Reprehensible -- How Could She??? What Would Michael Moore Say?

CR's Look Into Gillibrand Tobacco Connections



For Immediate Release

New York College Republican State Committee

September 19, 2008

Contact 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 Republican ventured into enemy territory to "look for some legal help". As much as he tried he was unable to find out how much she charges these days.



Kirsten Gillibrand spent YEARS representing Tobacco Giant Philip Morris while she worked for a Manhattan Law firm for over $300 per hour. As a congressional candidate she has taken over $23,000 from Big Tobacco.



"Gillibrand spent years defending Big Tobacco while they were claiming that nicotine is not addictive. Then as a congressional candidate she takes tens of thousands of dollars from the Tobacco industry. This goes to show that we cannot trust her judgment and the 20th Congressional District Needs new representation," said Josh Caprood a student at Clarkson University and a Glens Falls Resident.



Photos Attached



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How can we let a woman with no policy experience go to Albany???

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 was evidenced by WDT this week; she is taking $$$ from the same labor unions that want to take away your right to a secret ballot if Barack Obama takes over the White House. So what it comes down to is this -- Addie is a puppet of the labor bosses in UpState New York, whom some have been known to call the bosses the Good Old Boys Network of our towns and communities.

What I am really trying to get at is that Addie talks in the vaguest of terms... notice how she says things like: "I want to lower property taxes. I want affordable health care. I want to help upstate New York." What an insult to our intelligence. It is as if she thinks Republicans don't want the same. What a rich claim - you really want to help UpState New York... no kidding. But the proof is in the pudding... and in the pudding there is no substance. Addie just leaves a bland taste in your mouth when she is done. Let me be clear: we are not judging Addie's sincerity. We are simply questioning her ability to lead and promote substantive policy before the NYS Assembly (which would be her job if she were elected).

What we are talking about in politics today (or what we should be talking about) is how we can make UpState New York a stronger and more economically secure place to live during these challenging times. When running for office a politician should also have details about how to implement their plans, not just the plan itself.

For example, if one were to say, "I want to bring business to upstate New York and create jobs." They could follow it up by at least saying something like, "We do that by lowering our property taxes, convincing our local legislators to rein in local government spending, inviting investment capital into our region with tax incentives, allowing transparency and secret voting in labor unions, and supporting nuclear power in the North Country."

However, it makes me laugh that Addie is so elusive on not just these key policy issues, but also her goals and priorities as a legislator. I see her passion, but I sense her insecurity and her inability to articulate her vision and her policies. Call me crazy, but that's not what we need in Albany. We need someone who has a clear head, a solid vision for the North Country, and the skills to articulate our needs to the leadership in our state's capitol.

How can Addie fight for you and other working families when she doesn't even have a plan? Your guess is as good as mine.

Hillary to Fort Drum, Aubertine Looking for Cheap Publicity, and Addie Is No Where to be Found

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 new office in Oswego. It goes without mentioning that Aubertine's talking points on that new office could be found in this weeks Watertown Daily Times (they're almost as bad as the New York Times when it comes to their partisan affiliation and love affair with the Democratic Party). In addition, Mr. Aubertine was seen at the Waddington Homecoming Parade this past weekend. He was in the parade and all by himself. He didn't even get out of his car. Crazy ol' Don Lucas even had a bigger presence if you can believe it.

Then a young gentleman at the parade came over and yelled to Aubertine: "Start drilling for oil you liberal Dem," sparking a laugh from the entire crowd of approximately 700 people. (We assume this young man was referring to the complete lack of control the D nominee for president, Barack Hussein Obama, had this week on the issue of offshore drilling.)

At the same parade, Addie Russell, the D running against Bobby Cantwell was no where in sight. Perhaps she is the least presumptuous of the three liberal amigos to be working the upstate circuit this week. Don Lucas also had a notable presence and a mighty fine fishing boat to show.

Nevertheless, you can bet that we will be back all the rumors, gossip, and gotcha politics we can dig up in the coming weeks before the election. So come on back yall.

Addie's Got a Big Hat and No Cattle...

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 any mention of specific policy proposals that would bring about any significant economic growth or job opportunities. She cites the existence of several outstanding universities as hubs for potential growth, but no way to leverage that base of new talent for positions in the North Country.

It is telling that she left out any talk of cuts to taxes, the estate taxes, school taxes, property taxes, gas taxes and all the rest.

Like Obama, Addie is just big hat and no cattle. All talk, no action. Would you expect anything less from a novice from the Democratic Party?

Addie was quoted as saying: "These companies are critical components of our economy," Mrs. Russell said in a press release. "We cannot stand by while our good-paying jobs disappear, often with little notice."

The article goes on to say that "the Theresa resident said she would help resolve issues by working with industrial development agencies and the Empire State Development Corp. She also would talk with the district's largest employers about worldwide developments that threaten local jobs."

