Left of the Hudson: Progressive News and Views for Rockland County

NYS Senator George Maziarz Responds to Marriage Equality Question

2009-11-10T17:30:00.002-05:00

When they're faced with their constituents that want their civil rights and equal protection of the law granted to them under the 14th amendment, these Albany boobs don't even have an answer for them except to stammer that they're against gay marriage.

That's because there's really no rational justification for excluding people who are gay and lesbian from marrying. Your reasons for excluding them would have to remain hidden: that you have a lot of constituents who despise gays and lesbians and they don't want them to have the rights that straight people have. So, what State Senator Maziarz did was further enable the hate in his district.

White Men's Oversight

2009-10-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

A collective "what the heck?" was echoed throughout Orangetown yesterday as the latest mailer sent by candidates Paul Whalen, Denis Troy, and Tom Diviny arrived. A highlighted paragraph in the center of the flyer contained this curious and intolerant statement: "To make matters even worse, the current administration tried to sneak through a workforce housing law that had the potential to increase multi-family housing and entity in the town."

"Entity?" What do they mean by that? Did they leave a word out before it? This obvious editing error speaks volumes.

What's missing is the word that was supposed to come before "entity." Someone decided to remove a clause at the last minute, but unwittingly left one word in. What kind of entity is it that scares Messrs. Whalen, Troy, and Diviny. Considering the anti-Semitic and racially charged rants of their supporters at the now infamous Sept. 16 Orangetown Town Board Meeting, it leaves me wondering if one of the co-authors of the flyer wanted to charge up the text with some code words and was overruled.

So let's see, was it:

A. "outside entity"

B. "urban entity"

C. "undesirable entity"

D. "unwelcome entity"

E. insert your theory in the comments below

A county election that really matters

2009-10-27T19:46:00.003-04:00

If you think you voted for change last year, you only scratched the surface. What happens on November 3 can possibly change the course politics, not only locally, but throughout New York. In fact, next Tuesday’s vote may be the most important we’ve made yet as residents of Rockland County.

Democratic leaders in Albany and New York City are holding their collective breath while watching our County Executive Race. Statewide Democratic Party leaders have confided to me that the race between Thom Kleiner and C. Scott Vanderhoef for County Executive has ramifications that go way beyond the county’s boundaries. I’m sure that state’s GOP leaders would agree. After all, they’ve hired Karl Rove’s favorite consulting firm to keep the seat in Republican control.

Beyond the local issues of taxes, balanced budgets, pay-for-play, and the New Square Slaughterhouse, political strategists I have talked to believe that the possible election of a Democratic County Executive can change the makeup of Albany. Is this a grand assumption on their part? I don’t think so.

Our County and the 38th State Senate District have similar boundaries. The Senate district is Rockland County plus the Orange County towns of Tuxedo and Warwick. The fact that both our County Executive, Vanderhoef, and State Senator, Thomas P. Morahan, are both Republicans is not a coincidence. Although Rockland County is nearly 7-to-4 Democratic-to-Republican (3-2 when including Tuxedo and Warwick), unseating county-wide incumbents—especially two that have masqueraded as moderates—has been futile in the past.

But recent state history has proven the theory that the election of Democratic County Execs beget the seating of Democratic State Senators and vice-versa. Once a political party has a powerful county-wide elected official, it often follows that they elect another. This is not a knock against Ellen Jaffee, Nancy Low-Hogan, or Greg Julian, our last three county-wide Democratic candidates, but we haven’t had such a strong Democratic candidate as Thom Kleiner in decades.

And this is how the election of Thom Kleiner as County Executive will help elicit change statewide: The County Executive election will send a message to State party leaders that the 38th State Senate District is or is not in play. State Democrats, namely the Democratic State Senate Committee (DSSC) did not put a dime into the 2006 and 2008 campaigns of Low-Hogan and Julian and other potential donors followed, so these candidates didn’t stand a chance against Morahan’s biannual half-million dollar warchest.

These races were basically conceded before they began and neither Democratic candidate could eclipse 40 percent of the vote total.

