DOUBLE DIPPIN COWARDS IN ALBANY

Double-Dipping New York Lawmakers: MyFoxNY.com

ORANGE COUNTY DINNER

I attended the Orange County Democratic dinner this past Sunday evening. It was held pretty close to Middletown at the Brookside Manor. I went as part of the supporting team to elect Larry Delarose for the New York State Senate since Kingston is in the 39th District.

Both Congressmen Maurice Hinchey and John Hall were presented Distinguished Service Awards by the committee with introductions by their respective Assembly representatives Skartados and Gunther. It was your typical affair, with a cocktail hour, followed by light buffet, plenty of speeches and finally a dinner that surpassed our ability to finish.

Tom DiNapoli, our State Comptroller rounded out the evening with his anticipated speech focusing on the financial state of the state, how chaotic the budget talks have become and where we stand as Democrats heading into the 2010 elections. All expected at a political function.

The hall was littered with candidates running for AG, State offices and some local judgeships. Nick Woerner was in attendance to help support candidate Eric Dinallo, shown here being walked around by Elliott Auerbach. Sean Coffey and Kathleen Rice were working the crowd as well. No sign of Brodsky, Schneiderman or Holtzman.

What was unusual, was an endorsement letter placed at each setting at every table. With Frank Skartados' heading at the top, it was an endorsement of Harley Doles for Senate. It was on paper I had seen before. I used it myself my first run as Alderman here in the City of Kingston. It might be OK for a City Council or Town Board election, but for an Assemblyman? Not so much.

Here's the best part...I wander over to where Frank is talking about the Assembly with Nick Woerner and Vince Bradley, where the issue of the endorsement letter comes up. Nick picks up the letter to show him, where Frank says: "Whats that?" We come to find out that Assemblyman Skartados didn't know that his staff whipped up an endorsement letter for Doles, signed his name to it, and dispersed the copies to the tables before the event.
The look on Frank's face: Priceless.

Considering the damage to Frank at this point in both "choosing" one candidate over another and using the faded flag stationary in his name, Frank made a point to reach out to Larry in what looked like serious conversation in the back of the hall. I can only imagine what happened after the event when Frank got to engage our friends Phil and Trish Schacter on the issue. Personally, I don't know that I would tolerate a juvenile stunt like that had I been the Assemblyman, but then, I am speaking from the perspective of the opposing candidate. I might be biased?

The Ulster County conventions cant come soon enough to put these petty insider fights to rest and we can get on with the election season.

MTA: OVERTIME DISASTER

I dont know the ratio of who commutes to New York City and who works within the region, but for those who make the longer journey, your travel plans may be altered again. As we know, the MTA had announced a few years ago that they were going to cut a couple of subway lines and dozens of bus routes to the outer reaches of the burroughs. That they did.

The intent was to cut spending on personnel and decrease the cost of maintainance. Their short sighted plan backfired. The way the contracts are written, everyone from dispatchers to rail mechanics made out big time through overtime and other perks. So much for cutting costs.

Hogging a huge slice of the overtime were LIRR employees, who benefit from arcane union work rules that allow everyday engineers and grease monkeys to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars above their salaries while barely lifting a wrench. Railroad employees account for more than half of the top 100 overtime earners in 2009. And of those,
Officers and ranking members of the MTA's police force and Bridge and Tunnel officers rounded out the top overtime list.

Since Larry Delarose is running for the State Senate and portions of the 39th district depend on rail service, I asked him for his perspective. He said: "Well, the MTA is in the news again for sloppy financial management and wasteful spending....gee what a surprise. The latest boondoggle is the revelation that there are MTA employees who because of antiquated work rules and access to excessive overtime are making six figure salaries...some as high as $250,000 a year. Are any of the state senators in the mid-hudson region....where we constantly whine about being abused by the MTA and sometimes rightly so....aware of this?"

So I rummaged through some other articles on the MTA and the overtime mess and found the best example of abuse I could find. Not counting employees who retired and cashed out sick and vacation days in 2009, the person with the biggest difference between his stated salary and total compensation is Michael P. Castro, a senior accounting analyst at MTA Bus. Castro made $228,000 on a $72,100 salary; a difference of $156,252. The MTA disputes that number, saying Castro's W-2 forms only show him making $77,490.

I threw this little tidbit back to Larry to get his response: "Mike, I have called several times in the past months for the Governor to appoint a financial review board to oversee the MTA's financial operation until they get their financial house in order. As a civilian, that all I or any of us can do. It would be nice to know if any of these gentlemen are aware of the above mentioned situtation and what they intend, if anything, to do about it.

