Our next Vice President?

Yes, I know the picture was photoshopped... but it is pretty good!!

Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Debate

Today, I watched the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce debate online. It was sold out, and I couldn't be late for work anyway. For the Comptroller candidate, I thought that Elliott Auerbach was much more appealing than Jim Quigley. Mr. Auerbach was warm, well informed and humorous. Mr. Quigley seemed arrogant. I didn't understand at the end, he said something about donating his salary to charity. I guess that's nice, but his personality seemed too abrasive for me. For Executive, I thought that Len Bernardo was much more appealing than Mike Hein. I really liked it when Mr. Bernardo said that the taxpayers are not ATM machines. I also liked Mr. Bernardo's background. I think a businesman would be good. Mr. Hein just seemed angry and overly prepared and coached. Also, I don't think that Mr. Hein has the experience to move from Administrator to Executive. If he had impressive credentials, like Mr. Bernardo, I'm sure he would have brought them up. I think that Mr. Hein has reached his level of competenece and I don't want him to reach his level of incompetence (Peter Principle) by being elected Executive on my taxpayer dime.

I think that a Bernardo / Auerbach team would work well. They both seem like pleasant businessmen who would be able to get along well with our legislators.

The Independent Ulster Platform

I HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.

HERE IS MY PLATFORM:

(1) 'Press 1 for English' is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.

(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country's attitude. NO imports, no exports.
We will use the 'Wal-Mart 's policy, 'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.'

(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border. (six month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin in, you ain't gettin nuttin out. The president nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.

(6) Welfare - Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.

(7) Professional Athletes --Steroids - The FIRST time you check positive you're banned for life.

(8) Crime - We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

(9) One export will be allowed; Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund , and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause.

(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.

OBAMA V. NEW YORK

OBAMA V. NEW YORK

September 19, 2008 --

A good rule of thumb: Whenever a Democrat starts talking patriotism, reach for your wallet.

Case in point: Joe Biden.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee went into a flag-waving fury yesterday when asked how upper-income earners should react to his ticket's soak-the-rich tax plan.

"It's time to be patriotic," he said. "It's time to jump in; it's time to be part of the deal; it's time to get America out of the rut."

That's pure nonsense, of course - and not just because it comes from a pol who has "jumped in" by donating less than $400 a year (little more than one-tenth of one percent of his family income) to charity over the past decade.

After all, reasonable Americans can disagree about marginal tax rates without impugning each other's love of country.

Or, one wonders, will Americans be free to question the patriotism of President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden when their tax plan throws the country even deeper into economic crisis?

Sad to say, that's no idle speculation.

Just look at New York.

Obama's tax plan would impose new dividend and capital-gains taxes and repeal the Bush-era income-tax cuts on all Americans earning more than $250,000 a year. The local effect of those tax hikes is the subject of a study released this week by the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center.

It's not a pretty picture.

Obama's tax plan, the study found, would cost New Yorkers fully $16 billion a year - billions more than residents would get back through expanded tax credits.

It's not hard to see why. Obama's plan takes direct aim at Wall Street - the one section of the economy that can least afford it right now.

And the pain doesn't just fall on high-paid brokers (and the jobs they support), either. The dividend and capital-gains hikes are sure to send investment dollars fleeing into tax shelters, further choking the sputtering engines of finance.

Meanwhile, the study estimates, lost income from Obama's tax hikes would sap $1 billion a year from state tax coffers - and up to $285 million from the city.

Which means higher taxes for everyone.

What's so patriotic about that?

Obama and Biden, of course, are free to discuss their tax plan on its (dubious) merits.

But they'd do well to end the scolding game about its supposedly All-American virtue. It'd be offensive if it weren't so ridiculous.

No, wait: It's offensive anyway.

"Ulster County makes it happen......" NOT!

NOT!

Ulster County is NOT making things happen these days. When I went to school a 50% grade was a F. 50% meant failing. Apparently not anymore. Didn't we learn anything from the jail? What the heck are our Legislators doing? We had a panel that made some pretty intelligent recommendations, but we've only implemented 50% of them?

What is this guy Donaldson doing? Let's do everything that the panel recommended. This jail thing was a disaster with our money. Taxpayer deserve some results.

It's always the same old story in Ulster County with the same old same old politicians. We need new young blood in the Legislature. I hope that young people in this County will step up to the plate next year and run for the County Legislature. These old farts need to go.

Ulster County slow to make changes

Half of recommendations met

By Paul Brooks

Times Herald-Record

September 17, 2008 6:00 AM

KINGSTON — Ulster County has implemented about half of the recommendations two panels have made to prevent another runaway building project like the county jail.

The county jail, or Ulster County Law Enforcement Center, opened in February 2007, nearly three years late and $30 million over budget. The total cost, with interest, will hit $145 million when all is said and done.

The debacle triggered the county Legislature's first formal investigation. The special committee-issued report came out last September. A special grand jury spent six months after that investigating construction of the jail. In March, the grand jury indicted one former county official, Harvey Sleight. Monday, the public learned that County Judge J. Michael Bruhn had dismissed the sole charge — official misconduct — against Sleight.

