Mike Hein's Report Card is Two A's and One C (Economic Development)

Mike Hein's Report Card

A --- Budget and Taxes

A --- County Services & Efficient Use of Resources

C --- Economic Development

Let's expand on the reasons for the C in Economic Development.

1)  Tech City (former IBM Kingston property) --- Mike has not spent much political capital, ie. He has not beat the drums, stuck his neck out or even publicly mentioned Tech City in his radio appearances and Chamber of Commerce speeches.  He has failed to successfully connect with Governor Cuomo for help in bringing companies into this perfectly located property.  The failure to
market and use Tech City has hurt our county's economy and our residents.

2)   Mike continues to align himself with a strictly "green" agenda that accepts grant money for trails, while ignoring the Huge Potential of 12-month Tourist Trains from Kingston Plaza to the Glenford Dike at the Ashokan Reservoir.  Kingston Area businesses and taxpayers would greatly benefit from the proven potential of the tourist railroad in drawing tourists from NYC, Albany, downstate, NJ, MA, CT and other areas for the highly popular "Polar Express".  This short train ride to the Kenco area could easily be expanded to go to the edge of the Ashokan Reservoir to shuttle tourists, including handicapped, senior citizen, to enjoy the sights.  However, the key is to start the train ride at the Kingston Plaza where tourists can enjoy the many restaurants, hotels and amenities of the the Kingston area.  The Kingston Plaza location has the potential for bringing in a developer to build
a hotel at the sight of the former parking garage on North Front Street in Uptown Kingston.  A new train station could be contructed near Mac Fitness in the Plaza, looking up toward the Pike Plan on Wall Street in the Stockade district.  The potential is enormous.  But right now, Mike Hein wants to rip up the tracks from Kenco to the Ashokan Reservoir.  This removal of the railroad tracks in favor of another hiking trails would snuff our the above dream and economic development boom for Kingston.

12-Month Daily Train Service from Kingston Plaze to the Ashokan Reservoir

Many Kingston and Area businesses and residents are for 12-month daily Train Service from the Kingston Plaza to the Glenford Dike at the edge of the Ashokan Reservoir. As many of you know, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein has proposed a lengthy "walk-around" from Kingston to the Hurley Flats to allow a trail to co-exist with the Rail for about 2 miles. If Mike Hein can propose this walk-around, Area businesses and residents can continue to propose additional walk-arounds for the trail access to the Glenford Dike, so as to convince Mike Hein to allow the tracks to remain in place to the Glenford Dike and to allow the huge money-maker of 12-month daily Train Service from the Kingston Plaza to the Glenford Dike at the edge of the Ashokan Reservoir.  The tourists from everywhere will get off the Thruway at our Exit 19 and spend money and enjoy themselves riding from the Kingston Plaza to the Ashokan Reservoir on the Train, daily, 12-months per year.  Let's be reasonable. This is huge.

Can You Imagine the Potential for Drawing Tourists Off of the Thruway at Exit 19?

It is a fact that the CMRR has served Ulster County quite well bringing in thousands of tourists to Kingston and Ulster County.  CMRR has also pointed us to the future, showing us that CMRR could easily run regular tourist trains every 2 hours, (10am, 12pm, 2pm.4pm, ...) year round.  Can you imagine the potential for drawing tourists off the Thruway to Exit 19 to the Kingston Plaza Train Station? 

Ulster County Wages are low - Stop building Trails, Bring Developers Here

Ulster County Residents:  Please call Mike Hein at 340-3636 and Shayne Gallo at 334-3902 and tell them that our low wages in Ulster County and the City of Kingston are unacceptable.  Tell them that we need to encourage developers to come to the county and the city.  Tell them that we need less emphasis on biking/walking trails and much more emphasis on bringing in high tech and manufacturing employers.  See the bad report on Ulster County wages below.  http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20150316/ulster-weekly-wages-7th-of-10-hudson-valley-counties-trailing-delaware-greene-counties

Let's Take the Train to the Ashokan Reservoir

On Kingston Community Radio, on Wed.,Feb.25th, Walt Maxwell, Ray Rice and I discussed the recently released Catskill Mt.Railroad Business Plan for Kingston to the Glenford Dike at the edge of the Ashokan Reservoir. Let's all call Mike Hein at 340-3636 and tell him to not rip up the 5 miles of track between Hurley Mt.Road near Kenco to the Glenford Dike at the Ashokan Reservoir. Tell him we are all looking forward to taking the CMRR train from the Kingston Plaza to the Reservoir. The business plan says that the train to and from the Reservoir could be running daily every 2 hours, ie. 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm. Isn't this plan exciting? Mike, please don't rip up the tracks to the Glenford Dike. Listen to the audio file of my chat with Walter and Ray by going to the Facebook page for Kingston Community Radio or KCR and listen to the 3 audio files posted on Feb.27th.

