An Event T.R. Would Have Been Proud Of

The Jazz festival/ fourth of July celebration was really something last night. Thousands of people were in attendance and it was just a great community event. For the past two years local businesses have picked up the tab for the fireworks, and the City of Kingston provides a full staff of people to make sure things run smoothly. Late Mayor T.R. Gallo started the event several years ago and made it what is today, he absolutely loved this event.I couldn't help but look around today and think how proud he would have been tonight.

A special thanks to Mayor Sottile, the mayor's task force, Kathy Janeczek, Katie Cook, Toni Roser, all the local Kingston businesses and everyone else that really worked hard to put this on.


One observation from yesterday's event was there were a ton of people walking around with Hein and Auerbach stickers on. I was very impressed with the amount of support and name recognition the two have so early on in the campaign...both were in attendance at yesterdays event.

And to be fair both Len Bernardo and Jim Quigley also showed up... at around 830 or so, I was heading down to the docks and heard a loud voice yell, HEY BLABER.... I looked up and saw Jim Quigley off in the distance of the crowd. Quigley came up to me with Bernardo and said I just want it to be known the out of towner's were here...a reference to a blog posting a few days ago. Duly noted, Mr. Quigley.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Unity, NH

Safety Concerns Shut Down Kpa; Not A Fictional Political Vendetta

Below is a letter that the commission sent out to all producers today on KPA. It looks as if there are some serious safety issues that need to be addressed and the station may be down for several months.

Rich Cahill is attacking Mayor Sottile in the paper but if you read the article it is clear hizzoner knew nothing about this until today.

The logic just does not make sense, why would Sottile care now about attacks on his administration? After non stop bashing last year by Cahill and others Sottile and almost every candidate he supported on a city level won their respective offices.
KPA is not a threat to Mayor Sottile, he actually supports the station..the few producers that take shots at him are more an annoyance then anything else.

If anything Hein, Bernardo, Auerbach, Quigley, K.Cahill, Yess, and others may take a sigh of relief that they don't have to endure the negative and most of the times untrue commentary on their respective campaigns,


Although it's a double edge sword, it is disappointing the public will not have an opportunity to listen directly to the candidates in this venue. As a former Vice-Chair of the KPA commission and current producer, I know the great asset KPA is and I hope that it will be back up and running soon.

Important notice to all Kingston Area Public Access Producers!

The Kingston Fire Marshal has closed the studio until further notice. Please note that this is a result of building code violations. The cause and the ultimate resolution of this situation is out of the control of the KAPA Commission.

As a result of this closure all producer access codes have been suspended and there can be no access to the studio for live or pre-recorded programming. We will attempt to keep the Community Calendar on the air and we’ll use this as a way to keep you and the community informed of our situation.

Please be assured that we are working with the landlord to have this matter resolved as rapidly as possible.

Regards, KAPA Commission

GILLIBRAND PASSES

Anyone else feel that the Freeman editorial on Congresswoman Gillibrand was extremely unfair? The editorial criticizes the Congresswoman on her vote in favor of continuing the funding the war in Iraq, as did I but then they call her tenure a complete failure because of her one vote. They also show they are out of touch when they suggest she beat former Congressman Sweeney in part because of his support of the war.


First, Gillibrand beat Congressman Sweeney because of his personal indiscretions : getting drunk on tape at a college frat party, a police report accusing him of allegedly beating his wife ect.

The Congresswoman also defeated Sweeney because of certain policy differences that the two differed on...Iraq was not one of them.

Gillibrand who has been critical of the way Bush handled the war has never flip flopped her position that we need to support the troops and do the best we can to handle the current situation in a diplomatic manner.

Now, I strongly disagree with what she feels that diplomatic approach is, I agree with my Congressman, Maurice Hinchey that we need to end the illegal occupation of Iraq as soon as possible. So in my opinion Congressman Hinchey is representing his constituents (me) with his vote to discontinue funding.

I also believe that Congresswoman Gillibrand is representing her constituents with her vote to continuing funding, she lives in a very Conservative district. When you are an elected representative your job is to be just that, a representative of your district.

Congresswoman Gillibrand is representing her constituents feelings with her vote and for that she is a patriot.

