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Manny prosecutes animal cruelty
I love animals. I have always had dogs and/or cats as pets. Our pets provide companionship, comfort and affection — a two-way street!
Yet some animals are treated cruelly. Over the course of my long friendship with Manny Nneji, I have too often been horrified when I learned of animal cruelty, such as in the cases that he prosecuted as an attorney in the Ulster County District Attorney’s office. At least our region’s four-legged residents have a champion in Manny. He believes they are owed compassion and protection. And that abusers deserve consequences!
Manny, chief assistant DA and candidate for Ulster County District Attorney, frequently partners with the Ulster County SPCA on animal protection issues. The Ulster County District Attorney’s office even has an animal abuse unit!
Throughout his 32-year career, Manny has been deeply committed to justice with compassion, protecting the safety of all Ulster County residents, pets and other animals. He has won many of convictions for crimes against animals. Here are a few cases he has championed and won:
People v. Matthew Miller: Defendant was watching a friend’s dog while she was away. He shot the dog and lied about the circumstances of the dog’s death. Manny got a felony conviction.
People v. Eric Napoli: Defendant shot his girlfriend’s dog. Manny proved the animal’s suffering, and got a jury conviction.
People v. Michael Oramas: Defendant beat his girlfriend’s dog to death while she was out. Served jail time for aggravated cruelty to animals.
Manny is the candidate with a clear record of convictions. Manny is tough on animal abuse and cruelty, and we animal lovers are lucky to have him!
For more on these and other classes, see https://mannyforda.com/cases.
Stephen Busch
Rochester
Why I’m running for office
Earlier this year, I volunteered my name for the Democratic Party’s nomination to run for county legislator in District 3 (the Town of Kingston and parts of the towns of Saugerties and Ulster). This is the first time I’ve sought elected office, and the reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
I don’t come from a politically connected family and I don’t have deep pockets or wealthy friends. But what I do have is a deep concern for the trajectory of our society. I believe that if you have the ability to be involved in improving your community, you have a civic duty to devote time towards doing so.
The people deserve a choice, and an opportunity to decide who they believe is most qualified and will be responsive to their needs and concerns.
Ulster County has enormous beauty and popularity, but we also have our fair share of troubles. From cost overruns of county contracts to the ongoing mental health and addiction crisis, we have a lot of work to do. Our community is hurting.
I welcome my opponent, Jason Kovacs, to a spirited debate on the issues, at a time and place that is mutually feasible.
District 3 voters will have a new county legislator in January, as the long-time incumbent, Dean Fabiano, will be retiring. I humbly urge all voters to participate in this year’s election, and ask for your consideration. Email me your thoughts or concerns at gurguiforulster3@gmail.com.
Keith Gurgui
Lake Katrine
Meyer’s not sorry
Not too long ago, Meyer Rothberg offered an apology to Donzello Berelli for lumping him with the “odious” John Butz. It seems, Mr. Butz’s views are less palatable to Meyer than Mr. Berelli’s. Apparently, Meyer was particularly offended by John’s (ugly) attack against our president who is (according to Meyer), a moral, mature Christian. (Hmmm, moral, mature Christian? Joe never heard of an abortion he wouldn’t allow, frequently lies and has a tendency to, immaturely, playfully bite babies’ shoulders and sniff the hair of little girls.) Democrat? (I’ll give him that.) Internationally respected? (After the Afghanistan withdrawal: really Meyer?) Politically astute leader of our nation? (Bob Gates former CIA director and Obama’s Secretary of Defense said Joe was on the wrong side of every foreign affairs and national security issue in the past 40 years, so, there’s that.) In any event, humility suggests Meyer owes not only John Butz an apology for his name calling but the readers of Feedback, as well, for the Jarmel-like propaganda so prevalent in his letters.
The following is inspired by the great Brenda Lee’s hit “I’m sorry” and is titled “Not sorry.” (Brenda Lee…really Civile? I know, I know; nobody’s ever heard of her but it’s a great song.)
(Meyer singing to readers)
Not sorry, I’m not sorry
so, they’ll be no, apology
cos Butz is so bad
as anyone can see
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh yeah
(Stanza)
John’s so wrong, yes, so wrong
cos he disagrees with me
and I’m always right
as any fool can see
(Stanza)
I wish that, John was more
like Donzello Berelli:
Donzello’s not odious
but thoughtful as can be
(Stanza)
Not sorry, so not sorry
so, there’ll be no apology
Trump hatred’s blind:
and Trump hatred’s blinded me, oh, oh yeah
George Civile
Gardiner
Driving between the lines
I just want to send out a big thank you to all the people I saw driving between the lines today!
