IDA FACT: According to Rodriguez, the IDA issued $1.4 million in bonds so that Bernardo could build Skate Time 209.
TRUTH: Bernardo built Skate Time 209 using his own money
IDA FACT: According to Rodriguez, in addition to the $1.4 million, Bernardo was exempt from having to pay the Mortgage Recording Tax, which, according to Rodriguez, is about 2 percent of the bond money.
TRUTH: Because there was no mortgage, there was no mortgage recording tax AT ALL
IDA FACT: Democratic Legislator Hector Rodriguez is the Chairman of the Economic Development Sub-Committee that oversees the IDA
TRUTH: Yep, that's a fact and a disgrace
IDA FACT: Former IDA chair March Gallagher, now head of the IDA's Governance Committee, said she personally visited Skate Time 209 to set up an event for her son's birthday.
TRUTH: Sort of.... she told the the staff she wanted to set up an event, and then proceeded to gather "information" for the IDA without identifying herself or why she was REALLY there. March Gallagher is a Democrat who is actively campaigning for Mike Hein. She was there 4 weeks before the election, and lied to the Skate Time staff about her real reason for speaking to them. Her real reason for her "undercover" visit was to get employment numbers to try and smear Len Bernardo.
FACT: Hector Rodriguez and March Gallagher are political hacks who should both resign.
Posts
34 comments:
You should tag your FACT with IDA 'FACT' or IDA 'CLAIM'.
Dirty, Scortched Earth politics come to Ulster County.
What the hell is going on?
There should be a full investigation into this matter by our District Attorney.
It is unacceptable that people who are supposed to be doing work on behalf of the hard working taxpayers of Ulster County are using their government positions to try to further their own political agenda.
And this is what we know? Imageine what is going on that we don't know about.
March Gallagher and Hector need to go.
March in particular is appalling. She thinks she works for the CIA not the IDA.
Hack, hack, hack.
I bet Brittany Turner is glad this post went up, so that her DWI arrest is not on the top of the blog anymore.
Instead of Mike Hein publically condeming these people, he put out a press release agreeing with them.
Mike Hein, whose only claim as to why he is qualified to be County Executive is that his time in County Government gives him the background to really understand the way things work, called on Len Bernardo to "give back" all the money he received from the County.
Mr. Hein obviously knows absolutely nothing about the County's business development programs if he is incapable of understanding the fact that Mr. Bernardo received NO MONEY FROM THE COUNTY.
Poof. The only legitimate reason anyone has for voting for Mr. Hein just went up in smoke. The only remaining reason is Party Loyalty.
It's just that kind of thinking that got this County into the trouble we are in.
Len Bernardo for County Executive - The Only Rational Choice
Check Rodriguez's checker past with the IDA in Newburgh Gave out Ida money to felons and the legislature did not approve it. They went to get it back and $350,000 was gone They are still in court over it. Check it out it was a typical Dem move
12:00PM is right: Rodriguez is a disaster for Ulster- just like he was for Newburgh. He got fired because he wasn't ethical enough to work for disgraced Comptroller Alan Hevasi. 'nuff said?
But IDA's are essentially worthless enterprises. The investments they make almost never create the jobs they promise, and guess what: the businesses they help to establish are not sustainable. As soon as the tax benefits and public supports end, the businesses go belly up.
But regardless of who is at the helm of the IDA, they may well pass out IDA resources to felons.
Thats because felons are equal opportunity exploiters of financial opportunity. Legislative oversight of IDAs is a joke on the taxpayers (Rodriquez again.) Even though there is no public benefit, both Democratic and Republican officials enjoy the opportunity to have their smiling picture taken at a ribbon cutting.
By the way, Democrats are merely inept with IDAs, while the Republicans completely corrupt them. In the hands of Republicans, IDAs become fundraising machines where the beneficiaries of IDA programs turn those financial benefits into campaign contributions to GOP candidates. Case in point: campaign contributions to GOP Assembly candidate Sean Matthews.
http://www.ucfishbowl.blogspot.com/
He is worthless. The Democrats should be ashamed having this guy as the point man for Economic Development. He never shows up at meetings. Even when he does he offers nothing and to top it off, he is not trustworthy. Who appointed him anyway?
What they did on behalf of Mike Hein should be illegal.
The graphic of Hector for this blog entry is perfect. Lets shower him with it.
There is no rational explanation for Ms. Gallaghers actions. This can not be explained as a legitimate investigation. This is using a government position for political purposes and should not be tolerated.
