Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Here and There

Republican Debate: I happen to like and respect every Republican running for Mayor, two of the candidates are personal friends of mine. I was not going to comment on the Republican debate especially being it really is not something on my radar at the moment and as a member of the Democratic committee, I will be voting for the Democratic nominee in November, as long as that Democrat is Shayne Gallo ;~) Seriously, as far as issues go there are clear philosophical differences that make it hard to pull the lever for a Republican Mayor. However, more than one person asked me my opinion on the debate so here it is:


Off the bat let me say Ron Polacco and Rich Cahill were the most impressive. I like Polacco going in there and really hitting the fact that he is involved in the community, how he has taken an active role with going on drug raids with the KPD, his consistent voting record on the council ect. Polacco answered questions intelligently and came across very competent. I really thought he connected with the viewers and I think he will do well in the Republican primary. Any Republican candidate that underestimates or ignores Ron Polacco will be very disappointed on primary night.

Rich Cahill went in to the Republican debate with a pen, no papers, no notes, just a pen.  The message was clear: I know the budget, I know the issues, I am ready and am the strongest Republican candidate on this stage. Cahill really embarrassed the Republican nominee and did show that he has a better grasp of the issues than Turco-Levin does. My only criticism of Cahill is he came across a bit mean to Andi but hey this is politics, Cahill needs to remember Lazio v. Clinton in 2000. Cahill put forth a detailed plan and definitely out debated Turco-Levin, even getting her to lose her cool a few times. He also got her on the fact that she supported a tax increase, that will be a big issue in the GOP primary. He did very well.

Andi Turco Levin had a good performance as well, don't get me wrong, she was well prepared and did a decent job. Andi's short comings were on the tax issue, her share the love comments and letting Cahill get her off her game. Andi left the Freeman hurt a bit but she was not knocked out, she has fire and passion as well.

Ward Races:

Ward 1: Matt Dunn is looking good to take back that seat for the Democrats in a Ward that is very Republican. Mr. Dunn is a great guy with an impressive legal background and someone that is very community orrianted and someone I feel will be an asset to the common council.

Ward 2:  Tom Hoffay and I were friends for years, he is smart, hard working and an overall asset to the council. However, I feel lately he has lost his way and it may be time to see what new ideas can be brought forward by Seth Allen. This race really has me conflicted. From an objective point of view, Hoffay has a good shot in getting reelected due to enrollment and the fact that 90% of the enemies (uptown business owners) he has in  Ward 2 can't vote against him.

Ward 3: Charlie Landi should be ok, he has a tough race ahead of him, Nate Horwitz is working hard and has three lines. Landi is a hard worker knows his facts and at the end of the day will be reelcted, I hope so at least.

Ward 4: Shirley Whitlock all the way. I like Shirley, she is a fighter and a solid representitve for midtown Kingston. We need her to be reeelcted.

Ward 5: Nick Woerner has a good shot in winning the Democratic primary and is by far the best candidate running. The winner will face WFP candidate Janai McDonough (nice lady) and Republican Craig Johnson. I hope the winner of the Democratic primary will be supported by the party so we hang on to that seat.

Ward 6: Elisa Ball all the way, I can safely say I am confident that Elisa will win in November :) Elisa who is running unopposed will be a great Alderwoman and I think she has potential to go on to MUCH HIGHER office.  Elisa could go on and be our state senator someday.

Ward 7: I have my finger on the pulse of Ward 7, I know a lot of people in the ward and Maryann Mills is very popular and the residents are really excited about her candidacy. Maryann should be considered the favorite, she definatly has my vote and the vote of my family.

Ward 8- Bob Senor is running unopposed but he is running unopposed because he does a good job and is an advocate for Ward 8. Senor works hard and always comes prepared and does what is in the best interest of his constituents.

Ward 9- Republican Debbie Brown was thrown off the ballot last week for issues with her petitions, she has the Conservative line and from what I hear is circulating petitions for a minor party line. Nine is one of the most Democratic wards in Kingston so whomever wins the primary between John Smiek and Mark Halwick will be the next Alderman.

