Alderman Hoffay Hospitalized

Keep Alderman Tom Hoffay in your thoughts and prayers. The second ward Alderman was hospitalized on Friday and is going to have minor heart surgery in Albany. We wish Tom a speedy recovery, the great Second ward misses him.

The Poll

Despite what Alderman Cahill claims, I did not cheat on the mayor's poll. The former Alderman will tell you as he told me that there is no way to cheat. He knows as someone that uses blogger you can only vote once per computer, he was the one that informed me of that.

Clearly both Jim Noble supporters and Rich Cahill supporters sent mass e-mails having all their friends vote. Which is fine, the poll is for fun and is not scientific. Mr. Cahill obviously takes it a little too serious.

For the record, I like Jim Noble he is a friend and would easily support him for mayor but in this poll I voted once for Alderwoman Jen Fuentes (WF-5)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Putting all the petty nonsense that is talked about on this blog day in and day out, I have been really blessed and have a lot to be thankful for! 2010 has been a really great year thus far. I would also like to express my thanks to all of my readers (all 4 of them). Thank you all and have a great thanksgiving.

Aaron, Roberti and Ulster's wfp numbers...

I ran into local developer Steve Aaron in Uptown Kingston today and he took some exception to a post I had done a month or so regarding a fundraiser for Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo he had held in Saugerties. The details of our conversation are between him and I but pretty much he felt the post was taken out of context. I respect Mr. Aaron for coming up to me and addressing it with me directly. I feel very strongly that if you are going to write about someone or their business you should be prepared to man up and give them your time and I did. I feel what I wrote was factually accurate, (although maybe some of the comments were not and I apologize I do not write the comments).


I bring this up because our Republican counterpart moJoe Roberti, who is the blog administrator of Ulster MoJoe, is a coward. I confronted him at the GOP convention awhile back about the crazy posts he has written and continues to write about Elliott Auerbach and Mike Hein and he ran away like a child.

moJOE Roberti has a post now that says Elliott Auerbach won because of " Andrew Cuomo's huge coattails." Let me give Roberti a little lesson about this election stuff, a win by five thousand votes in a county wide election in Ulster is not a coattail victory It's the people of Ulster County reelecting their comptroller. Roberti writes on his blog this detailed analysis like he's some political expert..he made predictions and analysis on eight races this year, he got two correct. (maybe three depending on the outcome of the Skartados race, which is looking good for Kirwin.) By contrast I predicted thirteen and missed two of them.

Fact of the matter is I have forgotten more about politics than Joe Roberti will ever know, he should leave the commentary to someone that knows what they are talking about and continue to sit home alone and make his photo shopped pictures of animals having sex in the background of one of Hein's press conferences, which is more suited for his intellect level.

Roberti also made some sny remarks about WFP, saying the party is "claiming they won Row D" as if they are making it up. I got news for you moJOE, wfp is not just claiming they have Row D, they are proudly screaming it from the rooftops!! As a matter of fact besides the wfp being the margin of victory in both the AG and Comptroller's races, they had a VERY strong showing in Ulster County! Look at the difference in the numbers from the 2006 governor's race and in 2010 in Ulster County :

2006

Independence 3401
Conservative 2393
Working Families 1881

2010

Conservative 3588
Working Families 3058
Independence 2363

That's a huge jump and we should all be proud! In upstate New York, wfp is strong but in nyc, they are unstoppable. If you get the WFP endorsement in nyc, nine times out of 10, you will get elected. Last year wfp candidates took the Democratic primaries( which in nyc is pretty much the election ) for NYC Comptroller, Public Advocate, and dozens of local council races...beating the establishment candidates. People are sick of politics as usual and know that the WFP line represents a way for them to vote their values and hold politicians accountable to their campaign promises.

RIP Harvey Sleight

RIP to Harvey Sleight who served with honor for many years as head of buildings and grounds for Ulster County.

Legislator Roberts Looking for Some Payback!

The Ulster County budget does not contain a tax increase..that's right none...ZERO! The consultants hired by the legislature to go over Hein's budget called it Conservative and fiscally sound. Even Chairman Wadnola said that overall he felt the budget was a good one.