The election of Kleiner will convince the DSSC and other non-partisan statewide reform organizations to take notice. Morahan, who has recently taken a staunch anti-gay rights stance and who has been consistently against ethics and election reform in Albany, will finally meet a strong opponent in 2010. It will also convince Democratic turncoats such as County Legislator Ilan Schoenberger, Clarkstown Executive Alex Gromack, and Nyack Mayor John Sheilds, all of which supported Morahan in the past, to support the candidate that shares progressive and Democratic ideals. The Morahan fiefdom will be in jeopardy.

The Brennan Center for Justice calls New York’s State Senate the nation's “most dysfunctional,” and it’s no wonder. Right now, the New York State Senate remains in a partisan and ethical deadlock where Morahan plays a starring role. Progressive State Senate Democrats have been working hard for reform, which includes public-funding for elections and the elimination of member items, a pay-for-play slush-fund system that political experts call “incumbency insurance.” Morahan has been one of the biggest abusers and buys off the loyalty of politicians and constituents, giving “gifts” to local institutions, towns and villages (including the village of Nyack), in the weeks before an election to help cement a November victory. In essence, it’s been legal for politicians like Morahan to use our tax money for their reelection campaigns.

State Senate reform advocates say there’s a lot of work to be done to make Albany less dysfunctional, and it all starts with getting a strong, progressive Democratic majority in the State Senate. A weak Democratic majority where the ethically-challenged Pedro Espada, Jr. and convicted batterer Hiram Monserrate rule the roost cannot bring us the change we need. Both change their party loyalties to suit their mood and they are perfectly happy in continuing to filibuster reform.

State Democratic Committee insiders and reformers agree that Rockland is a bellwether county. If we’re going to see reform on a state level, it’s critical that we have a strong Democratic majority with a progressive State Senator from the 38th Senate District.

So, when voting on November 3, remember that a vote for Kleiner is also a vote for legislative reform on a state level.

This diary is crossposted at the Rockland Progressive Dems Web site.

The Crown Point Bridge crisis

2009-10-22T10:27:00.013-04:00

Far upstate, the Crown Point bridge, which crosses Lake Champlain between Crown Point, New York and Chimney Point, Vermont has been hastily shut down because of massive structural problems and it will likely not open until significant repairs are done to shore it up. And nobody knows when that’s going to be—it could take years.

Governor Paterson has declared a State of Emergency in Essex County as has been called for Addison County, Vermont. This has stranded thousands of commuters, who can’t get to their jobs or their businesses. It’s a regional disaster created by many years of inattentiveness to our infrastructure.

The half-mile, two-lane bridge is owned by New York and Vermont and bridge connects Bridge Road (NY 185) in New York to VT 17 in Vermont. The states do not have the funds to repair the bridge.

You can't read this diary from The Albany Project without thinking of our own deteriorating Bridge, the Tappan Zee or recall the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minnesota in 2007.

All these press releases are nice, but still don't answer the question of why an aging bridge that was known to need critical attention was allowed to get to this point where thousands of people in two states, already slammed by a deep recession, are now virtually cut off from their jobs, their loved ones in nursing homes, and even emergency medical care. Right now, the best solution being offered? Telling affected people to drive down to the crossing at Whitehall, NY every day to get to where they need to go in Vermont... a one-way trip of about 75 miles (down the lake and back up again)!

What it would mean to our lives and our community if the Tappan Zee Bridge was suddenly shut down due to massive structural integrity problems? After all, ours is a seven lane bridge that not only brings people to and from their jobs, it is an essential commerce conduit. It would surely be more than an inconvenience; I could see it having devastating consequences to the local and regional economy. That’s why I think it’s critical that our State officials stop moving at a snail’s pace and start taking our own latent crisis more seriously.

Al Franken humbles Hudson Institute dilettante over health care bankruptcies

2009-10-22T08:12:00.002-04:00

It's no wonder that the GOP fought so hard to keep Al Franken from being seated. Franken is a wingnut's worst nightmare. And to think, we'll have this progressive firebrand on the Hill for another five years. In that time, this video clip will be just one in a string of "best of" clips. Enjoy!

Monserrate must go!

2009-10-19T16:41:00.003-04:00

I am joining with other New York citizens and with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, who have called upon State Senator Hiram Monserrate to resign his office in response to his conviction of a serious domestic violence crime.

Hiram Monserrate should not remain in the Senate, and for the sake of his constituents, the institution of the Senate and the Democratic party he should resign immediately based on the seriousness of his violent crime.

