Thursday, February 28, 2008

Dan Gartenstein Joins Blaber Show Tonight!

Please tune into my show tonight at 8:30pm. This week, I'll be welcoming former School Board President Dan Gartenstein. Make sure to call in the show!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Freeman Pulls Hatchet Job on Assemblyman Cahill


I just want to point out that today's editorial in the Daily Freeman is pretty disgraceful. The Freeman continues to distort our Assemblyman's record and I find it appalling. They pretty much accused our Assemblyman of being a yes man for Shelly Silver because he sponsored a piece of legislation with Speaker Silver and could not recall the specific legislation when confronted by a lobbyist in what appears to be an informal and hostile manner. Or so they say, the Freeman does not include in it's editorial what the legislation was or what the other side of the story is. Instead, they lift an article from the NY Times, analyze it completely out of context and take the word of some lobbyist.

First, here is a list of some of the legislation that our Assemblyman has co-sponsored :

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 Trai
lA07856 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

A long and impressive list if you ask me. I think it is perfectly reasonable especially since the Freeman gave no context to the year the bill was sponsored, that Kevin may not of remembered a bill when put on the spot. It takes time to go back and look it up and give a detailed answer, which Cahill offered to do. And, of course, the Freeman knows that is the case. The Freeman should stop their vendetta against Cahill and other progressive Democrats. Is it any wonder why Assemblyman Cahill refuses to talk to a "news" paper that continues to smear him on a regular basis?

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Bruno's Majority Down to 1 Seat: Aubertine Wins Senate Seat in Heavy GOP District


Majority Leader Joe Bruno must be shaking in his cowboy boots tonight after his once large majority has shrunk to a single seat after Democrat Assemblyman Darell Aubertine defeated William Barkely in a special election tonight in the 48th Senatorial district that has a huge GOP advantage.

Expect Governor Eliot Spitzer to roll out the red carpets and offer GOP Senators in key districts nice easy jobs in his administration to take back the State Senate. Our own Senator John Bonacic is rumored to be considering switching his party registration and becoming a Democrat. Bonacic also lives in a key district and could be one of the Senators to be asked again to join the administration. In which case Sue Zimet would easily win a special election for the seat. Whether it's now or in November, the writing is on the wall for the Dems to take back the Senate.


Also on a side note Stuart Fraser went down and campaigned for now Senator-elect Aubertine and that's not unusual. Mr. Fraser is someone that really does great things for our party. Not only is he someone that is always willing to help you out but the type of guy that will go all the way to Oswago County to campaign for a special election that will benefit our party. Kudos to Stuart Fraser.



Aubertine got 27,712 votes, compared to Barclay's 25,001 votes, according to the unofficial breakdown of election results from the three counties that cover the district:



Oswego County (98% reporting):

13,290-Will Barclay

7,759-Darrell Aubertine

St. Lawrence County (100% reporting):

4,084-Will Barclay

6,502-Darrell Aubertine

Jefferson County (99% reporting):

7,627-Will Barclay

13,451-Darrel Aubertine

Monday, February 25, 2008

Ringwood's Smoking Ban Moves Closer to Law

The Kingston Laws and Rules Committee unanimously recommended that smoking be banned in all City owned property. The penalty for violation would be $100.

This is really a no-brainier, the effects of smoking and second hand smoke are extremely dangerous and Innocent bystanders on City property should be protected.


One example of how this will improve the quality of life for Kingstonians is this: After the Kingston hospital banned smoking on their property, hospital employees go over and smoke at city hall. Senior citizens coming to pay their taxes should not have to breath that smoke. While hospital employees are moving to city hall, in the long run they will be sending City Hall employees to Kingston Hospital.


I commend Alderman Ringwood and urge all the members of the Kingston Common Council to vote in favor of this.

Clinton to Obama: 'Shame on you'

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Mike Hein for County Executive


I said in November when Mr. Hein first announced that I was going to wait until late February or early March before I looked at this race for County Executive. Over those months, I have had time to research what the qualifications are for the position and in my opinion there is no one that is qualified to lead this county as our first executive more than Mike Hein. As County Administrator Mike Hein has shown the proven leadership skills to lead this county in the right direction. I will be pleased to support him to be the Democratic nominee for Ulster County Executive.


