An online question
-
- February
- 4
If you happen to surf on over to Mike Kaplowitz’s campaign Web site, you’ll find an online poll (“a completely informal survey,” according to Kaplowitz, a Democratic Westchester County legislator) gauging folks’ interest in his running against state Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Carmel.
The site is left over from Kaplowitz’s run for state Senate in 2006 (unsuccessfully, against Sen. Leibell, R-Patterson). Kaplowitz said he put the survey question up as a way to update the old Web site.
He said he doesn’t tally the results.
“Clearly, it shows there’s some opportunity and clearly there’s been interest,” he said.
Kaplowitz said he was “honing in on a decision” on whether to run against Ball for state Assembly.
Ball has said he plans to run for a second term in Albany.
(A mention of the survey showed up yesterday on Brewster10509, a local Yahoo group.)
This entry was posted
on Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm by Mike Risinit.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
| 
Email This
Easy win for Ball.
Kaplowitz is no friend of the taxpayer, he should be DUMPED
He doesn’t tally the results? This statement of inanity and prevarication is why no one should trust politicians.
I heard Ball did a recent poll on a head to head against Kaplowitz and Kaplowitz only got 15%, in fact he polled less than 18% name recognition in his own Legislative District. Kaplowitz would be doing Ball a favor if he ran!
Kaplowitz has a record of fiscal conervatism, cutting over $50 million of wasteful spending.
Ball sounds good, but he hasn’t done anything…
Kaplowitz is the guy who gets the job done, we deserve his leadership in Albany.
Hey Mr. Ball, please get off the blogs and do your job.
Nobody believes your fake poll numbers and we all know its you posting.
You have no other supporters. Get back to work!
just called Ball’s office and he’s not there. Probably sitting at home blogging in his underwear.
This is pathetic
The final numbers will be coming in soon and surprisingly many people seem to have had enough of Greg Ball and his false promises. As far as name recognition, Mike Kaplowitz made great headway last year in gaining name recognition in Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Kaplowitz will prove to be a very tough opponent and he has a very good chance of defeating Ball.
Mike Kaplowitz is an honest hard working legislator who the voters can relate to. I do not believe Ball is busy blogging, he has his little puppy dog Matt for those types of tasks. Ball is out seeking where he can have his next do nothing rally to gather some press. When it is all said and done, Ball will be known as the Assemblyman who makes a lot of noise and is unsuccessful in accomplishing anything –all bark and no bit.
A couple of things here:
1. This will not be a “easy win” for Ball. Mike Kaplowitz is a serious challenger to Ball or anyone he runs against. This is not an endorsement of Kaplowitz or his politics (I tend to disagree with most of positions), this is just a statement of fact. He works hard, campaigns like there’s no tomorrow and he has a way of connecting with people that few local politico’s posses. Just ask Vinnie Leibell or any of his opponents for county board over the years. They’ll tell you that they respect Kaplowitz as an opponent. He’s good.
2. Who keeps coming up with these fabricated “poll” numbers? Less than 18% name recognition for Kaplowitz in district 4 isn’t even possible. He’s been there for over 10 years now and it’s not as if he’s been hiding under a rock or doing the “Bill Burton” – Kaplowiz is very active and involved the community. I’d also like to know how somebody just “heard” a poll was done. What BS.
3. Ball wouldn’t be in his office today. It’s Monday and he’s in session in Albany with the rest of the legislature. It doesn’t mean that Ball isn’t posting from Albany, sitting in his underwear in his aprtment or hotel room, it just means he isn’t at home doing it.
Anyway, if the accusations are correct about the poll-poster being Ball , he really should be ashamed of himself. Misleading people is bad enough, but being so stupid to put up numbers that unbelievable – that’s really telling.