KPA SHUT DOWN

Kingston Public Access tv was temporarily shut down on Wednesday for safety code violations. My GOP counterpart Rich Cahill wrote on his blog that he thinks the station was shut down by Mayor Sottile to muffle free speech. I disagree, they have been bashing Sottile on kpa for years. As a matter of fact, I started my show a few years back because I wanted to counter these attacks. If Sottile cared about what was said on KPA it would have been shut down a long time ago.

If there are legitimate safety violations at KPA they should be addressed for the safety of all producers including Mr. Cahill. I assume KPA will be up and running in a few days.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Just thinking today about the historic race for County Executive and County Comptroller. I know that it's only June and I have focused on these races enough to make a lot of people tired already but they are so important for the future of Ulster County. Just think on January 1st we will have an elected County Executive and an elected County Comptroller that is directly accountable to the people of Ulster County.

When we go to the polls this November and vote for our candidates, whoever they may be, we should all remember tha because of the leadership of John Parete, we are electing a County Executive and a County Comptroller. John Parete led the charge of implementing a County Executive form of government in Ulster County.

And in 2011 when we go to single member districts in the County legislature, making our county lawmakers more accountable to their constituents, you can again thank John Parete who led that effort as well.

While this was a joint effort, John Parete is very much responsible for bringing accountability to County Government.

BRUNO CALLS IT QUITS

BREAKING NEWS: JOE BRUNO WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM IN THE STATE SENATE.

Joe Bruno, the current Majority Leader of the State Senate, has had a tough year, his wife passed away and he has been surrounded by a federal investigation for over a year, while this is a shock, it's mot a total surprise. Bruno who is in his seventies and has served in the Senate for more than three decades, over ten as majority leader. We should all thank and commend him for his service to New York.

One thing is for sure the Democrats taking control of the state senate will happen this year. Get ready for Majority Leader Malcolm Smith.

Here and There

The Hein/Bernardo debate last week was held at the Rocking Horse Ranch, after the debate there was a ceremony recognizing the Ranch's 50th year anniversary, I attended and it was a nice event. Apparently, I left a little early and missed Legislator Sue Zimet's attempt to cool off from the 95+ degree weather by jumping in the ranch's pool via the ranch's pool slide with her clothes on. You can't make this stuff up.

A new poll has come out showing Mike Bloomberg ahead of David Patterson in a head to head match up in 2010. These polls are not accurate, not even Bloomberg's billions will be able to beat the Patterson machine that was started with his father the very well respected Basil Patterson. Bloomberg will not be elected Governor, if Patterson decides not to run which is possible, we will elect Andrew Cuomo as the next Governor of this state, and that's a good thing.

Can't help but notice the huge advantage that Mike Hein and Elliott Auerbach have right now over their GOP opponents. Does anyone even know who they are running against? Mike Hein and Elliott Auerbach are everywhere. Len Bernardo and Jim Quigley, the millionaire out of towner's are no where to be seen. It goes to show that Hein and Auerbach are the candidates that care about Ulster County and are taking this race seriously.

Lastly, disappointed that Tom Brokaw has been chosen to replace the irreplaceable Tim Russert. While, this decision had to have been hard and a lose/lose, I just do not see Brokaw having the personality to do the job. I think Chris Matthews would have been a better choice.

Blaber Show Returns This Thursday w/ Assemblyman Camara

Assemblyman Karim Camara and Jeremy Blaber in Little Rock, Arkansas

I will have Assemblyman Karim Camara of Brooklyn on this Thursday via a telephone interview. Make sure you tune in at 8:30pm.

George Carlin Dead At 71

Comedian George Carlin died on Sunday at 71, Carlin was hospitalized at St.John's in LA after having chest pains. I was a big fan of Carlin's, I have all his books and many of his routines downloaded on Itunes, I didn't always agree with what he had to say specifically on religion but he was a great comedian. It's a loss to Kingston as well, Carlin came down to UPAC about once a year and the event was always sold out. For one reason or another I always missed the event, I'll go next year, I always told myself....just a reminder of how short life is.

Congressman Hinchey Votes No On Funding For Illegal War

I'm glad to see that our Congressman voted against the funding of the illegal war in Iraq. Enough is enough. I'm disappointed that Congresswoman Gillibrand supported this funding.


"I am disappointed that, once again, the House has approved federal funds for President Bush's illegal occupation of Iraq," U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, said in a prepared statement following Thursday's vote. "However, I am proud to have continued my record of voting against funding that does not include a plan to redeploy our troops. I still believe that we must launch a diplomatic offensive, end the occupation of Iraq and continue to vigorously pursue national security objectives that will help stabilize the Middle East and make the United States more secure."

