Aubertine said he planned on calling Hooker on Friday

As reported By The Syracuse Post Standard ~
Aubertine lands state ag and markets job
Published: Thursday, January 06, 2011, 11:09 PM
By Charles McChesney

Albany, NY -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo nominated former North Country state Sen. Darrel Aubertine to head the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, the agency that oversees, among other things, the state fair.

Aubertine, 57, said he was pleased to be offered the position and was looking forward to carrying out the mission the governor laid out in his state of the state message Tuesday, including looking at possible cuts.

“There really is no department in state government that is perfect, no department or agency that doesn’t deserve a hard look,” Aubertine said. “We have limited resources to work with.”

A sixth-generation farmer and past member of the Assembly and state Senate agriculture committees, Aubertine is familiar with the state fair. He has attended several times.


“I won the milking contest last year,” he said.

However, Aubertine said he had not read the indictment against former state fair Director Peter Cappuccilli who was arrested last month on grand larceny and fraud charges. Cappuccilli is accused of using his position to benefit himself and his family.

Aubertine said he hadn’t read the inspector general’s report that criticized top Department of Agriculture & Markets officials and current fair Director Dan O’Hara for failing to seek bids on a $700,000 contract to produce the fair’s 2008 concerts and a $127,500 contract for a boxing event at the 2009 fair.

“I’m not that familiar with it,” Aubertine said. He said he expected to get up to speed on the matter in a month or so, after first dealing with the department’s budget.


The commissioner position, which requires confirmation by the state Senate, pays $120,800 a year.

The current commissioner, Patrick Hooker, was appointed in 2007 by then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Hooker appeared at a news conference Thursday in Salina with Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, where they announced an energy efficiency program for farmers.

Aubertine said he he planned on calling Hooker Friday to discuss the transition.More...