Seriously, if you think about it, the estimated cost in overtime to the MTA annually is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Why can't we plug this loophole and use some of the saving to help balance the state budget.....wouldn't that be better than closing state parks?"

As for me, I can tell you that I have found nothing from our current State Senator in the press regarding the MTA overtime costs and frankly don't expect to. This issue has been brewing for decades and well, if he's been in that office for 21 years with little influence on our commuting experience and costs thus far, I doubt he ever intends to.

Just another reason for a fresh perspective in the New York Senate.

DELAROSE TO CHALLENGE LARKIN: ROUND 2

As most of you know, the year 2010 brings in a sense of renewal on so many levels. In the world of politics, the possibilities are endless because we get to make serious choices every November. Choices that affect us on the national, state and local level depending on the cycle. This year is no different.

Our State Senate is where we should focus our efforts this year. The Governor, Comptroller Attorney General and Congressional races can take care of themselves as the impending primaries gear up for the summer. While I will be looking for Change in the 39th Senatorial District.

With the Senate heading for an even more solid control by the Democratic Party come 2010, I think it's time we considered having representation of the 39th back in the majority. It is no secret that I supported Larry Delarose in his last minute attempt to unseat Bill Larkin in 2008 and I would be proud to help again.

With little more than 3 months to run a campaign and a small fist full of dollars, we captured 46% of the vote. Not bad for a virtual unknown businessman against a 10 term Senator from Orange County spending $160K to keep his seat. I thought it was a noble effort.

Well, it's time to remind everyone that Lawrence Delarose has announced that he is running for the State Senate once again and he will need like minded supporters to join this effort to send Bill Larkin into retirement.

Here is Mr Delarose' latest Press Release:

DELAROSE ASKS GOV TO OPEN STATE BUDGET BOOKS

(Washingtonville) ….Larry Delarose, a Democratic candidate for the 39^th state senate seat (Orange and Ulster Counties) has called on Governor Paterson to “open up the books” on the current state fiscal status. Delarose; veteran, AP Reporter, and former Town of Blooming Grove Supervisor said, “I think it’s only fair that the public see first hand exactly where they stand when it comes to the current state fiscal crisis. Let’s see the hard numbers on revenues and expenditures so we can better judge what needs to be supported in the way of budget cutbacks.”

Delarose is seeking the Democratic endorsement to unseat Republican incumbent Bill Larkin in November.

If you recall, both the Record and the Freeman have called for the voters to remember the players associated with the Bruno scandals and suggested making a change in the stalemate situation in the State Senate. A new voice in the 39th would do just that.

While in the majority, Bill was well known for bringing our tax dollars, usually in the millions, back to the district annually. While serving in the minority, he enjoyed the total of $250K in 2009. Surely with additional Democratic Senators joining ranks in the Senate we expect the minority status of the 39th to keep us feeling a bit, shall we say, malnourished?

So consider this option as the number of candidates make their races known this spring. The list of offices that are up for grabs this year is long. Astounding actually. Do your research and chose wisely.

www.DelaroseToSenate.com
Or find Larry on Facebook.

BAN THE GAS CHAMBERS

The New York State Assembly and Senate are about to start dialog on the subject of pet euthanasia. Not whether it should happen, but what methods are permitted.

As April begins, there are Six states bringing this to their committees for review. Why the sudden push? Well the Director of Shelter Services at HSUS, Kim Intino, and groups of similar capacity, have pushed this issue on all fronts. Claiming the practice is inhumane.

Carbon Monoxide causes some animals to freak out as the brain begins the oxigen deprivation process. The gasping for breath is anything but peaceful and if placed with other animals, they tend to attack each other.

There are some members in both houses that have expressed reservations on limiting the options for veterinarians. Some animals are wildly uncontrollable and could cause harm to staff while attempting the procedure. I understand this and would offer language that would keep the Gas option as a last resort. There is nothing kind, gentle and stress free about it so it should be made rare.

However, I would eliminate the installation of any new chambers in facilities throughout the state. As they become unrepairable, they would become obsolete and removed.

HSUS expresses the preference of a barbituate injection into the vein of the animal intended to euthanasia. They also expect the animal to be slightly sedated prior to the shot.


The bill on both floors reads:

Provides for humane destruction or disposition of certain animals; euthanasia
of animals shall be accomplished by an injection of sodium pentobarbital
administered by a technician while the animal is heavily sedated or in the case
of an emergency, a gunshot is permissible in the case where an animal that is
posing an imminent threat of serious physical injury; provides that chambers
used to induce hypoxia by means of lethal gas shall be dismantled, rendered
inoperable and beyond repair, and removed from the premises.

