More Election Night Pictures

Love this pic: Chairman Gartenstein, me, Mayor Gallo and mama Gallo

Photo credit: Dan Barton, Kingston Times

Bernardo Secures Votes For Chair

Monday night it became official: Legislator Bernardo secures votes to be first female chair of Ulster County Legislature. Very good news!

Here and There

 Carl Belfiglio sent me this picture from election night, Mayor elect Gallo, Kayla and I..def the three coolest people there that night :)

 David Donaldson played a good game of chess and was able to become Minority Leader of the Ulster County Legislature yesterday. It's a shocker being that the race was set to be beteen Rich Parete and Hector Rodriguez, from what I hear, I am giving limeted details becasue I was told in confidence, an outgoing legislator tried to influence the vote and it backfired..one of the contenders dropped out and their votes swung to Donaldson. I'll give more details when I can..I'm not part of the caucus and it's not appropriate for me to devulge the information.

It is interesting Jeanette Provanzano did not seek another term as leader, many had speculated she had unfairly lost support for bucking Hein on Golden Hill, Dave Donaldson has also been a very outspoken critic of privatization, has a complicated relationship with the executive to say the least. I can't imagine Hein is happy with Dave leading the caucus and their relationship may come to a boiling point during the new 2012 legislative session.  Again, I would have prefered Rich Parete but Im glad Dave is Minority Leader, the leader should be from Kingston, Kingston is the county seat and Dave knows his stuff, I wish him the best.

In Kingston, I first reported that Bob Senor would probably be the new Majority Leader in Kingston, however, I hear that Alderman Tom Hoffay may have the votes for the post. Democrats hold a solid majority on the council with 7-9 seats in Dem hands

The breakdown as I see it:

Hoffay: Dunn, Hoffay, Carey, Ball

Senor : Mills, Senor

Up in the air is Shirley Whitlock... I say that becasue there is a rumor floating that she may go for the post but the support is probably not there at this point and if she decided not to run, I see her voting for Hoffay over Senor.

Note: The breakdown is just an educated guess on my part and may not be 100% accurate.

Mayor elect Shayne Gallo held a meeting at Little Italy as part of his listening tour to address residents concerns and to give the public an oppertunity to talk with him. I think this is great and really sends a loud and clear message that the Gallo administration will be open, transparent and have a high level of accountability. Kudos to Mayor Gallo.

There will be two more listening sessions if anyone is interested in talking with Shayne :


Dec. 19: Everette Hodge Midtown Community Center, 15-21 Franklin St., 7 to 9 p.m. Topic: “Community voices,” intended for community advocates, the faith community and other concerned citizens.

• Dec. 20: Seven21 Media Center, 721 Broadway, 7 to 9 p.m. Topic: Needs of the business, real estate and non-profit sectors, with focus on a Business Advisory Task Force to be developed in the city.

Donaldson New Minority Leader, Rob Parete Whip

Donaldson to be New Ulster County Minority Leader

Dave Donaldson was elected by the Minority caucus to serve as their leader. Rob Parete was elected Minority whip. Congratulations to Dave Donaldson, I would of preferred someone like Rich Parete but Dave is a former Chairman and will do a good job I wish him the best.


It will be interesting to see who County Executive Mike Hein has a better relationship with; incoming Minority Leader Dave Donladson or likely legislative Chairwoman Terry Bernardo...Ironically, I think smart money says Bernardo.

Here and There

Election 2011 has come to a close and overall it was a good year. I am very happy that Shayne Gallo won the Mayor's race in Kingston and that Jim Noble was reelected to another term as Alderman at Large. I know the Gallo/Noble team will bring good things to Kingston. Kingston will move forward, crime will decease and economic development will start to happen.


A lot of credit should be given to Mayor Jim Sottile, he served Kingston proudly for 10 years and did a lot to get Kingston on firm financial footing. He has a lot of critics, some deserved, some not so much. Like him or hate him, he served with his heart on his sleeve and did a lot of great things for Kingston. File me as a supporter of Mayor Jim Sottile.

I agree with Alderwoman Jen Fuentes, override Cuomo's 2% tax cap this year. Local municipalities have the right this year to override the Governor's two percent mandated tax cap. Overriding the cap this year will help protect the City's fund balance and not completely handicap Mayor elect Shayne Gallo next year. Speaking of Jen, I am sorry to see her go, she is a great Alderwoman. I am glad this year I have gotten an opportunity to get to know her better, even if I drive her crazy sometimes. :~) Jen is a true believer in good government and an asset to this community.