It sounds like a rough draft proposal to me. It is pretty self-evident to everyone in the North Country that our economic base is demoralized. It is offensive that she would talk about job loss and poor economic growth in a way that goes "unnoticed." Does she think the people of the North Country are so naive to see first hand that our jobs are going to states with lower tax rates?

But Addie takes it one step further to announce a government-run student loan program to solve our financial woes. How does she propose to pay for this new loan program? Perhaps MORE taxes on the good people of New York! She has it all backwards. As the people in Texas would say, "She ain't got no cattle!"

Golisano's 5 Point Plan for a Responsible New York

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 commit to and build support for. That is why today the UpState Good Old Boys are endorsing Golisano's vision for a Responsible New York, which is also the name of his new PAC.


Too bad for Darrel Aubertine that he doesn't fit the bill on any of these measures.

First off, David Renzi, his opponent, committed himself to a property tax reform publicly while Aubertine stood silent.

As for responsible budgetary processes, we never saw Darrel do much of anything in the Assembly to address the issue, except for doing his part to commit to continuing the unfunded mandates dilemma facing the NY State and the federal government.

Then comes campaign/election reform... here is where Darrel stood silently as the leader of his party, Barack Obama, flip-flopped on his promise to take public financing for the presidential election. We called him to task on that issue several days ago and got no response. Then again why would he respond when the mainstream media fails to ask the tough questions. Darrel, do you support Senator Obama's position to forgo public financing for the general election and ruin any chance of meaningful future election reform? Someone should ask him that flat out. He doesn't have a good answer. Just look at how much money he took from Albany for his special election -- he has been paying those favors back for some time now and will continue to pay them back until he gets called to task.

On the issue of ending unfunded mandates Darrel gets an F (minus). We don't even need to get into the mess he and his party have created for unfunded mandates in state government. He is an accomplice of the worse kind as far as unfunded mandates go in Albany.

Last, we come to government transparency... well Darrel, you hired your sister (illegally) for your government office. That moment really brought out the nepotism in you. Then you lied about being offered the NYPA job by Governor Paterson. Darrel does not past the smell test on any of these issues.

Mr. Golisano, with that said, we endorse your plan and we hope you look straight past Mr. Aubertine with your 5 million plus bankroll if you really hope to fix state government in New York and correct these obvious problems in our government. Thank you for your service and commitment, please don't let us down. The people are counting on you!

Questions Linger Over Aubertine's Lie

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 is never one to bite his tounge. Aubertine loves the sound of his own voice more than Senator Chuck Schumer.

Since When Did Conservatives Decide to Start Endorsing Pro-Aborts like Scozzafava?!?

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 Paterson


This week the St. Lawrence County Conservative Party made its political endorsements. We weren't suprised when we saw several Republicans listed, but then... we saw RINO, DeDe Scozzafava. Shocking, I know!

Puzzled, we wondered to ourselves why in the world would the St. Lawrence County Conservative Party and our friends, Hank Ford and Judy Wendt, put themselves in such an awkward position by endorsing Scozzafava, who is the pure pedigree of a RINO. They are sure to lose all credibility among their base.

My friends, I assure you that this is politics at its finest hour.

Did the conservatives feel compelled to endorse RINO-DeDe for her radical views in favor of same sex marriage? Was it her conservative voting rating in the 30s, 40s, and 50s? No it couldn't have been because the last time I had a math quiz anything below a 65 was an F...

Or better yet, was it for this quote our ol' gal DeDe signed onto that really encouraged our conservative friends??? -- "I promise to insure the rights of all women in New York State to control their own reproductive lives, including the right to safe, legal abortion." What I am trying to say is that the conservatives endorsement of DeDe is repulsive and embarrasing. It would be like Hillary Clinton pushing Dick Cheney for Obama's VP, over herself. HA!

But this endorsement brings us to a more serious subject that needs to be opined upon. Many in UpState NY don't know that RINO-DeDe has worked tirelessly to kill the unborn while in the NYS Assembly. And while the NYS Republicans should be proud that only 5 Assembly members of its GOP delegation have signed onto this blood-stained document for the National Organization of Women, it is true that DeDe was one of 5 Republicans in a body of 150 Assembly members who pledged to promote pro-abortion policies. Someone should tell her how many abortions happen each year in her hometown of Gouverneur.

That might shock her...

Perhaps that is why the St. Lawrence County Conservative Party was so inspired to make their ringing endorsement of DeDe this week (But we here at UGOB sincerely hope that is not the reason why they endorsed Scozzafava. Because if it is, the conservatives are sure going to have a lot of angry grassroots people in their ranks.). Then again, it could be that the Conservative Party believed DeDe EARNED their endorsement. After all, Pro-Abort DeDe sure earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York, a radical pro-abortion group that supported Clinton, Spitzer, and now Obama. And according to Project Vote Smart site, Scozzafava believes that "abortions should always be legal." She even won a 100% pro-choice rating from Planned Parenthood, a true feat in and of itself.