Scott McClellan

It's not many times that I will defend President Bush but when it comes to Scott McClellan, I kind of feel sorry for Bush. When people like Scott McClellan or Tony Snow join an administration or are hired to advise a campaign they give up their journalistic ethics. It is their job and responsibility to work on behalf of the person that hired them. President Bush put full trust as he should have, in Mr. McClellan and was betrayed in the worst way. It was Mr. McClellan's job to spin things for the President and make him and his administration look good. It's not a job for everybody, some people can't handle that sort of blinded loyalty or even understand it but that is the job. It's what you must do for as long as you serve in that position and even afterward.

If Mr.McClellan really had a specific issue that was a conflict, like the President was engaging in activities that compromised the integrity of the office or in a manner that made McClellan feel uncomfortable, he had the right to resign his position. That is not the case, it's political payback. What Mr.McClellan is doing is not something that is to be admired or considered patriotic, it's despicable and disgraceful. It's very clear that Scott McClellan was not worthy of the position of trust he was given.

OBAMA GAINS 15 POINT LEAD OVER MCCAIN

Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that.

McCain: I Didn't Love America Until I was Held Prisoner...Hypocrite!

Maurice Hinchey: Let's Make Oil Companies Publicly Accountable

Our Congressman continues to make us proud in Washington. Congressman Hinchey's press conference discussed on your world w/ Cavuto today.

Save The Date

Elliott Auerbach with State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli

Lew Kirschner, Ulster County Treasurer, and Mike Hein, Ulster County Administrator and Democratic Candidate for County Executive, will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit

ELLIOTT AUERBACH FOR COMPTROLLER,

Tuesday, July 8, 2008--6 to 8pm at the Hillside, Rte 32, Kingston, NY.

Donation: $100/person

Full Details and Reservation info to follow.

On a side note: Elliott did a great job on Valley Chat w/ Alderman Madsen. Callers were very responsive to his candidacy and he came across great on the issues. This guy is the real deal.

Kingston Budget Passes!

Thanks to everyone who went out and voted in favor of the budget.

*YES: 2, 802
NO: 2, 557

Blaber News Person of the Week : Larissa Shaughnessy

I was watching public access tv last night and was very happy to see Jim Shaughnessy, a member of the Kingston School Board, and his daughter Larissa talking about todays budget vote.

Larissa went on to talk about why we as a community need to pass the budget and gave a very detailed convincing analysis. I can't tell you how impressed I was with her knowledge on the issues, you would think she was a current member of the board.

We need more students like Larissa Shaughnessy in the Kingston School District and in this community. A friend of mine is a neighbor of the Shaughnessy family and after the election he called me and said Larissa came to him and was campaigning on my behalf. Really, I said. This friend of mine went on to tell me how Larissa talked to him about how my youth and knowledge of the district would make me a good board member. That really meant a lot to me.

Larissa Shaughnessy is a student at George Washington Elementary school and is only nine years old! Her father should be very proud.

Please, for students like Larissa, go out and vote in favor of the budget today.

GORE : I Intend To Do Whatever I Can To Make Sure Obama Is Elected.

Al Gore endorses Barack Obama in Detroit on Monday.

Tedisco's It's a Wonderful Life....very funny

Olbermann describes Tim Russert Legacy

VOTE YES ON KINGSTON BUDGET

The Kingston school board budget vote is up for a re vote this Tuesday and it's a pretty good budget. The board listened to the public when they went out a few weeks ago and voted against the budget. The new budget has an increase of just 1.76% and contains over a million dollars in new cuts.


The board made some tough decisions in the Proposed Budget including:

Eliminating an 80k administrative position.

Eliminating three teaching positions through attrition.

Eliminating two proposed teachers from the elementary Foreign Language program

Eliminating two proposed Gifted and Talented teachers.

Reducing one business teacher position by 40 %

Eliminating 160k in special education costs.

If the budget fails, an additional $869,949 will have to be cut and all building maintenance will be eliminated as required by state law.

This is a good budget and worthy of voters support, I encourage all to come out and Vote Yes this Tuesday.

The above Vote Yes lawn signs are available...please send me an e-mail with your address if you would like one for your property.

