Can’t Tell the Players Without a Scorecard?
Here Are the Reasons Why Dutchess
County Needs Campaign Reform:
(a.k.a. “The Gifts That Keep On Giving”)

Public records (the annual vendor lists at Noel's office and at the Board of Elections) reveal that well over $24 million in county contracts over the last six years "just happened" to go to the same 29 companies who gave our County Executive $54,000 in campaign donations over the same period. The following is Dutchess County’s digital "Wall of Shame."

• Herb Redl gave Bill Steinhaus $3000 in 1995 and 1997, and got $277,000 in county contracts in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 (In the midst of all the revelations of his involvement in the Town of Poughkeepsie scandal).
  
  
• Hollowbrook Associates gave BS $1000 in 1995 and has gotten at least $55,000 a year in county contracts for a number of years, getting $63,000 in contracts in 2000 and a pledge from Steinhaus for $55,000 a year for the next four years-- this is $15,000 more each year than what the Fishkill building would have cost the DMV; County Clerk Dick Anderson wanted to make this move to save tax dollars and have after-hours drive-thru service, but Steinhaus and his Republican allies blocked it.
  
  
• York Hunter (of NYC/Kingston) gave $4000 to Steinhaus in 1998 and 1999, and received over $2 million in county contracts in 1997, 1999, and 2000 (largely for work on Dutchess Community College classrooms and renovations on the county's fire training building).
  
  
• Progressive Transportation Services, Inc. (of Horseheads, N.Y.) gave Steinhaus $1000 in 1999 (besides $1000 given previously), and got $7.3 million in county contracts in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
  
  
• Peckham Industries (of White Plains) gave $2000 to Steinhaus in 1996 and 1997 and got $224,000 in county contracts in 1997, 1998, and 2000. (They also gave $1500 in 1999 to the Dutchess County Republican Committee, and $550 to the G.O.P. Legislative Fund)
  
  
• Reclamation, Inc. (of Kingston) gave Steinhaus $1000 in 1997 and got $1.3 million in county contracts in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
  
  
• Highway Rehab Corporation (of Patterson) gave Steinhaus $2000 in 1995 and
  
• 1999, and got $429,000 in county contracts in 1996.
  
  
• Bank of New York (of NYC) gave Steinhaus $1000 in 1995, and got $47,000 in contracts in 1996 and 1997.
  
  
• Charles H. Sells, Inc. of Bedford Hills gave $2000 to Steinhaus in 1999, and got $140,000 in county contracts in 1999.
  
  
• Montfort Brothers Quarry gave $1000 to Steinhaus in 1995; he has been noticeably silent about their plans to destroy beautiful and historic Fishkill Ridge by turning it into a mine. Montfort Brothers also got $3571 in county contracts from the county in 1999 for highway and construction materials. (They also gave $1750 in 2000 to the Dutchess County Republican Committee and $690 in 1999 to the G.O.P. Legislative Fund.
  
  
• Clove Excavators gave $2700 to Steinhaus in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and got $2.6 million in county contracts in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2000.
  
  
• Perreca Electric gave Steinhaus $4000 in 1995 and 1999, and got $104,000 in county contracts in 1996.
  
  
• C.B. (Don/Richard) Strain gave $2000 to Steinhaus in 1995 and 1999, and received $4.2 million in county contracts in 1996, 1999, and 2000, largely for work on Dutchess Community College classrooms.
  
  
• C.J./Jean W. Patrick Real Estate gave $3000 to Steinhaus in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and got $287,000 in contracts in 1996, 1999, and 2000.
  
  
• Bottini Fuel gave Steinhaus $2000 in 1998 and 1999, and got $241,000 in county contracts in 1997, 1998, and 2000.
  
  
• Star Gas gave $250 in 1999 to Steinhaus and got $55,000 in contracts in 1999 and 2000.
  
  
• Morris Associates gave $2000 in 1999 to Steinhaus. They received $6000 in contracts in 1999, $500 to the Du. Co. Rep. Comm. on 7/2/99, and $155 on 3/15/00 to the G.O.P. Legislative Fund.
  
  
• Freedom Ford gave Steinhaus $1000 in 1995 and got $40,000 in county contracts in 1998.
  
  
• VanDeWater & VanDeWater gave $2500 on 5/24/99 to Steinhaus, $1000 on 10/12/00 and $500 on 8/1499 to the Du. Co. Rep. Comm. They received $21,000 from the county in contracts in 1999 and 2000.
  
  
• Arthur Fried gave Steinhaus $1000 in 1995 and got $132,000 in county contracts in 1998.
  
  
• McCabe & Mack gave Steinhaus $3500 in 1995 and 1999 and got $71,000 in county contracts in 1998 and 2000.
  
  
• Bottini Fuel gave Steinhaus $2000 in 1998 and 1999 and got $241,000 in county contracts in 1997, 1998, and 2000.
  
  
• James Sedore (group CPA firm) gave Steinhaus $6000 in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and got $20,000 in county contracts in 1997 and 1998-- they also gave the County Republican Committee $1350 in 1999.
  
  
• Meyer Contracting gave Steinhaus $1350 in 2000, and got $3.5 million in county contracts in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
  
  
• Paul Vosburgh gave Steinhaus $4000 in 1995 and 1999 and got $497,000 in county contracts in 2000.
  
  
• Dutchess Quarry gave Steinhaus $200 in 1995,and got $458,000 in county contracts in 2000.
  
  
• Sucato Builders gave Steinhaus $200 in 1999 and got $11,000 in county contracts in 2000.
  
  
• Package Pavement gave Steinhaus $500 in 1999 and got $7000 in county contracts in 1998.
  
  
• Cerniglia & Swartz gave Steinhaus $500 in 1999 and got $70,000 in county contracts in 2000.fn
  
  
• Marshall & Sterling gave the Dutchess County Republican Committee $3000 in 1999 and got $2.6 million in county contracts in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
  
  
• Bennett, Kielson, Storch, Yabhon, and DeSantis gave $1350 on 6/24/99 to the Dutchess Co. Republican Committee $920 on 10/25/99 and $300 to the G.O.P. Legislative Fund. They got $55,000 in county contracts in 2000.
  
  
• Royal Carting gave $1000 to the Dutchess County Republican Committee in 2000, and received $97,000 in contracts in 1999.
  
  
• H. G. Page gave $150 in 1999 to the G.O.P. Legislative Fund and got $22,000 in contracts in 1999.

The next four additions are all companies from outside the county who gave at least $1000 to Steinhaus; and four of them gave at least $2000. Time will tell what future links to county funding will appear.

• Savin Engineers P.C. of Tarrytown, N.Y. gave Steinhaus $1000 on 10/16/99 (and $1500 before that).
  
  
• Industrial Medicine Associates P.C. of White Plains gave Steinhaus $1000 on 10/9/99 (besides $1000 before).
  
  
• Nixon Peabody L.L.P. of Rochester gave Steinhaus $1000 on 10/30/99.
  
  
• Drake, Sommers, Loeb, Tarshis, & Catania gave $1150 to the Du. Co. Rep. Comm. on 6/10/99.