Up until now, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee has been mounting a focused attack on only one proposed charter change, the one that would affect the wording regarding the city’s County Supervisors. In a recent email to the four Saratoga Springs City Council members endorsed by One Saratoga and the chair and vice chair of One Saratoga, Democrat County Supervisor and Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee member Sarah Burger, however, expanded the attack by warning them all to stay out of charter change altogether. In the meantime, Democrat Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati, who had at a previous meeting suggested charter change language to the Supervisors that gained the support of all his fellow Council members, flipped his position and embraced the new Democratic position laid out by Burger: sending all charter changes to referendum. The problem for Burger, Keramati, and the Democratic Committee is that New York state law is very specific about what can and cannot go to a referendum.

Sarah Burger’s Email

On May 31, 2026, Sarah Burger sent an email to the sitting Council members who were endorsed by One Saratoga, along with two members of One Saratoga’s leadership.

The email is poorly written and poorly researched. It apparently serves several purposes, including ingratiating herself with the leadership of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. The criticism of her by members of the Committee for taking the One Saratoga line in the last election was unrelenting, and apparently, she is seeking to ingratiate herself with them again.

Last year, Mayor Safford established a charter commission with two missions: one was to present to the Council changes that could be adopted by the City Council, and secondly, to present further changes that would have to be approved by referendum in November as laid out in Sections 23 and 24 of the New York State Municipal Home Rule Law. The committee is bipartisan, and many members have served the city in various capacities. The commission is chaired by former City Attorney Vince DeLeonardis. They delivered their proposals, which could be adopted by the Council at the close of 2025, and the Council has been reviewing and discussing them over the past few months. In a previous post, I wrote about the phony issue Gordon Boyd created about proposed language regarding the city supervisors. Sarah Burger has now taken the Democrats’ attack to a higher level.

In her email, Ms. Berger bizarrely warns the recipients that it will be “political suicide” for them to involve themselves in the “formation of our governing document.” She goes on to claim that some of the proposals “require (her word) a public referendum.” Ms. Burger is an attorney. I wrote to Ms. Burger asking: given all the restrictions in New York regarding when referenda can be used, which provisions in the proposed charter changes she referenced in her email would allow for a referendum on it, let alone mandate one, and which statute she draws on to support her claim. She did not respond. I wrote her a follow-up request, which was similarly ignored.

Unlike California, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon, New York State severely restricts the use of referendums, so it is unclear what she believes can go to a referendum and what the basis of her claim is

Regrettably, as noted earlier, I believe that the purpose of Ms. Burger’s email was political rather than a serious attempt to assist the city and One Saratoga. In order to ingratiate herself with the leadership of the city’s Democratic Committee, she is stirring the proverbial pot.

Ms. Berger is shrewd enough to know that the Commissioners she emailed will not abrogate their authority. Her help is disingenuous. Her main goal seems to be to provide as large a platform as possible for the Democratic Committee to muddy the waters as part of a strategy to discredit Mayor Safford’s commission. Her praise for the commission at the beginning of the last Council meeting, followed by her attempt to discredit their work, was striking in its disconnect.

Her email appears below.

BK Keramati Flips, Then He Flops, And Then He Flips Again

Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati initially opposed changing the language in the charter to address a technical issue regarding our representation to the county. Then he switched, acknowledged the value of the change, and agreed to it, offering his own language. This was documented in a previous post.

At the June 1 City Council pre-agenda meeting, he switched yet again, adopting Sarah Burger’s new narrative.

He seems, like Sarah, to be ignorant of state law on referenda and advocated putting all the individual charter proposal items, particularly the one dealing with Supervisors, on the Council’s ballots to let the public pick and choose, a practice that state law very narrowly limits. Clearly, the local Democratic Committee put the heat on Keramati to follow the new party line.

City Attorney Tony Izzo took the mic and tried to help Keramati understand the law. It is not clear that Keramati grasps what Tony is trying to explain to him.

Berger’s Letter

Sarah Burger <>
Date: May 31, 2026, at 10:12:48 AM EDT
To: Courtney DeLeonardis <>, Jessica Troisi <>, Tim Coll <>, John Safford <>, JoAnne Kiernan <>, Jeffrey Partridge <>
Subject: Charter amendments

Good morning,

Ive given some thought to the proposed charter amendments that are before the council and overall while substantively I may agree with some of them I think the council voting on process for city elections, this supervisor issue, for example, is political suicide for One Saratoga.

There is simply no reason for you all to insert yourselves as elected officials in the formation of our governing document. This is an unforced error.

I firmly believe some of this requires public referendum and taking the voice of the voters away in amending our governing document for these type of substantive changes may down the road fly back on you.

I very strongly urge you to consider sending all proposed amendments to the voters. I want to see you all be successful in the things you are doing as council members. This does not need to be around your necks politically.

Just my two cents.

PS I think the best answer may be as my father always said “when you do not have to do something, do nothing.”

Thanks for reading.

Sent from my iPhone
Sarah J. Burger, Esq.

The Saratoga Springs City Council on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, will consider a resolution to deny payment of former Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub’s legal bills. Golub had city DPW employees work on a drain at a rental property Golub owned. The employees were operating on city time, using city equipment, and city materials. The criminal case against Golub was dismissed on a technicality with the charging document.

The resolution (below) is devastating. The key issue is that the city’s indemnity law is meant to protect elected officials from lawsuits growing out of something they did during the performance of their official duties. By his own statements, it is documented that Golub was operating as a private citizen with a plumbing problem on a property he owned when he had the city’s employees do the work.

Pages 2, 3, and 4 of the Resolution

Lew’s First Email To Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati

From: Lew Benton <l>
Date: Wed, May 20, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Subject: Congress Park Veterans Walk Condition
To: BK Keramati <>
CC: John Safford <>, JoAnne Kiernan <>, Tim Coll <>, Jessica Troisi <>, Matthew Veitch <>

Commissioner,

This year, as last and with Memorial Day around the corner, I ask PW to repoint the granite curbing flanking the Veterans Walk in Congress Park. Bricks should be power washed.

The attached photos taken today clearly show the Walk’s state of disrepair.

Last year I made the same suggestion to the then commissioner. Regrettably it was ignored. In the interim the Walk’s condition has further deteriorated. 

Ultimately all bricks should be removed, thoroughly cleaned and relaid on an appropriate level base allowing good drainage. Engraved bricks no longer legible should be replaced.

I am confident that many who are named on the Walk, their families and others would gladly help underwrite the improvements.

Hundreds of the community members names and service dates are inscribed on the Walk.  Some  attest to the multi-generational service of Saratoga families and to those KIA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Lew Benton

Lew’s Second Email

To:BK Keramati

From: Lew Benton

Commissioner,

Several days ago I sent via email photographs of the deteriorated condition of the Veterans Walk.