So now it seems that the oneous is on the Jefferson County Conservative Party...

It is our hope and prayer that they will not tango with their "so-called" conservative friends to the East when they make their endorsements public next week. If the Jefferson County Conservative Party withheld its endorsement from Scozzafava, it would send a real clear signal that conservative social values are important in UpState New York and that the Conservative Party still means something. Heck, maybe the county Republican Parties could learn a thing or two from a move like that. Here's to hoping...

We also hope that Mike Long might chime in and let Mr. Ford in on the secret that pro-abort, RINO DeDe ain't no conservative.

If DeDe will support the slaughter of innocent young children for cheap political points then next thing you know we might see her public support for Obama & Co. That would be an interesting dilemma for the Conservatives in St. Lawrence County. Wouldn't it? Anyways, DeDe's new trophy should go nicely on the wall with the one her brother Tom won by cheating everyone through his Seaway Valley Capital gig.

PS - DeDe... if you read our blog please clarify for us what you mean by the words you support a woman's right to an abortion. For example, is this what you mean? -- As it is described by an abortionist in the US Supreme Court: "The doctor grips a fetal part with the forceps and pulls it back through the cervix and vagina, continuing to pull even after meeting resistance from the cervix. The friction causes the fetus to tear apart. For example, a leg might be ripped off the fetus as it is pulled through the cervix and out of the woman. The process of evacuating the fetus piece by piece continues until it has been completely re-moved." (US Supreme Court, Gonzales vs. Carhart, April 18, 2007, describing the D&E procedure).

Is this what you mean by an abortion procedure that you believe should be legalized in New York State? Is this what you mean by an abortion?

OK, okay... ok. I know that words can't adequately explain what you mean by your support for abortion so maybe this will help.

St. Lawrence Conservatives - please let us know... is this something you want to endorse next time around?

At Least He is a Better Liar Than Spitzer

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 job. They made Aubertine out to be some sort of populist-hero from the Obama generation. Aubertine's office is quoted as saying:

"'I was offered the opportunity to serve as NYPA chairman last week,' Sen. Aubertine said. 'I'm certainly very, very flattered to not only have been considered, but to have been offered the position. After discussions with my family and friends, my decision was to keep my commitment to the people of the 48th Senate district.'"

Then comes his politician spin (i.e. "We need to stay focused on the issues at stake in the this session of the legislature and not let this story distract us... [because I lied and I don't want people to think about me lying...]").

We also find out days later that it was all a lie and that Aubertine was never really offered the NYPA job. The LUV-GOV2, Gov. David Patterson, responded in today's WDT print regarding Aubertine's alleged refusal to take the job or that it was even offered by Patterson's administration. The story goes on to say:

"Conflicting reports emerged Monday afternoon over whether the governor tried to lure a north country state senator into his administration.

In a press conference at the state Capitol, Gov. David A. Paterson said emphatically that he did not offer Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, a job at the New York Power Authority.

'That's a good question,' the governor said in response to a reporter. 'I didn't offer him a job. I don't believe anyone in my office did. That's his (Aubertine's) interpretation.'

So did the governor mean to suggest that the senator was lying?

'Didn't I say 'interpretation'?' Gov. Paterson replied, insisting he didn't know why Mr. Aubertine would have gotten the impression he had been offered the position.

'The same reason you got the idea that I said he was lying, when I said it was his interpretation. He misunderstood, I guess,' Gov. Paterson said. 'But I don't know the reason. I haven't actually seen Darrel in the month of June or the month of May. I haven't seen him in a long time.'"

So here we learn that Aubertine lied about being offered the job in the first place.

Here is what people need to know.... Not only is Aubertine at odds with NYS Senate Ethics for illegally hiring his own sister, he is also a liar. And a bad liar at that. I guess we should give ol' Aubertine some credit though; at least he can cover it up better than his old pal, Eliot Spitzer.

Meanwhile, the Watertown Daily Times fails to mention his competitor on the GOP side. So we'll name him here... David Renzi. Renzi comes from a fine family in Watertown that has made its name in medicine, law, and business. We have quite a stark contrast in candidates for the 48th Senate District this year. On the one hand we have Aubertine, who is a piss-poor representative that breaks the same ethics laws he votes for, who lies about being offered a cozy job in order to make himself look good, and who has a poor relationship with the current Democratic Governor. On the other hand we have a fresh, young, vibrant leader named Renzi who comes from a respectable family. Renzi is ready and able to make the tough, but important, reforms in Albany that will benefit our community.

The choice is patently clear to all of us here in the North Country. David Renzi is our guy for the 48th New York State Senate seat come this November!

Have a great day and please tell your friends to check out the Good Old Boys on the web at: www.upstategoodoldboys.blogspot.com.

Obama & Aubertine on Campaign Finance Reform: Too Weak To Change America

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 repercussions, but it will also directly affect New York State and local politicos like Senator Darrel Aubertine.

