Bruhn for GOP Boss

While we wait for the results of the Auerbach campaign, I guess we can deal with some local issues and one of them is the new leadership in the Kingston Republican Committee.

It seems that Mario Catalano has given the word that it is time for Jean Jacobs to go as Republican Chair and he has the votes to get rid of her when they reorganize next month. The question is who will take over the top spot? Tony Sinagra (yawn) and Rich Cahill (yawn) have been mentioned as possible people to take over.

I like Tony but his time has come and gone, if the Republicans want real leadership and a shot at taking back the council next year they must restore integrity to the committee, Micheal Bruhn Jr., is the guy that can do that.

Now as a Democrat I am hoping that Jacobs stays on as long as possible but as an independent observer, Mike Bruhn Jr., is the way to go if the GOP wants to start winning elections.

Paper Breaking For Auerbach

The absentee ballots are breaking steadily for Comptroller candidate Elliott Auerbach in his bid to become Ulster's first Comptroller.

While not much was accomplished on Friday due to the Skartados/Kirwin race, we should have a good idea on who won this election on Tuesday.

The good news is Auerbach is breaking ahead in areas like Marlboro and other Republican strong holds where he did not do particularly well on the machines.

I think this goes to the theory that these votes were cast before the Quigley media wave of lies and deception hit. If Auerbach does well in Kingston and holds on to New Paltz, Woodstock and Rosendale, the race will go his way.

More details as they become available.

Two Reasons Why Auerbach Should Win

BY THE NUMBERS

Elliott Auerbach is looking better everyday at becoming Ulster County's first Comptroller and I am cautiously optimistic that he will pull it off.

First, Jim Quigley spent $17 per vote compared to the .76 per vote that Auerbach spent, the fact that this race is close tells you something.

Right now Quigley leads with 550 votes (Auerbach gained 28 during the re canvas) and the more than 4200 absentee ballots will begin to be counted next Wednesday. With a strong Democratic trend, Elliott looks to be in good shape, as long as Dems voted down the line and not just for President.

No matter what it will be close but keep in mind a few things :

1.) Most of the people voted by absentee weeks ago, before the huge Quigley media wave hit

2.) 2:1 more Dems requested absentees than Republicans

3.) Democrats targeted all absentee voters early on

But, who knows anything is possible and Quigley could very well win.



FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTY AND PROCESS:

I ran into Mr.Quigley the morning after the election at a local establishment and I went to shake his hand and he said " stay the "f" away from me", Quigley just showed all the millions of dollars he has couldn't buy him class.

It's funny my relationship with Mr. Quigley had always been cordial up until that point and he even called me a few days before the election to tell me one of Elliott's big signs were knocked down and he gave me the location to fix it.

After I thanked him, I said to him, there are a lot of bad Dems and Republicans out there and people that get involved for the wrong reasons but whatever the result of this election I want you to know, Auerbach is one of the good ones. And, that's how it ended.

And, I meant that, the election has already been decided we will know the result soon enough but whatever the outcome Elliott Auerbach is a stand up guy that put his principals and integrity above everything else.

Elliott is the only candidate that ran countywide that never went negative, not once! Even when his opponent would put out a mailer full of lies and distortion, he would say, I'll let my Integrity guide me and I always respected that and it's something that Elliott taught me that stuck with me and I am proud of him for it.

Which is why I am confident that after every vote is counted the people of Ulster County will have spoken that they want a Comptroller with integrity and morals, and you can't walk into Ulster County and buy an election. After every vote is counted, my good friend Elliott Auerbach will be Ulster County's first Comptroller.

A message from Elliott Auerbach

How great was it to lick the nectar of victory off of our lips as we celebrated Democratic successes both nationally and locally. The efforts by each and every one of you were remarkable and the HUGE turnout reflected that.

Let me share with you a brief update as to where we are with the Comptroller’s race so that you can pass this along to all who have a stake in our successes.

At the end of the evening I was trailing by 585 “unofficial” votes. Here is how things broke down:
As a Democrat I beat him by 4180 votes (33047 to 28867)
He gained that back + 10 on the Independence line by getting 4190
He then took 3564 on the Conservative line
I took 2989 on the Working Families line

Yesterday the Board of Elections began reviewing the tally (let’s call it a recount for lack of better words) to ensure that the numbers that were reported match the actual tally.