Use "Trail-Walk-Arounds" when necessary, but do not rip up the railroad tracks

Let's Clear the Haze. Mike Hein and his staff used a wide-ranging "Trail-Walk-Around" to get the trail to the other side of Route 209 without building a bridge. Therefore, between Hurley Mt.Road and the Glenford Dike at the Ashokan Reservoir, Use "Trail-Walk-Arounds" if there is not room for the trail next to a section of railroad track. Most logical people would agree that under no circumstance do you rip up the railroad tracks.

The Catskill Mt.Railroad deserves to win the Pride of Ulster County Award

I agree that Catskill Mt.Railroad deserves to win the Pride of Ulster County Award from the UC Chamber of Commerce.  Let all Ulster County Businesses tell Ward Todd that we want to give the Pride of Ulster County Award to the Catskill Mt.Railroad.  I want to urge local citizens and businesses to get involved and take back our Ulster County business climate.  Some local environmentalists and trail advocates are destroying are business climate by sending the message that Ulster County politicians and leaders are not fighting and pushing back on the unreasonable demands of environmentalists and trail advocates.  Ulster County's average wages are $13,000 lower than Dutchess County.  Ulster County's wages are going to remain low if we citizens and businesses don't get involved and tell our politicians and leaders that we want them to push back against environmentalists and trail advocate and to allow private developers and the Catskill Mt.Railroad people to help grow our local economy and grow our local wages.

Ulster County - Let's bring in Larger Firms for Higher Wages

Today on KCR, talking with Ward Todd, I mentioned that the average wage for Ulster County residents is very low, about $13,000 less than Dutchess County residents.  I told Ward that we need to do more to attract medium to large companies to the county, using the SUNY Ulster College's Start Up NY designation at TechCity (former IBM site). I mentioned that we are emphasizing small business and tourism development almost exclusively.  This results in low average wages compared to Dutchess County.  We have very visible evidence of our low Ulster County wages........Look at the Hudson Valley Mall where one by one stores are closing at the mall.  The lack of Ulster County and City of Kingston having an aggressive plan for attracting medium to large companies to the area is hurting the lives of our residents, especially our young people looking for good-paying jobs for raising a family.  The Start Up NY program at SUNY Ulster-TechCity offers
10 years of no income taxes for companies moving from out of state.  Why don't our leaders aggressively use this Start Up NY designation to bring medium and large companies to the area?

On Air Suggestions to Mike Hein - Meet with CMRR & Use Trail Walk-Arounds

On Friday, Jan.23rd, Mike Hein and I discussed the Catskill Mt.Railroad. In the 4 short audio links below, I asked Mike to let Ward Todd broker a meeting with him and the Catskill Mt.Railroad. Also, I asked Mike why Trail Walk-arounds could not be used between the Hurley Flats and the Glenford Dike to accommodate the Trail, similar to the extensive Walk-around planned for the Trail between Kingston and the Hurley Flats. Why rip up the tracks between the Hurley Flats and Glenford when you don't have to?


To listen to 4 audio links, go to FACEBOOK and enter KCR or Kingston Community Radio.  Then,
Scroll Down to Ralph Mitchell January 26, 2015 posting.

County Executive Hein continues to harass the Catskill Mt.RR.

County Executive Hein continues to harass the Catskill Mt.RR.  He has "blinked" a little from our enthusiastic support for the RR.  He has agreed to the 2 mile run from Kingston Plaza to Hurley, but he wants to rip up the tracks from Hurley to Mt.Pleasant (ie.around the Ashokan Resevoir) for a trail.  The RR wants to continue to volunteer to referbish the 6 miles of track from Hurley to Glenford, which will allow Adult Dinner Rides and transportation for tourists from Kingston Plaza to the Ashokan Reservoir.  Tourists would park at Kingston Plaza, take the train to the Reservoir, and come back to Kingston Plaza to get their cars, to local hotels and restaurants and spend money in Kingston.

 

 

The fight goes on.  The following Freeman article describes the latest on Ulster County's court harassment of CMRR from County Legislator Dave Donaldson's point of view.

 

 

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20150121/legislator-says-ulster-county-is-trying-to-bleed-tourist-railroad-dry

Niagara Water Sale is Needed to Keep Kingston Water Rates from Going Up 32 percent

I urge city residents and Town of Ulster Water users to call Shayne Gallo, Mike Hein, Supervisor Quigley, your Alderman and tell them if the Niagara Water Sale deal fails and your water bills go up 32 percent, you are not going to be happy that the local politicians didn't fight to keep

Niagara Bottling here.  SEE THE FREEMAN LINK BELOW.


http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20141017/kingston-water-department-says-rising-rates-justification-for-niagara-bottling-plan