Enter Kevin Roberts (some may know Kevin Roberts, he's the creeper on those tv commercials with the long hair and the teenage girls throwing money at him while he tries to convince people he is the guy you want in your home, working on your roof..) Robert's also brought us the mosque resolution and chairs the committee that oversees the scandal ridden Resource Recovery Agency.

As many know Comptroller Auerbach shined a light on the Resource Recovery Agency and pointed out this agency has major issues that need to be addressed. Elliott Auerbach was correct, the agency had to fire its director, records were destroyed and sexual harassment charges by employees are stacking up.

Kevin Roberts poo pooed Auerbachs's report at the time calling it election year “posturing” and a waste of Auerbach’s annual salary. HERE IS THE QUOTE I LIKE: Roberts described the Resource Recovery Agency as one of the “best-run departments in the county” and disputed contentions that it is supposed to be self-sufficient.

Anyway it should come as no surprise that Roberts who looks like a complete fool now wants some payback. Roberts is taking his frustrations out on Auerbach by leading the effort to cut the Deputy Comptroller's position from the budget. As well as reduce the amount of legal research the office has from 72k to 22k. Let me get this straight, the guy that thinks the RRA is one of the best run depts in Ulster county wants to cut legal research on preventing fraud and abuse..got it.
At the end of the day this is all about Roberts' political payback against Auerbach. In a budget the size of Ulster County cutting the deputy comptroller which is what 60 something thousand, is not going to do anything. The comptroller's office is run on a shoe string as it is, Auerbach has 8 staff members..no cuts were proposed from the clerks office or any other department that have a lot more staff.

I urge legislators both Democrat and Republican to fight against this. Shame on Kevin Roberts for using his position as a legislator to try and get his revenge on Elliott. Kinda pathetic Kevin and a waste of your annual salary as a legislator!

Dinallo and Aborn Appointed To Schneiderman Transition Team

Eric Dinallo will serve on the Schneiderman transition team, and is the only former candidate to be asked.

Pleased to see my friends Richard Aborn and Eric Dinallo were both appointed to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's transition team!!

AG-elect Eric Schneiderman announced his transition team today, tapping a diverse group of legal minds – including one of his Democratic primary opponents, Eric Dinallo – to help guide him as he prepares to take over from departing AG/Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo.

Schneiderman picked three honorary co-chairs, including former AG Bob Abrams, who was a key surrogate for Schneiderman during the campaign on the abortion-rights issue (along with NARAL’s Kelli Conlin, who’s also serving on one of the transition committees).

Joining Abrams are Zachary Carter, former US attorney for the Eastern District (1993-1999), who is now in private practice at Dorsey and Whitney; and Westchester County DA Janet DiFiore, a Republican-turned-Democrat who has been mentioned herself as a potential statewide contender some day.

The committee will be chaired by Harlan Levy, a partner at Boies Schiller & Flexner who co-chaired the Special Victims Committee for Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr.’s transition last year.

There are three transition team directors: Former US Attorney for the Northern District (1999-2001) Daniel French, Julissa Reynoso, deputy assistant secretary for Central America and the Caribbean, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State; and Avi Schick, former deputy AG under Eliot Spitzer.

Some other names on various committees that stick out on the list, which appears in full after the jump:

John Cahill, former secretary to ex-GOP Gov. George Pataki; AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes (also serving on Cuomo’s transition team this year); George Bundy Smith, former Court of Appeals judge (a Mario Cuomo appointee); ESPA Executive Director Ross Levi (also doing double-duty on the Schneiderman and Cuomo transitions); Sean Patrick Maloney (2006 AG contender, aide to Govs. Spitzer and Paterson); Marty Mack (former Spitzer/Paterson aide); Jerry Goldfeder (election attorney and former Cuomo aide); Richard Aborn (’09 Manhattan DA contender).

Here and There: WFP to Row D, Dener in Post, DA Holly Go Lightly Still Confused..

ROW D!!!

"The Working Families Party, once derided as a rag-tag collection of Brooklyn progressives, is now the pre-eminent political force in New York City politics"

-NY Times

I was on the subway late Thursday night reading the Post and I came across a letter to the editor by New Paltz's GOP Chair Butch Dener. Seeing it in print made my night, good for you Butch. The letter was defending President Bush and taking a shot at Matt Lahuer over the way he interviewed Bush. Just so happens I caught that interview the other morning at 7am too! I actually remember thinking to myself how fair they were to Bush. So,I respectfully disagree with Mr. Dener on his analysis of the interview. ;)


Will someone tell George Phillips the race is over! Congressman Hinchey has won reelection. Do the right thing and concede.