The new Kingston Common Council is going to do well. I'm excited about new faces like Matt Dunn, Elisa Ball and MaryAnn Mills. The new council is made up of a lot of great bright people that will serve Kingston proudly.

The race for Majority Leader appears to be between Alderman Bob Senor and Alderman Tom Hoffay. The race for Minority Leader could end up being decided by Chairman Tony Sinagra..smart money says Debbie Brown has an edge but I honestly have no idea.

Speaking of political party officials, rumor is Tony Sinagra is going to be asked to resign at the next City GOP meeting.. there are a lot of possible replacements...maybe even Ron Polacco. I also hear rumors that Frank Cardinale may throw in the towel but those rumors are unconfirmed. With the possibility of two new political leaders, a new Mayor and a majority of freshman common council members, Kingston may finally get the change they have been asking for. You can almost smell the fresh air being released into city government.


Holly Carnright was reelected Ulster County District Attorney, his opponent Jonathan Sennett is one of the brightest and greatest people I know. I am proud to have voted for him and proud to call him my friend and that is all I have to say on that subject.

Republicans have held onto control of the Ulster County legislature by one seat. Fred Wadnola the current chairman of the legislature did not run for reelection and a new chair will be elected by the legislature come January. The Republicans are taking an informal vote for leadership next week but with their slim one vote lead, Democrats will also have a say in who will be chairman.  Right now the race is shaping up between Legislator Terry Bernardo and Legislator Jim Maloney. I hear there are some concerns at the number of government positions Maloney currently holds. You could see another candidate emerge at the last minute. Terry Bernardo is currently the odds on favorite to be the next chair of the legislature and the first woman to hold that position. Terry Bernardo is one of the brightest members of that body and will serve Ulster County well, I hope she is successful.

For Majority Leader, Ken Ronk seems to have it locked up. Several people tell me that Ronk has the votes and will be the next Majority leader..good for him, not a bad choice.

There is some talk that Jeanette Provanzano will face a challenge because of her vocal opposition to the privatization of Golden Hill. Jeannette Provanzano is a good Democrat and represents the party well as the leader. There will be big issues from Kingston Democrats if Jeannette Provanzano is messed with as some sort of political payback. Jeanette Provanzano will be protected and I think it would be wise for some people to think twice before trying to flex their political muscle on a legislator for standing up for what she believes in...just sayin'

Disappointed with the Kingston School Board for not hiring Elizabeth Ten Dyke as Superintendent of Schools. Ms. Ten Dyke was by far the most qualified candidate with the most diverse experience and the only finalist with an actual idea of the current issues facing the district. People should remember this when they vote in the next school board election...vote out the incumbents.

Mayor Elect

Shayne Robert Gallo

Daily Freeman Endorses Gallo for Mayor

Daily Freeman: Gallo stands out as having the most potential to be effective. He’s smart, knows the city well and has experience in the nuts-and-bolts issues of managing a municipal workforce. We endorse Shayne Gallo for mayor."

Kingston Times; Vote for Gallo

The Kingston Times Has endorsed Gallo for Kingston Mayor. I encourage people to pick up a copy of the paper. Not only did the editorial board call Gallo the most impressive, and pretty much paint him like the next Andrew Cuomo; they ripped apart his Republican opponent saying he was not even qualified to be an Alderman. It's a very telling and well written editorial. ok..   ;~)

Here and There Majority Leader Senor?

So much going on with all the elections in Ulster County it's hard to keep up, I went to the LWV's debate today and several people asked me why the blog has not been updated, I've just been buy and I apologize.

To address the 50 commenter's that kept writing in asking why their comment had not yet been posted, they are all up now, I did not have a chance to sit down and read them to moderate them last week.

Speaking of comments, I got a ton of comments ( like 30) that were informing me that Rich Cahill won the chamber debate last week.  Nobody cares enough to write the same comment thirty times unless there last name is Cahill and first name begins with an R.  For the record, Cahill may have carried the debate in the humor department but as far as substance, it was all Gallo.

The League of Women Voter's held their debate today and that was a complete different ballgame, Shayne Gallo won hands down, it was not even close. Gallo came across extremely competent, well prepared and with a great knowledge of the city and a real vision to move Kingston forward. I am voting for Shayne Gallo but I tried to look at the debate objectively and I was very impressed by Shayne, he has progressed as a candidate and as an individual over the last eight moths. Cahill was ok, did a good job explaining his points, I just disagree with the approach and direction he would try to move the city in.