Perhaps you did not receive my note. So here again are some recent photos.  I hope they will encourage PW to initiate the necessary improvements: i.e., granite curbing repointing, brick cleaning and leveling, replacement of worn bricks and those with illegible names.

I noted in my original email that the same request had been made last year prior to Memorial 

Day but no action was taken. I trust you agree that the current condition is untenable and an affront to those whose service is memorialized there. 

Thank you.

L. Benton

Lew’s Third Email

Commissioner (BK),

Thank you for your response to my recent emails detailing the deteriorating condition of the Veterans Walk in Congress Park.

I appreciate your comments regarding budget constraints. It’s a never-ending battle.  And I am well aware that the current City budget, as those of the last three or four years, is likely to be in deficit.  In fact, the Council should have been well aware that the 2026 budget advanced by Finance was seriously out of balance.

However, as I mentioned in my initial note, I see no reason why the repointing of the granite curbs lining the walk and  removing, cleaning and relaying the bricks could not be done by force account or city labor. While labor intensive, I doubt that there would be any material costs.

I note that the 2026 Park and Casio Operating Budget includes $370.009 for labor, $15,000

for “Other Supplies,” $8,500 for “Landscaping” and $5,000 for “Professional Services.” Is there nothing to be found in these lines and other PW operating lines that could be transferred to the 

Veterans Walk budget account?

And regrettably the Veterans Walk operating line has been zeroed out.  That is all the more disturbing because the Walk’s current advanced stage of deterioration has been well known for some time. 

In my nearly 40 years experience in local, county and state  government and eight years on the City Council, I know even in the leanest of times there is $ to be found to address such needs. This is particularly true if the need is real, low cost, and the proposed improvement would remove, as in this case, a rather ugly blemish and a potential trip hazard. Of course not to finally act degrades the service of those whose names are inscribed in the Walk and mirrors the neglect of other Park amenities such as the Reservoir.

Finally, and as I mentioned in my initial email, I’m sure that private donations earmarked exclusively for Walk restoration would be made available if requested. And I am certain that some veterans and others would be willing to solicit same.

Lew Benton

7110 PARK & CASINO

A3537111 51900 LABORER 297,177.02 382,900.00 393,484.81 319,346.85 393,484.81 328,715.00 ________

A3537111 51960 OVERTIME 24,709.26 12,000.00 22,148.26 24,137.92 12,803.13 15,000.00 ________

A3537111 58030 SS CITY PO 23,873.23 30,209.85 30,209.85 25,734.42 30,209.85 26,294.20 ________

TOTAL PARK & CASINO 345,759.51 425,109.85 445,842.92 369,219.19 436,497.79 370,009.20 ________

7110 PARK & CASINO

A3537114 54110 OFFICE SUP 296.55 200.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 .00 ________

A3537114 54140 JANIT SUPP 6,910.18 4,500.00 6,195.25 6,195.25 4,500.00 4,500.00 ________

A3537114 54160 UNIFORMS 3,978.25 4,800.00 4,400.00 5,211.42 5,211.47 6,000.00 ________

A3537114 54180 OTHER SUPP 30,297.00 18,000.00 21,148.00 21,147.74 19,500.00 15,000.00 ________

A3537114 54320 TOOLS 198.98 150.00 150.00 28.49 150.00 .00 ________

A3537114 54330 REP MAN EQ 6,196.00 5,000.00 1,988.27 1,984.30 2,500.00 3,000.00 ________

A3537114 54510 REP MAN VE 2,000.00 1,250.00 1,250.00 1,245.76 1,250.00 2,000.00 ________

A3537114 54610 REP MAN BU 25,731.39 24,000.00 25,058.48 25,585.50 24,527.02 24,000.00 ________

A3537114 54650 UTILITIES 57,760.36 60,000.00 67,900.00 67,859.48 60,000.00 65,000.00 ________

A3537114 54670 PHONES 1,300.00 1,300.00 1,635.75 1,167.90 1,450.00 1,300.00 ________

A3537114 54680 LANDSCAPIN 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 8,500.00 ________

A3537114 54720 PROF SER 4,832.56 5,000.00 7,805.50 14,216.43 11,410.93 5,000.00 ________

TOTAL PARK & CASINO 149,501.27 134,200.00 147,731.25 154,842.27 140,699.42 134,300.00 ________

[JK: Mike Brandi, former chair and now vice-chair of the Saratoga Springs City Republican Committee, sent the press release below. After an investigation into a bizarre donation to Democrat/Working Families Party candidate Joe Seeman’s unsuccessful Assembly campaign, the New York State Board of Elections found that former Saratoga Springs Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran used a gross sexual name when he entered a false name as a donor to Seeman’s campaign. Moran claimed that the donation was the result of a pernicious hack, but the Board determined that Moran was the source of the improper donation.]

For immediate release. From the desk of Mike Brandi.

New York State Board of Elections finds Dillon Moran was the source of the funds of illicit “Jack Meehoff” donation; No Evidence of Hacking.

Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the New York State Board of Elections reveal that the failed Assembly campaign committee of Joe Seeman accepted an illegal campaign contribution submitted under a fictitious and lewd pseudonym tied to former Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran.

In its 27-day post-election filing, the Seeman campaign reported receiving a $100 contribution on October 31, 2024, from a contributor identified as “Jack Meehoff,” listing an address of 177 Lake Avenue and an employer of “City of Saratoga Springs.”

That address belongs to Dillon Moran.

Campaign finance records further show that Moran had previously donated $200 to the Seeman campaign under his real name using the same address.

Shortly thereafter, the New York State Board of Elections Enforcement Counsel contacted the Seeman campaign and advised that it had reported a contribution under a fictitious name. Enforcement Counsel instructed the campaign that it was required to disgorge the contribution by donating the funds either to the State or to a legitimate charitable organization.

On January 10, the Seeman campaign’s treasurer informed the Board of Elections that she had “done some sleuthing” and determined that the “Jack Meehoff” contribution had in fact come from Dillon Moran, who allegedly claimed that he had been “hacked.” The treasurer then asked whether the campaign could simply amend the filing to replace “Meehoff” with Moran and retain the contribution.

In response to the hacking allegation, Enforcement Counsel requested additional information in order to properly assess the matter.

Following an investigation, the Public Campaign Finance Board determined that the illicit contribution did in fact originate from Dillon Moran and that the contribution was submitted from a network associated with other contributions Moran made to political committees. The Board found no evidence that either Moran or the Seeman campaign had been victims of hacking.

New York Election Law prohibits political committees from accepting contributions made in any name other than the true name of the contributor.

The Board of Elections ordered the Seeman campaign to disgorge the $100 contribution within 30 days or face a $350 civil penalty. In the alternative, the campaign could have provided an affidavit from Moran admitting that he was the true source of the contribution. No such affidavit was ever provided.