Also congratulations to everyone for passing their road test!
Keep it up folks!
Cheers
Ruth Kopelman
Saugerties
District attorney endorsement
My name is Butch Dener. I have lived in Ulster County for 54 years. I have been a lifelong Republican; I was the chairman of the New Paltz Republican Party for over 25 years and a GOP committeeman for over four decades.
I am endorsing Manny Nneji for district attorney for Ulster County and will be voting for him in the upcoming election on November 7.
I met Manny for the first time in 1991, shortly after he became Ulster County ADA hired by former DA/Judge E. Michael Kavanagh, a Republican. I have followed his career since then, and he has been a true public servant, successfully prosecuting tough cases and making tough decisions for the safety of our community. I know he has dedicated himself and many hours each week to serving the youth of Ulster County as a volunteer soccer coach for over 32 years. Manny has served Ulster County as ADA under Republican and Democratic administrations; there is no one running for DA that is as experienced or qualified as Manny. He has successfully prosecuted murderers, rapists, child molesters, armed burglars and robbers, domestic violence and animal cruelty. Based on his experience and the nature and diversity of his cases, Manny is best qualified to lead our DA’s Office, train our young ADAs, seek fairness and justice for the community and victims of crimes. He is not shy about the need for discretion in the exercise of the DA’s powers, and the ideas he has set out on his website (mannyforda.com) truly reflect an interest in our safety and wellbeing rather than a knee-jerk reaction and comments that we often hear.
Manny is not chasing ambition or legacy; he is a leader by the way he has served our community and the law.
I have observed Manny in a myriad of situations both professionally and personally and he has always impressed me with how he deals with the difficult choices.
I am endorsing and voting for Manny for DA because he is the best qualified candidate for the job, and Ulster County deserves such dedicated service!
I am hopeful that prosecutorial justice will return to Ulster County under Manny’s leadership and we can all feel safe again in our homes.
Leon “Butch” Dener
New Paltz
The Villas, part two
After my letter full of questions about The Villas project was published, I was approached by an authoritative source with some answers. If the information I received is correct, and I believe it is, I am able to support the rezoning for density so that this project can move forward. It’s my understanding that it will be “low income senior housing” meaning that people who income-qualify will pay no more than 1/3 of their monthly incomes for rent. (I still think that priority should be given to Saugerties residents.) It still has hurdles to clear, but I think it should be considered as a potentially worthwhile project. I’m concerned, however, that my letters to the town board, the planning board, and the housing smart task force all went unanswered, and that it took a letter to the editor to get the answers I was looking for.
I wish that such information would be made more accessible to interested and/or concerned members of the public. This could be done by holding occasional “town halls” (I’d prefer the name “community conversations”) so that residents’ questions and concerns could be taken up in a less formal way than the town board hearings, which are, in my opinion, more divisive than informational. People don’t seem to be there to listen to each other but rather to cheer for their “side.” Town halls/community conversations would ideally be held with everyone, including town officials, sitting in a circle, listening to and speaking to each other respectfully, trying to understand each others’ points of view, with a person or people available with answers to questions of fact that would come up. The transcript from such a meeting could be published on the Town of Saugerties website for residents who can’t or don’t want to participate.
Janet Asiain
Saugerties
The Comeau addition
It was perplexing not knowing the reasoning behind McKenna’s not allowing the Commission for Civic Design to complete its review of the Comeau addition. What is even more perplexing is why McKenna did not want the supervisor’s office located in the new addition with other town employees, where he would be more aware of what was going on.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Godfrey Daniel
Well, if, as David Bowie said, God is an American and Jesus is the son of God, then Jesus might be an American citizen by birthright. But it really depends on if God did all the paperwork. Yeah, I dare you to tell Trump that Jesus was the greatest American that ever lived.
Now back to the reality of the Trumpublican voter. What do I have a low tolerance for? You don’t need to guess.
For me the answer is easy — I’d say, “Deplorable MAGAts like John Butz and their ringleader, tfg…” They’ll be the ruination of our democracy and constitution. Butz said and I quote: “If Neil’s dream comes true and Trump is somehow barred from running in 2024, I’d have no problem voting for the best Republican alternative.” Wow, two-thumbs up for Butz for that is so BIG of him — ROFLMAO!