LINE WAR: It looks like the NYS Conservative party will end up on row C, thanks to Carl Paladino's tea party supporters, the party has gained enough votes to surpass the Independence party. On a bigger note, it also is looking good that the WFP will move to Row D, becoming the 4th biggest party in NYS!! Working Families is ahead of the Independence party, which likely will drop to Row E. Ulster County pulled in a huge amount of votes on the WFP line!!! Thanks to everyone that voted WFP, you voted your values and made your voice count and it certainly has made a difference.


An independent consulting firm hired by the Republican controlled legislature to examine the budget has issued a report giving it the thumbs up! Democrat Mike Hein has got to feel good about that. Congrats Mr. Exec.

TURF WAR- Det. Tim Matthews takes issue with a press release issued by D.A. Carnright. Last week many of you know that a welfare scam was uncovered at the Sunocco on Broadway, three ringleaders were arrested and the people that participated are also now under investigation. However, there is some discrepancy on who started the investigation which lead to this scam being shutdown, the KPD and county both are taking credit. Social Services director (who has gotta know his days are numbered) Roberto Rodriguez claims it was his department that discovered the scam which DA Carnright seemed to confirm:

Carnright said in a press release on Tuesday that the “investigation was begun through information developed by the Ulster County Department of Social Services’ Special Investigations Unit and has been a joint effort between that department, the Kingston Police Department and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.”

Matthews said the claim that the county started the investigation “was absolutely, 100 percent not true, contrary to what anybody in county government says.”

Zing! Just another example of DA Carnright not with the program. No question in my mind that Detective Matthews is right on this and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise. The KPD detective and top cop to URGENT has no reason to lie nor would he.

Taking A Small Break For A Week

Taking a small break from the blog, spent a lot of time on elections and trying to provide the best info and commentary to the great people that come on this blog. Spending some time with some friends and relaxing. The blog will resume as of next Monday. Thanks guys!

Hooray!!!

Congratulations to all tonight's winners!!! Especially Andrew Cuomo, Eric Schneiderman, Tom DiNapoli (who I am confident will hang on), Maurice Hinchey, Kevin Cahill, Elliott Auerbach and Judge Larry Ball!

While GOP had a good night, here in Ulster County we got out the vote and kept good people in office!!!! I'm so proud of Kevin Cahill and Elliott Auerbach..really great night!

Coming Tonight My Endorsements for Tuesday's Election

Here are my endorsements, I need to get up at 5 am so I am just putting up the names. I will post detailed reasons why I feel these people are the best choices Monday night.

NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo (Row E, WFP line)

US Senate: Charles Schumer

US Senate : Kirstin Gilibrand

NYS Attorney General: Eric Schneiderman

NYS Comptroller : Tom DiNapoli

**NYS Assembly 101st (the most important race) Kevin Cahill please help reelect this great public servant****

NYS Assembly 103rd Marc Molinaro

Ulster County Comptroller : Elliott Auerbach

Ulster County Sheriff : Paul Van Blarcum

NYS Senate 40th Greg Ball

US Congress 22nd Maurice Hinchey

US Congress 20th Scott Murphy

US Congress 19th John Hall

Supervisor Quigley In His Own Words

warning this contains very explicit language

Last week Eric Kitchen attacked Ulster Democrats and former Supervisor Nick Woerner in what now has become t-shirt gate. I wrote a factual post defending former Supervor Woerner and attacking Republican councilman Eric Kitchen. I made a point to mention in that post that Kitchen should be more like Supervisor Quigley and keep partisan politics out of town board meetings. Matter of fact this blog has been very friendly to Jim Quigley, I have refused negative comments bashing the Supervisor and have done positive stories on his administration. While Quigley is a Republican, I have had in the past a close friendship with him.