On January 9, 2026, the Seeman campaign ultimately disgorged the unlawful contribution by donating $100 to charity.

The facts are clear: Dillon Moran made an official political contribution using a lewd pseudonym. Not only was this unlawful, but it was wildly inappropriate and unbecoming of a public official.

A healthy democracy requires elections conducted transparently and in accordance with the law. Moran’s cavalier treatment of campaign finance requirements demonstrates precisely why Saratoga Springs voters made the right decision in rejecting him in 2025.

When confronted, Moran resorted to the now-familiar “I was hacked” excuse — an explanation that collapsed under scrutiny after investigators concluded there was no evidence of hacking and determined that Moran himself was the source of the illegal contribution.

Gordon Boyd, along with his colleagues at the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, has launched a disinformation campaign to undermine the credibility of the Charter Commission appointed by Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford. They are attempting to spread the falsehood that the Charter Commission seeks to weaken the city’s representation in Saratoga County government by changing the charter language stating that the city has two Supervisors.

Briefly, Saratoga County’s government, not the city, has the authority to determine how many representatives each municipality within its jurisdiction is allowed. The county establishes the number of representatives, called Supervisors, each town/city is allotted based on its population size. Every municipality has at least one representative. Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs, due to their larger populations, currently have two.

If, in the future, the population growth in the county and the city were to increase sufficiently, the county might decide that the city might merit a third representative. Raising or lowering the number of Supervisors representing Saratoga Springs or any of the other municipalities in the county is solely the prerogative of the County. The wording in our charter will have no effect on that decision.

I don’t know how to make it any clearer, and this has been explained to Mr. Boyd and his colleagues repeatedly. THE CITY HAS NO AUTHORITY AS TO HOW IT IS REPRESENTED IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. That is the prerogative of the county government.

There was no controversy among the Charter Review Commission members in their discussions about changing the language in the existing charter clause referring to two representatives to the county. The current charter, under Title 2, states that the city has two supervisors. The recommended new language would read that the City has “One or more Supervisors, as may be established by County Law,” a simple statement of fact.

They observed that if the county legislature were to grant Saratoga either more or fewer representatives, the current charter language would be invalid. The proposed language merely allows for flexibility should the county make any changes in the future.

To suggest that the Charter Commission wants to reduce the number of representatives to the county is simply false.

Some History

Mayor John Safford established a bipartisan charter review commission chaired by Vince DeLeonardis. The group, which includes several members who have previously served in city and county government, has been meeting for about a year. DeLeonardis previously served as the Saratoga Springs City Attorney and chaired an earlier charter commission established under former Mayor Meg Kelly.

The current charter, under Title 2, states that the city has two Supervisors. The recommended new language would read that the City has “One or more Supervisors, as may be established by County Law.”

On February 24, 2026, Gordon Boyd, along with several others, spoke at the Charter Review meeting. They opposed the language modifying the charter as it pertains to “supervisors.”

This is an extract from the February 24 meeting minutes, in which Boyd and his posse bizarrely claim that the Commission is proposing to reduce the city’s representation in county government.

At this meeting, DeLeonardis and other Commission members (including Matt Veitch, who served as one of Saratoga’s County Supervisors for 18 years) attempted to explain that the proposed change in language would not reduce the number of Supervisors allotted to the city and to discuss the reasoning behind the proposed changes. (I have included more extensive remarks made by DeLeonardis at a different meeting at the end of this blog.) Unfortunately, it appeared that for whatever reason, the explanation from Commission members had little effect on Boyd and his followers. On March 3, Boyd and someone named Robin Baxter appeared at the City Council meeting and repeated the same disinformation during the public comment period.

On May 5, 2026, the past chair of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, Otis Maxwell, used the City Council public comment period to again offer the same made-up concerns. Here is Maxwell speaking and DeLeonardis’s response that night.

Stunning Cynicism

Boyd and his compatriots should be uncomfortable about criticizing the language proposed to handle the Supervisor issue. In February,2017, an earlier Charter Review Commission of which Boyd was a member, not only acknowledged the county’s authority to determine how municipalities will be represented, but also recommended removing any language about Supervisors from the city’s charter.

Vince DeLeonardis’ Full Analysis

At the March 16, 2026, pre-agenda meeting of the City Council, DeLeonardis gave a thorough analysis of the Supervisor controversy.

The city of Saratoga Springs Board of Ethics has ruled that former Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner Hank Kuczynski improperly directed a city employee to perform political work on his behalf while she was being paid by the city.

The decision came in response to a complaint I made to the Board in April of 2025. That was almost a full year ago. The complaint was addressed only after city planner Susan Barden, who chaired the board, resigned and a new chair, Sara Nucera, was appointed. Why the committee under Barden delayed action for so long is unknown, as the Ethics Board’s deliberations are carried out in executive session.

Readers will remember that in the fall of 2024,Kuczynski failed to submit the required paperwork on time to secure the Democratic line for the Commissioner of Public Works position on the ballot in a special election. He subsequently ran a write-in campaign. Kuczynski directed his administrative assistant to assist him in scrutinizing the ballots as they were counted at the Board of Elections in Ballston Spa for two days. His assistant submitted time cards for this period to the city for payment, and Kuczynski signed the cards authorizing her payment.

I am glad to have finally received a decision, and I appreciate the ethics board’s work in confirming my complaint. Using city resources for campaigning is clearly improper. I hope this will discourage such behavior in the future. Kuczynski clearly violated the trust of the people of our city.

In the 1980s, Leona Helmsley became infamous for her extreme narcissism and sense of entitlement. The fabulously wealthy widow of real-estate magnate Harry Helmsley, she was notorious for her abusive treatment of staff, earning the sobriquet “the Queen of Mean.”

For years, Helmsley failed to pay her taxes, memorably declaring that “taxes are for little people.” She ultimately learned otherwise. Convicted of tax evasion, she was sentenced to 16 years in prison (later reduced), served 19 months in federal custody, and paid millions of dollars in fines.

A troubling parallel emerges in Minita Sanghvi’s conduct during her tenure as Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Finance. It has become apparent that Sanghvi treated the position as a vanity title rather than a full-time responsibility. I have documented that her automatic city email reply explicitly stated that she regarded the role as part-time and directed inquiries instead to her Deputy.

Although Sanghvi earned an accounting degree in India, she appears to have had little interest in applying those skills to the actual management of the city’s finances. Instead, she seemed far more engaged in partisan-war issues and running for other offices. According to the city auditor’s findings, the city’s finances were allowed to deteriorate under her watch, with little meaningful oversight.

Sources report that Sanghvi treated employees with condescension and indifference. This management style helps explain not only the disastrous state of the city’s financial records but also the sudden departure of Christine Gillmette-Brown, who had competently managed those records for nearly three decades.