Being an elected official is an honor and a privilege, not a right. As a state legislator , the voters give you the power to decide what laws all 19 million of us live under. And as such we are obligated to hold ourselves to the highest standards of our laws.”

This past summer, the New York State Senate reached new depths of dysfunction through its appalling disregard for the public good when it embarked upon a series of coups and counter coups while important Senate business was ignored.

If the Senate is serious about rehabilitating its reputation as a representative body and wants the public’s support, a good first step would be to insure that Senator Monserrate resigns or is removed from office. We are calling on Senator Monseratte to resign. If he chooses not to, we call on the Senate Majority and Minority Leadership to do the right thing and remove him from office.

Join me in signing this petition that demands State Senator Monserrate resign.

Non rhyming candidate joins the NY-19 brawl

2009-10-16T12:15:00.006-04:00

We may not have to worry about a confusing Hall vs. Ball Congressional race this time next year. That's because another Republican candidate has thrown her hat into the ring, and (thank goodness) her name doesn't rhyme with "all."

Mt. Kisco opthamologist Nan Hayworth later today is expected to unveil a new website and disclose that’s she’s already got more than $300,000 for her congressional run.

Hayworth is said to be well known in the area due to her years working as doctor, and her husband Scott Hayworth is an OB/GYN and CEO of the Mt. Kisco Medical Group.

She has reportedly been talking with Sue Kelly, the former longtime 19th rep, who Hall unseated Kelly in 2006 with 51 percent of the vote.

This candidacy makes for some interesting scenarios.

I'd first like to report that Hayworth is targeting independent and Democratic voters in her initial emails. Yesterday, I got three emails from her, each one sent to a different address. Other progressive voters that like in the 19th (I do not) said that they have already been contacted by her campaign. This early move tells me that Hayworth will be targeting socially liberal but fiscally conservative Republicans, like many of those that you would find in northern Westchester County.

Her campaign Web site is not up yet, but a blog called Hayworth for Congress has already been launched. In it, Hayworth (the woman on the left in the photograph) attacks John Hall mostly for his support of the stimulus bill, although many of the assumptions she makes about the lack of job creation on her Web site are misguided or erroneous. There is no mention of social issues such as gay marriage or abortion that one would typically find from a staunch conservative candidate. So I think it's safe to say that Hayworth will run to the left of Ball in the primary.

And Hayworth has a lot of cash behind her campaign already. She already has $168,247 in contributions and has loaned herself $150,000. This war chest of nearly $320,000 is substantial.

What little I know about Scott and Nan Hayworth is that they have many connections to money and power in Westchester. They're on boards and donors lists of many civic and benevolent organizations and are the quintessential Westchester power couple. They'll have no problems finding friends willing to write them $2,000 checks and names like Pataki, Giuliani, and Bloomberg endorsing Nan.

The good news is that this will be devastating for Greg Ball, as he'll have to much of his cash on a tough primary battle. As Ball's primary opponent, Hayworth will also expose his Achilles Heel if not pierce it. The bad news is that I worry that Hayworth can win the primary and she'd be a much stronger candidate against John Hall come November as she doesn't have the baggage that Ball does. While Hayworth won't inspire any loyalty from teabaggers as Ball does, she is a moderate and can appeal to independents and moderates.

Congressman Eliot Engel's Speech at Health Care For All Rally

2009-10-11T13:05:00.001-04:00

We disagree on many things, but Congressman Eliot Engel and I are on the same page as far as health care reform is concerned. And I am amazed at this speech; I've seen the Congressman speak many times before, but not this passionately. You must watch this.

Pete Seeger at the Health Care for All Rally

2009-10-08T11:26:00.001-04:00

In case you missed it, here he is.

This is a very good video of Pete Seeger's performance on October 4 by Doug Foster of Nyack News and Views. Enjoy!

Vote Row C? Are you kidding me?!

2009-10-07T08:50:00.001-04:00

Denise Hogan, who got the six petition signatures she needed to run on Tom Golisano's Independence Party line in Nyack's mayoral election on Nov. 3, has endorsed—perhaps inadvertently—the entire Independence Party slate, which includes C. Scott Vanderhoef for County Executive, Paul G. Whalen for Orangetown Supervisor, and Denis Troy and Thomas F. Diviny, for Orangetown Council. Vanderhoef &Co. are also running on the Republican line.