However, if Trump remains on the ballot in a national election, this political marching moron John Butz will once again pull the lever and vote for Donald Trump. People like Butz represent extreme reactionary thinking and would gladly welcome a fascist/authoritarian leader even though Trump is clearly reprehensible. Folks, we can easily label tfg as disgraceful, disreputable, blameworthy, culpable, wrong, bad, shameful, dishonorable and oh yeah, very deplorable.
Trump, is a sick narcissist and moral degenerate, a lit fuse insurrectionist and a MAGAt cult leader of moronic deplorable-types who’s considered a crime boss by the Georgia DA with 13 charges in a sprawling indictment alleging he and his allies unlawfully conspired in a criminal enterprise a/k/a election tampering, yes blowing up the constitution, in his effort to overturn Biden’s win in Georgia. Simply put: “he’s charged with racketeering under the RICO Act.”
Overall, 91 felony counts against Trump across four cases going to court. In conclusion, NOT ONLY is John Butz a marching moron, but he also epitomizes something worse, and that is, obviously, a very real f@%kin’ moron.
[Sung to] AMERICA from Westside StoryLovely RICO —
You’re a beautiful indictment,
Trial of topical sleazes,
Bring “treasonous all” to their effn knees-eze,
Always the criminality growing,
Always the perp walking flowing,
And the attorney’s money owing,
And the indicted crying…
And these MAGATfucker’s lying!
I like law-enforced RICO Act in America,
“O say, can you see,” in America,
Toss jail key away in America,
We need honesty in A-M-E-R-I-C-A!
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Humor me
My jokes are extremely funny to 0.3% of the population.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
In support of Keith Gurgui for Ulster County Legislature
I have known Keith Gurgui for several years, as we are both active in the fight to address the home care crisis in New York.
Keith is a non-politician, running for the first time for county legislator in District 3 (the Town of Kingston and parts of the towns of Saugerties and Ulster). Keith is a lifetime resident of the Town of Ulster.
For Keith, the battle to improve home care is deeply personal. In the summer of 2009, he suffered a spinal cord injury, so he needs home care to remain a fully productive member of society.
And fully productive he has been. Instead of wallowing in self-pity after his accident, Keith began to work for the Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL). He graduated from SUNY New Paltz (Magna Cum Laude, degree in Political Science and minor in Law).
Because of his leadership, Keith was named to two boards: the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Program and the New York State Independent Living Council. He still serves on both.
As to Keith’s priorities, they include: expanding public transportation, increasing affordable housing, improving access to mental health and addiction treatment, environmental protection (including rail and freight safety) and smart economic development.
I have seen, first hand, Keith’s tenacity, resilience and intellect in the home care campaign. He listens well, always has thoughtful ideas to share and shows up time and again to stick to the fight.
Let me put this simply: Keith cares. He cares about improving our community. He cares that some people are hurting. He doesn’t have deep pockets or political connections. Only a deep concern for where our society is going. And he believes it’s his civic duty to do something about it.
Please join with me, and many others, who support Keith Gurgui’s candidacy. To learn more about Keith, and to get involved, please go to keithforulster.com.
Michael Solow
Kingston
Not a drop to drink
A new zoning law is about to be proposed to the Woodstock Town Board by the Housing Oversight Task Force. In the category of foolish, disastrous overdevelopment schemes, it’s a classic. The main effect will be to jam the center of town with accessory use projects, the sum of which would require replacing the Woodstock sewage system’s narrow piping.
Woodstock is still a small town. Climate change, population increase and other factors have already lowered the water level at properties that have wells. Several of my family’s own wells have already gone dry. It’ll be a hell of a dreary morning when you turn on your tap and nothing comes out but foul air. If you don’t want that day to come tomorrow, say something today and say it loud.
Donald Fagen
Woodstock
Honesty from the district attorney matters
The word “fake” has become so overused in current politics as to be meaningless. Let’s try some others: gaslight, dupe, hoodwink, snooker. They all apply to Ulster County District Attorney candidate Mike Kavanagh. Beginning his campaign, he announced that he dropped his registration as a Republican and would run as an independent. He claimed his independent status would leave him not beholden to political pressures, free to provide equal justice to all residents, regardless of their political party.
It’s not surprising that he wants that (I) after his name rather than the (R) he claimed in his 2019 losing campaign for the same office. (R) = MAGA in 2023. Kavanagh might understandably feel MAGA is a heavy weight to carry in Democratic Ulster County. In a debate with his opponent, Manny Nneji, he stated that he’s dissatisfied with the platforms of both political parties, but didn’t explain the specific disagreements with policies and principles that led him to abandon his party. We are left to suspect this is a divorce of convenience.