In short, Sanghvi’s gross negligence and arrogant management have left the city’s financial records in disarray. Yet in comments recently made to the Times Union, she appears largely unaware of her own failures.

Minita Sanghvi Claims Everything Was Fine

Former Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi has stated that she does not understand how the department fell into disarray, asserting that when she left office at the end of December, everything was orderly.

“We submitted all reports as required by city and state laws last year,” Sanghvi wrote in an email to the Times Union on Friday. “I provided quarterly reports to council. The only issues the auditors found last year were stemming from other departments handling state and federal grants paperwork and handling of fixed assets—not from finance.”

Times Union, February 7, 2026

The auditor’s comments directly contradict this claim. According to the auditor, the city’s books are in serious disorder. The Finance Director selected by Sanghvi after Gillmette-Brown’s retirement proved incapable of performing even the most basic functions, including reconciling accounts. The extensive list of failures identified by the auditor and reported to Commissioner Kiernan—detailed in a prior post—is deeply disturbing.

It borders on the bizarre for Sanghvi to assert that “everything was orderly” when she left office. Does she truly fail to understand that the mismanagement documented by the auditor extends back at least a full year?

Equally troubling is Sanghvi’s attempt to shift blame to other departments for the handling of state and federal grants. Sources report that Sanghvi limited her staff’s interactions with other departments. This claim reflects either remarkable cynicism or a profound misunderstanding of her own responsibilities. Fiscal accountability for these grants resided squarely within her Finance Department.

Finally, the abrupt resignation—without notice—of the Finance Director hired by Sanghvi to replace Gillmette-Brown, just prior to Commissioner Kiernan assuming oversight of the department speaks volumes about morale, discipline, and leadership within the department.

BK Keramati Rejects Temporary Freeze

Commissioner Kiernan told her colleagues at the Council table that any consideration of creating new positions must be put off until the city can get its finances in order to determine its true state.

Public Works Commissioner BK Keramati responded to the Times Union as follows:

“A lot of these hiring decisions, programs and so forth have come into being for a good reason,” Keramati said. “The reason is to serve the city and if we start delaying these actions, I’m afraid that may wind up costing the city even more.”

BK Keramati ot the Times Union February 7, 2026

Keramati’s concern appears to stem from his desire to create a new managerial position in his department, which is anticipated to cost the city $100,000.

The city has been running a deficit for three years, which is unsustainable. It seems prudent to straighten out our finances to accurately assess where we are before encumbering more obligations. It’s time, after four years of indiscriminate spending, to exercise some discipline.

I emailed approximately 40 people who have held or currently hold high-profile positions in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County seeking their thoughts on the recent events in Minneapolis. I thought of it as a kind of community forum.

I asked those I contacted to address two questions:

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

I wish to express my deep appreciation to everyone who was kind and generous enough to respond.

Some who work in the private sector declined.

It was disappointing that several significant public figures declined to respond.

BK Keramati (Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works)

Otis Maxwell (Chair of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee)

Mike Brandi (Chair of the Saratoga Springs Republican Party)

Casandra Bagramian (Democratic Commissioner of Saratoga Board of Elections)

On a personal note, I consider Mike Brandi a friend, but given his appropriately aggressive pursuit of accountability of members of the City Council in the past, it was disappointing to me that he was unwilling to respond to this post.

Since preparing this post, it has been reported that the law enforcement officers involved in the Alex Pretti shooting have been placed on administrative leave, and there has been some discussion by President Trump that there may be an investigation that will involve local law enforcement, along with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.

The following are the responses I received.

Tim Coll

[Mr. Coll is in his second terms as Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety. He was the endorsed candidate of the city Democratic and Republican Committees, as well as One Saratoga. He is retired from a career with the FBI.]

A federal independent investigation must be conducted. This investigation should be led by a task force composed of local, state, and federal authorities, as each brings distinct and essential expertise. Given that these matters have resulted in the loss of life, the task force must be overseen by a federal Special Prosecutor with full authority and independence.

The Special Prosecutor must be truly independent, with a demonstrated record of integrity and impartial decision-making. Qualified candidates would include a former federal judge, United States Attorney, or a career prosecutor from the DOJ Civil Rights Division or DOJ Public Integrity Unit.

The public deserves absolute assurance that this investigation will be thorough, unbiased, and free from political influence. Conducting a fully independent investigation is the necessary first step in restoring credibility, accountability, and public trust.

Daniel (Dan) De Federicis

[ Mr. De Federicis is the publisher of Saratoga-Report. He is an attorney and a retired New York State trooper.]

As a retired NY State Trooper, and one who was president of the Troopers PBA Union for nearly 9 years, and an attorney, I have been involved in a number of cases involving the use of force and the use of deadly physical force.  In those rare instances when officers have no choice but to use deadly physical force, a cascade of actions must immediately follow. Most notably and enshrined in all law enforcement standard operating procedures is a fair, impartial, and complete investigation. 

The right to use deadly physical force by a law enforcement officer comes with
tremendous responsibility. The United States remains the beacon of freedom and fairness throughout the world because of the U.S. Constitution as well as state constitutions, laws, policies, and procedures which have arisen these past 250 years. For our democracy to survive, we must always adhere to and remain a country of laws, regardless of how inconvenient that may be in the moment.

To answer John Kaufmann’s question, these actions absolutely should be thoroughly investigated.  There is no question to that, but there are two sides to this coin.  Just as federal authorities are wrong when they hastily declare there was nothing wrong with the officers’ actions, other public officials go the complete opposite way and essentially prosecute the officers in the press.  Indeed, a fair investigation is one that has no preconceived conclusions.  The facts, not emotions or politics, need to lead to the conclusion.  Anything else may well lead to more violence and further inflame a beleaguered city, and yes, perhaps even a country, already stressed by political differences.

A thorough and timely investigation protects the citizenry, but it also protects the officers involved.   Witnesses are located and interviewed, and their statements are captured in writing contemporaneously with the event.  The deceased’s survivors will almost certainly sue in a civil case and likewisedemand authorities take criminal action. Who is being served if, say, three years later, on the eve of a trial, there is no documentation of what occurred?  No investigation report, no written statements from witnesses, no
preservation of mounds of other evidence.  That is not how a civilized society, one with a tremendous history of enacting and following its own laws, should proceed. 

It is important to note here that since John Kaufmann asked me and others to respond to the killing of Renée Good, another protester, Alex Pretti, was also shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota.  President Trump, in an apparent departure from his stance after Good’s death, announced that he wanted an “honorable and honest investigation” into Pretti’s death.  Let’s hope such an investigation is completed and stays true to the President’s directive of being “honorable and honest”.  If we are to have a civilized society that follows its own laws, we should expect nothing less.