I was not impressed at all with Ladin or Pollacco, Ron is a good friend of mine and I think he is a great guy but I don't feel he is ready to be Mayor, he does not have the experience that Gallo has, we need a Mayor that is well versed and ready on day one and Polacco is not.


A few other interesting observations on the race for Kingston Mayor:

--Last Sunday's profile of Shayne Gallo was really good, I enjoyed it a lot.  However, who does Tony Sinagra think he is? He had some nerve speaking on behalf of Democratic Chairman Frank Cardinale. Pretty much what he said was him and Frank tried to find candidates that were new and fresh. It's funny because his comment also took a shot at Polacco who Sinagra did not endorse. What was really hypocritical though was what he was actually saying. Tony Sinagra is a former Alderman and is a charter member of the Good Ol' Boy Club in Ulster County, give me a break!! The good thing is Tony is a has been and no longer taken seriously.

---While Democrats are uniting together, Republicans are still divided. Rich Cahill is staying in on the Conservative line and Turco Levin has kind of stayed mum on the Mayor's race, instead doing a lot of work as an Alderwoman (she is one hard worker and very involved in community events). By contrast I saw Hayes Clement in Shayne Gallo's head quarters and at a Gallo fundraiser, the two seem very cozy with one another and Hayes Clement has endorsed Gallo's candidacy. It's good for party unity and should help Gallo. However, it also speaks to the kind of gentleman that Clement is, it's not easy to support your formal rival but Hayes like Gallo loves Kingston and wants our City to succeed.

--- Regardless of the outcome of this race, as someone that has watched it closely, it's been fun to watch, both major parties had primaries and both of the" favorites" of those respective races lost by such close margins. The general has an unprecedented four candidates, one who has a dog as their running mate, it does not get much better than that!



Kingston Common Council Endorsements

The following is who I am supporting for Alderman. Note all wards are being done now, I am saving a few...

Ward 1- Matt Dunn  Matt is a bright young lawyer that has a great passion and energy about him that will serve our city well. He is married and has a lovely young daughter and I know this guy will do great things on the council.

Ward 2- Tom Hoffay  Alderman Hoffay is for better or worse my friend, I enjoy talking with the guy, he's an intellectual and truly cares about Kingston. He lives and breaths this stuff like I do and I have a great deal of respect for Alderman Hoffay, we may not always agree but he deserves another term.

Ward 3 Charlie Landi - Charlie always comes to meetings prepared and ready to go. As Chairman of the Kingston's Finance Committee he has done a lot of work to put forth a budget that is in the best interest of the taxpayers and residents. He is a tough guy and an asset to his Ward.

Ward 6 Elisa Ball -- Elisa is someone that never stopped working for the ward since she lost two years ago, the GOP did not even bother to field a candidate against her. Every time I see Elisa she has a smile on her face and is ready to roll, always helping people and making Kingston a great place to live...


Ward 7 Maryann Mills -- My Alderman (the guy that got me involved in politics) Bill Reynolds is retiring after 18 years of service, my Uncle Tony Crespino was Alderman for 16 years before that. Maryann Mills is someone that really gets it and is probably one of the most impressive candidates running for the common council this year. Mills has gotten a lot done for the Ward already answering and addressing concerns of residents as she goes to door to door. Imagine what she will do if she gets elected, I will be proudly casting a vote for Ms. Mills.


Ward 8 Bob Senor --- I recently was talking with an older gentleman on Hanratty street, who was telling me how he used to have a lot of issues with Bob from what he read in the paper and than he meet him. The guy said he was having trouble with a storm drain and called his Alderman, Senor was there in one hour, rolling up his sleeves and unclogging the leaves that caused the blockage. Alderman Senor like Landi is a guy that comes to meetings prepared with facts and figures. Senor can be stubborn but also willing to compromise if it's in the best interest of the ward/city. There is a good possibility Alderman Senor, could become Majority Leader Senor come January 1st...in my humble opinion, he has earned it.

I will cover remaining wards next week


District Attorney's Race- Jonathan Sennett has come out swinging against D.A. Carnright and it's about time, this is long overdue. Jon's campaign has missed countless opportunities to really hit home his message and it's a bit disappointing, I think the campaign could have been stronger, it's certainly not from a lack of work on Jon's part and I will leave it at that. I'm glad Sennett himself is continuing to run strong and his campaign is getting some traction now. Jonathan sort of hulked up last week, launching a series of press conferences with a simple but effective theme: The People have a right to know. Sennett has hammered Carnright on his failure to recuse himself from the Matthews case, Carnright refuses saying that he has no conflict. However in the same breath attacking Jonathan Sennett for releasing a voucher signed by Carnright (done by foil) that Holly says is evidence in a grand jury proceeding. Well, if the voucher Holly signed is part of the evidence in a grand jury proceeding against Matthews, how can Holly claim he does not have a conflict?? You can't have it both ways. Just a note: Judge Don Williams recused himself from the case almost immediately.