Reality Check

I have spent the afternoon feeling the way that I have made a lot of people feel in the past, attacked with little recourse . I did not send any e-mail out attacking anyone, I have an appointment with a Computer specialist on Monday and will prove to Mr.Sennett and Mr. Parete, that I had no involvement.

The most important thing that a person has is their word and their integrity. The fact that I was even accused of such a thing proves both my word and integrity have been damaged. This has happened over a period of time as a result of my own actions and the way I have conducted myself. For awhile I had forgotten why at age 16 I got involved : to do the right thing and make a difference. For that I truly am sorry.

I also would like to apologize to everyone that has been unfairly attacked on this blog. From now on this blog will be moving in a much different direction and we will get back to the original mission: informing the public on local politics and community events in a manner that is fair and balanced. Comment moderation will also change, comments that damage a persons character or are over the top negative will NOT be accepted.


Politics is a blood sport and at times is very nasty but it does not have to be. It's time we step up and set an example, reject politics as usual and all that goes with it. Thank you all for your continued support.

Kingston NAACP

The Kingston chapter of the NAACP is really something great. I had the privilege of attending their re organizational meeting tonight at the Point of Praise church and it was a very emotional and enlightening experience.

The stories where powerful and I really took a deep look into myself and this community when listening to the regional director speak tonight..I can't express enough how moved I was by his words of equal involvement, getting people involved and the importance of a strong community. I really have confidence in this group and the growth for it in the future.

Chief Keller, Alderman Madsen, the Hein family, myself and many others all joined the nearly 100 current members of the Kingston chapter...I hope a lot more will join.

On a side note, congratulations to Rev. Childs for 50 years on the pulpit and a Happy 70th birthday...

Responce to Julian's Letter

I have absolutely no involvement in this matter. I really find it disheartening that I would be accused of distributing such a hateful letter. The attacks on John Parete and Jon Sennett are over the top and have no business in our party.

Attacking Jon Sennett is not something I would ever do, under any circumstances. And, while I disagree with Mr.Parete at times, I am friends with his family and would never attack him on a personal level.

I understand that Mr.Scheibman is embarrassed about what was sent out. I also believe him when he says that he had no involvement with the letter, I know him to be smarter than that. However, his assertion that I had anything to do with this is just as ridiculous and absurd as his candidacy for chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Committee.

- Jeremy Blaber

In Memoriam

Tim Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008)

Bernardo Out Of Touch with Ulster County Voters

Republican candidate for County Executive Len Bernardo attended a town hall meeting in NYC last night and was able to ask McCain how we can reduce the tax burden hurting communities like Ulster County . McCain answered by stressing the need to cut wasteful spending, and promised during the forum to veto pork barrel spending as President. Senator McCain also pointed out that the high tax burden, including a high property tax burden drives people away and hurts the capacity to expand economic opportunity.

That is all well and good but does Bernardo really need to ask this question? He is running for County Executive and should know the answers. I don't agree with McCain's answer, I think it misses the point of addressing the issue on a local level but that is neither here nor there. Len Bernardo is an out of towner that is completely out of touch with Ulster County residents..plain and simple.

Mr. Bernardo if you would like a detailed answer on the question that you posed to John McCain, head to the Ulster County Building, take the elevator to the 6th floor and ask to speak with Mike Hein, he has a record of results that we can trust. Ulster County can not afford to elect someone that will need extensive on the job training.

BLABER NEWS POLL FINDS MANDATE FOR SENNETT

A recent Blaber News poll has found that an overwhelmingly amount of people support Jonathan Sennett to be chairman of the Ulster County Democratic committee.

Mr. Sennett who ran for Ulster County District Attorney last year, announced his candidacy for the top Dem spot about two weeks ago. Julian Schreibman announced soon after and John Parete, the current Chairman is expected to run.

About 756 people where polled, 614 of whcih voted for Jonathan Sennett or 81%, giving the New Paltz Democrat a clear mandate. John Parete trailed in second with 13% and Julian Schreibman polled about 5%..which is right around the margin of error.

Seniors Need Not Apply with GOP Comptroller Candidate?

Here is a letter that appeared in the Kingston Times, talking about Jim Quigley, who is suing the town of Ulster. Mr. Quigley also is the GOP nominee for County Comptroller.

In response to your article "Pilot off course?" (Kingston Times, May 22), in which Mr. James Quigley made the statement that Nick Woerner's maturity is in question because Woerner is a "young man." Does it follow then that a gent of Mr. Quigley's age could be called senile? Just wondering.

