It seems that Senator Skelos now wants to make substantial amendments to the SAFE Act. Keep in mind that he voted in favor of this bad piece of legislation. Further keep in mind that as Majority Leader, he could have stopped the legislation from ever going to the floor for a vote. He did not have the guts to stand up to Cuomo.
Now, he is posturing on his position because his position as majority leader is in jeopardy. It is too little and too late.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Comptroller Candidates in 2013
Thus far, no names have surfaced for Comptroller to challenge a VERY vulnerable incumbent.
I would like to hear from you who you think should challenge for the seat. Do not just give a name. Offer a name and some reasons why he or she would be a good candidate and why he or she would win.
I would like to hear from you who you think should challenge for the seat. Do not just give a name. Offer a name and some reasons why he or she would be a good candidate and why he or she would win.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Senor vs Hoffay
The Daily Freeman has an article today wherein Aldermen Senor and Hoffay attempt a battle of wits despite both being unarmed.
The name calling contest sounded like two children at elementary school recess trying to come up with the best "Your Mother" jokes.
I hope this election season results in better candidates. The people of Kingston deserve so much better than these two clucking hens.
The name calling contest sounded like two children at elementary school recess trying to come up with the best "Your Mother" jokes.
I hope this election season results in better candidates. The people of Kingston deserve so much better than these two clucking hens.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sottile May Get Away With It
The Kingston Times wrote a story about Sottile's involvement with the Salzmann case, though they did not mention the affidavit allegedly signed by Sottile.
In the article, Mayor Gallo is quoted as follows:
“There was an agreement between the prior mayor and the former fire chief to be able to literally take time off, to be paid for time off that he did not earn. I had no knowledge of that and if I had I would have advised that mayor, ‘What you’re doing is unlawful.' "
The District Attorney confirmed that Sottile had been interviewed during the investigation. He would not say whether Sottile confirmed Salzmann’s claim that he had been instructed to file the way he did.
Sottile said that Mayor Gallo’s claim that he had acted unlawfully was “ridiculous.” However, he refused to discuss the rest of the matter. Sound like he has been advised to keep quiet??
Now comes the really interesting part. No charges are being brought against Salzmann for being overpaid as alleged by the report from the State Comptroller. Instead, the charges relate to subsequent filings. When Chief Salzmann was asked to explain the discrepancies, he filed new documents in an attempt to hide the truth. His misdemeanor charges relate only to the later filings. He is charged with the cover up and not the crime.
The District Attorney was quoted as saying that the improper payments will not be prosecuted. Apparently, the claims of Salzamann that Sottile authorized him to do it is being accepted as a proper defense. Put another way, if your boss orders you to file false papers dealing with taxpayer money, this is not a criminal matter in Ulster County.
I have always supported and respected Holly Carnright, but must strongly disagree on this one. This entire matter should be submitted to a Grand Jury to consider charges against Salzmann, Sottile, and anyone else who either engaged in this conduct or authorized it. To do nothing sets forth a terrible precedent. Basically, where a city department head receives payment to which he is not entitled, no criminal prosecution will result in Ulster County so long as the Mayor or other supervisor told him it was okay. Be careful though. If you later try to cover up something that is apparently not criminal, then you have committed a crime. The person who authorized you in the first place never gets prosecuted.
Does any of that sound fair or just?? Should the prior administration get away with this charade? Those of you who railed against the County Jail prosecution ran by former ADA Schreibman, where is your outrage now?
I say put this entire matter before the Grand Jury. Let them hear all of the evidence and testimony. Let them make a decision. If they decide to drop it after hearing all of the evidence, fine -- that's our system of justice. But to do nothing and allow potentially guilty parties to get away with this abuse and waste of taxpayer money is wrong.
In the article, Mayor Gallo is quoted as follows:
“There was an agreement between the prior mayor and the former fire chief to be able to literally take time off, to be paid for time off that he did not earn. I had no knowledge of that and if I had I would have advised that mayor, ‘What you’re doing is unlawful.' "
The District Attorney confirmed that Sottile had been interviewed during the investigation. He would not say whether Sottile confirmed Salzmann’s claim that he had been instructed to file the way he did.
Sottile said that Mayor Gallo’s claim that he had acted unlawfully was “ridiculous.” However, he refused to discuss the rest of the matter. Sound like he has been advised to keep quiet??
