Northern campaigns
-
- March
- 18
There were two campaign kick-offs in LoHud’s northern reaches this past weekend. One was for state Sen. Vincent Leibell, a Patterson Republican seeking his eighth term. The other was for state Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Carmel, who is seeking his second term.
Photos of Ball’s event can be found here.
There are some photos from Leibell’s event posted to Lohud.com. If you go to the user-submitted photo section, they begin (as of now) with the last one on the first row and continue through most of the second row. The senator’s campaign Web site doesn’t seem to be updated yet, so there’s no recounting of the event there. But Southeast resident Denis Castelli, who attended Leibell’s function, said more than 300 people showed up. The Stephen P. Driscoll Memorial Pipe Band and Kelly-Oster School of Irish Dance provided the live entertainment.
So far, no one has officially stepped forward to challenge either legislator.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 10:31 am by Mike Risinit.
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An open letter to Chairman Doug Coltey and Registered Republicans,
Good day, I am a registered republican living in Yorktown, I have a few concerns with our Assembly race in our district this year. I am actively involved with several community organizations and have been in several political discussions with fellow republicans recently who have expressed concern about Assemblyman Ball. It appears he is constantly attacking fellow elected republicans and giving elected politicians across the board a bad name.
I am concerned with Assemblyman Ball and his antics of getting 5 minutes of press and moving onto the next issue without accomplishing much other then a little publicity for himself. Sir, you are trying to get the Republican Party headed in the right direction after your recent election as Chairman, our problem as republicans is when you have a “Loose canon” like Assemblyman Ball shooting himself in the foot and shooting at other elected republican officials our party as a whole suffers. I don’t know how to recommend to you how you could address this situation, but I am respectfully bringing it to your attention.
I am saddened by the demise of the Republican Party since Andy O’Rourke, Ed Brady, Nick Spano and Jeanine Pirro have moved on, we have many challenges in front of us. Assemblyman Ball is counterproductive to our chances of heading in a more positive direction.
I am sure I will see you at a political event one day in the near future and opportunity presents itself I will talk to you in person about some of my concerns.
I have received several e-mails from people over the last couple of days that have links to 2 youtube video’s, if you get the opportunity go to youtube and check out the video of Ball and Spitzer.
Best wishes to you and your family; let’s get this Great Republican Party back on its feet!
Some people might read something into the fact that almost every picture of Greg Ball has glowing red eyes. Geez, buy one of those newer cameras with the new flashes. Or there’s always Photoshop. I don’t think we need to go for the exorcism just yet…
;-)
The poster above raises an amazing point. Why should Republicans support Ball? He is the man who, for no other reason than personal advancement, challenged a sitting Republican legislator in a Primary and put our Party at risk of losing another Assembly seat in 2006. 50% of the vote wasn’t too hot, imagine if he had a real opponent… The 99th would be blue. Ball then attacked, and continues to attack, Senator Vinnie Leibell and County Executive Bob Bondi, both Republicans. He did a two-faced campaign against RoseMarie Panio in Yorktown last year to boost his buddy Don Peters, Ball has created division in North Salem, helping Paul Greenwood’s effort to challenge the Treasurer of the Westchester GOP and then-Deputy Supervisor Tom Belcastro in a Primary and he supported a Democrat for Highway Superintendent in Carmel. He’s repeatedly called on Joe Bruno to resign but gave Eliot Spitzer free pass after free pass. He’s attacked his Republican colleague’s in Albany charging that they don’t know nearly as much as him and that he is the only Republican Assemblyman worthy of praise. He stole credit for many of his Republican colleague’s bills and is generally disliked in the conference, has not paid his dues and recently attacked his leader, Jim Tedisco. He has both the Putnam & Dutchess Sheriff (Republicans) annoyed with him and has warred with Republicans on the Putnam Legislature. I can go on, and on, and on…
Greg Ball is only about Greg Ball. He does not support the GOP or work with its leadership to grow the Party unless it helps him, and only him. He’s a neophyte politician who is going to meet his match this year.
