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The Common Council
 
27th Legislative Session
3.4.02-1.30.03
Ward 1
Social Democracy Party
Downtown District
Term exp: 2003
Ward 2
Republican Party
Pomegranate Valley
Term exp: 2003
Ward 3
Republican Party
Gordon Heights
Term exp: 2003
Ward 4
Republican Party
Pomegranate Valley
Term exp: 2004
Ward 5
Social Democracy Party
Gordon Heights
Term exp: 2005
Ward 6
Republican Party
Quinn Hill
Term exp: 2004
Ward 7
Social Democracy Party
Quinn Hill
Term exp: 2005
Ward 8
Steven Frankowitz
Social Democracy Party
Hickory Ridge
Term exp: 2004
Ward 9
Terrence Sloan
Social Democracy Party
Downtown
Term exp: 2004
Common Council President
Harvey Gorenstein

Majority Leader
Steve Frankowitz

Minority Leader
Geoffrey Hatlee









District Profile
District 1: First created in 1976, the first ever session of the new Common Council.   The district encompasses much of downtown Crumm Mountain.  District 1 was held by Francis Gilder, a Democrat.   He held that seat until 1988 when he retired and was replaced by Scott Bennett.   Bennett only served one term however, as he lost to Republican John McAllister in 1991.   The year the Republicans took control of the Common Council.  McAllister held that seat until 2000 when he ran for Mayor.  His seat was then won by Social Democracy candidate Gertrude Silber.   Silber faces re-election in 2003.  

District 2: Also created in 1976 as part of the new government.  This district falls over the northern end of Pomegranate Valley.  The district has always been occupied by Republican Geoffrey Hatlee.  After the Common Council elections in 1978, the Republicans actually had the majority, and so Hatlee was the second CL President.  In 1982, however when James J. Amon gave up his seat to run for Mayor, successfully, and Ben Stevens won his seat.  Francis Gilder became the President again.    In 1991 the Republicans finally regained control of the City Legislature making Geoffrey Hatlee the president once again from 1991 until 2000 when the election of Gert Silver and Woody Valey evenned up party lines.   Mr. Hatlee faces re-election in 2003.  

District 3: This district as well was created in 1976.   It encompasses much of Gomorrah Heights.  It's first occupant was James Amon a Republican.   He vacated his seat in 1982 to run for Mayor.  He was successful.   However in leaving his seat vacant it fell under the control of the Democrats.   Ben Stevens, a conservative democrat won the seat in 1982.   He held on to the seat until 1991 when he fell to Morton Devereaux, a conservative Republican.  Devereaux held the seat until 2000 when he lost to Woody Valey a Democratic Socialist.  Valey held the seat for 2 years until he announced that he was going to retire.  The city held a special election in 2002, and the district once again fell into Republican hands with the election of 24 year old conservative prodigy Burt Schrader.  Schrader faces re-election in 2003.     

District 4: Created in 1977, this was the final district carved out of for the original City Legislature.  This district was for the southern end of Pomegranate Valley.   It's first occupant was Carlton Fuling.  A Democrat.   He held the seat until being defeated by Jason Mattice in 1995.  Mattice has since been re-elected twice and is up for re-election in 2004.  

District 5: Created in 1978, to accomodate the growing population of Gomorrah Heights, this district was first held by Thomas Parris a staunch conservative-Republican.   His election handed the City Legislature Presidency to Geoffrey Hatlee.
In 1987, the district took a drastic turn to the left, and elected Harvey Gorenstein it's legislator.  Hooper, a socialist democrat, ran on the nomination of the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party, a forerunner of the modern Social Democratic coalition.    Harvey Gorenstein remained that districts representative throughout the rightward turn of the 90's, and survived to become the President of the City Legislature in the year 2001.   While being the only democrat on the legislature, Gorenstein was often punished, by denying his district it's fair share of resources.   After the porkbarreling was through, you could bet that Gorenstein and the fifth district, came away with a lot less then anybody else.  
He faces re-election in 2002.   

District 6: This district was created in 1992.  When the city decided to annex a large portion of Quinn Hill.  A neighboring suburb.   The people of Quinn Hill, predominantly white, wealthy, and Republican, not surprisingly elected David Baxter, a Republican to represent them in the City Legislature.  David Baxter has since held onto his seat, quite handily.  Having just been elected in 2001   His next election will be in 2004.  