His history as a public figure is hard to disguise. By his own account he is a lifelong Republican from a prominent Republican family. He’s been chosen as their candidate by the Ulster Republican party — twice. He recently claimed he’s voted for Democrats. That assertion can’t be confirmed; one’s vote is private and secure. He’s said he’s donated to Democrats. We all know that political donations are made for a variety of reasons, some of them slippery.
Mr. Kavanagh wants voters to know that as the district attorney he will provide equal justice for all residents. That’s news? That’s the DA’s JOB. Manny Nneji, (D), has served honorably in the Ulster County District Attorney’s office for nearly 30 years, most of those years under a Republican administration. Since 2019, he’s worked for a Democratic chief. He works for the people, “without fear or favor.” With the opportunity to lead the office, Manny intends to expand programs for crime prevention and strengthen the office’s ability to deal with statewide changes in prosecution laws. He is a man of integrity whose accomplishments in office can inspire trust.
Tom Denton
New Paltz
Gardiner Dump Run a success
The second Gardiner Dump Run hosted by the Gardiner Parks and Recreation Committee was held on Sunday, September 24 and very successful, largely due to the generosity of our sponsors: Mountain Brauhaus, Rock and Snow, Empire FX, Woliba, Bicycle Depot New Paltz, Hudson Valley Trailworks, Earthly Bodywork, Skratch Labs, Franz Auto Service, Good bye Dirty Butthole, Obstacle Wonderland and Hannaford. A special thank you to the Gardiner Trail Alliance for all the volunteer hours they put in to ready the trails for the race.
Congratulations to all the athletes who competed despite the rain, wind and mud. A fun time was had by all! See you next year Sunday, September 22, 2024.
Race results can be found on runsignup.com.
Gail Lahm, on behalf of the Gardiner Dump Run
Letter of gratitude for our sponsors
The New Paltz Central School District Foundation for Student Enhancement would like to thank our generous sponsors whose support has made it possible for us to fund over $100,000 in awards since 2011.
We have four levels of sponsorship: Scholar, honor roll, salutatorian and our highest tier — valedictorian.
Thank you scholar sponsors: Ulster Savings Bank, Kristen Zigouras-EXP Realty, Krause’s Chocolates, New Paltz Properties, KM Acupuncture, Village Pizza, Fleet Service, Horses for a Change and Alchemy Farmhouse. Thank you honor roll sponsors: Wellness Embodied, First Care Walk-in Medical Center, C2G, Mountain Valley Manor, Plaza Diner and John Ingenio, CPA.
Thank you salutatorians: KIC Chemicals, Stewart’s Shops, M&T Bank, Dawes Septic and Repair and Apuzzo Kitchens.
And finally, thank you to our valedictorian sponsor: Andy Bivona. We are beyond grateful for your support these many years, both in sponsorships and as a valued and long-standing board member. Thank you.
Jessica Feshold, on behalf of the NPCSD Foundation for Student Enhancement
No more STRs
When I first learned that real estate agents were telling their clients that Woodstock’s new zoning law would open the possibility for more short-term rental (STR) apartments, I thought it was just evidence of the disinformation and misinformation Jeff Collins wrote about in his letter of August 3. But then the Ulster County Planning Board, in its decision of May 3, confirmed that the new zoning law does encourage the expansion of STRs.
In its decision, the county wrote: “Allowing them [STRs] as a first choice amid a housing crisis cannot be seen as a proper response. Given the economic incentive associated with creating an STR, the goal should be long-term rental ADU first.”
The conversion of long-term rentals to STRs has been a major force in shrinking available affordable housing in Woodstock. It’s not unusual to hear from people who have lived in Woodstock for years, having their rents excessively hiked and being evicted so their apartments can be converted to an STR.
The new zoning law should primarily focus on providing affordable housing, not expanding the availability of STRs. I owe an apology to Woodstock’s real estate agents — they were right.