Twelve states have already banned the CO practice and it's expected that NY will follow suit. With a fresh way of thinking on the quality of life for our pets and the stronger desire to procecute those who harm them, this new Senate make this law.

But our own State Senator, Bill Larkin has offered no indication on this vote in any publications I've saught. I've scowered the state sites for hours. Larry Delarose, his presumed opponent in 2010, states "If the Humane Society is this adement on the issue and have had such a success with other states, there must be something to their research on the suffering of euthanised animals. I'd be one to accept their push to ban the gas practice,"

If there was ever a reason to send a memorializing resolution to the Assembly and Senate, it would be this reason. Last fall, I had one of my dogs euthanized after a long battle of illness. The process using a sedative and the barbituate was the only choice I could fathom for a furry family member. I say faze those chambers out of existance New York!

The bill on the Assembly side is A00999

NEW YORK STATE SENATE LEADERSHIP

Great news on the Senate Leadership issue. New York senator-Elect Hiram Monserrate of Queens, decided to stay with the Democratic majority and thus end the speculation of which affiliation the Senate leadership would have.

Unless there is some kind of power struggle over the Majority Leader role, Malcolm Smith will assume the position.

Malcolm Smith said Thursday he will create a Latino caucus in his conference, addressing one concern of the so-called "Gang of Four" Democrats who threatened the party departure.

Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.from the Bronx, was set to meet with Skelos sometime before the 2009 session, but nothing is confirmed.

There is also the assumption that these four Senators were playing for the chance at a lucrative chairman positionS but in the midst of the political storm in Albany, Smith has made no promises.

Paterson has called the Legislature back to session Nov 18th to address the financial crisis we face this year. We all hope they work a little magic in those meetings because it has a significant affect on the Towns and Cities throughout the state.

[WE NEED THE MONEY]

.

Our very own Bill Larkin is one of the “Good Ol Boys” who are pushing the “Gang of Four” to defect the Democratic majority. With the Senate under control of the Democrats for the first time in 40 years, there is no longer a road block to the sound, fiscal proposals coming from the Assembly. Joe Bruno and company let thousands of quality legislation proposals die in committee simply for political reasons.

The other two defector suspects are Rubin Diaz of the Bronx and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn. Kruger got a Chairman position under Bruno in return for favorable votes.

Espada primaried and won against Gonzales, who was supported by Smith. So there is a history here that those of us upstate might not know about. But it’s important to the Hudson Valley, because we are in the “No Job Zone” and the health of the valley depends on the leadership in Albany.

To counter Larkin’s smug attempt to shift the power, his former rival Larry Delarose said: “I just heard a newscast today that said State Senate is thinking of attempting to pass legislation for marriage equality in NYS. However, Bill and his conservative buddies in the Senate are looking to stop that by any means. The four Democrats known as the “Gang of Four” are tempted to jump caucus for this reason. Isn't it about time the LGBT community in the 39th Senate district stop grinding their teeth and step up to the plate and publicly call out those who oppose the move?”

I would have to agree with Delarose on this issue. There are a number of progressive issues that the "Brown Shirts" have blocked for decades. Watching this play out publicly by people we elect is disturbing. Lets hope the leadership change brings the policy change we asked for.

Question is, will Delarose run for Senate in two years and will the Democrats actually support him? That depends on if the Democrats finally get tired of the ugly politics of the "Good Ol Boys" who are now in the minority.

DELAROSE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE 08

First, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the literally hundreds of residents of the 39th district who have spoken with me personally on the campaign trail, e-mailed me or called me on the phone to express their views.

It has been an honor and a privilege for me to talk with you.

As we approach Election Day, let me ask each voter in the 39th State Senate district to take a moment of your time to think about what you want to see changed for the better in New York State.

Whether it is lower property taxes, more affordable health care for everyone, or equal rights for all our citizens, you have the power on November 4th to make changes happen.

If you give me the opportunity to represent you in Albany for the next two years, I can promise you that I will work tirelessly to help you achieve a better lifestyle for you and your families.

Together we can accomplish anything and no goal is out of reach. I need your help and your vote on Election Day to begin our journey together toward a brighter future for all of us and for our children and grandchildren. Thank you.

LARRY M. DELAROSE

Lawrence Delarose to New York State Senate - 39th District

GOOD OL BOYS ENDORSEMENT

Once again, the Poughkeepsie Journal endorses the Good Ol Boys in the State Senate.