District 7: After the city annexed the Quinn Hill neighborhood in 1990, it grew dramatically, and it became apparant that one district would not be sufficient to accomodate the growing population.  So in 1993, just one year after the first Quinn Hill district was created, a second one was created as well.   The predominantly white, wealthy, and republican residents of Quinn Hill predictably elected a white, wealthy, republican to represent them in the City Legislature.   Their pick was Kevin Leiland, the son of John Leiland, a local businessman.   Kevin Leiland originally vyed to represent the first Quinn Hill seat but lost in a primary to David Baxter.  Leiland has succesfully defended his seat twice, but narrowly lost to Coalition upstart Ronnie Parker in 2002.  Parker is up for re-election in 2005.   

District 8: The quite sizable working class neighborhood of Hickory Ridge, once home to Thompson Industrials, a maker of vacuum cleaner parts, was always considered part of downtown Chlymidia Mountain, that is until 1995, the area had grown so much in population, and Hickory Ridge residents began to get sick of being represented by John McAllister, a conservative republican favorable to city business interests.   Hickory Ridge, wanted to be able to elect their own representative, one that would reflect their working class views.   The Republicans however wanted to keep them lumped in with downtown Chlymidia Mountain made up largely of middle class moderates, so that the working class constituency in Hickory Ridge could be drowned out on election day.  Thus keeping Republicans in control of the City Legislature.  After fighting a long, two year campaign, the issue of creating a seperate district for Hickory Ridge was put on the 1997 ballot.  The idea won, and by 1998, Hickory Ridge was ready to elect their own representative to the City Legislature.   They voted to the left overwhelmingly, electing the Democratic-Socialist Coalition candidate Stache Frankeljfitz by about 87 percent of the vote.   Three years later in 2001 Frankeljfitz squashed opponent Ken Graves by a humiliating 81 percent.  Frankeljfitz is up for reelection in 2004

District 9: About the same time the Hickory Ridge district was created, Downtown Chlymidia Mountain citizens, decided that the enormous population growth in their district, warranted the creation of yet a second district for downtown Chlymidia Mountain.   In 2001, the new district held it's first election, with the spoils going to Terrence Sloan (D-S), a philosophy professor at Chlymidia Mountain Re-Ed. Center.  Terrence Sloan, an ACLU activist, and free seech advocate.  Sloan faces reelection in 2004.

1976
District 1: Francis Gilder (D)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) President
District 3: James Amon (R)

1977
District 1: Francis Gilder (D) President
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R)
District 3: James J. Amon (R)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
*Yes, technically the democrats didn't actually have a majority, but at this time the Mayor was able to cast a tie-breaking vote in the legislature.  And Adam Quigley was the Mayor.  A Democrat.  


1978
District 1: Francis Gilder (D)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) President
District 3: James Amon (R)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Thomas Parris (R)

1982
District 1: Francis Gilder (D) President
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R)
District 3: Ben Stevens (D)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Thomas Parris (R)

1987
District 1: Francis Gilder (D) President
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R)
District 3: Ben Stevens (D)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)

1988
District 1: Roland Bennett (D)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R)
District 3: Ben Stevens (D)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D) President
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)

1991 (The Year of the New Republican Majority)
District 1: John McCallister (R)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) President
District 3: Morton Devereaux (R)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)

1992 (The year after we said things couldn't get much worse)
District 1: John McCallister (R)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) President
District 3: Morton Devereaux (R)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)
District 6: David Baxter (R)
New Mayor James Amon (R)

1993 (Apparantly we weren't yet convinced)
District 1: John McCallister (R)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) President
District 3: Morton Devereaux (R)
District 4: Carlton Fuling (D)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)
District 6: David Baxter (R)
District 7: Kevin Leiland (R)

1995 (By this time, we were convinced that things would never get better)
District 1: John McCallister (R)
District 2: Jeff Hatlee (R) President (A year earlier he decided to go by Jeff instead of Geoffrey)
District 3: Morton Devereaux (R)
District 4: Jason Mattice (R)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S)
District 6: David Baxter (R)
District 7: Kevin Leiland (R)
*In 1994 Bill Walling, about 100 degrees to the right of Jim Amon, was elected Mayor