Ken Panza
Woodstock
Stop Woodstock National
I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees
—Dr. Seuss
Woodstock National would like to come and build a luxury community on 600 acres of pristine forest that has been officially designated a Critical Environmental Area. Hundreds of acres of forest destroyed — habitat for rare birds, endangered bats and creatures that we may never notice or see but are crucial for the food chain and flora fauna diversity will be lost. Woodstock National proposes to put their waste water treatment facility right next to the Sawkill stream. Their development will be built upon the Sawkill watershed which provides drinking water for Woodstock and Kingston. For the good health and well being of our community and for the creatures, trees and life that are unable to speak for themselves, we must rise up and say stop Woodstock National (stopwoodstocknational.org).
Cory Smith
Woodstock
Vote for Keith Gurgui in November
I first met Keith Gurgui in 2019, in our advocacy work with the NY Caring Majority. Over the last several years, we have been on countless strategy meetings together and collaborated on meetings with state legislators to advocate for home care workers and those who receive home care. Keith comes from a strong background in advocacy through his work as system’s advocate at the Resource Center for Accessible Living. Having sustained a spinal cord injury in 2009, Keith knows the ways in which our society, in its current albelist and fractured form, fails all of us — and how we could change that, by ensuring healthcare, including mental health and addiction services, is available to everyone, enacting a living wage, improving public transportation and strengthening environmental protections, to name a few.
As a public health nurse and resident in the Hudson Valley, these are issues near and dear to my heart. Genuine and thoughtful, Keith has a strong moral center, rooted in justice and improving the lives of everyone in the community. He will be a fine addition to the Ulster County Legislature. Vote for Keith in November!
Margarita Asiain
Saugerties
Masters of the mirage: Politics and the weaponization of confusion
“In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. In a world of deceit, so is clarity.”
—Anonymous.
When we navigate the tumultuous waters of public discourse, we meet a veritable storm of emotional currents designed not to clarify but to confound. At the helm of this upheaval is the crafty navigator who, with a sleight of hand, turns confusion into a tool, a weapon to cloud judgment and sow discord. Like a magician who dazzles his audience with a flourish, diverting their gaze to perform his trick, the modern orchestrator of chaos uses drama and emotion as his smoke and mirrors. The aim? To lead astray, to bewilder, and, most of all, to distract.
Take, for instance, the contentious matter of abortion. Rather than fostering a dialogue rooted in the nuances of ethics, health and freedom, it has become a battleground for political opportunists. This quagmire of moral ambiguity is not a mere byproduct of differing views. Instead, it is purposefully nurtured, for more sinister agendas can lurk unnoticed in this fog of confusion. As we grapple with moral difficulties, the more significant, more pressing governance matters are swept under the rug, sacrificed at the altar of sensationalism.
The nefarious use of confusion is not new. “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” — H. L. Mencken. The stakes today, however, have never been higher. The digital age amplifies and accelerates these distractions, making it possible to send lies worldwide in minutes, discerning truth from falsehood and reality from theater.
But in recognizing this tactic, we reclaim our agency. For in naming the beast, we weaken its hold. Disorder is a handmaiden of confusion; together, they threaten the very bedrock of trust and truth. Yet, the resilience of the human spirit, our insatiable quest for understanding, can shine a light through the murk. We must resist the urge to surrender to exhaustion, to relegate critical issues to obscurity. It is a clarion call for vigilance, introspection, and, above all, clarity.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Manny Nneji and the American Dream
If there is one idea that has defined our country’s unique character, it is the American Dream.
What is the American Dream and why is it so important? The writer Adam Barone defines it as “the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. It can be achieved through sacrifice, risk taking and hard work rather than by chance.”
This definition applies both to Americans born here or to millions of immigrants, who come
to our country seeking to escape oppression and poverty, with the goal of realizing the American Dream for themselves and their families. I believe each of us knows someone whose life and achievements truly exemplify the American Dream. I know I do. His name is Manny Nneji, and he currently serves as Ulster County’s chief assistant district attorney and he is also the Democratic candidate for Ulster County district attorney.
Manny’s story begins in Nigeria, where he was born into a large family of very modest means. After graduating high school, he immigrated to America, working his way through SUNY New Paltz as a dishwasher and dormitory cleaner to pay school fees. Then, for two years he worked at McDonald’s on Main Street in New Paltz to save for tuition at the University of Buffalo Law School. After graduating, he returned to Ulster County to work for Mid-Hudson Legal Services, assisting indigent citizens with civil matters including evictions. In the fall of 1990, following a stint as a law intern with the Ulster County DA’s office, he was offered a job as a prosecutor. In the following decades, he distinguished himself as one of the toughest and hardest working assistant DA’s in the office. In recognition of his decades of achievement, in 2021 Manny was appointed chief assistant DA. The full story of his remarkable life can be found at www.mannyforda.com.