With that being said, there is a fundraiser for Mr. Hein next month that I encourage people to attend. Details below.

You are invited to Join the Committee to Elect Mike Hein as the First Ulster County Executive


Where : The Reservoir Inn
159 Basin Rd (off Route 28), West Hurley
When : Friday, March 14th 6-9pm

Buffet/Cash Bar/ Live Band - $30.00 person

RSVP to 331 3638 by March 10th

Checks payable to:
Committee to Elect Mike Hein
PO Box 3005
Kingston, NY 12402

Williams to be on Jeremy Blaber Show


I got a call tonight from former Ulster County D.A. Don Williams today and he had left a message about coming on my show to discuss the social host law that he has spearheaded. I give Mr. Williams a lot of credit for that, I had some concerns and he has reached out to me to address them. I'm working to set up a date to have Mr. Williams on my show in the near future. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Williams, he is a person who has dedicated his life to public service, I'm confident that his appearance on my show will inform the public as well as myself on this new law. More details as they develop.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Ulster Town Board Steps Up To Keep KPA Going

Below is a video of the Town of Ulster Board voting to give 5,000 dollars to public Access for the year of 2008. The measure passed 4-1 with Councilman Kitchen voting against the proposal.

" I'm not against KPA but I don't agree with the way it is being funded. Councilman Kitchen donated $250 out of his own pocket, Supervisor Woerner doubled that amount by pledging $500.


Thanks to Clark Richters for the video

Hillary Clinton's Great Moment Last Night

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Jeremy Blaber with NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli


NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli came down to Kingston for a round table discussion between business leaders and elected officials in Ulster County. There was a lot of talk about the discussion of the upstate economy and the state of Ulster County. Comptroller DiNapoli referred to Ulster County as above the curve on many key issues in New York State.

After the round table discussion which I only caught the last five minutes of, there was a smaller round table for the "press" which consisted of Jesse Smith, of the Kingston Times and myself getting about a half hour of one on one time with our Comptroller which was exciting and informative. There is no doubt in my mind that the State Legislature, Cahill included, made the right choice in picking DiNapoli. I found Comptroller DiNapoli to be very knowledgeable about our fiscal issues and and extremely down to earth.

Many may remember that I was one of the first in the state to support and mention DiNapoli in 2006 for the State's Chief Fiscal Post. Read post here: Blaber Endorses DiNapoli for Comptroller


Kingston Mayor James Sottile presents NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli with a City of Kingston lapel pin which DiNapoli sported the rest of the day.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Make Sure To Tune In Tomorrow For My New Show


My new show will start this Thursday (tomorrow) and will air at 8:30pm. Be sure to watch and call in if you would like.


Show Schedule :


2/21 Jonathan Sennett


2/28 Dan Gartenstein


3/6 Assemblyman Marc Molinaro


3/13 Ulster County Legislator Rich Parete

Paula Leonard,former Judge and Ulster Police Commisioner Suffers Heart Attack

Paula Leonard a former Ulster Town Justice and current Ulster Police Commisioner suffered a heart attack and is undergoing emergancy surgery. I ask that people keep Justice Leonard in your thoughts for the next few days. More details as they become available.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Yankee Jim Kills Wife And Then Self

Jim Leshkevich a white supremacist who went by the name "Yankee Jim", shot his wife Deberah Leskhevich, an employee of the Onteora school district, and then hung himself after finding out his wife was having an affair.


State police at the Ulster barracks said they went to 213 Morgan Hill Road at 11 a.m. after co-worker's of Deborah Leshkevich voiced concern about her well-being. Police said that, once inside the house, they found Mrs. Leshkevich, 55, dead in a bedroom and the body of her husband James, 52, in an attached garage.


Jim Leshkevich was one of the organizers of a rally in Kingston last year headed by Hal Turner.


Last night, Leshkevich left a rambling post on his blog about his wife's affair (www.thehudsonvalleyfreeman.blogspot.com), in the post he wrote, "This will also be the last post on The Hudson Valley Freeman for a while. I'm just too depressed over all this to continue. Hopefully that'll change in the future.Why the fuck did it have to end like this?!!!"


