MIKE HEIN: THE LOST DUKE COUSIN???
Another blogger asserts that Mike Hein is trying to do away with the "good old boys" network.
Give me a break. I'm surprised there's not a General Lee parked outside his house. Mr. Hein is the very epitomy of the good old boys network. In fact, sometimes I think we are in Hazard County with Boss Hogg instead of Ulster County.
1. He worked in some jewelery store in the mall.
2. He worked for a local bank.
3. He was then plucked from obscurity by Democratic County Treasurer Lew Kirschner. Kirschner has been treasurer SINCE 1977 - HE IS THE ORIGINAL GOOD OLD BOY in that sense. That's not to say being a good old boy is always a bad thing, but nobody can claim Mike Hein is not a good old boy when he was hired by the father of all Ulster County Good Ole' Boys.
4. In November, 2005 the Democrats are elected to control the County Legislature after the Republicans took their justly deserved beating for the jail disaster and obscene tax hike proposed by their appointed County Administrator (who Mike Hein kept on the County payroll as his Deputy and then gave a $5,000 raise to).
5. One month later Mike Hein opportunistically switches political parties and is hired by long time County Legislator David Donaldson (a good guy but a "good old boy" nonetheless) to be County Administrator.
Each political move Mr. Hein has made smacks of good old boy patronage. Not a single government position was obtained on his own or without BIG TIME political connections.
If we want to elect an independent leader - someone with a proven track record of creating jobs, our choice could not be clearer: Len Bernardo (someone who has run multi million dollar private sector companies and negotiated with Fortune 500 industries); or Mike Hein (an admittedly good looking but completely politically connected individual who is connected to all the same people who have caused our taxes to be so high and our jobs to be so few).
Give me a break. I'm surprised there's not a General Lee parked outside his house. Mr. Hein is the very epitomy of the good old boys network. In fact, sometimes I think we are in Hazard County with Boss Hogg instead of Ulster County.
1. He worked in some jewelery store in the mall.
2. He worked for a local bank.
3. He was then plucked from obscurity by Democratic County Treasurer Lew Kirschner. Kirschner has been treasurer SINCE 1977 - HE IS THE ORIGINAL GOOD OLD BOY in that sense. That's not to say being a good old boy is always a bad thing, but nobody can claim Mike Hein is not a good old boy when he was hired by the father of all Ulster County Good Ole' Boys.
4. In November, 2005 the Democrats are elected to control the County Legislature after the Republicans took their justly deserved beating for the jail disaster and obscene tax hike proposed by their appointed County Administrator (who Mike Hein kept on the County payroll as his Deputy and then gave a $5,000 raise to).
5. One month later Mike Hein opportunistically switches political parties and is hired by long time County Legislator David Donaldson (a good guy but a "good old boy" nonetheless) to be County Administrator.
Each political move Mr. Hein has made smacks of good old boy patronage. Not a single government position was obtained on his own or without BIG TIME political connections.
If we want to elect an independent leader - someone with a proven track record of creating jobs, our choice could not be clearer: Len Bernardo (someone who has run multi million dollar private sector companies and negotiated with Fortune 500 industries); or Mike Hein (an admittedly good looking but completely politically connected individual who is connected to all the same people who have caused our taxes to be so high and our jobs to be so few).
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23 comments:
Very accurate and very true!
I had to laugh when I read Blaber's post. Hein, not part of the good ole boy network? What do you call Kirschner? 35 years in the County Government. That is the definition of being a good ole boy. I didn't even post this at Blabers because there is no way he would post anything in opposition to his main main.
Lew Kirschner is the definition of a good ole boy. He has been in county government for OVER 30 years. If that doesn't make him a good old boy, I don't know what is. Lew hand picked Michael Hein to carry on in his good ole boy tradition. You pick the strangest things to promote..... Hein, not a good ole boy, give me a break. Blaber New Fair and Balanced... give me a break.
cc: Ulster Politics
Blaber is just ridiculous.
