This Just In: Farmers vs. Aubertine Round 2

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 hikes

NY farmers are unhappy about the nearly 10 percent spending increase in the proposed state budget, which also cuts funding for programs to help boost production and improve markets.

“We can't uproot an apple tree or move cows to Mexico or China. The negative impact of higher insurance fees, higher energy costs, and a failure to address overall spending levels will be felt by our farmers for years to come as our members have less money to invest in their farms".

"To spend $10 billion more, and fail to fully fund long standing research, promotion, animal and plant health and economic development programs flies in the face of the reality of what farmers thought were difficult fiscal conditions."

State Sen. Darrel Aubertine, head of the Senate Agriculture Committee, had vowed to protect funding for farm programs in the state budget.

AND HE FAILED TO DELIVER YET AGAIN. Shocking.

GET READY!!! More Taxes & More $ for Paterson's Staff & Travel

AP: No One Is Safe From NY's Wide Reaching Budget
Proposed $131.8B Tax-And-Spend Plan Has Critics Howling
Mar 31, 2009
Marcia 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 these and more.

Governor David Paterson said the new state budget is shared sacrifice, but its a tough sell.

If you live in New York City and suburbs there is only one thing you can do in reaction to the new state budget – gasp.

"This is not a happy budget," Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, said.

No kidding. Critics said there are so many taxes and fee hikes the average family of four in our area can expect to shell out an additional $5,000 -- for now.

"I would like to tell you that this budget brings to an end our fiscal crisis, but I can't do that. That would be intellectually dishonest," Paterson said.

The budget puts an added income tax on households earning over $300,000 to raise $4 billion.

"The rich are going to do their fair share in trying to close this budget deficit and now all those that were yelling for them to do it need to do the same," Paterson said.

And they will.

The details of the new budget include:

* Essentially flat state school aid. Aid to public schools would increase about $1.1 billion, according to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and eliminate the $700 million cut Paterson had proposed in December. But that results in almost no increase for schools that have gotten bumps of billions of dollars from lawmakers pressured by school districts back home. School aid will total more than $21 billion, one of the highest per capita levels in the nation. But school advocates expected $1.5 billion more this year, even after Paterson's cut was restored, under a promise by the state following a court decision it lost for not providing a sound basic education for years.

"There are going to be layoffs of teachers and other educators," said Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, a union-allied advocate for public schools. "There are going to be cutbacks of programs and kids in districts that are already underfunded, the problem is going to continue ... and that's a travesty of justice."

The last time school districts received far less state aid than expected local property taxes were subsequently increased by an average of 10 percent.

* About $3 billion of taxes and fees, from motor vehicle registration charges to public college tuition and other costs that would affect everyday life for most residents.

* No more tax rebate checks to residents, although the STAR exemption program and NYC STAR credit will continue to provide $3.3 billion in property tax relief.

* A bigger bottle bill. A nickel deposit would be required of bottled water, to go along with carbonated drinks. The state will get about $115 million of the unclaimed deposits, with bottlers keeping the rest under a last-minute deal worked out with lobbyists for the Coca-Cola Co.

* Taxing little cigars often called cigarillos at the same 46 percent rate applied to cigarettes, instead of the 37 percent rate now.

Meanwhile, Paterson had proposed more than $1 billion in cuts from health care in his mid-December budget to the Legislature. He sought to force more funding to be moved from traditional and expensive hospital care to more efficient community-based and preventive programs. The Legislature restored about 69 percent of funding to hospitals, 73 percent to pharmacies, 60 percent to home care programs and 43 percent to nursing homes.

The Legislature also restored:

* $340 million of critical funding to New York City, Silver said.

* Funding for teacher training centers and adult literacy and bilingual education programs.

* $125 million more to the State University of New York, for a total of $2.5 billion in funding; and $86 million more to the City University of New York, for a new total of $1.4 billion.

* $49 million in cuts to community colleges.

* Almost $50 million to the Tuition Assistance Program, which provides financial aid to college students.

The Legislature also created a $50 billion program to provide low-interest loans to residents attending college and rejected a proposal for a gas tax.

New Yorkers can't even begin to fathom what they've been hit with.

"You know it's a really difficult situation. There are no clear solutions. It just seems to tax too much," said Upper West Side resident Jamie Kalfus.

