Local elections well behind us, the installation ceremonies complete and the New Administration in place, it’s time to move away from campaign politics and provide our readers and participants with a venue that informs and advises residents of the actions and accomplishments of their ‘New Administration’, its policies and its performance.
This platform can serve residents by offering them a forum for discussion and debate within their own community.
Town Agendas readily available on the county website will be published and highlighted so that residents can comment on issues before the Town Board.
Granted, governing by public opinion is not always in the best interest of the entire community, elected officials can govern better when they are familiar with the general sentiment of their constituents and the electorate as a whole.
No government body can satisfy everyone, but it can be held accountable to do what is in the best interest of the community as a whole. This can best be accomplished with active input from all residents, we urge you to visit Town Hall and communicate with your councilmen. The open door policies being promoted by Jim Quigley & Company welcome everyone from Rte 32 to Rte 28 an equal voice in debating the issues and policies which affect the entire Town.
In the meantime, there are issues confronting us on a broader level, the governing practices of County, State and Federal governments have far reaching effects on the quality of life of everyone in the Town of
From time to time we will post regarding issues on the political and social landscape of the county, state and nation. We also intend to demonstrate the advantages and beauty of life in the Town of
On a final note:
On behalf of the entire town we’d like to thank Mr. Woerner for finally allowing the New Administration to take on the tasks before them without his premature criticism and sour grape attitude. It’s best for him and best for the town, It is time for us to look forward, the challenges we face are many, the current economic landscape complicates them further.
Once again we wish Mr. Woerner good luck in his endeavors and thank him for his years of service as Supervisor.
You're being awfully kind to Nicky, he has only demonstrated resentment toward the good people of the town, wishing him luck isn't something I would have done. But you are right about one thing it is time to let Quigley run the town without comments from woerner every time something ends press!
ReplyDeleteWith reference to the pics below:
ReplyDeleteDO we really have these types of birds in town?
THEY ARE REALLY BEAUTIFUL!
I realize this is Town stuff but i keep hearing rumors regarding Nick and Auerbach, deGroot etc, what is going on and can he hurt us in county as he has hurt the town????????????//
ReplyDelete2:45
ReplyDeleteYes. They are Cardinals and they reside here year round.
I think I miss the political bullsh*t, Yeah the Town is Beautiful, but really now wasn't it fun?
ReplyDeleteOn a sadder note, Pray for the people of HAiti!
On a happier note, Go Brown Go!
Can you imagine Massachusetts and the nation if this guy pulls it out!
That'll teach the Big O, or BIg 0, a lessen, he can't mess with gun toting frustrated bible thumpers from all over the country!
NYS senatorial Election and NYS GOvernors races are next, got your tea bags ready?
It is kind of wierd that so many people (according to your poll) are against development of any kind in the town. I certainly don't want to see another fast food place, but you would think that people would be for legitimate development. We have the tech city and edge water properties that sit way to empty, not to mention several areas along the rail line that would be ripe for development aka: the old block plant across from Adams.
ReplyDeleteAre people really against development or was someone bored and decided to Rock the Vote???
Jeremy, I think the last administration handled what little development took place so badly, ie: special treatment for development by family and friends, franchise fast food locations, poor planning and above all lousy traffic and congestion estimates, that most residents are afraid that any development will be more of the same.
ReplyDeleteThe town has gotten awfully difficult to drive thru, Ulster Ave is one traffic tie up after the next and mainly due to badly planned entrance and exits to shopping centers and restaurants.
We are still without a sidewalk thru the shopping corridor and everything that was predicted about congestion around the New Dunkin Donuts by it's detractors has come to reality.
A new approach is needed, you can't jam senior housing down the throats of residents because your brother-in law is the developer.
On a final note, all the revenue that has been promised the town thru increased tax dollars by most developers has been given away in backroom deals to further benefit family and friends.
Look at the Pilot for Birches, Look at the sweet deal for the mall manager how many times can you fool the residents with empty promises of jobs and industry.