Gordon Boyd

[Mr. Boyd is a member of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee and serves on the New York State Democratic Committee representing the 113 Assembly District, Saratoga County]

John,

Responses to your questions, barring a further incident to add to the context:

1. First of all, thank you for opening up this conversation about the Trump Administration’s frontal attack on the Constitution and civil rights.  The appropriate role of government should be to establish both culpability and accountability in both killings.  1) The Federal authorities should follow their own existing rules and conduct an investigation into the use of lethal force. It is wrong and prejudicial for Homeland Security and higher officials like the President to make conclusive statements about the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti before a thorough investigation is completed. The masking of Federal agents is both a symbolic and an actual barrier to accountability; masks must be eliminated.  2) The Federal authorities must also allow State investigators access to all evidence so it can be determined if any State laws were violated by the Federal agents. The 10^th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution assures the States such a role.  Once investigations are conducted, officials can be held accountable and culpable, and changes can be made in training, mission, and agency structure to prevent such incidents in the future.  Of course, given President Trump’s evident concern about this November’s elections, we might reasonably wonder if all this chaos is really about immigration or about suppressing the democratic process.
2. The first step toward restoring trust today should be for Democrats in Congress to block any funding for Homeland Security and ICE absent new leadership and a complete restructuring of the agency, even if doing so means a government shutdown. In New York, the State Legislature and Governor Hochul should prohibit local law enforcement statewide from becoming collaborators in this violent attack on democracy and accountability.  Locally, Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County law enforcement should maintain their existing non-collaboration policies regarding ICE/CBP. In America, trust is based on our belief and assumption that the government itself will follow the rule of law, especially when Constitutional rights are threatened. Sending a proto militia into cities, detaining children, and shooting protesters will destroy any trust the people have in immigration control and even in law enforcement itself. Members of my generation vividly remember when, during the Vietnam War, the government 1) violated laws and Constitutional provisions in pursuing an undeclared war, and 2) made gross and systematic misrepresentations of its actions and intentions (as established in the Pentagon Papers). Both conditions, the government violating laws and lying about it, are echoed today. Minneapolis this week recalls the killings at Kent State and how they enflamed antiwar sentiment. Going forward, federal, state, and local authorities must adhere to the law and be seen to do so for trust to be restored.  This year, we must vote as if it were a life-or-death matter, because it is.   

Gordon Boyd

Brett Eby

[Mr. Eby is the recently elected Saratoga County District Attorney. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and volunteered in the Big Brother program. He earned his law degree from Western Michigan Law School and later obtained a Public Sector Leadership Certificate from Cornell University.

Mr. Eby began his legal career as a prosecutor in Warren County before being appointed Assistant Attorney General and later serving as Special Victims’ Counsel at Justice. He also served as Principal Court Attorney to two New York State Supreme Court Justices, as Special District Attorney in Warren County, and as a Special Prosecutor throughout upstate New York. In addition, he has taught as an adjunct professor at Sage College and lectured at Albany Law School.]

Maintaining civil society depends on trust, trust in one another and in the institutions charged with upholding the law. Easing the anger and divisions we face begins with listening and transparency. People must feel heard, respected, and confident that the justice system operates fairly and without bias.

Concrete actions include open communication with the community, explaining how decisions are made, and acknowledging concerns when they arise. Consistent accountability, equal application of the law, and a willingness to examine and improve our own practices are essential. Building partnerships with community leaders, educators, law enforcement, and service organizations can help address the root causes of conflict before they escalate.

Finally, fostering civic education and respectful dialogue—especially during times of disagreement—helps reinforce the shared values that bind us together. While we may not always agree, recommitting to fairness, empathy, and the rule of law is how we strengthen trust and preserve the foundations of civil society.

Jeff Brown

[Mr. Brown had been with the Sheriff’s department since 1998. He started as a deputy sheriff and was recently elected Saratoga County Sheriff.]

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office investigates all our own officer-involved shooting incidents. Two separate and parallel investigations occur. A criminal investigation into the incident, as well as an administrative investigation into the incident. The criminal investigation is conducted by our Criminal Investigation Unit, and the administrative investigation is conducted by the Office of Professional Standards. The criminal investigation determines whether criminal conduct occurred, and the administrative investigation determines whether the members involved in the incident violated policy. Under NYS law, any deaths caused by police officers or peace officers, including corrections officers, must be reported to the NYS Attorney General’s Office, Office of Special Investigation, which conducts its own investigation.

Joe Suhrada

[Joe Suhrada is the chair of the Saratoga County Republican Committee. He is also the Republican Commissioner of the Saratoga County Board of Elections.]

Although I am very focused on local issues and have paid cursory attention to this matter, my first answer to a question regarding oversight or investigatory powers is a question: who is unbiased, neutral, or doesn’t have a point of view BEFORE things went down?

I also know that this federal agency which is charged with enforcing the laws that Congress passed employs agents that are similar to FBI, BATF, IRS and others which have official powers. 

But all answers should be sought and state and local authorities should also weigh in, and assist Federal agents when they are interdicting crime and criminals. If they wish to be in on an investigation then they should also come when called when mobs are forming.

 Contrary to rhetoric from one side or another- citizens don’t have the right to fight, interfere, or intervene in enforcement efforts. You can’t do that to sheriffs or troopers, either. Whether lethal force by these agents is used or not would be answered by legal experts in a given circumstance. Find one that doesn’t have an angle or a set view on that matter and I would be surprised. 

So investigations would cause me to question “who is watching the watchers?” 

Suhrada 

Almeda (AC) Riley

[AC Riley served three terms as Mayor of Saratoga Springs and four terms as Saratoga County Supervisor representing Saratoga Springs. She was the first woman in the city to hold those positions.]

It is my understanding that in cases like this, the organization whose personnel are involved needs to hire an outside independent investigator to review the facts and determine the action to be taken, so that it is not tainted by politics.

A.C.

JoAnne Kiernan

[Ms. Kiernan is the current Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Finance. She previously served as the Deputy Mayor under John Safford. In addition, she served on the Saratoga Springs School Board for 9 years, 2.5 as president.]

The government’s role is to ensure that any use of deadly force by its agents is independently, thoroughly, and transparently investigated. This does not presume wrongdoing; it upholds the rule of law, protects civil rights, and maintains public trust. 

Such investigations establish facts, ensure accountability, identify systemic issues, and protect both the public and government agents, confirming whether force was lawful and justified.

Easing anger and division requires leaders to acknowledge harm, commit to transparency, and ensure fair and credible processes. Creating space for respectful dialogue, listening to affected communities, and clearly communicating facts and decisions can help rebuild trust. Over time, consistent accountability, empathy, and shared focus on common values, safety, dignity, and fairness are essential to maintaining a healthy civil society.

Jessica Troisi

[Ms. Troisi is the Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts]

 We should be investigating every incident. We do that for something as simple as a slip-and-fall. Why wouldn’t we do the same for something this serious?

Linda LeTendre

[Linda LeTendre has worked non-violently for decades in the struggle for social justice.]

