Republican Incumbent Wins Ballot Recount By 1 Vote
Votes were recounted today at the State Board of Elections.
More than a week after the General Election and a recount of all ballots, a winner has been declared in a race for Portsmouth Town Council.
Elizabeth "Liz" Pedro was determined to be the winner after a recount was held Friday afternoon at the Rhode Island Board of Elections office in Providence.
Pedro, the Republican incumbent, won the recount by just one vote.
"I congratulate Ms. Pedro on a good race and wish her well on the council," said her opponent, Democratic candidate Leonard Katzman.
"I want to thank all those who voted for me, and thanks are due as well to the Portsmouth Democratic Party for their support of my candidacy.
"I am exceptionally pleased that Portsmouth Democrats won a controlling number of seats on the Town Council and accomplished a complete sweep of the School Committee races. I wish all newly-elected Portsmouth office holders the best as they take on the challenges of government for the next two years."
Katzman requested the recount after results from the General Election showed only a difference of three votes between him and his opponent.
Katzman received a total of 3,786 votes, while Pedro received 3,789 in the General Election. The final tally after the recount was 3,790 for Katzman and 3,791 for Pedro.
John ("Anything But Sue")
6:08 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
DAM: I HATE it when that happens.........
East side
6:12 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
OMG - I bet it was my vote!!! Mr. Katzman, sorry for this 1 vote loss.
Jane Wolk Wheeler
6:49 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Well it wasn't mine! Losing by 1 vote is still losing, but in terms of the overall direction of the town, it's ONLY 1 vote. I am disappointed that we won't have Mr. Katzman on the council, but he didn't lose by a landslide....
John ("Anything But Sue")
8:08 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Hang in there PEDRO..I'm with you...
2therightinri
9:41 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Not exactly a mandate...
John Brown
8:39 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Great News!
2therightinri
9:03 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Suffer that for all who say " my one vote really doesn't matter". Pedro on this council will have no net effect.
Dee Dee
11:44 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Awesome Love My mom Carol and I were the votes to get u back. I wish Judy was there with you. It is a shame when people vote in this town they know the issues going on and not waste a vote be hitting the easy button with a straight ticket. Glad to have you back. What a slap in the face to the good old boy network. One vote LOL I bet loosing by three felt better. :) D
Charles
7:31 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
In my opinion, if this email is an example of the relative brainpower of those who vote and support the likes of Pedro, Slaven et. al. then I will continue supporting the Democrats more often than not. The town needs better representation from the Republican side. Those who can get out of the partisan sandbox and work together to make informed decisions. If more posters,on the site, actually attended a Town Council or School Committee meeting they would be see for themselves that we needed a change. Here's hoping that this new mix can actually work together to make Portsmouth politics something more than a laughingstock.
2therightinri
10:08 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Staven is yesterday's news and Pedro is now completely disarmed. Controlling the PCC is the easiest job the new council will have. To Larry and the PCC your clear and undeniable ignorance and arrogance caused your demise...not party politics. I say... Portsmouth is at least purple if not red.
Tom
4:59 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Staven is a crack pot ...
getreal
5:46 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
You got to be kidding me that Judy should of been back in. If people would of hit the easy button Liz would not be in either. I still can not understand how anyone who has watched what the PCCC 4 have done for the past 2 years would vote for anyone of them.
Robert E
10:37 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Yes, With Judy Staven gone who is going to monitor the Transfer station? Maybe the new Council can appoint her Garbage Inspector.
Islander One
5:15 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
@ Robert E, Yes who is gonna monitior the transfer station with Judy gone I agree maybe the new the new council should create that position just for her after all she does have experience. Or maybe Patriot Disposal is hiring.
Gwen LaFave
6:46 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
getreal use your REAL name if you want to be taken seriously, What are you scared of? What is really bad is why they didn't count those 6 votes in the first place. Congrats Ms. Pedro
getreal
8:58 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Gwen, I think you need to go to math camp instead of wondering whose name is posting (6 votes?). I think "Charles" hit the ball out of the park with his comment about voting. Obviously many residents feel the same way.
Doug Smith
11:20 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Congratulations on your victory!
John ("Anything But Sue")
11:35 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Those Wascally Wepublicans are trying to Steal the election one vote at a time. YUP
Bill Carson
11:48 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Wind Turbine Mistake Mandates Review. The vote shows there is a mandate to look into the wind turbine mistake sooner rather than later .The town is looking into how they made a serious mistake buying the wind turbine from a start up company. What errors were made for the issue of a 3 million dollar bond in 2007? Some department or agency needs to determine how those mistakes were made before the town goes forward.
