PHOTO BLOG : SENNETT AT THE U.C. FAIR part 1

Today was opening day of the U.C. Fair and Mr. Sennett was out stomping the pavement, speaking with Ulster County residents about his candidacy and why he is the best choice for District Attorney in this county. Mr. Sennett received an overwhelmingly positive response by voters and future voters. More pictures and information throughout the week. Stop by the fair and meet Jon and maybe grab a lawn sign or bumper sticker. Mr. Sennett will be happy to meet you and hear what you have to say. See you on the campaign trail......

Jon brightens the day of one youngster at the County Fair
Sennett for D.A. !!!!!
Jon handing out balloons to the kids
Jon handing out balloons to the kids
Jon discusses his candidacy to a supporter
Jon talks with a potential supporter

Union Boss says Cahill's the candidate, to the surprise of some PAC members who say : When was the vote?

On Richard Cahill's show, The Kingston Chronicles , CSEA President Bart Robins announced that Mr. Cahill did in fact receive the endorsement from the CSEA .....this lead to disgruntled callers and to questions on whether or not the endorsement was legitimate or if Mr. Robin's was jumping the gun in announcing the union's support.

Brian Woltman, who has served on CSEA's PAC committee for many years called and blasted the Union Boss for announcing the Union endorsement before the committee had taken a formal vote. Mr. Woltman stated at the last meeting the vote was tabled for further discussion. Woltman also complained that it was inappropriate of Bart Robins to announce the vote before the formal announcement which takes place in August via an ad in the Daily Freeman.

Jeremy Blaber also called in and brought up the fact that Mr. Cahill was not very union friendly by calling for a hiring freeze and told Mr. Robin's that Mr. Cahill is just trying to capitalize on the situation between the Mayor and the union. Blaber also pointed out how good Mayor Sottile has been to the union and mentioned how it would of been easier for Mayor Sottile to silence his critics( Cahill included) by laying people off to lower taxes...but has never done so. Blaber went on record saying that supporting Rich Cahill was a mistake that CSEA would ultimately regret if Cahill was elected. Blaber said that he felt it was a slap in the face for Mr. Robins to go on Mayor Sottile's opponents tv show and announce such support, saying respect must go both ways.

What now? It is clear that the relationship between the Mayor and union leadership has hit it's boiling point, it certainly is not one sided, after what transpired tonight the union claiming to be a victim of an angry Jim Sottile, is simply untrue. It's also apparent that tension between the Union and the Mayor is with the leadership and not with rank and file members. Richard Cahill's motives to get Robins to go on the show and announce his endorsement was clearly well thought out, an attempt to try escalate the already rocky the relationship between the union leadership and the Mayor. Bart Robins was being pulled in by Mr.Cahill's plan, hook, line and sinker. Sottile on the other hand is too focused on running the city and Kingston's future to pay any attention.

Like I said on tv tonight, Mr. Cahill saw an opportunity and exploited it, no disrespect to Bart Robins who is a good man and someone that I have a great deal of respect for. It is clear that Mr. Robins does not like Sottile, by his own admission, Cahill is someone that is promising the world and the very fact that he's not Sottile is very attractive to Robins. However, in the end Cahill if elected, god forbid, will have promised CSEA the world and will have delivered nothing. Sottile no matter what will stick to his principals and do the right thing for CSEA...with or without the support of union leadership..that's just the type of guy he is.

Blaber News Poll : Ulster Supervisor Race

The Ulster Supervisor Race is looking like it will be an interesting one. Supervisor Woerner is being challenged by gadfly Don Wise who has run for every office under the sun. However, Wise has the name recognition and the GOP enrollment still reigns supreme in that town. Woerner has a true record of accomplishment to bring fourth to voters having lowered town taxes, increasing services and handling quality of life issues in the town.

The poll is now closed thanks to all who participated.

Andy " Mr. Ethics" Cuomo

Not much to say that you have not heard already regarding Cuomo's report about two of Spitzer's top aids targeting Bruno. While I'm no Bruno supporter, I applaud our Attorney General for putting politics aside and handling this in a fair manner. This really shows the kind of leader Andrew is and the level of integrity that he runs the AG's office with.

Anything to be Mayor....... Cahill pandering to CSEA

Well, just when you thought the relationship between CSEA and Kingston Mayor James Sottile couldn't get any worse it has.... With CSEA Union Vice President Troy Ashdown saying that the city's chief Exec needs anger management and Sottile calling Union Leadership lazy and removing television sets from the sewer department, and maybe all departments. Richard Cahill sure didn't waste anytime in trying to capitalize on the issue calling the Mayor "vindictive" and calling him an embarrassment to the city. The only thing embarrassing is Cahill a.k.a. Mr. Conservative, trying to pander to the union. It's absolutely sickening, the worst part is CSEA seems to be buying into it. When push comes to shove, Sottile has always come through for CSEA, it would have been easy for Sottile to lay off a whole bunch of people over the years in order to keep taxes in check and silence his critics (like Cahill, who has called for a hiring freeze) but he didn't. Tell me again how Cahill plans to lower taxes 12% without cutting a single job.....it's not possible.