Let's see, the Town of Ulster has a self-appointed "investigator" who would like everyone to believe that Nick Woerner is manipulative, immature, abuses power, thinks people are out to get him and, Heaven forbid, has the gall to consult with a law firm to get a legal answer to a legal question as it pertained to the town board's legal business. What a concept. By the way, Mr. Quigley states that he "doesn't sue people for grins." I wonder what his point is? If he really wanted to look out for the residents of the town, would it not have been more effective to drop $10,000 into the Poor Box at a local church? Many of the town's people could have benefited from that gesture.

Quigley goes on to say that Mr. Steve Aaron's word is not credible and that "trusting Aaron" is a mistake. Mr. Quigley seems very interested in Mr. Aaron's business as evidenced by his attendance in Esopus at the planning board meeting where plans for senior housing in Port Ewen was on the agenda. I guess that investigators must travel about. Oh, and by the way, has Mr. Quigley been so busy following his suspicions, chasing theories and making assessments that it sliped past him that Supervisor Woerner has been elected twice to the town position? Not bad, huh?

Lastly, Mr. Quigley's statement that he is "not opposed to senior housing." Really! Well that's good because we are here to stay. Some of us may be forced into public assistance if Mr. Quigley has anything to say. Steve Aaron requested a reduction in the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) assessment so that he could be in a position to hold down rents and, thankfully, the town board agreed to lower the fees as requested. Mr. Quigley's actions seem to point to his own agenda and, if he were to have his way, a whole lot of folks would be hurt. Way to go, Mr. Quigley!

Shirley Gaffney

Kingston

DAILY FREEMAN A NO SHOW FOR FIRST EXEC DEBATE

The Daily Freeman, the main newspaper of Kingston and Ulster County was a NO SHOW for the first debate featuring the candidates for County Executive. How is that possible? How can the hometown local paper completely skip out on coverage of the most historical race this county has ever seen?

Some of the stories they felt were more important that ran in today's paper..... The lack of air conditioning at Kingston City Hall...I'm not kidding. Tell us again how a political editor is optional.

The lack of coverage by the Freeman helps my blog though,we have passed an all time record of over 2,500 unique hits in a day and it's only 3:30pm. I'm sure the Freeman gets that in a few hours but it shows their lack of coverage is making readers look elsewhere.

Hein Sight is 20/20

I attended the first of what will probably be may debates tonight between Democrat Mike Hein, Republican Len Bernardo, and Independent candidate Allan Wikeman.

First I realize that I am a Hein supporter and my opinion is some what tainted but Hein blew away Bernardo...it was not even close.

Hein was the only candidate that provided a vision for the future of Ulster County in regards to Tourism, which was the them of the debate. He was confident knew facts and figures and proved that Hein Sight is 20/20.

Len Bernardo, seemed very nervous and uncomfortable, to be honest I was disappointed in his performance tonight. I was expecting much better...he rambled at times and really did not answer questions directly as asked. Bernardo did get better as the debate went on...Hein does have a 6 month jump on him so I'll give him a pass on today's debate...if Bernardo does not catch up fast and I mean fast...Hein is going to destroy Bernardo 2:1 in November.

As for Allan Wikeman...his heart is in the right place...he may have actually done better than Bernardo.

One thing is for sure, Hein is the only candidate ready for prime time....the others have SERIOUS work to do.

DONALDSON DROPS BID FOR COMPTROLLER, BACKS AUERBACH

Below is a letter sent out by David Donaldson dropping his bid for Comptroller and calling for everyone to unite behind Elliott Auerbach. Dave did the right thing and I knew he would, he has always been a gentleman and a loyal Democrat. I look forward to him serving many years as Chairman of the County Legislature.

Now that Dave has stepped out, we are looking at a Hein/Auerbach team that is going to sweep through Ulster County this November and bring true reform to County government.


Dear Fellow Democrats:

I have been extremely honored over my many years as a public servant. My service as being the first Democratic Chairman of the Legislature in over two and a half decades has been my highest honor. When I reflect on my youth growing up on the streets, raised by a single parent that worked two and three jobs to make ends meet, I know that the path I have taken could have been vastly different.