You can thank the town attorney for discounting the interests of the residents at every turn in favor of those he represented, don't think that just because only a handful of residents turn up at town hall meetings that the townsfolk are uninformed. We hear things at our children's ball games out shopping and in our neighborhoods.
Did any of this help?
I agree with you. I hear a lot of things from many places as well. But I don't hear very many people that want no development as the poll above implies (even though it is only 30 votes).
ReplyDeleteI do hear people as you said above, who are tired of fast food resturants and sweetheart deals. As well as "businesses" that only exist as a result of generous federal funding from a certain politician trying to buy our votes. I think that most would be more than happy with development that creates real jobs for the people in this area and actually stands on its own two feet instead of being proped up by government money. Maybe even a business that manufactures a product to sell at market, if there is any such thing left.
I do hope that more people take the time to get the information direct from the horse's mouth. You don't have to show up at the town meetings, you can just as easily listen to them or request the minutes. Or even call your representatives, I bet you a cup of coffee that Jim Quigley returns phone calls. Talk at ball games and in your neighborhood is great, but many times there is a lot of misinformation spread that way as was proven during the last election.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, all of those deficencies you cite about traffic, sidewalks and poor planning are left overs from the Wadnola and pre Wadnola days.
The fact is, Woerner presided over the slowest period of development in the town of Ulster in the last 35 years. There were many, many people who voiced concern over traffic patterns, saturation of certain parcels and most importantly, over all poor long term planning.
The town Democrats at the time, Vince Guido, Mike Berardi and Brian Cahill were some of the most vocal, even though it fell on deaf ears.
As for current development, I believe the residents will get behind anything that is reasonably planned, built to that plan, meets all of the environmental regulations and fits the towns comprehensive plan.
I am waiting to see Quigley in action. I am anxious to see Quigley get things done, delivering the promised improvements he talked about during his campaign. I don't think I am alone in my high expectations.
8:23 & 8:18 It doesn't happen often but I must tell you i am truly confused. I'd like to know what point you are trying to make?
ReplyDeleteFixing the mess left by Jingles and Zweeeben is a job unto itself - first you have to find the landmines before they get stepped on, or explode of their own accord. Then you have to properly and LEGALLY (for a change :) address the issues. Consider Quigley to be a garbage man for purposes of overcoming the crap that Jingles has left in his wake... Concurrently, you have to develop a plan to stimulate local growth. That will not happen quickly in the best economy. Under the current fiscal crisis in the nation and OUR TOWN, it may not happen at all. My hope for the Quigley administration is that they put forth the EFFORT to bring development to the town. The only problem I foresee is that Quigley is only ONE MAN, and a mere mortal at that - he's not Superman! Quigley needs to bring in help. As the saying goes, many hands make for light work, the town would do well to hire a fulltime person to assist the Supervisor on development or adminstrative issues.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought: suppose the town had a fulltime Town Manager in place during the Jingles administration who was not a relative or crony, but a hired professional, me thinks Zweben and Jingles wouldn't have been able to gut the town coffers as they handed out sweetheart deals to their buddies... someone who actually was there pointing at Jingles and saying "but the emperor has no clothes."
How about some photos of the (mostly) seamy side of TOU. The garbage on the roadsides, traffic, the acres of asphalt parking lots, the lack of pedestrian/bicycle friendly avenues. But I love it anyway.
ReplyDelete2:09
ReplyDeleteWe're not quite the city of Kingston yet!
9:48, this is what I was responding to. I am not defending Woerner. The fact is, he didn't contribute anything this other than Chambers 2. Wadnola and those before him did the mess by the Mall, Dunkin Donuts and all the other mess. Wadnola even did Chambers phase 1, Look for yourself.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.birchez.com/images/chambers_ribboncut_sm.jpg
There is ole' Fred front and center with Aaron, Hinchey, and his good friend Al Spada.