Af friends sent this to me.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Guess by the headlines that Ulster is in a “financial pinch,” Hein’s belt tightening measures, right-sizing and prudent fiscal policies that he claimed to follow (when he balanced the 2008 County Budget) didn’t do him much good.
It certainly would explain why no regional budget road shows were scheduled this year. Hmmm..Let’s see—last June, County Administrator Hein and side-kicks were visiting communities allowing residents an early prelude to the budget process.
Now there is a hiring freeze and 90-day moratorium on conference attendance outside the County? Haven’t we been down this bumpy road already? Last year was the same scenario. By July 27th specific budget cut proposals were in the works and in August a hiring freeze was initiated until the end of 2007. A common sense approach to controlling spending should have rolled over the hiring freeze into 2008.
Hein claims to be “pro-active” preparing for a more efficient government going forward now asking department heads to trim two percent off their budgets. There were indications two years ago that there would be a slump in the economy. His priority to bring transparency to balancing a budget is not very convincing. Is he still in training? This is not the first budget Hein has been responsible for. And he has aspirations of being the first County Executive for Ulster County?
His track record of being fiscally responsible speaks volumes:
In 2005, Michael Hein, who at the time was a Republican, stated the County would have a $23 million deficit. The current administration campaigned on that point to win the majority.
By the time Hein switched parties, the County had $12 million in the General Fund. There was $17.8 million surplus at the end of 2006 and $19.6 million in the fund balance at the end of 2007. (None of which was used to reduce the tax levy in property taxes for either year.)
In 2007, Hein allocated $460,000 anticipated revenue for board-ins at the Law Enforcement Center and by October only $15,730 was realized. This year he projected $1.3 million for board-ins and those figures have fallen short as well. Anticipated sales tax revenue projections at $83.4 million are also coming up short month after month. That’s quite a track record—he has missed the mark on every projection.
Voters are urged to use extreme caution this fall. If Hein has not performed in his County Administrator capacity, as County Executive, it will be “business as usual” and taxpayers will pay a hefty price and dig deeper into their pockets. Again, voters beware!!
from Ellen DiFalco
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haw!
At least Hein filed his financial disclosure on time. How is this guy going to run the county if he doesn't file a simple disclosure on time?
Ellen DiFalco.... give it a rest. Go collect your fat pension and enjoy life a little will ya?
9:29 -
That has got to be the weakest defense of a candidate ever uttered in the history of representative democracy. Who cares if Mr. Hein filed his disclosure on time? All that proves is that he is more worried about bureaucracy than about the people whom he is supposed to be serving.
Adherence to bureaucratic rules proves absolutely nothing about one's ability to do a given job. Those rules were not put in place to do the voters any real good. They were created to convince the voters that the system was being cleaned up. The fact is, however, that the corruption in NY politics does not come from campaign contributions and disclosures and other campaign finance rules will do absolutely nothing to clean up anything. Such rules are just a smokescreen to allow business as usual to continue while making the public think things are getting better.
You know what will clean up the system? Bringing in people who have no connection to the Establishment. People like Len Bernardo and Jim Quigley who not only have many, many times the experience, knowledge and talent their opponents have but also have no stake in upholding the system as it (doesn't) function.
If you want to fix what ails Ulster County, elect Len Bernardo County Executive and James Quigley County Comptroller.
Anonymous 9:29,
At at least the woman has the courage to sign her own name to her comments. I can't say this about the rest of the bloggers lurking around on both sides of the political aisle.
Expect a very nasty, bitter campaign, as the election cycle progresses, from both camps that will turn many voters off.
All I can say is that if Mr. Hein and his campaign supporters want to throw stones about things not being filed on time, then they better be prepared to get the Ulster County budget in on time. Go ahead keep making noise. Payback is a bitch. I think the taxpayers and Legislators will care a whole lot more about delay tactics on a budget that campaign finance disclosure.