4. Next, I live in Yorktown and I’m quite aware of the United Taxpayers of Yorktown (UTY). They have their place in the debate but they are mostly a group of disgruntled senior citizens who have little understanding of how government works. They oppose any tax or fee increase not matter how small and they accuse politicians who disagree with them as being “corrupt”, “on the take” or “morons” – I find them to be an interesting bunch, but not all that well informed and they certainly don’t accomplish much with their tactics… naturally, Ball would fit right in with them. Let them have him.
5. Calling this “pathetic” is calling the political process pathetic. If you feel that way, you should stop posting on a political blog.
That’s all for now.
in 2006 greg ball, while doing the bidding of the westchester integrity committee, claimed that dr. giulio cavallo, chairman of the westchester independence party was corrupt and that he had committed election fraud.
ball’s relationship with the integrity committee remained intact throughout 2006 and well into 2007 with michael giantasio and joe spiezio frequently visiting with ball and plotting to install district leaders in north salem, yorktown and somers who would work to remove dr. giulio cavallo from power. this is how ball planned to get his payback against cavallo, who he felt screwed him last-minute out of the independence line in the 2006 general election.
fast forward a few months, the integrity committee has taken a few well deserved blows in court and ball is seriously questioning his alliance. he “breaks� all ties with the integrity committee and starts sucking up big to dr. cavallo hoping to be forgiven.
this is the history. this is fact. greg ball tried to play both sides and it should not be forgotten anytime soon.
In 2008 it will all unravel for Greg Ball.
I’m not a resident of the 99th so I’m not all that concerned with who the assemblyman is but I have been following Ball. I agree with with his positions on the issues and his politics are great but it seems he has a style that’s a bit abrasive.
I don’t think Ball wins just because of the enemies he’s made and the promises he hasn’t honored. Call me old fashion but I still think honesty & integrity matter to the voters.
They’ll go with Kaplowitz for his ability to truly bring their voice into the debate in Albany. The people of the 99th would be well off with a Republican senator and Democrat assemblyman.
six is right. honesty still matters. greg ball is dishonest. he will be revealed and people will vote him out.
the assemblyman has moved from one scapegoat issue to the next. i still want to know if he ever found a job for the homeless guy he hired to harass willis stephens at a brewster parade ? ? ?
Living in the 99th, have never been ‘polled’ !!!!! Asked around the neighborhood and NO ONE has ever been polled by the Balls group.
There needs to be a challenger against Balls this fall as Mr. Balls has spend a year talking while we await to hear if all his talk is going forward for the communities.
Other posters here talk of Westchester Integrity group. Not familiar with them, be interesting to hear more of this connection with Balls. Integrity is something that Ball needs to work very hard at since the appearance is that he lacks integrity with some constituents of his district.
The number one issue with Greg Ball is his lack of integrity and his willingness to be dishonest with the people he interacts with.
People that have met Ball come away with the same opinion. Ball seems sincere and down to earth but behind that illusion there is another person in control. One could envision a man who is controlling, mean spirited and dysfunctional.
Does anyone know if this Mr. Kaplowitz is a serious candidate to run for the 99th Assembly District?
With all the goings on with this years elections nation wide, we may be in for lots of changes.
Mr. Ball has not demonstrated he is the one to be our assemblyman and if this Mr. Kaplowitz is a serious candidate people may give him a chance.
Ball is not only well liked, and he is, he is everywhere, he has over $100k in the bank last posting and people love him. I spent a few weekends driving Ball around, he isn’t just popular in one area, he is LOVED everywhere. I’m talking even outside his district. He is magnetic.
Kaplowitz will hopefully run..and I mean hopefully run because as a strong supporter of Ball I want a Ball/Kaplowitz matchup..the press would be awesome and catapult Ball into the next seat…and Mike will lose, again, and Ball is no Liebell…Leibell is part of the propblem. Ball is a reformer. Kaplowitx can’t run the same campaign against Ball..and he did a horrible job the first time around against Vinny.