I think the last administration handled what little development took place so badly, ie: special treatment for development by family and friends, franchise fast food locations, poor planning and above all lousy traffic and congestion estimates, that most residents are afraid that any development will be more of the same.
The town has gotten awfully difficult to drive thru, Ulster Ave is one traffic tie up after the next and mainly due to badly planned entrance and exits to shopping centers and restaurants.
We are still without a sidewalk thru the shopping corridor and everything that was predicted about congestion around the New Dunkin Donuts by it's detractors has come to reality.
9:48, this is what I was responding to.
ReplyDeleteI think the last administration handled what little development took place so badly, ie: special treatment for development by family and friends, franchise fast food locations, poor planning and above all lousy traffic and congestion estimates, that most residents are afraid that any development will be more of the same.
The town has gotten awfully difficult to drive thru, Ulster Ave is one traffic tie up after the next and mainly due to badly planned entrance and exits to shopping centers and restaurants.
We are still without a sidewalk thru the shopping corridor and everything that was predicted about congestion around the New Dunkin Donuts by it's detractors has come to reality.
I am not defending Woerner. The fact is, he didn't contribute anything this other than Chambers 2. Wadnola and those before him did the mess by the Mall, Dunkin Donuts and all the other mess. Wadnola even did Chambers phase 1, Look for yourself. There is ole' Fred front and center with Aaron, Hinchey, and his good friend Al Spada.
http://www.birchez.com/images/chambers_ribboncut_sm.jpg
4:22
ReplyDeleteI wasn't defending or criticizing either or for that matter any former supervisor, i was merely stating the facts (as I understand them), ie: whatever development we've experienced was poorly planned and considered and for this reason, like urban sprawl has confounded LA, San Diego, New Jersey and Long Island, our own shopping corridor is a traffic disaster, new businesses will only exacerbate the situation. this and the fact that PILOT programs have cost the town revenues, and were contracted deceptively, residents are naturally cautious of more of the same.
Lets face the reality that none of what has been delivered in the past has brought top paying jobs, real industry or well planned housing. Past administrations gotten by on the coat tails of IBM, later supervisors had to deal with the damages left in their wake. To complicate things further, the Developer/real estate magnate Ginsburg, (owner of the Tech City Property) hasn't been the most cooperative and still prospective plans coming to Town Hall are not very promising.
Jim will have a different approach, his vast experience and knowledge in commercial real estate and its development should offer insight to how the town approaches new development.
Residents will be hard to convince but the effort is worthwhile.
Everyone complains about the traffic. Does anyone use the two additional roads, behind Hannaford and behind the Mall? I do and I am in and out when I go shopping. Granted you have to know where you are going and you don't get to stare at the pretty lights as much. The kings mall is the only one that doesn't connect to one of these roads, and that is a quick cut through Barnes and Noble Parking lot.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
5:42, I didn't know Quigley had commercial real estate/development experience. I do not recall him discussing that during the campaign.
ReplyDeleteI knew he was a CPA and was good with numbers. This is an added bonus and should make development issues much easier to pursue and complete. Quigley is really going to be a HOME RUN ! He will have Ulster turned around in no time flat.
6:48 You can get to Kings Mall from the Home Depot parking lot. It isn't a legit road, but you can get through.
8:28
ReplyDeleteYes you can get thru from shoprite to home depot to kings mall or vice versa and out to Sottile blvd but driving thru parking lots can be a harrowing experience.
As far as development is concerned, just think past the proposal. The town has paid good money for a comprehensive plan in place, use it!
And the company doing traffic studies, well I've seen some of their conclusions, when you track traffic volume at 2:pm on a Thursday afternoon in March, it isn't going to reflect the congestion at noon on Friday in December.
JUST BE HONEST With the People, you might find us very receptive when the presentation is legitimate and open and real input from real people is considered rather than dismissed.
I am with you 8:28, I did not know Quigley had devleopment experience. This is great news. Does anyone know what projects Jim worked on so we can take a look?