As you may know, a number of New York government groups are calling for reform of the state’s campaign finance laws. Those groups include: the League of Women Voters of New York State, the New York Public Interest Research Group and Common Cause.
Several days ago Tom Wanamaker of the Watertown Daily Times wrote,

“In a recent press conference, Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the League of Women Voters of New York State, said that two bills recently proposed by Gov. David A. Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, are meaningless.

‘These are 'cover your butt' measures,’ Ms. Bartoletti said. ‘They would be serious proposals had they been raised in January. But there's been none of what passes for negotiation in Albany. They have no chance of passage.’

Thus, she said, the League decided to make public its proposal to highlight the need for major reform in how the political campaigns in New York are funded.”

Even on Meet the Press today, U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) acknowledged that any chance at meaningful campaign finance reform went down the drain with Obama’s latest flip on the public financing system. So now that Senator Obama has ruined any real chance at reform, it will be interesting to see if either of these three groups listed above will stick up for real reform and call Obama to task for his latest Machiavellian maneuver.

What is even more interesting will be Senator Darrel Aubertine’s reaction to this stunt. Will these New York groups call on Aubertine to call for real reform and oppose Obama on forgoing the public finance system he agreed to several months back.

If Aubertine refuses or stays silent on this issue, it only makes him look like a follower within the Democratic Party, too weak and unprepared to call for real change in our political system. Then again, it wouldn’t be news to the Good Old Boys that Aubertine is unwilling to challenge his party or Barack Obama. We have claimed all along that Aubertine is just a poser for bipartisanship in Albany. We all know that Aubertine is just another politician beholden to the interests of downstate NY.

Meanwhile, Senator John McCain risked his political career to offer real bipartisan reform in national politics by working with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform.

The GOP Is Pretty Dang Weak in the North Country

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 DAYS of campaigning!!! Now we have our lush Cantwell ready to rumble along the river district (according to Double D all he has is looks; but hey it does the trick for Obama, right?).

I do think that it is a pretty bad sign that the GOP's bench is so limited/fractured that one of its so-called best candidates only lasts two days and is unable to recruit any volunteers to get petition signatures? And why in the world did Button drop out so quickly?

It is called pathetic leadership. We need someone who knows how to get things done for the North Country. Maybe that someone is Bobby Cantwell... I guess we will have to find out.


Brabant abandons Assembly attempt
LACK OF SUPPORT: Contractor says party 'eliminated democracy'
By JUDE SEYMOUR
TIMES STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2008

Frederick A. Brabant, Clayton, said a lack of party support has convinced him to abandon a run for the 118th Assembly District seat just two days after entering the race.

Mr. Brabant, a self-employed contractor, said he received no help after asking Jefferson County Republicans at a party meeting Monday to circulate petitions on his behalf.

"I hit a wall," he said. "They have this notion that they don't want a primary. And it has eliminated democracy."

Sandra L. Corey, county Republican chairwoman, said she told Mr. Brabant just the opposite. She remembered telling the candidate: "If we're together with one candidate, we'll be stronger ahead. But I told him I would never stand in anyone's way if they wanted to do a primary."

Mrs. Corey said Mr. Brabant was a victim of bad timing Monday. The chairwoman said the candidate tried to recruit volunteers after losing the committee's endorsement to Robert W. "Bobby" Cantwell III, Clayton.

Both candidates were given a chance to speak before the endorsement process began, Mrs. Corey said.

Now out of the race, Mr. Brabant said he will support Mr. Cantwell.

"I have nothing but praise for the man," Mr. Brabant said. "Bobby and I are friends. Our ideas are much the same."

Mr. Cantwell said he was excited about the endorsement Monday from Jefferson County Republicans.

"It's an honor and it's humbling to have their support," he said Tuesday morning.

He received an endorsement Tuesday afternoon from the St. Lawrence County Republican Party. Chairwoman Janet L. Kelly polled town GOP leaders Tuesday and reached an informal consensus. The committee will not meet again until September. Members met Thursday but delayed their endorsement because Canton town Supervisor David T. Button was considering a bid. He withdrew Monday.

"I'd love to have had a candidate from St. Lawrence County, but I think that now that we have one from Jefferson County, we've got to get behind him," Ms. Kelly said. "He's got a lot of fire in him."

Jefferson County Legislator Addie J. Russell, Theresa, is the Democratic candidate. Donald J. Lucas, Massena, is pursuing the Working Families Party line and intends to run as an independent.

Patty's Decision Just Got That Much Easier!

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 Assembly
118TH DISTRICT: Jefferson County sheriff has other commitments; others vie for Democratic nomination
By JUDE SEYMOUR
TIMES STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2008

After what he called "long and serious consideration," Jefferson County Sheriff John P. Burns decided that running an Assembly campaign this year wasn't for him.

"I have some important family commitments that I think the Assembly race would take time away from," he said. "When I ran for sheriff, I made a commitment to be the sheriff. I feel that over the last six years we've come a long way with the department and I want to continue that."

