Here is what the district had before Ball went to Albany.

Will Stephens was the Minority Pro Tempore, the second in command of the Republican leadership, and director of floor operations for the minority. He is a skilled attorney, who wrote, personally, much of the legislation that the minority introduced on the floor of the Assembly. He was not a “professional politician” as Ball accused, but was a successful attorney in private practice. Stephens had previously been counsel to the majority in the New York State Senate, and as such was directly responsible for policy and the drafting of legislation related to it. Stephens, a home owner, is married with three children, and was well aware of the tax burden working families in the district were facing and continue to face. He fought for property tax relief, and was successful in doing so. As second in command in the Assembly minority, Stephens was able to negotiate with the leadership of the majority, and in being a position to do so, advanced Republican legislation and principles. One has to understand that Democrat assembly members out number Republicans by 2-1, of the 150 assembly seats only 42 are Republican. What influence the 99th had at the time Stephens was the assemblyman was totally lost when Ball defeated him.

Here is what the district got in electing Ball:

Ball now is a “professional politician”; it is his only job, and he is a backbencher. Ball is totally disliked on both sides of the isle, by Republican and Democrat alike. He spent the prior two years to his election working for Exceed International. But even though he was employed full time as an executive of the company, he was able to knock on “10,000” doors running for the job he now holds. It appears that he received a full time salary from the company, but spent most of his time running for election to the assembly. Nice work if you can get it. Sounds like an illegal campaign contribution to me, but then again I may be naïve. Remember he ran the campaign for those two years while being employed by Exceed. He was all over the district, at every event, at every occasion, at “10,000” doors. When did he have time to work for Exceed? What did he do for Exceed? What projects did he direct? What revenues and contracts did he produce for the company? His campaign literature was devoid of such minor things.

Ball states in his current campaign literature that he was sponsor of 17 pieces of legislation that passed during his first term in the assembly. That is easily verifiable, and again he relies on a compliant press to not verify his claims. If one checks, in fact, far less has been passed with his name on it. If a search is run, one will quickly see, that Ball only has 8 pieces of legislation with his name on it. 3 pieces contain every assembly members name as co-sponsor( Democrat and Republican), and 5 pieces of legislation were DEMOCRAT introduced bills. In the minority, and a first term backbencher, Ball is totally ineffectual. His claims are preposterous and foolish, and he relies on an uninformed public to believe him, and a compliant local press to not do their homework.

To the voters of the 99th A.D. please do not repeat the mistake of 2006. Turn Ball out of office. Elect Degnan!

Where do you see immediate tax relief? My school district had nowhere near a 4% increase last year. Most around me didn’t either. It’s typical Ball smoke and mirrors.

along with 21 other people.

So long, farewell
Auf Weidersehen, goodbye

Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye

Goodbye!

It’s an acquiescence to wealthy campaign contributors who fear, more than anything, a return to a graduated income tax where they will have to pay more in state taxes than they do now.

Back in the Rockefeller days the highest earning New Yorkers paid 15% in state taxes. Now they pay around 7%, minus their shelters and deferred incomes. How much do you pay on your $35,000 a year earnings? 6.8%? And those making $3,500,000 also pay just about the same. And through no fault of yours, the property you bought 20 years ago is now worth more than you could ever afford to buy, and you’re taxed on it as if you could.

Once the graduated income tax is in place we can shift funding of education off of property and on to income – where it belongs. THAT will help wage earners lower their tax burden and ensure a good education for students across the state.

It’s the right way to go. It’s the fair way to go and that’s why Albany will not allow it.

Don’t be fooled by caps and circuit breakers. They’re only in place because Albany doesn’t have the chutzpah to do what’s right.