Now comes the really interesting part. No charges are being brought against Salzmann for being overpaid as alleged by the report from the State Comptroller. Instead, the charges relate to subsequent filings. When Chief Salzmann was asked to explain the discrepancies, he filed new documents in an attempt to hide the truth. His misdemeanor charges relate only to the later filings. He is charged with the cover up and not the crime.
The District Attorney was quoted as saying that the improper payments will not be prosecuted. Apparently, the claims of Salzamann that Sottile authorized him to do it is being accepted as a proper defense. Put another way, if your boss orders you to file false papers dealing with taxpayer money, this is not a criminal matter in Ulster County.
I have always supported and respected Holly Carnright, but must strongly disagree on this one. This entire matter should be submitted to a Grand Jury to consider charges against Salzmann, Sottile, and anyone else who either engaged in this conduct or authorized it. To do nothing sets forth a terrible precedent. Basically, where a city department head receives payment to which he is not entitled, no criminal prosecution will result in Ulster County so long as the Mayor or other supervisor told him it was okay. Be careful though. If you later try to cover up something that is apparently not criminal, then you have committed a crime. The person who authorized you in the first place never gets prosecuted.
Does any of that sound fair or just?? Should the prior administration get away with this charade? Those of you who railed against the County Jail prosecution ran by former ADA Schreibman, where is your outrage now?
I say put this entire matter before the Grand Jury. Let them hear all of the evidence and testimony. Let them make a decision. If they decide to drop it after hearing all of the evidence, fine -- that's our system of justice. But to do nothing and allow potentially guilty parties to get away with this abuse and waste of taxpayer money is wrong.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
EXCLUSIVE -- New Evidence of Corruption Surfaces
The Daily Freeman has reported on the arrest and arraignment of former Fire Chief Salzmann on four misdemeanor charges for filing false documents in an alleged attempt to defraud the city. What is yet to be reported is potentially a bombshell of a story.
I have recently learned from a reliable source that the attorney for Mr. Salzmann is presenting a defense that implicates someone else in the former administration. Supposedly, the attorney has a signed and sworn affidavit from former Mayor Jim Sottile. In this affidavit, Sottile apparently asserts under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so.
Think about this for a minute. I have not yet seen the affidavit. If I get a copy, I will post it on this blog for all to see. Nevertheless, if Sottile has admitted that he knew about the filing of false official documents, condoned their submission, and gave permission for their filing, then we have a new charge to be investigated and considered by the Ulster District Attorney's Office: CONSPIRACY.
For those who do not know, Conspiracy is defined by the New York Penal Law as follows:
Under section 105.00, a person is guilty of conspiracy in the sixth degree when, with intent that conduct constituting a crime be performed, he agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct.
If Sottile has signed an affidavit asserting under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so, then we have an agreement between two people to engage in conduct that constitutes a crime. This would seem to fit the definition of conspiracy.
Moreover, this would also constitute a serious breach of the constitutional oath of office taken by Mayor Sottile. Basically, this affidavit is proof that he condoned the filing of false governmental documents and allowed an employee to receive taxpayer money to which he was not entitled.
In his recent press conference, Mayor Shayne Gallo said, "Indeed, prior administrations, unfortunately, condoned, gave consent, permitted the practice utilized by Salzmann ..." This statement seemingly refers to the affidavit.
I urge the Ulster County District Attorney's Office to investigate this alleged affidavit. If Sottile has signed an affidavit asserting under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so, then charges of Conspiracy in the Sixth Degree should be considered against both parties immediately.
I have recently learned from a reliable source that the attorney for Mr. Salzmann is presenting a defense that implicates someone else in the former administration. Supposedly, the attorney has a signed and sworn affidavit from former Mayor Jim Sottile. In this affidavit, Sottile apparently asserts under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so.
Think about this for a minute. I have not yet seen the affidavit. If I get a copy, I will post it on this blog for all to see. Nevertheless, if Sottile has admitted that he knew about the filing of false official documents, condoned their submission, and gave permission for their filing, then we have a new charge to be investigated and considered by the Ulster District Attorney's Office: CONSPIRACY.
For those who do not know, Conspiracy is defined by the New York Penal Law as follows:
Under section 105.00, a person is guilty of conspiracy in the sixth degree when, with intent that conduct constituting a crime be performed, he agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct.