On her Web site, Hogan encourages voters to "Vote Row C - Independence Party," a clear indicator of a line vote. I think it is unfortunate, considering that Thom Kleiner, Suzanne Barclay, Dan Salmon, Marie Manning and other good Democrats are on Row A. Also, the Independence Party is also running a candidate for Village Trustee, Maureen M. Dougher, against Jen Laird-White and Doug Foster.

I'm going to assume the "Vote Row C" on Hogan's Web site is a mistake and I hope Hogan takes it down and clearly informs Nyack, Orangetown, and Rockland voters that she is not endorsing the candidacies of Vanderhoef, Whalen, Diviny, Troy, and Dougher and make it clear who she is endorsing.

This comes at a most unfortunate time for Hogan, as Vanderhoef's slime patrol, The Madden Communications & Marketing, teamed up with Troy, Whalen, and Diviny to misrepresent an innocuous workforce housing plan. They robocalled constituents and insisted that it was instead, "affordable housing." This triggered belligerence at a Town Board meeting where "tea party" types showed up and displayed crude anti-semitic and racially-charged rhetoric. The whole event as staged by Troy et. al as a Karl Rove-style political dirty trick to embarrass Kleiner and the Democratic Orangetown Council members.

I, for one, would not be caught dead with my name on a political slate with the likes of Vanderhoef, Diviny, Troy, and Whalen. I encourage Hogan to publicly denounce them.

Wally Glickman's "Fire Care" from "Health Care for All"

2009-10-06T09:18:00.000-04:00

By popular demand, one of the highlights from the Health Care for All Rally.

Pete Seeger created magic at Nyack's Health Care for All Rally

2009-10-06T08:45:00.002-04:00

It was a beautiful day and evening to rally for health care reform and there was no better place to do it than in Nyack's Memorial Park. More than 700 people attended the rally and we had many great speakers and musical acts. But Pete Seeger helped make our rally into a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Our rally, called "Health Care for All" was started by myself and a handful of concerned Rockland County residents who had a living-room discussion last month about having a small rally. A month later, this small rally grew into a full-fledged concert, with many great performers such as Tom Chapin, Emory Joseph, Michael Mark, and The Roues Brothers. And of course, Pete Seeger.

Yes, we expect to see the teabaggers there. Some of them had even promised to shout down "that unrepentant '60s communist, Pete Seeger" when he arrived.

But the teabaggers were soon disarmed by the patriotism of our large audience. After a musical prelude, we began our program with a sing-a-long of "America, the Beautiful" and the singer who led us, Orangetown Councilwoman Nancy Low-Hogan, had the American flag waving next to her. Not a single "tea party" person sang with us, not a single one applauded at the end of this patriotic standard. In fact, most of them milled around and talked among themselves while the rest of us saluted our nation.

They may have been discussing among themselves what went wrong. They thought they were going to take the field, but they were quite clearly in the minority. There was about 30 of them standing in back and at the time we had well over 400 people enjoying the festivities and support universal health care. My wife and a few friends kindly engaged them. One teabagger told us he was only carrying a sign because his boss told him to and he was afraid of being fired. Some teabaggers didn't even have a grasp of what they were protesting.

"I believe that health care has to be reformed, but I don't want it to become the way of socialists ," [Mary] McCabe said. "I don't like the idea that we are going to end up with the Canadian or British system."

McCabe said people should not confuse health insurance and health care, saying that although she didn't have health insurance at this moment, she has health care because she could go to an emergency room if she needed medical attention.

I had the opportunity to speak on stage for five minutes as did seven other speakers, including Congressman Eliot Engel (D, NY-17). Congressman Engel and me don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on many things (which we won't get into now), but yesterday we were brothers in arms. I have to say that the Congressman, who preceded me on stage, gave one of the more rousing speeches I've heard a politician give in years. He won over many of the skeptical progressives in the audience and was rewarded to a standing ovation, which was well deserved.

I much prefer blogging to speaking, but I had the confidence to boom into the sound system:

Some one hundred years ago, a former President, a former Republican, a man with his face carved on a mountain, Teddy Roosevelt, formed the Progressive Party and ran, once again for the Presidency. High on his agenda was a "social and economic justice" plan which would have created a Social Security-like system and universal health care for Americans. Are we to believe that Roosevelt was a Marxist?