Critics, like Senate Minorty Leader Dean Skelos, R-Long Island, slammed the Legislature for secretly negotiating a $10 billion increase in spending at a time of fiscal crisis.

"These numbers are absolutely staggering, and the height of irresponsibility on the part of the Democrat leadership in this state," said Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-L.I.). "The public should be outraged."

But Gov. Paterson vigorously defended the secret negotiations.

"Nobody wants to publicly, other than governors, who are charged to do it, put their issues on the table. That's part of what negotiations are about," Paterson said.

By the way, Paterson has a $20 million budget for his staff and half a million dollars budgeted for travel.

The Sky is Falling on Gov. Paterson

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 hate him.

AND MORE TAXES? WHEN DOES IT END???

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 chaos, as some lawmakers cave to pressure from industry, special interests and constituents and back away from the deals. The budget is due on Tuesday, but lawmakers have left Albany for a long weekend break.

Patterson's Taxes: The Buffalo News hails electric ratepayers’ victory in defeating a NYPA plan to raise rates Upstate, but is appalled by Gov. Paterson’s plan to add a new tax to utility bills that will cost consumers even more. The budget plan is even more galling because New Yorkers pay the highest utility rates in the country for power that’s produced locally in Western and Northern NY, then shipped to other parts of the state.

Enough is enough already! These guys have gone off the DEEP end.

AHHHHHHH METERS! SAVE US ALL!!!

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 enough electricians to lay all these lines out there."

It's all here in a recent story w/ Rush. Have at it kiddies.

McHugh Supports Union Intimidation & Ending Secret Ballots?

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 anyone tell me what McHugh is thinking here?  Some speculated that maybe McHugh doesn't care what the Republican leadership thinks because he is retiring and he can vote however he likes.  Or perhaps McHugh isn't versed in how the card check law would affect jobs in the North Country.  Here are some of my favorite points, according to the Heritage Foundation, that members of Congress should consider before voting:

1) A recent Zogby poll found that 71% of union members believe that the current private-ballot process is fair. A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that fully 74% of union members favor keeping the current system in place over replacing it with one that provides less privacy.

2) Conservative estimates show that EFCA would reduce employment opportunities by 765,000 potential jobs in the economy over the next seven years. Other studies estimate even greater effects.

3) Instead of mutual consent, the federal government would then impose working conditions on both employers and employees, whether they were workable or not, and these conditions would be binding on the business for two years until the negotiations are reopened.  

That means employees are against the measure, we would lose jobs, and if EFCA goes into effect then these contracts will be run by government bureaucrats (and the contracts will be binding for at least 2 years).  It is simply shocking that McHugh could support such an undemocratic measure.  What is even more interesting about the debate is that at least six proponents of the Employee "No" Free Choice Act are now against it or now on the fence.   

According to the Wall Street Journal:

"The legislation is divisive and distracting, said Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln in an interview Monday. The Democratic lawmaker, who was previously seen as a supporter, said the Senate should focus on creating jobs and improving the U.S. economy. 'I have 90,000 Arkansans who need a job, that's my No. 1 priority,' she said. The legislation, she said, would be 'divisive and we don't need that right now. We need to focus on the things that are more important.'

Sen. Lincoln is one of several moderate Democrats expressing doubts about the Employee Free Choice Act. The bill would allow unions to organize workers without a secret ballot, giving employees the power to organize by simply signing cards agreeing to join. A second provision would give federal arbitrators power to impose contract terms on companies that fail to reach negotiated agreements with unions. Both provisions are strongly opposed by business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor are among the Democratic lawmakers who have backed off their previous support."

Here is what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to say about the matter:

“This legislation goes against the fundamental right of political expression without fear of coercion.  As Americans, we expect to be able to vote on everything from high school class president to the President of the United States in private. Workers expect the same right in union elections.  To put it simply, the Employee ‘No Choice’ Act is undemocratic. To approve it would be to subvert the right to bargain freely over working terms and conditions. It would also strip members of a newly recognized union of their right to accept or reject a contract. In addition, this bill ushers in a new scheme of penalties which are anti-worker and which apply only to employers and not unions.  Even though we have regarded secret ballot elections as a fundamental right for more than a century, some Democrats still seem determined to strip that right away from American workers.  If this weren’t bad enough, a study released last week by economist Dr. Anne Layne-Farrar showed that, if enacted, Card Check legislation could cost 600,000 American jobs each year. At a time when all of us are looking to stimulate the economy and put Americans back to work, we threaten to undermine those efforts with this job-killing bill."