However, I would say 10-15 minutes of me putting up the post about Kitchen, he called me and left a pretty harsh voicemail..to put it mildly. I took the down the post and attempted to call the Supervisor to explain my position. He wouldn't take my call. That's his choice, I wrestled with posting this voicemail but I think it's important. An elected official should NEVER try to stifle the free flow of information. The town of Ulster is not owned by Jim Quigley, he was elected by the people to run the town and when a Councilman makes controversial remarks and accusations at a public meeting you can bet people are going to talk about it.

The fact of the matter is Eric Kitchen was wrong and what he said in the newspaper was simply untrue and I called him out on it. It's regretful Supervisor Quigley feels that I do not have a right to comment on town politics.

From Chairman Parete

Editor & news staff

I am particularly upset and must call attention to Fawn Tantillos’ harsh
rhetoric in the recent Comptrollers debate. Calling Elliot Auerbach
an “incompetent lackey” is way over the top and unacceptable. Civility and good
manners are something Fawn is clearly lacking.

Coincidentally; I call your attention to a published quote that appeared in the
Daily Freeman (Ulster County Unveils Final Plan for Jail) on March 21,2002. "This
jail's been called a 'megajail' by some of its critics. Only someone who
has absolutely no understanding, or someone who is grandstanding, could possibly
call this a megajail," said county Legislator Fawn
Tantillo, R-New Paltz, who chairs the jail oversight committee.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2002/03/21/top%20stories/3603743.txt

Fawn Tantillo was self appointed cheerleader for this 100 million dollar
fiasco.She clearly had no comprehension how deeply in over her head she was. She
has yet to own up to her responsibility for this taxpayers nightmare.
I would have thought by now she would have apologized to the citizens of Ulster
County.

We warned her that the MEGA-JAIL project would be a disaster, but she mocked us,
and said we were playing politics. In this regard, I must ask Fawn, in hind
sight, was she playing politics, or just simply incompetent?

Thank-you

John Parete
845-657-8500

Give Matt Damon His 40TH Birthday Wish Vote Working Families!!

Please join me in granting Matt Damon's birthday wish by voting on the Working Families Party line next Tuesday. WFP is located on Row E on the ballot. I encourage Democrats and Republicans to vote your values and make your vote count. It's especially important to vote Row E in the race for Governor.

Auerbach Recieves Strong Support From Labor

The Auerbach for Comptroller campaign today announced endorsements from the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO; the CSEA Regional Political Action Committee, and the Kingston Professional Fire Fighters Association, Local 461.

“We welcome these endorsements as recognition for our focus on working men and women throughout Ulster County as we strive to safeguard their tax dollars from waste and inefficiency,” the Comptroller said.

Paul Ellis-Graham, President of the Labor Federation, thanked Auerbach for his “participation in (their) endorsement process,” and noted that the endorsement resulted from “careful consideration of (his) position on key labor issues that affect working families.”

The CSEA endorsement acknowledges Mr. Auerbach’s “interests in the issues affecting public workers and your commitment to addressing the needs of all hardworking men and women” throughout the County, according to Region President Billy Riccaldo.

The Fire Fighters Association resulted from Mr. Auerbach’s participation in a Candidate Night meeting and a vote from its members, according to Michael Schabot, Secretary, Local 461

Comptroller Auerbach and Sheriff Van Blarcum Endorsed by Daily Freeman

Comptroller Elliott Auerbach and Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum were both strongly endorsed by the Daily Freeman today.

Read the editorial here : Comptroller Auerbach Editorial

Poll Shows Hinchey Way Ahead!!!!!

Poll Shows Maurice Hinchey in Strong Shape

By CQ-Roll Call Staff October 22, 2010 6:17 PM Permalink Comments (0)
Democrats are circulating a new poll showing Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) with a double-digit lead over his Republican opponent, George Phillips in upstate New York's 22nd congressional district.

Hinchey is ahead of Phillips by 51 to 34 percent, according to the survey by Abacus Associates for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The poll of 403 likely voters on Oct 20-21 found that Phillips' name recognition was only 39 percent. It also showed that of the undecided voters 28 percent were Republicans, 33 percent were Democrats, and 29 percent listed their party affiliation as blank.

"We are confident that most of these Democrats and some of the blanks will break for Congressman Hinchey," said the memo from David Scott of Abacus Associates. "In light of these results, while the congressman will see a decreased margin of victory compared with recent elections, he should still win comfortably."