ReplyDeleteAccoding to his resume from when he ran for comptroller, he is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer for Rothschild Realty Managers LLC.
ReplyDeleteHere is their link: http://www.rrmanagers.com/index.html
I don't know if I would call him a developer per se, a financier maybe, but certainly not a developer.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between financing an existing business development plan and drumming up new development.
This maybe just one mans' opinion, but a successful real estate financier better have some insight into the developmental process if he is to make sound investment decisions, would you invest 100 million dollars in a dream to be developed in a flood zone, or a residential area without consumer support.
ReplyDeleteDon't you have to be concerned with the potential for a safe return on your investment should the landscape be riddled with legal or sentimental resistance or if the site plan is inadequate wouldn't that put your investment at risk?
Yeah his company buys and builds shopping malls. We really hit a homerun! Just what we need more of
ReplyDeleteAnd Hotels, Office Buildings, Industrial Buildings, Apartments, Senior Housing, Green Buildings, and Self Storage Facilities. I guess we don't need anymore of them either. Come to think of it we don't need any Economic Develpoment. Just tax the poor b****** till they move out of Ulster County.
ReplyDeleteDid most of my driving today cutting through parking lots to avoid the traffic and there was even a traffic jam behind Shop Rite. Now if I could only find a way to get to the mall from the Kings mall or whatever it is.
ReplyDeleteFor $100 Million, he better be hiring not only experts, but the very best experts to do the technical work. I dount very much uigley himself was involved in any development at all. It was all about the financing with him.
ReplyDeleteYeah, those complexes on their website don't look nearly as nice as tech city. And I am sure that they aren't nearly as lucrative as the Chamber's Complex.
ReplyDeleteWhat we really need is a 23 year old college drop out to handle bringing development into this town. A comercial real estate development whatever Jim is, is nothing compared to one of those.
Mr. James Quigley, the Messiah.
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to Nicky B. Woerner the moron!?!
ReplyDeleteI'll take Mr. James Quigley any day over Jingles the idiot and his band of merry a**holes!!!!
I guess no one cares as much about the dredging as they do about development for or against! I think this is great, i love a good honest debate, OK we could do without the vitriol on both sides, truth is Nick is in the history books and Quigley is etching his first entries, I don;t think looking back is a worthwhile investment other than remembering the mistakes so we don't repeat them and highlighting the successes so we can improve on them.
ReplyDeleteI think if you can offer the residents a proposal that will provide their children with the promise of career employment, not just a good job but a CAREER other than county or town employment you will find the welcome mat strewn from town hall to town line. not a multiplex cinema but a multi tiered production facility, there is room for growth!
Nice story in the Freeman today. It does not shine a very good light on Town Clerk Jason Consenza. Although the entire process was apparently flawed from the onset and therefore doomed, it does not excuse the incompetence displayed by Consenza in not keeping to the calendar.
ReplyDelete9:17
ReplyDeleteI read the entire article and while Consenza's missing of the deadline resulted in the fundamental reason, i haven't read anything that absolves the town's attorney's from providing proper instructions regarding filing and public notice. The fact that the attorney's office isn't pointing fingers leads me to believe they may have been complicit in the mistakes.
Regardless, the article indicts nor absolves anyone involved.
I question the attorney's for not withdrawing the action and re-instituting a new action within the legal guidelines?
Although I have no more education in Law other than a few Contract and Business Law courses in College, it seems to me that withdrawing the action would at least have prevented the public embarrassment of appearing sloppy and inadequate in the performance of conducting town's business.
There is also the question as to whether our attorney's were even applying the law to the situation properly, I think this needs to be investigated further, We know that there have been decisions handed down by State officials, including the NYS AG"s office, that have criticized our town attorney in the past for his interpretation of codes, laws and proper procedure.
11:36, I do not say anything about the former town attorney for fear of being sued or harrassed.
ReplyDelete