Town of Olive Republican Committee

I got myself appointed to the Town of Olive Republican Committee. Chet Scofield, the Town chairman, leads a group of about 10 or 12 committee members. The meetings are held at Chet's bar, Snyder's, which is on NY 28A in between Watson Hollow Road and NY 28. I thought the committee has great potential and there are quite a few great Republicans in the Town of Olive. Robin Yess, who ran for state assembly in our district last year, was at the meeting in June. I was added to the committee and carried my own petition along with several others to voters in the Olivebridge district. I live in a different district, West Shokan, but Town residents are allowed to cross over.

Here are some things I learned:

1. Olivebridge and the Town of Olive constitute an incredibly beautiful district. I have petitioned in New York City and I must say, it is a pleasure to drive around a place as beautiful as the Ashokan Reservoir, Route 213, Brown Station, Beaverkill Rd. Driving around there is like being on vacation.

2. The Olivebridge Republicans are a rather contrary group. I think some of them aren't sure if they're Republicans and I had to pull teeth to get 20 signatures. In part the difficulty is the distance. When New York City gutted the Town of Olive and submerged about three quarters of it in the Ashokan Reservoir, they left scattered streets and roads which now constitute the Olivebridge district. It is a disjoint place. It was probably among the first instances of a community utterly devastated by modern urban planning. New York City still pays the County of Ulster a fee for the use of the reservoir land, and Olive does not get its fair share. Recently, a "large parcel" tax bill removed the payment for Olive to the County, and the good people of Olive are justifiably annoyed.

3. There are a lot of very concerned people here, many of whom are quite unhappy with the nation's socialist direction and the incompetent Democratic leadership in Washington.

4. I think the Republican Committee in Olive and everywhere else has a great opportunity. The Democratic Party advocates a stupid, failed ideology, social democracy. The sorry excuse for American politics that we have seen under Bush and Obama poses opportunities.