(UPDATED) Darrel and Dave attended a ride yesterday in Lewis County and someone commented on this post about Dave not being able to start his ATV while Darrel started and took right off on his, then I received pictures of the two on the ride, Dave is driving his ATV, while Darrel is riding in a side by side.
As long as Darrel Aubertine keeps dishing up the issues, there will be no shortage of servings.
"He is no fan of ATVs," is how Region 6 Director of the DEC, Judy Drabicki, characterizes Darrel Aubertine's view of ATVs in an internal memo that she thought would never see sunshine.
You can be quite certain that she would not incorrectly characterize his position because her husband, Lee Willbanks, works for Senator Aubertine, so they have a very cozy relationship between offices and the safe assumption can be made they work closely together on this policy as well as others.
The DEC under the Direction of upper west side Manhattan Democrat Commissioner Pete Grannis has become less than friendly to outdoor enthusiast.
This memo is arrogant, condescending and demeaning to people. In it she first writes that she just finished a conversation with Darrel Aubertine, then an assemblyman, and depicts him as
no fan of ATVs. She continues; these are not yahoos I am hearing from, they are a National Grid Executive, Jefferson County Clerk JoAnn Wilder, as if to imply that every other rider is a yahoo and describes a scenario where "if nothing else, that could be the bone we throw" like she was referring to a bunch of dogs. Further, she describes them as "opponents" a clear signal she is working against them rather than working with them.
Senator Aubertine has done little in the way of pressuring the DEC to change their policies toward land use and the truck trails (now called administrative access roads) and this memo clearly displays his attitude. He is not serving as an effective advocate for Northern and Central New York, but just more pandering to them.
Read the memo below, Drabicki can claim it is taken out of context by people, but there is no mistaken the attitude and arrogance of this memo. Aubertine and Drabicki have a close relationship with Drabicki's husband working in Aubertine's office and that should produce more favorable results, but Aubertine is following DEC and Drabicki's lead instead of the other way around.
Aubertine and Drabicki owe the ATV community of riders a public apology for insulting them. Click on the memo below to enlarge and read.
Also, the Valley News has covered this topic also,
click here.