1998 (Could that be a light at the end of the tunnel?)
District 1: John McAllister (R)
District 2: Jeff Hatlee (R) President
District 3: Morton Devereaux
District 4: Jason Mattice (R)
District 5: Harvey Gorenstein (D-S) Minority Leader
District 6: David Baxter (R)
District 7: Kevin Leiland (R)
District 8: Stache 'Steve' Frankowitz (D-S)
*Stan Grouke, a democratic-Socialist, was elected mayor in 1998

2000 (It's about time)
District 1: Gertrude Silber (D-S)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) Republican Leader (Hey look, he became Geoffrey again)
District 3: Woody Valey (D-S)
District 4: Jason Mattice (R)
District 5: Herbert Gorenstein (D-S) Democratic Socialist Leader
District 6: David Baxter (R)
District 7: Kevin Leiland (R)
District 8: Stache 'Steve' Frankowitz (D-S)
*Stan Grouke wins re-election, and Socialists even up the legislature

2001 (Now it's their turn to underestimate just how bad it's going to get)
District 1: Gertrude Silvers (D-S)
District 2: Geoffrey Hatlee (R) Minority Leader
District 3: Woody Valey (D-S)
District 4: Jason Mattice (R)
District 5: Herbert Hornstein (D-S) President
District 6: David Baxter (R)
District 7: Kevin Leiland (R)
District 8: Stache Frankowitz (D-S)
District 9: Terrence Sloan (D-S)


Council Member Profiles

Gertrude 'Trudy' Silber                                                
Gertrude Silber was elected to the first ward in 2000, when John McAllister resigned to run for Mayor.   She defeated Deputy Secretary of Justice Brian Wilshire, a Republican, in a rather close election.   Before being elected to the Common Council, Silber was the News Director at Crumm Mountain Community Radio.   A position which she held since she and fellow community activist Sean Booger created the station in 1995.
     Silber was born in Burlington, Vt. in 1965.  She graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1987 with a BA in Journalism.   For several years she worked for the Times Herald Record in Middletown, NY.  Later she moved to Crumm Mountain and worked as a reporter for WCMR radio, until she and Sean Booger were fired in 1995 for airing a controversial story.   
     Always a progressive at heart, Silber was a registered Green Party member for several years, until 1999, when she formerly joined the Social Democracy Party.     

Geoffrey Hatlee                                                              
Geoffrey Hatlee is the member of the Common Council with the most seniority, having been a member since the council was created in 1976.   Since then he has twice served as the Common Council's President.  From 1978-1982, and then from 1991 to 2001.  Hatlee hopes to be President again.    A lifelong Republican, Geoffrey Hatlee has always worked for the local Republican Party.   Whether it was a young man in Johnstown, NY or while in college at Herkimer County Community College.   
       In 1976, Hatlee was one of only three Common Council members.  James Amon and Francis Gilder being the two other.   Hatlee was easily the least sophisticated out of the bunch.   But look at him now.   He went on to become Common Council President.  Twice.  And he has ran for Mayor.   27 years later and he's still the least sophisticated of the bunch.  But thats ok.  Hatlee's a no-shit kinda guy.   He has a very common sense approach to government.   Which would be good, if his sense of common sense was as common as he thought.   But love him or hate him.   He's Geoffrey Hatlee, and he's not going anywhere, any time soon.   Although, he did shorten his first name to Jeff, for a few years, from 1994 to 1999.   

