tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38814496902176832542012-02-01T08:53:15.942-05:00This here blog is for the common good old boy club to check up on. It's here that you'll find your political discourse within St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and surrounding counties. We'll give you the straight story of local politics in the North Country. We're entertainment and news for the rural reader, not the dirty downstate demogaugers...Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-61999127994067849632009-10-17T00:15:00.006-04:002009-10-17T00:27:05.384-04:00

We thought this would be a timely repost from a long, long, long time ago. Thought of this post today when I saw a few ads on TV for the New York congressional race scheduled for November 3rd. Before you read the post check out the 2 ads that the DCCC put out attacking Scozzafava on this issue. Here it is -- feel free to comment. - The Upstate Good Old BoysFrom a SWVC Shareholder regarding Dede

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-44643025708250225642009-06-05T00:29:00.005-04:002009-06-05T00:40:13.052-04:00

Okay, now this really disturbs me.  The Jefferson County Republicans think they can take out the seat long held by incumbent Representative John McHugh because they are going to pick off one of our own moderates and run her as one of their own and create mass confusion for the GOP.  It's never been a secret that Dede Scozzafava is a moderate.  We have said it again and again here. What is even

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-3283678052176079042009-04-15T22:12:00.004-04:002009-04-15T22:31:14.021-04:00

I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny. You have come to fight as free men -- and free men you are! What will you do without freedom? Will you fight? ... They'll never take our freedom!!!Protesters Flood Local Tea PartiesSt. Lawrence NewsWritten by Benjamin J. Baker Wednesday, 15 April 2009 15:38GOUVERNEUR/CANTON - “Stop the pork!” “Wake up!” “Give me liberty, not

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-32360297912105760862009-04-15T19:34:00.012-04:002009-04-15T19:48:31.778-04:00

Folks, we wish we could blame this one on taxes but we just can't do it. Unfortunately all fingers point to an all too familiar face in the North Country. Hacketts/Seaway Valley/Wisebuys folks were delinquent to several creditors on large sums of $$$. This is one for the history books.In other news, the nationwide tea party scheduled for today went off with great success according to all

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-25037568526508060582009-04-13T16:05:00.003-04:002009-04-13T16:25:06.871-04:00

Just in time for Tax Day...New York state's new name should be the "tax state." Scores of articles both local and national have been laser-focused on New York's growing propensity to tax ANYTHING. Democrats, with no one to blame but themselves, are continuing to dig a hole in the state with a looming budget deficit and the largest tax burden in the nation. See the Wall Street Journal piece out

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-89197212376726287472009-03-31T19:17:00.009-04:002009-03-31T19:32:17.046-04:00

Tom, did you see this one? And I thought the tax on grocery bags was outrageous!Good ol' Aubertine is at it again, chuggin' away at disowning his own. This guy just doesn't get it. Who is Aubertine looking out for anyways?Farmers unhappy with budget spending hikesNY farmers are unhappy about the nearly 10 percent spending increase in the proposed state budget, which also cuts funding for

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-75528094139783943812009-03-31T18:37:00.007-04:002009-03-31T18:48:14.885-04:00

AP: No One Is Safe From NY's Wide Reaching BudgetProposed $131.8B Tax-And-Spend Plan Has Critics HowlingMar 31, 2009Marcia Kramer NEW YORK (CBS) ―Get ready to pay up.The budget crisis in New York is so dire lawmakers are planning tax hikes on some of life's necessities, as well as some simple pleasures.From bottled water, to beer, cigars and electricity, the cost could be going up for all of

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-13365398009068917312009-03-30T23:56:00.006-04:002009-03-31T00:15:19.387-04:00

The numbers pretty much speak for themselves here. It looks to us like Republicans in NY-20 should have tried to make their race more about Gov. Paterson then Obama. Both leaders are on their way to dwarf Bush's historic all-time-disapproval levels. But Paterson is such an obvious target because pretty soon if you ask 100 people in New York what they think of the Gov, 101 will tell you they

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-92049506967272363862009-03-28T02:40:00.004-04:002009-03-28T02:45:01.007-04:00