If Sottile has signed an affidavit asserting under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so, then we have an agreement between two people to engage in conduct that constitutes a crime. This would seem to fit the definition of conspiracy.
Moreover, this would also constitute a serious breach of the constitutional oath of office taken by Mayor Sottile. Basically, this affidavit is proof that he condoned the filing of false governmental documents and allowed an employee to receive taxpayer money to which he was not entitled.
In his recent press conference, Mayor Shayne Gallo said, "Indeed, prior administrations, unfortunately, condoned, gave consent, permitted the practice utilized by Salzmann ..." This statement seemingly refers to the affidavit.
I urge the Ulster County District Attorney's Office to investigate this alleged affidavit. If Sottile has signed an affidavit asserting under penalties of perjury that he not only knew what Salzmann was doing, but also condoned it and gave Salzmann permission to do so, then charges of Conspiracy in the Sixth Degree should be considered against both parties immediately.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Bye Bye Bob
Alderman Bob Senor is leaving the Common Council and leaving the City of Kingston. Apparently, Senor is getting married and moving to the Town of Ulster. Do not be surprised if he tries to run for Councilman or Supervisor in the near future. For the sake of the Town of Ulster, let's hope not.
Several people have put posts on this blog and others claiming that Senor has already moved and should be removed as an Alderman. To be honest, I do not know whether this is true or not. If it is, he should be removed.
Bob leaves an interesting legacy from his tenure as an Alderman. He started as a Republican. His first 2 years on the Council were the last 2 years the Republicans had the majority. They were unable to do much because Bob was the deciding vote. He would announce his position before the meeting and then frequently vote the other way without warning. He was eventually asked to not even show up to the Republican caucus.
He caused tremendous controversy when he foolishly called Alderman-at-Large Sottile "Hitler" during a Common Council meeting.
Perhaps his most famous moment came after he took some personal shots at Jay Hogan and Jay's mother, Alderwoman Rose Hogan, backed Bob against the wall by grabbing him by his skinny neck. Some accounts have Rose slapping Bob, but she actually just grabbed him by the throat. The look of terror in Bob's eyes was worth the price of admission.
Later, when I was elected to the Council, I defeated Bob for the position of Minority Leader. This infuriated him. He spent the next 2 years undermining anything I attempted. Not many people know this, but Bob attempted a coup and almost got me removed as Minority Leader. Ironically, the deciding vote changed his mind at the last minute and voted for me.
As an example of the type of things Bob would do, there was a resolution I wanted to speak about. When I was given the floor, Bob asked if I would grant him the courtesy of speaking first. When I agreed, he immediately made a motion to table the resolution which prevented anyone from speaking on the subject. It was a very petty and nasty thing to do. Bob thought it was funny and clever.
Later, Bob changed his enrollment and joined the Democrats. He claimed the reason was because he did not like where the Republican committee was heading. The real reason was that I had convinced one of the Democrat Alderman to join the Republicans and was close to getting a second which would have made me Majority Leader. Once Bob left, that could not happen. To be truthful, I know of no Republican who was sad to see Bob leave and no Democrat who was happy to see him join their party.
I hope Bob has a successful marriage, stays out of Kingston, and lives happily ever after with his new bride. I also hope he never returns to politics again.
Several people have put posts on this blog and others claiming that Senor has already moved and should be removed as an Alderman. To be honest, I do not know whether this is true or not. If it is, he should be removed.
Bob leaves an interesting legacy from his tenure as an Alderman. He started as a Republican. His first 2 years on the Council were the last 2 years the Republicans had the majority. They were unable to do much because Bob was the deciding vote. He would announce his position before the meeting and then frequently vote the other way without warning. He was eventually asked to not even show up to the Republican caucus.
He caused tremendous controversy when he foolishly called Alderman-at-Large Sottile "Hitler" during a Common Council meeting.
Perhaps his most famous moment came after he took some personal shots at Jay Hogan and Jay's mother, Alderwoman Rose Hogan, backed Bob against the wall by grabbing him by his skinny neck. Some accounts have Rose slapping Bob, but she actually just grabbed him by the throat. The look of terror in Bob's eyes was worth the price of admission.
