Wednesday April 24, 2024 
Who pays the price of “developer friendly?”
So if “developer friendly” benefits the developers by not enforcing the law pertaining to approvals, is there a cost, and if so, who pays it?
In the case of Barnes Road, the answer is quite obvious – the town taxpayers do, and that thought takes us to a March 27, 1989 Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning a federal Hobbs Act investigation of corruption in the Rensselaer County Department of Health, where we have as follows as to who pays the costs of “developer friendly,” to wit:
“According to (Dr. Axelrod), the results of the State’s investigation were that New York State laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, Rensselaer County laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, and there was very little ‘enforcement activity’ even in the face of illegal sales.”
“(Dr. Axelrod) advised that the Rensselaer County Health Department’s oversight of realty subdivisions in that county is ‘unsatisfactory’!”
“(Dr. Axelrod) also faulted the State of New York Health Department for not auditing Rensselaer County’s program.”
“(Dr. Axelrod) advised that he would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties)!”
“According to (Dr. Axelrod), the object of any county health department is to protect the public and not to facilitate development.”
“In the case of Rensselaer County, it appears that the Rensselaer County Health Department was in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public.”
Which is why on October 11, 1988, I informed Rensselaer County Executive John L. Buono in writing thusly:
My certification of our operations is as a licensed professional.
I can no longer vouch for the integrity of our programs and will not place my professional standing in jeopardy.
For which there was Hell to pay, but better than being a liar.
Paul Plante, Poestenkill