How exactly did the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory help the Portsmouth EDC and the Portsmouth Town Council buy a commercial wind turbine. The material and input about the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory is not on the Portsmouth EDC website .There is only a thanks to one individual from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory! What exactly was the contribution to the Town of Portsmouth by the MREL ?
http://www.portsmouthrienergy.com/windstudy.pdf
October 8, 2007 Page VI please review the special thanks given by the Portsmouth EDC to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory.
What role did the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory play in the wind turbine project ? Why the special thanks ?
Publius the 2nd
12:23 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
The only mistakes were made by you, Bill Carson. You did not show up at the meetings in Portsmouth from 2004-2008. You failed to tell them everything you knew back then. You could have helped then but did not. Why, Bill Carson, did you not tell them the mistakes they were making back then. Why did you wait until 2012 to tell all that you know?
JimR
11:57 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
The one thing I'll give the PCC credit for is starting the video taping and airing of Council and School Committee meetings. Any incumbent running for reelection have their voting records and positions recorded and aired.
Now that Liz is back on the Council, if you thought Karen Gleason was the Queen Of NO, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
2therightinri
5:22 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
The "Queen of No's" single vote in opposition to anything proposed will mean nothing on the majority of issues facing the town. The irony is... their record of inaction and misstep (the pcc's) was memorialized by their own video taping and in fact, in my opinion did more damage to their reelection chances than anything any of us could have said or done. They were their own... undoing.
Charles
7:38 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Karen Gleason....more like "Queen of Slow". Was witness to meetings where everyone in the room would have followed the proceedings only to have Karen have to be "caught up". The eye rolling, body language and overall frustration with her failure to keep pace was palpable. Thankfully that era has passed.
Islander One
5:09 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I will give them credit also it showed us just how nasty their people really were.
Good Year
1:11 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
She had my vote. Someone has to keep an eye on the tax and spend party.
John ("Anything But Sue")
7:17 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
SWEET Justice: The Democrat council that Built the Turbine that has Failed...NOW has the Broke Turbine back in their laps........DAM..It doesn't get any better than that.....The Voters have spoken...YUP as well
Bill Carson
8:30 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Many of the wind turbine consultants for the Portsmouth High School wind turbine at a later date went to work for wind turbine contractors. In fact several of the consultants were actually wind turbine contractors.
The Energy Czar for the State of Rhode Island, a state employee, later left his state appointed job to work for a private wind turbine company. Several consultant employees of the semi quasi state agency the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Laboratory have gone onto the private wind turbine industry after the Portsmouth wind turbine.
Why did the Portsmouth EDC thank the AWEA ,a lobbying force for wind development and voice for wind manufacturers in the United States ?
The town only listened to pro wind turbine material and took a view of anyone who spoke against the turbines as NIMBYs ,Not In My Back Yard . The Portsmouth residents maybe in store for more turbines .Now it's NIMBY -Next It May Be You !
getreal
9:55 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Yeh but the democrats also got the mounting legal bills, multiple letigations that the insurance company will not touch, multiple unfinished projects that the PCC/REPUBLICS just kicked around and all those big $$ third party studies. Yup, it could not get any worse than the way the previous crew left it.
OldTownie
12:51 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
And wait till you all see the bill for the sewers that Judy and Liz stopped, but didn't stop, but did, wait...Are they off the table or not this week?
John ("Anything But Sue")
7:07 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I LOVE you Townie: I noticed you have a BSEE Degree. Let me ask you..The sewers were suposed to be for Island Park. Is that correct...? Island Park is AT or slightly above sea level. My guess is maybe 12 inches..give ot take. I used to live on Mason Ave....AT SEA LEVEL.
SO: Sewers would be below ground... probably below the frost line. So in Island Park that would be about 2 feet BELOW Sea level.
SO: We put sewers in Island Park...and water (Sewage) flows .....DOWN HILL......GRAVITY.....YES..??
SO: How does this work in your mind...??
The answer IS: We build PUMPING Stations to Pump the sewage UPHILL...YES..?? TO where ...I might ask...?? When we have High Tide during a Storm...and all that water comes over the wall..Our NEW Pumping station will ALSO Have to pump the entire Sakonnett River UPHILL ..to where....
I understand Townie. You are a BSEE.....NOT a BSME...OR....A degree that deals with this particular problem.
I'm just trying to be realistic...as opposed to tossing arrows...
OldTownie
9:14 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
John,
You have no relevant knowledge when it comes to a modern day sewer system. Please explain to me how the pumping station would even come into contact with ground water? It is a sealed system so that it doesn't leach into the surrounding soil. And I am quite sure you know that the system would have grinders and pumps at each tie in, right?
Do a little research and get back to me.. I would suggest you start with "Criteria for sewerage works design". Also called the orange book.
Let's be honest. Your not trying be realistic, your trying to be condescending.
Bill Carson
8:12 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Elizabeth Pedro is one of the Town Council Members that actually does her homework. One example is the current ongoing wind turbine fiasco. Elizabeth asks the tough questions.The questions no one wants to hear.
