Freeman Will Not Allow Ladin to Debate

The Daily Freeman has decided not to allow Steve Ladin to join the November 3rd debate. Below are the e-mails confirming this fact.

E-mail #1 was sent from Steve Ladin to Paul Kirby, a reporter of the Daily Freeman (not his decision to exclude Ladin or me originally).

From: Stephen Ladin [mailto:steveladinformayor@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 12:46 PM
To: Paul Kirby
Subject: Re: Profile

Hi Paul - Rich Cahill tells me that neither he nor I have been invited to the next debate that the Kingston freeman is conducting. Please correct this oversight (have you forgotten what happened to the so called front runners in the primary?). And in case you're not paying attention: I believe Rich Cahill will gather more votes than Ron Polacco. Thanks--


E-Mail #2 is the response from Tony Adamis of the Daily Freeman


Steve:
Paul Kirby forwarded your note to me.
Cahill has been invited to the Freeman debate.
You are not being invited to our debate because we don't believe your candidacy is likely to affect the outcome.
Sincerely,
Tony Adamis
Managing Editor, Kingston Daily Freeman

************************

First, I thank Steve for his very kind words about me.

Second, I think Steve Ladin should be permitted to be in the debate. He collected more signatures than any other candidate to get on the ballot. While he may not have a major party line, he is still a candidate for the office of Mayor and is entitled to a level of respect.

I can understand not inviting all candidates running for President or New York State Governor since there are usually 9 to 12 candidates on the ballot. That would be unruly. In this election, however, there are only 4 candidates. Allowing Steve to be present would cause no significant difficulty. Additionally, he is a very nice guy and I enjoy hearing him speak. I cannot say I agree with him on the issues, but I respect his willingness to step up to the plate and debate three experienced politicos, two of whom are trained attorneys.

It is of course entirely up to the Freeman since they are hosting the debate. I would hope that they would reconsider and allow Steve to participate in the debate.

If not, then perhaps Steve should follow the debate online and give written answers to the questions asked. He can then post them on the comments section of the Freeman article so people can see them.

Freeman Debate

The Freeman debate is scheduled for November 3, 2011 at 11 am, and will be sent over the Internet. The format is to be the same as the Primary debates.

Originally, I was not invited to attend, as the Freeman wanted only Shayne Gallo and Ron Polacco. However, after some of my friends and supporters registered their objection, the Freeman changed its position. I have now received an invitation. I most assuredly will attend.

There are 2 other debates scheduled:

Saturday, at City Hall at 10:00 a.m. (open to public) by the League of Women Voters

Monday, October 31st, at 8:00 a.m. on WGHQ radio by KCR.

Video of Chamber Debate

I have found the Chamber Debate on YouTube. I am posting my opening remarks, the Q & A, and all 4 closing statements. The opening remarks for the other candidates are available on YouTube if you wish to view them.

Aldermanic Candidate Saves a Life

Last week, while attending the funeral for her mother in Fort Myers, FL., Debbie Brown's Aunt suffered a heart attack, resulting in her heart stopping.

Debbie immediately administered CPR. While directing the actions of her son to perform mouth-to-mouth, she performed the chest compressions. They maintained this until the emergency responders arrived many minutes later and were able to restart her heart after four attempts with the AED.

Although her Aunt remains hospitalized while the doctors determine the underlying cause of the attack, she appears to have no lasting damages as a result of the heart stoppage. It is certainly due to Debbie's Red Cross training and cool head under pressure.

Debbie's brother apparently made some inquires about recognition for Debbie. When Debbie heard about it, her e-mailed response was, "That was very nice of you. But I was just doing what I was trained for.... If it encourages someone to learn CPR, that would be a good thing."

Well, I think Debbie deserves some recognition for what she did. All I can offer are kudos, but they are well deserved kudos.

The Chamber Debate

I enjoyed myself at the debate this morning. I felt I did well. I felt that I was ahead in the opening and closing remarks (particularly the closing). In the Q & A, I thought Shayne Gallo was very strong. I think an argument could be made in his favor or my favor on that part of the debate.