John,

Thank you for this opportunity, I am  honored to have been asked.

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

For ANY use of deadly force by ANY level of government, an independent entity that includes the citizenry should be established to investigate said force. This projects the governmental agency and agent involved and protects the citizenry. 

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

We are not as divided as the media would have us believe. The number of MAGAs are estimated to be 20% or less, and there is a recent revelation that a significant number of Russian Bots feed the narrative. That being said, we need a revolution of “fixes” for the breakdown of the government no longer functioning as “by the people and for the people”. Repeal Citizens United, corporations are not people and should not have the free speech of unlimited money to buy elections. The same should go for wealthy individuals, like Musk who spend millions to buy elections for their benefit, not for the people’s benefit. Limit what ANYONE can give in campaign contributions. Ensure that elections are fair and free so that no political party can rig elections in their favor through gerrymandering and/or voter suppression. Make paid lobbying illegal – in Europe, they look at this practice and call it a bribe, and they are right. Enact term limits for elected officials, and ALL judges, including the Supreme Court. And hold all government officials accountable to the letter of the law and if they are convicted of breaking the law, they can go to jail, just like regular citizens (which is what they actually are). Reform the right Presidential pardon so that pardons cannot be sold and can only be used in specific circumstances, not as a get out of jail free for your buddies. And finally go back to the Senate and House rules for their governance that were in place before Gringrich and McConnell dismantled them.

Mayor John Safford

[John Safford is in his second term as Mayor of Saratoga Springs.]

The well-known aphorism that “one death is a tragedy, but a thousand deaths is a statistic” highlights a troubling human tendency to emotionally prioritize isolated incidents over broader systemic violence. In Minneapolis today, events that are undeniably tragic—a rise in fatal federal law-enforcement shootings during immigration enforcement operations—are perceived very differently from distant atrocities such as those in Iran. This difference in perception is not evidence that the United States has become a totalitarian state imposing its will on the populace, but rather reflects how context and trust shape public reactions to use of force.

As a former Army Infantry Officer and temporary Military Police commander, I am acutely aware of how the principles governing the use of force differ between war-fighting troops and civilian police. In theory, there is a clear distinction: combat troops are trained for lethal engagement in hostile environments, while police are trained to de-escalate and protect civilian life. In Minneapolis, the line between these roles has blurred under the weight of federal immigration enforcement operations, though, in my estimation, not beyond repair.

In democratic societies like ours, questionable uses of force by police are subject to investigation and accountability. With respect to federal immigration agents—ICE and Border Patrol—their lawful actions include executing warrants and making arrests. As of now, there is no credible evidence that routine warrant execution by these agents has been unlawful. What has been contested is their response to civilians who have interfered with or protested these actions, raising complex questions about appropriate training and authority.

The fact that multiple individuals have been killed in recent Minneapolis incidents—such as the fatal shootings by federal agents of a protester and other individuals—necessitates thorough investigation and accountability. Yet these cases should not be simplistically interpreted as a slide into authoritarianism. Rather, they call for deeper examination of how federal law-enforcement roles intersect with civilian law, public protest, and community safety. Rushing to either blanket condemnation of all federal enforcement or passive acceptance of every use of force undermines the legitimacy of both policing and civil liberties. The appropriate response is a balanced commitment to justice, transparency, and institutional reform that preserves the fundamental rule of law.

Charles (Chuck) Marshall

[Mr. Marshall served on the Saratoga Springs Planning Board for for over three years and as its chair for over a year. He also served as the Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works.]

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

Chuck’s response: my job does not require me to carry a firearm and I’m appreciative of those who do, placing themselves in harms way repeatedly.  That said, deadly force is the most extreme case of citizens holding government accountable but it should occur at all levels and instances.  At any time deadly force is used there should be a third party (or independent agency) review of the incident.  While not perfect, New York’s Attorney General review seems to work well for police involved shootings.  The biggest issue or concern is the pre-disposition created by the media and the independent narratives that are spun without a clear and unbiased presentation of the facts.  

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

Chuck’s response: We all know what the uniforms of our police look like.  The major difference between local police and ICE is the lack of uniform and need for face shielding, often to protect the officer/agent.  While Saratoga doesn’t have the size population to warrant mass force, uniform ICE agents with marked vehicles would go a long way.

Secondly, I think we all need to take a deep breath. We live in a polarized and rapidly changing world, understanding what we can/can’t control and that influence occurs at the margins will go a long way.

Bob Turner

[Dr. Turner is an associate professor of political science and environmental studies at Skidmore College. He chaired the city’s charter commission from 2016-2017]

Department of Homeland Security not to investigate the shooting death of Renée Good by one of its on-duty officers raises a number of questions that most Americans might feel demand credible answers from agencies speaking for the Federal government.

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

I think it is delusional to expect or hope that Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or Tom Homan, Trump’s Border Czar, will conduct meaningful investigations into the shootings of Renee Good or Alex Pretti, or the 32 people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in 2025.  The Trump Administration has eroded the internal watchdog function within DHW, the Inspector General office.  It is spending $100 million on social media and created an ICE social media agency to distribute social media videos of raids and arrests. Focusing on the actions of an individual ICE agent overlooks how institutionalized cruelty is part of the GOP’s longstanding “attrition through enforcement” strategy” aimed at creating a climate of fear among the immigrant community and part of a larger war on immigration.  

However, we should not give up hope.  In Federalist 10, James Madison reminds us that “Men are not angels”.  He understood that “Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm,” and thus created the constitutional system of checks and balances and federalism to provide alternative venues for accountability. 

The House and Senate can hold hearings or create their own independent commission, such as the 9/11 Commission (2002-04) to study the failure of intelligence, the Katrina Commission (2005) to study the FEMA and DHS failures, or the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan (2008-2011).  It seems unlikely that a GOP-controlled House or Senate would pursue these, meaning that legislative accountability would require flipping one or both chambers in the midterm election. 

Federal and state courts can provide legal accountability and demand that ICE operate within constitutional limits on government searches. 

State and local elected officials in Minnesota or Minneapolis can conduct investigations.

Legacy media and social media also have an important role to play in informing and educating citizens about the actions and consequences of ICE for our communities and polities.  

Finally, the ultimate source of accountability is voters, who elect the federal, state and local officials who will implement the ICE enforcement actions.

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

Once again, I turn to James Madison who reminds us that “The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man” and that “Liberty is to faction what air is to fire.” Anger, distrust, and division is inevitable in a diverse, multicultural, and pluralist society where its members hold a diversity of values, opinions, and lived experiences.  We will, and should, have different opinions, ideas, and interpretations. I personally think certain elected officials, interest groups, and the media overstate the extent of partisan divisions and rancor in society.  Social media algorithms reward and prioritize conflict.  Activists on both sides are unwilling to make tough compromises. 