First, It was Larkin over Delarose for some misleading reasons pertaining to vagueness.

From what I understand, Larry went into great detail on some of the issues they focused on and yet, the Editorial Board sites that Delarose was vague. Whatever.

Now it’s Frank’s turn. Assemblyman Tommy Kirwin, has been weaseling through election cycles with the same tactics as if the formula will always work. Not this time. Just as with Delarose, Skartados has some sharp points for serious change in the Assembly, and his private sector success story? Untouched. What a paper!

The Editorial Board thinks Tommy’s “lack of” is reason enough to let him continue to “Fight on” for another term. Everyone knew going in, that the paper was going to do this…but why so brazen?

Tom's claim to fame? Voting against the budget! I also voted against the City budget twice. I was out voted and it passed, but I voted against it…should I tout that and run for Assembly?

Puh-Leez !

I read the papers editorial with dismay as they showed a second time who they serve…themselves. Albany needs an enema and the Poughkeepsie Journal isnt interested. Delarose and Skartados will be the ones who usher economic change to their two districts and will surely pay attention to their constituency in a different fashion than what you’ve seen of late.

What happens when one or both of these fine candidates of change wins and the board has to face them for the next term? Will they be shunned by the office holder like Kevin Cahill has done to the Kingston Freeman? Hmm, maybe there’s something to that!

100th Assembly District that includes the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County and the towns of Marlboro, Shawangunk and Lloyd in Ulster County.

Lawrence Delarose to New York State Senate - 39th District

Frank Skartados for NY State Assembly - 100th AD

JOE THE PLUMBER

Ok, so Wednesday night’s debate proved to be quite a show. I have to say the volley of hard hitting jabs between McCain and Obama were worth my cable bill this month.

I have to say, from my partisan perspective, I half expected John to lose his temper at some frustrating points during the 90 minute exchange. That would have made for better television as well.

I had the pleasure of watching the event in a like minded crowd of 90 who attended the Debate Party sponsored by fellow Alderman Hoffay, future State Senator Larry Delarose and myself.

Back Stage Productions was the place to be. The space is very accommodating for a list of uses. I must plug BSP for their hospitality and ability to throw a good party on a short notice. I would also be short sighted if I didnt say thanks to Beth and Stephen for the HudsonValley4Obama backing for this event.

You can imagine the funny comments shouted from the crowd everytime McCain said something odd, but the repetitive use of “Joe the Plumber” as his new mascot talking point got the crowd in a fit of laughter. Like; “Where is he going with this?”

Oh, and then the “Palin as VP” question. Did you have your seat belt on for that one?

A friend came up to me today and asked; “Mike, of the 360 million people in this country, how did we end up with these two?” I said, first…you’ve got to want to do something to make change rather than just complain about it. Then you have to have the nerve to run for a local office and open your life to the electorate. Then you have to be willing to listen, learn from those who know more than you, and sometimes make unpopular decisions for the good of the community and have the drive to aspire to higher office. It’s not easy.

To see both McCain and Obama as our choices for president not only galvanizes our polarized views in this country but also shows us that not all of us are up to the challenge both personally and financially to be full of ourselves enough to think we are worthy of such a title.

So, to wrap this up and from my partisan perspective, I have to say Barack Obama is by far the better choice and considerably less dangerous than the alternative.

There…I said it.
Isn’t this where I say “Vote Row A – All the way!”

Lawrence Delarose to New York State Senate - 39th District

OC LEGISLATURE DROPS PISTOLCAM

Orange County Legislature says NO to Larkin’s PistolCAM. That’s right, it’s dead. This little game he and Rep. Chairman DeProspo tried to play on the Orange county taxpayers didn’t bode well for the Legislature.

Good Ol Bill allocated a $20K grant to purchase mini-cameras for the SWAT team to use in training, but the whole notion that a specific company brand from a business buddy of DeProspo just smelled of bad politics. The money has since been funneled to other police counter-terrorism projects.

According to Chris McKenna’s story in the Record, the sheriff's unit wanted rifle models and only for training purposes, not the small pistol version that ended up in committee. The company, that manufactures these cameras has close ties to DeProspo and past Republican candidates in Orange County.

Delarose commented by saying "The county legislature showed courage in not getting involved with a situation that was obviously an attempt at political payback by Larkin and DeProspo. It’s sad that it got this far, but had McKenna not pursued this issue like he has, this bill have been passed like Business as Usual.”

