PRIMARY DAY 2011

So what are the chances that today's primary elections will be close enough to require the nerve-racking week long count of absentee ballots? Anyone have a guess?
I think enough time and effort has been spent this year in Kingston and towns across Ulster County that voters will come out in higher numbers than previously expected. Is that good or bad for any of the candidates, myself included, or does it just simply mean more people are coming out to vote?

Either way, this city, surrounding towns and the county will continue to function 
(or disfunction) as it has before. 
Below is a picture of all of us running for office today. 
Make the best choice.  

AMERICAN JOBS BILL

SMALL BUSINESS & REGULATION

I have reposted an interesting article I found below. 
Links to sources included.
 
How Small Business Doesn't Hate Regulation
by Stuart Shapiro
 
Last week Andy Bolin posted an article with several small businesses quoted as saying that regulation wasn’t a major cost for them. 
(link at bottom) While that anecdotal data was interesting, it turns out that the sentiment is much broader.  The National Association for Business Economics did a broader survey.  The results were the same.
 

Regulatory activity has gained a lot of attention, with many groups suggesting that American businesses are overregulated by the current administration. With that said, 80 percent of survey respondents felt that the current regulatory environment was “good” for American businesses and the overall economy.

 

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, when the Chamber of Commerce or a Washington politician voices concern for small businesses, you should automatically substitute the word “big” for the word “small.”

Heath care, banking and labor laws affect big corporations, not small businesses

MOVE THE UCCC BUSINESS CENTRE

As I touched on previously, Ulster County's DSS is very good at getting clients and running programs that help locals and new people who need help the most.  I understand that as a result, they need more space.

The obvious choice for the county would be to allow DSS to grow into what is now the UCCC Business Resource Center. It is part of the same plaza as the rest of the Department and would only seem natural to keep all of their operation at one location.

But what to do with the College Business Center?

Might I suggest using some of the vacant buildings at TechCity?
Imagine having a secure, designated parking area at a location closer to Rt 209 in a space that's easily modified to accommodate such a learning facility.
Students might even be inspired to study solar technology in a business application through one of their programs.

Perhaps the best reason to move the  resource Center would be to separate the two very different operations that the County and College manage. It always seemed odd to me to have an annex to UCCC who's mission is to get people working, right next to the Department that specializes in issuing checks to landlords across the county.

90 DAY RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

Because we are in such a financial dilemma in Ulster County, I felt the need to address something that many of you may not think about on a daily basis. The county's Safety Net program.

Since this past April, there have been two important bills lingering in the Judiciary Committees of the Assembly and state Senate. Bills that would have a direct effect on the amount of tax dollars we set aside for all the programs that shelter, feed and medicate those who are in most need. 

New Yorkers are notorious for making the best effort to help those in need. Ulster County residents are among the most noble. But there is a shift toward the dark side heading our way as of this January.

Of the States that actually have any form of Safety Net service, New York and California have the most to offer. Clients come to Ulster County from across the country because we are the best at giving away Federal, State and local tax dollars. If you were in a desperate situation, wouldn't you come to where they treat you the best? Of course. Problem is, we cant afford it anymore.

So rather than just close the doors on the rising tide of new New Yorkers in such need, I am asking the following: 
That the County Legislature and Executive pass MY resolution, urging the state Judiciary Committee to revive the tabled Bills and allow the counties across the state to dictate a residency requirement of their liking to stem the tide of nomadic tribes of clients that criss-cross the eastern seaboard.

Senate Bill No: S2494
Sponsors: Ranzenhofer, Alesi, Johnson, Larkin, Libous
  Assembly Bill No: A2281
Sponsor: Schimminger (MS)
 
  The concurrent resolution in the Senate and Assembly proposes an amendment to the Constitution in relation to a residency period prior to receipt of certain social services.  New York has one of the most generous Medicare and social services programs in the U.S.  

Current New York laws hold no requirement regarding length of residency for benefit recipients.  Applicants must only reside in New York and show intent to remain in the state for the foreseeable future.  This is proven through documents such as a driver’s license. 