NO PRIMARY IN DA'S RACE

After it was all said and done, there will be no primary in the race for Ulster County District Attorney, according to official records filled at the Ulster County Board of Elections. The match-up will be Democrat and Working Families candidate Jonathan R. Sennett and Republican candidate D. Holley Carnright. It should be an interesting race, I know the race will be clean and too the issues, both candidates are respected individuals. However, I of course, give Mr.Sennett the edge to win. Mr. Sennett has more overall and practical experience as a prosecutor and as an attorney.

Note: There is a third party candidate running but his name escapes me.

Kingston Primary Election - - - - - Update

Kingston City Judge- James P. Gilpatric and J. Micheal Bruhn Jr. will face off for the Independence and Conservative lines.

Alderman - at- Large James Noble is challenging Lenny Walker for the Conservative line via an Opportunity to Ballot. Lenny Walker is challenging James Noble for the Democratic line.

Ward 4 - Shirley Whitlock is challenging Matt Ryan on the Working Families line via an Opportunity to Ballot (questionable, after a mistake on my part.) Matt Ryan is challenging Shirley Whitlock for the Democratic line. Matt Ryan was recently kicked off the GOP line after petition problems. (more on that later)

Ward 8 - Robert Senor is challenging Todd Langon for the Republican and Conservative lines. Smart money says Senor will have the whole election wrapped up in September.

POLICE CHIEF AGREES WITH SENNETT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MUST BE PRIORITY

Domestic violence cases are dangerous for police

Middletown – Domestic violence cases can be the most dangerous type of calls to which police officers respond, said Middletown Police Chief Matthew Byrne.

Police Officer Christopher Dolan was shot while he and a partner arrived to a domestic violence call on Tuesday afternoon.

Byrne said they are a very dangerous type of call. “This is one of the reasons we send two police officers at a minimum to every domestic violence call,” he said. “Any call can be dangerous; it could be a noise complaint, it could be any kind of unknown disturbance, a vehicle stop; nothing is safe in law enforcement. This is just a reminder of that.”

Chief Byrne three years ago mandated that all officers must wear bullet proof vests when working on the streets.

Sottile heads to Clifton Park to support Kingston Babe Ruth 15 yr. old All Stars

Mayor James Sottile heads up to Clifton Park tonight to support Kingston's Babe Ruth 15 yr. old All Star team that will compete in the State Finals. No press out of it..... doing it just becasue it's the right thing to do and becasue he cares.

CHIEF KELLER STARTS TV SHOW ON KPA

Kingston Chief of police Jerry Keller has started a television program on KPA. The show will talk about what is going on in Kingston and what the KPD is doing to combat crime. It will be nice to have a voice of reason on KPA for a change, and to bring fourth some truth, as well as set straight a lot of the misconceptions that are put out there by political opportunists. The show will air Wednesday nights at 9pm.

MATT RYAN BOOTED OFF GOP LINE

Matt Ryan, candidate for Kingston Alderman in Ward 4, has been booted off the GOP line after a successful challenge over his petitions. The reason is still unclear why the signatures were thrown out but I will have full details tomorrow. Democrat, Shirley Whitlock is looking like she is in good shape to be Kingston's next Ward 4 Alderman. On another note, Matt Ryan held a fundraiser at "The Basement" which was poorly attended....but that may be the location. The Basement's location is the old "Forum" known for it's drug activity and many police calls. Great spot for a candidate to hold a fundraiser, huh?

Democrats Unite

There has been a lot of fighting these past few months by Democrats, much having to do with the D.A.'s race. Many friendships lost or severely damaged but, the past is the past. It's time to move forward, there is a lot of work to do. We as Democrats need to unite as one. That is one thing we have always been good at...we can fight like cats and dogs but when it comes to election season we put are differences aside for the good of the party. This year will be our true test in the County Legislature...we have a great group of candidates running, there are a lot of town races up that also have put fourth a great group of candidates to run. Kingston is no different with almost a full slate of qualified candidates and our Mayor running on a record of accomplishment. We can win these races handedly, if we work together in a progressive manner.

However, if we stray from our core values and beliefs or if we chose to half support any of our candidates we will lose. That is something that none of us want to happen and quite frankly it doesn't have to happen. I know at the end of the day we will all unite as one. That day was yesterday.

I certainly take part of the blame for the divide in the party and I take full responsibility for my part. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to Chairman John Parete ( I already have personally), for accusing him of being anything less then genuine. He is a true leader and I know that under his leadership and the leadership of Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and the top of our ticket Jonathan R. Sennett we will be very successful come this November.

- JKB

BRATLEY CAMP PROVES HYPOCRITICAL

The Bratley camp has tried to portray Mr. Sennett as weak on crime based on an article in the Kingston Times....an article that was taken out of context. The Bratley Camp has chosen to capitalize on that but hey that's politics.

However, look at this video both are advocating for alternative sentencing and both are against the Death Penalty.. actually at one point Mr. Bradley pretty much echoes Mr.Sennett's comments, as well as advocate for drug court. The same comments that Bratley claims constitute someone being weak on crime....hypocritical? You decide.

SENNETT HAS PROSECUTED MORE THEN DOUBLE THE CASES AS BRATLEY--no sp.

Jonathan Sennett has MORE THEN DOUBLE the trial experience then his fringe opponent Vincent Bratley Jr.