When I was sworn in as Chairman, the County was in a financial mess with a nightmare jail project eating at our foundation. I set an agenda of “Better Government at a Better Price” to bring real reform in spending, hiring, and programs with full transparency. I had no shortage of truly dedicated legislators that were public servants first and foremost. Our work was cut out for us. Despite the long hours and trying times, I believed we made a difference where a difference was needed. The public agreed and re-elected a Democratic legislature in 2007, making us the longest-lasting county Democratic majority in Ulster County history. We are dedicated to continue that work.

When I decided to seek the nomination for the Comptroller’s position, I did so to offer my dedication, education and experience on a different level. Yet, in many ways I was ambivalent. I had to give up teaching which I still enjoy. I had to give up the Legislature in a time of transition when my experience and education could be useful.

When I began the campaign I braced myself for the worst. I had the pleasure of meeting with various town committees which, through their hard work, enables us to reap the rewards of public service. I was surprised when I received only positive reinforcement. Obviously, not all supported my bid for Comptroller. I had various people asking why I wasn’t running for County Executive while others hoped that I would stay as the Chairman. The idea of truly being appreciated is an experience I have no words to describe. I have never been so humbled throughout my tenure as a public servant. I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet with every town committee.

What made the experience even more satisfying was the pleasure of traveling with my opponent, Elliott Auerbach. We both stayed on a positive message and always respected each other. As the meetings went on I became comfortable, that if I did not win the convention and primary, the nomination would still be in good hands. Although I lost by a narrow margin at the convention, I don’t regret that I took on this adventure. It was an enlightening experience.

After the convention I thought long and hard about a primary. I felt comfortable that I could win the primary but I worried about the fact that the two of us would spend our supporters’ hard-earned money against each other, only for the winner to face a well-financed Republican candidate in November. With various challenges in party positions on the horizon, I felt it extremely important to be united in this position and that of the County Executive . With these facts, coupled with the thought of all I had to give up to further my candidacy, I decided that I will not seek a primary.

I thank all those that supported me and ask all Democrats to unite behind Elliott Auerbach for Comptroller.

In the meantime, I will continue serving the people of Ulster County as the Chairman of the Legislature overseeing our agenda of “Better Government at a Better Price”.

Sincerely

David B. Donaldson

Democratic Comptroller candidate Elliott Auerbach and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer
Democratic County Executive candidate Mike Hein and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer

Sottile Doing the Right Thing

We all saw the headlines on Saturday, the three DPW women that are alleging sexually harassment came forward and held a press conference in front of the Ulster County Court House with their attorney Mike Sussman.

One should remember that there are two sides to every story and thus far we have only heard one side. With that being said, I watched the video and I agree the charges are serious and should be taken seriously. No employee should ever work in the environment that these allegations suggest. Thankfully Mayor Sottile has taken the matter seriously and ordered mandatory sexual harassment training for all city employees. Furthermore, an investigation is being conducted by the City and the State Human Rights division.

It seems by all accounts, Mayor Sottile is handling this unfortunate situation correctly and through the appropriate channels and should be commended for his leadership. Of course his opponents have taken this opportunity to attack him and try to take a sensitive issue and use it for political gain...which is truly shameful.

Kudos to Mayor Sottile for not taking the bait.

Will Someone Please Send Bonacic Back to Mount Hope

I can't understand why no one has come forward to challenge Senator John Bonacic. The guy is so vulnerable right now and in a presidential election, with huge Democratic turn out it is the best chance for the Democrats to take back the seat.

I think it's a mistake to leave this guy unchallenged, it will give him more time to stump and throw money at Len Bernardo, his chosen Independence candidate. Then again, he may not be that popular in Ulster County after an embarrassing loss two years ago to Susan Zimet in this county.

It's not too late for a formidable candidate to step forward.... Aileen Gunther, Vin Martello, Nick Woerner, Rich Parete...any of them can send Bonacic back to Mount Hope.

Rosendale Sup. Pat McDonough Endorses Hein for Exec

Ulster County voters have a unique opportunity this Fall as we implement the
long-awaited charter form of government. The new County Executive will be
the chief fiscal officer of the county, a $325 million operation with 2,000
employees. I'm excited at the prospect of supporting a candidate who will
prioritize progressive ideals within a financially responsible structure.

