Billiam VanRoestenberg joins Radio Free Kingston

Gary Bischoff and Art Richter, co-hosts of Radio Free Kingston announce that Billiam VanRoestenberg will be a regular host of the program. Radio Free Kingston is a weekly radio show that airs on WKNY, 1490 on the AM dial every Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The show started in July 2005 on Friday evenings and moved to Sunday afternoons shortly after.

Radio Free Kingston is a progressive talk show that counters a lot of the right wing propaganda that dominates talk radio today. Listeners are free to call the show and add to the discussion. The show discusses topics of interest locally and nationally.

The aim of the show is to entertain and educate listeners on a variety of topics. Most shows have local guests in the studio.

Billiam VanRoestenberg is a farmer living in Highland, NY. VanRoestenberg is active on the local political scene, and was a candidate for Ulster County Legislature in 2005.

"The addition of VanRoestenberg brings a fresh new voice to our radio program. During the weeks leading up to the election, I was not able to be on the show because of FCC regulations. We asked Billiam to 'pinch hit' for me, and he did such a great job that we invited him to be a regular host of the program. We plan to alternate and have two hosts in the studio each week. I am pleased to be working with Billiam who has proven to be a very polished, professional co-host."

- Gary Bischoff

Check out Jonathan Sennett's audio message below

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More GOP Values, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney says No to Muslims

GOP Values: Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Enodrsed by Bunny Ranch

In what seemed like a Saturday Night Live political parody, a real-world press conference was launched as MSNBC's Tucker Carlson and two prostitutes stepped from a limousine, the ladies were with their employer and the owner of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch who arrived at an endorsement press conference for Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX). Carlson is traveling with the Paul campaign while doing a story for the New Republic.

Dennis Hof, the Bunny Ranch's owner is so excited that he wants to raise money for Paul. The Reno Gazette Journal reports: Following the news conference, Hof said he was so impressed that he wanted to start raising money for Paul.

"I'll do it today," he said. "I'll get all the Bunnies together, and we can raise him some money. I'll put up a collection box outside the door. They can drop in $1 dollar, $5 dollar contributions."
Two of Hof's prostitutes, Air Force Amy and Brooke Taylor, said they liked Paul's message, but wanted to learn more about the other candidates before making a decision.

Gordon Webb Passes on.

Gordon Webb passed away this morning after a long illness. I went and saw Gordon yesterday and he was in rough shape but amazingly in good spirits. I never agreed with Mr. Webb on this issues but he served a very vital role in the establishment of public access, and to the community. My heart goes out to him and his family.

Blaber News' Second Annual Person of the Year VOTE NOW

I again, am in search for our second annual Blaber News Person of the year and am asking for your help. Blaber News person of the year must be an active member of the community and posses significant contributions to Ulster County. The criteria contained has been established to provide visibility in points and ensure objective selection. The person of the year picked by Jeremy Blaber with the help of the public will receive a plaque, full page write up on Jeremyblaber.com and will be the first guest of 2008 on Blaber's widely popular show Late Night w/ Jeremy Blaber(yes, I'll be back on by then)



2006's winner was town of Ulster Supervisor Nick Woerner



Nominees for 2007: VOTE NOW!!



Jonathan Sennett- Mr. Sennett is an advocate in the legal community of Ulster County. Mr. Sennett stands up for the rights of citizens regardless of your economic means, race or gender. Jon believes in realistic approaches to fighting crime in Ulster County and making sure every citizen is safe and that above all justice is served. Sennett was the 2007 Democratic candidate for Ulster County District Attorney.


Nick Woerner - Mr. Woerner is currently the Supervisor of the town of Ulster, Woerner was elected in 2005 and was the youngest Supervisor ever to be elected in NYS. Since taking office Woerner has achieved many accomplishments including the establishment of a legal police commission, keeping taxes in check and promoting economic development for the town of Ulster. Woerner was voted Blaber News' person of the year in 2006.