 

The proposed legislation would protect "true" New York residents who need these services by authorizing the NYS Legislature to enact a period of residency as a requirement for social services applicants.

The paragraph above is attached to the legislation and merely reiterates what I am looking for from the Legislature. A unanimous vote in favor of this resolution may help our state leadership realize their delay in action is costing New Yorkers precious tax dollars as well as added burden on our infrastructure.

When I talk about the shift in January, I mean when the state arbitrarily decreases their share of Safety Net funding from 50% to 23%. That's right, we will be responsible for 77% here in Ulster County. For those who don't know, we are the only county in the country where the municipality that's housing the client pays the County's share. The City of Kingston better get ready for a significant increase in taxes/cuts this budget season because my fellow Legislators are still showing no signs of accepting their fiscal responsibility on this issue.

BRONX BLOODS

City Police in Kingston Wednesday evening arrested a Bronx man who was standing in the middle of Broadway disrupting traffic.
 
Officers took Paul Smith-Weeks, 24, a member of the Bloods street gang, into custody on a charge of disorderly conduct and a search later found him in possession of two plastic bags, one with powder cocaine and the other with 16 individual knotted twists.
 
He was also in possession of a quantity of cash that police suspect was drug money.
 
Smith-Weeks was charged with felony drug possession, loitering and disorderly conduct.

 

Police said he was visiting Kingston at the time of his arrest.

Lifted from the police blotter.

SNOPES TO THE RESCUE AGAIN

I received one of those chain Emails yesterday that focused on Congressional pay rates for retirees and their staff.

Turns out most of the assumptions were false. I actually visited Snopes.com to check up on it. 

1. Congressmen collect full pay until death. False.

Their pension is determined by length of time served, when they got to congress, age of retirement and what program they participated in while serving. Their retiring income cannot exceed 80% of their working pay.

2. Congressmen don't pay into Soc Security. False.

Since 1984, they have been paying into Social Security just like everyone else. Prior to that they were in a separate program for Civil Servants. (CSRS) which was closed to government employees after 1983.

3. Congressional members are exempt from prosecution for sexual harassment. False.

The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 placed all government employees and elected into the same category. It was included with the protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin. Which has since been updated to include sexual orientation.

4. Members and staff are exempt from the Healthcare Act. False.

Members, their family and staff only have access to plans that are created by the bill and required to have the same minimum standard of coverage dictated by the legislation.

5. 35 Governors have filed suit against the Fed for unlawful burden on states. False.

The Email has been going around for years now. The insertion of this comment happened about a year ago since the passing of Healthcare Reform. It takes 38 state legislatures (two thirds) to call for a Constitutional Convention but it takes three quarters to actually amend it. No such group of Governors have made efforts to bring the "28th Amendment" forward or pushed for a convention for that matter.

 

Below is the basic point of the Email:
 

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States."

I think there are words like this somewhere already.

BOXERS OR BRIEFS?

 

At some point this fad of wearing your pants under your butt cheeks has got to pass. Does anyone else feel this contributes to the negative perception of Broadway? 

Didn't a few towns and cities address this through legislation a few months back?

Is it worth the discussion locally?

MIDDLE CLASS SHOULD BE PISSED

 

MOBILE PHONE CREDIT CARD

Mobile phones are just about everywhere in America. About 90% of us have one or more. We are a little slow in the transition from binary to smart phones, but we're getting there. Where we are really lacking is the ability to pay for small and large purchases through our mobile like a credit card. But that's about to change.
 
A growing number of service providers are developing safe payment options through some of the major credit card companies while others are heading for direct mobile credit billing. Skipping the credit cards all together.

 

South America and Asia have been paying for soda and candy with mobile phones at vending machines for years. The technology isn't new. The reluctance of Americans to trust their financial safety holds us back. With millions of people in other countries already comfortable with such daily purchases with little record of abuse, is it time for us to leave the wallets at home and trust our phones?
 
In a recent article in Forbes, Beth Robertson of Javelin Strategy said: "The rest of the world is kind of ahead of us in this area. There are a number of global markets where you can essentially hold your phone near a device and authorize payment from your bank account or cellular bill or do person-to-person payment by texting someone. Most of the options take the credit card out of the equation."
 