County Legislature:

Four primaries going on that I care about for County Legislature:

New Paltz: It is very important that Hector Rodriguez be returned to the legislature, he faces a primary from a guy that in my opinion is being used to run by the New Paltz committee. Hector is extremely hard working and dedicated. Hector is the type of guy that would do anything for anybody, does not matter who you are or what your party registration is he is a damn good guy and I hope he is returned to the legislature to serve another term.

Rochester: Terry Bernardo is the only qualified candidate running in that district. Head and shoulders above her opponent. Terry is a successful business owner, as a freshman legislator has been hands on involved in her district and someone that does what is right regardless of the political fall out. Bernardo is a role model and an example of how all legislators should act like. If we had 33 Terry Bernardo's on the legislature, Ulster County would be in great shape.

Kingston: Mike Madsen needs to be returned to the legislature, I like Dave Donaldson and I like Lenny Walker a great deal but Madsen is the clear choice. Madsen like the other three I just mentioned has the passion and work ethic that is not common on the current legislative body and deserves another term.

Jeanette Provanzano on a semi related note is now running unopposed, her opponents petitions were thrown out. I am fortunate that I have Jeannette as my legislator and look forward to her being the next and first woman to Chair the Ulster County legislature, when Democrats take back control on January 1, 2012

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...I have to say i beg to differ on a couple of your opinions of these prospective candidates. I think charlie Landi will lose. charlie is a bit of an asshole and most people in the ward know it. New and young blood Horowitz will win narrowly. I agree that Hoffay is not a good boy lately and I am hoping that Seth Allen will win. Shirley grandstands when the cameras are rolling but when the rubber hits the road she doesnt really fight for her ward. Frasier Sprague, her opponent needs to be considered. Nick Woerner will lose the primary. I like Nick, but sadly, most people dont in the ward. Janie Mcdonough will be a spoiler and Craig Johnson will slide in. Jeannette Provanzano is a pompous lady and I dont care for her much. She is the poster child for nepotism in Ulster county and a good reason why we need term limits. Too bad she doesnt have a challenger. I like Madsen and I like Walker. Madsen will win. Maryann Mills is a nice lady but the company she keeps leave something to be desired, however she will probably win. Thats my two cents Jeremy on these races and i look forward to election day. Oh, and more than likely Gallo will be our next mayor. That is a good thing.

Anonymous said...

I like Matt dunn and I like Hector Rodriguez, both good guys! Landi, Hoffay and Whitlock need to go away and for good, especially conniving Hoffay.

Local P.O.V said...

with all due respect to Hector,,
IF YOU discount the GOP in that race, Terence Ward, you are making a huge mistake.

Terence has WFP supporters, Green supporters, Dems & NE's too.

Smart, engaged, well-versed on the Village of NP voters,,, HE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH !!!

Legislator Ward has a nice ring to it,,

Anonymous said...

I agree that Cahill humbled Turco-Levin. She lost her composure and is not ready for the big chair.

Polacco was not that good either. He had some good sound bites but never offered any specifics. I have not heard one single idea from him. He just says he voted against the budget and wants to fight crime. Ok. How?

I think Cahill clearly won the Republican debate just as Gallo won the Democrat debate. If the two of them face off, Gallo will win. The debate between the two of them would be fun to watch though.

Anonymous said...

Blabes,
Don't agree with your choice for Saugerties!!!!!! Walter Frey lacks honesty and integrity and for this reason Bob Aielo will win the primary. His association with the LIBERTY COALITION aka Robin Yess is disingenuous! Walter does not represent his constituents in friendly Saugerties.

Anonymous said...

8:39 is right Blaber, Robin Yess want to sell Golden Hill immediately. Since you don't want to sell Golden Hill, why are you endorsing this guy? Bob Ailello firmly supports Golden Hill, and that's is where your support should be. Please reconsider your support and endorsement on your blog.