The public also got its first look Monday at the grand jury's recommendations to prevent further massive construction problems.

Of 15 recommendations from the two panels, the county has taken steps on seven. Overall, County Legislature Chairman Dave Donaldson, a Kingston Democrat, said the county has adopted a capital projects policy, improved record keeping, started training on bidding regulations, and moved more departments to office space at the jail facility. It has shifted to line-item budgeting on capital projects and hired a person to review and manage all the county's contracts.

"Every calamity has a silver lining," Donaldson said. "Sometimes it just forces you to get more efficient."

But the county has not adopted some major recommendations.

The Legislative committee said voters should approve capital projects of $10 million or more. That has gone nowhere. "It would be awfully cumbersome," Donaldson said.

Rich Parete, an Accord Democrat, was on the Legislature committee. He supported the public vote. "Schools can do it. Fire departments can do it. Westchester County can do it," he said. "It has never even been discussed here."

The grand jury recommended an independent oversight authority to review projects, in addition to the new county comptroller. Donaldson opposed it. "Having a comptroller, isn't that the purpose of it?" he said.

Parete said all the recommendations need a review in light of the seven or eight new members on the Legislature. "We just got to roll up our sleeves and do them," he said.

pbrooks@th-record.com

County construction-change scorecard

DONE

New contract manager

Tighter procurement

Better record-keeping

Stronger construction policies

NOT DONE

No public vote on big projects

No independent oversight authority

No lower bidding threshold

No criminal justice analysis

Who's advertising?

Like it or not, we do live in an advertising driven society.

There is no better way to get a message to people than to speak to them on TV. I'm very surprised that the only political TV ads that I've seen so far have been from Len Bernardo. Mike Hein... nope. Elliott Auerbach, nope, Jim Quigley, nope Robin Yess, nope Kevin Cahill, nope.

As far as websites go, Len Bernado has a website and it seems to be updated regularly. Mike Hein has a website and it hasn't changed much. Elliott Auerbach has a website and it hasn't changed much either. I can't find a website for Jim Quigley. Robin Yess has a website that seems to be updated occasionally, and the only website I can find for Kevin Cahill is from the NYS Assembly. He doesn't seem to have a campaign website that would tell me where I could meet him or how to contribute to his campaign.

Campaign websites are important. If you want to donate to a campaign, this may be the only way for people to do so. If people want to meet candidates, this is a place where people look.
If there is not accurate and up to date information on a candidate's website, candidates may be losing opportunities to meet voters.

In a perfect world, every person would be able to personally meet every candidate. When people can't meet candidates, and they don't have any friends who know the candidates, and they aren't associated with a political party, they must rely on things like TV ads, websites, and radio ads.

I'm going to post links on my blog to each of the candidates websites.
If there is a website for Jim Quigley or a "campaign" website for Kevin Cahill, please let me know because I have been unable to find them.

I look forward to each of the candidates updating their websites. It's a real shame when the blogs have more up date information than the candidates themselves.

Push Polling, Big in Value, Little in Cost????

Someone in the Ulster County Democratic world must think that push polling is big in value and little in cost, because I think I was just push polled. I got a call tonight which started pretty benign. They asked me if I was aware that the Ulster County form of government was changing, then they asked me what I thought about candidates, who I liked for president, executive and comptroller. Then it turned weird, it was like an ad for Mike Hein, telling me about his wizardry and what a great guy he is. They then told me that Len Bernardo was a Republican and was part of the problem with the jail. Then some personal questions.

I found the whole experience to be intrusive and it reeeeked of dirty politics.

I'd like to know if anyone else got the same phone call and how you felt.

Kingston School Board, $40,000 for meetings?

I have read on other blogs that members of the Kingston School Board may have spent $40,000 on meetings at the Mohonk Mountain House this summer. These meetings could have been held in their school cafeteria and catered locally.

That's a lot of money. That's more than some people make in a year. That's money that could have been used for the children.

If this is true, it needs to be exposed and that's why I'm writing about it.

People need to stand up and shine the light on things. John Stossel from 20/20 is not going to come up here and do any investigative reporting. The local newpapers all rip and read from press releases, they don't do any actual investigative reporting.

School Boards are really only accountable to the people, and if people don't stand up and say THAT'S WRONG, they will continue to do whatever they want.

If I'm wrong about this, and this was just an internet rumor that I fell pray to, then as Emily Latilla would say on SNL.... nevermind

Please stand up and ask questions about this!

Welcome to My New Blog

Welcome to my blog born on 9-6-08. I'm a non enrolled voter in Ulster County. I'm pretty fed up with both parties and old politicians. I hope to be a neutral place free of partisan politics. I chose green for the color of the blog as an alternative to the blue Democrats and red Republicans.

I am for lowering our taxes, not by just eliminating waste in government, but also by increasing jobs in our area. I support any politicians who agree with that premise.

I have still not made up my mind who I am voting for in any of the elections, as I am sure a lot of other voters have not as well. This is a place for those voters.