Support Claudia Andreassen
I am both pleased and honored to express my support for Claudia Andreassen for town of Saugerties judge. I have known Claudia as a probation officer, where we worked together for many years, and in ensuing years through my association with her until my retirement as director of the Ulster County community corrections department.
The aforementioned department is just one of the numerous and sometimes ever-changing support agencies that a judge must remain abreast of in order to deliberate fairly and sentence justly. They range from numerous mental-health-related agencies to alternative to incarceration programs to incarceration itself. The vast number of sentencing options available to a judge are too numerous to list here, but are too important to be taken lightly. The cost of local incarceration for our community reaches into the hundreds of dollars per day.
Claudia Andreassen is aware of the sentencing options available to her, especially as an involved community member with a background in the criminal justice field. Of course, there are a great many offenders for whom incarceration is the answer. It requires an individual with insight into the broad realm of sentencing options available to provide the most corrective and effective sentence for the offender and for the community she serves.
I have seen Claudia Andreassen consistently apply these options in a judicious and effective manner, firstly by providing safety for the community, and where necessary appropriate help for qualifying offenders.
PAUL NOBLE
Saugerties
Look in the mirror
Recently, Saugerties councilmen Fred Costello and Bruce Leighton attacked supervisor Kelly Myers at the request of their political masters, Democrats Patti Kelly and Beth Murphy, over hundreds of dollars in potential late fees. This is ironic, as most of the late bills were from departments Costello and Leighton oversee. A new development, however, shows the ludicrousness of this attack.
The town of Saugerties owes $90,000 in past election charges to the Ulster County Board of Elections. Unbelievably, the previous supervisor decided on his own not to pay the charges and did not include them in the town budget. Costello was deputy supervisor during this time.
Was this done to manipulate the town budget to show a lower tax increase? If the town is required to pay the entire amount, it will raise general-fund property taxes by 2%. The town is already facing incredible fiscal challenges from increased retirement costs, lost revenue from the police merger, and outrageous spending requests by the departments Costello oversees.
This is yet another example of how Costello and Leighton and the Democratic town board majority have let down Saugerties taxpayers. Costello and Leighton are throwing around the word “incompetence” a lot these days. If they want to see an example of incompetence in town government, all they have to do is look in the mirror.
JOE ROBERTI, JR.
Chair, Saugerties GOP
Saugerties
We deserve DeForest
Please support Cheryl DeForest for the office of Saugerties receiver of taxes. She is a dedicated, hard-working and educated women that would be of great value to our town of Saugerties team of public officials.
ROY ANDERSON
Saugerties
I’m for Gibson
I support congressman Chris Gibson for election to the 19th Congressional District of New York. I am a local business owner and employer here in Ulster County for 40 years. I have seen firsthand the effects that this economy is having on local jobs and businesses. It is not good.
Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know congressman Chris Gibson. He is a proven, independent leader who works across the aisle to get things done. He has supported dozens of bipartisan jobs bills, including the fair-trade agreements signed into law by the president which are projected to lead to 250,000 new jobs in the U.S. Additionally, he supported the passage of the bipartisan transportation authorization and reauthorization bills. He has fought against partisan and ineffective government regulations that cost jobs and hurt the economy at no benefit to public health, labor or the environment.
One of the biggest dangers faced by our nation is simply our failing economy and lack of job creation, both of which are stifled due to government actions or inactions. Congressman Gibson will continue to bring competitiveness back to America and get Upstate New Yorkers back to work. I am going to cast my vote for congressman Gibson on November 6, and I hope you will join me.
GARY J. AROLD
Arold Construction Company, Inc.
Kingston
Don’t vote for me!
I am on the November 6 ballot in Saugerties as candidate for Saugerties town justice on the Working Families and Green Party lines. I sought those additional ballot lines when I was seeking to be the Democratic Party candidate. I was nominated at the caucus, but Claudia Andreassen had more support and was selected to be the candidate.
Unfortunately, the Democratic Party caucus was held too late for me to decline the nomination of the two minor parties, which I would have done. Consequently, I am on the ballot.
I have not campaigned and I did not vote for myself on the absentee ballot I have filed with the board of elections. I voted for judge Andreassen. I urge all people who were disappointed by my not securing the Democratic Party nomination to join me in supporting judge Andreassan and not waste your vote on me. I have observed her in action on the bench and she does a creditable job for the people of Saugerties.
LANNY E. WALTER
Saugerties
Why choose less?
The only right choice to be your next receiver of taxes is Cheryl DeForest. Cheryl has a bachelor’s degree and 25 years of financial experience. Cheryl is a courteous and kind professional who has earned the respect of all of her customers over the course of many years. Please visit her website CherylDeForestTaxCollector.com for her schedule of events so you can come out and meet her and see for yourself.
JEFFREY R. KLAUSNER
Saugerties
Who you know, one
It would appear that it doesn’t matter if you’re qualified to fill a position, only have to be related to a town board member to get an affirmative vote. Why would Leann Thornton vote in favor of a relative’s appointment to fill the position of receiver of taxes? I am appalled at this action, clearly not in the best interest of our town, only in furthering her family. Makes you wonder what other deals are going on in the background when we see these types of actions. They should step down.
MIKE SMITH
Saugerties
Who you know, two
It would appear that it doesn’t matter if you’re qualified to fill a position, only have to be related to get an affirmative vote. Why would Leann Thornton vote in favor of a relative’s appointment to fill the position of receiver of taxes? I am appalled at this action, clearly not in the best interest of our town, only in furthering her family. Makes you wonder what other deals are going on in the background when we see these types of actions. They should step down.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Saugerties
Peg Nau supports Suzi Filak
I am urging you to vote for Suzanne Filak for receiver of taxes for the town of Saugerties. Before I decided to retire I thought long and hard about who should
be my replacement. Suzi came to the tax office over six years ago. I was impressed with her interest and abilities to understand the routine of the office. We worked together for the past year to ready the office for my retirement.
Suzi knows the Real Property Tax Law and understands the responsibilities of the receiver. She is a member of the Ulster County Town Clerks and Tax Collectors and a member of the New York State Association of Tax Receivers. Suzi is intelligent, honest and capable..Suzi will serve you, as I have served you for the past 25 years, fairly, honestly and accurately.
Please vote for the most qualified candidate for the office of receiver of taxes, Suzanne Filak. Thank you.
MARY (PEG) NAU
Former receiver of taxes
Saugerties
Join the family! 