Bernard Schrader                                                                
Bernard Schrader was first elected in 2002, to the Gordon Heights seat being prematurely vacated by Woody Valey.   Schrader was considered the great hope of the Republican Party that year.  They thought if he won, they would win back control of the Common Council.   Well, he won.  But Kevin Leiland didn't.  Remember him?   Well Leilands unexpected defeat foiled the Republicans plans for recapturing the Common Council.   
       In 2002, Schrader defeated the popular Assistant City Attorney Bernadette Chapman who was running on the Social Democracy Party line.   The election was close, and Chapman has already challenged Schrader to a rematch.    And that rematch will not be long in the making.   Schrader has to defend his new seat, in 2003, as the 2002 was only a special election because Woody Valey stepped down a year before his term expired.  
      Schrader may be highly experienced in the game of politics.  But you wouldn't know it to look at him.   The guy's only 26 years old.   Making him the youngest Common Council member ever.   Well, not exactly, but thats another story.   For the local Republicans Schrader is something of a prodigy.   Former Mayor and Republican Party Chairman Bill Walling discovered the lad after writing a letter to a local newspaper in 1993.    Walling immediately offered him a job.   Pretty soon Schrader was going to college at SUNY Albany, for political science and doing work for the Crumm Mountain Republicans at the same time.   Upon graduating college in 1997, Schrader was made Campaign Manager of Mort Devereaux's successful re-election bid.   In 1998 he was appointed to the City Republican Committee.   In 2000 he resigned from that post to run Geoffrey Hatlee's re-election campaign.    After which he decided to go back to school to study business.   
       But in 2002 Schrader decided to get back into the game, this time, running himself.  For that old Mort Devereaux district seat, that he helped win five years earlier.   Schrader won his first election.

Jason Mattice                                                                                                                                   
Jason Mattice was elected to the fourth ward in 1995, defeating former Common Council President and one-time Mayoral candidate Carlton Fulling.   This was considered a major upset for the Democrats.   And it was.  Before being elected Mattice was a not-so-small business owner.  He owned Harpers Gas and Propane Company.   A company that has been fined numerously for non-compliance with various City ordinances.   
      Despite the fact that Mattice has been consistently hounded by allegations of misconduct, some credibly substantiated, Mattice has continued to be re-elected by impressive margins.    Mattice has used his position on the Common Council to be a fierce advocate of large and mid-size industries in the city.   In 2000 he led the fight to reverse much of Stanley Grouke's Workforce Support Act.   
      Mattice openly admits to being in favor of the big guy over the little guy.   He describes himself as an ultra-Darwinist.   He's even been quoted as saying that if David and Goliath were to battle it out nowadays he'd be routing for Goliath.   Mattice has seemingly always been this way.   He once bragged before a Republican dinner, about how much of a bully he was in elementary school.   
       So Mattice is basically just a bully that never grew up.    A perfect Republican really.    Boy I'm going to get in trouble for writing this.   

Harvey Gorenstein                                                     
Harvey Gorenstein was elected to the fifth ward in 1987,  defeating Thomas Parrish, a staunch conservative-Republican.   Gorenstein was elected as both a Social Democracy candidate and a Democratic Party candidate.   The two parties officially merged in 1996, after Carlton Fulling lost the mayoral race.   Before Gorenstein got into politics, he was something of a socialist theoretician.   He has written several books, performed many lectures, and marched in many Mayday parades.  
       For several years from 1995 to 1998 Gorenstein was the only non-Republican on the Common Council.   In 2001, he became Common Council President.    Gorenstein makes no bones about the fact that he has designs on the mayors office, should Stan Grossman retire for some reason.   Before 2000, there was some speculation that Grossman was going to resign and run for Congress.   Gorenstein quickly began facing off with another would-be Mayor Aaron Gaglione.   After about a week or two of back and forths, the Mayor kindly announced that he would definetly not be running for Congress, and had simply been briefly entertaining a very bad idea.    

David Baxter                                                                   
David Baxter, a conservative Republican was elected to his current position in 1992, when said position was created to accomodate the growing population of Quinn Hill who began to call for their own representation in the Common Council.   The Quinn Hill area was officially annexed by the city of Crumm Mountain in 1990, and it's citizens originally were intended to fall into Geoffrey Hatlee's 2nd Ward.   But in the early 90's the Republicans had just gained control over the Common Council and wanted to do everything in their power to keep it.   Since the residents of Quinn Hill were predominantly white and middle class, and Republican, the Republicans were more then happy to oblige the neighborhood in their aspirations.  Baxter, an attorney, had previously served on the Cobleskill Town Board, before being elected to the Crumm Mountain Common Council.    Before that, Baxter was a conservative activist, who worked in the anti-abortion movement, and The Safe Libraries Program, a bunch of local goons that tried to get the libraries to ban all non-Christian, non-White, non-conservative books.   In the mid-nineties, Baxter was a delegate to the Christian Coalition.   In the late 90's, however Baxter began to drift more towards the libertarian persuasion, opposing the economic interventionism of Mayors Heather Sagunarthy and Stan Grouke.   In 2002 David Baxter made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for Mayor.  He lost to Ed Adams, a social conservative, who no doubt occupies the same ideological ground, once occupied by Baxter.     