Aubertine's Taxes: Darrel Aubertine and the State Democrats are secretly plotting a slew of new taxes to replace some of the levies they triumphantly proclaimed dead just a few days ago, including a new one cent tax on plastic grocery bags. Media leaks on some of the proposals—including Thursday’s fleeting agreements on an income tax hike and more bottle deposits—are contributing to even more

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com284tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-26967385191105679892009-03-28T02:37:00.001-04:002009-03-28T02:39:43.081-04:00

OBAMA: "We could set up systems so that everybody in each house have their own smart meters that, uhh, will tell you when to turn off the lights, when the peak hours are, can help you sell back energy, uh, that you've generated in your home through a solar panel or through, uh, eh, other mechanisms. All this can be done, but it also creates jobs right now. Our biggest problem, we don't have

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-2140169178467555602009-03-13T20:31:00.007-04:002009-03-13T22:47:59.895-04:00

I recently learned that Congressman McHugh is one of only 3 Republicans on the federal level who supports Obama's anti-union, card-check legislation.  All I can say is "WOW!?!?!"  We thought we could give McHugh, the porker, a pass when he was one of only 16 Republicans who voted for the massive Omnibus spending bill in late February (when 20 fiscally conservative Democrats voted against it).Can

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-59488379303710207952009-03-08T03:03:00.003-04:002009-03-08T03:24:52.659-04:00

Aubertine is losing his street cred with the Agriculture community quicker than Citibank is losing on stocks.  There has been a "tit-for-tat" between the Aubertine staff, and the NY Farm Bureau and the International Dairy Foods Association, both of whom oppose Aubertine's new MPC bill.   The details can be found in this article published in Valley News Online.  You have to check this out for

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-78091518612870485262009-03-01T03:08:00.003-05:002009-03-01T03:16:28.010-05:00

What's with Kristen Gillibrand and guns?A few weeks ago she put her foot in her mouth when she noted to the press that she had a few rifles under her bed... then her spokesman said they removed them. Kristen had a record of being pro-gun, but she has quickly been backed into a corner, not only with that recent fumble, but also on a key legislative vote this past week in Washington.Some liberal

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-51012186546254323602009-02-25T19:26:00.005-05:002009-02-25T19:42:43.546-05:00

Bowling for Socialism?Gov. Patterson's latest is right out of the Michael Moore playbook, except this time it's the Democrats who want to tax all the bowlers of New York State. So much for trying to promote economic development in the North Country! Now the Gov. wants to tax us for knocking down the pins. Bowling has always been a favorite past-time for Americans. It is one of the first sports

James Gillrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10632987388947600186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-27688235247674422772008-10-19T22:15:00.001-04:002008-10-19T22:23:41.374-04:00

CR's Look Into Gillibrand Tobacco Connections For Immediate ReleaseNew York College Republican State CommitteeSeptember 19, 2008Contact Austin Cheung: austinfcheng@gmail.com Clifton Park, NY: This weekend some New York College Republicans decided to see how easy it would be to get Democrat Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to represent "Big Tobacco". In a 7-foot tall costume a brave College

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-1130364415588489782008-10-18T02:44:00.004-04:002008-10-18T03:13:19.598-04:00

Is Addie really ready to lead? NO.It's not that she lacks experience... It's not that she isn't running a good campaign. But, to me, it seems that she hasn't got the slightest clue as to how to articulate her policy ideas. I mean, you have to admit that it would be quite funny to see her actually try to draft a bill herself. Don't you agree? She's essentially a puppet to the labor unions as

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-13367128490811389342008-08-04T23:08:00.004-04:002008-08-04T23:22:36.313-04:00

Democrats in NY have been reaching out to everyone and their brother this week. It appears that ol' Hill is coming to Ft. Drum to beef up her cred back home after losing to the NEW candidate of hope and change... and fairy dust and unicorns.Not only is Hillary getting into the mix in the North Country, but so is Mr. Aubertine. Mr. Aubertine, always looking for some cheap publicity, is getting a

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-13982528117577386002008-07-23T23:57:00.008-04:002008-07-24T00:12:56.580-04:00

As they say in Texas,"She's got a big hat and no cattle..." Addie J. Russell, the Democratic nominee for the 118th Assembly District, announced this week her plans to bring economic development to the North Country. The Watertown Daily Times was kind enough to use its print space to tout her plan. The trouble is that her plan is all talk and no action. No where in the Times article is there