Yah have to remember, Ball is the one guy standing up to Silver and Spitzer and the others. What is Kaplowitz going to say? Sure I raised taxes in white plains, but I promise not to in Albany? Sure I supported pay raises in White Plains, but I promise not to in ALbany? Sure, I supported bloated budgets and no show jobs in White Plains, but I promise not to in Albany? Oh yea, I supported millions in handouts to illegal aliens in westchester, but I promise not to in Albany?
Oh no, wait he can’t say that, because we won’t believe him.
This is what he could say;
“Hi, Im Mike Kapplowicz and I’m running to reform albany against the one guy in albany who actually stands up to the crooks…Greg Ball.”
oh wait, that won’t work either…Mike is up you know what creek without a paddle. I know what will happen. Mike will get half way into this race and realize his ego and other people’s perogatives doomed his political career. He will lose 70-30 and go back to looking at a Westchester centered career.
hah! Tax Hike Mike..bring it on! Help Ball increase his name recognition from 87% to 96%! Please..bring on the sacrificial man..
Oh, and Tax Hike Mike isn’t really looking too well these days. Have you seen him?
And with the new lobbyist Mike hired through patronage and the law firm and a few county positions that are political payoffs, the GPS golf carts, westchester medical debacle, the smart meter fiasco…well, it will be fun watching Kaplowitz walk into a buzz saw.
Too bad Vinny didn’t have the juice to finish the Kapster.
Then there are Mike’s neighbors that want to talk…so much material.
Check out Ball’s New Website:
http://www.Ball4NY.com
I saw Kaplowitc’x picture in the photo gallery
1998: In May, Kaplowitz Was One Of Four Legislators To Vote Against A Sales Tax Amnesty On Clothing Costing Less Than $500 For The First Week of September.
1998: In October, Tax Hike Mike Voted Not To Take Part In A State Plan To Waive All Sales Tax On Some Apparel For A Fourth Trial Week In January. The Vote Was 11-6, With Tax Hike Mike voting against the waiver.
In The Summer Of 1999, Kaplowitz Announced His Re-Election Campaign And Pledged To Cut County Property Taxes In His Second Term.
1999: Westchester County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, D-Somers, let down constituents who pay a county sewer tax but have no sewers to show for it. Kaplowitz backed a $3.5 million plan to install sewers in the Quarry Heights enclave on the North Castle-Harrison border while leaving a similar proposal for homeowners in his own District 4 unresolved.
2001: President Of The Taxpayers Alliance Of New York, A Conservative, Anti-Tax Group, Said It Was Wrong To Raise Taxes During An Economic Slowdown. He promised to lobby against the passage of Spano’s budget. ‘Now is the time to be putting money back into people’s pockets,’ Jones said. ‘This moves in exactly the wrong direction.’â€?
2001: Westchester Legislator Mike Kaplowitz Voted To Raise The County Property Tax Another Percentage Point Beyond The 2.8 Percent They Already Had Approved For Next Year, giving County Executive Andrew Spano the extra $3 million he wanted. Spano announced he was freezing all the programs and expenditures that the legislators added to his $1.3 billion budget proposal during more than a month of debate. The additions amounted to $2.9 million, including aid for mental health programs, libraries and programs for Illegal Aliens, women and the homeless that went beyond what Spano put in his budget.
Much more to come…
Wow…Taxhikemike can get enough of his stuff on the other person, Kaplowitz. Does any know if Kaplowitz is going to run?
Sounds like the Ball people figure he might and Mr. Ball is loading up posting with anything he can. They posted that his neighbors have lots to tell. This sounds like it would be a dirty campaign from Ball. Maybe there are neighbors of Ball who can tell stories too !
Give it a rest and wait to see if this Kaplowitz truly runs. Maybe Ball or his little friend are wasting time.
Wow…Taxhikemike can get enough of his stuff on the other person, Kaplowitz. Does any know if Kaplowitz is going to run?
Sounds like the Ball people figure he might and Mr. Ball is loading up posting with anything he can. They posted that his neighbors have lots to tell. This sounds like it would be a dirty campaign from Ball. Maybe there are neighbors of Ball who can tell stories too !