Longtime Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn (D-TX) often said, “Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one”. It is easy and requires little skill to divide us.  What we need our leaders who can do the hard work of finding areas for unity and compromise. 

Lew Benton

[Mr. Benton served as the Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety from 1988 through 1995. He is a Vietnam veteran having served as a medic from 1970 to 1971.]

We have all seen the shooting and killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent and the more recent deadly shooting of Alex Pretti by US Customs and Border Patrol agents.

ICE and Border Patrol fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security, which is headed by Kristi Noem. She is a former governor of South Dakota and a former member of the US House of Representatives, and is infamous for shooting to death household pets and farm animals that somehow offend her.

As Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Noem seems to revel in the agency’s roles of providing border protection and immigration and customs enforcement; she is frequently seen similarly dressed as a Border Patrol or ICE agent. Noem is under great pressure to meet the immigration enforcement and deportation goals of the Trump administration.

Within mere hours of the shootings, the secretary has been quick to absolve
those agents who were responsible for the killing of Good and Pretti, both without the benefit of video recordings, and in violation of Homeland Security’s adopted review of deadly force incident regulations.

To meet Trump’s immigration goals, Homeland Security has recruited thousands of new ICE agents. It is largely alleged that the vetting, training, and discipline of ICE agents have been set back in the rush to increase the force. ICE agent training is reported to only be 6 or 7 weeks now, even far less than basic US Army infantry training.

The current Homeland Security culture, leadership style, and reduced agent
training and the inadequate/flawed vetting of new recruits via AI may be a good
place to start in responding to John Kaufmann’s first question:
What is the appropriate role of our government in determining culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

The clearly unjustified, deadly shootings of Good and Pretti call into question not only the actions of the agents directly involved, but also the integrity of the leadership of Homeland Security. If these agents were inadequately trained and led, exposed to a culture that encouraged and condoned excessive use of force, and viewed even protestors as ‘f…ing bitches’ or ‘terrorists’ or ‘assassins,’ it is not difficult to understand how and why these killings happened.

ICE and Border Patrol agents with minimal training are now sent into urban areas armed with high-velocity semi-automatic military rifles and semi-automatic handguns. They are billed as ‘law enforcement’ officers, but are dressed and armed as combat troops, not police. Then they are allowed to function anonymously behind face masks, further reducing self-restraint and avoiding scrutiny.

This is the antithesis of policing. Robert Peel, the British Prime Minister who
established the modern London Metropolitan Police, identified nine principles of “ethical” policing, including these five:

The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and
disorder.

The ability of the police to perform their duties depends on the public
approval of police actions.

Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in a voluntary
observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the
public.

The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured
diminishes proportionately to the necessity to use physical force.

To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public, and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.

Now, having lost the “approval” and “cooperation” of much of the public and
many public officials, Homeland Security’s ICE and Border Patrol have lost all
credibility among Homeland Security’s written policies is this:
Uphold Privacy, Transparency, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties DHS will continue to implement safeguards for privacy, transparency, civil rights, and civil liberties when developing and adopting policies and throughout the performance of its mission to ensure that homeland security programs uphold privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

Moreover, ICE and Immigration and Customs have already adopted regulations
on the use of deadly force, as well as a written policy and mandated procedures
for investigating deadly force cases. Yet, the administration has announced that there will be no investigation and thus is in violation of its own rules. The
regulations become meaningless.

Here are the ICE Regulations on use of deadly force:
ICE regulations (8 CFR § 287.8) permit the use of deadly force only when an
officer has a reasonable belief that the subject poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others. It is considered a last resort, strictly prohibited to prevent escape alone or to shoot at moving vehicles unless an occupant poses a direct threat.
Key aspects of ICE deadly force regulations, updated by following a 2023 Executive Order, include:
Definition: Force likely to cause death or serious physical injury.
Imminent Threat Requirement: Must be based on a reasonable belief that the
subject poses an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer
or others.
 Vehicles: Firearms may not be discharged at or from a moving vehicle unless it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious injury, and no other reasonable means of defense exists.
 Prohibitions: Chokeholds and carotid restraints are prohibited unless deadly force is authorized.
 De-escalation: Policies require mandatory annual training on de-escalation
techniques.
 Documentation: While policy requires it, specific, detailed guidelines on the use of force are not fully public. But again, established policies and procedures are meaningless if ignored or not followed.

On May 25, 2022, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Advancing
Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public
Trust and Public Safety (E.O. 14074). Then the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) supported the E.O.’s objectives to promote accountability,
increase transparency, and ensure equal treatment and respect for the dignity of all persons with respect to federal law enforcement. Since that time HS said it
was working across the Homeland Security Enterprise to swiftly and effectively
implement the E.O.’s cross-cutting mandates.

I do not know if Trump rescinded that order but Homeland Security; under Noem, it clearly holds such policies in contempt.

To remedy what has happened would require some Congressional intervention,
a purge of the current Homeland Security ‘leadership’, a critical review of all ICE and Border Patrol policies and procedures, the demilitarization of operations and total reform. Local and state governments may be able to hasten such a change by condemning recent actions and petitioning for change.

Second question:
What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge
the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?
The answer to this is beyond the scope of this piece. Suffice it to say, unless and
until the current administration stops demonizing immigrants and other marginalgroups, I think we’re out of luck.
lib
01/28/2026

Martha Devaney

[Ms. Devaney is the Chair of the Saratoga County Democratic Committee]

Hi John,

Thank you for contacting me with your questions. Channeling my energy to thought provoking questions and providing input helps ease my emotional unrest.

In response:

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

Determining the culpability regarding the use of deadly force by government agents is fundamental to the role of government. Elected officials in the U.S. take a pledge to protect its citizens by taking an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This solemn promise is intended to ensure officials faithfully discharge their duties and uphold the rule of law.  Under the current Administration, we are painfully realizing this oath is disregarded and seriously failing the American and global communities. 

We are witnessing the collapse of democracy and the system designed 250 years ago, which (theoretically) established guardrails for the “appropriate role of our government to determine the culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents.”  This premise is a false narrative and our elected officials must rise together to uphold their oaths of office.Since there is no adherence to the rule of law under the current administration, we must rise up together to take back democracy!