You need only experience the Speed Pass at the Thruway entrance or the Speedy Pay at the gas pump to see how this would work. Have we gotten comfortable with those options yet? I'm kinda thinking yes.
 
A recent piece in the NY Times highlighted some independent non-credit-card options coming out. One example is Xipwire, a new mobile payment system which lets people make retail purchases or do peer-to-peer transfers via texting. 
 

You've seen the new square barcode on select advertisements and websites by now. Well the same individual code could be used to purchase merchandise by displaying your own barcode on your screen facing a screen reader. That technology is coming from FaceCash. You just hold up your mobile screen, which displays a barcode and a photo ID, up to a barcode reader. Once authenticated, the purchase is debited directly from a bank account. 
 But that's not all. Think FaceBook couldn't get more into your personal business?Along comes ZONG. Through a FaceBook credit system, you could use your phone to pay for goods on websites and have the bill merged with your mobile bill.
 

In one edition of Parking Today, they did a piece on mobile phone scanning strategies for parking lot kiosks. That was of course back when we were researching meters for the city. By now, someone should have advanced that technology somewhere. If we ever build a parking garage in Kingston, we'll have to pursue a market testing grant for the installation.
 
But getting back to the current topic, the general sense is that if it were to catch on in the States, it would be on the east coast first. Are we close enough to NYC to think we'll get to see it by 2015? I really don't know what's taking us so long.

GALLO FUNDRAISER RIVER CRUISE

 

This past Thursday night was the Shayne Gallo fundraiser dinner cruise on the Rip VanWinkle. I'll say it was a good party for the 100+ who embarked on the journey. As we discovered, having events outside is a gamble when weather plays a part, so we were pleased with the attendees who took advantage of the terrific evening.

Thanks to DJ Styles for his party mix, the long list of local restaurants that offered food and Van Loans for the abundance of beer. Finally, thanks to Sandy and her crew for their steady hand at the wheel as we got to enjoy the two hours of fun on the Hudson.

The next event is at Casa Villa on Albany Avenue.

Wednesday September 7th at 5pm

Tickets are $25 Again with plenty of food. Cash Bar.

Space is limited so email: 

GalloForMayor@gmail.com 

or call 331-2202 for more info. 

OLBERMANN & SPITZER

SAVE GOLDEN HILL

Throughout my term as an Ulster County Legislator, I have been a visible and vocal advocate for keeping the county nursing home, Golden Hill Health Care Center, under county control. Of the representatives from the City of Kingston, I join the chorus of Jeanette Provenzano and Peter Loughran who have been just as vocal for over a decade. My good friend Dave Donaldson is now jumping on board and stating that he is in support of keeping Golden Hill county owned as well. Three cheers for Dave for finally coming to the correct conclusion. 

However, prior to and during his time as Chairman of the Legislature, Jeanette continually addressed the mounting repairs needed at the facility. Only to fall on deaf ears. If the repairs had been made at that time, we wouldn’t be hearing about “systems at risk of catastrophic failure” now, would we?  Anyone who follows the political landscape here in Kingston knows Dave and I are in a Primary this September so I get to point out that of course, now, during these special election circumstances, he sees an opportunity to put words before actions to gain support. Four of those years Dave was the Legislative Chair, One of them as Executive Chair. With a sizeable majority at the time, the opportunity to address Jeanette's issues were missed. How sad is that?

The Legislature and specifically, the Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by Walter Frey, has spent far too long debating whether to sell, renovate, rebuild or build a new, state-of-the-art nursing home. The option of selling the facility needs to be taken off the table, once and for all. Privatization of nursing homes amounts to more money in the pockets of private investors, and results in lower wages, higher turnover rates and drastically lowers quality of care for residents. Meaning, if a shortsighted legislature votes to sell the facility, Ulster County’s seniors will ultimately pay the price. And for what? To save a subsidy that in 2010 amounted to just a 1/4 of 1% of the total tax burden? Isn’t it better for us to keep the employees making a living wage, so they can continue to own homes, shop and support our local economy? Isn’t it better to know that we have a safe, quality nursing facility available to anyone, regardless of their medical condition or ability to pay? 

