Noonan gets it RIGHT

Independent Ulster was very pleased to see Glenn Noonan front and center this morning making the effort to rid Ulster County of a Rockland County Sex Offender.

As reported in the Times Herald Record today, Noonan is leading the effort and boy is he right. Keep the perves out of Ulster. http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081231/NEWS/812310328

Noonan is also dead right that the County Legislature should propose legislation to prohibit out of county sex offenders from being put into Ulster County. Noonan’s sponsorship of such a law would be a great thing and we hope he moves on it quickly as it sounds like he is planning on doing.

We also hope that the Majority Democrats (we’re looking at you Susan Zimet) do not co-opt this into one of their own proposals as they are famous for doing.

We urge the legislators to move quickly to adopt Noonan’s proposal.

Noonan Blows It

photo credit: Clark Richters

Left: Jeremy Blaber ---------- Right: Glenn Noonan

NOONAN BLOWS IT:

"ALL I’LL NEED IS TWO DEMOCRATS TO SIDE WITH US,
AND THEN – GRIDLOCK.”

Independent Ulster was very disappointed to see Republican Legislative “leader” Glenn Noonan promise “gridlock” if two more Republicans are elected to the County Legislature. Noonan’s comments were printed in today’s Times Herald Record: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081227/NEWS/812270326/-1/NEWS

Independent Ulster hardly backed Mike Hein. Hein is everything that is wrong with politics in Ulster County: a party switching political insider owned lock, stock, and barrel by the good old boys. But look, the guy won and deserves a chance to be the County Executive he promised he could be – “leading the way” to a better Ulster County.

So far, the results are not promising – in fact another “p” word – pathetic comes to mind. Hein had formed a secret economic development task force, essentially repudiating the work of Ulster Tomorrow. That task force is led by an out of county resident and is meeting in secret.

Amateur mistakes by an amateur but Hein can only get better.

Noonan on the other hand is a seasoned politician and should know better than to promise “gridlock.” Ulster County has a lot of problems. Taxes are out of control, jobs are not being created, the county IDA is a complete joke and the far left has taken over the Democratic Party. BUT, gridlock is not needed.

Independent Ulster calls upon Noonan to work in a nonpartisan fashion to bring people the results taxpayers want: lower taxes, better jobs, and a government that serves the people not the special interests.

We hope Noonan was just caught up in the moment, because if he truly is seeking gridlock, his fellow GOP legislators need to replace him – now or they will not win the seats they are otherwise capable of winning.

Ulster County Should Sue Peter Kraft

OK, Legislator Peter Kraft has resigned at the end of this year. Who cares. The reality is if the County Legislature had any of those spherical objects that one bounces in the game of basketball, they would be suing Peter Kraft in Kingston Small Claims Court for his $10,000 County Legislature salary for 2008 (or for the last 6 – 8 months he hasn’t been around). We don’t know if he gets health insurance, but add the value of that to the lawsuit.

It is NOT ok that government officials get elected to a term of office, don’t bother showing up, but continue to take our hard earned dollars.

Where is Josh Koplovitz, the erstwhile County Attorney? How come David Donaldson or Michael Hein have not demanded that Mr. Koplovitz seek to recover the money paid to Kraft in salary and benefits that he has not earned by his prolonged absence.

Once again, taxpayers get fleeced and our government officials do nothing. By the way, and not for nothing, where are the Republican minority members? Come on folks, we know Mr. Kraft is one of your own – that special part of the insiders club that is the County Legislature, but if a Republican walked away months ago, you can bet the Democrats, who are much better politicians than the GOP, would have the political brain power to be calling for his immediate resignation . . . and if that did not work trying to recover the salary wrongfully paid to him.

Independent Ulster has hired people before. You wouldn’t pay an employee not to show up, so why should we the people pay a public official not to show up. One more taxpayer outrage in Ulster County.

PS - INDEPENDENT ULSTER PROPOSES THAT MARCH GALLAGHER INVESTIGATE THIS . . . oh yeah, sorry, we forgot, she only investigates allegations of wrongdoing when it comes to Republicans, not her fellow Democrats.

What would Ulster County do?

What would Ulster County do if they found this sort of evidence?

According to Federal Prosceutor Patrick Fitzgerald, Governor Blagojevich had put a "for sale" sign on his administration.

“The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,” Patrick Fitzgerald said. Blagojevich “involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism.”

As I watch this story develop, I can't help but ask myself, what would we do in Ulster County if we found this sort of evidence? It's never convenient to investigate and proscute politicians or government employees, particularly when the ones doing the investigating and prosceuting are politicians themselves.

Do our leaders in this County and State possess the fortitude necessary to deal with a problem like this if it confronted them. In my opinion, no, they don't.

Consider the "evidence" that Fitzgerald must have had to trigger this investigation. In the beginning it is usually word of mouth. You have to be able to put politics aside and purse the investigation. I believe that it's easier to overlook issues such as this, rather than investigate and confront issues.

I give Patrick Fitzgerald kudos for putting politics aside and prosceuting both Republicans and Democrats. There are bad guys on both sides - EVERYWHERE.

I wish Mr. Fitzgerald would come to New York State, I think we could keep him busy for a while.

Devastating and Severe Budget Cuts

Our Ulster County budget has been released.

$346 million budgeted for next year, along with a 2.7 percent tax levy increase.

Governor Paterson's budget for New York State that is getting ready to be released was described in broad terms as "devastating" and "severe" to state services.

How is it that our County finds it OK to increase our taxes and not change the way we do business now, when we know what is coming down the road?

Governor Paterson knows that we need to make some cuts.

Where are the the "devastating" and "severe" cuts in Ulster County?

It's time to change. Isn't that what we voted for with the charter?

So far it looks like more of the same old same to me.