Kevin Cahill- Mr. Cahill serves in the 101st district of the NYS Assembly which includes most of Ulster County and parts of Dutchess county, since taking office Cahill has faught tirelessly for his constituents on a number of local issues. Cahill has been a pioneer for property tax reform in our state. Assemblyman Cahill is the chair of the State Committee on Ethics.

Mike Hein - Mr. Hein became County Administrator in 2005 when the Democrats took control of the Ulster County legislature. Hein inherited a messy budget left over from the previous administrations. With the guidance of the legislature, Hein has transformed the county budget into a budget that is open and accountable to the tax-payers of Ulster County. Mr. Hein is currently a candidate for County Executive.

Diane Reeder - Mrs. Reeder is the executive director of the Queen's Galley in Kingston, which is a soup kitchen that feeds and educates the public. Mrs. Reeder teaches people the value of nutrition and how to shop healthy on a fixed budget and most importantly no one is ever turned away. Mrs. Reeder serves thousands of meals each month to the residents of Kingston.

RUN CAHILL, RUN!!!! 66% of readers say Cahill should enter Executive Race

66% of people think Kevin Cahill should run for County Executive according to the latest Blaber's News and Commentary poll. That's really interesting because that's an extremely large margin, it's no surprise to me though, people like Cahill, he's very personable and intelligent. There's no doubt he would make a great exec but will he run? People seem to think he won't because he would have to give up his relatively safe assembly seat, others think that being executive is a step down for Cahill, those naive people do not realize how powerful the position of executive really is. Look at former Assemblyman Tom DiNappoli, who ran and was the party's nominee for County Executive in Nassau County, DiNappoli was eventually defeated in a viscous primary by Tom Souzzi, but things seemed to have worked out for DiNappoli who currently is the NYS Comptroller.

In the end Cahill's heart is in Ulster County and I have a strong hunch that in February or early March our Assemblyman from the 101st puts it all on the line for the county's top spot.

Reynolds' Reality Check

Sometimes it's hard to believe that Hugh Reynolds is paid by the Daily Freeman as their political editor, the guy is either stubborn or just completely out of touch with local politics. First, I really like Hugh Reynolds, I think he's bright and for the most part I enjoy reading his column. For some reason the guy hates Jonathan Sennett and refuses to give him his due.

Now the race is over and I have moved on, but yesterday in Reynolds' column he made a comment that was simply untrue, the piece was about Ben Shore calling for John Parete's resignation from the Democratic committee, and it went on to talk about the d.a.'s race, and how there should of been a primary. At this point I'll even concede that a primary would of probably been a good thing. However, Reynolds went on to say that Sennett didn't want a primary because the reality was that he had a slim to none chance of winning it. This is where I really question Reynolds' competence as a political insider.... the unfortunate reality is that the general election turned into the September primary and Bradley lost terribly.

In a Democratic primary the main people that come out and vote are from the towns of Woodstock, Saugerties, Rosendale, Marbletown and Kingston. Let's look at the numbers:

Woodstock Sennett: 1250 Bradley : 209

Saugerties Sennett : 1160 Bradley: 800

Rosendale Sennett: 652 Bradley : 286

Marbletown Sennett: 698 Bradley : 306

Kingston Sennett: 1710 Bradley : 2265

New Paltz Sennett : 1565 Bradley: 289

TOTAL : Sennett : 7035 Bradley : 4155

Cut both the totals in half because the primary would of been much lower than the general and you have Sennett with 3517 and Bradley at 2077. We'll add on about 300 to Bradley for people that supported Sennett because he was the party's nominee... the total in the key areas of a Democratic primary would be Sennett at 3117 and Bradley at about 2377...the other towns would be about even with Sennett having the edge as the nominee....bottom line Sennett wins in a landslide.