Give it a rest and wait to see if this Kaplowitz truly runs. Maybe Ball or his little friend are wasting time.
Why wait?
2002: Kaplowitz and Spano Proposed A 31.7 Percent Increase In The Amount The County Raises Through Property Taxes, The Largest Increase Since 1968 And The Second Since Mr. Spano Took Office. This was the second-largest county property-tax increase in Westchester history. It fell just short of the 32 percent increase in 1968 to raise money for the county’s share of a newly enacted Medicaid program. The Republican Minority Leader Called It An “Outrageâ€? To Propose The Tax Hike, And Said He Would “Demand Cuts In County Programs And Servicesâ€?
2002: Kaplowitz Supports Raising The Sales Tax By 1%.
2002: Kaplowitz Supports Proposal to Impose A 30-Cent Surcharge On Monthly Cell Phone Bills.
2003: On February 11, Kaplowitz Voted To Adopt A Plan Hiking The Property Tax By A “Whopping 14.8 Percent.â€? Westchester’s whopping 14.8 percent property tax increase was steep enough to affect the county’s commercial climate, many business leaders and professionals agreed. ‘This makes many businesses look at their bottom line: What can they afford. When you look at our taxes, our cost of energy, our cost of living for employees in the middle-income work force, you have a situation of flight for businesses,’ said Lawrence E. Dwyer Jr., president of The Westchester County Association Inc
Want more?
Interesting postings. It sounds as though the current assemblyman is posting against someone who has not declared to be a candidate..atleast there is nothing in the local news as of yet.
Why waste all this posting until you are sure Mr. Kaplowitz is running? Oh….start the attacks early? That could end up being a two way street as politics get so ugly. Running against Ball the person will need thick skin as ball will say anything.
Lets just wait to see if anyone comes forward.
2003: Kaplowitz Supported An Increase In The Sales Tax and Voted for An Increase In The Property Tax.
2003: “Westchester County Has The Highest Property Taxes In New York State, while the sales tax in the county’s largest cities is the highest outside of New York City and Long Island. The median property tax bill for an owner-occupied home in Westchester was $6,826 – the highest among the state’s 57 counties and New York City, and more than twice the statewide median of $2,847.”
2003: All of Westchester’s 40 school districts raised their property taxes this year, including 19 that had double-digit increases. On top of that Kaplowitz delivered a 14.9 percent increase in the county property tax levy that Westchester legislators approved at the 11th hour in February as a special treat. Way to go, TaxHikeMike!
Late 2003: Kaplowitz spearheaded A WHOPPING $1.4 Billion Budget For 2004 With A One-Two Tax Punch: An 8.5 Percent Increase In The Property Tax Levy And A One-Point Increase In The Sales Tax. Funny thing was, the County had No Authority To Collect the sales tax. So, Tax Hike Mike was actually pushing a near 20% property tax increase! The budget vote occurred three hours after two of the seven state assemblymen who represent Westchester met privately with both political caucuses of the Board of Legislators to warn that the proposal to raise the sales tax would fail again in Albany, as it did just 10 months earlier.
2003: Kaplowitz Voted For A Budget That Included a Huge Sales Tax Increase and $4.5 Million From An Increase In Vehicle-Registration Fees That Also Had Not Been Approved In Albany.
There is much, much more….
The fact that the Ball Campaign is posting this info means that State Senate must have provided the OpResearch from last cycle to Ball. Leibell and Ball must now be working together. This is too much info to have already…this quickly
Maybe Ball got it off of a computer he somewhere….this definately sounds like Ball is doing this taxhike stuff or his little friend that works for him. No one has come forward to challange…so they must be nervous about the race. Give it a rest taxhike guy until you have a viable candidate.
The news is reporting that the Village of Brewster has been approved as an Empire Zone. This was in the works well BEFORE Ball entered politics but lets see if he claims he is responsible and tell another Ball lie.
It is wonderful there were those long before Ball that worked very hard for this.
