Scripts and sounds for WGXC radio hosts to play on the WGXC Morning Show or WGXC Afternoon Show. Breaking news, features, local audio, video, analysis, music, links to events in Greene and Columbia counties, NY. www.wgxc.org
Over 500,000 acres of developable land identified in the Catskills
Mid Hudson News Network reports on a new Open Space Institute study that finds that the Catskills region contains 10 times the land needed to support population expectations through 2035, meaning growth can occur there without negatively affecting open space resources.” The study identifies more than 520,000 acres of private land that could be developed that is more than would be needed to accommodate population growth estimates of about four percent over the next 25 years. The report looks at land in Sullivan, Ulster, Greene and Delaware counties. The report found that Ulster County is the most developed of the four counties at seven percent of its land area. It also contains the most conserved lands – 32 percent, and the least amount of preferred growth area, at 11 percent. In Greene County, 24 percent of its land is already conserved. Six percent of the county is developed, and it contains enough preferred growth area to triple that figure.
BREAKING: Body found at Half Moon
The Register-Star is running a raw police report about an ongoing investigation into a shooting death that happened inside the Half Moon Bar and Grill located at 48 Front St. in Hudson on Monday, March 28. Police responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call around 2 p.m. Police were still on scene as of 3:30 p.m., as was the County Coroner. “A long rifle was apparently found inside the bar,” Andrew Amelinckx’s report concludes.
‘Designer’ cupcakes debut in Catskill
Colin DeVries of the Daily Mail writes about the new Catskill Chocolate Cafe at the corner of Church Street and Brandow’s Alley in Catskill. where a cappuccino and cupcake tasting on Sunday brought a crowd to sample five of the cupcake creations from Elisebeth Stamer, a retired nurse hired by Cafe owner Angelo Amato to provide an array of specialty cupcakes — with two new flavors each week. “Up for tasting on Sunday were coconut, chocolate blackout with chocolate Bavarian cream, plus pink champagne, butter toffee and strawberry cream,” DeVries notes.
Gibson washes hands of redistricting, he says
jimmy Vielkind notes that Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, is claiming that he’s just too focused on serving his constituents to think about who they might be in two years. “My focus is on serving the 20th Congressional District,” the freshman Republican from Kinderhook said Monday at the Capitol. “I think what the Census data shows is that for our region, we actually grew, for about 30-some-odd thousand. I think that’s encouraging. We’re still going to need to pick up about 30-some-odd-thousand…but this is out of my hands.”
Former Rep. Scott Murphy was NOT one of the top congressional spenders after all
Meanwhile, Richard Dunham of the TU’s Capitol Confidential adds that
The Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, has acknowledged that its original list of top ten congressional office spenders for 2010 was “flawed” and that former Rep. Scott Murphy, the Democrat who Chris Gibson defeated last November, “is not — repeat: NOT — on this ‘top ten’ list that you’d rather not be on.” Instead of spending about $1.7 million, as the original report stated, Murphy spent $1,481,587, the new report concluded.
Fines spark bright idea
Diane Valden reports in The Columbia paper that the Town of Copake will be paying for new solar panels with $21,609.97 it will be getting in court-ordered fines from Salvatore Cascino for violating federal, state and town law by illegally dumping and building at his 300-acre Copake property along the east side of Route 22 over the past 13 years. Cascino also owns Bronx County Recycling, LLC, a waste hauling/processing operation just south of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx that was sued for dumping in Clermont, but later cleared because of longstanding traditions of such dumping on the property he bought there.
Lemonade Day coming to Greene County May 1
Ariel Zangla-Girard of the Daily Freeman reports that Greene County youth will take to the streets May 1 as part of Lemonade Day, a nationwide effort where area youth create their own lemonade stands from the ground up and then run their businesses with an eye towards making a profit that can be shared with charity. “It’s really a great program,” said Bob Phibbs, coordinator of the Greene County Lemonade Day. “And we’re the only ones in New York state doing it.”
