"This is what happens when people refuse to accept the status quo"
- Mike Hein, Ulster County Adimistartor
County Executive Michael Hein? That seems to be looking more and more of a reality these days, with Hein wrapping up his second fiscally sound budget as county administrator. Mr. Hein's tireless efforts in cooperation with Chairman David Donaldson and the Ulster county legislature have produced a budget for 2008 with the lowest tax increase in over a decade! With a mere 3.65% increase. Mr. Hein and the democratic majority should be commended for their work.
The budget in an effort to make government more open and available to the people is available online at : http://www.ulstercountyny.gov/
Bottom line, if Michael Hein doesn't launch a write in campaign for mayor in the next two weeks, he's looking good to become a possible front-runner for the position of County Executive next year.
Note : This is not an endorsement for Michael Hein, that would be irresponsible. It's too early and no one even knows if he is running and who else may run. Personally I feel Michael Hein would be a great candidate but my personal preference at this point is Assemblyman Kevin Cahill.
21 comments:
Mike Hein will not be the first County Exec. He is still considered by many in both parties, to be an opportunist who changed his enrollment when he saw the shifting of the tide back in 2005. He has put himself in a good position, but I don't believe he would stand a chance against someone like Kevin Cahill in a primary. If Kevin announces early enough, he may even avoid a primary.
Mike not only pulled a switcharoo in terms of his enrollment, but he's a big Bradley supporter. the pictures are plastered all over Bradley's website and donations recorded in the public registrar.
No thanks, i'm not interested in someone running this county with such poor judgement.
Mr.Hein supported Bradley prior to the convention, he's now supporting Sennett.
Anyone who thinks this years DA race is ugly, just stay tuned for next year. Absent some skilfull reconciliation, it will be the north of the county party vs. the south, Kingston fighting to retain its position of influence, Parete fighting to maintain control, the democratic women v. the Olive crowd, the democratic women v. the newer democratic women, the Hillary people v. the non-Hillary people, the Cahill fans v the rest of the party, and so on and so on.
While the theatrics can be amusing, and things certainly will not be dull, the factions in the party need to make peace now or risk bloodshed.
Next year Parete will be gone. The Kingstonians will have to knuckle under or wither because the national election will sweep the progressives right over them. I see perfect unity and harmony. The few disgruntled regressives will just have to eat it. The question is,who is the best progressive to replace Parete? The test is simple,engage in a discussion of issues,then suddenly flip sides on them. The winner is the one who can stay focused and reply. The losers all flinch. I'm sure Jon remembers when I did it to him. He passed. Few do.
The good thing about next year is that everyone interested is a registered Democrat as of today. This means that the primary voters will decide, not a couple hundred elitists who picked this year.
I agree with earlier post, Kevin Cahill will clear the field if he wants the job. Mike Hein is an opportuninst and would be called out in a primary and not win. If Cahill declines than we need someone who knows how to win. That would be Mayor Sottile, one of the Parete's, Nick Woerner or even Stoeckler from Rochester area. It needs to be someone experienced and succesfull in running campaigns. No losers apply.
Mike Hein supports Bradley when he's around Bradley people and he supports Sennett when he's around Sennett people. Not someone I would vote for.
3:33 is exactly right. Things are looking scary.
One thing's for sure, we need leadership that will heal & unify, not act improperly, abusively and secretly.
This blog doesn't really help much either. Very slanted framing of the issues and zero intelligent or helpful comments.
Outlook is bleak.
This all could have been avoided and all the parties would have made peace - Its called a PRIMARY!The people in the Dem party who support Vince Bradley were told to shut up and sit down and resources,time,blood,sweat and tear were focused on fighting hard against a primary. I am a person that think Bradley is the best candidate,but if there were a primary would have supported the party choice.The candidate was not picked by the ranks within the party but by a small group who was able to yell louder. The larger problem for the party is the people who employed these tactics dont know a better way and this will undermine any gains we have made in recent elections. Good luck to all parties!
Joe Stoeckeler would do a good job. He'd enjoy my support if that's a job he wants.
Sheesh. Based on the candidates he is promoting 5:53 describes exactly the kind of nightmere I hope we avoid in '08.
Maybe if someone paid him more money he could join another party and run but a person with a FOR SALE sign can't win the residents of Ulster County are smarter than that
Kevin Cahill is spineless!