It also should be mentioned Bratley has never tried a case where there was a victim.

Wilson Pakula footage

Footage from the vote on whether to authorize Vincent Bradley the opportunity to primary against the Party's nominee Jonathan R. Sennett.

I would like to thank Chairman Parete, while I have been critical of him on this issue he could of jumped the gun at the Executive Committee meeting but he didn't. He did the fair and responsible thing by letting the whole committee decide.

BRADLEY DENIED DEM LINE, SENNETT SUPPORT PROVES STRONG

Vincent Bradley Jr.'s bid for D.A. comes to an end as the Democratic party denies his waiver to run against the endorsed candidate Jonathan Sennett. The vote was 15,000 against and 8,000 in favor. Bradley talked some nonsense of running as an independent candidate (yawn), but it's pretty clear despite his deep pockets his bid has come to an end. I urge Bradley to get out of this race and support Sennett. If Mr. Bradley is serious about staying enrolled as a Democrat and supporting our party for years to come then, the very bright and well educated attorney could have a future in politics... but, not if he stays in as a spoiler. I thank everyone who gave up their Saturday and voted, we did the right thing.

John Martino for County Legislator

John Martino has thrown his hat in the race for a seat in the Ulster County Legislature, Mr. Martino served the Kingston Common Council proudly for many years and I think he would be a great asset to Ulster County. Mr. Martino is filling a vacancy left by Mike Berardi who has chosen not to seek another term.

Saturday, 11AM at Kingston City Hall the W-P vote will take place...All are welcome!

The following is a picture of Jon after he won the convention and was chosen to be our party's nominee, I think this is a fitting picture going into tomorrows vote.



The Wilson Pakula vote will take place tomorrow, 11am at Kingston City Hall, I encourage all committee people to attend, it's an open meeting so members of the public may also attend. Obviously, I hope that you will vote NO and not allow this non-Democrat the right to run on our line when we have a very qualified, highly electable candidate in Jonathan R. Sennett. The following is a letter from Mr. Sennett to the town chairs..I encourage everyone to read it and the other posts regarding the D.A. race. Please take all this into consideration tomorrow.

Dear Town Chairs:

Tomorrow at 11 a.m. at City Hall in Kingston, located at 420 Broadway,
committee members of the Ulster County Democratic Party will gather to
vote on a waiver to allow a non-enrolled candidate primary against me--the
currently endorsed Democratic candidate for Ulster County District
Attorney.

At issue is a key question: Should we allow a candidate to force a
primary against a candidate already endorsed by the Democratic Party? The
non-enrolled candidate was given full access to participate in
candidate forums and the June 4th convention. He lost in an uncontested event.

A primary can be a very costly undertaking, which in this case may not
be necessary. The non-enrolled candidate has stated his intent to run
against the Democratic Party candidate, on both the Conservative Party and
Independence Party lines, if you reject his request for a primary.

The vote on Saturday focuses on a section of the New York State
Election Law known as a Wilson-Pakula Waiver. The intent of this waiver is to permit
a party to select its own candidates and protect the principles and
integrity of the party. It also permits a party to run a candidate for office
when it has no enrolled member of its own. As an enrolled member of the party,
I proudly accepted the Democratic nomination on June 4.

The election process for Ulster County District Attorney is in essence
a protracted job interview: First with committee members and then with
voters. You are reviewing my skills and talents for a job that requires careful
examination of the law and responses leading to equal delivery of
justice for all in Ulster County. The district attorney will link the law
enforcement community with schools, churches and essential support
services.

The Wilson-Pakula Waiver vote goes beyond selecting a candidate for
this particular race. Some have argued it circumvents the well-established
candidate selection process. This decision could impact the party with
legal and financial implications for years to come. We run the risk of having
the county committee‚s decision second-guessed in favor of someone not a
member of the party.

As the candidate fortunate enough to receive your endorsement at the
original convention, I merely ask that you carefully weigh this
decision, vote your conscience and act in the best present and future interest of
the Democratic Party and the people of Ulster County.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Jonathan R. Sennett
District Attorney Candidate

Schreibman calls for party unity

Julian bows out and supports Sennett, asks Bradley to do the same.

Blaber's News hits new milestone

30,000 Visitors


Thanks to everyone that comes on here, and makes this site worth doing. Blaber's News is without a doubt the #1 blog in Ulster County. It remains #1 because of people like you.

Don Wise gets GOP nod, Woerner still emerges victorious

The town of Ulster held their annual caucus Wednesday night to select candidates for town offices and about 256 Republicans participated in what was a true act of democracy. The notable race was for town of Ulster Supervisor, where Incumbent Democratic Supervisor Nick Woerner was challenging Donald Wise for the Republican line. Neither candidate a member of the Republican party but Mr. Wise, a registered Conservative had been endorsed by the GOP's executive committee. (Donald Wise left the Conservative party, after Woerner was given the nod over him.) In the end, Wise was chosen to be the Republican candidate by a vote of 143-86. First let me wish Mr. Wise a congratulations and I'll be watching this race closely. But, let's be honest, this is not a lose for Supervisor Woerner, an incumbent Democrat walked into the lion's den and pulled close to 40% of the vote. It really shows the broad-range support that Nicky has. I'll tell you right now with the exception of maybe Vincent Guido, Wise would not have pulled any votes at the Ulster Democratic caucus. At best, Wise has an uphill battle to defeat the widely popular Supervisor.