Ronnie Parker                                                                
Ronnie Parker was elected to the seventh ward in 2002, defeating incumbent Republican Kevin Leiland.   Although, Parker was elected by an incredibly thin margin, his victory manifests Mayor Grouke's liberal housing programs, making home ownership in the Quinn Hill neighborhood more accessible for lower income city residents.   Before the election, Leiland's re-election seemed naturally assured, and so not a lot of the neighborhoods Republicans turned out to the polls.  This gave Parker the slight edge he needed.    
      Ronnie Parker, attended Hofstra Law School, worked for several law firms in New York's capital region, and then came to Crumm Mountain in 1993, working for the conservative Devereaux-Whittaker firm.   That didn't last very long, needless to say, and in 1996 Ronnie Parker started working with the Social Democracy Party, working closely with Darlene Lapierre, and Alexander Brunewit on the creation of a civillian review board for the Crumm Mountain Police Department, and the Corrections Center, in Pomegranate Valley.    
      When Ronnie Parker announced that he'd be running for the 7th ward council seat, he was just 1 contestant out of ten.  But eventually just three made it to the primary ballot.    Community activist Otto Bethelman, City Labor Commissioner Frederick Kane, and Ronnie Parker, who won with about 2/3rds of the vote.   In the general election he beat Kevin Leiland by about half a percentage point.  Leiland contested the vote count, but further inspection revealed that Parker had indeed won the election, however miniscule the margin.   It just goes to show you, that every vote counts.   That may not hold true if your George W. Bush and it's not a vote for him, but here in Crumm Mountain we take democracy a little more seriously then the Bush family.   





During the annual City Legislature operating session which lasts from March 4th to October 15nth, the CL is charged with adopting a budget, which means passing a series of appropriation bills.   They also vote on all city contracts, penalty's for breaking various city ordinances, and other municipal fees.  The CL also votes to levy city taxes.  


Former City Legislators

Morton Devereaux (Republican):  Representing the 3rd legislative district (Gomorrha Heights) since 1992, Devereaux lost in his second reelection bid to Woodland Valey.   

Roland Bennett
James Amon
John McAllister


 Biographical Information for Gertrude Silber.

Gender: Female
Family: Single
Birthdate: 3/8/65
Birthplace: Bennington, VT.
Home City: Crumm Mountain, NY
Religion: Agnostic

Educational Experience:
BA, Journalism, SUNY New Paltz 1987

Professional Experience:
The Times Herald Record, Middletown, NY 1989-1993
WCMR Radio, Crumm Mountain, NY 1993-1995
Crumm Mountain Community Radio 1995-2000

Political Information:
Party Affiliation: Social Democrat
Area Represented: Downtown Crumm Mountain

First Elected: Jan/2000

Next Election: Jan/2003

Biographical Information for Geoffrey Hatlee

Gender: Male
Family: Ex-wife Dorothy Hatlee, two kids Shane Hatlee, Mathew Hatlee
Birthdate: 12/5/48
Birthplace: Johnstown, NY
Religion: Methodist

Educational Experience:
Fulton-Montgomery Community College 1971

Professional Experience:
City Alderman since 1976

Political Information:
Party Affiliation: Republican
Area Represented: Pomegranate Valley


































District 1: Downtown Crumm Mountain
Gertrude Silber (Social Democracy)

District 2: Pomegranate Valley
Geoffrey Hatlee (Republican)
Minority Leader

District 3: Gomorrah Heights
Bernard 'Bert' Schrader (Republican)

District 4: Pomegranate Valley
Jason Mattice (Republican)

District 5: Gomorrah Heights
Herbert Hornstein (Social Democracy)
President of City Legislature

District 6: Quinn Hill
David Baxter (Republican)

District 7: Quinn Hill
Ronnie Parker (Social Democracy)

District 8: Hickory Ridge
Stache 'Steve' Frankowitz (Social Democracy)
Majority Leader

District 9: Downtown Crumm Mountain
Terrence Sloan (Social Democracy)

Mayor: Stanley Grouke (Social Democracy)