Once that is done and confirmed we may have a slight deviation to the spread.

After that, the fun begins.

To date, there are 4430 absentee ballots that have yet to be counted out of 6165. Ballots can come in as late as November 12th so there should be even more.

41% of those absentee ballot requests are from Dems (2512 out of 6165)
28% from NO PARTY (1705 of 6165)
26% are from Republicans (1604 of 6165)
3% from Independence (206 of 6165)
1.5% from Conservative
The remainder from WFP (11) Green (30) Libertarian (2)

The BOE will begin counting the absentee ballots on November 14th

IN ADDITION there are a number of people who voted by affidavit. I don’t have a handle on the exact amount but it could be close to 700

Any or all of these votes will be scrutinized by legal teams representing both candidates. This will be a long and arduous process that could take three weeks…..STAY TUNED!

The good news is we are in the race!!!!!!


Thanks for everything.


Elliott

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

President Barack Obama....never thought it would happen. What a great day to be a Democrat and an American.

Hein Wins, Comptroller Race too Close to Call

Full details and analysis later today. The blog will continue until the conclusion of the Ulster County Comptroller race...GO AUERBACH!!!!!

VOTE HEIN AUERBACH AND THE REST OF ROW A

It's very important that we all go out and exercise our right to vote this election cycle. It's an historic election both nationally and locally. I want to thank all the candidates that stuck their neck out and decided to run for public office, I think at the end of the day the benefits are greater than the bitter partisan fighting that takes place each year.

PRESIDENT: BARACK OBAMA

COUNTY EXECUTIVE : MIKE HEIN

COUNTY COMPTROLLER: ELLIOTT AUERBACH

NYS ASSEMBLY 101 : KEVIN CAHILL

NYS ASSEMBLY 103 : MARC MOLINARO

ALDERMAN WARD 2 : TOM HOFFAY

NEW PALTZ TOWN BOARD: BRITTANY TURNER

Quigley Called out on the LIES and Deception of HIS campaign

CLICK PICTURE TO READ.

When $1 equals 100k or more!!

I have received campaign literature from Mr. Jim Quigley that has very misleading information. Either Quigley has been terribly misinformed or he lacks the basic understanding necessary to hold the office of Comptroller.

In his ad's, he has stated that he will use all but $1 of his salary to hire two new auditors. There are fatal flaws with his plan that make it virtually impossible to happen.

First and foremost, the current Majority of the Legislature, which has to approve ALL new positions, has been working for almost 3 years to reduce, not EXPAND the size Govenrment. Do more with less has been our battle cry. The Charter commission determined the correct staffing levels for each new department and we agree with them. We will not support or vote for two new positions.

Another major flaw with his "plan" is that $100,000 in salary is just the beginning of the expense related to hiring new employees. What about the approximately $80,000 in benefits for the two new employees? How about the additional cost of training or that the taxpayers will be burdened with carrying these positions forever?

The Majority of the Legislature is not prepared to throw three years of work, and thousands of dollars of taxpayer money out the window to fulfill a ill conceived, ill thought out campaign promise.

This plan exposes Quigley's lack of understanding of how government works and his total disregard for taxpayers. It shows he is not prepared to become the first Comptroller of Ulster County.

Elliot Auerbach has been there and done that. That is a very good thing. Elliot Auerbach knows that working together with the Legislature,
we can achieve more reform and efficiencies that in the end, will benefit taxpayers by reducing, not expanding costs. The taxpayers of Ulster County need a Main St. thinker like Elliott Auerbach not a wall St. thinker like his opponent.

Brian B.Cahill
Majority Leader
Ulster County Legislature

AUERBACH-HEIN ENDORSED BY KINGSTON TIMES

Elliott Auerbach and James Quigley want to be the county's first comptroller, the position that will replace the treasurer and will be responsible for auditing the books. Both should be able to run a nine-person, $510,000 department. Quigley is a CPA, and that should accrue to his benefit. Auerbach is a current village manager, familiar with municipal finance and good with people, and that should accrue to his benefit. This one is a tough call, but we'll endorse Auerbach as able to watch where the money goes while listening to the people it goes to and comes from.