Bradley sends out bogus letter to Dem Committee

Vince Bradley sent out a letter today to all Democratic Committee people, the Bradley letter that was sent out to the Dem committee people is nothing more then a smoke and mirror routine... I'm not going to post the whole letter but I just would like to pull out one sentence that is just a blatant misrepresentation of the truth.

" Regardless of the outcome of this election, I plan on remaining an active Democrat for years to come."

I had a conversation with Mr.Bradley at his home a few weeks ago, he told me that if he was denied the Wilson Pakula that he would rescind his switch from a Democrat back to non- enrolled. He said, and I quote :

" They're going to tell me that I can't run but they still want me to be in the party? No, I will run as a independent candidate and then I'll have a lot to say, Jesse Ventura did it. One thing is for sure if I stay in(as a third party candidate) they can't win."

Bottom line this is a guy who has said in the paper on the record that he will run as a spoiler candidate. The Democratic line is just that a line to Mr. Bradley. It has nothing to do with philosophical beliefs. Like it does to so many of us. I urge everyone to Vote against the Wilson Pakula and see how loyal of a Dem Mr.Bradley really is.

Dear Committeemember.........

By now you should have received notice that there will be a full Committee meeting on Saturday, July 21 at 11 a.m., Kingston City Hall, to determine whether or not to grant Vincent Bradley, Jr. a waiver to run in a primary against the Democratic endorsee, Jonathan Sennett, D-New Paltz. Though we know that this is an extremely inconvenient day and time, it is imperative that everyone on the Committee come out and vote.

This waiver, also known as a Wilson-Pakula, should be used to cross-endorse someone from another party when there is no suitable candidate available. Mr. Bradley had many opportunities to plead his case with the Democratic Committee that he would be the Democrat’s best candidate for District Attorney. On June 4, the Democratic Committee voted to endorse Jon. Since Mr. Bradley has been unable to accept the results of our vote, we are now faced with a possibility of a primary, which is a waste of valuable resources.

Those who support the primary insist that all of the enrolled Democrats should be offered the opportunity to vote for the candidate to run in the General Election. Like it or not, we do not live in a true or direct democracy – we have a representative democracy. As Committee members, we represent our Democratic constituents, which is why we have an unofficial convention with weighted votes. When a town holds a caucus, all enrolled voters are invited to nominate a candidate. This is possible because they don’t have 33,000+ voters. If we had a direct democracy, then we’d never have a convention, and all nominations would require the invitation of the 33,000+ Democratic enrollees to vote.

Subsequently, Mr. Bradley has accepted the endorsement of the Independence Party as well as the Conservative Party which is contrary to the Democratic Party’s tenets. If anyone truly wants to vote for Mr. Bradley, they will still have the opportunity to do so on one of those two lines.

Let us point out, as committee people, we represent a particular number of Democrats in our district; thus we have weighted votes. We don't all go to Washington or Albany to vote on a bill. When a bill is defeated, it doesn't go to a referendum because the minority whines that they lost.

The towns in Ulster County have caucuses - those are examples of direct democracy. All Democrats (or republicans) are invited to nominate and choose their candidate. Since we have 33,000+ Democrats in Ulster County, we can't have caucuses. That's the purpose of having the committee. Otherwise, instead of the convention, we'd be going to the voting booth every year to choose which candidate to endorse. By granting the waiver, we're saying that our vote was meaningless, let's ignore it, and spend the taxpayer's money.

Should the waiver be granted, Jon Sennett’s campaign for District Attorney will be spent on winning the primary, instead of focusing on issues and his Republican opponent. Resources would be better spent on Jon’s ability to lead the ticket and win the election of himself and other Democrats. If the divided committee is working for their candidate to win the primary, then it’s not working on the other candidates’ races. Allowing a primary will delay progress in getting everyone’s message out to the voters, thereby risking victory for many Democratic candidates.

Jon is a progressive and energetic candidate with fresh ideas for the District Attorney’s office; the Committee obviously agreed he was the best candidate to put forward when we voted on June 4. Please come out and vote, once more, to reinforce the fact that we still like how we voted on June 4. We need to achieve party unity now, not in September.

Gilpatric for City Judge

Blaber New's is proud to endorse James P. Gilpatric for Kingston City Judge, his leadership and 14+ years experience make him the most qualified to lead the Kingston Court. Judge Gilpatric brings compassion to the courtroom, his establishment of a Domestic Violence Court has been very effective for victims effected by this unfortunate and ever growing reality, that makes up 25% of city court cases. Judge Gilpatric knows the ins and outs of Kingston City Court and has shown that he is an effective and fair judge. I encourage all people to join with me to vote for Judge Gilpatric this November.

Sennett first D.A. candidate to file petitions

Jonathan Sennett, the Democratic Candidate for D.A. was the first candidate to file petitions today bring in 2,286 with four townships still remaining.