The blog post also goes into great details and names names....it's intresting to see how this guys mind works. Sourses say that Mrs. Leshkevich was in the process of getting a divorce. The situation is very tragic.

Just Words. Just not Obama's.

Obama outed as a plagiarist. Give me a break with this guy, his message of hope is not even his own.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Jonathan Sennett To Appear This Thursday On My New Show


Jonathan Sennett the 2007 Democratic nominee for District Attorney, will be the first guest on my new show that will air live this Thursday at 8:30 on ch. 23. I'm honored to have Mr. Sennett on my first show back and I encourage people to watch and call in.

Blaber News Poll : Kingston Should Fund KPA

The Blaber News poll that was conducted this last week shows that 51% of people feel that the City of Kingston should fund public access. There is a finance meeting this Thursday at 7:30pm. I encourage people to go out and tell the committtee how you feel. The chair and memebers of Kingston's finacne committee are good resonable people and will listen.

Assemblyman Molinaro to Appear on my New Show


Assemblyman Marcus Molinaro will be a guest on my new show on March 6th at 7:30pm. Molinaro first appeared on my show when he was running for Assembly and I'm glad to have him back on. Assemblyman Molinaro represents the 103rd district of the New York State Assembly.


Also, I'll be doing a poll on the naming of my new show, it used to be be Late Night w/ Jeremy Blaber, now that I'm on at 8:30 I need to change it.

Friday, February 15, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: SOTTILE WILL APPOINT HOFFAY IN MAY

Kingston Mayor Jim Sottile has confirmed that he will appoint Tom Hoffay in May to replace Alderwoman Ringwood who is moving out of the area. Jim Sottile has made a great descion and I think the residents of Ward 2 will be well served.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

SUPERVISOR WOERNER AND TOWN STEP UP TO THE PLATE; GIVES PUBLIC ACCESS 5 GRAND


Last night, I called Supervisor Woerner and we had a long conversation about public access and it's risk of shutting down. Nick was very receptive to the need to keep public access alive and the benefit and potential that it has for this community. Supervisor Woerner pledged at the public access commission meeting tonight, to go to his town board and have them provide $5000.00 to keep the station alive.

At the commission meeting tonight Supervisor Woerner also spoke about working with the commission on improvements, "I'm here to say that I want to be a partner with public access and work with you in your efforts to continue to raise money and improve programing to make public access the best that it can be, I'll be at this meeting, the next meeting and the meeting after that to help you achieve these goals," said Woerner.

This $ 5000.00 will be the town's commitment for 2008, and will hopefully be an annual thing to help with operating expenses. The money breaks down to a little more than $1 per subscriber, and will come out of the town's general fund. Woerner added that one of the goals he will be working with the commission on is to become financially self sufficient.

This is a great thing and I really commend Nick and the Town of Ulster for stepping up to the plate and making sure that public access continues. I think people should come to the town hall meeting on Thursday at 7 pm and thank the town board and Supervisor Woerner for recognizing the importance of supporting our local public access.

I encourage the City of Kingston and other townships to follow Woerner's example. While the money provided is a great start and more than Ulster's fair share, there is a long way to go to keep public access running. I know Lisa Alt is meeting with a person that may want to contribute money privately and that's great. However, the other town's must step up to the plate.

On a semi related note: I will be resuming my show on Thursday nights at 8:30pm. I hope to do a story about a possible co-host in the near future





Supervisor Woerner Keeps KPA Alive



Check out our Audio Blog below with Town of Ulster Supervisor Nick Woerner.


Mobile post sent by blabernews using Utterz Replies.  mp3

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Sottile To Pick Jen's Succesor This Week

Mayor Sottile is expected to pick Alderwoman Ringwood's successor this Friday, whoever is appointed will serve on the council until the end of the year, a special election will take place in November. Alderwoman Ringwood is resigning as of May1st and relocating out of the area.