Let him run as an independent if he’s such a maverick, we Republicans don’t want him!
Greg is well liked in the republican party, you
dont know what you are talking about…by standing
up for the regular guy he has made himself almost
unbeatable, etc…this will not be an easy race to
run against ball, he is well funded and is right on
the issues…
Edelman, what are you smoking? Standing up for what “regular guy”??? Ball only stands up for himself!
You, sir, do not know what you’re talking about!
How do you know that Greg Ball is unbeatable or well funded? He has never had a serious political match-up and many believe that he’s not ready from prime time. As for being well funded, his ”$100,000” filing is all smoke and mirrors. He carried over loans from the wrong schedule, created numbers out of thin air (did not appear on previous filings) and spent about 76% of what he took in. In a six month period, Ball only netted about 10 grand. Well funded? I think not!
Right on the issues? What issues? Mr. Xenophobe is worse than a Neo-Nazi with the hate he spews on immigration and his rhetoric on taxes, reform and all of his other “issues” are pathetic lies. He opposes a woman’s right to choose, even in the case of rape or incest, voted against funding stem-cell research, voted against expanding the STAR program and supported the sale of rifles to 16 year olds without parental/guardian permission.
Give me a break! Greg Ball is a conceited extremist. He’s exactly the type of “Republican” the party should be weeding out, not promoting!
Mr. Consultant, you really do not have a feel for the politics of Putnam and Dutchess Rerublicans. Ball has tried to take out to many good republicans in his first year in office and has shown himself to be non-committed republican. Ball takes a poll and then he decides which way his position will be on an issue.
I am a neutral party here. I just discovered these blogs a a week ago after the Spitzer charade, and I am puzzled by the visceral comments I see levied towards Ball.
Mahopac, in one post you are claiming to be an adamant Republican, and then you go on to state that you are pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-open borders, and pro-tax increases. Maybe you should run as the independent?
I think Assemblyman Ball’s primary challenge would constitute a “real challenge”, against an incumbent whose family had been in power for decades and eschewed many of the same liberal positions you advocate in your last message.
He also raised more money from individuals then any other member of the minority conference, but claim that it is all “Smoke and mirrors”?
I am also confused about your claim that Eliot Spitzer was given a free pass. Ball has vociferous rhetoric throughout his website bashing Spitzer. According to the Legislative Gazette, and other sources, the members of the minority conference regard him as leading the way in the fight against drivers licenses for illegals.
I’m unconcerned by the charges of him taking on “good republicans”. Where do I even begin, with your references to Spano, and Panio, who left the Westchester party with a negative cash flow, lost the board of legislators, senate seats, 19th CD, etc.
You cite Jeanine Pirro, who was in league with those who tried to keep real conservatives like Ed Cox and Michael Benjamin from evening getting a chance for a primary. At least John Spencer stood up to them.
You also harangue Ball for calling out the Putnam County patronage machine, what exactly is the problem with that?
I am a member of two local VFWs and everyone there has nothing but nice things to say about Ball and Leibell. I think you should reveal your personal affiliation with Ball and why you are attacking him with unsupported statements, so I can better evaluate what you’re saying.
Greg has done a lot to hurt himself over the past year. He started off by maligning people, yet received a free pass because he was a newcomer. Now people want answers to questions from last year, mainly about his failure to complete his bare minimum 5 year committment after he took a free scholarship from the air force academy. How did he get to leave while others went to war? How did he get to be stationed in DC in a do-nothing job as a brand new Officer? These are questions everyone needs answers to, and the questions are being asked.
OIF Vet,
You’re not a vet. You know it and so does everyone else. Vets do not identify with Greg Ball. Tell me exactly which VFW you claim you belong to, and I’ll call you a liar.
I attend meetings at the Yorktown and Putnam Lake Post.