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-13381736058378940972008-07-09T23:40:00.008-04:002008-07-10T00:05:28.204-04:00

Tom Golisano, the billionaire political guru of Western NY has created a PAC that will be distributing money all throughout NY this cycle based on the following 5 principles:■ Property tax reform.■ A responsible budgetary process.■ Campaign and election reform.■ Ending unfunded mandates.■ Government transparency.This is great news to us... we here at UGOB think that those are fine principles to

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-5516210607159701542008-07-06T16:54:00.004-04:002008-07-06T16:59:45.710-04:00

Gov. Patterson was asked again whether his administration offered Aubertine the NYPA job... It looks like Patterson is sticking to his story.There has been a lot of confusion over whether it was Aubertine or Patterson who lied about the NYPA job. Interesting how Aubertine learned to keep his mouth shut when asked about it over the weekend. Mark this one on your calander folks, because Aubertine

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-91641466553143363112008-06-25T23:28:00.012-04:002008-06-26T01:18:42.568-04:00

Photo above (L to R): Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Laura Meyers, chair of the Western New York Chapter of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York, JoAnn M. Smith, a member of Planned Parenthood Advocates Board of Directors, and Senator David PatersonThis week the St. Lawrence County Conservative Party made its political endorsements. We weren't suprised when we saw several Republicans listed

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-45353635209189295162008-06-24T22:09:00.007-04:002008-06-24T22:57:08.096-04:00

Unbelievable. Unfathomable. Incredible. Inconceivable. ... ... ... The latest reversal in stories by the Watertown Daily Times this week as they relate to the Darrel Aubertine saga was something else I'll tell ya. Here is how it played out from the start... On Saturday, the Times prints a positive piece about how Aubertine is such a man of the people that he turned down a high paying energy

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-71117300724246192302008-06-22T23:29:00.003-04:002008-06-22T23:33:05.210-04:00

This week Senator Obama broke his word and he has chosen to forgo public finance for the general election. Obama is the first presidential nominee to deny public financing since Watergate. It was an interesting political move for Obama, and surprisingly much criticism was leveled by the mainstream media against their liberal idol. Obama’s decision will be sure to have national political

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-65734821254593077692008-06-04T21:34:00.007-04:002008-06-04T21:51:25.201-04:00

Sorry we have been away for so long; we have been in a deep, deep battle of depression due to the state of the Hillary for President campaign. :( So it has been a pathetic and depressing couple of days for us. But then we were humored after reading our beloved Watertown Daily Times this evening. We saw that Fred Brabant dropped out of his bid for the 118th NYS Assembly district AFTER ONLY 2

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-47099860979636546692008-05-21T21:23:00.004-04:002008-05-21T21:27:22.716-04:00

We would be shocked if Patty Ritchie didn't decide to jump into the race for the 1-1-8 by the end of the week. She would be a good representative for us and I think Burns getting out might just be the final straw; he would have likely been the strongest Democratic candidate the donkey's could have put up! Lets see.Burns drops plan to run for Assembly118TH DISTRICT: Jefferson County sheriff has

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-20406551177548834302008-05-19T00:25:00.005-04:002008-05-19T23:33:43.229-04:00

Over the last several years, I have been following the story of "local boy done good", Tom Scozzafava. For those of you who may not know, Tom is the young CEO of Seaway Valley Capital, the company that merged the Wisebuys and Hacketts stores last year, and is currently completing the process of merging with North Country Hospitality. I was very impressed when I first heard of Tom returning to his

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com98tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-36163283186305990362008-05-03T14:14:00.005-04:002008-05-03T14:25:12.913-04:00

We've got some advice to give the state GOP, and most importantly for our readers, regarding New York's 48th Senate seat, which is currently held by Darrel Aubertine (keep in mind that we are not Darrel's biggest fans here at UGOB).Stay tuned because our advice is on its way!!!And just a quick hint: it won't be good news for Dierdre Scozzafava (Rino from Gouverneur)! Of course we have to be

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-46155839944097401772008-05-03T13:49:00.006-04:002008-05-03T14:04:28.515-04:00