The campaign for Ulster County's first executive has been something of a disappointment. And yet, if county voters elect Democrat Michael Hein we will likely get the person we need - the guy who will conduct the necessary work to set up the office of executive, who will watch the budget and count the beans, who can put all the pieces in place. These will be the primary tasks of the first county executive. We could argue that it is not necessary to elect a great political visionary for the county, first because we don't appear to have one, and second because organization could be a greater key to this first term. It's a complicated office, there's a new administrative code to be followed and a relationship to be built between executive and legislature.

Len Bernardo is not the man for this task. It's a nuts and bolts time and his grasp of the situation is lacking. Running a government is quite different from running a private business, where his expertise lies.

Hein never struck us as an ideal candidate - he switched parties, came up with too much familiarity with the old power structure in the county, and is making a novice's run at office. But his experience as county administrator gives him a leg up on knowing what desks have to go where and that should suffice for a first term.

Make Sure You Vote...from Obama to Auerbach

Statement from the Ulster County Democratic Committee

Mike Hein, Democratic candidate for Ulster County Executive continues to far outpace Len Bernardo – the Independence Party member who has been tapped as a stand-in by Republicans – in key measures of support.

According to recent campaign disclosures barely 100 individuals have contributed to Bernardo’s campaign. Those donors gave a total of only about $32,000, with $5,000 coming from a single donor in New Mexico. Democrat Mike Hein, on the other hand, has more than three-times as many donors, forming a much broader base of support.

Bernardo’s anemic fundraising would severely constrain the campaign of a middle-class candidate; however, Bernardo has been able to tap his personal wealth to fund his quest for the top job in Ulster County. Bernardo has more than made up for his lack of popularity by simply loaning his campaign more than an astounding $100,000. At a time when many residents of Ulster County are struggling to buy fuel oil for the winter and pay their monthly bills, Bernardo has the luxury of buying the most powerful job in the County.

Democratic County Chairman Julian Schreibman said: “Mike Hein has been a dedicated public servant for years. He and his supporters have had to work extraordinarily hard to raise money to make his message heard. But so long as Len Bernardo can write checks to his campaign for tens of thousands of dollars, his lone voice threatens to drown out those of the middle and working class citizens who want real progress for Ulster County.”

James Quigley, Republican candidate for Ulster County Comptroller has upped the ante on Bernardo: Quigley hasn’t even bothered to accept donations, excusing himself from one of the most challenging parts of running for office. Easy for him to do. Quigley has bank-rolled the Republican Party and Republican causes for years – including opposition to the Charter. Whenever his campaign needs money, he just drops in several thousand dollars more, including $35,000 in the month of October alone. Quigley has said he will donate his salary to charity – but it looks like one of his favorite charities is the Republican Party.

Bernardo and Quigley thus make up an extraordinarily privileged slate of candidates. Is there room for leadership in our public sphere for people of modest means? When only the wealthy run the government, the government will be run for the benefit of the wealthy. The Republican candidates can afford to run a luxurious race of glossy brochures and costly advertisements. But can the citizens of Ulster County really afford to elect two men who are so far removed from the concerns of real working people in our community?

The Record Backs Hein for Exec

Having created the position of Ulster County executive, voters now have to decide what kind of person they need to do the job right from the start.

They have that person in Mike Hein, whose record as administrator provides a clear and compelling case for his ability to manage bureaucracy, work with legislators and attract new business. It doesn't hurt that he is a county native who speaks eloquently about the quality of life he wants to preserve and protect.

Hein and his opponent, Len Bernardo, have run a spirited campaign, trading charges and stopping just this side of nasty. What that noise has sometimes obscured is the basic agreements the two have on the financial challenges facing the county, which are substantial, and the necessity of creating more jobs.

Cut through the details about tax breaks for Bernardo's business and it is clear from his own answers that he has been able to take advantage of a weak system, one that he and Hein agree cries out for supervision, standards and enforcement. Bernardo's attempts to link Hein to the county's many well-publicized fiscal disasters, especially the unforgivable blunders associated with the county jail project, fall apart when he admits that Hein was a whistle-blower but could have done it a bit more loudly.

Focus on the details of the new job and the differences between the two are obvious. Hein has several years of experience working with the people, both supporters and opponents, who will be essential for success. Bernardo has neither that experience nor any clear plans to make up for the lack of it. If Hein is elected, as he should be, he will have an easy transition because he has handled much of the detail and shown much of the leadership that the county will need.