At this point the odds on favorite is Tom Hoffay, a former Chairman of the Ulster County Democratic party and the smartest person that I know. Tom Hoffay is a Kingston native and life long Ward 2 resident...if you followed the recent elections, that alone should be enough.

Tom Hoffay is without a doubt the most qualified to continue the efforts to improve the quality of life of the 2nd Ward that Jen has championed during her tenure. Hoffay has a great deal of understanding about the issues of the Ward and the issues currently facing the City of Kingston.

I'm confident that Mayor Sottile recognizes Hoffay's attributes and will appoint him on Friday to be the next Alderman of the 2nd Ward.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Kingston Public Access at Risk of Shutting Down


We have all heard the rumors and rumblings over the possible closing of Kingston Public Access TV on February 29th due to lack of funds to maintain operations. The KPA commission has asked that the City of Kingston take $10,000 from the City's general fund to provide emergency funding for the station.

Some producers have claimed that the Mayor and certain Aldermen want to silence them because they are critical of the current administration. I disagree with that logic, the criticism is not working...the Mayor and his Council all won reelection. I do believe that the Mayor and certain Aldermen are hesitant to fund KPA because of a current commission that refuses to hold producers accountable to the rules and procedures that they have adopted. Also, there is an outstanding $3,000 liability that the Commission owes the City that needs to taken care of.

At this point the deadline for the Council to give money to KPA has passed and in order to maintain funding the Commission needs to raise $800 to continue for another month.

During that month the Commission must immediately make an appointment with the Cable Committee and the Mayor to find a way to agree on funding. My suggestion would be for the Council to make the Commission do the following :

By March 5th Enforce all the current rules that are in place; which includes cutting back all hour long programing to a half an hour.

By March 10th Present the council with a full accounting of all monies that have been raised and spent. As well as providing the Council with a budget that will include what the City funding would be used for.

By March 15th Come up with a payment plan between the KPA Commission and the City Comptroller's office to pay back the $3,000 that is currently owed to the City.

By March 20th Present to the Council a plan to become self sufficient. The City of Kingston should not be paying for KPA on a permanent basis.


After all these milestones are met, then the City's Cable committee should recommend to the full council to take the necessary money out the general fund to pay for KPA. Public Access is an important tool that has been abused by many for a long time. I think if the Council is shown that KPA will work with them and enforce their own rules, they will be willing to help KPA get on it's feet.

Sennett Looks at Kirkland Hotel for Law Office


"I think that when you have a professional such as Mr. Sennett locating here, it shows the confidence that he has within the Kingston community."

- Kingston Mayor Jim Sottile


The Kirkland Hotel is set to have it's grand opening in early March after sitting dormant for many years. I recently had an opportunity to tour the building and it looks great! While I'm too young to remember what the building looked like before it was abandoned, if you look at the before and after pictures in Sunday's Freeman, you will see that RUPCO has made every effort to restore the building to it's original condition.

When reopened the Kirkland will have seven apartments, a restaurant and office space available. Jonathan Sennett, the 2007 Democratic nominee for D.A
. is attempting to negotiate a lease for about 1,000 square feet in the Kirkland for his law practice.

The historical character of the building and it's location drew Sennett to the Kirkland. Being in the newly renovated Kirkland, which is listed in the State and National registers of historic places, is an exciting proposition. It will be great working in close proximity to the courthouse, said Sennett.


An Independent Candidate Throws Hat in for Exec


Will Maksuta, an Ulster County resident has decided to run for County Executive. Maksuta who said that he is frustrated with party politics and almost gave up hope, decided to run after the record turn out during the presidential primaries. "The record turnout for last week's presidential primary has shown me that our citizens have not lost hope. This November, nationwide voters will elect a president in numbers sure to dwarf any previous general election turnout. Here, in Ulster County, voters will also elect their first county executive. This is the only chance a true populist candidate has to break through the incestuous political landscape of county politics and gain office on a tide of true popular support"

Mr. Maksuta noted that most of the candidates running will be compromised by party loyalty and that voters need a candidate that is willing to change the system. Maksuta admitted that while his campaign's limited recourses make his candidacy a long shot, he "could no longer remain silent"

Robert DiBella to Run for School Board



Robert DiBella, husband of Alderwoman Anne Marie DiBella is running for a seat on the Kingston School Board. Beside the many conflicts of interest that his candidacy causes, it is my opinion that Mr.DiBella is being pushed by his wife to run. Alderwoman DiBella would like nothing more than to get back at me for my criticism of her over the last few months. I could be wrong, either way I welcome the challenge and look forward to debating Mr. DiBella on the very important issues that face the district.

