"Based on Gary's voting record, Gary's intellect and Gary's grasp of the issues, he should be the clear choice of all voters that are interested in the betterment of our community."
Bill & Betty Kick

Key Issues

Ulster County Budget
As far as our budget problems, we have started the long process of recovery by holding the line on new hires and programs, and consolidating some departments. We are proposing establishing a contract manager that would report to the county attorney. Funding would come from eliminating the auditing department, and transferring the auditing responsibility to the treasurer’s office. Three jobs would be eliminated through retirement with an expected savings of over $150,000. The contract manager office would negotiate and supervise all county contracts. The savings countywide could be substantial. This pro-active cost saving plan is indicative of the fundamental changes that we will be making. There will be other initiatives.

Ulster County Jail
The most significant problems being a serious financial mess and finishing the long overdue and over budget jail. The Democrats under the leadership of Dave Donaldson, the new legislative chair, have stepped right up to the plate and started working on Ulster County’s problems. Mr. Donaldson let everyone know that the legislature would not hesitate to issue subpoenas to get to the bottom of the jail problems. That put lawmakers; contractors and project managers on notice that that we intend to get to the bottom of the jail cost overruns and schedule problems. We are confident that this will result in an increased incentive to get the jail finished.


HAVA - Help America Vote Act
In June, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed legislation in response to federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) legislation. The bill addresses voting machine replacements for New York State's lever machines, and calls for the decision to be made by individual counties. Decisions about whether to replace lever machines with Direct Recording Electronic machines (DREs) or optical scanners now lies with county election officials, as well as the Ulster County Legislature.  There is a lot of pressure from voting machine vendors on counties to purchase touchscreen/pushbutton style DRE voting machines. 
 
As Ulster County moves to replace our lever machines, we must choose a reliable, auditable, secure, accessible and cost effective voting system.  The system that best satisfies these requirements is one using paper ballots, counted either by hand or precinct based optical scanners. Ballot marking devices can provide accessible, private and independent voting for voters with disabilities and different language abilities.  Precinct based paper ballot/optical scan systems (PB/OS) will save many millions of dollars in acquisition and maintenance costs when compared to corresponding costs for DRE systems - and are far more reliable and trustworthy!    With the DRE systems the computer paper loop is difficult to read, and there is no way for anyone to know except the manufacturer whether the info on the paper is identical with what was sent electronically to the central command.
 
We deserve reliable voting equipment that instills confidence and ensures transparent, publicly verifiable elections. Paper ballots and precinct based optical scan are auditable, accessible, and cost effective, and they provide protections against over-voting and under-voting. They must be the voting system we choose.
 
Smart Growth
Ulster County and most of our towns are experiencing tremendous growth.  We are rapidly loosing working farms, wetlands, natural areas and even some historic sites, which will eventually change the quality of life and sense of place that we enjoy.  Poorly planned growth speeds up these negative changes while bringing problems such as traffic and environmental pollution.
 
What can be done at the county level?

We need to:
• Focus on creating incentives for cluster development especially in or near village, city and town centers.
• Encourage development on only portions of large parcels while conserving the remainder as open space.
• Encourage and support programs that help Ulster County farmers.  Economically viable working farms are one of the best ways we can preserve open space. 
• Create more publicly protected open space using purchase or easements.  There is an excellent example of this recently in Saugerties.  The Esopus Creek Conservancy was established in 2003 as a nonprofit corporation, ECC is among the newest land trusts in the State of New York. Working with the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development and enjoying remarkable private and public support, they acquired a 156-acre natural environment. The property shares a mile of shoreline with the upper Esopus Creek in Saugerties. The organization just received a $10,000 Greenway grant for trail development and maintenance.  There is more information available at: http://www.esopuscreekconservancy.org/
• The County provides technical assistance in open space planning and land acquisition to municipalities.  This role and function should be expanded.
Accountability
I plan to be a watchdog in the legislature monitoring projects, spending and plans.
I study each and every resolution that we must vote on. I analyze the long-term impact and the unanticipated consequences.
I support a county executive that is elected by the entire county.
The executive would be directly responsible for county operations and voters would know who is responsible.
The system we have now makes it difficult or impossible to know who is responsible for our problems

Growth and conservation
Ulster County and Saugerties are experiencing tremendous growth.

