It's official, Jonathan Sennett announced that he will be running for Chairman of the Ulster County Democratic party!! The announcement came tonight at the Ulster County Democratic executive committee meeting.
John Parete has had a good run and done a lot for our party but it's time for him to retire and move on. I feel that Mr. Parete did not do as much as he could in last years election for our party's nominee and it's hard to forget and move past.
In the end, Sennett lost by less than four thousand votes and despite the way things happened, has stayed active in the County committee and has joined his local New Paltz committee and was elected to serve as Vice-Chairman.
We need a leader in our party that will work hard to get Democrats elected and unite our party, so that the mistakes of last year are never repeated. During last year's D.A.s race, I had the privilege of working very closely with Jon and his family and consider them part of my own family, and would do anything for them..so this is a little personal for me. However, I firmly believe there is no one that will fight harder for our party and bring us together like Jonathan Sennett and I'm proud to support him as chair of our party.
29 comments:
This is good news. It is time for a change in party leadership. However, it is important that a Democrat win in the races for County Executive and Comptroller. We must not let healthy competition within the Ulster County Democratic Committee in anyway interfere with the county races. We have four excellent candidates for the two positions, and we need to insure victory in the fall.
I fully agree with Jeremy on this one...I posted my endorsement of Jon last noght on my blog as well.
kingstonprogressive.blogspot.com
Im looking forward to this one.
Timing is bad. Focus on Jon and Julian...not on the issues facing the nominating convention.
Can we agree to discuss all this after 2nd?
Answer me one simple question. What was so offensive with my comment that you wouldn't post? Please tell me, so I won't do it again. Or is it simply because you are so far up Sennett's ASS, you can't accept comments against him.
He does the same thing about anything negative about Auerbach
dividers....
Jeremy, you and the other bloggers provide a forum for all of us to vent. Regardless of your views on a number of issues, I applaud you for providing us this opportunity.
Im with you about 50%, but I get a charge out of the comments from those who will never put themselves out there for the public to scrutinize.
I don't kno Jon, but..with the past elections dust still in the air, I can not help but wonder if Mr. Sennett has an axe to grind. Untill 2007, no one ever heard of this guy, and puff now he wants to be the County Chairman? Maybe some day down the road, but not now. It may very well be time for leadership change, but we need someone at the helm who kno's what the job realy is, and not a person who needs on the job training. How about Kathy Mihm, she is ready on day one.
10:09 Applying old solutions to new problems won't work. Perhaps a party insider is not the best idea.
2:33 PM and 4:01 PM :
I'll post and reject whatever comments I want to. Thanks.
-JB
Parete is getting the "plum" job when Matthews finally steps down as Commissioner of Jurors after sucking the taxpayers dry as many ex-legislators in Ulster County have.
Jeremy, the post you rejected was completely innocuous, just stating the fact (I see made by someone else here), you have someone who has lived and worked in UC for his entire life, and another relative new commer. Who is more deserving? Who better knows the interworking of UC Democrats?
Jon Sennett says he wants to unite the party. He only cares about his career, which is OK, but be honest about it. When Sennett and Zimet and their other cronies did everything to block Vince Bradley a Democratic Primary , they blew their only chance to put Sennett in the DA's office. Instead they divided the party, Bradley ran as an independent, and we have a Republican DA. That was not smart of them, a primary was their ONLY shot and then running head to head against Carnright. They blew it and should not be running this party. Zimet declined to run against Hein but put Berardi up to do her dirty work. Deny Sennett and Zimet any power as they do not handle it well. POST MY COMMENTS JEREMY!!! STOP THE CENSORSHIP!!!
Jeremy perhaps it would be wise to explain to 7:40 and the others who read this blog how the position of commissioner of jurors is filled. It is clear 7:40 doesn't have a clue. Probably just has an ax to grind and is trying to do a smear job against Parete. Everyone knows you are a Sennett supporter but if you cannot be fair at least be honest in what gets posted here.
I will say this, there are a lot of comments on my blog written by people that may or may not be true. I do not moderate comments based on whether on not a comment is true or not...I get to many to fact check each one. The comments are largely opinion based.
As for the comment in question, I don't see the connection with my support of Sennett and the comment about Parete. Sennett is running for chair of the party not election's commissioner at this point, I am supporting Parete for reelection for the elections post...I am not even aware of any other candidate that was stepped forward for the job.
Great Jeremy--I agree 100% So many good things have been accomplished but it is time to move forward, always keeping the party as first priority. Jon is a super candidate for this job.
Jon Sennett's candidacy for County Chair is great news. He is a man of intelligence and integrity. With Jon at the reins, the next couple years could be a time of healing and reconciliation among Democrats. Jon could sponsor party building that will result in political advances and over-due government reforms.
So, begin a time of transition for Democrats to new leaders. Heck- I might even enroll as a Democrat again!
I am a committee person who will be voting.
I do not think a few months as vice chair of town committee in a heavily Democratic town prepares one for the greuling job of county chair. Jon is a great guy, and I see a place for him in the future, but he absolutely needs more experience before becoming county chairman. John Parete has made some questionable choices in his tenure to be sure. But this is not the time to do this.
