To the Editor:

The recent sequence of letters, article, and editorial relating to the selection of candidates for town office by the Guilderland Democrats has made me think a bit about the process, and, as so often happens when you think, it has raised a few questions in my mind, both about the specifics of what was covered and about some other things that were not.

I've lived in Guilderland for nearly 30 years now, and, for as far back as I can remember, local Democrats chose their candidates for local offices using the caucus system, a selection process that dates back to before the American Revolution. It is a process that is held in the open.

I've attended a number of these events, even when I was not a registered Democrat. Any registered Democrat can vote, and, when I registered as a Democrat, I could not only attend the caucus, I could vote at it as well.

Over the years, I've heard comments from time to time that there wasn't much effort made to publicize these caucuses, and that attendance was usually kind of thin. While I never had any trouble learning when the caucus would be held in any given year, I suppose more could be done.

More publicity would certainly never hurt, and it would make the process less likely to get criticized. Not everyone is persistent in seeking out information on their own. Are 17 posters in public places "good enough?” Some believe so, while others differ.

Would placing a legal notice in The Enterprise (as suggested in your editorial) stimulate attendance? That's hard to say. It certainly wouldn't hurt, the cost is reasonable, and if I were a member of the local Democratic Committee, I would certainly consider it for the next caucus.

That said, as The Enterprise indicates, the process that was followed this year meets the requirements of law, the results of the caucus are legal, and that chapter of the book is complete.

As I was looking over the coverage on the Democratic selection process, it got me wondering about how things are handled by the other major party. I've noticed on a couple of occasions that the Guilderland Republican Committee has placed small ads in The Enterprise, letting folks know that they are seeking candidates for local office, and requesting that people who are interested inform the committee of their interest and their qualifications.

That doesn't seem like a bad idea at all, but then I got to wondering what happens next. Since The Enterprise covered the selection process for local Democrats, it would have made a nice compare-and-contrast to examine how "the other guys" approached this process.

Once people had contacted the Republican Committee to say they were interested, then what? Who makes the decision on which Republicans get on the ballot? Are all enrolled Republicans able to participate in the process, or only party committee members? Does the selection process take place in a meeting that is open to the public? Is the event publicized?

I can't help but wonder if the lack of publicity for the process employed by local Democrats is a flaw that could also be ascribed to local Republicans. I'm not claiming to know, not by any means. I'm just wondering. I think that an open candidate selection process benefits the general public, and ought to be employed by both parties.

When all is said and done, though, the candidates for both major parties have now been legally selected, so I think that the selection process as it relates to the 2015 elections fades significantly in importance.

After a long period of general stability in town government and town finances, new leadership will be elected. It's time to step back from concerns about the selection process and to look at the slates of candidates being put before the public, and to evaluate them on the basis of their competencies and their commitment.

I think, as a community, we are looking for leadership that will continue and expand upon the policies and practices that have made and kept Guilderland a place where people want to live, with a sound infrastructure, sound planning, and sound finances. The question of which candidates are best able to address these opportunities and concerns is far more important in the long run than posters in coffee shops and legal notices in the newspaper.

Donald Csaposs

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Donald Csaposs works for the town of Guilderland as a grant writer.