Thursday, January 24, 2008

Audio Blog w/ Assemblyman Kevin Cahill

Check out my new audio blog with Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. Our Assemblyman talks about Gov. Spitzer's recent budget proposal and the upcoming Presidential Primary.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ulster County is Cahill Country. You should of asked him if he is running for County Executive. We need Cahill to lead this County.

Anonymous said...

It would be a shame to lose cahill in the state legislature. Who could replace him? But on the other hand, he would make a great county executive. Tough choice he has to make there.

Anonymous said...

I hope Kevin Cahill runs for County Executive also. That way we can elect someone qualified to be our State Assemblyman. Cahill has sat there for the last 10 years and did nothing for the people. When the County Legislature asked him for additional mortgage tax to help fix their problems he said no. When the County Legislature asked him for additional Hotel Tax to help fix their problems he said no. But instead the County was forced to raise property taxes on their residents and business’. Kevin in not the Assemblyman he promised he would be. He does not talk to have of the elected leaders in this county or for that matter the Daily Freeman. That will be difficult to run for let alone be the County Executive if you can play nice in the sand box. So Kevin, please do what your ego is telling you to do RUN FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

Anonymous said...

He talks like a politician. We don't need any more politicians. We need leaders. He is not a leader.

Anonymous said...

the last i heard, donaldson and his crew were out there spouting the very low, below COLA, minuscule property tax increase. that tells me that the legislators should be happy with that decision. they were able to present a reasonable budget without new taxes. it also tells me that the other taxes were definitely not needed. ill take a person who doesn't raise taxes blindly, over someone who uses them as a crutch any day of the week. now that is my friends, is leadership. run for exec kevin.

Anonymous said...

As if the freeman matters. Who cares about that rag? If Blaber is covering Cahill, he is golden!

Anonymous said...

I wonder how folks caught up in the sub-prime mess would feel about a mortgage tax right now?

If you want to talk about leadership, ask the hospitals. Who brought home almost $50 million dollars to keep them both open?

Too bad the visionaries putting together the county budget decided to put the future of health care and the local economy at risk by selling out to Empire Blue Cross for a one shot budgetary gimmick. We'll by lucky if we have any doctors left in Ulster by the end of the year.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I would be very happy to have Blue Cross Blue Shield. As I understand it, this is the first time ever health care costs actually did not go up in Ulster County.

You can't have it both ways...cost efficiencies are a good thing in a county where taxes are burying the working class.

Anonymous said...

It said who COULD. That moron in Ulster certainly could NOT! A legend in his own mind at the age of 20 whatever. Would he move out of Mommies house then? What a jerk.

Anonymous said...

Blue Cross Blue Shield is a for-profit share holder oriented operation. They are the Wal-Mart of health insurance.

By designating Empire as the only choice of insurance providers for Ulster employees they have given them enough market share to make them the only game in town. Maybe your premiums stay in check for the next year, but you can't ignore the high cost of their low prices.

When Wal-Mart pressures their suppliers to deliver goods at the cheapest costs possible, what do we get? Lead paint in children's toys and poison in our pet food. What happens when we apply those pressures to health care providers? They either stop accepting new patients, retire or set up clinic-like operations where we stop getting the standard of care we need.

If we limit health care options in Ulster County, those dollars and jobs go elsewhere to Albany, Westchester or across the river. The health care industry is one of the few things we have going for us . What business is going to want to come here if we don't have the docs to take care of their employees? The out-migration of patients is going to be the death knell of the future of Ulster County. If our primary care physicians don't accept the paltry sum Empire is offering for their services that is exactly what will happen.

We absolutely must find a way to control the costs of health care, but lowering and limiting the standard of care is not the way to do it.

Anonymous said...

6:41 PM said - "I wonder how folks caught up in the sub-prime mess would feel about a mortgage tax right now?"


You obviously don't understand how a mortgage tax is assessed. First, it is paid by the buyer. Second, it does not kick in until the price goes over a certain threshhold. For example, if the threshhold is $250,000, then the tax is assessed on any amount over that price. So a house sold for $300,000 would mean the buyer pays a tax on $50,000. It is really more significant for high- priced houses and properties, thus it is paid mostly by the wealthy. In short, it is a progressive tax.

Anonymous said...

11:45 - I think you are the one who does not get it. You are talking about a Real Estate Transfer tax that has a built in home price exemption. These taxes can be levied on either the buyer or seller depending on how the tax is structured in the law. If done correctly this levy can be applied in a progressive manner which I believe is what Kevin was asking the county to do all along.

The county asked for a mortgage tax that did not include an affordable housing option. Even if it did, people buying expensive homes would simply take out multiple mortgages to avoid paying the tax.

The main reason the county wanted this tax was to cash in on all those people refinancing their mortgages during the housing boom. Every time they used their house like an ATM the county would be there to take a cut.

Back to the sub-prime mess. Now that the bubble has burst, the bulk of the people refinancing their mortgages are doing so in order to hold onto their homes. These are the families that would have gotten hit with your so-called progressive mortgage tax.