There is nothing more that I would like than to see Jon win the District Attorney's race, he is extremely honest, intelligent and would make a better district attorney than the one we have now, he is the entire package.  Carnright is also very bright and a nice guy, he has the money, the endorsements and the power of incumbency behind him and will be tough to beat..we all need to get out and vote for Jonathan Sennett for District Attorney or we will lose.

Sennett on Public Integrity

One Big Happy Democratic Family

Two things: 1. Mario's is the best restaurant in uptown Kingston, if you have not been there, you should go as soon as possible! 2.) Shayne Gallo and Hayes Clement are getting along really well and I think their ideas are going to help move Kingston forward. Shayne and Hayes are both great people and are class acts.

Golden Hill

 UPDATE: I failed to point out that Legislator Robert Parete did submit a plan for Golden Hill and long term care. The Parete plan would reduce taxpayer subsidy and enhance long term programs like home health care services, meals on wheels, assisted living ect.  Again not every legislator has held this up but what Hein has done has forced the entire legislature now to make a decision.


County Executive Mike Hein did something 33 other elected officials in this county have failed to do for almost a year..he made a decision on the fate of Golden Hill. I disagree with the County Executive, I strongly believe that Golden Hill needs to be kept as a county run facility but with that being said those quick to point fingers at Hein as the bad guy are mistaken.

For almost a year there has been a debate about what to do with Golden Hill. There have been talks about privatization, restoring the current facility, building a second facility, building two new facilities and nothing has been done. My mother is a resident of Golden Hill, I have been to countless meetings with her and it's always a run around from committee members and a complete waste of time.

While I think County Executive Hein has been clear from day one about his concerns as to whether or not the county can sustain the cost of the facility, he has also been clear throughout this entire process that this is a policy decision that the legislature needs to make. Executive Hein and the public have been very patient for the legislature to make that decision.

However there comes a point where enough is enough. The legislature just does not get it, they are so disconnected from the public and think they can sit on an issue until after the election or as long as they can hold out and hope no one will call them out on it. That was the way government operated for decades in Ulster County, until 2009 when our charter changed and when Mike Hein became our Executive. The days of pulling the wool over the eyes of the residents in this county is over.



Mike Hein said it best: GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO CHANGE. You can't have it both ways, you can't sit on an issue and keep delaying it and delaying it and than cry when the tough decisions need to be made. Hein gave the legislature more than enough time to make a decision on what to do with Golden Hill and when they failed to act, he made it for them.  The legislature now hypocritically is attacking Hein for not allowing them to make the decision...Are you kidding me?? Maybe they would of gotten around to it in 2015.

Not every legislator has tried to stall the process, there have been legislators that have been pro Golden Hill from day on, like Jeanettee Provanzano, Carl Bafiglio, Mike Madsen, Fred Wadnola, Frank Fellicello and Dave Donaldson. There have been also been legislators that have come out in favor of privatization like Ken Ronk, Wayne Harris, and Jack Hayes. At least these legislators (and this is not a full list) have taken a position.

A lot of legislators however have come up with excuses and unrealistic road blocks that need to be moved before they can vote one way or another. These legislators care more about self preservation and fear of losing an election than they do about Golden Hill or county residents.  Mike Hein is not the enemy, he is a reformer of county government.

Mike Hein has now forced the legislature to act on this matter, while Hein has stated he will veto any plan that does not include the sale of Golden Hill in the budget, the legislature can override that veto. The legislature can finally step up and show the public what they are made of, like Jeanette Provanzano tried very hard to do last month and deserves a lot of credit for her hard work.

If you want to sell Golden Hill than stand up and look into the voters eyes and tell them that by voting for the budget as proposed. My personal hope is the legislature will work together in a bipartisan manner and adopt their own budget that does not include the sale of Golden Hill, the legislature as a whole is as powerful as the executive and if enough of the legislative members are united not even the Executive's veto can stop them.  Enough with the delay tactics, and misinformation; it's decision time.

Ulster County Democratic Dinner 2011

Here are a few pictures from the Ulster County Democratic dinner. County Executive Mike Hein was the 2011 honoree and NYS Comptroller Tom Dinapoli was on hand speaking how important it is to Re-Elect Mike Hein. Our party's leader Congressman Maurice Hinchey was also in attendance looking better than ever, I'm very proud to call him my Congressman.