The Rosenbaum family host a house party for Jonathan Sennett

A large group of Democrats turned out for a house party in Saugerties
on Sunday for a meet and greet event featuring Jonathan Sennett. The
Democratic candidate for Ulster County District Attorney traded
questions and answers with the group for more than two hours. Five
Democratic committee members attended the informal meeting to learn
more  about the upcoming Wilson-Pakula vote slated for Saturday July 21 at 11
a.m. at City Hall in Kingston. The Sennett campaign is expected to make
two important announcements this week. 

Sottile Video

Here is the video of what happened. I think the situation was very unfortunate and I consider both Jimmy and Maryanne to be dear friends, I'm sure they both would have handled the situation differently if they could do it over. Clearly both are equally at fault.

Sottile Video

John Sennett releases statement over reports of last nights event

"Following a fundraising boat cruise, an exchange did take place between Mayor James Sottile--a staunch supporter of my political opponent--and my wife MaryAnn Sennett. As her designated driver for the night, I was waiting outside for her when the unfortunate incident took place. She tells me that Mayor Sottile made an inflammatory and inappropriate comment about my character and the race for Ulster County District Attorney. She sensed by his conduct and comments that he was acting in a harassing manner towards her. A heated discussion led to poor decisions on both of their parts. This matter could be easily resolved in a professional manner in the light of day with the trade of apologies. It is simple as that. We have much more important matters to deal with concerning this campaign."

Sottile/Noble Boat Ride Photo Blog Part 1

Blaber with Judge James P. Gilpatric
Blaber with Mayor James Sottile
Alderman Reynolds with Blaber
Mayor Sottile addresses the crowd
6th Ward Aldermadic Candidate Bob Gillon with Alderman Madsen

County Legislators Frank Dart; David Donaldson, Peter Lougrhan, and Brian Cahill
How did this get in here? Blaber and Bradley share a moment
Bob Gillon and his wife.


Part 2 tomorrow

Crime in Kingston continues to plummet under Sottile

At tonight's Kingston Common Council meeting Matt Ryan, and his crew gathered and took the podium addressing the council in a very rude manner throwing around wild accusations about things they know nothing about. They also talked about the crime issue, how it's out of control.. I swear you'd think we lived in the South Bronx from the way these nuts carried on. Then a person approached the podium and gave a passionate speech that addressed the real issues and put the whacko's in there place. '' Is there crime, yes, but all I hear is this Alderman is doing this and this one not doing that...there is crime here and this there...when are we going to stop playing the blame game and start addressing the problems?" exclaimed Shirley Whitlock, a candidate for 4th Ward Alderman... finally a voice of reason. Mrs. Whitlock is absolutely right, month after month the same group of people come and complain but they never have any solution. It's always the same b.s., I'm going to tape next months public speaking session and just replay it every month so they don't have to waste a trip coming down to City Hall.

Oddly enough the statistics for serious crime have been released for this quarter and Crime is down, again, this time by 11%. Sottile attributed the continued decline in reported crimes as proof the police department, under his administration and aided by special funding initiatives, is attacking the problem.

"It says to me is that we are addressing crime in the proper way, attacking it aggressively," Sottile said. "You are never going to eradicate all crime from your community, but I think that the message is clear her that we are reducing it."

The city, using FBI standards, defines "serious crime" as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and vehicle theft.

Committee Vote on Bradley set for July 21st

The Ulster County Democratic Committee will take a vote on the Wilson-Pakula for Vincent Bradley Jr., on Saturday, July 21st, 11 am at Kingston City Hall.

I strongly encourage all committee members to attend and vote against granting the Wilson -Pakula. I will give more specific details in the upcoming week.

Remember : If you vote against this measure there will NOT be a Democratic primary!

UCDW comes out against Wilson Pakula for Bradley

A mesage from Julie McQuain, President of the UCDW:


At our regular monthly meeting last night, the members of Ulster County Democratic Women unanimously voted to oppose granting a Wilson-Pakula waiver in the DA race.

The discussion was lively and included the following points:

1. A Wilson-Pakula waiver has been used to cross endorse someone from another party when we Democrats have no suitable candidate available.

2. After an energetic, issue-driven campaign conducted by 3 candidates Jonathan Sennett, an enrolled Democrat, won the approval of the full County Committee decisively on June 4th.

3. Vincent Bradley, a non-enrolled person, had many opportunities to persuade Democrats that he would be the best candidate for the Democratic Party, and did not.

4. Despite last-minute changes to the Democratic Executive Committee roster, Mr. Bradley’s supporters failed to win approval for a waiver on July 1.

5. Mr. Bradley has accepted the endorsement of the Conservative Party and of the Independence Party -- and therefore has the opportunity to run on those lines in November. No voter will be deprived of the ability to support Mr. Bradley.

6. With Julian Schreibman's withdrawal from the race there is now no need for a Democratic primary, unless a waiver is granted.

7. A Democratic primary could dissipate resources better used in the general election.

Julie McQuain, President
Ulster County Democratic Women
www.ucdw.org

Did Bradley threaten Julian's job?

The following is a letter that Mr. Shreibman wrote to the Executive Committee regarding Mr. Bradley, I have obtained this letter from an anonymous source. Parts of this letter were reported on in the Freeman a week or so ago. I have been asked by many to see the letter in it's entirety so here it is. With Julian out of the race it really makes me question his future if Bradley is elected D.A. Decide for yourself...

