As a resident of neighboring Saratoga County, I take exception to those in Schenectady who are touting the new local law that will, in essence, force sex offenders from Schenectady to move to neighboring communities. Dumping one community’s problems into the laps of others does not foster cooperation, something in short supply these days. I also find it perplexing that the law’s sponsor, county Legislator Ed Kosiur, is touting this law in his current campaign for the state Assembly. Most of these sex offenders won’t be heading to Saratoga Springs where I live. They’ll be heading to locations like Amsterdam and Canajoharie, where housing is less expensive. Why would anyone brag about that? HARRY J. MACAVOY Saratoga Springs
105TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Kosiur objects to GOP jab at tax record BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Republican George Amedore Jr. and Democrat Ed Kosiur shook hands in church several weeks ago, pledging to one another their campaigning for the 105th state Assembly District would stay clean. Then, more recently, Schenectady County Republican Chairman Tom Buchanan and the state GOP committee released statements attacking Kosiur’s record on taxes while serving in the Schenectady Legislature and on the City Council. Kosiur responded to these criticisms Thursday by hosting a news conference at a Schenectady residence, where he criticized Amedore and the Republicans for waging an antagonistic campaign aimed at distorting the facts. “He has taken off his gloves by coming out with these distorted ads,” Kosiur said. But Amedore denied that. He said the recent statements merely present documented facts about Kosiur’s record during his time in public office and are not meant as an attack on his opponent. “My gloves aren’t off because I never put them on to fight,” he retorted. “That’s how it is; that’s how it’ll always be.” Recently, households in the district — all of Montgomery County and part of Schenectady County — received a color mailer from the state Repub-Committee featuring a man dressed in a suit running out from starting blocks on a track. In bold lettering, the ad states Kosiur “is trying to run from his record of higher taxes” and then lists five instances where the county legislator voted in favor of tax increases. Buchanan sent out a news release Tuesday restating these five points in greater detail. In a statement, Buchanan accused the Democratic candidate of “not being straight with voters when it comes to his tax record as county Legislator.” “It’s just one tax hike after another after another,” Buchanan said in the release. “For Kosiur to mislead voters and pose as a tax cutter when he’s a habitual tax raiser is wrong and he should stop.” Kosiur, however, vehemently objected to this portrayal and categorically rejected each of the points listed by the GOP. In his time as a county legislator, he said, Schenectady County has cut taxes 19 consecutive times, including two property tax cuts in 2006 and 2007. “And we strongly anticipate another property tax cut for this upcoming budget in 2008,” he said. Kosiur also said the GOP leaders — and Amedore by extension — have muddied the campaign waters by publicly misconstruing his record. But he vowed that his electioneering would remain focused on positive ideas instead of resorting to negative campaign tactics. “I can’t believe we had this agreement with one another and it’s gone two weeks into the campaign,” he said. “Our constituents deserve better and they need to know the truth and the facts.” Kosiur attributed the tax record attacks to the politics of Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, RSchenectady, who has traveled the campaign trail with Amedore. He said the tone of the ads could change if Tedisco wanted it to. “It’s going to be up to Jimmy Tedisco, because it’s clear Tedisco is running this campaign,” he said. Amedore, however, said his opponent is the one politicizing the campaign. He said the message sent out by the state and county Republicans merely illustrates Kosiur’s role in the taxes borne by district residents. “It’s all factual and it’s what the record shows,” he said, conceding that Kosiur had also done some good things while serving in the Legislature. “But he also continues, in the years he’s been there, to vote to increase taxes on many different things.” Amedore, 38, of Rotterdam, is executive vice president of Amedore Homes, a company started by his father, George Sr. Kosiur, 51, is director of teen employment with the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady and represents the city in the county Legislature. Both men are vying for the seat vacated by Paul Tonko, who left the Assembly to head the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Tonko, a Democrat, has been campaigning with Kosiur. On Wednesday, Amedore highlighted inaction on a crime bill he said is stalled because of a dysfunctional state Legislature. He held a news conference at the Schenectady County Courthouse with Steve Downey, whose daughter and grandchild were killed in 2006 by Kareem Hayes, who had a long history of misdemeanor convictions. Downey has since become a strong advocate for state passage of the Chronic Criminal Act, which would create a new Class E felony for anyone convicted of four Class A misdemeanors within 10 years. Democratic candidate Kosiur said Wednesday he too supports the Chronic Criminal Act. But Amedore said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has refused to bring the bill to the floor of the Democrat-controlled Assembly. The bill, which has been passed by the Senate, is an example of what Amedore said is common sense, and he said its status reflects a dysfunctional lawmaking body that needs the voice of common people. “It deserves a vote, and this is why I'm here to support George [Amedore],” said Downey, a Democrat. Also on the issue of crime, Kosiur said he would work to ensure that convicted sex offenders and violent criminals serve all the time they are incarcerated for. “When they’re sentenced for 20 years … they need to be in jail for that full sentencing. As an assemblyman, I’m going to push for that,” Kosiur said. Kosiur cited his work at the county Legislature supporting camera monitoring of high-crime areas. The county Legislature earlier this month accepted $404,000 in state and other grant money to expand its camera surveillance program, bringing funding for the project to more than $700,000. “I’ve fought hard to keep our families safe and I’m always going to fight for longer sentences to put the criminals behind bars and keep them there,” Kosiur said.