We are rapidly loosing working farms, wetlands, natural areas and historic sites, which will eventually change the quality of life and sense of place that we enjoy.
Poorly planned growth speeds up these negative changes while bringing problems such as traffic and environmental pollution.		 Gary's plan :
Focus on creating incentives for cluster development especially in or near village, city and town centers.
Encourage development on only a portion of large parcels while conserving the remainder as open space.
Encourage and support programs that help Ulster County farmers.
Create more publicly protected open space using purchase or easements
County should provide technical assistance in open space planning and land acquisition to municipalities
Encourage open space planning at county and town level

Economic Development
Economic Development is still a critical issue. We need more quality jobs in Ulster County.
We must put emphasis on helping our existing businesses.
We will experience more job growth from our existing businesses than from getting businesses to move to Ulster County.
Everything that we do in government affects our quality of life. People selecting a location for a new home and their business will select a location that has good schools and an excellent quality of life. We have a lot of assets that business people are interested in. We must market our assets to potential business people particularly in the metropolitan New York area.
We need to find creative ways to help towns with infrastructure improvements including high-speed Internet access

Economic Development; helping ourselves
We must put emphasis on helping our existing businesses.
We will experience more job growth from our existing businesses than from getting businesses to move to Ulster County.
We must also concentrate on small business. Rather than trying to get a big factory or business to move to the Ulster County we should look for small businesses. Most of the job growth nationwide is in small businesses, and more than 50% of Americans work in small businesses.
The county should advocate and support entrepreneurs.
Everything that we do in government affects our quality of life. People selecting a location for a new home and their business will select a location that has good schools and an excellent quality of life. We have a lot of assets that business people are interested in. We must market our assets to potential business people particularly in the metropolitan New York area.
We need to find creative ways to help towns with infrastructure improvements including high-speed Internet access.

 

Jobs for our Youth
When we have more jobs and more businesses in Ulster County, there will be more opportunities for youth.
We need to support education. The county is directly responsible for Ulster County Community College. I am a strong supporter of UCCC and education in general.
We should start a program to hire young people for seasonal or peak load jobs that would give valuable experience to young people. An example: when a town does a reassessment of all properties, there is a need for more clerical staff for about six months. That would be an ideal time to hire and train some young people giving them valuable experience and adding to their resume.
I will start a program to employ high school students as legislative aides. They could perform research on policy issues, advocate and educate school and youth groups on specific issues and policy. They could also create and maintain a web site that would keep the public up to date on county issues.

Opportunities for Women and Minorities
The federal government gives priority in contracts to women and minority owned business. Ulster County should have a similar policy.

 Education and our youth
Ulster County should work toward providing a comprehensive, coordinated system of lifelong learning including liberal arts and technical education to enhance the ability of all citizens to succeed and prosper, while meeting the needs of business, industry, labor, agriculture and government.
The county is directly responsible for Ulster County Community College. I am a strong supporter of UCCC and education in general.
I will start a program to employ high school students as legislative aides. They could perform research on policy issues, advocate and educate school and youth groups on specific issues and policy. They could also create and maintain a web site that would keep the public up to date on county issues.

Health
Ulster County has a Health Department that enforces laws and codes and conducts activities designed to maintain physical disease barriers. They also have programs to improve conditions where they might affect overall public health. I support continued funding of the Health Department, and will look for ways to improve programs.
There should be an emphasis on prevention and early screening. For example, there is an Infant and Child Health Assessment program that identifies health problems and development disabilities and recommends follow up for infants and children at risk.
With an aging population, the county Nursing Division will grow in importance, and must be supported. We need home health care programs with visiting nurses that can provide an alternative to placing seniors in nursing homes.
I support the Golden Hill Health Care Facility (County nursing home). This facility is one of the best senior care facilities in the area, and Ulster County should continue to fund it.
 
Hospitals exist to care for patients in times of need. But the ability of hospitals to fulfill their role is increasingly at risk, and access to care for many citizens is being jeopardized every day by hospital closings due to financial problems. The costs of providing care continue to increase, while payments from both governmental and private payers continue to shrink. The recent bailout of Ellenville Hospital is clear evidence of the financial pressures facing our hospitals. Ulster County advanced Ellenville Hospital $200,000. This infusion helped the hospital to continue in operation, but the underlying problems with hospitals in this country continue. I supported helping Ellenville Hospital, but recognize that there is a problem that goes beyond Ulster County.
I support a fundamental change in America's health care - the creation of a comprehensive national health insurance program, which in essence would be an expanded and improved version of Medicare. Such a program could cover every American for all necessary medical care. Most hospitals and clinics would remain privately owned and operated, receiving a budget from the plan to cover all operating costs. Investor-owned facilities would be converted to not-for-profit status, and their former owners compensated for past investments. Physicians could continue to practice on a fee-for-service basis, or receive salaries from group practices, hospitals or clinics. 
  
Fiscal Policy
The Ulster County Department of Social Services is responsible for many programs including Temporary Assistance, Child Support Enforcement, Food Stamps Program, Medical Assistance Program, Children and Family Services, Coordinated Children’s Services and Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education Programs. These programs are predominately funded with state and federal money. We need to monitor, evaluate and support the programs that provide an adequate social safety net and assist the needy.
 
Living wage for Ulster County employees
As legislators and community leaders we must ensure that every working person is paid a fair living wage. I would support a local living wage law requiring Ulster County suppliers and contractors to pay a living wage.

 


To the top of this page