Note: Mr. Bradley denies that this happened.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my position to the Executive Committee. The question before the Committee is whether a non-Democrat should be granted a special exemption to wage a primary campaign against two qualified, life-long Democrats. It seems to me that to state the question is to answer it. Setting aside the specifics of this race, it is hard to imagine any situation in which it would be a good idea to create or expand a primary by granting a Wilson-Pakula waiver.

The Democratic Party is indeed the party of inclusion; at a time when the Party is doing well in Ulster County it is heartening - and not surprising - to find more and more citizens who want to join the winning team. Far from being excluded, Mr. Bradley has been welcomed to the Party. But it is one thing to join, and become involved in, a political party and another to presume to immediately supplant life-long Democrats as a candidate for one of the highest elected offices in the County. As Committee members have heard me say before, I returned to Ulster County to serve the community, not to run for office. In contrast, Mr. Bradley turned down a senior ADA position in the DA's Office last year, before later deciding to run for the top job.

I have been a registered Democrat since I was 18 years old. If I could have registered to vote at the age of 8, I would have registered as a Democrat. Mr. Bradley made a choice, repeatedly over many years, to not enroll as a Democrat while the Party was struggling to grow here. Ironically, Mr. Bradley is now seeking to run in a Democratic primary despite never having voted in one.

I have heard Mr. Bradley state that a principal reason he is NOP related to his work for the Manhattan DA's Office. I am unsure how this explains the preceding 11 or so years of his voting life before joining that Office. In any event, Mr. Bradley's explanation doesn't make much sense. During my own career as a public servant, I have worked in very sensitive, non-political positions in which any political activity was highly regulated and restricted. I have never encountered, nor heard of, any legal restrictions on party affiliation. Indeed, it would be illegal for a government employer to ask about, or restrict, party affiliation.

Finally, I believe it is appropriate for the Committee to consider what type of campaign would occur if Mr. Bradley is given special permission to primary. Although Mr. Sennett and I have differences in experience and ideas for the DA's Office, we have both adhered to a positive campaign focusing on our strengths. Indeed, during the pre-convention campaign, neither Mr. Sennett nor I made an issue of the fact that Mr. Bradley is not a Democrat. In contrast, however, since the convention, Mr. Bradley has run a fundamentally negative campaign, first by encouraging the false rumor that Mr. Sennett and I engaged in a political deal at the convention. In fact, while both men sought my support, only Mr. Bradley offered me a "deal" to steer votes toward him, and only Mr. Bradley implicitly threatened my position at the DA's Office when he apparently saw some of my supporters speaking to others about voting for Mr. Sennett. More significantly, over the past few weeks, Mr. Bradley, both directly and through proxies, has baselessly accused Mr. Sennett and me of unethical conduct in the performance of our duties as Assistant Public Defender and Assistant District Attorney, respectively. This type of campaigning does not serve anyone's interests, much less the Party's, and we should not encourage 12 more weeks of it.

I trust that the Committee members -- whether they agree with me or not -- will appreciate a plain statement of my views on this topic. I would be pleased to provide any other information or answer any other questions that Committee members might have.

UPDATED: Schriebman Drops out of D.A. Race

BREAKING NEWS: Julian Schreibman has dropped out of the D.A. race, at a press conference in front of the Ulster County court house he cited reasons that include a divided party and it's preferential treatment toward a specific candidate. Referring to the 19 appointees that where appointed to the Executive Committee, at what many saw as a clear attempt to allow Bradley to receive the Wilson Pecula exemption to run in a Democratic Primary. While Schreibman said he could not support a specific candidate because of his job as an ada, he did say he hoped Democrats would get behind Jonathan Sennett. " I can no longer work against the Party's candidate". Shreibman also strongly urged Vincent Bradley to drop out as well for the good of the party. "Mr. Bradley please help heal this party."

I have a new respect for Mr. Schreibman today, he could have stayed in or tried to get a promotion by coming out and endorsing a specific candidate but he didn't. He called a last minute press conference which many people were unaware of and gracefully bowed out. Mr. Schreibman did this selfless act because it was in the best interest of the party and he should really be commended for that. Thanks, Julian, thanks for running a clean race and having enough class and integrity to do the right thing. I wish Mr.Bradley would take a lesson from Julian, but somehow I doubt he will.


MR. Shreibman's full speech :

Good afternoon. During my travels around the County, I have had the pleasure of answering many questions about the District Attorney's Office and my role there as Senior Assistant District Attorney. Repeatedly and usually in private after a formal Q&A session has ended citizens have come to me with concerns about their local government. They worry about back-room deals and agreements that benefit the well-connected, including politicians themselves, rather than the public. In a word, they worry about corruption.

Sometimes, no doubt, these suspicions are misplaced, and result merely from a lack of transparency or communication. But, even when a concern is imagined, the worry alone corrodes the effectiveness of, and faith in, local government. �And if left unaddressed, it will fester as cynicism and disengagement. �Even more seriously, though, I have listened to concerns that have given me real pause. I have listened to very legitimate questions and accounts of troubling activities. �Especially at a time when new development projects are constantly proposed, the people of Ulster County must be confident that public officials are making decisions that benefit the citizens, not politicians or their well-connected friends.