Like the health insurance decision, this was another shortsighted budgetary gimmick. It is a good thing Kevin was able to look past the next election to do what was right for the county.

Anonymous said...

11:45 Wrong!!! The mortgage tax, as it stands right now, is a flat 1/2% of the amount being borrowed. If someone borrows $100,000 the tax is $500, $200,000 the tax is $1,000 and so on. Increasing the tax from 1/2% to 3/4% would do nothing other than to increase the amount of the tax paid for EVERYONE. Nothing progressive about that. Increasing this tax is nothing other than government being too lazy to get off their fat ass and find a real solution to the problem. Their answer is to place the burden on those who are looking to live, work and raise their families here. Welcome to Ulster County.

Anonymous said...

to 8:41 AM & 9:24 AM -

I was wrong and I stand corrected. I confused the Real Estate Transfer Tax with the Mortgage Tax.

The RE Transfer Tax is a good idea, the Mortgage Tax is a BAD idea.

Thanks for pointing out my error.

Anonymous said...

I hope Cahill runs for County Exec. The company Hein keeps (Spada and Oliveri) and his supporters (Sottile, et al) leave a lot to be desired - they're not Democrats. Hein was a life-long Republican and didn't become a Democrat until two years ago when the Dems took the majority in the legislature. Cahill would win the county nomination; if Hein took him to a primary, Hein would lose. Go for it, Kevin!

Anonymous said...

Kevin Cahill would lose in a Democratic primary. I hope he goes for it. we will finally be rid of him and his vindictive style.

Anonymous said...

Exactly who would beat Kevin? I can not think of anyone who would. Kevin has the name recognition and experience to win. If Hein was smart, he would reach out to Cahill and team up as the comptroller candidate. It is his only chance if Cahill runs.

A Cahill and Hein ticket is unbeatable.

Anonymous said...

No way would Kevin lose - the word would get out about Hein - he's a slumlord and his cronies are corrupt. Kevin is certainly arrogant, but I've never known him to be vindictive (if he has been, do tell - I am curious).

Anonymous said...

The fact that Cahill won't talk to his local newspaper, which is read by many of his constituents, speaks worse about Cahill than it does the Freeman. Cahill must think he's the Bill Clinton of local politics.

Anonymous said...

If I were Cahill, I would not talk to them either. Unlike most politicians, Cahill has the balls to tell them to stick it up their ass when the constantly misreport events and issues. He does not care that they will not publish his name.

Anonymous said...

The Freeman is not a newspaper,it is a tabloid being unscrupulously printed in newspaper format. Yellow journalism to be kind. I think this issue about the tax is silly. If I'm going to buy a house at $200,000,and the tax on the mortgage is $1000 or $1500 who cares? It's a one time cost that pales in comparison to other closing costs. Countrywide scams $7000 out of it's customers on half that amount. Now there's a criminal enterprise.

Anonymous said...

7:32 Taxes are never silly if you are the one who has to pay them.

Supply and demand should control the market place.

If you don't like Countrywide's closing costs go look at Ulster Savings, Rondout Savings, Sawyer Savings, Ulster Federal Credit Union, MidHudson Valley Federal Credit Union and so on. Shop around and pick the best deal you can find.

Don't like the mortgage tax, too bad, its the first (not last)of many, many taxes you will have to pay for the privilege of owning property in Ulster County.

Finally, Ulster County isn't supposed to be a company in the business of making a profit. Countrywide is.

Anonymous said...

10:46-You give Countrywide too much credit. They're not exactly making money. I pay more taxes than anyone on this blog. I'm glad to pay to clean up the appalachian hillbilly republicans. I love to see their homes spring up "for sale" signs as they flee. Then I laugh at how they can't sell because they're too greedy and resort to renting to social service recipients. Hmm, that's another good tax idea! Slumlord tax! Ha ha ha, make them all rent their red state homes to come back to avoid MORE tax. And you folks thought high taxes were just a coincidence. So naive.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone list the legislation Cahill has authored that has made our lives better, safer or healthier?

Anonymous said...

I like that buyer protection against scanner mistakes. I don't know if he wrote it,and I haven't got the heart to use it, but it sure sends a message.

Anonymous said...

to 4:48
I would guess that one of these prime sponsored bills were O.K.