In less than two months, voters will decide on who will serve as Ulster County’s next district attorney. If the American Dream means anything, it means choosing an individual who has truly achieved it. Manny Nneji is that individual and he has earned our trust and our vote.
Joel Mason
Kingston
Thanks for coming
I’d like to thank everyone who attended the documentary Shady Waters at the old Woodstock Library last Saturday. The panel discussion afterwards presented a unique opportunity for the people of Shady and wider community of Woodstock to ask questions from an expert with 30 years experience of removing contaminated fill from properties throughout New York State.
For those of you who could not attend last Saturdays screening, there will be another opportunity to see the documentary this coming Saturday, September 30 at the same venue beginning at 7 p.m. with an expert panel discussion immediately after screening.
The original premiere of Shady Waters was scheduled to be screened at Tinker Street Cinema on June 26, 2023, but was canceled due to the cinema been threatened with a lawsuit if the screening proceeded.
Last Saturday’s screening at the old library was watched by a full house with standing-room-only available by the time the movie began.
This Saturday’s screening is free to all, but please come early as seating is limited.
Chris Finlay
Woodstock
A false focus
Mary Anna Cox’s letter of August 30 seems to say that she sees no dangers with transgenderism, as do many of us, as long as it involves a fully mature grown adult. To each his/her own, as they say. However, Mary Anna naively thinks that some parents and the medical profession, working as a “team,” are okay with influencing impressionable children into buying into the “gender identity confusion” of their not yet fully formed mental reasoning capabilities. She thinks that all children are protected from these drugs and surgeries until they’re 18 years old. However, we’ve all read and heard stories about children under 18 already going through this irreversible mutilation process. Look no further than TLC’s Jazz Jennings who began her blockers and process at the age of eleven!
Medical and psychiatric experts tell us that the prefrontal cortex is responsible for rational decision-making, but that it’s not fully developed until well into a person’s 20’s. So, that leaves ALL young children and even many older teens relying, instead, on the highly emotional and reactive part of the brain known as the amygdale which usually triggers anger and fear, also known as the ‘fight or flight” reaction. They say that children need years of life experience before being able to properly conceptualize the connection between cause and effect. Yet, these extreme far left gender policies confuse and abuse children when they are the most vulnerable.
It took a very clear response to Mary Anna by Donzello Berelli, in his letter of September 13 to hopefully refocus Mary Anna on the REAL problem of pushing “gender affirmation” on children who don’t yet have the mental capacity to independently understand and make such a life-altering decision.
Transgenderism involves only .05% of our population, yet it is consistently in the news as if it is as important an issue as are all the REAL concerns plaguing ALL voters, regardless of party affiliation. This disproportionate and artificially heightened focus on transgenderism by the media and the current administration, as opposed to the REAL focus on kitchen table issues, just goes to show how pathetically screwed up our “leaders” priorities are.
John N. Butz
Modena
Electing Manny Nneji
The fact that Manny Nneji had a contentious divorce that caused financial strain which then led to a foreclosure shouldn’t hinder his bid for DA of Ulster County.
Millions of people annually run into financial challenges that result in bankruptcy, with divorce being one of the leading causes. Filing bankruptcy is a last resort and a serious matter to contemplate and execute. It doesn’t however mean that the person filing is financially irresponsible — it simply means they were advised to avail themselves of the bankruptcy protection process the government has provided. It has long-term consequences that make re-establishing credit challenging for many years.
Manny’s been upfront and forthcoming about his financial challenges from years back and has selflessly dedicated 32 years — a lifetime — of service to coaching youth soccer and community service in Saugerties; worked part time at McDonald’s in Kingston while in college and earned the respect and support of his professors who helped defray some of his law school tuition expenses.
Since graduating he’s worked tirelessly in his positions in Ulster County and New York State and when called back to Ulster County from the state government, opted to take a significant cut in salary in order to once again serve the people of Ulster County. The list of cases he’s successfully prosecuted is enormous and impressive. His opposition suggesting he’s unprepared to manage a budget or is otherwise financially irresponsible is inappropriate, mean spirited and overly simplistic.
Electing Manny Nneji in November will bring an experienced, hard-working, down-to-earth, self-made man to the office of district attorney, one who has a long track record of putting others before himself while looking out for the victims of violent crime in Ulster County and New York State.
Andrew Cowan
Saugerties
Join the family! 