Mr. Burns, who lives in the city of Watertown, said a campaign for the vacant 118th Assembly District seat would take away time he spends with his son Dane, 7.

"He's at the age where he needs my time now," the sheriff said. Mr. Burns also noted that his oldest son, Karl C., will be starting college in the fall.

With Mr. Burns out of the equation, his supporters are now looking more like contenders for the Democratic nomination.

Jefferson County Legislator Addie J. Russell, Theresa, said the sheriff's announcement "is making me take a second look at things."

Mrs. Russell is uncommitted toward running, but will talk to party leaders this week to discuss a candidacy. She expects to make a decision "well before" June 3, the first day on which candidates can collect signatures on petitions.

Pamelia Town Councilman Timothy E. Kelly also was in favor of Mr. Burns's candidacy; he has previously said he is interested in the Democratic nomination.

Sean M. Hennessey, Jefferson County's Democratic Committee chairman, said another candidate from the county could emerge soon. He said the party hoped to make a final decision "within the next few days."

Massena Police Chief Timmy J. Currier, registered without party affiliation, has told Democrats he would like to be their candidate. The chief has support from St. Lawrence County Legislator Gregory M. Paquin, D-Massena.

Massena Town Councilman John M. Wicke also is considered a potential Democratic candidate, but he downplayed a bid Tuesday.

"At this point, I have no plans on running," he said.

The Republicans already have an announced candidate, Robert W. "Bobby" Cantwell III, with another, St. Lawrence County Clerk Patricia A. Ritchie, expected to declare her candidacy soon.

Donald J. Lucas, an Alcoa retiree and Massena fishing guide, will run as an independent. Both he and Mr. Currier have sought the Working Families Party endorsement and line.

Times staff writer Corey Fram contributed to this report.

Where is Tom Scozzafava (and his sister Dede?)

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 roots and his plan for developing a holding company in an area of the state that has typically been economically depressed. I confidently invested a goodly sum of money in him and his vision for the North Country, and have watched him quickly grow the company from nothing.

But now after 9 months, cracks are beginning to appear in the foundation.

It seems in all the whirlwind of the company's recent financial activity, Mr. Scozzafava has forgotten the common shareholders...you know, the only ones that are paying for all his high flyin', wheelin' and dealin'. There are genuine concerns of how all of his acquisitions are going to be paid for, and the methods of financing being used. The market has responded by crushing the price of common shares. Common shareholders, in some cases, have seen the stock price drop by as much as 95% since last fall. The share price today is less than 1/2 a penny, while outstanding shares have increased 600% since July of last year. In my opinion, it appears that the insiders, Mr. Scozzafava, his sister Dede (the State Assemblywoman), and various other family members and friends, are the only ones who stand to make anything on this venture. While protecting their own interests in the firm, IT APPEARS that they are using common shareholders to pay for millions of dollars of debt reduction carried over to Seaway from several earlier unprofitable business arrangements that Mr. Scozzafava had been involved in several years ago. If that wasn't bad enough, Mr. Scozzafava seems to be either unable or unwilling to communicate with anyone who wants a straight answer about where this is all going to end.

Don't get me wrong - what Mr. Scozzafava is doing may be above board, but there are enough unanswered questions to set off more than a few alarms. Even the market bears witness that few think much of Tom's corporate plan; the relentless erosion of the share price has been going on now for 7 months. If Mr. Scozzafava continues to avoid answering the difficult questions, then shareholder lawsuits are certain to surface in the months ahead, and the cloud of uncertainty will spread from Tom to his sister, Dede, who is a minority partner in the firm.

If anyone up there in the beautiful North Country of upstate New York sees Tom, please inform him that he has the fiduciary responsibility to step up to the plate and address shareholder concerns. A shareholder's meeting would be a welcome venue to clear up these issues and restore investor confidence in the company's CEO.

(From a SWVC Shareholder... Ouch! I am sure DD is going to have a field day with this one.)


UPDATE:
This is from the contributor to this interesting post, which has sparked a fair amount of discussion I might add. Ahhhh, democracy in action! Here it is: "I have spoken with Ms. Scozzafava and need to correct information on the original letter (phrases not being factual). Not sure if that is possible, but I would appreciate whatever you recommend.

I have also posted the following retraction in the comments section of the blog:

Dede Scozzafava has no controlling interest in Seaway Capital, nor is she involved in any of the operations of the company. Her investment in the company is strictly passive in nature. I apologize to Ms. Scozzafava and to the readers of this blog for being uninformed about her role in the company."

Sincerely,

Timothy Mercier
Champaign, Illinois

We've Got News/Advice for the NY GOP

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 brutally honest here at UGOB... after all we are a group of good ol' boys with some witty/insightful thoughts.

Sorry Dede; readers, stay tuned for our BREAKING NEWS/ADVICE.

