a thoughtful leader. He loves to dig deep and listen to citizens and assemble the facts before making an informed decision that’s fair to all concerned. In short, he’s exactly what we need at this position. I urge you to vote for Peter Martin for Commissioner of Public Safety on November 7. Otis Maxwell Saratoga Springs
Blumenberg for City Court Judge Saratoga Springs City Court, one of the busiest courts in our county with a backlog of cases, was granted funds for a second full-time judge position by the New York State Office of Court Administration. Our court carries a heavy caseload of the most prominent and complex cases within the criminal justice system of Saratoga County. On Dec. 9, 2016, a panel of interviewers, set-up by Mayor Joanne Yepsen, met to interview five candidates to fill a one-year vacancy for one of two city court judge positions. The purpose of the interviews was to score each candidate on their suitability for the job. The panel agreed on the scoring of three candidates, and disagreed on two. All interviewers agreed that Francine Vero was book smart, yet she had no experience as a judge. As a lawyer for 10 years, she was demonstrably ambitious, aggressive and probably saw the Saratoga City Court as a steppingstone. Two interviewers believed Vero’s obvious inexperience would contribute to a greater backlog of cases. Saratoga, a small community
with a small-town budget, required an experienced judge, accustomed to effectively expediting a heavy caseload, and also one who lived in the community more than five years. As the only woman to serve on this panel, along with a registered independent, we were two votes against versus one vote for Vero. Still, the mayor appointed Vero to the vacancy. Why? Was it because Vero was a lawyer with the same law firm that represented the mayor in 2016 on her ethics charges? In November voters have an opportunity to do what our panel, set up by Mayor Yepsen, was not given the ability to have: a binding vote. It is abundantly clear Andrew Carter Blumenberg—practicing law for 22 years, 10 of which as Saratoga Court County Public Defender, while residing in Saratoga Springs—is far more qualified than Vero. Assigned to City Court during this period, Blumenberg has represented thousands of less fortunate people in criminal matters. Without question he is the best and most suitable candidate for the job. Winnie Baden Saratoga Springs