This and my other comments were directed at the teabaggers, but I'm not sure if I got across to any of them.

Pete Seeger was due to arrive at 6:50 p.m as he finished his last performance in the city at 6 pm. (Pete did a concert in the New York City in the morning, another in Beacon, NY in the early afternoon, and a set at EcoFest back in the city late in the afternoon, imagine that!) Time ticked by and there was no Pete Seeger. The teabaggers went home at 7 pm, almost in lockstep.

About 400 faithful people remained. One of the local bands took the stage again to keep the audience entertained as we waited. Some of us watched the moon rise over the Hudson River. Soon after dusk gave away to night many of us began to give up hope. Then a thin shadow appeared on the hill at the park. It was soon evident that this figure was carrying an old bango and a guitar strapped over his shoulders. A collective gasp and then applause went through the audience. Pete Seeger walked on stage.

Before he played his first note, it became dead silent, and we collectively held our breath. And then he started into a set that included "If I Had a Hammer," "Goodnight, Irene," and Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land." As my colleague Alan Levin put it in a letter to Seeger that he wrote today:

[It] was a transcendent experience for us all. You are, for many of us, a hero and an inspiration. That you continue to work so hard, as you did that day, to go so many extra miles in support of the people and causes that bring positive change to this world, moves us all to do more. I feel in my heart that the hundreds who waited to see you and sing with you will be braver in their commitment to continue the struggle. Certainly, I can say this is true for myself.

Alan is right, it was nothing short of spectacular. And when Pete told us from the park's gazebo that he believed that "something good is going to happen, I know it," we all knew that he was right. And then he said we've got to do more than just vote, we've got to act. And we agreed with him.

After a nice long set, Pete had everyone join him onstage and he signed autographs, talked with his fans, and ate pizza. And when it was time for him to go, we serenaded him with our own rendition of "This Land is Your Land."

The beauty of this event was that so many people in our area were intimidated to come out and rally for health care reform because we felt threatened by the mob-like tactics of the teabaggers. It took Seeger, Chapin, et. al to drag us out into the open, but now that we all know we're not alone, we feel so much more empowered. It was a magical night and I feel the momentum of this debate changing in my town.

Photo Courtesy of Brian Jennings, brianclayjennings@gmail.com

Pete Seeger and Tom Chapin perform at this weekend's health care reform rally

2009-10-01T17:22:00.005-04:00

Sunday's Health Care for All Rally at Nyack's Memorial Park could have been billed as a concert. Five musical acts have signed on to the show, including folk music legend Pete Seeger and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and storyteller Tom Chapin (who is appearing with musical partner Michael Mark).

Along with Seeger and Chapin, two well-loved local acts are performing as well. The Roues Brothers will be performing an acoustical set and Patrick McGrath of ChinMusic will lead off the rally with a solo set.

Also performing at the event are New York City rocker Emory Joseph, who wrote the Bonnie Raitt song "Trinket" from her most recent album, Soul's Alike.

Interspersed with the music will be poetry and speeches by local health care advocates. They include County Legislator Connie Coker, Willie Trotman of the Spring Valley NAACP, yours truly, and several Hudson Valley progressive Democratic Party leaders.

The grassroots event advocates for universal health care. The group which organized the rally, Health Care for All Now, believes that affordable, equitable, and quality health care is a human right. The organizers expect hundreds of health care reform supporters from the Lower Hudson Valley to attend.

The event is co-sponsored by The Fellowship of Reconciliation, Rockland Progressive Dems, Spring Valley, NAACP, Nyack NAACP, WESPAC Foundation, Organizing for America, and the Rockland Women's Political Caucus.

Health Care For All Rally
Oct. 4
4:30 pm-7:30 pm.
Memorial Park, 53 Piermont Ave (at Depew Ave.)
Nyack, NY
Public information line: (845) 512-3261

Thom Kleiner's first television commercial is out

2009-09-30T15:13:00.001-04:00

Thom Kleiner's first television commercial is out. I know I'm biased, but I think it's very well done. The message of fiscal responsibility should resonate with independent and fiscally conservative voters as well as Kleiner's Democratic base.

Don't forget to share the YouTube video version of it with your friends.

And the average IQ of a teabagger is...?

2009-09-19T16:29:00.001-04:00

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. This video of the 9/12 rally in Washington, DC shows that many teabaggers don't have the slightest idea what they're protesting.