To Poster Jim – Most of us have heard that there is no friendship between Ball and Liebell so probably Ball has been gathering info on anyone he thinks may take a run against him for the Assembly seat. Maybe Ball has someone playing spy (remember his friend doing camera spying in the old SOS days?) to gain information. Never underestimate what Ball will do to inorder to win.
In fact, ask around the Republican party, most of those in the inside want Ball out.
It has been confirmed. Ball and Leibell have made a deal. They are best friends again. Leibell is handing over all Opp Research. on Kaplowitz. Looks like this is the deal for 2010, Leibell keeps Senate. Birmingham takes Assembly. Ball goes to Congress. Amazing.
This Info is Public Record.
2004: Kaplowitz Pledged To Approve $75 Million In Tax Hikes
2004: Thanks to Kaplowitz, shoppers throughout most of Westchester saw a half percentage point added to their sales tax this year. Tax Hike Mike’s $1.4 billion spending plan adopted by the legislature in December had included an 8.5 percent increase in the property-tax levy and assumed that additional revenues would come from the sales-tax increase.
2004: Kaplowitz Raised County Property Tax Collections By Almost 10 Percentage Points From The Amount Approved In December, In Addition To The Already Approved Sales Tax Hike. The increase meant that Westchester’s government collected 18.82 percent more in property taxes during 2004 than it did a year prior thanks to Tax Hike Mike.
2004: Refusing to send money back to the residents of Westchester in the form of tax cuts, Kaplowitz created an $11.8 million contingency fund – much of it paid for from the property-tax hike – that will be used to maintain the ever growing appetite of government services. In particular, millions are being spent to provide services for illegal aliens.
2004: Kaplowitz Hiked Property Taxes By Double Digits For The Second Straight Year And Approved Other Tax Hikes. Westchester business leaders reacted with anger and disappointment as county officials hiked county property taxes by double digits for the second straight year and approved a series of additional tax increases that will raise the costs of real estate, automobile use and goods sold at stores. Tax Hike Mike delivers for big government, yet again!
Need more?
Hey Taxhike person…take a hike will you. There is not a race that anyone has heard of yet and until you can post on that..go take a hike.
Kaplowitz has increased the tax burdens on businesses and property owners so badly that now Pepsi Bottling Co., the second largest employer in North Westchester, is likely to vacate its headquarters in Somers at the expiration of its lease in 2010. One possible move would be to Danbury. I wonder how Mike feels now that his actions are catching up to his home town.
And Hasn’t Ball been all over the Pepsi issue working with the execs and the Governor to keep them in NY? Looks like tax luvin’ mike will be hurt badly on the tax issue, will be destroyed on the immigration issue and can’t steal the reform plank from Ball either…plus, Kaplowitcsz isn’t really looking healthy..have you seen him? The guy wears ill fitting suits and his eyes are popping out of his head. Next to Ball he will look like a potato head man with curly’s hair from the three stooges. Tax Hike Mike..keep the info coming on all of Mike’s Tax increase..I love reading the truth finally!! Why didn’t Vinny bring this stuff out? I am assuming you have more?
Ok..here is some more:
2005: After tripling the tax rates and massively expanding government spending, Kaplowitz Said The County Did “A Good Job” regarding Taxes. Thanks to Tax Hike Mike Westchester’s Spending is, by 2005, Equal To Suffolk County’s, But Suffolk Has 600,000 More Residents.
2005: In December, Republicans Offered Spending Cuts to Avoid A Tax Increase, But Kaplowitz Called The Republican Calculations “Unsustainable And Unrealistic”. Instead, Tax Hike Mike proposed a $1.54 billion spending package, larger than the spending of SIX U.S. STATES! The week before, Tax Hike Mike, using “funny numbers” plumped the books with $12.5 million in increased revenue projections and $25.9 million in what was billed as a long ‘wish list’ of add-ons and projects.