In recent weeks Republicans have suggested that Hinchey may be vulnerable. The conservative group, American Crossroads, led by Karl Rove, has targeted Hinchey with over a quarter of a million dollars in television ads.
-- Bennett Roth

Watchdog Auerbach Looking Pretty Good!!!

I came up with a campaign slogan for County Executive Mike Hein in 2008, Hein Sight is 20/20, Mike's budgets as administrator and his ideas for a better Ulster County have consistently come to fruition and it's a catchy slogan. Actually, I'm only 80% sure I came up with it but if someone else did, I certainly coined it and went with it here on this blog. With that being said Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach seems to have a little "Hein Sight" of his own and the legislature and Fawn Tantillo seem to have a little egg on their face.

I'm sure you have all looked at the stories in the Daily Disappointment over the last couple weeks regarding the firing of the RRA Executive Director for alleged sexual harassment, and the over scrutiny over the complete mismanagement of the department. Lets face it the RRA is a HOT MESS right now!

Well a month before all this went down, it was Comptroller Elliott Auerbach that shined the light on the RRA and he was criticized pretty heavy for it. Now the legislature is changing their tune.

Lets reminisce and see what legislative leaders and Auerbach's GOP opponent had to say when Watchdog Auerbach warned us that the RRA might need to be looked at:

The following is a great post written by UlsterObserver, a new local blog:

08/31/2010-KINGSTON – The Ulster County Legislature is supposed to closely monitor the spending and operations of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, but it hasn’t, costing county taxpayers almost $32 million over the last decade, County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach said Monday.

(THIS IS IN AUGUST!) Fast forward to October

10/14/2010-KINGSTON – The board of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency has fired director Michael Bemis amid allegations of sexual harassment and falsifying business records.Bemis’ termination comes weeks after County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach’s report that said the county legislature had not provided sufficient oversight over the agency.

What does Chairman Wadnola , Legislator Roberts and Fawn Tantillo have to say now?

Here is what they said when the report was first issued:

OUR ASTUTE LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN: In response to the Comptroller, I believe the Legislature has exercised oversight of the RRA This superficial piece of election year drivel offers no solution at all.

HERE YOU GO KEVIN:Legislator Kevin Roberts, R-Wallkill, who is chairman of the county Government Operations and Efficiency Committee, called the report election year “posturing” and a waste of Auerbach’s annual salary.Roberts described the Resource Recovery Agency as one of the “best-run departments in the county” and disputed contentions that it is supposed to be self-sufficient.

AND NOW YOU FAWN (You did chair the Jail Oversight Committee):Tantillo, a former member of the Legislature, said the report “could have been useful, but not when you hit the legislators over the head with it.” “I probably would have taken it to the Oversight Committee and presented it there, but you don’t get headlines if you do that,” she said.
Posted by O.U. at 5:00 PM 0 comments

Amazing, stuff! Let me remind you of another great phrase that I can't take credit for and is way better than Hein sight is 20/20, a phrase I hope we all remember before we pull that lever on November 2nd: It's not my back, it's not your back, IT'S AUERBACH

Rooney Bombs In Front Of POJO Editorial Board

Peter Rooney has been nicknamed by voters in the 101st Assembly district as "Coward Rooney", the GOP candidate for assembly earned that nickname for ducking a serious of debates and forums with his opponent Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, well today Peter confirmed what everyone suspected, the reason he is ducking our Assemblyman is because he does not have a clue. Rooney who has run an extremely negative and untruthful campaign, bombed at a recent appearance before the editorial board of the Poughkeepsie Journal. I have some funny quotes that I will post tomorrow but it's pretty bad. The guy has no basic understanding of the issues, none at all! He comes across as a fool and is just not ready for prime time...not by a long shot.

Below is the video, I think it behooves everyone to watch it. The sound quality is not great and it is a good 4o minutes but it's worth watching. Again, I will embed the video and take out some quotes tomorrow. I will note it's better and easier to watch this after a few drinks.

Cowboy Rooney Bombs at Pojo Video

Mike Hein to business leaders: No Tax Increase!

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein said today that he will veto any budget that calls for a tax increase. Mike Hein made these comments at an Ulster County chamber of commerce breakfast this morning. Hein presented a budget early this month that called for no increase in county taxes, it is now before the county legislature.