What Can Voters Do in this November's ELECTION ?

What can we the people do to begin to 1) Make our schools better, 2) Lower taxes, 3) Keep more young adults in New York State and in Ulster County?


The answer is ---- DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVES UNION SUPPORT..........For a list of candidates who receive Union support, come back to this BLOG. The list will be updated over the next few weeks.  If you know of candidates who receive Union support, please help us out by posting to this blog.  Thanks.

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR A BAD IDEA - Demolishing the MJM Building as part of the KHS $86 Million Renovation

Any KHS Renovation Plan that demolishes usable classroom space such as the MJM Building is a BAD IDEA.  First of all, the elementary population in the Kingston District has decreased dramatically.  There is a 22 percent vacancy rate in the elementary schools.  Some of these elementary schools will become available for KHS usage eventually.  Let's not demolish any schools and rebuild them at a cost of $86 Million.  Let's face it.  Those days are over.

Reject Union Control - Reject both Cuomo for Gov and DiNapoli for Comptroller

The powerful teacher's unions run the schools. How do we know this? The unions control the compensation plan via their unfair advantage in contract negotiations. Where is the evidence of unions controlling the compensation plan. The unions will not agree to individual good teacher merit pay, but they will agree to giving teacher's step pay increases for longevity and agree to giving teacher's pay raises for taking college courses in teaching. In other words, the unions will not let individual teachers be given pay increases for excellent results with the students in their classroom, but the unions will allow teachers to get pay increases as a group for courses and longevity. The key to a successful operation is control of individual compensation not group compensation. That is why I say the teacher's unions run the schools and why our schools could be much better if a school boss gave raises to individual successful classroom teachers for excellent individual student successes. I don't know about you, but I am tired of wasting our New York State children's lives and futures for the benefit of union raises and nonsense. For this November's election, do not vote for any state candidate who gets union support. For starters, do not vote for Andrew Cuomo for governor or do not vote for Thomas DiNapoli, both who receive heavy union support.

PURE GREED--- LOCAL TEACHER'S UNION HELD OUT FOR 4.47% PAY INCREASE

PURE GREED........ATTENTION ALL SENIOR CITIZENS.......IN SPITE OF FEDERAL GOVT ANNOUNCEMENT........NO SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASE FOR 2010 .....OR.....2011.............Our local teacher's union held out for a 4.47 % increase retroactive to July of last year and going through December of this year.  SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WHEN UNIONS HAVE THIS MUCH POWER........REMEMBER.....Our local teachers also get ......STEP INCREASES......which are not required by state law....ALSO....Teachers get INCREASES JUST FOR TAKING COURSES.......This is RIDICULOUS!...Merely taking a course does not produce any positive results in the classroom.......WOW! HAVE WE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OVER THE YEARS!

The Kingston School District got the bad news about KHS in a "scathing" report from the state

The Kingston School District got the bad news about KHS in a "scathing" report from the state......If the high school does not improve, then “phase out or close the school” is the course of action under the next level...................This is the expected result when the teacher's union is running the school and the compensation plans for teachers. WHY WOULD TEACHERS DO THEIR BEST IF THEY GET AUTOMATIC STEP RAISES AND RAISES FOR MERELY TAKING COURSES.......This compensation plan has nothing to do with student level teaching.........In addition, this "House Plan" to isolate the grades in different parts of the KHS building takes the FOCUS off of the INDIVIDUAL TEACHER TO STUDENT LEARNING.......My Advice........REJECT UNION IDEAS WHICH HIDE BAD TEACHERS AND BAD TEACHING......EMPHASIZE INDIVIDUAL TEACHER SUCCESS WITH INDIVIDUAL REWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT SUCCESS!

Andrew Cuomo's idea to Consolidate School Districts is a POOR SOLUTION

I AM DISAPPOINTED in Andrew Cuomo solution to the HIGH School Tax Problem in NY State.  This is a POOR SOLUTION, since the result is basically a one-shot one time savings that will go away with future union contract increases. Also, School District Consolidation will TAKE AWAY OUR LOCAL CONTROL and OUR LOCAL VOICE about our SCHOOL'S direction.......NOTICE that Cuomo does not even mention reigning in the NY State Teacher's Union and the other state unions that have destroyed the competitiveness of this state. SEE the other blog posting about the pressure tactics used by the Highland teacher's union. This information is clear evidence why we New York State taxpayers and voters must reject any candidate who is supported by union money. Based on this, New Yorkers should REJECT Andrew Cuomo for Governor who has and continues to benefit from union support. Let's balance out the Albany legislative Democratic power monopoly of the NY State Assembly and Senate by electing Rick Lazio or Carl Paladino. I make this suggestion purely based on taxpayer logic and hope for a better future for we taxpayers and our children and grandchildren. If you would like to discuss further, please go to my Blog at ULSTERTAX.BLOGSPOT.COM

Had Enough of Union Damage to NY State - Reject Cuomo

The pressure tactics by the HIGHLAND teacher's union mentioned in the July 18, 2010 Kingston Freeman article is a clear piece of evidence why we New York State taxpayers and voters must reject any candidate who is supported by union money. Based on this, New Yorkers should REJECT Andrew Cuomo for Governor who has and continues to benefit from union support. Let's balance out the Albany legislative Democratic power monopoly of the NY State Assembly and Senate by electing Rick Lazio or Carl Paladino. I make this suggestion purely based on taxpayer logic and hope for a better future for we taxpayers and our children and grandchildren. If you would like to discuss further, please go to my Blog at ULSTERTAX.BLOGSPOT.COM