Sponsored Legislation

Prime-Sponsored Legislation:
A00029 Gen Bus L. safe pharma drugs
A00078 V & T L. registratn/title info
A00079 Gen Mun. hi risk duties standard
A00080 ABC. co-op agrmnt
A00126 Gen Mun. health ins emer serv vo
A00127 RPT L. property tax assessments
A00128 RPT L. cred. franchise fees
A00150 Lab. limit consctr. nurse hours
A00204 V & T L. fines fail safe appr ve
A00243 Pen L. temp. surr. firearms
A00244 Elect. polling place accessibilt
A00279 Ins. 3rd party notifctn for snrs
A00280 Telework 2007 Act: tsk frc/dem p
A00354 Ed L. sprinker equip; collg dorm
A00355 Academic review board; textbooks
A00378 Ed L. emplymt of schl nurses
A00402 Gen Bus L. homeowners; liens
A00403 Work C. cost-of-living adjustmt
A00404 RPT L. assessor recpt STAR
A00470 Civ Serv. hlth ins. after-adopte
A00477 Exec. int control officers respo
A00500 Tran. permit vets on taconic pkw
A00514 Vol Ffs Ben. claims asst unit
A00515 V & T L. no fees purple ht plate
A00518 V & T L. amber reflector/bikes
A00519 Ag & Mkts. animal release/custod
A00524 Ed L. prorated fee refund to sps
A00526 Ed L. commiss to recom trustees
A00527 Pub Serv. toll-free #/unslct
A00533 Ed L. acc`ntng exempts;
A00534 RPT L. reservoir valuation metho
A00573 En Con L. mining permit; applict
A00574 REALPRTX. forms w/ largr print
A00605 Soc Serv. 9/11 victim health car
A00606 Pub Serv. utility serv.center
A01277 Hudson Sch.Math,Sci.,Engineering
A02570 Ag & Mkts. agrcltl. notice to of
A02571 Exec. disab. discrim. prot.
A02600 ABC. on-prem wine: NY-prod bevs
A02601 Children`s book biennial contest
A02602 Pub Heal. ntfy ptnts revok medli
A03284 Genetics advisory council
A03462 Pub Serv. citizns` util advoc bd
A03463 Tax. exempt; schl book fair good
A03735 Exec. NYS genome institute
A03903 Ed L. school aid 75/25 ratio
A03904 Pub Serv. consumer guide
A03905 Pub Heal. ban smoking; st office
A03928 St Fin. net econ. imp on purchsn
A03929 Pub Heal. access dur med equip
A03930 Ed L. TAP awards
A03931 RPT L. tax & surv.maps; notice
A04739 Soc Serv. medical asst
A04746 Ed L. financing public education
A04785 Gen Bus L. fees for wireless com
A04786 Pub Heal. sep recyc mat & sl wst
A04787 Ed L. NY international schlp pro
A04788 Lab. liability of LLC, LLPs
A05639 Ed L. NY YouthBuild demo prog
A05703 Const. comptr; AG;special electn
A06517 Exec. tribal comp gaming facilit
A06892 RP L. 90 day evict not disabled
A06893 Pub Off. compt/AG vacancy; elect
A07645 Pub Heal. prescrption privacy ac
A07672 V & T L. Explore NY 400 plates
A07675 Pub Heal. genealogical research
A07683 Tax. deduct indiv plan empl svce
A07686 En Con L. mercury emissions redu
A07692 Ed L. nutritionists; alt; healin
A07713 En Con L. FOI dam safety
A07714 Pub Serv. util rate eco impact
A07715 Gen Bus L. credit card late char
A07716 Pk & Rec. herit infrastrctre act
A07717 Elect. campaign expenditures
A07718 Pub Heal. nursing home agreemt
A07719 Ed L. medical physics; reg fees
A07720 Pub Off. sale of real prop state
A07721 Exec. observ patient; unlawful
A07722 Tax. ind. cntrts. dir. new hires
A07723 CP L. bench warrants; ct officer
A07724 Pub Off. exemptions health safet
A07796 Ed L. schl dist vote; resid proo
A07797 Ec Dev. child. ed. eco. act
A07798 ABC. sale of liquor; on/off-site
A07802 Elect. ballot pamphlets
A07829 Ins. hair prosthesis; coverage
A07830 Ed L. director of facilities
A07831 Personal care trend language
A07852 Ins. super ins proh retro chgbks
A07853 Ins. recd pers med info
A07854 Vol Ffs Ben. pymnt of death benf
A07855 Hway. Shawangunk Wine Trail
A07856 Soc Serv. asst/durable med equip
A07880 Ed L. school energy reserve fund
A07894 Ins. 1st surg asst svs reimbs
A07958 Tax. tax stamps; cigarettes
A07959 Ed L. eliminate citizenship req.
A07989 Leg. NYS legislative research sv
A08025 Const. office of public advate
A08380 Retire: Vincent G. Bradley bnfit
A08473 Civ Serv. dir of fcltys; cvl srv
A08886 Tax. petroleum heating exemption
A08925 Exec. Esopus creek added
A09026 Hudson River Valley Greenway
A09063 ABC. exempts cert parcels
A09104 Gen Mun. commun preserve funds
A09105 Gen Mun. commun preserve funds
A09345 Ag & Mkts. companion anl hoardin
A09359 Tax. Ulster Co transfr tax
A09478 ABC. exempts cert parcels

Anonymous said...

Nice list! I doubt the inquirer was serious enough to actually read them though. I don't think there's any doubt that Kevin is a capable politician. He's definitely a thinking person, not just a stuffed suit. Does he want to stay down here instead of moving up? I know we have a shortage of thinkers around here but putting the best at the highest level always seemed to be the most effective way to govern.

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