“You know it and so does everyone else”. Is that why I received a Combat Action Badge, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Mdeal and two Army Commendation Medals?
How DARE you call me a liar. You should be ashamed of yourself! I served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I and III, first in Baghdad attached the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and then again in Samarra with the 1st Infantry Division and later the 42nd Infantry Division.
I will be reporting you at 9257 on the 13th, so you better be ready.
once again the consultant proved he’s clueless. greg ball is a bad dude.
OIF Vet, I know a thing or two about filing financial reports with the State and I clearly saw what Ball did with his filing. He claims expenditures in outstanding debt but the original incurring of those expenditures was never previously reported. Where did they come from? There needs to be an amendment to previous filings which is not there. I guess that just goes to show why NY State has the weakest Election Laws in the country. It’s all smoke and mirrors, Ball probably made a temporary loan of $38 grand that’ll be reported as paid back in the next filing. He did it just so he could over-state his balance. My friend, I call that smoke & mirrors.
Next, you questioned my allegiance to the GOP. I am a moderate Republican, the type that wins in New York. Not a Spencer/Faso pro-lifer who is out of touch with voters.
I support the 2nd amendment but believe there should be reasonable restriction. Allowing children to buy guns without the consent of an adult is ridiculous and proves Greg Ball’s lack of judgment and immaturity.
There is a big difference between open-border and crazy hate-filled rhetoric about a population that Ball knows he can do nothing about. It’s the Federal governments job to deal with immigration, Ball has even unintentionally recognized this by taking credit for 287-G (a Federal program). He knows he can do nothing about the issue, yet he continues to promise people the world and scares residents into believing his lies. That’s disingenuous and wrong.
And, sorry, I’m not sure where I said I was for tax-increases… I’m an economic conservative, something Ball is not. He doesn’t know the first thing about our economy or about less onerous types of taxation. If it were up to him, my Putnam property tax bill would have skyrocketed by 60% last year and Ball voted against a $736 expansion to the STAR program – sounds like he supports higher taxes, either that or he just doesn’t know what he’s doing…
OIF Veteran, first let me say you if you are a veteran you have my respect for serving our country, thank you.
Obviously you are a person of character who has made the dedication to our armed services. And if that is the case you should know something about Integrity and Service before Self”. All Veterans should ask themselves this question: How does 28 year old Greg Ball receive an all paid tax payer four year college degree from the Air Force Academy and then serve for active duty as a “Protocol Officer in Washington for three years and then gets sent home during a time of war when men and women of courage who are twice his age are serving in combat zones? Something fishy – wouldn’t you think.
OIF Vet,
A liar is usually someone who is so insecure about what they’re saying that they have this childish need to recite a bloated resume every time they speak. Thank you for proving my assumption true.
Put Lake and Yorktown. Combat Hero’s Badge. Yeah, right.
I for one am very disapointed by Greg Ball. Yes he defeated my good friend, Willis H. Stephens, in a very dirty campaign. Willis was just too nice a guy to be able to compete against such a negative and well funded campaign, a campaign which was very economical with the truth. But as a Town Councilman, I was willing to work with Mr. Ball. Sadly, his first mission was to instill his own “good old boys” into political power. He picked people who were clearly not qualified to run a Town government. He picked people whose only qualification was their loyalty to HIM, and not the People. Sad that he spent “every waking hour” campaigning for these people in order to amasse additional political power and support, rather than fulfilling his many many many campaign promises. Mr. Ball must be defeated. I hope that a good, decent Republican emerges to take Mr. Ball out. Thank you.
Others have commented about Balls financial filings and they do present a mystery when trying to evaulate them from the start. Currently, it does not look like he is ‘well funded’ but that could change with donations. Maybe there is some family money that will be given to him to help him get elected.
Ball claims that Albany is dysfunctional and he did praise the former governor last February of 07. Ball needs to get to work and do his job or people should vote him out of office. He has caused more mistrust amongst those in Albany by attacking his own party. Ball should form the Ball party.