Quoted in the Record: Public Safety Chairman Stephen Brescia, said “Complaints about DeProspo's involvement and his company's use of Orange County in its marketing had made the camera proposal untenable. The appearance didn't look good, and we were all concerned about that, but it looks like we're not going to lose the grant, so everybody's happy."

Well not DeProspo and PistolCAM.

Lawrence Delarose to New York State Senate - 39th District

SCHUMER: EMERGENCY TRAINING GRANT

Senator Chuck Schumer has just announced that Kingston, Greenwood Lake, the Village of Goshen and the Towns of Chester and Newburgh will receive a combined $100,435 worth of equipment and training.

This will serve as a positive in our area since all too often, firefighters and police officers are the first to show up at a bad scene; Sometimes in remote areas of the Hudson Valley.

These local departments will receive federal funding for emergency response equipment and training during the 2009 FY and all new recruits will be trained from the onset.

Contacted by phone, Senatorial candidate Larry Delarose said: "Even when the nation requires a steady course correction in the realm of finance, job loss and national security, Sen. Schumer never shrinks from his duties to secure the continued training for our safety personnel"

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance is the full name of the program that provided the grant. The grant buys a full set of extrication equipment as well as several haz mat meters and computers that analyze unknown substances. Items we would never be able to affod through the regular budget process. I think it’s only right that we offer our thanks to Sen. Schumer and his staff in Washington for the added funding in the 39th State Senatorial District.

CRONYISM ALIVE AND WELL

Ok, so our State Senator Larkin secures a grant from the state [taxpayer’s money] and specifies a brand right in the application. What grant you ask? Guns with cameras for street patrol officers.

The brand is PistolCam, the concept is great and may help with post-mortem crime scene reconstruction, but the fun doesn’t stop there.

The Record did a story on the prevalent occurrence of insider deals and the lack of ethics in Albany, a shocking story I know, but it’s a story that has been swirling around the “Gang of 33” for quite a while.

But what got me, was I called the author of the story, Chris McEnna, and had a terse conversation with him, after praising him on the article, I asked him what possessed him to actually write something about the “Good ‘Ol Boys” after letting this stuff slide for decades? He finally said, “I can’t talk about this I am very busy.” So, I got nothing.

The grant gave the Orange County the money to buy these devices from Legend Technologies only. Now this might not seem much on the outside, but the company is represented by William DeProspo. He is also the Chairman of the Orange County Republican Party.

[You knew that was coming].

The purchasing agent for Ulster County or even the City of Kingston would never tolerate a grant specified to one company. There has to be a bid process with every major purchase. In this case...The OC Legislature put the brakes on the order and gave Larkin a homework assignment.

As you would expect: Legend Tech and its associates, dump a lot of money on Bill every election season. But we expect this from some of these guys, right?

What puts this over the top, is these PistolCams haven’t passed any rigorous testing period that I can tell and the OC Sheriff was quoted as “only using them in training”. What would taxpayers buy them for if not to protect the public in the real world?

McEnna goes on with his research on alternatives to the gun camera…Some are solutions for under $100 each, compared to the $1,000 purchase price stated in the grant. What about a HelmetCam? Don’t we already have cameras in police cars today?

The answer is simple. Orange County suffers the same problems that all counties face, whether it be Ulster, Dutchess or Erie.

Cronyism is alive and well. This is just one example of what’s really out there, and if you want more of the same…Vote for Bill.

HOOLEY ON HUDSON 2008

Terrific! By all accounts, this year’s Hooley on Hudson was one of the best.

Perfect weather, well managed shuttles, acres of talent and such a variety of foods and apparel. It was like being at the Celtic County Fair, only no livestock.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians AOH did a great job and deserve much credit for the smooth operation. I think the well behaved crowd also deserves some credit. Why is it that some events spawn drunken brawls and others don’t?

One thing I didn’t expect, as I wandered through the tent city, there was this vaguely familiar voice singing a Celtic song from the stage area. I got to the gazebo and what did I see? Maurice Hinchey belting out a classic at the microphone! The guy never ceases to amaze me.

As you would expect, the politicos were working the crowd.

Hey…you can’t blame them. It’s a family event and everyone was in a good mood. Time to meet the people.

Kevin Cahill, Dave Donaldson, Mike Hein, Elliot Auerbach, Len Bernardo, Glen Noonan, Larry Delarose and the Aldermen: Teetsel, Hoffay, DiBella, Polacco, Senor and I made our presence known throughout the day. It was a good day.