HB

Anonymous said...

Are you insane! Ron Pollacco? Give me a break. That is just what this City needs in a Mayor, a guy in his mid-40's still living with his parents who has never had a real job, never paid property taxes or any other taxes from the look of it. I might sooner vote for you for Mayor than I ever would him. I don't care what issues the guy understands or what he knows about the budget. This is a guy from all indications has never accomplished ANYTHING since he graduated High School. I don't demand alot of from the people I vote for in government..how can you. However, I do demand that they have some time of full time employment and live independently. He fits neither criteria. If it has come down to Ron Pollacco being a viable candidate to run this City then it is time for me to leave.

Anonymous said...

Aiello is a nutjob. He is absent more than present. Told the chair he didn't want any committees and has missed more meeting than he has made. And if we hear about his idea on economic development one more time. Talk is cheap name anything Bob has done except get his wife and daughter jobs

Anonymous said...

I agree with 8:39, Frey's association with Robyn Yess and her "Liberty Coalition" is not going to bode well for Mr. Frey. We cannot back anyone who supports privatizing Golden Hill.

Anonymous said...

Landi might know the facts, But he does not want to help his constituents in his ward at all. I have tried to get him to help me with a problem here. he does not want to be bothered with it. So he lost my vote.

Jeremy Blaber said...

959: With all due respect Ron is a college graduate and a two term Alderman that got elected in a ward that is solidly Democratic. I am supporting Shayne Gallo but I'm just saying Polacco is a serious contender.

Anonymous said...

Blaber,
Frey supports selling Golden Hill to a private company. We all know what that means. Change your endorsement, or I will never speak to you again.

Jeremy Blaber said...

513: I don't know that to be true, Frey is a good guy but please feel free not to talk to me. You're banned from coming on the blog from now on.

Anonymous said...

Hector is totally useless.

Anonymous said...

Blaber, what part of this don't you get? The Liberty Coalition supports closing Golden Hill and the Liberty Coalition supports Walter Frey. There is no way that they would support Walter Frey if he supported Golden Hill.


The Liberty Coalition was formed several months ago as a means to help candidates running for elected office at the local, county and state levels who are solid supporters of core Republican principles. While there have been many rumors about this group, we all believe that any Republican who supports continuing a County-run nursing home has lost sight of the Republican philosophy of smaller government and lower/lesser taxes. In the coming months, the Liberty Coalition will register as a PAC (political action committee) to help candidates win and, in some cases, help their opponents lose. We will provide candidates assistance with the help of our experienced team, financial support and volunteers for door-to-door and other efforts. This year we will have a presence in a number of countywide races.

In these races, the Liberty Coalition supports Walter Frey in District 2

Anonymous said...

Blaber on Frey not supporting Golden Hill: "I don't know that to be true" - I think 11:20 cleared it up. Do you believe it's true now? If you have the phone number for where Walter Frey is cowering under his bed, maybe you can reach him to confirm. He didn't have the balls to show up in the Legislature last Tuesday night.

Anonymous said...

You can love Pollacco all you want, but the questions about his qualifications are glaring and you have not answered one of them. He got elected in the neighborhood he has lived in his entire life...so what? If you are gonna use someone getting elected to anything as qualifications, you have no leg to stand on...just look at half the congressman in the country...they are jokes. Pollacco has done nothing since he has been on the Council...absolutely nothing. You telling us he is a college graduate makes it even worse since he still does not have a job and appears to never have had one or looked for one. The guy appears not to work. He does not pay the taxes that the rest of us pay and he votes on. He lives in his childhood bedroom. Are you kidding? Is this a person anyone would hire to do anything. He is not qualified for alderman and clearly not qualified for Mayor. And the fact that he thinks he is qualified is even scarier.

Anonymous said...