After recognizing fundamental differences with his former party, and
suffering deep disillusionment with them, Michael Hein has come to embrace
the broad spectrum of ideas and positions under our Democratic umbrella.
Contrary to popular spin, Democrats are concerned with fiscal responsibility
in a more realistic way than "conservatives." Basically, we recognize the
importance of investing in our future. We apply a cost and benefit analysis
to every issue (rather than just a cost analysis), whether the costs and
benefits are financial, cultural, societal, or otherwise.

By working in tandem with Legislature Chairman Dave Donaldson and Ways and
Means Committee Chair Al Lomita, Michael Hein has blended true Democratic
principles into a working and workable financial plan for Ulster County.
Responsible support for education through UCCC, performance based funding
for the UC Development Corporation, creation of the UC Department of the
Environment, pursuing a plan for shared responsibility with municipalities,
and being the first to fund the Hudson Valley's solar initiative, are just a
few of the ways he has been able to do this by collaborating closely with
the UC Legislature.

What impresses me the most when speaking with Michael about these and other
initiatives, is his deep understanding that every action involves county
taxpayers and employees. He gets it that a budget includes workers trying
to make a living and provide for their families, that protecting the
environment improves the quality of life for everyone, that supporting
economic development means opportunities for the next generation who would
like to remain in the communities where their parents and grandparents once
thrived.

By seeing the big picture, and still recognizing the impact on each
individual, Michael Hein has demonstrated the leadership and sensitivity
which will carry Ulster County into the future. I am proud to endorse him
as our first Ulster County Executive.

Patrick McDonough, Supervisor
Town of Rosendale

COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES FACE OFF IN FIRST DEBATE

Mike Hein, Len Bernardo and Allen Wikeman will face of in their first debate on the subject of Tourism in Ulster County. This is a good opportunity to come out and meet both of the candidates and hear them on a very important issue in Ulster County.

When : June 10th 4to 5pm

Where: Rocking Horse Resort Ranch in Highland

Hillary Endorses Barack Obama

John McCain - Lost in Space

Message from Mike Hein and Elliot Auerbach

Dear Fellow Democrats:

This is an exciting time for our nation and Ulster County. We are about to witness sweeping and historic events that forever will change the way we govern. This is unprecedented opportunity to create a participatory and effective democracy that works for everyone- and serves us well.

I am honored and humbled to have received your nomination to represent your party in November and to be given the privilege of delivering our message of positive change throughout Ulster County.

My wife Christine, my son Mickey, and I my campaign staff and all of our wonderful volunteers, thank you for your support and your vote of confidence in my candidacy. I look forward to working with each of you to create a bright future for Ulster County.

I pledge to do everything I can to make you proud of your first County Executive.

Mike Hein

Dear Fellow Committee Member:

Last night's convention was a great night for Ulster County Democrats with a wonderful turnout and an energy level that will carry us to victory in November.

I am grateful for the overwhelming support I received from you and appreciate the confidence that you have placed in me to represent our Party as the Democratic designee for Ulster County Comptroller. Your encouragement and the 55%-45% margin of victory exceeded my expectations and renews my determination to work hard as our Party's nominee.

It's now time for all of us to focus on the general election and to carry the momentum generated at the convention forward toward a HUGE victory for our Party in November. Together, we can make a difference to fulfill the promise that our Party represents.

Once again thank you.

Sincerely,

Elliott

Elliott Auerbach

Ulster Conservative Party's Shady Endorsements

First let me congratulate Len Bernardo and James Quigley on the endorsement of the Conservative party. The endorsement is good for about two thousand votes in a general election and normally that would be a nice boost to their respective campaigns. However, this year the endorsement is tainted to say the least.

Every year the Conservative party has an open caucus, where all members of the Conservative party in Ulster County are invited to come and vote for their candidate to represent them for different offices in November. This year for some reason that did not happen, the Conservative party's Executive committee made the decision to back Bernardo and Quigley without the input or knowledge of rank and file members of their party. They also failed to invite and meet with all candidates running for office.

While the Conservative party did not do anything wrong from a legal standpoint, what was done was unethical and it just does not look good for their party or their endorsed candidates. When you are running to be the Executive of the County or the watch dog over the county's money, everything should be on the up and the perception of back room deals looks bad!

With that being said, I want to publicly ask that under the circumstances that Mr. Bernardo and Mr. Quigley reject the endorsements of the County Conservative party, or ask that Ms. Hewitt allow any other candidate wanting the line to be granted a full primary, so that all members of the Conservative party have a say, not just a few people in closed room.

