Will Yandik. (Campaign photo)
The county, facing massive property tax increases, came calling in 1977. The city was willing to drop its city-only 2 percent sales tax in exchange for a piece of a countywide 3 percent tax. The first of several five-year contracts, which went into effect in March 1978, provided the city 9 percent of total collections. The towns were added later, as was another percentage point for the city.
The current formula went into effect in March 2001. It wasn’t a good-neighbor movement that increased the city’s share from 10 to 11.5 percent. It was old-fashioned self-interest politics.
Incumbent Republican legislature chairman Dan Alfonso did not have enough Republican votes in caucus for another one-year term. Challenger Phil Sinagra had 14 of 18 Republicans, a solid majority, but needed 17 of the total 33 legislators for election. Alfonso outwitted Sinagra and county GOP chairman Pete Savago by secretly going to the Democrats for their support. Then-mayor and Democrat T.R. Gallo was willing to recruit fellow Dems, but demanded something in return — that something being an increase in the city’s share of sales tax. Alfonso agreed. Gallo rounded up the necessary Democrats. Alfonso kept his word. And that, dear readers, is how sneaky politicians make history.
Congressional news
Finally taking the plunge after making the rounds for several weeks and being “mentioned” in every other news report, fourth-generation Columbia County farmer Will Yandik, 36, officially announced for the Democratic nomination for Congress this week.
Casting the usual aspersions at Republican hopefuls John Faso (“a Long Island-born lobbyist” who by the way has lived in Kinderhook for more than 30 years) and Andrew Heaney (“a New York City business owner” who’s lived full-time in Millbrook since 2014), Yandik offered “respect” for Democratic rival Zephyr Teachout’s “passion for reform.”
Teachout, after formally announcing last week, is currently on a Hillary-like listening tour of the vast 19th Congressional District. She’s already expressed concerns about the SAFE Act, indicating she’s heard from gun advocates.
District Republicans will meet at convention in Kingston on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Best Western. Heaney, who says he’s going the direct petition route, is not expected to attend.
Delaware County farmer Bob Bishop keeps plowing on after being zonked 40-28 at his own county’s convention by Faso. Faso figures to handily carry the convention, but will face Heaney in a GOP primary in June.
His Eggselency Mr. Hein and the gas and wind seemingly produced by consuming six eggs can lead to thinking about only one satisfahhhhin’ sceeee-nario eyyun-spahhhrd bah that thar “Smokey And The Bandit” feeeyulm of yesteryear:
Mayor to Mr. Hein: “Ah’m Mayor Bu-ford T. Jus-tice, and in the NAME of the LAW– you need to TAKE your A-DO-LAYYYESCENT-sahhhzed BALLS out your POCKET and WAHP that SILLY stupid SMIRK off your dayaamn FAYYYACE– and let The Steel Man golfer(he KNOW who HE eeeyuzzz) smack thayyem balls o’ yurn out YONDER– over the CRICK from the sixth tee at Twaalfskeeyull so they STRAHK that thar ARN train trestle beeeyult over that thar CRICK hard ’nuff to make it TOLL lahhk a church bayyell DO eeyun that thar TOWER of that thar Old Dutch CHURCH– EEF’N you so much as THEEEYINNK to SHORT MAH city a SEEYINGULL GREENBACK from the county sales TAX, boy–OR fail to stop at a STOP sahhn in this here city o’ MAHN!! ARE you READIN’ me, SON??!! (and mayyan do ahh feeyull sorry for your old man who hayyudd to look at your dumbass face and realahhz that thar came from heeeyuz loins!!)”
That thar’s “The Great One”, ya think?! Bang…Zoom…to the MOOOON!!
(Whistlin’ and a-hummin’, “East Bound and Down, Loaded Up And TRUCKIN’… We Gonna Do What THEY SAY CAYYANN”T BE DONE…”)
Hein is trying everything he can to get that Safety Net money back. He was planning on being in Congress soon and he messed that up. By having one no tax increase budget after the next, he has painted himself into a corner. He spent all the money on such superfluous things as veterans monuments, a unnecessary homeless shelter for Veterans for which ther are none in Ulster County, electric car chargers, and fighting the rail road. He cut the work force by 1/3, sold Golden Hill, privatized mental health services, on and on it goes and the budget never decreased with all of the drastic cuts. He did not stop spending, just changed what he spent it on. He is trying to take it out on Kingston and he is getting the push back he deserves. Time for him to face the music and accept the blame for the mess he has created.