You can't go by this entirely, because we're leaving a lot of towns out and there is the fact that anyone can vote in a general election and you don't know what the exact numbers would be in a primary vs. the general election. However, you can get an idea of what the primary would have been by voter trends and making an educated guess. There is absolutely no way that Bradley would have walked out of the primary as the winner and the numbers are very clear of that. Bradley only beat Sennett in Kingston (his hometown) by a few hundred votes. In comparison Sennett trampled Bradley in New Paltz by about 5-1. The problem was that for Sennett there was no guarantee that Bradley would have dropped out if he lost the primary. Sennett would have entered the general election with a lot less money and in the exact same situation. But, what do I know.

Andrew Saul Calls it Quits, Against John Hall

In a stunning development, wealthy businessman Andrew Saul (R) is making calls to inform supporters and GOP insiders that he is dropping his candidacy in New York’s 19th District. Saul was widely regarded as a strong Republican recruit to take on freshman Democratic Cong. John Hall (D). Saul’s ability to self-finance and the Republican-tilt of the district made it a top GOP target. But now, his exit from the race leaves Republicans looking for a credible challenger.

"I want to thank everyone who has been supportive of this campaign, and under different circumstances I know we would have been successful. I am truly touched at the overwhelming support I've received from my family, friends and the residents of the 19th Congressional District throughout this process."

- Andrew Saul

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

- Jeremy


Ulster Police Lieutenant, and avid Blaber New's reader, Joe Sinagra helps out on Thanksgiving

Join Mike Hein's Kick-Off Campaign Celebration for County Executive

Mike Hein will host his campaign kick-off for Ulster County Executive, on December, 6th at the Hillside Manor. The event is from 6-8 and you must reserve by December 1st. Tickets are 75 dollars per person. Hein has received the endorsement of Mayor James Sottile and U.C. Treasurer Lew Kirschner.

R.S.V.P. to:

The Committee to Elect Mike Hein,

P.O. Box 3005

Kingston, NY 12402

Just a final disclaimer: Mike Hein is seeking the Democratic nomination for Executive so I am posting this event and will post other events for our Democratic candidates. Anyone who say that I'm supporting a certain candidate is wrong. I'm staying completely neutral and will make a decision in March when all the candidates have announced and the people have had time to hear from all of them.

The Zimet Factor

The race for County Executive will have many good and qualified Democratic candidates running and that's a good thing. Right now the two names that are coming up are Mike Hein (who has already announced) and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. People should not rule out Susan Zimet for the position of County Executive, Zimet is a bright woman who has Executive experience and experience in county government...more importantly she has already won a county wide race. And, not to be gender biased she's a woman, I think we know of another very popular woman that may very well be on the ballot in November and that is U.S. Senator and presidential front runner Hillary Clinton.... Zimet's candidacy could really take off and she, like Cahill and Hein, is a worthy contender. Zimet also made significant contacts with the state party in her bid for NYS Senator and raised a boat load of money. Zimet can win.

Note: This is not an endorsement for Susan Zimet, like I said before I am not making any commitments at this time. Just writing down my thoughts.

Ulster County Legislature's Dems Battle it Out for Top Spot

Ulster County Legislature's power struggle for chair has begun...Jeanette Provanzano is challenging incumbent Chairman David Donaldson for the top post and each candidate claims to have the support needed for the top spot. I just have to wonder why the Democratic legislature can't just work together and relax. Donaldson, who has fended of challenges twice before from Peter Kraft and Robert Parete, has done a great job in his current position and while I like Jeanette dearly there should not be a change in leadership.

The Democratic party seems to be too ambitious for it's own good. Then again, I'm sure the GOP when in power, where the same way. The GOP to its credit, had a party chair that would not tolerate such nonsense like trying to change leadership midterm in the legislature, or allowing committee members to support an Independent candidate for District Attorney. But I guess when the Democratic Chairman is also an Elections Commissioner, and you care about yourself more than the party you were elected to represent things like this happen.

The Ulster County Democratic Committee needs a new chairman it's that simple, Donaldson being challenged three times in three years, the d.a.'s race being the most obvious reasons. The fact of the matter is that the party is hopelessly divided, and with two huge county races coming up we can't afford to continue on our current path. It's also necessary for the moral to be restored and the healing process to begin and under Parete that simply will not happen.