Ball is concentrating his campaigning in the Yorktown / Somers area. He wants their majority of votes badly. He probably thinks he has his area’s in Putnam Co. votes and his home town of Pawling.
Would not be surprised if Ball is in for a big surprise. All people complain about his how he is out for himself. Rarely does anyone hear how wonderful Ball was as an Assemblyman.
He is using the same old campaign issues as last time, guess because he did nothing the first time. Oh, he did accomplish one thing, to teach the Supervisor of Southeast how to get elected and now that town is the laughing stock of PUtnam.
Hey “Campaigning”,
You said that rarely does anyone talk about how wonderful Greg Ball is? Well then my friend, according to OIF Vet, the recipient of three Combat Infantry Badges with Oak Leaf Cluster and five Meritorious Combat Badges for heroism on the battlefield, all while serving weekends as a member of the New York National Guard, says that you haven’t been to the Yorktown VFW and the Putnam Lake VFW. They always talk about how wonderful Greg Bakk is, according to our own OIF Vet. So just make sure you make your way down to Putnam Lake. And when you enter the 9257 zone, you better be ready!
Correction: meant to say “Greg Ball”, not Greg Bakk.
Ossining here. Mr. Ball (THANK GOD) is not my Assemblyman, but I am a staunch Republican voter. Unlike others I don’t dislike Ball because he speaks out against the machine (perceived, or real), but I dislike him because he is only out for himself. I was reading an article about him last week where he said he wants to the Governor. What a skewed sense of reality. I think Ball believes, as did his political mentor Eliot Spitzer, that he’s a steam roller and he doesn’t care about anyone or anything that gets in his way. Attacking fellow Republicans was stupid and bad for Republican party. Mr. Johnson pointed out how Greg Ball’s first instinct in Southeast was to create a division with Republicans instead of a working relationship. That’s bad news. Hopefully someone will step up to the plate and challenge Ball as a Republican.
GREG BALL IS A PATHETIC LOSER. HE IS ALL ABOUT HIMSELF AND NOT OUT FOR THE PEOPLE. HE WILL BE EXPOSED FOR WHAT HE IS AND LOSE. THE POLLS SHOW HE IS WEAK AND MOST EXPECT THE CAMPAIGN TO BE OVER BY THE LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL. HE CAN’T RAISE MONEY AND HE HAS DWINDLING COMMUNITY SUPPORT. YOU ATTACK ENOUGH PEOPLE, EVENTUALLY THEY HIT BACK…
I really have to agree. I just viewed those pictures of Greg Ball’s fundraiser. NO WAY was there “100+ people in attendance”. NO WAY. Sixty at best. And many in those pictures are people that are allowed to get in for free. If they didn’t get a free entrance they wouldn’t go. I hope he does well, but I have to agree with everyone else. He could be finished, especially if Kaplowitz runs.
Client 9, I tend to agree with you as I also checked out the web photos on the Ball site along with the Liebell photos of his announcement. There was no comparison in the number of people and elected officials. Liebell had a packed house and many officials from all over. Pictures do not lie and it showed that Ball did not have the amount of supporters he claimed to have.
Does anyone know if there is going to be anyone run against Ball in the primary and who the other interested persons may be for the democratic ticket?
Ball is not a popular as he believes himself to be. I ask around and it is really hard to find anyone that supports Ball (previous supporters are looking for others to support) and believe what he says, so this falls election should be very interesting.
Sad to say but really is true. Many believed in Greg Ball last year, me too. But the tactics he uses are now old and I can see that he’s not in this to accomplish anything or improve anything. With every move he makes I can see that he sat down and figured the whole thing out, what to say, what to wear, how to present himself, and then move on to the next issue without doing anything about the first issue, but giving the appearance that he did. That’s not what we need in our district. Someone that campaigns 24/7/365, that doesn’t help the taxpaers one bit.