Ulster County Executive Mike P. Hein, 2011 Honoree

Congressman Maurice Hinchey and his wife Allison Lee

Shayne Gallo being recognized by 300 Ulster County Democrats for his impressive primary win!

Ward 9 Alderman Hayes Clement recognized for running a great primary campaign

Me and NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli

Three shinning examples of good government

DiNapoli talking with our next D.A. Jon Sennett

Former County Chairman and the great Alderman of the Second Ward Tom Hoffay

Tim Distel, a great guy running for County Legislature in Warwarsing with Comptroller DiNapoli

Gallo Wins Dem Primary; Clement and Cardinale Show Their Class

I congratulated Shayne on his win, Shayne was a friend of mine before this primary and he is still a friend of mine.

- Alderman Hayes Clement

Now that the Primary season is finally completed, I would like to congratulate those who participated in the process and particularly those that were victorious. Special congratulations go out to Shayne Gallo who will be leading the Democratic ticket in November. Both Shayne and Hayes ran outstanding campaigns and as a result of their hard work, they energized enrolled Democratic voters in the City in a manner we have never before seen.
- Frank Cardinale, City of Kingston Democratic Chairman

Polacco Pulls Out Huge Victory

Congratulations to Alderman Ron Polacco who was written off by almost everyone, he ran a campaign that was very effective and he certainly showed the political establishment. Ron Polacco is the new leader of the Kingston Republican party.

Gallo and Clement Drop Ojections, Remaining Ballots to be Opened Monday

Shayne Gallo and Hayes Clement have dropped their objections and the remaining 26 ballots will be open on Monday. Gallo holds a six vote lead going in.


It will be good when this is finally over, Shayne Gallo and Hayes Clement both ran outstanding campaigns.

Only thing on my mind, Who's Gunna Run This Town Tonight?

 Democratic Primary Recount Tomorrow 10 AM

Gallo vs. Clement

Vegas Line : Too Close to call




Please keep Shayne in your prayers and think good thoughts. This Mayor's race could be decided Brian Cahill style, one single vote could decide who the next Mayor of Kingston is! Exciting, scary and a reminder that especially in a local election, every vote counts!

HUGH REYNOLDS: GALLO RUNS BEST PRIMARY

Give Gallo credit for running the best primary campaign. Crushed by Clement at the Democratic convention, with the party apparatus working for the nominee, and cash-starved — rumor had it those “Gallo for Mayor” lawn signs were leftovers from late brother T.R. Gallo’s three mayoral campaigns — Gallo made a race that had Clement chewing his nails.

And it’s not over, officially.

- Hugh Reynolds

Hugh Reynolds hit it on the head in his column this week, Gallo did run the best primary and the end result hopefully will be him being the Democratic nominee next week. For the record, T.R.'s signs always said Gallo for Mayor and Sottile for Alderman at Large...there were no old T.R. signs out there. I honestly would love to have one if they still exist.

Now We Wait

Democrat Shayne Gallo shocked the political establishment Tuesday night, after being outspent three to one and having the party machine work against him, Gallo fired back putting the race for mayor within just six votes. There are still over 103 votes to be counted and a handful of absentees. This race is far from over and I predict a Gallo victory!

With that being said, I attended a Republican caucus a few weeks ago and it was Butch Dener who said, internal party struggles are awful and you fight like cats and dogs up until primary day but after that you put the past behind you and do what is good for the party.

With that being said, like Shayne Gallo, Hayes Clement ran a great race and I think Shayne would be the first to say he was a worthy adversary. Kevin Buso, Kevin Quality all good people that believe in their candidate, like we believe in Shayne Gallo. Both sides have a lot to be proud of.

A friend of mine sent this to me, it made me smile..Please go out and Vote today!

Twas the night before primary…

And all through the town

Tempers were flaring

Emotions all up and down!

Volunteers at the ready
Staffers working the phones
Billboards and lawn signs
In high traffic zones

Gallo is knocking on doors

To say why

Whether their rich or their poor

He should be their guy

Hayes Clement’s all nervous
Think he’s losing more hair
Frank Cardinale
Claiming all will play fair

Rich Cahill is praying

Down on his knees
Saying oh dear Lord
Let me win please, oh please.

Somewhere in Kingston
Sit Andi and Jean
Two GOP women
Wonder what tomorrow will mean.

Polacco out stumping

Day in and day out

Talking to voters

Wandering about

The people decide
and will vote as they please
Nothing more you can do
But get down on your knees.