It's been very obvious to me that the Modus operandi for the teabag movement is to spread hate, fear, and misinformation, and this video basically proves this point.

Kavesh wins Democratic Primary in Nyack

2009-09-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

From the Rockland County Board of Elections at 10:30 p.m.:

6 of 6 (100%) machines reporting
(8 total districts)

VILLAGE OF NYACK MAYOR

Vote for 1

Richard A. Kavesh 286
Denise Hogan 278
Marie T. Lorenzini 233
Marianne Olive 84

Did Christopher St. Lawrence's campaign use grassroot org's name to smear Bruce Levine?

2009-09-14T16:14:00.007-04:00

Members of a Spring Valley environmental action organization are steamed that a negative campaign mailer was sent out in the group's name to target Town Supervisor candidate Bruce Levine, who is running against current Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence in a primary to be held tomorrow.

The group, led by Mariel Farlow and Steve White want to make it clear that the "Spring Valley Concerned Citiziens Coalition" had no ties to the mailer, even though a similar name, "Concerned Citizens of Spring Valley," is on the literature. The mailer was sent to registered Democrats.

According to the Journal News:

The flier characterizes Levine as a longtime beneficiary of political patronage jobs and makes reference to well-known troubles in the village.

The permit stamp on the mailing came from the Monsey Post Office. Farlow visited the office to identify the permit owner, but was told to fill out a Freedom of Information (FOIL) request. Unfortunately, the primary election will be long over before Farlow and White can identify the culprits.

Local activist group Preserve Ramapo isn't spending any time wondering. They're pointing the finger directly at Christopher St. Lawrence:

It's a surprise to no one that the St. Lawrence campaign has sent out unsigned attack literature. It doesn't take a coward long to learn that it's better to hide when you lie. In this case, though, the two cards sent out attacking Bruce Levine claimed to be sent by the Concerned Citizens of Spring Valley.

Greg Ball Has A Crush On Obama

2009-09-12T12:37:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm not sure if it's a crush, but he's sure in love with the President's speeches.

In fact, Greg Ball is ripping off Obama's speeches in his campaign for Congress almost word-for-word. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean.

The Greg Ball Conspiracy

2009-09-09T08:37:00.000-04:00

Assemblyman and congressional candidate Greg Ball believes people are out to get him. This video looks at the possible suspects that Ball has fingered.

"Deathers" and insurance lobbying groups try to disrupt OFA meeting in Pearl River

2009-09-02T08:53:00.007-04:00

A handful of conservatives, including Republican Orangetown Supervisor candidate Paul Whalen, attended yesterday's Organizing for America (formerly Obama for America) meeting at the Pearl River Library last night. Many of these right-wingers went on to heckle the Obama organizer and disrupt the meeting. But they couldn't shake the resolve of those who are working for reform.

The hecklers interrupted the meeting by shouting down those that support health-care reform, with taunts, and with generally disrespectful behavior. One of the hecklers stood before the crowd with a menacing look and a sign that said, “Obama’s healthcare and other policies will take care of us like Teddy took care of Mary Jo.”

Another agitator insisted that the meeting was actually an ACORN meeting and manically shook a DVD box of the science-fiction movie Soylent Green in front of his face. Others were a somewhat more respectful; some just stood outside the library, smoked cigarettes, and carried anti-Obama picket signs.

Many of the blathering wing-nuts unwittingly tipped others off that they were associated with and mobilized by insurance-industry lobbying groups and the Christian conservative movement. The disruptors used media and talking points supplied by the National Center for Policy Analysis, an organization funded by the insurance-industry and the Liberty Counsel, a conservative, “family values” group begun by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Whalen, for his part, did not participate in the heckling, but did nothing to stop his fellow conservatives as they tried to disrupt the meeting. Later, I approached Whalen about a pickup truck that several of us have witnessed that carries one of his campaign bumper stickers next to a Confederate Flag. Whalen chuckled, “I guess I’ve got fans all over, North and South.” I informed Whalen that I found this to be an unfortunate juxtaposition and asked him what he thought about having supporters who are open racists. Whalen huffed away without answering and left the meeting.