2005: Kaplowitz Approved A $1.54 Billion Budget For 2006 That Would Raise The Property Tax Levy AGAIN By 3.9%! The budget included money for significant raises for legislators themselves!! But Tax Hike Mike is not selfish with tax dollars, he also included raises for the new county clerk, his slick friend and county executive, department heads, managers and other nonunion staff. Tax Hike Mike also used taxpayer dollars to greatly expand the size of government – The number of county employees would grow 94 positions, some providing services to illegal aliens.
When this information hits the airwaves and the mailboxes and the TV’s Kaplowitz is going to be absolutely creamed by Ball. This stuff never cam out in his run against Libell. I guess Libell couldn’t attack him on it because Libell is tax and spend too. Tax Hike Mike…keep this info coming!
When it comes to Pepsie, it comes down to making money. If they can relocate this division down south they will. Somers had it good but things do change. Politicians can make headlines as though they are working to keep pepsie here, but….in reality, they have no control over the situation.
“disgruntled senior citizens who have little understanding of how government works. They oppose any tax or fee increase not matter how small”
Yea, that’s why real property taxes have gone up 54% in Westchester in the past decade. Uh huh.
All this information about a Westchester person that most of us do not know and we are not sure what to believe on these postings. Nothing said about Ball, but we know he has done nothing for the taxpayers as of yet. Most politicians are not to be believed anyway.
Is Leibell the next target?
By WILLIAM KATES | Associated Press Writer
12:44 PM EST, February 19, 2008
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A nasty and expensive campaign to win a rural upstate Senate seat traditionally held by Republicans could signal whether the GOP will keep its four decade-long grip on the Senate.
The race for New York’s 48th Senate District between Democrat Darrel Aubertine and Republican Will Barclay has been marked by stinging personal attacks and negative ads, a lawsuit over who gets the Independence Party line, and big money.
“It may be a bellwether for what’s to come in traditional Republican territories in upstate New York for the fall election,” said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Cortland. “There’s a lot on the line. (Senate Majority Leader) Joe Bruno knows he is going to face an uphill battle to keep control of the Senate this year.”
IF DEMOCRATS CAN EVEN COME CLOSE IN THIS SEAT (5:2 Republican) WE CAN TAKE LEIBELL OUT!!! THIS IS THE SEAT WE NEED! We must take the Senate to reform Albany!
The talk of the town is how to elect someone other than Ball in the 99th Assembly seat.
Kaplowitz is a joke. Even those on the legislature know he isn’t going anywhere. The poor guy has no future. As we speak there is a very attractive candidate ready to run against Ball. Smart, well educated, physically attractive and female – and just as important, well funded. Watch for the news in March.
Can’t wait till March. Let me guess, her name is Hillary.
BALL FOR CONGRESS!!!!
http://www.Ball4NY.com
JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
Finally, a politician fighting for us!
REFORMING ALBANY
Republican Barclay Vs. Democrat Aubertine
Oswego 13,546 7,819
St. Lawrence 4,084 6,502
Jefferson 7,627 13,451
Total 25,257 27,772
The NY State Senate is 1 away from flipping, with 3 Republican Senators willing to switch as a result of today’s news, looks like the Democrats will now be in the Majority.
KAPLOWITZ VS LEIBELL!!!
The Real Race!!
If Aubertine can win in a district that is 2:1 – Kaplowitz can win…REFORM ALBANY – Take on Mr. Albany, LEIBELL
Give us a hint…who is the well funded woman? We need a good candidate to run against Ballsy.
On February 26, Bruno and the Senate Republicans lost a special election up in the North Country district, a rural swath of farmland along Lake Ontario that has been dominated by the GOP for 120 years. Money and manpower had been pouring into the area from both parties. The Democrats, led by Spitzer operatives, had a better candidate, a local dairy farmer named Darrel Aubertine, and a better machine. With this defeat, Bruno’s hold on the Senate has been reduced to one vote. All the Democrats have to do is flip one guy, or win another seat this fall, and they’ll have control.