Under the Liberty coalition's mantra, their PAC would have been working against both Bushes presidential elections. Bush I taxed us like their was no tomorrow and Bush II spent like a drunken sailor. Therefore, not true Republicans. you might as well put Tea Party in parenthesis next to the Liberty coalitions name because that is all they are. They are just to ashamed to admit it.

Anonymous said...

Polacco is never the candidate.It is his father people vote for. Ward 6 is loaded with his fathers friends and relatives and yet he was vulnerable. He may be electable but he is of the same intellectual capability as Levin and Sinagra-none.

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

Jeremy you are so obvious in the Republican debate report. As a Democrat you named polloco first.We all know the Democrats would love to face Jacobs first,Levin second,Ron third and Cahillleast of all since He is by far the best candidate and the biggest threat of all.

Anonymous said...

Turco-Levin is the by far the most viable candidate for the republicans at this time. She is the only one that can win city wide. Cahill is too rightwing conservative and nobody gives a shit what the conservatives think in Ulster county. Thats my word Jeremy.

Anonymous said...

In the republican primary Andi Turco Levin will finish third.

Anonymous said...

How is Levin the most viable candidate city wide? She is a one term alderman with almost no name ID. I'm also getting sick of the way some people talk about Hayes and the fact that he is successful. Only in a Democrat primary would a candidate's success be a negative. We can have a Duke grad and former HBO executive running Kingston. Politics aside Rich and Hayes are by far the most impressive candidates for mayor. How about we focus on candidates with college educations and impressive careers to run our city? If a person has done nothing to speak of prior to becoming mayor why would we think they will do anything spectacular as mayor? Lets extend that same rationale to our Common Council races as well. You vote mediocre people into office and guess what you end up with?

Anonymous said...

Rich Cahill does not have an impressive career, he is a hack lawyer. When he loses. he should move out of Kingston to Texas or Arizona where people like him live. Right wing nut jobs who hate anyone who is not them.

Andi Turco is living in a fantasy world, she has no idea how difficult running a government is.

Palacco, at 45 is still immature and has no real life responsibilities. Mayor would be the best job he would ever hold in his life.

Jean Jacobs, a lot smarter than people give her credit for, but she has no chance. Too bad, she really cares.

Hayes and Shayne are the only two I can see with the necessary background to run the city. Hayes' professional experience is sorely needed in Kingston and Shayne has been around it so long, he knows what has to be done.

Honestly, a Democrat is the only choice here.

Anonymous said...

These elections are a waste of voters time - not a single candidate (especially for Kingston Mayor) evens talks about cutting expenses - like Mike Hein says - the train is coming and if you don't get off the tracks you will be hurt. Taxpayer's lose.

Anonymous said...

If you want to talk education, then Cahill, Gallo, and Clement are the top 3.

Cahill and Gallo are law school graduates. Clement has an MBA from Virginia.

None of the other candidates can come close to this level of education.

Anonymous said...

why is hayes signs mostly put in the upper class hoods i think we know why the rich get the cake the poor get the crunbs

Anonymous said...

And Clement put more than one sign on the property to make it look like he has a lot of signs up. Not good.

Anonymous said...

Rich is impressive because of his knowledge of Kingston and our laws. You could see it in the Republican debate. Rich could speak about the issues facing Kingston off the cuff with no notes. He could refer to decisions and votes made by the CC from the 90s with specificity. Now you may not like his answers but that's a different story. It's not like he was giving fluff answers like Andi and Ron. Jean was giving pretty concrete responses though. Got to give credit to her as well. Also does anyone have any examples of how Rich is a "hack"?

Anonymous said...

They have no examples. It's just more name calling.

Anonymous said...

I think you might be underestimating the Mcdonough woman. She seems to be running for all the right reasons, she's a property owner, has kids in the school system, has a good relationship with her neighbors. I think voters respond to her because they relate to her. I've met her on a few occasions and she is very down to earth and seems to just want to make our community better for all of us. I wouldn't count her out just yet she's smart, has good ideas and is by far the best looking candidate running this year!