STUDENTS' ROLE IN VOTE SCRUTINIZED

New Paltz Group Allegedly Broke Ad Restrictions

NEW PALTZ -- Tuesday's village election has left losing candidate Rick
Remsnyder bitter about his opponent's campaign, widening a community
rift that began with last year's mayoral race.

At issue are New Paltz college student votes, how they're obtained and
what they represent.

A campus group violated restrictions on political advertising at the
State University of New York at New Paltz, college officials said
Wednesday. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
allegedly sported unauthorized signs for candidate Michael Zierler
during a "Rock Against Racism" rally.

Zierler, a 45-year-old science editor, said he was unaware of the
violation and would have to study it before commenting. A political
ally of Mayor Jason West, Zierler beat Remsnyder at Tuesday's polls.

The tally was 444 to 306, high turnout for a one-seat trustee race.
Zierler's term is for a year, the indirect result of Robert Feldman
resigning last year after losing the mayoral race.

West, Allies Blasted

Feldman, Remsnyder, former mayor Tom Nyquist and other fiscally
conservative homeowners have criticized the West-Zierler camp,
alleging exploitation of a student vote they feel has become too decisive.

"It's unfortunate," said Remsnyder, a 57-year-old town police
commissioner, "that the vast majority of students cannot think for
themselves."

Nearly half of the village's 4,117 registered voters live on campus,
according to the Ulster County Board of Elections. Slightly more than
half of village voters, or 2,197, were born between 1980 and 1986.

The 27-year-old West, who launched a high-profile gay-marriage
initiative Feb. 27, has clearly struck a chord among young voters who
share his political priorities.

"I know some people who registered because they felt so strongly
about equal-marriage rights," said Greg Lauro, a sophomore majoring
in creative writing.

Students, he added, "bring a lot to the community. We have a lot to
say."

Budget Worries Many

Many village taxpayers, however, have said they want more fiscal
conservatism from West's administration. The $2.4 million budget for
the 2004-05 fiscal year inflates the tax levy by 21.4 percent.

"As senior citizens, we feel that Remsnyder would be the best,"
80-year-old Roberta Budmen said. She and her 75-year-old husband, ZBA
chairman Karl Budmen, have lived in the village for 38 years.

They said Zierler is too closely aligned with West and the other two
Green Party trustees -- Julia Walsh and Rebecca Rotzler.

"I would like to see some balance there," Karl Budmen said. "It's
largely a fiscal issue."

Remsnyder campaigned to "take back the village" from the Green
Party.

But 45-year-old school board member Don Kerr, wearing sunglasses,
sported a "Homeowners for Zierler" sign as he strummed a guitar in
front of Starbucks coffee house Tuesday afternoon.

And 76-year-old Irwin Scheintraub, who voted for Zierler, said he
prizes the environment as much as younger voters do.

"We want to back West," he said.