The Art of Press Releases and the Legislature

by: Bill Liblick

Members of the Sullivan County Legislature have a new weapon, and that is the press release. If you recall, amidst our budget crises last year, Alexis Eggleton was hired as a legislative aide to do things such as write press releases for our group of nine. By all accounts she is doing her job well.

This year being an election year, we can expect to see press releases being issued presenting the appearance certain members of the legislature are working hard. Sometimes issues might even be created. And, it has already started.

The art of the press release is nothing new to the world of politics. They usually come from two venues, one being from an elected officials press person, and the other from a political candidates campaign.

What is distinctive here is that the press releases are coming from a legislative aide whose duties are to represent all members of the legislature and all their comments in a press release. When a press release is issued, all the members of the legislature should have the opportunity be asked for their comments on an issue and not just a select few.

If certain members of the legislature want to hire their own press person, they have every right to do so. But, the duties of the legislative aide should not be to promote comments or create news for certain elected officials while ignoring others. It clearly gives the appearance that our tax dollars and county monies are being used to assist these politicians for self serving purposes by providing them the opportunity to obtain the positive media attention they are seeking. After all, they are up for reelection.

Let us briefly exam two press releases recently issued by Ms. Eggleton on behalf of certain members of the legislature to understand the point I am making.

A release was issued stating that legislators Sam Wohl and Ron Hiatt were announcing their support for making villages whole. The basis of the release was a letter that they wrote to County Manager David Fanslau. Then they continued by stating that they were proposing a resolution before Real Property Chairman Frank Armstrong. Now, do you really think they have to write a letter to Mr. Fanslau?

For whatever reason, left out of the release was that Village of Monticello Manager Ray Nargizian is leading this drive. He is the person who requested a meeting with Wohl and Hiatt on the subject in the first place, because they both represent Monticello. Equally omitted was the fact that other members of the legislature have been on board with this issue.

Leni Binder told me that when she mentioned to County Manager David Fanslau shared revenue under sales tax might be a means to make villages whole she was chided and told that it was a discussion for the future.

The press release issued last week by legislators Frank Armstrong and Elwin Wood pertaining to sponsoring a resolution to keep the Woodbourne Prison open as a State Correctional Facility is outlandish.

County Manager David Fanslau and certain members of the legislature have created the entire Woodbourne issue. Let us not distort the facts. All Governor Eliot Spitzer said was that he wants to revamp the correctional system in New York State. He never ever said he wanted Woodbourne closed. There is no state commission looking into this matter either.

Fanslau has been informed that the State is not closing the prison, and they will not allow the county to house inmates there. Are Wood and Armstrong now going to take credit for keeping Woodbourne open?

Are the press releases issued from the legislature in reality a political action committee for a bunch of self-serving elected officials? That is a serious question we must ask during this campaign season.

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