Mr. Rodriguez appears to either be incompetent or in fact a liar.
From what I hear on the streets, he's a little bit of both.
5:48 - The graphic design department at Ulster Politics is glad that you appreciate our work. Thanks!
To: 3:58pm
He is worthless. The Democrats should be ashamed having this guy as the point man for Economic Development. He never shows up at meetings. Even when he does he offers nothing and to top it off, he is not trustworthy. Who appointed him anyway?
Many Dem's turn the other way whenever you mention Hector's name to them. Missing meetings is a popular statement.
In fact, as Chair of the Economic Development Committee he has missed all but one meeting of the Kingston-Ulster Empire Zone Administrative Board. Three years and only go to one meeting? Shameful.
Additionally, as Chair he should make sure that is own Committee minutes are online. The last meeting posted online was August 2008. ...and if you look at the minutes - under RESOLUTION Appointing Members to the UC Open Space Partnership - He, as Chair, put himself onto that committee too.
Hector, why add yourself to another committee when you do not make the meetings that you are supposed to attend?
PLEASE ADD THIS BLOG TO YOUR LIST:
www.ucfishbowl.blogspot.com
Mr. Beke, how can you condemn another person for playing party politics when Len Bernardo would be beholden to THREE party bosses? I thought you had more sense than that.
IDAs ARE "public benefit corporations," aka "authorities, just as the Port Authority, ThruwayAuthority, etc. They are TRULY above and beyond the law. No one can TOUCH 'em.
Chances are slim that this time around I'll be able to capture the effing dictatorial power of County Executive the ONLY reson for doing such would be to GIVE IT BACK TO YOU PEOPLE...but not totaly impossible.
Ye watchers: look to the eastern gorizon for two cloudbursts to engulf and smoother party politics. and, voila! by the oldest game in town, "write-in,"...
...pure i ndependent, Allan Wikman, becomes Ulster County Executive.
We now return to the sylvan freedoms of Sherwood Forest.
Allan Wikman
845 + 802-0403
Glenn Noonan has been sounding the call against Hector for years,,, publically & privately !
Noonan , for all his faults, is a true Public Servant.
He DOES CARE about his constituents. I know,, i am one of them & he does represent us well.
Hector Rodriguez is a little spoiled Liberal " Mama's Boi " & shouldnt be in Government, he can barely change his own diaper !
I know--- cause i know him & interract with him & he is a child !! & a bad one @ that !
Rumor on the 6th floor is that he is sniffing around the Chairman's office and is thinking about challenging Donaldson... what a joke. He is an embarrassment. Even Donaldson could beat Hector. I can think of 5 other Legislators who would be better Chairman than either of them.
Looks like the old druggie pops his head back into things with his comment at 7:23.
I could think of 30
Mr. Wikman -
Do me the kindness of re-reading what I wrote. I did not speak of party politics. That game is a given. It is simply impossible in New York State to win an election for a position as important as County Executive without the endorsement of a major Party and one or two third Parties. That is the nature of the beast.
That having been said, I have known Len Bernardo for many years and I can say - unequivocally and with no doubt whatsoever - that Len will NOT be beholden to anyone, Party Boss or otherwise. Only someone who does not know him, does not understand his character could believe that he would be.
The point of my post is that some people will vote out of LOYALTY to their Party even if all other factors prove - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that their candidate is far from the best qualified for the job. Parties exist, will exist and will - in all likelihood - retain a great measure of control over the process for our lifetimes and beyond.
However, the role of Parties should be to field candidates who both personify their principles and are qualified to do the job. Loyalty should be demonstrated by the Party to its principles and to its members, not by its members to the Party without questioning the Party's positions and endorsements.
Michael Hein can not even touch Len Bernardo's qualifications. His only claim to being qualified for the job is that he understands the County Government better than Len Bernardo. Given his atrocious misreading of Mr. Bernardo's IDA project, any claim of understanding Government by Mr. Hein would now seem to be unutterably hollow and false.
Again, there is no rational choice for County Executive other than Len Bernardo.
I checked out Hector with some fellow Dems. He seemed to have kept his Chairmanship of the Economic Development Committee because he backed Donaldson for Chair when others challenged Donaldson last winter.
So not only does Hector get the "bully pulpit" award for helping Donaldson we also got a loser for a Committee Chair.
Mike Hein's main "claim to fame" is that he understands how government works and Len Bernardo doesn't.