John Parete has done a lot of good things for the Democratic party and deserves a lot of the credit for our Democratic majority in the legislature amongst other things...like any good leader his time has passed.

DiNapoli to Audit Thruway Authority

NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will audit the NYS Thruway Authority in light of a proposed rate hike, the audit, which starts immediately, will determine if the hike is necessary.

“New Yorkers already pay some of the highest taxes and user fees in the country, and the cost of gasoline is expected to skyrocket even more,” DiNapoli said. “For thousands of New York families, particularly upstate, the Thruway is an economic lifeline. Before the Thruway Authority raises tolls and drives up costs for delivering everything from milk to lumber, my auditors are going to examine whether the toll hike is necessary. The Thruway Authority should hold off on the proposed increase until the audit is complete.”

I applaud Comptroller DiNapoli for his efforts, one always wonders where the money goes that we pay on the thruway...of course a large portion goes to up keep..however, an audit wouldn't hurt.

Hillary sets the facts straight

80,000

Blaber's News and Commentary hits 80,000 visits!!!!!!

Marbletown Democratic Committee Calls for Parete's Resignation

Dear Mr. Parete,

I write on behalf of the Marbletown Democratic Committee, which voted unanimously at its November monthly meeting to call for your immediate resignation. Our committee has stood with you throughout your tenure, andwe have stood with you against past criticism. Sadly, it appears that our faith and support has been misplaced.

During the 2007 elections, you demonstrated not only a lack of good leadership, but also a lack of loyalty to the Democratic Party. Your actions divided and damaged the Party,costing us not only the District Attorney's office, but also opportunities to make gains in the Legislature.There comes a time, when we as Party members, must set aside personal preferences and think of the collective good of the Party. When that time came this year, you chose to put personal and family connections ahead of the Party, supporting another party's candidate for District Attorney. You need to take responsibility for the split that caused in the Party, and step down as Chair, so that the Party can heal and move forward.

If you continue in office, that will only hurt the Party during the 2008 election season, and it will have negative repercussions for years to come.We urge you to act, at last, in the best interests of the Democratic Party, and resign immediately.

Sincerely,

Ben Shor, Chair
Marbletown Democratic Committee

Cuomo Rumored to be Considering 2010 Run for Governor

With Gov. Spitzer's tanking numbers in the polls these days and Cuomo's numbers that seem to keep going up, people are speculating over a possible primary run in 2010. For purpose of full disclosure there is no bigger supporter of Andrew Cuomo than myself, I worked on his campaign for AG and I supported him as a very young Democrat at Miller Middle School for Governor the first time around, with that being said Cuomo should stay put. Nothing is to be gained by trying to unseat an incumbent governor especially someone like Elliot Spitzer.

Gov. Spitzer a self proclaimed f-ing steamroller has had his faults but a lot has been accomplished and I think Spitzer's numbers will climb back to about 65 percent come next year. When you're a leader and a reformer like our Governor, there are a lot of decisions that have to be made that are not always popular but make no mistake about it they are necessary.

Andrew Cuomo, who most likely has no real intention of running for anything but reelection as AG, has a bright future in NY politics and his time for higher office will come.

DiBella Taken to School

Majority Leader Reynolds will keep his post after DiBella has announced she is not going to challenge the senior Democrat from Kingston's 7th ward. In reality DiBella never had a shot at taking taking the leadership position away from Reynolds to begin with but that is neither here nor there. We congratulate Reynolds on his reelection to the leadership post...it's well deserved.

DiBella, the Majority Whip, paid the price for her attempt to betray Reynolds, our congratulations to Jennifer Ringwood the new Majority Whip. If DiBella had spent a little more time at the Tom Hoffay School of Poli Scie, she would of known, Politics 101, don't go for a leadership position or release a piece of legislation unless you know ahead of time you have the votes. This should be the end of it, lesson learned, January 1st it's time to do the people's business.