 

Unlike other county departments, Golden Hill Health Care Center is set up as an enterprise fund, meaning that its $30M budget operates completely independent from the county budget. Golden Hill’s income from Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, intergovernmental transfers, and private resident payments, covers all expenses, including employee salaries and benefits without any support from the County. In some years, Golden Hill has required a subsidy from the county to cover shortfalls in their revenues, mostly due to New York State’s failure to increase the Medicaid bed rates. In 2011, the County Executive’s office estimated that Golden Hill Health Care Center would require a subsidy of $4.2M. However, due to overdue Medicaid reimbursements received from the state, the amount required from the county to support the nursing home will be closer to $1M. This means, out of a $30M budget, just $1M will come out of the county budget.

Let’s make a commitment to our community to keep Golden Hill Health Care county owned and then continue to investigate the best options in terms of rebuilding, renovating or simply fixing the existing problems, and updating as needed. Let’s look at ways to increase revenues and lower expenses without compromising the integrity of this fine facility or the welfare of its residents. Let’s look at benefits of green technology and grants available for such. There are many options that I don’t feel have been explored because too many have their own agendas at play. If we take the option of privatization off the table, it will force everyone to focus on the challenge of making the County nursing home profitable for the County, instead of some private investors.

ULSTER COUNTY STOP DWI

Last month, the Programs & Education Committee had the opportunity to ask the “Stop DWI” program coordinator, John Miller, about the current status of their operation. We got a pretty detailed snapshot of how things work.

First, the program is controlled by an Advisory Board which is responsible for the allocation of funds. The funds are limited, so the success of each task are measured against the greater good of the whole program. When we say success, it doesn't apply just to how many people are caught driving impaired but also how many people did we reach through the deterrent portion of the program.

One program outside of road patrols, would be the installation and monitoring of the Interlock Ignition System. Stop DWI and Probation share the effort to keep track of those who have been released and permitted to drive after a court directed enrolment. The “client” is responsible for the cost of both the apparatus and the installation, but in some cases, when they cant afford it, the county does invest. There are several vendors who supply the device and until recently, only a few had the camera. Now they all do.

When considering the budget of Stop DWI, you should know that most of the funds required come from fines. The breathalyzers are actually supplied by the Federal government, so now you know some of your tax dollars are being used on the street.

On the management end, the Stop DWI program used to be funded solely through the county. The formation of the commission allows the funnelling of the money from fines to be rerouted back into the system. Statistics for 2010 show that the Task Force logged in more than 2800 hours of patrol including sobriety checkpoints. Most of the arrests were made in the southern third of the county. Is that because more officers were assigned in that area or do people use the highways & Midhudson Bridge more when consuming alcohol?

If funding were to be cut, the preventative portion of the program is the first to go. Efforts to visit and engage students in school, the after-prom courses and possibly the elimination of the designated assistant DA. Sure, some grants come in to help with the costs derived from Stop DWI, but maintaining the program is imperative.

If you combine the Task Force and the State Police records, 2010 yielded:

• 117 DWAI
• 22 Zero Tolerance
• 234 Aggravated DWI
• 1035 DWI
• 176 DWI/Drugs
• 18 Refusals
• 413 Aggravated Unlicensed

I don't have to remind anyone that this is just a small sample of those who got caught driving impaired or illegally through this program. I hesitate to estimate just how many people are on the streets and highway driving like this that don't get caught. I will estimate that just about every family out there has been affected by a drunk driving incident where someone either got hurt, or lost a loved one because someone got behind the wheel after a “good time” with friends.

As for the the future of the Stop DWI program, the subject of recent veterans and the advent of higher occurrence of DWI type violations came up. Legislator Hayes informed the committee that there are discussions between VA representatives, the UCCC program directors and some of the area judges to create a “Veteran's Court” which would dive deeper into the causes of alcohol/drug use. How much of a factor PTSD is in the use of alcohol and other drugs is a matter that may require different services. If something comes from these discussions, Miller and Hayes would both revisit and address the committee.

