NEWBURGH CRACKDOWN?

Below, is a press release from the office of Maurice Hinchey. Considering the level of crime in the Newburgh area has reached national attention over the last few months, I think it's well worth the action on the federal level. We haven't seen much from our State and local representatives who have jurisdiction in Orange County so its understandable that persons in higher office have to do something drastic.

Washington, DC - Building on the success of a recent sting operation that marshaled federal, state and local enforcement resources to indict 78 gang members in Newburgh, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman John Hall (D-NY), U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), today requested that action be taken to designate Orange County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

The HIDTA designation, which would be granted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), would enhance future coordination of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies by providing equipment, technology and additional resources to combat the drug trafficking on which these gangs thrive. The House and Senate members sent a letter to NY/NJ HIDTA Director Chauncey Parker requesting that he work with local law enforcement officials to initiate the petition process necessary to secure the designation. "As you know, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program allows for increased collaboration between the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to increase communication and information sharing and allows for more effective policing," the House and Senate members wrote in a letter to Parker. "HIDTA is highly effective in its mission to funnel federal resources, such as equipment and technology, to counties with high crime and low resources.

It is crucial that Newburgh receive this designation and be eligible for the federal resources necessary to combat this ongoing problem of drug and gang-related violence in Newburgh." Relative to other municipalities across the country, Newburgh has seen disproportionally high rates of assaults and murders per capita in the last several years, making the city among the most violent in the nation per capita. The violence in this small city of 29,000 residents is so pronounced that it has drawn the attention of the Obama administration.

I would remind everyone here in Ulster County that what happens in Newburgh affects every municipality in the Hudson Valley. Crime has a way of creeping it's way into our neighborhoods and unless treated, will infect the whole region. As for Ulster, I think we have URGENT to thank for the delay in the northbound spread. Keep up the good work troops.

This of course begs the question; What do they actually do in Albany?

VALENTINE ON FOX: BRING KSM TRIAL HERE!

Mayor Nick Valentine of Newburgh, was on the Neil Cavuto program on FOX News this evening suggesting that the KSM trial, the one most New Yorkers have since decided they no longer want in Manhattan, be held in his cash strapped City.

While County Exec Diana, most of the Legislature and City Council are yelling NO NO NO! We've got the Mayor looking to the Federal circus and potential harm to a big region of Orange County as a way to recoup some of the money the city invested in their new courthouse.

Stewart Air National Guard Base has been mentioned as a potential location, as was one of the local prisons, but right in the downtrodden City of Newburgh? For those who don't know, they restructured a city school to accommodate the City Court, but at great expense. The debt, as a result, simply compounds the fact that the City of Newburgh cant pay it's bills while laying off half it's police force.

Just the other day, Mayor Valentine told radio host Curtis Sliwa... “If they want to have it here, we’ve got the state-of-the-art courthouse. I’ll offer it to them, but there’s got to be money attached.” Everyone knows the high cost of doing anything in New York City. This must be the money source Mayor V is looking at. This trial would be the ultimate test case in security spending.

Valentine continued: “Two hundred million and something dollars to Newburgh would completely change this city around. It would double my police force. It would pay off my debt. Maybe it’s just crazy enough that we could pull something like this off.” At a time where even the President is ready to move the trial out of NYC, crazy might be the right word to use.

NEWBURGH BUDGET MAKES KINGSTON LOOK GOOD

The City of Newburgh Common Council voted to pass a budget for 2010 with a tax increase of 26% while laying off about 30 employees. The only dissenting votes came as a protest against their City Manager salary who makes $164K annually.

Like the City of Kingston, Newburgh has a deadline to vote on a budget. Theirs however is at the end of November. Kingston has until the end of the year. The months that their Council negotiated with the Unions (looking for help through concessions) fell apart and thus, more people will be out of work in all departments.

The Council was faced with a 35% tax increase before this past Saturday's special meeting. Part of their solution was a $5 million bond. The City of Kingston has already floated a Revenue Anticipation Note just to pay the bills leading into February. Unless that anticipated revenue comes from the State like promised, we may have to follow the same path.

There is still time to discuss the options with OUR unions before the Council meets for the last time in the second week of December.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!