Kingston Truth/Chairman Poll

I got an email from a friend informing me that people on another local blog had issues with my poll for County Chairman because I did not include John Parete. I did not add Mr. Parete because I have heard from more then a few people Mr.Parete may not be running. It was not meant to have any disrespect to our current Chairman. Please note our new poll that has the two announced candidates and the current Chairman.

On a side note, KingstonTruth is a local blog written by an anonymous author, who goes by honest Abe, I generally enjoy reading the blog from time to time and have always been curious who is behind it. Until last week there has been no indication as to who was behind it. Last week the following post was made :

I just happened to be in the Stewart's playing my numbers for the week. In walks a City committee person who just left the convention and she tells me that Auerbach beat Donaldson in a pretty close race. Time stamp 10:45 PM Donaldson was non committal on a primary.

I'm publishing the post in hopes that whoever the committee person that met "honest Abe"
last Monday will finally shed some insight to who this person is. Send a comment or an e-mail to me..thanks.

www.voteboth.com

VOTE BOTH ----> Click here and sign the petition

We want Hillary on the ticket as the Vice-presidential nominee because we do not believe the democratic party will win if she is not on the ticket. While this is obvious to us, there is little evidence the other camp understands how critical she is to the success of the ticket. 2,000,000 signatures behind this idea will go far in demonstrating the power of Hillary’s support.

1. We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way many women, seniors, Catholics, working class men and women, Hispanics, and Jewish Americans will vote for the ticket.

2. We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she polls ahead of McCain in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; states critical to our victory this fall.

3. We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because she wins the big states and the swing states; states the Democrats need to reach the 270 electoral votes required for success in November. States won by Hillary represent 300 electoral votes; states won by Obama represent 217.

4. We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because more Americans voted for her than for any primary candidate in history. 18,000,000 Democrats chose her to lead the country and the free world.

5. We believe Hillary must be on the ticket because it is the only way we will be willing to put our full, essential energy and effort behind the ticket between now and November.

Future County Exec Mike Hein, Legislator Brian Shapiro and Julia Walsh at an event at the hickory BBQ-- marking the end of the Democratic primaries.

Thanks to Stephan Gilman for sending me the picture.

Congratulations to Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee and next President of the United States. Let's hope that in the next few days we get the "dream ticket" Obama/Clinton.

CHILDS WINS SCHOOL BOARD RECOUNT

BREAKING NEWS: Rev. James Childs won a seat on the school board by a 4 vote margin after a recount was conducted. Congratulations to Rev. Childs, I'm very happy he was successful in his run for the school board. He's a good man and will do great things to move forward the district.

Auerbach Wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elliott Auerbach won the Democratic nod for Ulster County Comptroller tonight beating out challenger David Donaldson 12600-10400 in a weighted vote. (55%-45%) I am very happy that the Democratic party recognized and voted for the most qualified candidate for County Comptroller. I hope that David Donaldson will do the right thing and support Elliott, so we can move forward as a united party.

And, of course congratulations to Mike Hein who was chosen unanimously to be the Democratic candidate for County Executive. I am proud to have Mike as our candidate and the new leader of our party.

CLINTON EXPECTED TO DROP OUT TOMORROW

Hillary Clinton is expected to suspend her campaign tomorrow night in New York. I'm sorry to see this, I really wanted her to represent our party and become our next President. It's very clear at this point that she can't win and it's time to unify behind the new leader of our party and next President of the United States, Barack Obama.

reported here first.

Check here for Convention Results-- not the Freeman

Check here for convention results tonight, I guarantee, I will have results and audio coverage several hours before the Daily Freeman or any other local news organization.

Hein- Auerbach

The Democratic convention is tonight at 7pm at the Hillside, over 250 members from across Ulster County will come to select their candidates for various offices throughout Ulster County.

This year, for the first time ever, Ulster County Democrats will pick candidates for County Executive and for County Comptroller. There are two uniquely qualified candidates running for both of these positions respectively, that are highly qualified to represent our party and bring home the gold for us in November. I strongly urge committee people to vote for Mike Hein for Ulster County Executive and Elliott Auerbach for County Comptroller.


Other Blaber Picks:

Congress : Maurice Hinchey

Assembly 101 - Kevin Cahill

Assembly 100 - Frank Skartados

State Senate 39th- Richard Randazzo