In connection with last week's Independence Day holiday, I intended to address these concerns by proposing the reorganization of the DA's Consumer Fraud Bureau into the Public Integrity and Consumer Fraud Bureau, giving that Bureau explicit responsibility for receiving complaints of local government corruption, reviewing such claims and referring them, where appropriate, for prosecution by this Office. I know that our current District Attorney has plans to further improve and strengthen the Consumer Fraud Bureau and I believe adding this function would further enhance that Bureau and serve the citizens of this County.

Unfortunately, over the last two weeks, events within my own party have prevented me from making this proposal. �In light of the recent actions by some leaders of our Party, to give a speech about public integrity prosecutions would have been ironic, if not hypocritical.

As is well-known, the Party is currently considering whether to grant Vincent Bradley, Jr. a special waiver to run in the Democratic primary. Mr. Bradley requires this waiver because, over the last 21 years, he has never registered as a Democrat. His explanations for coming late to the Democratic table have been shifting and incomplete. �Nevertheless, I have welcomed him to the Party, and I do not question or criticize Mr. Bradley's decision to ask for that approval. But I have opposed granting this waiver. The so-called Wilson-Pakula waiver gives a Party the flexibility to endorse a non-party member when it lacks a qualified candidate. In this case, the Democrats already have two qualified candidates.�

The Party's Executive Committee was scheduled to vote on Mr. Bradley's request at its monthly meeting on June 27. On the eve of that meeting, it was clear that Mr. Bradley's request was opposed by a clear majority.

The meeting was abruptly canceled and then rescheduled for July 1, four days later. Between those two dates, the 29 members of the Executive Committee were notified that at least 20 new voting members had been appointed by the Chairman, in an unprecedented exercise of naked political power. �Nearly every new member was closely affiliated with Mr. Bradley's campaign, including members of his campaign committee, as well as his relatives. �All claimed the right to vote on Mr. Bradley�s waiver request. The matter has now been referred to the entire County Committee, where tempers will no doubt continue to run as high as the pressure to vote for the waiver.

These efforts must not be condoned or endorsed. The election of a District Attorney cannot be founded upon a contortion of principles on behalf of the powerful or famously-named. We cannot have a District Attorney who allows the rules to be bent for his own benefit. �A District Attorney cannot speak of equal justice for all citizens, if he is prepared to change the rules of the game when he doesn't like the outcome.�

Throughout this campaign, I have repeatedly said that the old style politics where who you know is more important than what you know, were a thing of the past. I was wrong. But I will not be wrong much longer. The citizens of this County know very well that ideas and experience are what matter in running our government successfully, not family connections or history. As Thomas Paine taught us more than 200 years ago, When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary There are two Democrats running for District Attorney who reject the old style of politics in Ulster County � Jonathan Sennett of New Paltz, and me. �Unfortunately for me, at the Party's June convention, Mr. Sennett received 31% of the vote and I received 29%, so that today he is the Party's formal nominee. And I am not.

Mr. Sennett and I disagree over matters of policy and approach to the DA�s Office. And, therefore, I was prepared to run an organized and issue-based primary campaign against him. However, in light of the divide within the Party whether we will be the Party of open government, public integrity, and progressive change, or whether we will just offer the failed politics of the past hidden beneath a different label it would not serve the interests of the Party or the citizens of the County, for me to continue to campaign against the Party�s nominee. �Rank and file members are eager to make clear their rejection of top-down decision making in this party; forcing them to choose between Mr. Sennett and me, detracts from that effort. Accordingly, I am here to tell you that last week I suspended petitioning and all other campaign activities, and that effective today, I am no longer a candidate for the Democratic nomination for District Attorney.

This has been a very successful campaign. Unlike my opponents, I began this race without political connections of any kind and I have been overwhelmed by the positive response we received from voters around the County. I'd like to thank my wife Shannon, who was the entire campaign staff for the first couple of weeks, and who remained the source of many of the ideas and much of the energy that ran through our campaign; my managers Trisha and Phil Schacter, who made our strong showing at the convention possible and brought us tantalizingly close to victory; dedicated advisor Sherrie Brittain, whose insight and feedback made each presentation we did better than the last; my boss, DA Don Williams, who has said many kind words on my behalf, when he didn't have to and wasn't asked; and many find members of the County Democratic committee who supported and believed in this campaign, but especially my old teacher Don Avallone of Saugerties, Terrie Rosenblum, the Chair in Woodstock, Ben Shor, the Chair in Marbletown and many members of the Marbletown committee; Legislator Phil Terpenning of Rosendale, and Joan Rice Smith of Ellenville.

Serving as Ulster County DA was a childhood dream for me. Today, I defer that dream. I do so out of an unwavering commitment to the principles and values of the Democratic Party. I pledge my support to the many leaders of our Party who are devoted to bringing Ulster County politics out of the 19th century, and forge a Party, and a County, we can all be proud of.