TECH CITY INSTALLS SOLAR PANELS

ULSTER COUNTY MEALS-ON-WHEELS: STATUS

So what is going on with the Ulster County Meals-On-Wheels program? Well, a few weeks ago, the Programs Education & Services Committee met and we reviewed the status of the contract bid process. The Meals-On-Wheels subcommittee, chaired by Cathy Terrizzi, offered the continuing report showing that the bid process for potential food service companies is expected to go out mid-August.

To what level the Legislature can influence the requirements in the contract bid is a continual debate not just in this instance, but just about any time a contract is offered for a service through the county. This was one of the complex issues we faced in the former Operations & Efficiency Committee last year.

As the weeks pass, the time to deliberate on our ability to shape the proposal is wasted and the window to offer and collect bids diminished. Terrizzi echoes the rest of us when she says we want to see what is in the contract and don’t want to be left out of the loop but thought we should let the process begin and at least review the contract before it goes out.

My buddy Dave Donaldson said the obvious in that we, as a legislature, direct policy and it is up to the departments to carry out that policy. So he joins the rest of the 32 of us in that statement. A number of us acknowledge that this is a stumbling block and always has been and as pointed out by Don Gregorius, we should review the contract before it is signed because we have had problems with other contracts in the past, this way everyone is on the same page and we don’t have to start the process all over again. As you can tell, the Opps & Efficiency Committee really had it's hands full.

At this point, the Meals Sub-Committee is scheduled to meet once again and have asked Deputy Sudlow to join us so that we can better evaluate the amount of input that the Legislature can have on this bid. We understand there are limitations for both policy and operations when it comes to this program because there is Federal money injected into the process but, I would agree that we need to flesh out what the county desires when it comes to delivering hot meals to our home-bound seniors.

When it comes to Ulster County using vendors of any kind, it is preferable to engage local companies. Hopefully within our county. To help smaller outfits compete with some of the larger conglomerates, the issue of localized credits was discussed. One avenue was to modify our purchasing laws through resolution where the Legislature can actually do some good within the county. Terrizzi closed the conversation by verbalizing what we all agree on in that the Legislature would have to come together on this and inject it into county policy.

So will the bid include the option for frozen meals? Will it allow diminished home visits by the delivery service?  Will seniors be once again, be the way out of a financial crisis? This is what we want to discuss at that next meeting. Keep in mind; this is one way in which the county reaches out through personal contact with many of the seniors. They aren't just clients.

Chairman Harris said they have been delivering meals five days a week and there should be some kind of compromise. That will be one of the opinions at the July 12^th Meals Sub-Committee meeting. It is with great hope that Mr Sudlow is able to attend to help us through this process.

INSULATION ALTERNATIVE

Over the years, I have added additional layers of insulation in attics for clients all around Ulster County. This is one job that keeps me and anyone who cares to handle insulation, busy through the winter. Anyone paying heating bills soon find out that the initial cost of additional insulation is easily off-set by lower heating bills over the next three to four years. 

I'm writing on the Blog today about the product I just discovered through a friend involved with Sustainable Home Building. The subject of insulation came up because of the old torn-up jeans I was wearing on the job. It's the outfit I would wear whenever I had to insulate a crawl space with pink fiberglass. Well, actually, I just love my old beat up jeans.

The joke was "I could insulate the floor with my old jeans" which was only partially funny. He went on to tell me about this new Blue-Jean cellulose batts of insulation that has the same R rating as the stuff I was fighting with. So here I am researching the stuff.
 
Through my search, I found many examples of the product. But I jumped on Bonded Logic UltraTouch to make the point. They claim you can rub your face with it and it feels like your oldest pair of worn jeans. There's even kids pictured playing with it on several sites; like below. I'm guessing anyone promoting this non-formaldehyde non-fiberglass insulation will use kids in the ad to make their point. But the cost is just under three times to cost of the pink stuff.

For us home-builders, we have to ask the client if they are willing to spend extra for the insulation to lower their interior toxin levels at home. Some of them may have the money to do so, others not so much.  However, there are grants out there aimed to help people with renovations by bridging the difference in cost from conventional to cotton cellulose. 