More on the Freeman's Lack of Understanding

The Freeman claims that they support Jim Quigley because they are endorsing a Democrat for county executive and as a Republican Jim Quigley represents a balance. Now this just shows how little the Freeman knows about the charter form of government and government in general.

If you go by the logic of the Freeman, we had a Republican legislature and a Democratic Treasure during the jail fiasco...so why did we have the jail fiasco? There was no accountability and no real balance.

The charter or Proposition 1 (which Quigley spent thousands of dollars to defeat) is what creates the balance in our government not party affiliation. By having an elected Executive, (C.E.O.) of the county and a comptroller (the advocate/watchdog of county government), we guarantee a county that is accountable with checks and balances.

Furthermore, if we were electing a treasure, than Jim Quigley is the guy with the experience to do the job. However, we are electing a Comptroller, a person who's job is to be the watch dog over county government. Elliott Auerbach knows the business of government and will protect us. Mr. Quigley has ZERO experience in county government and is unqualified to do the job.

Sunday Freeman's Endorsement A Little Early.....

BREAKING NEWS: SUNDAY'S FREEMAN ENDORSEMENT


I'm pulling the wind out of the sails of the Freeman and publishing this early becasue this endorsement shows how out of touch the Daily Freeman is with it's readers and with Ulster County. Their endorsement of Jim Quigley is based on the fact that they are endorsing Mike Hein. This is right up there with why they pulled their endorsement from Sennett because they were scared they would not have access to the DA's office under his administration.

You endorse a candidate based on their qualifications for the job, plain and simple. To not endorse Auerbach because they endorsed a Democrat for Executive is just stupid and short sided. Jim Quigley has 0 experience overseeing government and is simply unqualified and too partisan to be the watchdog of Ulster County.

No wonder why The Freeman is on the verge of bankruptcy and their circulation continues to decline. Is it true it is cheaper to buy their stock than it is to buy the actual paper??



Hein and Quigley
10/26/2008

ULSTER COUNTY voters already have ratified the theory of charter government as a more efficient and accountable form of governance. On Nov. 4, they will elect two candidates who, more than anyone else, will put the theory to the test.


Citizens will choose their first county executive and comptroller, each to be elected by a countywide ballot and directly accountable to the voters. This is a change of no small import.
To this point, Ulster County governance has depended on a part-time Legislature and a county administrator it appoints. In practice, this has meant a government dominated by the legislative leaders elected by the majority party.

For such a large and complex undertaking as county governance, that form of political organization probably never made sense. It established a legislative government without executive counterweight, since the executive branch was simply the handmaiden to legislative leaders. Moreover, it raised up leaders who were not directly beholden to all of the voters. Accountability was, at best, diffuse.

In practice, it was a prescription for disaster, as the planning and construction of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center - years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget - so sadly illustrated. No single official had nor took responsibility for the project.

Out of that outrage came the reformulation of county government under a charter.

THE TOP person in this new government will be the county executive, vested with a range of powers and charged with the responsibility of running the day-to-day operations of the executive branch. Among the powers and responsibilities of an elected executive are long-term planning, keeping a tight handle on spending, nominating the heads of departments and holding the power to veto county legislation.

But there's also a lot of potential responsibility that falls between the formal lines of the charter and that's one reason this first election is so important.

First and foremost, the residents of Ulster County will be looking to the new county executive to provide the economic leadership that has been so sorely lacking. While surrounding counties such as Greene, Dutchess and Orange have been busy remaking themselves in this new century,

Ulster has languished as an economic backwater.

We believe Michael Hein, the county administrator since 2006 and deputy treasurer for three years before that, is the best candidate for the job. Hein, a Democrat who comes with a banking background, has made a convincing start at putting effective institutional safeguards into place that will make unlikely a recurrence of the Law Enforcement Center fiasco.
Hein, 43, says the Ulster County Development Corp. has failed in its mission to attract jobs and proposes to link the agency with the county's Tourism Department and Small Business Development Center to reduce county costs, but amplify and unify the county's voice to the business world.

Len Bernardo, a registered member of the Independence Party, is a town of Rochester resident and owner of Skate Time 209, a roller rink in Accord. He previously was in private business in New York City, founding and owning a small business form printing and distribution company.
Bernardo, 53, also is critical of the performance of the Ulster County Development Corp., but is less persuasive that he has a plan to refocus the county's efforts.