Someone please tell McHugh to stop this nonsense.  Can't he see where New York's economy has been going the past two decades?  Just last week the Watertown Daily Times had a story on Upstate New York's unemployment numbers:

"Lewis County had the highest January unemployment rate at 11.7 percent, up from 9.1 percent in December and from 7.8 percent in January 2008. St. Lawrence County posted an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent for January, up from 8.7 percent in December and from 7.6 percent in January 2008. Jefferson County's unemployment rate for January was 10.3 percent, up from 8.8 percent in December and from 7.5 percent in January 2008."

And as long as we are ending secret ballots for unions, why not end secret ballots for all federal, state, and local elections... would McHugh support that?  The business community and the US Chamber of Commerce have already called the bill, "the devil reincarnate" and "armageddon."

Since when did we become a country that no longer values freedom of association, a free and fair democratic process, and mutually beneficial labor contracts?  It all smells like socialism to me.

HOLY COW AUBERTINE!

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 yourself, but Aubertine gets bloodied up pretty badly for the way he drafted the bill and for not seeking comment from leaders in the dairy industry.  

I don't think folks in the North Country will forget about this one anytime soon.  Of course when we called Aubertine's press secretary for comment we didn't get an answer... he was probrably out gettin' something blazed or trying to spin the unemployment numbers of his member's district.

Who would have thought the fireworks would be happening over Aubertine's farm policy?  One farmer called Darrel's legislation "10 years too late."  That's one Darrel's opponent ought to save for the oppo books.

Gillibrand's Latest Flip-Flop Won't Be Her Last

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 reporters have called it a "turnaround," but in a stunning maneuver that would make an olympic gymnast blush, Kirsten Gillibrand has switched her position on gun rights in an effort to redefine her political worldview (and to appease liberals downstate including potential challenger Carolyn McCarthy, a radical opponent of the 2nd Amendment).

In sorting though all the madness this week, I read of Gillibrand's latest flip-flop in The Politico, a Washington, DC based paper. They said it best, "She's not sticking to her guns."

More here:

Gillibrand votes against DC guns

She's not sticking to her guns.

"New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand -- who signed a Supreme Court brief supporting a decision to roll back the District of Columbia gun ban last year -- has voted against a bill that would make it harder to restrict firearms in the district.

The pro-gun measure, which passed 62-to-36 earlier today, would prevent DC's government from imposing tough new restrictions on weapons of all types, including semi-automatic weapons."

And in the comments section of the story we found this gem from an anonymous observer: "Reid and Schumer got ahold of her and now she falls in line like an obedient comrade."

Looking back one has to wonder whether Governor David Paterson regrets that he didn't actually pick a principled leader to represent the state of New York in the US Senate, or did he know all along that Gillibrand would just take orders from the liberal Democratic playbook at the get-go?

Bowling for Socialism?

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 known to man, invented by the ancient Egyptians.

Here is the story in the Daily Gazette titled,Bowlers rallying to battle Paterson “fun tax”

A few quotes from the piece here:

"The already struggling owners of local bowling alleys across the state are warning their businesses are at risk from Gov. Paterson’s plan to start charging sales tax on admissions. The new tax could even jeopardize the state’s ability to attract national competitions for the sport, as New York would become just one of a handful of states charging the tax. (In this region, only Vermont charges tax on bowling fees.)

'Most of the businesses are family-owned and we are an industry already hard-hit by many state mandates, such as the smoking legislation, and by competition with gaming centers,' said Kathy Leitgeb of the NYS Bowling Proprietors Association. 'We have heard many people say they would quit bowling if there was a sales tax on their games.'

The 'fun tax' is one of more than 140 new taxes and fees that Paterson addede to his budget proposal that will cost an average New York family more than $3000 a year."

First the Democrats pass a trillion dollar federal spending bill, now they tax us to death on all things fun in New York. What's next? Why to drive out small family-owned businesses from Upstate New York. Rumor has it that some members of the NYSBPA are considering moving to another state now. That'll sure help put us into further debt and lower our tax base on the state and local levels.

This should for certain count as a STRIKE against New York Democrats!!!

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.