We Democrats, including Sennett, Shcriebman, Parete and anyone else considering being Chairman should be focused on one thing and one thing only. That is the elections this fall. We can, and should fix our house after the election. Until then we should concentrate and getting the two top spots in County Government secured. Let's not make short sighted decisions. The future is ours if we stand united and work towards our common goals as Democrats.
hey 3:52 - you must be in the Good 'ol Boys Club - why don't you explain how Matthews got his job?
Did he pass a test? Was it advertised and open to the general public?
While you at it explain how Tom Roach, Mary McMickel, Kathy Mihm, Jeanette Provenzano and their family members got jobs?
How did Rich Matthews and his brother get a Kingston Revolving Loan Fund loan to renovate their building so they could shrink the size of their Carpet Store and lease it out to Smith Barney - eventually Smith Barney took it all over - good deal for Rich but loaning public money to a business contracting in size violated the law.
Look away good ol Boys?
We can chew gum and walk at the same time. We can support our candidates fully while moving towards a re-organization of the Ulster County Democratic Committee. We do that every year. I'm sure that whoever chooses to run for the Chair position or the Commissioner of the Board of Elections, will respect the importance of the Fall races being they county, state or national in scope.
Every single time there is a challenge to "the powers that be" somebody aligned with the status quo advances the premise that "the time is not right" and advises "be patient and wait your turn." They say "Hey, this is an election year" (as if every year is not an election year.)
Guess what?: Democrats lost the race for county DA last year because of failed party leadership. The "powers that be" failed the Democrats. .. don't you think grass roots Democrats should take notice and take action? That's why the time is absolutely right for a change in Democratic party leadership.
Mr. Parete should have resigned before the end of last year, which could have prompted an orderly and peaceful transition of power. Was Parete concerned for a moment that this is an election year? Thank g-d Mr. Sennett has stepped forward to right the ship. In my opinion, if our congressman or our assemblyman or the Mayor of Kingston stand in the way of new leadership, then its time for them to go, too.
I would have no problem supporting John Parete for Commissioner of the Board of Elections...if he drops out of the race for Chair of the Democratic Party. A two-headed leader simply does not work. However, I would not support Parete for Chair, it is time for a change in party leadership.
Jon Sennett is a highly qualified and intellectually superior candidate for any position that he might aspire to. I'm grateful that he would pursue the chairmanship of this county's Democratic party over his own personal financial interests. I don't think it will be long before his leadership will be recognized and his position in our local government will be cut short with a swift kick upstairs. Let's enjoy his time here at our county level and take advantage of his service to right our party. I'm sure he'll make us feel proud. His future in government is bright and we can look forward to his help in his future capacities to direct some much needed help to our county. He's just passing through folks and he's not eating much hay. Let him breeze past and give him the respect he's due by allowing him to help us shore up our decrepit county party. He'll give us more than we can offer him. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.
"intellectually superior candidate for any position that he might aspire to"
Is he the smartest person in Ulster County? Or does it include the Hudson Valley, New York or even the WORLD?
Give me a break. This hero worship has gone too far.
Time for a a dose of reality. Jon Sennett is a good guy with a good future. He ran for one office and he got screwed.
In Politics, that does not in anyway, shape or form, qualify him for anything other than running for office. And that is even questionable since he lost.
So Jon Sennett, earn your stripes, learn the ropes, build a solid base and then try for chairman. This is a little too much too soon for most of us.
Jon Sennett earned his stripes, learned the ropes, has built a solid base in Ulster towns and the city and he is running for chairman now. His timing is exactly right! Democrats need not suffer another election year of poor Parete leadership.
7:26-I guess you feel more comfortable with another idiot in charge. "Too much to soon" is a pretty clear indication of fear and ignorance. Reject change at your own peril. I want to put the smartest person in the highest position. You prefer the opposite.
Well now you have Schreibman too. I have a tough time believing either one of these guys is ready or capable of running this show. They both show clear signs of ambition in my view. Ask yoursleves why do they want this position. Where were they five years ago when all of you dems were going door to door for your candidates. There is no question Parete made some errors and has polarized the party...but no one could ever say he took this job to get anything and to my knowledge he really never asked for anything. Both Schreibman and Sennett seem like decent guys but there is a concern in my mind that two people who seem to have gotten involved in the process two minutes ago now think they should be running the show. In fact, as a longstanding democrat who gives a great deal of time to this party, I find it a bit insulting. There are people out there who have shown much more committment than these two gentleman for a much longer time. I do not see either of these people as bringing anyone together. It will make the rift deeper. Perhaps it is time for new leadership...but do we want leadership this inexperienced and this far removed? both these guys have recently gotten off the bus from NYC...better look before you leap with either of them.
Intelligence and integrity...where are you getting that? Have you talked to his fellow attorneys or judges he has appeared before. He is not as highly thought of professionally as you say. Do not take my owrd for it..check.
When are all of these other, committed Democrats, who have been here longer than Sennett & Schreibman, going to step up and do something?
6:06pm, you seem to have a lot to say, why not step out and make the commitment?
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