In the end, the disruptive element failed and did nothing more but embarrass themselves. I’m not sure what Whalen’s role at the meeting was. Was he supporting the hecklers, or does he support the President’s health-care reform? In the end, the OFA organizer was able to get the productive members of the audience to break down into groups and work together in trying to create a canvassing strategy for the county. The hecklers failed, and very few reform supporters appeared shaken by them.

Greg Ball got "KennedyCare" before he got single-payer health care

2009-08-30T12:30:00.003-04:00

Not only has Assembly member Greg Ball (who's running for Congress against John Hall in NY-19) been getting government-paid, single-payer health care for most of his adult life, he also recalls how the Kennedy family paid for his health care when he was a child.

From the article in Hindu Business Line, a publication in India:

Ball narrates an incident from his childhood that sowed the seeds for his passion. "My godmother was personal secretary to Joseph Kennedy, the father of Jack Kennedy. As an infant I had cat-scratch fever, and Jean Kennedy- Smith, Jack Kennedy's sister, asked my parents to take me to a hospital. When my parents said they couldn't afford it, she said she would take care of everything. And, within five minutes, there were 10 doctors around me. I think those little interactions that I had as a kid with that family in particular showed me how well power could be used."

He feels that people should use their abilities to impact others positively, because there is both good and evil in this world. "Evil exists, and we have to fight it at every turn."

I must say, what a compassionate clan the Kennedy family has been, and despite their wealth they took it upon themselves to care for a small baby who was, at the very best, tenuously connected to them. What's even more amazing is that Joseph Kennedy was dead for some eight years before Greg was born, so they cared enough to keep in touch with their death patriarch's secretary's, God son. And what a great bit of irony (if not hypocrisy), considering that Greg is campaigning against American families getting the health care that they need with his so-called town halls, which are nothing more than his spreading fear, fake outrage, and misinformation to the people of the district that he hopes to serve.

Unforunately, I like most every American, don't have connections to the Kennedys or any other ultra-wealthy family.

My son, who has autism, has had more than $30,000 in medical bills that two health-insurance companies refused to cover. It put my family on the brink of financial ruin. Greg and his family should feel fortunate enough to have such friends to pay for his health care when he was a child. Wouldn't Greg Ball want every child to have an opportunity to have to see a doctor when their health is imperiled without bankrupting their families?

I think it's time that the Assembly member did some sincere soul searching before he spreads more fear and lies about the health-care reform that Ted Kennedy so wanted for all American families.

Greg Ball demonstrates unparalleled command of government process

2009-08-30T11:40:00.001-04:00

Funny stuff.

Stop Greg Ball from making a mockery of the health care reform debate

2009-08-15T10:38:00.002-04:00

Assembly member Greg Ball (who is running against Democrat John Hall for Congress this fall) is trying to take down Democratic health care initiatives by staging his own sham town halls. There will be plenty of astroturfing and choreographed outrage from Ball and his acolytes, and it’s all meant to DESTROY PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PUBLIC OPTION PLAN, which will make health care affordable and accessible to millions of Americans.

Ball is using this insincere forum to spread his own dangerous ultraconservative demagoguery. These misleading “town halls,” if we leave them to Ball and his supporters, will contain nothing but fabricated, bombastic, and inflammatory rhetoric. They are meant to be a dog and pony show staged for the local and national media to demonstrate that the constituents of the 19th Congressional District are rabidly against health care. Ball is shamelessly staging this chicanery to exploit an issue that is more moral than political to further his career advancement.

Whether you support a single-payer or public option universal health care plan, you must help stop Assemblyman Ball from making a mockery and political football out of such a critical moral issue.

I’m asking that those that stand for real health-care reform—especially those in the 19th Congressional District—attend one of these flimflam meetings to show our unity. Barrage Ball and his acolytes with thoughtful questions and educated statements, but do not heckle or interrupt the speakers as the Republican-paid activists have done.

It’s critical that we step up our efforts now for affordable health care and move toward universal health care. As our health-care system is currently structured, the system will become financially unsustainable in five to ten years. If you think the economy is in a funk right now, what will it be like when some 100 million people are without health care coverage and skyrocketing health care costs financially cripple those with insurance?

There is no issue so critical to our nation’s economic future as health-care reform. Please don’t allow the obstructionist Republicans to make a mockery of it.