Jim Noble made a good stage hand between acts, and there were some talented groups up there with the grand finally Celtic Cross rockin the Rondout until closing.

Our downtown business owners were happy once again, thanks to an unending flow of hungry and thirsty attendees.

Congratulations AOH!

"CIRCUIT BREAKER" PASSES ASSEMBLY

This recent Tuesday, something wonderful happened in Albany. Yes, on occasion, something that touches the common citizen is considered and acted on. It involves your property taxes and public education.

There has been a continuous cry for help from New Yorkers aimed at our representatives to find a more equitable way to fund our schools. Well, we got the message to Albany.

The State Assembly rejected the 'tax cap' gimmick from the Senate, and instead passed a bill that would give immediate property tax relief to middle class working families while maintaining school funding.

You’ve heard about the “circuit breaker” proposal? No? Those of us who either thrive on politics or are responsible for the municipal operations of any town or city, follow such issues as if they were our own.

The Assembly's bill would establish what's called the 'circuit breaker.' It delivers a targeted property tax cut based on family income, and pays for it by modestly rolling back income tax giveaways for the rich.

Now the fight moves to the State Senate, still controlled by the Republicans, who talk big about property tax relief but haven't said whether they'll even bring the Assembly's bi-partisan "circuit breaker" bill up for a vote.

I wonder if our Senator Bill Larkin is willing to consider the needs of his middle income families in Orange and Ulster County. Will he ask Skelos to bring the ‘circuit breaker” bill out to the floor? Don’t hold your breath.

His opponent, Larry Delarose (seen here with Alderman Hoffay) is well aware of the affect of New York taxes on the average household.

Delarose said he is proud of the Assembly’s swift action as we head into the most fiscally painful winter we’ve seen in decades.

New York faces tremendous challenges in both job creation and educated youth retention. The “Circuit Breaker” concept is a good small step.

In an email, Dan Cantor of the WFP explains: To pay for the circuit breaker responsibly, the Assembly's bill asks the wealthiest New Yorkers, who've seen the lion's share of tax cuts, to contribute a little bit more. Those earning more than $1 million a year would see their income tax rate rise 1%. Make more than $5 million a year ($96,000 a week) and your tax bill would bump up 1.75%. In exchange, in the midst of tough economic times, a lousy job market, and a foreclosure crisis, millions of working New Yorkers would see a tax break exactly when they need it most.

I would suggest contacting Senator Larkin, since he’s our Senator until January 1st, and asking him to support the Assembly’s proposal. New Yorkers never needed help in such an urgent way as we do today.

GANG OF 32: TIME EXPIRED

So the NYState Senate Republicans are meeting this Thursday to decide what strategy has the best chance to stymie Gov Paterson’s fiscal crisis plan.

Doesnt that sounds about right?

Using a classic reference, candidate Larry Delarose called to say they’re once again circling the wagons to maintain the majority in the Senate without regard for the taxpayers. Paterson has some solid ideas, and as painful it will be to tighten our belts during FY 2009, most New Yorkers acknowledge how we got here and what it will take to get financially sound again.

Larry Delarose is running for the 39th district in the NYS Senate against Bill Larkin. Bill, like the rest of the “Gang of 32” could have offered some serious initiatives to curb spending and induce economic growth while in session, hell while in session over 18 years.

The powerful connections that once made Larkin a big source of Pork for Orange and Ulster Counties are long gone. Pataki, Bruno, and D’Amato are all history, and the desire to keep such a relic from the 12 years of Pataki fades from our jaded memories.

Larry would know most of the key players in the Republican Party, having been an Orange County insider for years. With little success in bringing the Republican machine back to the people, he bolted and joined the standard bearers of the middle class, the Democrats.

Delarose said: “This is just more of the same old stall tactics they uses time and again, to stifle the betterment of the working class while offering an ever increasing amount of support to the special interests.”

Larry went on: “This is just another chance for voters to view the arrogance and indifference of the 'gang of 32' in Albany." He finished his comments by saying: “The Republicans better enjoy this while they can. In January it’s going to be a whole new ball game and a lot of them are going to be unemployed and that includes Bill Larkin."

The 39th Senatorial district includes the City of Kingston, so the issues that matter to us should be brought to Albany by someone who would best get results with a Democratic Governor, Assembly and soon to be democratically controlled Senate.

With a clear message and the shift in Orange and Ulster demographics, Larry has a great chance at taking the 39th.

Lets just see if Paterson, Malcolm Smith, Jeff Klein and the rest of the democratic leadership is paying attention.