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?We, as a society, must implore our elected officials and fellow citizens to DO SOMETHING. The urgency confrontiong our democracy cannot be overstated. We must band together, act in peaceful ways, be engaged and think outside of the box.President Obama stated, “When you’re feeling helpless, get up and do something!” I urge the following:

• Block the DHS funding Bill, close the government. Stand Strong Together!
• Pass Senators Duckworth’s Bill to investigate every ICE shooting and withhold payment to DHS Investigator General if implementation is ignored- Be Bold!
• Support the 10 Republican electeds who are supporting independent investigations of ICE shootings- Seek Bipartisan Solutions!
• Investigate DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem- Demand Impeachment!
• Band together, make calls daily, demonstrate peacefully, use tools (50501), join organizations (local political committees, Indivisible): Be Engaged!
• Mayors and Governors should organize a movement in defense of democracy– In Solidarity!
• Exert collective economic power and schedule organized economic blackouts every Saturday until ICE leaves states’ cities: Leverage Economic Power!
• Appoint a group of electeds to appeal to the president’s narcissistic ego and point out the benefits of removing ICE from US cities- Appeal to Ego!
• Enlist & leverage Trump loyalists, electeds and influencers (Sean Hannity, Joe Grogan, Ted Cruz, NY Post) to make the appeal to reverse deportation and ICE policies- Be Smart!
• Implement a Shadow Cabinet: Be Part of the Solution; Think out of the Box!

Respectfully,

Martha, chair Saratoga County Democratic Committee

Terence Diggory

[Mr. Diggory is the coordinator for the Saratoga Immigration Coalition. He had been a professor of English at Skidmore College and retired in 2010. He served on the former Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force]

What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

The use of deadly force is the ultimate use of government power.  Effective, trustworthy government must implement checks and balances against its use of force at every level.  Not only must the use of deadly force be investigated, but it must be investigated by an agency that is independent of the agency that used deadly force.  This is the principle of the separation of powers that is central to our constitutional system.  Unfortunately, that principle has been sadly eroded by the Trump administration.  This means not only that we cannot trust a DHS investigation of actions by its own officers, but we also cannot trust an investigation by another federal agency such as the FBI.  An independent investigation by the state of Minnesota into the recent DHS shootings in Minneapolis would be most appropriate, but has unfortunately been blocked. 

Neglect of the separation of powers, by the way, is prevalent in our immigration system.  While Americans pride ourselves on an “independent judiciary,” immigration courts are administered by the same agency, the Department of Justice, that has charge of the prosecution of immigration cases.  Most immigrants are not “criminals,” but they are treated worse than criminals in our legal system.

What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

The erosion of trust in authority has been going on for centuries in western culture and there are no quick fixes.  Sadly, it now seems that not only do we distrust authority but we also distrust each other as ordinary citizens.  There are no quick fixes in this case, either, but there are small fixes in our daily interactions and communications.  We need to approach each other simply as people and not as partisans attached to one or another political position.

Terry Diggory, Co-Coordinator

Saratoga Immigration Coalition

Chris Mathiesen

[Dr. Mathieson served on the Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals from 2000 through 2006 (chaired 2005-2006). He served as Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety from 2012 to 2017 (three terms).]

Ordinarily, an incident involving law enforcement agents discharging their weapons which then caused injury or death of a person or persons would result in a thorough investigation.  The law enforcement agents involved would be temporarily suspended with pay pending completion of at least the preliminary aspects of the investigation.

Renee Good was shot and killed by a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent while Alex Pretti was killed by ginfire from at least two U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.  Since the incidents involved two different federal agencies, neither of which seems to have protocol in place to adequately deal with such situations, and since there are concerns that the independence of the Department of Justice under the Trump Administration may have been undermined, the best solution would seem to be the creation of an independent commission to look into these two incidents.  Members of the commission would be appointed by members of Congress from both major parties.

Chris Mathiesen

Jay Eckman

[Reverend Eckman served as the minister of the Presbyterian New England Congregational Church in Saratoga Springs from 1973 to 2013.]

1. In the ideal world a fully un -gerrymandered democracy belonging to the people would be more inclined to care for all its people.  I have to say that in our present USA the Republicans have done the better job of betraying the Founding Fathers’ healthy ideals; but the Democrats run a VERY close second. Both parties pay lip service to the noble ideals of “liberty and justice for all.” Talk is cheap and  political leaders have come to believe that “doing the walk”  to benefit all Americans might cost BIG donations and risk losing the next expensive election.

2.  We know that in too many cases those on the favorable side of power and wealth enjoy a “beneficial justice” that is not readily available to far too many of us. 

With ICE extravagantly funded by the “Big Beautiful Bill” and (now) running like free masked and armed gestapo on our streets, abuse and possible murder needs to be investigated by legitimate officials and honestly adjudicated. Side bar: I’d like to know: (a) how many ICE employees took part in the Jan 6th uprising and (b) how many could pass the employment test to be prison guards in NYS?

3. I confess to being an OPTIMISTIC CYNIC! I fear that at best we might be able to create pockets of civil society. Once chaos is released, it tends, like a cancer, to metastasize.  { The Twin-cities have done a good job tamping that prospect down!} Civil society anywhere struggles against  “normal” life realities that include:

1. A changing climate forces the struggling masses of the southern hemisphere, who have the energy not to die, to migrate north to find food, water and employment.
2. In our “ Monroe Doctrine sphere of influence”, we forget that for far too many years the US has undermined and over thrown democratically elected governments that promise change that would benefit a poor nation’s people. Our fear was that such democratic reform would threaten the American corporations’ ability to extract natural resources from these nations and undermine profits. The  wretched conditions created by US have no doubt intensified the desperate flight to our boarders.
3. Add to that a shrinking human employment base as old job forms: from family farms to traditional Detroit assembly lines simply disappear to be replaced by ???? 
4. The above issues are compounded by the HAVES clinging to their wealth— unwilling & unable to see that basic need disparity is fertile ground for legitimate unhappiness and violent uprisings. 

Too often I regret the world Judy and I are leaving to our grandkids.  A sad commentary -indeed!

Alice Smith

[Ms. Smith serves on the executive committee of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee.]

I think your questions are rather broad because it’s such a complicated issue.  

Regarding the first question, the role of the government (State or Federal) is to investigate the facts objectively.  There certainly appears to be a degree of culpability.

Then -I think your next question should be: What will be done about it?  The response to that might answer your second question.

Barbara Lombardo

[Ms. Lombardo left the Saratogian in 2015 after thirty-eight years, during much of that period as its editor. She currently teaches reporting and news writing in the Journalism Program at the State University at Albany.]

Q. What is the appropriate role of our government to determine culpability regarding the use of deadly force by its agents?

A. Appropriate steps for determining culpability in federal cases should be like those spelled out in Policy No. 305 — Officer-Involved Shootings and Deaths — in the Saratoga Springs Police Department Policy Manual, which can easily be found online.

Q. What actions could be taken to ease the anger and divisions that challenge the basis of trust that is at the core of maintaining civil society?

A. Government and non-governmental leaders should be setting a tone of civility and condemning the hate and divisiveness coming from the top, and demanding adherence to the U.S. Constitution, existing laws, and basic human decency. That requires leaders willing to challenge both the policies and how they are executed. The rest of us ordinary people should be doing the same, speaking up and protesting non-violently in public, in direct communications with people in power, and in the voting booth. It’s up to us, folks.