When Blaber says, Hein has 'progressive' values, what exactly does that mean. I mean, the guy was once a republican. Did he wake up one night, in a cold sweat, and decide drug dealers, users, and gangs should be left alone? Did he see 'the light', and conclude Ulster County should top Sullivan County as the Social Services capitol of NY, with Kingston in the middle? Does Mr Hein now believe the rich, got rich unfairly, and should pay more in taxes?
Again, what does Blaber mean, Hein shares his progressive values?
According to today's Times-Herald Record, Hein's largest contributor is the Western Mohegan Tribe. The Western Mohegans are suing Ulster County so they don't have to pay taxes at the Tamarack. Who arranged the deal to sell the Tamarack to the Western Mohegans? None other than good ole boy Lew Kirschner.
9:29, why can't Hein produce the county budget on time?
9:29, why can't Hein produce the county budget on time?
Just because someone raises money, does not mean it's a good thing. When you take money from people, it usually means that they expect something in return, especially if they are a business. I don't think it's a good thing that Mike Hein is taking money from Indians. I respect a candidate who self finances. I believe it means that they are putting their money where their mouth is. Why should other people who are struggling have to foot the bill for political campaigns? I like politicians, like Michael Bloomberg, who can not be bought. I also don't think all those people who donated to Hein really support Hein, I think that Kirschner and Spada shook them down for money. That is for sure a good old boy shake down.
cc: Ulster Politics
Everyone can shut the ***k up now. Bernardo filed.
I think the jewelery store at the mall was Littman Jewelers. Yeeeeee-Haw-Yallllllll!
BLABER - So what? Bernardo put some money into his campaign? That means Bernardo is not being bought by special interests, like Indians. Auerbach and Bernardo have been raising money for about the same length of time. Auerbach raised $14,000, Bernardo raised $12,000. Hein has been raising money since 2007. You are far from being fair and balanced. I don't know why I'm wasting my time typing this. You won't post it anyway.
It's not about how much you raise. It's about the ratio of spending to raising. If you have a fundraiser and raise $100,000, some people might say WOW! But what is the big deal if you spend $95,000 to make the $100,000. The net profit is only $5,000. Look at how much money Hein has spent and how much he has left to play with.
Bernardo has raised just about the same as Auerbach, in the same tiem frame. However he has much more to play with because he put his own money where his mouth is.
Hein has been raising money since 2007. I'm not sure it's such a good thing that he is taking money from so many businesses and Indians. What are these businesses and Indians going to want in return? They aren't donating this money out of the goodness of their heart because Mike Hein is such a "good guy". They are going to want something in return for their investment.
This can't be good for the average taxpayer in Ulster County. At least Bernardo will be free from the pressure of special interest groups.
Also Bernardo has filed, so that is a done deal. He wasn't trying to hide anything. What about Hein. He didn't get the budget done and to the Legislators on time last year, and he's already planning not to be on time this year. That is a far bigger "no no" that the Legislators are going to be VERY unhappy about.
Taxpayers should be far more concerned that their County Budget is not going to be presented to their elected Legislators because Michael Hein is playing political games. Bernardo had nothing to hide... can you say the same about Hein and the budget? Nooooooooooooooo sir, you can't.
Blaber is saying that the Bernardo campaign is broke because Mr. Bernardo has made a donation to his own campagin. Please show your support for Len Bernardo by visiting www.LenBernardo.com and make a donation today. You can donate by check or by credit card. Let's all show our support for Len. Hein has had a huge headstart, it's time that we rally our troops.
Several points first Bernardo is putting in his own money so he owes no one any favors. second Noonan will fight to keep that date the budget is due but has an uphill fight. Zimet and Gregorious were the Dems that brought that idea forward and now they are going to roll over for Hein????? gregorious switched his vote 2 resolutions later to be able to bring it back up where did he leave his morals in Heins checkbook. Lomita well we know he has a promise from Mike and told the county that it will be passed next month Ulster County is no longer open to a 2 party system its his way. I guess the Republicans don't need to show. B
The store was Glenn Peters in Westchester and there was an issue with missing watchbands. And Pat Oliveri was his friend then too.
Hein is a slumlord and gets tax dollars for some of his tenants.
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