Currier Aligns Himself with the Democrats For All the Wrong Reasons

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, which values the respect for law and order. So here are some of the possibilities me and my friends thought up:

1) The GOP county party structure in upstate NY is in shambles and Currier doesn't want to be a part of it.

2) Currier, if he won, would be in the majority as a Democrat.

3) Currier could really be philosophically in line with the principles of the Democratic Party, the same party that is going to nominate an inexperienced liberal, Barack Obama, to the presidency soon. (Watch for those results in NC and Indiana.)

4) Currier knows he could never win the GOP primary. (There are some rumors that there will be some very good candidates coming out to fight for that seat - we will update you on that in the coming weeks.)

5) Currier doesn't even know what either party stands for because his only experience is in law enforcement. He doesn't have a solid handle on policy issues like taxes. Democrats in the Assembly have no real interest in trimming the size of the state budget or lowering taxes on small businesses and the middle class...

So below and linked here you can find the article. We report, you decide.


Massena official eyes seat in Albany
CHIEF CURRIER: Police veteran plans run for 118th Assembly post
By JUDE SEYMOUR
& CHRIS GARIFO
TIMES STAFF WRITERS
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008

Massena Police Chief Timmy J. Currier is lobbying to become the Democratic candidate in the 118th Assembly District race.

"I have always had an interest as my police career wound down in getting involved in politics," said Mr. Currier, who is a registered voter without party affiliation. "Given the fact I've been in public service for 20 years, continuing that in some form is my purpose."

While the chief awaited word from the Democratic Party, he applied for the endorsement and the line of the Working Families Party. Mr. Currier will be interviewed, along with other hopefuls, by that party's North Country West chapter by month's end.

Mr. Currier, 42, said he has been "long concerned" about the inequities of the property tax system, which is one of his reasons for running.

"There is too big of a burden placed on the middle class and working families in New York state with respect to property tax," he said.

Mr. Currier said he brings a "unique perspective" to the race because he has not been affiliated with any party.

"I first and foremost consider myself to be a centrist, not far left or far right," he said. "Generally speaking, with the vast majority of issues that are out there, I tend to lean Democratic."

The police chief said, if elected, part of his agenda would be to push "pro-public safety" and "pro-law enforcement" initiatives.

Mr. Currier said he has "no imminent plans" to leave the department, but added: "Anyone that reaches the minimum retirement age in law enforcement very likely looks to other opportunities. I still very much love my job and very much appreciate the opportunity of serving the village of Massena."

Donald J. Lucas, a Massena fishing charter operator and Alcoa retiree, is the only other candidate to formally declare his intentions for the Assembly seat. He also is seeking the Working Families Party line.

Besides Mr. Currier and Mr. Lucas, the Working Families Party has had five candidates request an interview so that they could be considered for the party's endorsement and line.

■ Darrel J. Aubertine, Cape Vincent, for the 48th Senate District. Mr. Aubertine, a Democrat, has served as senator since February.

■ Danny M. Francis, Watertown, and Michael P. Oot, Stockbridge, for the 23rd Congressional District. Mr. Francis, a Democrat, is a retired Marine officer and former Army recruiter. Mr. Oot, a Democrat, is an attorney.

■ Dierdre K. Scozzafava, Gouverneur, for the 122nd Assembly District. Ms. Scozzafava, a Republican, has long been rumored as the potential opponent of Mr. Aubertine.

"At this point we're still in discussions about possibilities," the 10-year Assembly veteran said.

Ms. Scozzafava said that she tried to apply for the interview without designating a position sought, but the party would not accept the form without it.

■ Jeremy Barlow, Herrings, for the 122nd Assembly District. Mr. Barlow, a Democrat, is a lawyer and former child abuse and neglect prosecutor for Jefferson County Department of Social Services.

Mr. Barlow, 31, was noncommittal about his candidacy when asked Friday.

"I just wanted to keep my options open," he said.

Mr. Barlow started his own private practice in January after recently earning his master's degree in entertainment law. The lawyer, who has no government experience, has previously considered runs for the 23rd Congressional District and the Jefferson County Legislature.

Louisa N. Pacheco, the Working Families Party's lead organizer for its North Country West chapter, said chapter leaders will make endorsement recommendations to the state executive committee. The state committee will formally endorse during the first week of June.

Relishing Our Victory This Week & Asking More Questions

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 putting up a serious fight to ensure that Aubertine's sister does not get paid for the week she was illegally and unethically employed.

We are also seeking a copy of Wiley's resignation letter from Aubertine's office. There have been some rumors/speculation that Wiley never resigned and that Aubertine's Chief of Staff, Ed Gaffney, had to step into the middle of things earlier this week. (Apparently, Darrel didn't have the balls to fire his own sister because of their close relationship; Darrel fought the initial decision until Gaffney got intimately involved.)

If these rumors are true then it raises some serious concerns as to the way in which this case was handled; Aubertine may have flat out lied to the citizens of the 48th District if Wiley was in fact fired. There are some interesting twists to this story as we will see in the days to come.