Ron and Steve performed well. Ron was very nervous, but eventually relaxed. Steve's opening remarks were quite interesting. I thought Ron's best comment was after my closing when he said, "Rich, I've seen you at many meetings. I never knew you could be so funny."

I appreciate the Chamber inviting me to the debate. I just hope I added something to the conversation.

Another Feather in his Cap

A jury has convicted Jermaine “Maino” Nicholas in connection with the Feb. 9, 2010 murder of Charles “C.J.” King Jr. The jury convicted Nicholas of conspiracy, intimidating a witness, witness tampering and criminal facilitation.

For those who do not know, Nicholas was the person who called to alert fellow gang members searching for King the night he was killed.

Trevor “Little T” Mattis and Gary “G-Money” Griffin were previously convicted of 1st degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Jarrin 'Phat Boy' Rankin was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Murder. He received 25 years to life in prison.

These were difficult prosecutions, especially the Nicholas case. These convictions send a powerful message to gangs and drug dealers throughout the City of Kingston and beyond. After the Rankin conviction, D.A. Carnright said, “We certainly have put a dent in the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods, there’s no doubt about that.” Certainly the same can be said once again.

A Strong Stand Against Crime

District Attorney Carnright has requested and County Executive Hein has agreed, as part of the Proposed 2012 County Budget, to hire a full-time Assistant District Attorney, assigned specifically to help combat crime and gang violence in the city of Kingston. This is an excellent proposal.

When I was growing up, Kingston was a safe place to live. People did not bother to lock their doors and thought nothing of walking around the neighborhood after dark.

However, this is not the case today. There has been a steady increase in crime and gang violence over the past few years. Our city has become dirty, marked with vandalism and graffiti, and unsafe after dark.

A study was done a few years ago on the level of gang infiltration in the City of Kingston. This study determined that there were over 300 known gang members in our city. There were over 100 members of the Bloods and more than 75 members of the Crips, including a sub-gang of Crips called the Rolling 60’s. There were also more than 50 members of the Latin Kings and MS-13 and a local gang known as Exit 19.

These gangs have members who are only 12 years old and in some cases accept even younger members. The number one target for recruitment to these gangs is Middle School, not High School as originally thought.

I commend D.A. Carnright and County Executive Hein for this proposal which is desperately needed in the City of Kingston.

Now, the budget goes to the County Legislature. While I know that the Legislature has some very legitimate concerns about other provisions within this budget proposal, I urge them to keep the new Assistant District Attorney funding in place. Kingston and the surrounding area needs to take a strong stand in the fight against gangs and the associated drugs and violence.

Golden Hill Issue Resolved By County Executive

The Middletown Record is reporting that Ulster County Executive Michael Hein “has just announced that Golden Hill Nursing home is going to be privatized.” "The county is creating a local development corporation to identify a buyer and sell the County Nursing home to a private buyer in 2013. The subsidy to run the home in 2012 is $5.6 million."

"Legislators must approve a transfer to a local development corporation and Hein says he will veto any other options. The budget calls for an increase of 2.5 percent in the tax rate. Hein says he will veto any attempts to override the property tax cap."

The County Legislature was deeply divided on this issue. Now, it appears that County Executive Mike Hein has stepped up, shown some leadership, and taken a strong stand on the issue. Whether you agree with his decision or not, one must commend him for taking a strong position.

Debates

Two debates have been confirmed and two more are currently being scheduled. The Daily Freeman and the Kingston Times are currently planning candidate debates before their editorial boards. No word yet on the date or time of either.

However, two debates have been scheduled. The first is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. It will be held on Friday, October 14th at 7:30 am at the Holiday Inn. Tickets are $15.00 for Chamber members and $30.00 for non-members. Call for tickets at (845) 338-5100.

The second is sponsored by the League of Women Voters. It will be held on Saturday, October 29th at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall. This event is open to the public without charge.

I urge people to attend and ask their questions. If there is insufficient time to get your question asked, just see me after the debate and I will answer any and all questions.