There was a story in today's WDTs that Massena Police Chief Timmy J. Currier was seeking to become the next Democratic Assemblyman from the 118th district of New York.One wonders why Currier would choose to associate himself with the Democratic Party instead of the Republican Party? One might think that Currier's experience in law enforcement would make him a natural fit in the Republican Party,

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-62404116470275451312008-04-30T19:29:00.006-04:002008-04-30T19:56:42.513-04:00

Amigos,Forget for a minute that Darrel Aubertine is pandering to the North Country's ATV crowd because it was a spectacular week for us here at UGOB! (For more on Aubertine's flip-flop on the ATV issue see tomorrow's WDTs.)What is more important is that we have been relishing our latest victory - the firing of Darrel Aubertine's sister, Deb Wiley!We just want our readers to know that we will be

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-52499379059464571062008-04-29T09:05:00.006-04:002008-04-29T13:28:16.361-04:00

Big story in today's Watertown Daily Times.It appears that Mr. Aubertine was so excited to be the new Senator of his district that he left his ethics at home... The Watertown Daily Times reported first, and we here at UGOB raised questions next, that Aubertine has hired his sister and that it could raise state ethics questions. Interesting how Aubertine voted for the bill in the NYS Assembly

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com79tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-81061494909212048332008-04-28T17:23:00.006-04:002008-04-28T17:33:00.756-04:00

Catholics take this stuff pretty seriously. This story below might sum up why Will Barclay, Republican Assemblyman, lost his race against Darrel Aubertine, a pro-life Democrat Assemblyman this year. While we here at UGOB hope Aubertine will really stick to the pro-life position in the Senate, we also hope that we can get a real pro-life, pro-growth Republican in his place!Giuliani criticized

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-13098528450232358032008-04-28T15:50:00.000-04:002008-04-28T15:58:50.359-04:00

Some would agrue that NY judges deserve a pay raise. Others don't think so at all. Interesting story here from today's New York Post.Judges across the state are engaged in a "rule-book slowdown" and refusing to hear cases involving firms that employ members of the Assembly and Senate, The Post has learned. The protest follows years of lobbying for a pay raise, which has gotten the state's 1,300

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-2999436819126880012008-04-28T12:03:00.000-04:002008-04-28T12:09:59.069-04:00

With all of the talk of NYS spending being out of control I decided to wander over to the Empire Center, a Manhattan Institute for Policy Research think tank. They have some interesting stuff over there. For instance, did you know that "New York lawmakers in 2007 were paid the third highest annual base salary at $79,500, according to the latest National Conference for State Legislatures salary

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-17339160447951996372008-04-27T02:07:00.001-04:002008-04-27T02:09:12.864-04:00

Jim Wright may challenge Aubertine for his old Senate seat.Paterson Channels Faso.

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-30407897706995586442008-04-25T10:29:00.000-04:002008-04-25T10:35:51.987-04:00

Maybe someday the Upstate Good Old Boys will make the front pages of the Watertown Daily Times. But this is an interesting story you should check out...Blog might have inside connection to Jeff. County governmentFRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008By JUDE SEYMOURTIMES STAFF WRITERSheriff Burns is not the only one who believes the blog's author has strong ties to county administration.After Political IV broke

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-40070060676671733022008-04-24T14:43:00.000-04:002008-04-24T14:44:44.520-04:00

Just a month ago the new Governor of New York State admitted to cheating on his wife with several women, including a state employee. Let’s just hope Patterson doesn’t try to cheat the North Country, too. It wouldn’t be the first time the North Country has been cheated on by the likes of the Albany/NYC crowd. Patterson already made the reckless decision this month to strip the residents of the

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881449690217683254.post-61009615317973422532008-04-23T00:17:00.000-04:002008-04-23T00:35:26.807-04:00

Sorry that I, Mr. Thomas Nast, have been sleepless in Seattle for weeks and haven’t posted. But it has come to my attention that we have some serious nepotism in upstate New York politics, just when we thought those days were over!Today, directly from the Watertown Daily Times we found out that our newly elected State Senator, Mr. Darrel J. Aubertine, has added several new staffers to the state’

Thomas Nasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12046263118515272352noreply@blogger.com9