On a side note, Aubertine is doing everything he can to spin the story and change the subject. Hence, his latest flip-flop on the ATV issue will appear in tomorrow's Watertown Daily Times. How can anybody trust this guy?

We will keep ya'll posted! Thanks for coming back for the inside scoop.

Nepotism in New York, part 2

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 which prohibits the hiring of family members. Is this story over or does it have some legs?

What a difficult week for Mangione to balance! Our next question is: Can you knowingly hire a communications director that does illegal drugs? Is there a law/ethics rule against that?

At any rate, we'll take the credit here for our posting on Wednesday, April 23. Good thing the Albany Correspondent was on top of the ball, Jude Seymour was just going to gloss over it.

UPDATE: We try to stay as balanced as we can here at UGOB! Today, the managing editor of the Watertown Daily Times, Mr. Bob Gorman, notified us that Jude Seymour does not cover the Albany political beat. That distinction goes to the reporter who did end up covering the story, Tom Wanamaker. We apologize that we "speculated" Jude Seymour was glossing over Mr. Aubertine's ethics violation.

We are confident that the Watertown Daily Times will see to it that Debra Wiley does not get paid by the New York State taxpayers for the week she did work as Mr. Aubertine's constituent relations pro.


Aubertine's sister quits as liaison
RESIGNATION ACCEPTED: Reform that the senator voted for in Assembly prohibits hiring family members
By TOM WANAMAKER
TIMES ALBANY CORRESPONDENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2008
ALBANY — State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, said Monday night that his sister, Debra A. Wiley, Cape Vincent, has resigned her position as a constituent liaison in his office.

Ms. Wiley was appointed to the post last week, but a statement issued by Sen. Aubertine's communications director, Drew G. Mangione, said questions on whether the appointment followed state law prompted the senator to investigate the propriety of the move. The questions were posed Monday by the Watertown Daily Times.

In a statement, Mr. Mangione said: "Earlier today, Senator Aubertine became aware of a situation involving the employment of his sister, Debra A. Wiley, in his Senate office. After reviewing the appropriate policies, Debra has submitted her resignation and our office has accepted it."

Ethics reform legislation enacted in the early months of former Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer's administration generally prohibits the hiring of family members by sitting members of the state Legislature.

Section 73, subdivision 14 of New York's public officers law, adopted in March 2007, reads, in part: "No statewide elected official, state officer or employee, member of the Legislature or legislative employee may participate in any decision to hire, promote, discipline or discharge a relative for any compensated position at, for, or within any state agency, public authority, or the Legislature."

Exceptions may be granted for people with "a physical impairment," or for "the temporary hiring of legislative pages, interns and messengers."

The measure passed the Assembly on Feb. 14, 2007. It passed the Senate on March 7, 2007, and was signed into law by Gov. Spitzer on March 26, 2007.

Then representing the 118th Assembly district, Mr. Aubertine voted in favor of the measure.

"This was the proper course of action once we became aware of the potential conflict in this situation. Sen. Aubertine has been a longtime supporter of government reform and accountability and will continue to fight for strong ethics laws in Albany," the statement concluded.

Mr. Aubertine represents the 48th Senate District, which includes Jefferson and Oswego counties and part of St. Lawrence County. He took office March 3 after defeating Assemblyman William A. Barclay in a special election Feb. 26. The election was held to replace former Sen. James W. Wright, who resigned.

Times state editor Perry White contributed to this report.

Rudy Giuliani Criticized by Cardinal Egan of NY

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 for receiving Holy Communion during pope visit
Posted: 02:53 PM ET
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Cardinal Edward Egan says Rudy Giuliani should not have received Holy Communion during the pope's visit because he supports abortion rights.

Egan says he had "an understanding" with the former presidential candidate and New York mayor that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic church opposes abortion.

The cardinal said Monday that Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist during Pope Benedict XVI's visit.

Egan says he will be seeking a meeting with Giuliani "to insist that he abide by our understanding."

Giuliani's spokesman says she is preparing a response.

Pay Raise for Judges?

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 judges nothing but broken promises and a wage that, when adjusted for cost of living, ranks 49th in the nation.

....

Two upstate judges told The Post that they recently recused themselves from cases involving Silver's firm because of their anger over the stalled pay raises.

"I think the speaker is a slug," said Cattaraugus County Judge Larry Himelein, a Democrat who said he couldn't be fair to Silver's firm. "The whole New York state political process is a joke."

What a controversy!

State Spending Out of Control

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 figures. Only lawmakers in California and Michigan were paid more."

Not only that, but NYS legistators ranked fourth in the nation for spending per member.

Our spending is out of control! Check out more of what the Empire Center has on their site.

Today's Interesting Headlines

Jim Wright may challenge Aubertine for his old Senate seat.


Paterson Channels Faso.