Furthermore, a candidate who challenges his opponent, as Bernardo did, to reduce the county property tax levy by 33 percent, but who is then unable to say with any specificity how he would accomplish such a thing, seriously undermines his own campaign. Knowing what you're talking about when it comes to the county budget is no small part of the job.
VOTERS will also select a comptroller, who will be the county's chief financial watchdog, with accounting responsibilities and the power to audit county departments and agencies that contract with the county.

Two solid candidates are vying for the position of comptroller.

Democrat Elliott Auerbach, 56, is a former mayor of Ellenville and the current village manager. He holds a business degree in economics from Hofstra University. He knows about both the politics of getting things done and the nitty-gritty of keeping things running.

Republican James Quigley, 51, is a Kingston resident and a certified public accountant with a master's degree in accounting from SUNY Albany. He is a partner and chief financial officer for Rothschild Realty Managers LLC of New York City. He may be summarized as "a numbers guy."
In our view, Quigley gets the nod. Not only are his technical skills superbly suited for the job, but we like the prospect of Republican oversight of the finances of a county whose electorate and, therefore, its slate of elected officials have been steadily trending Democratic. All the more so because we are endorsing a Democrat for county executive.

Auerbach Gets More Union Support

Ulster County Comptroller Candidate Elliot Auerbach has received a powerful endorsement from the New York State Union of Police Associations, Inc. (N.Y.S.U.P.A.).

N.Y.S.U.P.A. President Anthony Solfaro said, “The endorsement of this organization of your candidacy is a result of your record of public service and fairness that warrants the support of the law enforcement community of Ulster County.”

The New York State Union of Police Associations, Inc. is the labor representative for more than 90 county, city, town, and village police benevolent organizations in 26 counties throughout the state, including the eleven police benevolent associations in Ulster County.

Auerbach, who was honored by the endorsement, said, “My strong support of law enforcement and my first hand knowledge of the energy and effort that goes into protecting the public underscores my dramatic respect for the men and women of the police profession who serve our communities on a daily basis.”

Auerbach, an Ulster County native and life-long Democrat, is currently the Ellenville Village Manager. He will bring the strength of his private and public sector background to the office of the county’s newly established position of chief accounting and reporting officer. Auerbach’s public sector background includes three terms as Mayor of Ellenville and also a two year stint as Director of the Rural Economic Area Partnership. In the private sector, Auerbach managed a family-owned business for 20 years and has enjoyed a series of successes in corporate America and private industry.

For a current list of endorsements and other information about the campaign, please visit the Elliott Auerbach for Ulster County Comptroller website at http://www.auerbachforcomptroller.com/.

11 days left

11 days left and counting before election day and it's looking good for the Democrats in Ulster County and Democrats all over NYS and across this country.

Mike Hein is all but assured a victory on election day, with his support from Dems and Republicans alike, he is going coast to at least a 2:1, maybe even a 3:1 victory next Tuesday and he has ran a great campaign and it's well earned.

Elliott Auerbach is also going to be victorious on election night with all internal polls on both sides showing him way ahead, one even has him stomping his opponent by a wider margin than the Hein:Bernardo race. Auerbach is an extraordinary individual that I really think will mold the office of Comptroller into the vision put forth by Dr. Benjamin and the charter commission.

(It should be noted that Mr. Auerbach's opponent tried to defeat Benjamin's vision, apparently he thought everything in Ulster County was just fine, the 100 million dollar jail fiasco meant nothing.)

Obviously things can change and the only poll that matters is the one on November 4th. Both Hein and Auerbach realize that and are taking nothing for granted, both running as if they were 20 points down. Knocking on as many doors as possible, making phone calls, putting out lawn signs, going to every little community event possible and preparing for a strong GOTV effort on election day.

We have had enough of the failed GOP leadership for both country and county. When we go in that voting booth it's important that we vote row A, all the way, from Obama to Auerbach.

WE'RE BACK UNTIL ELECTION DAY

FULL UPDATE ON ALL RACES COMING TONIGHT

Mike Hein and Elliott Auerbach

Mike Hein's Website-----> www.heinforexec.com

Elliott Auerbach's Website ---> www.auerbachforcomptroller.com
Check out Mike Hein and Elliott Auerbach's campaign Websites, for the latest information about the campaign.