Here are a list of events to attend below:

Greg Ball and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbit
Monday, August 17th, 7 PM (doors open 6:30)
Greenwood Lake American Legion Arthur Finnegan Post
40 Mountain Lakes Lane
Greenwood Lake

Greg Ball and Town Supervisor Oan Pagonez
Wednesday August 19th 7 PM, (doors open 6:30)
(Note new location)
Hotel Sierra Suites Conference Room
100 Westage Business Center Dr, Fishkill, NY 12524

Greg Ball and Cornwall Town Supervisor Kevin Quigley
Friday, August 21st 7 PM (doors open 6:30)
Munger Cottage – Cornwall Community Center
183 Main St.
Cornwall, NY 12518

Is Christopher St. Lawrence surrounded?

2009-07-26T09:34:00.003-04:00

With the assistance of the community action group Preserve Ramapo, Democratic Supervisor is facing a primary challenge on Sept 15, but not only on the Democratic line. He's also got opponents on the Republican and Independence lines.

While it's not uncommon for a candidate to run on more than one party line in New York (by virtue of Wilson Pakula), its rarely used by a sitting incumbent to stave off potentially tight primary battles. It appears that St. Lawrence's appearance on the Republican line, at least, is the Town Supervisor's hedge against losing the Democratic Primary to challenger Bruce Levine.

Earlier this summer, Rockland Republican Chair Vincent Reda pushed through a committee endorsement of St. Lawrence to the chagrin of many committee members and rank and file Republicans. In previous elections, the Republican committee has offered little support to their own candidates, basically insuring a victory for St. Lawrence's campaigns. It is widely believed that this was part of a power-sharing bargain between the Republicans and the Rockland County Democratic Committee leaders, although there is no evidence to support this assumption.

Some committee members unhappy with the County Chair's blessing of the Town Supervisor returned St. Lawrence petitions ripped or shredded in protest. Another group of Republicans circulated designating petitions for an alternative Republican slate headed by outspoken conservative Robert Romanowski.

St. Lawrence, as in the past, is also running on the Independence Party ticket. And those party members, not to be undone by the larger parties, have also brought a challenge against him. The party collected a sufficient number of petitions for Robert Lieberman to run against St. Lawrence.

The Levine challenge on the Democratic line is for real and St. Lawrence knows it. He wouldn't have come running to the Republican Party if he didn't feel threatened by this primary. There is a small chance that St. Lawrence may lose each of these primaries, but it is much more likely that he will lose the support of his own party. If that were to happen, would St. Lawrence continue to be a Wilson Pakula Republican, or would he join ranks with them?

Kavesh collects 591 signatures, refuses WFP endorsement

2009-07-24T08:59:00.000-04:00

Nyack Village Trustee Richard Kavesh tells Left of the Hudson that he had a very successful petition effort and will run only on the Democratic Party line, declining an endorsement by the Working Families Party.

Four candidates have qualified for Nyack’s September 15th Democratic primary by filing petitions with the Rockland County Board of Elections. Kavesh led all four mayoral candidates with 591 petition signatures. Local businesswoman Marianne Olive collected 245 signatures and Village Trustees Marie Lorenzini and Denise Hogan gathered 231 and 225 signatures respectively. Candidates were required to collect 119 signatures from Democrats living in the village and submit them to the Rockland County Board of Elections by July 16th.

The Nyack Republican Committee will have the chance to select its candidates for mayor and two village trustee seats at a caucus held later this summer. The party does not select village candidates through primaries.

Kavesh, who told LotH he "walked every street, road, avenue, place, and lane in Nyack," also said that he declined the endorsement of the Working Families Party because the party did not endorse Thom Kleiner for County Executive. The WFP has chosen Andrew L. Spence, a Suffern attorney, as its candidate.

"During past village elections I’ve proudly accepted the endorsement of the WFP," says Kavesh. "But I’m a lifelong and loyal Democrat and I strongly support Thom Kleiner for County Executive. I don’t want my name to be on a party's ballot line where Thom does not appear, which could possibly cost him votes."

Kavesh has also asked that his Democratic rivals and others running for village office join him in two pledges. He has pledged not to take campaign money from village employees, developers, and people with business before the village. He has also pledged to support whichever candidate wins the Democratic mayoral primary.

Two Democratic candidates – Doug Foster and Jennifer Laird White – are running as a ticket and submitted petitions to the Board of Elections for the two seats as Village Trustees that are also up for election this year.