Political Blog Makes the WDT Today

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 government
FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008
By JUDE SEYMOUR
TIMES STAFF WRITER


Sheriff Burns is not the only one who believes the blog's author has strong ties to county administration.

After Political IV broke news that Watertown resident Jerry O. Eaton would be nominated as the county's new Republican elections commissioner, Ezra S. "Ted" Ford speculated on the author's identity on his blog, Danger Democrat.

"We understand from a pretty reliable source that the 'IV' man is none other than Watertown florist and Jefferson County Legislator Scott Gray," wrote Mr. Ford, LaFargeville.

Asked about that post this week, Mr. Ford said the Eaton announcement "was written in the Scott Gray style and was exactly what Scott Gray thinks" but added that he was "largely guessing" on the blogger's identity.

Mr. Gray, R-Watertown, was asked in early April if he was affiliated with Political IV.

"I know who it is," the legislator responded. He would neither confirm nor deny any involvement. Reached again this week, Mr. Gray said he would not discuss the blog.

Mr. Ford and others interviewed about Political IV said they believe that Mr. Gray is involved, but that he is likely not the blog's sole author.

"It might be a couple of people that are connected," Mr. Ford said. "The writing style is pretty good, so it may be a professional writer. It may be someone who was with or currently has a position within existing media."

Mr. Ford said the blog demonstrates some "very intact" sources within the county Legislature. "Somebody is really connected," he said.

Robert F. Hagemann III, county administrator, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

While the guessing game continues, five locals with interests in politics have denied any involvement: Watertown Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham, county Legislature Chairman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, Legislators Philip N. Reed, R-Fishers Landing, and James Nabywaniec, R-Calcium, and former Legislator Paul J. Warneck, who is now county director of real property services.

The person purporting to be the author of Political IV contacted the Watertown Daily Times via e-mail after Mr. Ford "outed" Mr. Gray.

"Ted is guessing," the March 26 e-mail said.

The Times responded: "Why the anonymity? Allow us to explain to readers why you won't publicly identify yourself."

There was no reply.

Now Jefferson County's best known blogger, Mr. Ford initially tried to write Danger Democrat under a pseudonym.

"That lasted a month before I thought: 'This is stupid. Everyone knows it's me,'" he said.

Mr. Ford, a former county Democratic Committee chairman, said he believes that blogs penned by anonymous writers tend to be distrusted more.

"There's something more credible if you know the yay-hoo who's writing it," he said. "I'm not particularly fond of the anonymity of Political IV. I respect it and understand it. There's probably a good reason why IV is unknown."

His progressive viewpoint long unchallenged, Mr. Ford said he believes Political IV was created as "the antidote to Danger Democrat."

Although IV has billed itself as the "independent voice of reason," Mr. Ford said, the blog often espouses a conservative Republican viewpoint.

"I just think that they saw that quite a few people were reading Danger Democrat and it didn't express their point of view, and they wanted their point of view heard," Mr. Ford said. "I'm in favor of that. It gives me someone to pick on."

Instead of drowning out Danger Democrat, Mr. Ford said, he believes the presence of a counterpoint has increased his readership. The site, its owner said, is averaging about 400 hits per day.

Mr. Ford, 67, also has intensified his pace. He is averaging about four posts per day since Political IV debuted; he created about 2.7 posts per day before the other blog existed.

"My overall mission is to get people interested in perusing the Internet to find independent viewpoints," he said. "It's a passion for me and it's obviously a passion for IV. And I think IV does it well.

An Affair in the North Country?

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 118th Assembly District of their representation by not calling for a special election to replace Darrel Aubertine. Now Upstate New Yorkers will go without representation until the next go-around.

Patterson will try to chummy up to his Democrat friends in the North Country tomorrow with a visit to soldiers at Fort Drum. He is also expected to visit Samaritan Medical Center. Lets hope he takes this opportunity to address North Country issues in a bi-partisan manner. The North Country can’t afford to be cheated out of the political system any longer.

Nepotism in NY?

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’s payroll. One such staffer just happens to be his sister, Debra A. Wiley. Now the move is all fine and dandy, except her salary comes straight out of the wallet of the New York State taxpayer. Sounds like straight up nepotism to me. I wonder if the Watertown Daily Times and the writer, Jude Seymour, will follow up and find out just how much she is being paid for her new role as head of constituent liaisons… and I wonder how much Senator Jim Wright paid his constituent liaison staffer? If Wiley gets special treatment for being the new Senator’s sister will anyone make an issue of it when Aubertine wants to run for Congress?

On a positive note for Aubertine at least he can get this out of the way before his Congressional run in 2010 or 2012, depending on how long McHugh wants to stay in the US Congress. It looks like he is staying put and he is making a heck of a run for chair/ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. Bravo to Mr. McHugh!

I remember another former New York politician who sought to clean up New York politics, rid the state of nepotism, and special interest… his name was Eliot Spitzer. It looks like Hillary Clinton taught Aubertine well – reward those close to home.