Bernardo Watch: There's No "There" There

Normally when a legislator wants a leadership position, it's because he or she has an agenda to enact. This agenda is typically worked up into a series of bills, or resolutions in this case, which are first presented to the appropriate committees, and then the full legislature. Policy disagreements are discussed, compromises are hammered out. Eventually a vote is taken. The bill/resolution passes or it doesn't.

I bring this up because I think Robin is missing the forest for the trees (or she's simply being too polite to come right out and say what everyone already knows):

So Bernardo claims that Hein refuses to discuss any reforms she’s suggested, including the RRA – when the Ulster County Legislature, as the County’s policy making body, has the authority to create new policies without Mike Hein’s authorization to do so. In other words, Hein is the operational guy who has to run the County within the policies established by the Legislature. Addressing the RRA problem is the Legislature’s job, but if they don’t address it, I bet Hein will in his next budget.

Here’s how it should work. A legislative committee – for example, the Environmental, Energy and Technology Committee chaired by Legislator Carl Belfiglio – reviews a Resolution for a change in policy on the RRA, which would have hypothetically been submitted by a Legislator – maybe even Legislator Bernardo, who in her own words has ideas for reforms. The committee, after discussion of the Resolution’s merits, would vote on whether the Resolution should go to the full legislature for a vote. If it’s a good Resolution, then the entire body would vote on it and hopefully pass this new piece of Legislation. If they pass it and it won’t fly financially, Hein can veto it.

The reason we haven't seen a single policy proposal from Bernardo (if I'm wrong about this, please point out any policy proposals that Bernardo has supported and pushed through the legislature, because I honestly can't think of one), is because she has no policy proposals.

Instead, she keeps passing the buck to Hein, who probably has some good ideas, but is an executive not a legislator. Hein can lobby, he can suggest, he can even help write the resolutions. What he can't do is make law all by himself. For that, you need a legislative body.

So, when are we going to see a policy proposal from Bernardo that doesn't involve firing someone and giving the job to one of her flunkies? I'd say, "never." The only reason Bernardo wanted the leadership post is her vanity. Every legislative session is nothing more than a homecoming pageant with Bernardo as the queen.

In other words, she's got nuthin.'