If Hein knew how it worked, he wouldn't be asking for Bernardo to return money or saying that Bernardo used the taxpayers as an ATM. This shows Heins economic development ignorance.
Economic development assistance is given to businesses who in the long run pay taxes and create jobs. Period. The benefit is offset by the taxes and jobs created. This is a concept that is lost on Mike Hein.
Bernardo was exempt from paying sales tax on the construction of his project. In order get that right, he paid $50,000 to the UCDC. In return, he has generated many taxes which have far offset the sales tax he was exempt from paying. Bernardo's facility generates sales tax, payroll taxes, and property tax to name just a few.
Hein is asking Bernardo to "pay back" $100,000... first Bernardo already paid $50,000, so that would reduce that amount to $50,000. A quick check of sales tax records would reveal how much sales tax Bernardo has collected since his facility opened. I am pretty sure that it would be in excess of $50,000.
Hein is an uneducated political hack. He is a "political creation" by non other than Lew Kirschner. Hein's past accomplishments include being employed by a bank and a jewelry store as an employee. Hein has never created any jobs or owned a business in his whole life. At 43, his experience in business and life pale in comparison to Bernardo's 53 years and record of business accomplishments.
Hein is a fake and a phony trying to make a career in politics. That's OK if you are the best qualified for the job, but in this case, he's not.
Before Hein, Gallagher and Rodriguez beat up on business owner Bernardo, and every other business trying to make it in Ulster County, they may want to read this... posted on Joe Bubel's blog
Tax System Explained in Beer
A friend of mine sent me.
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day
and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw
them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the
cost of your daily beer by $20. 'Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the
first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what
about the other six men - the paying customers?
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair
share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share. Then the fifth man and the sixth
man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner
suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the
same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to
drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare
their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to
the tenth man,' but he got $10!
''Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar,
too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!
''That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when
I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!
''Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get
anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
'The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth
man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without
him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something
important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half
of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax
system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from
a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas
where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
Author of this explanation is in dispute. It was not me.
IF Democrats backed Provzano for Chair last year both Rodriquez and Zimit would of been done running the county. I am a good friend of a Republican committeeman and he said that most defitnately would have happened. They back donaldson because they have control of him.
Noonan complains about Susan Zimets chosen running mate?
Noonan and Zimet are close friends-maybe even political allies from across the aisle. (I have heard it said that if you want to know what Zimet is really thinking, listen to what Noonan is actually saying...)
If Noonan is criticizing Hector, that must mean HR and Zimet are on the outs. If thats true, I bet that always self-serving Zimet is looking for another running mate- who knows? Maybe she is recruiting that sweet, smart and sexy Brittany Turner to run instead of Hector next year. I guess time will tell. This seat (maybe both Hector's and Susan's seats) could be an opportunity for the GOP.
Did you hear the story about Hector going to meet Canopy development? He had a big hole in the crotch of his pants and nothing under them. Did he think thats going to attract business? NOT
Dear 4:44
First: The $50k paid by Bernardo upfront on his PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes agreement) was paid to the taxing jurisdictions- not UCDC.
Second: Sales tax data is not subject to FOIL so unless Bernardo opens his books, we'll never know whether or when he's generated more than $156k in sales tax benefits (only a portion of which would go to UC anyway).
Third: Why doesn't Bernardo just whip out the W-2s from last December when he told the IDA he had 15 FTE and put this thing to bed already?
maybe because it was the IDA who came up with those numbers.
last year was the first year that the IDA wanted FTEs. Before that it was all just "jobs"
Bernardo told the IDA that he didn't know how to convert what he had been reporting to them and what he currently had on staff, so he gave his information to Lisa Fadelici and she is the one who computed those numbers for them.
Big Surprise that THEY inflated them. They being the UCDC and the IDA, not Bernardo.
Matteson will be paid a base salary of $105,000.
Can we get that money back from Matteson? What results has he gotten for Ulster County?
Economic Development in Ulster County is a joke, and we pay the head jokster $105,000 a year.
And last year a $15,000 bonus bet he gets it again this year, think he ONLY lost 200 jobs
A $15,000 bonus for Lance Mattison of the UCDC? For WHAT?
For losing jobs to Greene County?
For conducting undercover political investigations against IDA projects?
Now that's absolut bullshit Ulster Politics Good Old Boy style
Anonymous 10:52 posts something that can only be gotten from Blog Administrators inside info !!!
Is there a breach of ethics & security on this Blog ???
I demand an answer to this & also the identity of this Blog's editorial board.
This challenges the anonymity of all posters !
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