Politics cannot be just about winning elections; those of us who choose public careers do so to make a positive difference in peoples lives. With an eye to that greater good, it is imperative that any candidate be prepared to walk away from an election, be prepared to put the public ahead of personal goals and ambitions. I do so today. I ask Mr. Bradley to do the same. �He has always struck me as a decent man and I'm sure he is sincere in his desire to serve this County as DA. �But the time has come for him to take responsibility for his campaign and the divisions it has caused, and to be respectful of the will of the Party. I ask him to help heal our Party by rejecting and repudiating the extraordinary and unprincipled tactics that have been wielded on his behalf, in his name, and for his benefit. �I ask him to support the Party�s nominee for District Attorney.

I will be happy to answer any questions you have. I must emphasize that at the conclusion of this press conference, I will return to my work as a public servant at the DA's Office and the rules of professional ethics will prohibit me from participating directly in this election after today.

Thank you.�

Blaber's News makes endorsements for Mayor and Council races

Mayor - James M. Sottile- Honesty, Compassion, and Integrity. Those three words say it all, they have been the model of how Mayor Sottile has lead this great city. Mayor Sottile has addressed the every day concerns of Kingstonians that previous administration have chosen to ignore including our aging sewer system and the environmental concerns of our once industrious past including cleaning up junk yards along the Rondout Creek waterfront. Economic Development has increased with a new tenant in the business park that is expected early next year, the company, Armor Dynamics, will create 560 factory jobs when at full capacity. Also the Kirkland Hotel Renovation project is coming along nicely. The city is booming, financially under Sottile with an increased bond rating, showing that city is on the right track financially and allows the city to borrow money at a lower interest rate, which in the long run lowers taxes. Speaking of lowering taxes, the Mayor's 2007 budget brought forth it's lowest increase under his tenure in office, with a mere two percent increase, much lower then the projected cost of living. It is for these reasons I'm proud to support Mayor Sottile for another four years as our city's chief executive.

Alderman-at-Large- James Noble - Alderman-at- Large Noble is what every public servant should strive to be, he does what is best for the people not his political party. Mr. Noble serves as the council president and plays a very important role in Kingston politics. President Noble has made his ofice apolitical, if I did not know who Noble was, I would not be able to tell you what party he belonged to. He runs the council with the utmost integrity and it's honor to support him for another term as council president.

Ward 1- NONE write in-- Dan Gartenstien..... (Just kidding, Dan) as much as I want Mr.Gartenstien to run he has made his position very clear. Maybe someday we'll get him in there. The guy would be an asset in any public service type capacity.

Ward 2- Jennifer Ringwood umm...Mrs. Ringwood is running against a nut, need I say more? In all seriousness Mrs. Ringwood has been extremely proactive for the residents of Ward 2 and has tackled numerous quality of life concerns.

Ward 3- NONE

Ward 4- Shirley Whitlock- Mrs.Whitlock has made a commitment to the fourth ward and has vowed to do the best thing for the people and not grandstand like her opponent. Mrs. Whitlock was born and rasied in Kingston and is a reverend at a local church in the fourth ward.

Ward 5- Anne Marie DiBella - Kingston's rising star, I can't say enough good things about Alderman DiBella. Her commitment to the community and the residents of the fifth ward is to be applauded.

Ward 6- Robert Gillon - I had the privilege of serving on the cable commission with Mr.Gillon, he is someone who cares about Kingston and will do what is in the best interest of his constituents.

Ward 7- Bill Reynolds - Alderman Reynolds should be Senator Reynolds, the people of Kingston, in particular the 7th ward, are lucky to have someone of Alderman Reynolds' stature on the council.

Ward 8- Robert Senor- Alderman Senor has been a breath of fresh air since he won his seat back 2 short years ago. Just call him bipartisan Bob.

Ward 9- Mike Madsen - Kingston's hardest working Alderman. It's not unusual to see Alderman Madsen out changing municipal trash cans or picking up garbage on the city streets, he does this because he wants to make Kingston the best city it can possibly be.

Maurice Hinchey - antiSurge

A video I found on YouTube of our Congressman Maurice Hinchey, speaking out against the Iraq War.

Blaber News endorse candidates in Town of Ulster

Supervisor Nick Woerner- Supervisor Woerner has done extensive work in his short 2 year tenure as Supervisor, including the establishment of a legal police commission, lowering town taxes, and increasing services including expanding the town of Ulster police department. Nicky has completed all the campaign promises of his first term and is best suited to serve the town for another two....four?

Town Board:

Eric Kitchen- Mr. Kitchen has an established business in the town, extremely involved in the community and will always do what is in the best interest of the town of Ulster. He will be an asset to the town board.

Charles E. Thomas- Mr. Thomas has demonstrated superior leadership ability as Deputy Supervisor of the town of Ulster. A life long resident of the town and involved in numerous local town projects. I feel that Mr. Thomas demonstrates the qualities necessary to serve as a councilman and I support his candidacy 100%.

Town Justice : Dr. Aleo- Dr. Aleo has vowed to work with the community in a way a town Justice should, including being on call for law enforcement 24/7 and establishing night court in the town, making it easier for people to come to court and not have to take off a day of work. Dr. Aleo also has vowed to bring compassion to the court room, with alternative sentencing and punishments that fit the crime, amongst other programs. Dr. Aleo clearly stands out as the best choice for town Justice.