Bonded Logic claims their product is 90% recycled Blue-Jeans. You may ask, where would they get the material. Well, last year, Levi Strauss initiated a Blue-Jean trade at selected stores. I don't know how successful that was because I didn't see evidence of the program locally. Besides, I've always used them until they were destroyed then threw them out. Factory scraps is the main source for the industry.

Keep in mind, the pink fiberglass I'm installing currently, has a cancer warning on the wrapper. Required under OSHA for those installing it. The denim insulation sources I saw, claim to contain no chemical irritants and requires no warning labels compared to other traditional products. There are no VOC concerns it is safe for you and the environment. These companies state this is a Class-A Building Product and meets the highest ASTM testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, fungi resistance and corrosiveness.

Will people jump on a more expensive product? If you have health concerns or already allergic to traditional pink...maybe. If you insist on building environmentally friendly...Possibly. If you can find another not-for-profit wiling to offset the cost...definitely.
 
Perhaps my friends in the Legislature can discuss this in the Environment Committee.

TRAIN VS TORNADO

And now for some curious video: Here is a rear camera perspective of a train that crossed paths with a tornado. It's amazing that the tanker didn't explode.

MIDTOWN; AN ASSET FOR KINGSTON'S FUTURE

Shayne Gallo Press Release July 26, 2011

Once again, all roads lead back to the Kings Inn.  I hope that as the months pass, my reasons for starting my campaign in front of the Kings Inn have become more and more clear to the community.  I hope that our efforts to lead the dialogue to the center of our city have refocused this election on the critical issues that we face.

This election must be about public safety, code enforcement and holding not-for-profit organizations, government agencies and landlords who receive rental income from these organizations and agencies, accountable for services provided to those in need.

 The current debate regarding the Kings Inn shows how addressing these “Quality of Life”  issues will put this city on the road towards recovery.  By addressing these issues, we will take the first necessary steps towards creating an active, safe and vibrant midtown corridor where our businesses can thrive and grow.

The citizens of Kingston own a valuable piece of real estate which is perfectly positioned on the main thoroughfare in the center of a potentially lucrative business district.  Over the course of the last decade, the city has incurred significant expense combating the former owners of the property and we have lost significant tax revenue.

Now that we own the property, we cannot afford to simply give it away.  We must take steps to sell the Kings Inn property to recoup the tax dollars that we have lost.  We need to return the property to the private sector where it can once again become a viable business property that generates needed tax revenue and employment opportunities in our city.

In order to sell our valuable piece of real estate, we need to prepare a shovel ready site in an attractive, safe and well maintained neighborhood. We must create a better “Quality of Life” environment that potential developers  will find attractive.

Just like a homeowner who is placing a property on the market, we have to invest capital to increase the market value of our property.  Any expenses that we incur in improving the site and the surrounding neighborhood will improve the marketability of the property and will result in an increased value of our asset and an overall improvement to the business climate in midtown.

I commend the work of the Kings Inn commission for moving towards clearing the site and preparing the site for development.  Nevertheless, any solicitation of interest in the property must wait until the parcel is shovel ready.  Figuratively speaking, the property must be staged.  There is no way to know the true value of our asset until this basic work has been done.

NORWAY

 

The recent bombings and massacre in Oslo, Norway has everyone thinking about their own safety. At first I was in awe that a bomb went off in the Capital, but coupled with the horror that followed at the island youth camp, I found myself weeping, wondering how can someone actually do such a thing?

   We have since heard about the suspect and what his motives were. What's frightening is how many incidents we've had here and in other countries of similar nature. Fundamentalism of any kind always ends up hurting crowds of innocent people. 

What prompts someone to actually act on these beliefs is truly unknown to us. 

We can only lend our support to the victims and continue our vigilance of providing safety in our own neighborhoods to the best of our ability. Below is a video from a coffee shop surveillance cam,era during the blast at the Capital.

My opinion; this Breivik monster cant suffer enough to bring back all he has taken. My Norwegian brothers & sisters across America have a heavy heart as we learn of the extent of this tragedy. All of our thoughts are with them.