Dick Hubert’s Worldview: On my mind: the indictment; explosive local politics; geese

August 9, 2023 at 10:53 p.m.

The Canadian geese are back on the fairways surrounding Doral Greens, despite USDA wildlife biologist Stephan Beffre’s efforts to round them up during molting season. Columnist Dick Hubert, observing from his deck, counted nearly 100 of them having a leisurely dinner last week. (Dick Hubert/Westmore News)

Have you read the indictment? And I mean THE INDICTMENT, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s devastating criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump for his efforts to undermine American democracy.

Former Federal Judge and prominent Republican Conservative J. Michael Luttig has.

He’s the judge former Vice President Mike Pence consulted when he was wondering whether his role on Jan. 6, 2021 was strictly ceremonial. Luttig assured him the Constitution was clear: it was.

And this is what Luttig had to say Aug. 1 about the indictment:

“This is an historic, tragic, and regrettable day for America.

This day is all the more tragic and regrettable because the former President has cynically chosen to inflict this embarrassing spectacle on the Nation—and a spectacle it will be.

For the first time in history, an American president will be on criminal trial in multiple venues—federal and state—during a presidential campaign in which he will be the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for the presidency of the United States of America.

January 6 and the effort to overturn the 2020 Presidential election, together with the first criminal trials of an American president, will now become singularly infamous events in American history.

These events will forever scar and stain the United States. And they will forever scar and stain the United States in the eyes of the world.

Never again will the world be inspired by America’s democracy in the way that it has been inspired since America’s founding 250 years ago.”

Local politics turns explosive

County Executive George Latimer imposed term limits on himself—no more than two terms. And he’s in the middle of Term # 2. I remember asking him what office he would run for next. He seemed bemused at the question. He was clearly looking forward to serving the public, but in an appointed position. The ongoing winner of the unofficial award for “Best Westchester Retail Politician” seemed to me to be looking forward to no more campaigns.

But that was then.

Back on July 20, as I was scrolling through what was then Twitter (and now, thanks to Elon Musk, simply “X”), I came upon a retweet by New York 1’s Errol Lewis of News 12’s Tara Rosenblum. She wrote:

“Westchester Co. Executive George Latimer has just confirmed to me he has been approached by politically-connected individuals to run in a primary against Rep. Jamaal Bowman. He told me: ‘I am thinking about the advice I have been given and will have more to come.’”

Since then, silence from Latimer and Rosenblum.

But my calls to supporters of Latimer locally say if he runs, they’ll be working for him.

You can imagine how Bowman reacted. His worst fears confirmed: a solid contender from the center of the Democratic Party could conceivably take him out.

Bowman, a longtime member of the far-left wing “squad,” promptly had this e-mail sent out to his fundraising list:

“Our district could be completely redrawn any time between now and Election Day. We could get a major opponent in our race. Having a base of grassroots support early means we’ll be able to fight on and reelect Jamaal to keep fighting for us. So we’re coming to you to ask: Could you chip in $3 if you’re able to right now?”

Latimer is a potential “major opponent.” A united Democratic “center” might unseat Bowman. Turnout would be key. I’m betting the 2024 Congressional election in our district will be decided in a primary fight.

   Our former Cong. Mondaire Jones

When our 17^th Congressional District was redistricted by court order after the 2020 Census, our one-term Democratic Congressman Mondaire Jones had what I thought were two primary choices. He could run against 16^th District incumbent Democrat Jamaal Bowman. Or he could run against 17^th District incumbent Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney.

To my surprise, he decided against both options and ran in a primary in Brooklyn’s then new 10^th District against a plethora of local Democratic progressives, most notably Yuh-Line Niou, a popular Asian New York Assemblywoman. He split the “progressive” vote and lost to now Democratic Cong. Daniel Goldman.

Now, in 2024, he wants to run in the Democratic primary in the 17th District against another progressive woman, Liz Whitmer Geraghty, a businesswoman and former school board member who is also the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The New York Daily News has called this “politics by moving van,” as in 2020 when Jones moved to Brooklyn’s 10^th and promised to stay there.

It’s also politics against Democratic women.

Local Democrats anxious for moderate women in Congress might want to consider supporting Geraghty, who is probably the Democrats’ best chance at defeating incumbent 17^th District Republican Cong. Mike Lawler.  

Are Canadian geese
smarter than we think?

Readers may remember my lengthy news section profile of Stephan Beffre, the USDA wildlife biologist permanently stationed at the County airport (HPN) whose job it is to see that aircraft and their passengers are protected from colliding with wildlife, and especially birds—notably Canadian geese.

That story noted that Beffre and his team were available to remove the geese for free to property owners within a five-mile radius of the airport.

The “removal” comes during a two-week molting period in late June when the geese can’t fly and are easily rounded up.

I don’t know how many took Beffre up on his offer, but I do know that the Doral Greens Homeowners Association (where I own a home and live full time) signed on.

I checked in with Beffre to see how he did, because for a three-week period in late June and early July I couldn’t remember seeing a single goose on or around our property.

Turns out he was here for the entire molting period and couldn’t locate a single goose.

Well, it’s early August, and the geese are back in full force.

Beffre tells me they’re “migrating” geese.

I have  no scientific basis for the following, but I’m left with no other conclusion than that our geese took a two-week hiatus in the woods and molted in private.

From my deck, I counted 99 of them back on the former fairways of the Arrowwood Golf Course munching grass at dinner time.

Shout or make a noise, and maybe they’ll fly away. And then come back.

I’m convinced these critters are unusually smart.

We’ve got grass and water. They aren’t going anywhere. Except when they molt.

Dick Hubert, a retired television news producer-writer-reporter living in Rye Brook, has been honored with the Peabody Award, the DuPont Columbia Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Journalism Award.

Editor’s Note: This column, written by Dick Hubert, represents his opinion and not that of this newspaper.