Later, when I was elected to the Council, I defeated Bob for the position of Minority Leader. This infuriated him. He spent the next 2 years undermining anything I attempted. Not many people know this, but Bob attempted a coup and almost got me removed as Minority Leader. Ironically, the deciding vote changed his mind at the last minute and voted for me.
As an example of the type of things Bob would do, there was a resolution I wanted to speak about. When I was given the floor, Bob asked if I would grant him the courtesy of speaking first. When I agreed, he immediately made a motion to table the resolution which prevented anyone from speaking on the subject. It was a very petty and nasty thing to do. Bob thought it was funny and clever.
Later, Bob changed his enrollment and joined the Democrats. He claimed the reason was because he did not like where the Republican committee was heading. The real reason was that I had convinced one of the Democrat Alderman to join the Republicans and was close to getting a second which would have made me Majority Leader. Once Bob left, that could not happen. To be truthful, I know of no Republican who was sad to see Bob leave and no Democrat who was happy to see him join their party.
I hope Bob has a successful marriage, stays out of Kingston, and lives happily ever after with his new bride. I also hope he never returns to politics again.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Tkaczyk By 19
Cecelia Tkaczyk won the State Senate seat today by 19 votes after the remaining 99 ballots were counted today. There is one additional ballot that was "found" by democrat election inspectors in Montgomery County that remains uncounted.
As disappointed Republicans look over this race, they can blame the loss on two people. First, George Amedore is to blame. He ran a poor campaign in Ulster County. His headquarters in Ulster County closed prior to the end of voting on Election Day. He also foolishly changed campaign strategies late in the race. He was running a positive campaign only to change to full attack mode against his opponent in the last 3 weeks. This made him look desperate.
The second and most significant person to blame is Senate Majority Leader (as least as of now) Dean Skelos.
There was a prominent politico in Ulster County who wanted to run for the seat. His campaign would have been well funded, and would have been likely successful given his strength in Ulster County. Yet, he was threatened by people working for Skelos with various political acts. One of the man's prominent supporters was told that if he did not support Amedore immediately, his wife, who works in the State Senate, would be fired.
A lot of people in Ulster County knew about the strong arm tactics used by Skelos and resented it. Many Republicans skipped the Amedore race as a result. There were also write-in votes for the other guy. Considering that the loss was by only 19 votes with over 100,000 cast, it is not unreasonable to say that Dean Skelos cost George Amedore and the Republican Party this Senate seat.
Two years from now, Cecelia Tkaczyk will run for reelection. She is very beatable. Yet, you can expect that Dean Skelos will once again push George Amedore again. If he runs again, he will lose. To beat Senator Cecelia "Landslide" Tkaczyk, her opponent must be strong in Ulster County. Otherwise, she will be reelected and become entrenched. Will Republicans at the state level learn or repeat their errors in 2014?
As disappointed Republicans look over this race, they can blame the loss on two people. First, George Amedore is to blame. He ran a poor campaign in Ulster County. His headquarters in Ulster County closed prior to the end of voting on Election Day. He also foolishly changed campaign strategies late in the race. He was running a positive campaign only to change to full attack mode against his opponent in the last 3 weeks. This made him look desperate.
The second and most significant person to blame is Senate Majority Leader (as least as of now) Dean Skelos.
There was a prominent politico in Ulster County who wanted to run for the seat. His campaign would have been well funded, and would have been likely successful given his strength in Ulster County. Yet, he was threatened by people working for Skelos with various political acts. One of the man's prominent supporters was told that if he did not support Amedore immediately, his wife, who works in the State Senate, would be fired.
A lot of people in Ulster County knew about the strong arm tactics used by Skelos and resented it. Many Republicans skipped the Amedore race as a result. There were also write-in votes for the other guy. Considering that the loss was by only 19 votes with over 100,000 cast, it is not unreasonable to say that Dean Skelos cost George Amedore and the Republican Party this Senate seat.
Two years from now, Cecelia Tkaczyk will run for reelection. She is very beatable. Yet, you can expect that Dean Skelos will once again push George Amedore again. If he runs again, he will lose. To beat Senator Cecelia "Landslide" Tkaczyk, her opponent must be strong in Ulster County. Otherwise, she will be reelected and become entrenched. Will Republicans at the state level learn or repeat their errors in 2014?
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