I also expect that incumbent Trustees Maureen Bowers and Rev.Coston will both run for reelection. Both Mrs. Bowers and Rev.Coston have done a tremendous job and I strongly support their reelection efforts.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Williams' Under Age Drinking Law Falls Short


Former Ulster County District Attorney Don Williams' proposed local law that would prohibit minors from consuming alcohol on private property will be voted on next month by the Ulster County Legislature. Williams first proposed the law in December and in concept it's a good idea, however there is room for improvement.

As written, the law appears only to define terms, define the offense, indicate that there can be exceptions, as spelled out by the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Law … such as for religious observances... and set a penalty, of not more than 15 days in jail, or a fine of not more than $250.

Don Williams says this at least will start an educational process.... however, it's the educational process that is lacking.

In my opinion there should some sort of educational process tagged on to this law especially when your dealing with kids..having their parents pay a $250 fine does not address the root cause of the problem.

There is also the issue of how the punishment will be given, if your a middle class family I'm sure that you will pay the $25o fine and be on your way. If your struggling and having a hard time making ends meet, then I guess you do the 15 days in jail..sound fair and just?

I urge the Ulster County Legislature to bring this back to committee and look into all of this with a little more detail before it's rushed into law.

Romney Drops Out




Mitt Romney suspended his campaign today after a poor showing on Super Tuesday. Mitt Romney's departure from the race will lead the way for a Democrat to be elected in 2008. While Romney was a weak candidate compared to Clinton or Obama, he appealed to the Conservatives that put George W. in office twice. With McCain all but assured to be the Republican nominee, a lot of core Conservatives will stay home.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Assemblyman Cahill Appointed Chair of Energy Committee


CAHILL APPOINTED CHAIR OF ASSEMBLY ENERGY COMMITTEE

Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster, Dutchess) has been named Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee. “I am honored to have been selected to lead the Assembly in this capacity,” said Assemblymember Cahill. “I will work with the Governor and the Senate to advance energy policies that promote clean, renewable power that will lessen our collective carbon footprint, enhance air quality, reduce consumer costs and encourage economic development.”

During his tenure in the Assembly, Mr. Cahill has been a leader in promoting sound policies that have addressed the state’s energy needs while stressing conservation, efficiency, cleanliness, consumer protection and planning. As Chair of the Science and Technology Commission and Vice Chair of the Steering Committee, he helped shape the Assembly’s energy agenda over the last decade and guided the development of economic development initiatives like the successful Power for Jobs program.

“In my new capacity, I intend to continue to promote innovations in clean, renewable technology as one of the keys to the revitalization of our economy,” said Mr. Cahill. “Investing in alternative energy projects, like The Solar Energy Consortium here in the Hudson Valley, has the potential to create many well-paying jobs for New Yorkers across the state while positioning New York as a worldwide leader in energy research and development.”

“Over the twelve years that Kevin Cahill has served in the Assembly, he has earned a reputation as a dedicated and effective legislator who gets results for his constituents and all New Yorkers,” Silver said. “As chair of the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee for the past three years, he has repeatedly shown his commitment to integrity and the highest standards of ethics. I know that he will bring the same level of dedication and effectiveness to his leadership of the Energy Committee.”

"Kevin Cahill is an outstanding choice for energy chairman. He has had a proven track record of fighting on behalf of consumers and, undoubtedly, he will bring that same dedication and focus to his new assignment," said Paul Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA. "I look forward to working with him in his new leadership post."

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Clinton and McCain Win Ulster County

The below link is a look at the break down of the County. Not surprisingly Hillary took in the most votes in the City of Kingston.