Voted to increase property taxes by over $6.6 Million - source county resolution 146-04 Voted to reinstate the tax on gasoline... - source county resolution 183-06 Voted to increase cellphone taxes - source county resolution 221-06 Voted to increase taxes on home mortgages - source county resolution 036-05 Voted four times to impose an additional sales tax - source county resolutions 055-05, 081-05, 157-05 and 076-07.
All of the county resolutions are on the county's website.
Oh come on Mr. Kosiur...is that the best ya got on Amedore....'He's new in politics?' Paaalllleeezzz!!! Now here are the plain black and white facts...Mr. Kosiur is just a yes man for the democratic party. He has, IN FACT, voted for many tax increases. His sex offender law is an absolute joke that will come back to bite him AND the taxpayers in the a**. (which he stole and modified the idea from Mr. Surhada) He can't make in in the private working sector so he instead takes on a political role (paid for by the taxpayers) and a 'job'(paid for by the taxpayers and donations).
Mr. Amedore, on the other hand, made it in the private sector AND is looking to cut taxes and will work to help the working families. Something that neither Kosiur or Tonko has or had a clue about! GOT IT?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
That's about the only thing that Kosiurt can say about Amedore is that he doesn't have a record yet. I think that's exactly what we need someone who's not a politician and doesn't owe everybody favors.
If people want to vote for Ed Kosiur, I don't think that it should be for the sex offender law. It is not a fair law for the residents or a legal law for the sex offender. And he has also voted to raise taxes in Schenectady. I would not vote for Ed Kosiur. I do not want anymore people in politcs that will raise taxes all the time. I think we all pay more than enough now.
CAPITOL Parties spending big on Assembly race BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Bob Conner at 462-2499 or bconner@dailygazette.net.
With a little over a week to go in the campaign to elect a state assemblyman in the 105th Assembly District, the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee has committed most of its available funds to trying to elect George Amedore Jr. over Democrat Ed Kosiur. The RACC has committed $280,000 to the race, according to Phil Oliva, who is using vacation days from his job as chief spokesman for Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, to volunteer for the Amedore campaign. According to the RACC’s latest electronic filing with the state Board of Elections, its contributions to the Amedore campaign have left it with only $109,383 cash on hand. The Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee is in better financial shape, reflecting the ability of the majority Democrats in that house to raise and spend more money than Assembly Republicans. Kathleen Joyce, executive director of DACC, said it has spent about $210,000 so far on the Kosiur campaign, and expects to spend more. It can afford to, since it has $984,946 cash in hand, according to the Board of Elections. The RACC and DACC are providing the great majority of funding for the respective campaigns. Oliva said the RACC has spent about $200,000 so far, and may not go above the $280,000 it has committed to the race. Most of the money on both sides is going to TV and radio advertising, and direct mail. Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, co-chairman of the DACC, said Democrats will not be outspent in the race. Oliva said Democrats typically have been able to spend several times more than Republican Assembly candidates, and that while Republicans may be outspent in this race, it will not be by such a wide margin. The Democrats are defending the seat of former Assemblyman Paul Tonko, who resigned to become head of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Tonko has appeared in ads for Kosiur, and his election committee still has $109,762 in hand, according to the Board of Elections. The district includes much of Schenectady and all of Montgomery counties, and Democrats have a 30,654-25,891 registration advantage. Democrats are also coming off a very successful election year in 2006 and have been gaining ground upstate in recent years. Nevertheless, the RACC financial commitment shows that Republicans are determined to win the seat. At a Friday news conference, the local Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Kosiur and attacked the environmental record of Amedore’s construction company, saying it built a condominium project “with its huge impervious surface footprint in the midst of the Great Flats Aquifer Recharge Area and Nature Trail.” Amedore said the project in question was approved by town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County, state and federal authorities, “the whole nine yards. I preserved wetlands, I didn’t impact or disturb them. … The [Department of Environmental Conservation] commended us on the project.” The Sierra Club also lauded Kosiur for his environmental record on the Schenectady County Legislature, including support for the Woodlawn Park Preserve. Amedore cited the environmental features of his economic development plan, including boosting ethanol production and cleaning up brownfields. Amedore held his own news conference at which he cited votes taken by Kosiur as a county legislator to raise taxes. The Democrat responded that Amedore was ignoring more frequent votes Kosiur made to cut taxes. A Kosiur flier says he “authored a law to keep dangerous sex predators away from our kids.” Amedore has said that new law could have the unintended consequence of driving sex offenders into western Schenectady County. Kosiur, who did not return several calls for comment Friday, has been endorsed by labor unions including, on Friday, New York State United Teachers. Amedore has been endorsed by the state chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business. Amsterdam radio station WVTL, AM 1570, will broadcast a debate between the candidates at 9 a.m. Monday, July 30, the day before the election. WVTL’s Bob Cudmore will moderate.
NYSUT Backs Kosiur by Jay Jochnowitz, State Editor New York State United Teachers endorsed Democrat Ed Kosiur today in the 105th Assembly District race.
The union, which represents 585,000 educators including more than 2,900 in the district, based the endorsement on Kosiur’s positions against “the unfettered growth of charter schools,” and concerns about private school vouchers and tuition tax credits.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I see that they've pulled all the stops out to try and get Ed elected. I was visited by Paul Tonko, Bob Godlewski, Jasenski, and Ed Kosiur himself all trying to dig up votes. They must be worried if they're taking a Saturday to go around the town to get more votes.
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