We don't need a "Foster Brooks" like Kevin Cahill running for County Executive. Yeah, ok so when Crybaby Cahill does not get his way he'll get into a fight with Donaldson in a bar. Cahill screwed this County on the Mortgage and Hotel Tax. He is the reason that there is a tax increase at all. He should be more concerned about his potential primary chalengers like Sue Zimit and Pete Lourghan. The only thing Cahill has going for him is that the two of them are just as bad as he is. He should look further to see who realy has him in their sights. Beware Kevin, beware...
Sue Zimet will never run for any county wide office again. She has managed to piss off 75% of county committee. She is totally despised. Pete Loughran will lose his seat this year for a 2bd time. I agree with earlier poster, losers need not apply.
Primaries are good. You get rid of the pretenders and end up with the contenders. I say Lougrhan, Zimet, Cahill, Hein, Sottile, Donaldson, Stoeckler, the mystery candidate, all of them should go to a primary and may the best candidate win.
The party had a WP vote and Bradley lost by thousands! What only the loudmouthed Kingstonians count? The assertion that this DA election was stolen is just pure bigotry against our populace. 7:18-you're the small group that's yelling louder, but you're way outnumbered. Give it up. You cronies aren't in charge anymore.
The mortgage tax again? Cahill was the only one smart enough not to go along with that shortsighted quick fix. If you had your mortgage tax, the county would be balancing its budget on the backs of people struggling to keep their homes. Anyone who was taken advantage of by a predatory lender during the housing boom who is lucky enough to refinance would be hit by this tax at exactly the wrong time.
This mortgage/bed tax was conceived because no one had the guts to take on any meaningful reforms when it came to the way the county conducts its business. A new tax would just serve to continue this sorry state of affairs. Look at some of these numbers:
Ulster County's change in property tax levy 2001-2006 = 108%. That's the second highest increase in the in the state and way ahead of the third place finisher (85%). The state average and median increase hovered around 46% during this time period.
Our debt per capita was at $950 in 2005, good for 5th highest in the state. The state median was $399 and the average was $459.
Employee Benefits as % of overall expenses (2005) = 15.4%. Also, 5th highest in state. State median was 11.8%, average was 12.1%.
From 2000-2005 Ulster had the 7th largest gap in revenue growth vs
expense growth, with expenses out pacing revenues.
http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/fincounties.pdf
It is important to note that these impressive numbers were all the result of the Republican legislature's impotence. That is why they voters replaced them with the Dems. Too bad their solution was a lot of "progressive" talk and a regressive mortgage tax.
If the first county executive is going to be a Democrat, you better hope she/he is someone willing and able to cut this govt down to size. Someone with enough foresight not to pander to special interests with a same as it ever was quick fix mortgage tax. If they aren't, the voters will find someone who will.
Unfortunately, the charter calls for a county executive instead of a county manager. If we went with a manager, we could require education and experience, and look outside the county. The manager would be answerable to the legislature (and in turn the voters), just as the executive will be answerable to the voters. Any shlock(?) can run and win, and that's a scary thought. It all depends upon who has money and personality, not ability and experience. And, as far as still whining denying Bradley a primary, the party leaders told Besiel, Ricks and Engel not to primary McGinty. Kevin Cahill told Schreibman and Sennett in April not to primary (it was unfathomable to him that Bradley wouldn't prevail at the Convention). I still haven't heard any justification for the hypocrisy.
Zimet's mouth, ego and ambition are huge, and so she is likely to run again for NYS Senate or a county wide office. If Zimet becomes our Senator it would be a crying shame - but if she became county administrator, it would be a disaster.
Zimet doesn't think before opening her mouth. She'll never get the support that Jon is getting now.
Had a thought for next year.
Rather than having a convention, lets all get together and go to a ballgame, eat some hot dogs and drink a few beers. Those committee people who do not like baseball can go to Hillside and watch home movies and eat some popcorn.
We can agree from the beginning that everyone who is interested will run in one big primary. Who cares about party rules, we can just assume that those who came up with the rules didn't know what they were doing.
Maybe we can have a couple of run offs after an initial primary and we can watch all the candidates spend piles of money and endless energy fighting amongst themselves instead of concentrating on defeating whoever runs on the republican line.
If one takes the words of some in the party to heart, the convention is just the party elite making decisions for the rest of the enrolled party members.
So lets just eliminate the voting part of the convention, and just get together and spend some quality time with each other. Then we can go right to a primary with anyone who wants to run having our full support for their candidacy. No favorites, no endorsements from the party. Just one big free for all.
Sounds real productive.
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