The Portsmouth EDC for well over two years prior to 2007 reviewed the wind turbine installation that took place in 2009. The process included reviews by respected wind energy consultants. These same consultants noted no fatal flaws in the process of buying a town owned turbine. These consultants all were well aware of the gear problems in commercial wind turbines and other major problems yet never gave any negative information.
The entire wind turbine process was open to public scrutiny and lasted well over two years. So what went wrong ?
When the process was open to the public for two years most residents thought a well known Furlander or General Electric type of turbine was going to used. They only had a 3 million dollar bond so after two years of so called "Due Diligence" they threw caution to the wind and recommended the purchase of start up wind turbine company that was already in the process of stock problems on the TSX venture stock exchange in Canada - A bankrupt AAER wind turbine
OldTownie
9:17 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Bill,
Did one of the PEDC members refuse to play with you when you were a kid? It looks like you have a vendetta against them.....And is it true that you don't live in Portsmouth?
Bill Carson
9:31 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
The PEDC took the word of wind turbine consultants that were or are working for the wind industry, The result is the Town of Portsmouth and the taxpayers got taken for the ride of their life ! The consultants most of them today have 6 figure jobs working for the wind industry today.
You've got to look up and say to yourself :The turbine broke in three years just like over 600 other commercial wind turbines worldwide. The consultants never give negative information .You still don't get it ! It's a scam !
The PEDC and the Town Council got taken ! These people scam small towns everyday ! They look for a Town Council Person or some public official that bites the apple and they're off and running !
The PEDC and the Town Council should be looking into legal action against everyone involved in this scam
OldTownie
10:42 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Come on Bill. Answer the question. Is it true that you don't live in Portsmouth?
Bill Carson
10:58 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
At least three people recently resigned from the Portsmouth EDC. I think they quit because they are embarrassed . I think they were fooled by the wind industry.
Why did the Portsmouth EDC thank the AWEA ,a lobbying force for wind development and voice for wind manufacturers in the United States ? What did a group wind turbine lobbyist do for Portsmouth ?
http://www.portsmouthrienergy.com/windstudy.pdf
October 8, 2007 Page VI please review the special thanks given by the Portsmouth EDC to the AWEA
OldTownie
12:47 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
Bill,
Why not just admit it. Your not going to answer the question. You don't want anyone to know what YOUR agenda is, do you?
getreal
7:31 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
Bill is a koch brothers misinformation machine who also has close ties with the PCC. Bill went off in a rant about how the PCCC4 got beat by the good ol boys...
Bill Carson
7:54 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
The agenda is to educate the public on the negative side of commercial wind turbines.
The town spent four years looking into the purchase of a 660 Kilowatt brand name turbine like the Portsmouth Abbey. The town had a budget of three million dollars. After four years of so called "Due Diligence" they bought a turbine from an unstable company with a lack of direction related to wind energy.
The town council needs a resolution to how the mistakes were made or the mistakes will go on with a public-private partnership. It looks like the Portsmouth wind turbine is a mongrel turbine .The turbine is made up of parts from two different types of turbines a1.65 MW and a 1.5 MW. It didn't work .
If this is not the fault of the PEDC or the Town Council ? Then what about all the wind turbine consultants ?
OldTownie
8:47 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
Come on Bill, admit it, you don't live in Portsmouth. You just like complaining and making up "facts".
Patriot
3:41 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
The title of this post is "Republican Incumbent Wins Ballot Recount By 1 Vote." On how many inappropriate locations will you insert your rant about the turbine? Did you volunteer to be on the PEDC. If not, why not. You are clearly just a frustrated monday-morning quarterback.
John ("Anything But Sue")
7:58 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
BILL is the Patriot. YOU ARE NOT.
Patriot
8:26 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
So someone doesn't think I'm a "patriot"? Well isn't that special. Actually you know essentially nothing about me. But let me make one thing clear: I know that anyone who believes everything they hear on Fox news is not listening to any other voices, and the truth is that Fox is full of Lies and more lies. By the way, I'm certain that I love America as much as anyone. Maybe more.
John ("Anything But Sue")
7:48 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
Hey Townie: You seem to have ISSUES with a number of people on this forum. BTW: You wouldn't KNOW.... what a BSEE is. You havn't been there. You are giving a bad name to the people who have a REAL BSEE,...Just Sayin Pal.
OldTownie
8:45 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
Well John,
If all you can do is question my credentials, and insult me, then good luck to you. And that big diploma on my wall says I do know what a BS E.E. is. but that was a nice try.
John ("Anything But Sue")
7:14 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Hey Townie: In spite of our differences, I Wish You and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.
John
OldTownie
8:12 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Right, you insult me, but because it's the holidays, I should forgive your transgressions? No, don't think so.