ULSTER COUNTY PRIMARY RESULTS

SUPER TUESDAY ----- Vote Today


In a few hours across America, polls will open and voters will begin to select who they want to have represent their party in the general election this November. For political junkies like myself this is the real Super Bowl and it'll be very exciting to see history be made tomorrow. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, I encourage people to participate in this historic primary.


On the Republican side tomorrow spells the end for Ron Paul, Mike Hucabee and Mitt Romney. John McCain has the momentum to lead the straight talk express across the finish line and capture his party's nomination. The GOP has once again put up a slate of candidates that are dull, boring and consist of more than the same. To think that an 80 year old white man that is obsessed with staying in Iraq for an additional 100 years, speaks wonders to how out of touch the Republicans are with main stream America.



On the Democratic side it's a very interesting race, no matter who wins the Democratic nomination, history will be made. For the first time ever, a major party will nominate a woman or an African American to lead their ticket. The debates and the ideas of the two candidates running are exciting and inspiring, it gives America a chance at hope for the first time in a long while. The race is a close one and most likely will not be decided tomorrow but I think we will have a clue of to who the front runner will be. It should be interesting.



I encourage Democrats to go out tomorrow and vote for Hillary Clinton. Hillary is by far the most qualified to lead our country on day one. Hillary will provide the change that we need in America.Hillary is the only candidate that has a true universal health care plan and she has a solid plan to bring our troops home withen 90 days of taking office.


BLABER'S SUPER TUESDAY PICKS:

California - Hillary and McCain

Illinois - Obama and McCain

New York- Clinton and McCain

Missouri - Clinton and McCain

Alabama - Clinton and McCain

Connecticut- Clinton and McCain

Tennessee - Clinton and McCain

Georgia - Obama and McCain

Arizona- Clinton and McCain

New Jersey - Clinton and McCain

Colorado - Obama and Romney

Delaware - Clinton and McCain

Kansas -Clinton GOP is on the 9th

Minnesota Clinton and McCain

New Mexico Clinton GOP June 3rd

North Dakota Clinton and McCain

Oklahoma Huckabee and Clinton

Utah Clinton and Romney

Massachusetts - Clinton and Romney

Arkansas - Clinton and Huckabee

Alaska - Clinton and McCain

Idaho- Romney and Obama

Sunday, February 03, 2008

OBAMA TAKES ONE OUT OF THE GOP PLAY BOOK AND HITS NEW LOW

Barack Obama once again has proved to be the ultimate hypocrite, Obama claims to want to rise above Washington style attack dog politics; yet he puts out an ad that is just that. We can't entirely blame Obama, his campaign staff sees the writing on the wall and is getting more desperate by the day. We would expect however that his attacks would be original and truthful and not distortion straight out of the GOP play book. The below ad released by Obama is the classic Harry and Louise attack ad that ran in 1992 funded by the GOP, in response to Hillary's first attempt to make health care available for all Americans.

What the Obama campaign fails to mention is that his plan leaves over 16 million Americans uninsured. The plan is done in a cowardly way to try and appeal to both sides of the aisle. Senator Clinton continues in her quest as an advocate for affordable health care for all Americans. The bottom line is that Obama's plan falls short.












Saturday, February 02, 2008

Radio Show on Super Tuesday

Alderman Cahill and I will be guests on MIX 97.7 FM, Tuesday at 7:30am to discuss the Presidential primary that will take place on that day. Make sure to tune in and vote!!!!

Friday, February 01, 2008

Coulter: I'll campaign for Hillary if McCain is the nominee

Just When You Thought You Heard Them All.....Ms. Coulter Will Vote For Hillary in 08 Over John McCain!

About 45 Hillary supporters packed into Portabella's to watch a very lively debate between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama. It was a fun night and it's clear from the energy in the room last night that Senator Clinton will do very well on Super Tuesday.

A shot of the crowd
Councilwoman Debra Silvestro and Mari Anne Sennett
Blaber with Legislator Jeanette Provenzano ... I know I look awful... I have a bad cold and was not feeling well. That's Alderman Landi, giving me horns.. and, yes, he actually believes I'm the devil.


Amee Peterson and Jonathan Sennett

Ulster County Legislators Sue Zimet and Phil Terpining