(Editor's Note: The following is a response on Justin Wagner's recent campaign stop in Chappaqua, where he discussed the issue of campaign finance reform.)
I read The Patch’s coverage of state senate candidate Justin Wagner’s event in Chappaqua supporting campaign finance reform.
It is absurd that candidates for the state Senate can accept checks larger than $10,000 from anyone – even lobbyists. And for the politically connected, even that limit can be circumvented by using loopholes in the campaign finance law or by forming “independent expenditure” groups.
The system, as it stands, invites a kind of legalized bribery, and I admire that Justin Wagner has the political courage to stand up and call for reform.
I only recently learned that those of us who live in Chappaqua have been redistricted. I would encourage the people of Chappaqua to research both candidates as there are huge differences between Justin Wagner and Greg Ball. The only mail I receive from Greg Ball highlights the one issue he and Justin Wagner agree on and that is to protect the environment by preventing fracking. He never highlights the vast differences they have on every other issue.
For those who are concerned about fracking it should be noted that it is Greg Ball's party who controls the Senate by a seat right now and it is his party that prevents any anti fracking vote from occurring. If this issue it is important to you it will not be helped by Greg Ball's support but rather by replacing him which would change control of the state Senate and a vote on fracking could then take place.
Laura Porter
Chappaqua NY 10514
http://www.elections.ny.gov:8080/plsql_browser/filer_contribution_details
We hear all this indignation from Democrats because the Supreme Court allowed corporations to give money to Super Pacs. Funny though that Democrats never had a problem when unions give like amounts (even more) than corporations. Dems have a problem when the Koch Brothers support Republican PACS but they are fine when George Soros does the same for them. Wagner is another with empty promises and transparent motivations.
To your misguided statement that Mr Ball's party controls the Senate and therefore is responsible for the current situation, let me remind you that during the first 2 years of Obama presidency the Democrats controlled the White House, The Senate and the US House of Representatives. The Democrats had for almost 2 years a filibuster proof super majority and had the power to block fracking, reform immigration, reform taxes, pass REAL environmental legislation, close GITMO, and multiple other important issues. Instead the Democrats who had all the power passed a stimulus package that didn’t stimulate a bloody thing and Obamacare that is an unmitigated disaster. It was Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank and the rest that is responsible for the stalemate. They chose not to work with the other side of the aisle and when the midterm elections came they lost their mojo. Fracking is not a Democrat vs Republican issue. Multiple states like PA, ND, TX, CO, OK, AK, and MT all have Democrats in favor of fracking. Whether you agree or disagree that fracking provides jobs and energy independence you cant disagree that people vote. Politicians (Dems and Reps) are beholden to the almighty voter. So it is not only Republicans in the Senate holding up fracking reform its also Democrats.
http://www.elections.ny.gov/recipientstext.html
How can a woman with any self respect defend him here? We have got to get him out. To top it all off he is being investigated by the Westchester County DA for impersonating Justin Wagner on an email blast to voters. Even the republicans don't like him! http://www.lohud.com/article/20120814/NEWS/308130077/Justin-Wagner-Greg-Ball-email-broke-law?gclid=CL6TtLDAirICFWUQNAodWUYAdw
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120828/NEWS/308280068/Greg-Ball-directs-staff-produce-letters-editor-attacking-opponent
This is the last comment I will make here, because I think the only people reading this are the Ball staffers who are participating in this chat. We have new evidence that Ball is morally bankrupt and unfit to serve as a state senator: As Bill mentions above, in case you missed the front page of the Journal News yesterday, he directed his staff to produce bogus letters to the editor! And if that weren't bad enough, he was dumb enough to send the email he sent to his staffers to the Journal News. You just cannot make this stuff up. See you at the polls!