The New York Times had a piece in its regional section this week that’s started going viral upstate, and elsewhere in small town America. Entitled “District Liked Its Earmarks, Then Elected Someone Who Didn’t,” the piece by reporter Raymond Hernandez is all about what’s happening now that a Republican Congress is actually cutting projects that were deemed helpful, and even necessary, in rural areas like ours. They chart what’s happening in the 19th Congressional District, won by Tea Party-backed Nan Hayworth from former musician John Hall, where “projects have drawn strong support from community activists, business leaders and local politicians of both major parties. But the stream of federal money that has long financed such projects, in this Hudson Valley district and elsewhere in the nation, is about to dry up.” It gets a number of Republican local officials to go on the record against the past week’s Congressional action, “prodded by outspoken newcomers like Ms. Hayworth,” to essentially ban all money for projects that individual lawmakers slip into major Congressional budget bills to cater to local demands. “Now, civic activists, local officials and residents are scratching their heads, unpersuaded about the soundness of scrapping a system that has provided the district with money for libraries, parks, roads, bridges and the like.” Interesting when abstract concepts hit real world examples. More on local projects started by Rep. Scott Murphy before losing to our newest Congressman Chris Gibson, who also ran against earmarks…
Lt. Gov. Robert J. Duffy, former mayor of Rochester, has been pegged with leading the state's promised rethinking of its approach to the business community, including restructuring of its Empire State Development Corp, which is still without a named head. Image from Governor's website.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been pushing the idea of making New York State more business-friendly, and yet The Capitol is reporting that the 10 regional economic councils Cuomo planned to create are not yet formed and his plans to makeover the Empire State Development Corp. are “shrouded in secrecy.” They note that as far as they can tell, Cuomo is trusting Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy, the former mayor of Rochester seen as an Upstate advocate, to oversee the regional councils, and is “intent on moving away from the top-down, New York City-and-Albany-driven models of the past, empowering the regional councils with funding and bond-buying powers, and instilling a sense of competition in the process to encourage growth.” Yet the story also summarizes growing worries that the administration’s failure to name a new ESDC head, or outline specific changes to its long-criticized policies, is a bad omen of yet another promise that could likely go un-kept. Those are answered, however, by several upstate development specialists who note that such matters will likely stream to the top of the state’s agenda following the submission of an executive budget on February 1. The Capital notes several names that have been floated for the ESDC president, including ex-Rep. Scott Murphy, who lost his reelection bid against Republican Chris Gibson last November, and Mike Carey, an economic development official under Rudy Giuliani whose father, former Gov. Hugh Carey, is often credited with helping rescue New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. But neither man, the publication goes on to say, seems eager to take the job. A Cuomo chairman said only that the name of the ESDC president and the membership of the regional councils would be publicized in “the coming weeks.”
Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, says he'll sleep in his office once in Washington, as if his new job were a military deployment.
U.S. Rep.-elect Chris Gibson plans to make his congressional office his home when in Washington D.C., eschewing paying rent on an apartment or house… and going along with his aides’ description of his upcoming first term in office as being like the deployments he’s faced as part of a 24-year military career. A Journal Register News Service story in today’s Daily Freeman describes the continuing military jargon Gibson is using as he takes office next week after having defeated one-term Kirstin Gilllibrand fill-in Chris Murphy, who he bested by touting his military background and riding the national wave of anti-government rhetoric of the past year with a large amount of financial support from forces outside the state.
“He’s going to look at it as a deployment,” Dan Odescalchi, a spokesman for the Kinderhook Republican, joked about Gibson’s accommodations.
Beneath the joking, however, is some truth. Gibson invoked his military experience often on the path to winning his first elected office in November and portrayed himself, like many other successful Republicans across the nation, as a man on a mission to bring fiscal conservatism to Capitol Hill.
“He’s a guy who is going to Washington with his eyes wide open and who believes in his stump speech, which is less government is better government, less taxes are better than higher taxes,” Rensselaer County GOP Chairman Neil Kelleher said. “He believes it, and I think he’s going to do everything he can to make it happen, too.”
So what happens to a defeated politician, especially a Congressman or woman who rode to power against great odds, narrowly won election, and seemed to gain popularity from at least his or her constituency while in office? For U.S. Senator Kristin Gillibrand, our area’s former representative, the sky seems to be the limit now that she’s been seen nationwide as one of the lead voices prodding her GOP opposition top action on the so-called 9/11 Responders bill. A new story from the PostStar in Glens Falls, meanwhile, shows outgoing U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy saying he’s ready to get back to being just another hard-working dad with ideas about how to make Glens Falls a better place to live.
But the approximately 20 months he spent representing the region in Congress has been a great experience, he said in a telephone interview from Washington on Tuesday.
“The frustration people feel with government and partisan gridlock is very real. … But the process of being involved in government is very rewarding,” said Murphy, who lost his re-election bid in November to U.S. Rep.-elect Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook.
Congressman Scott Murphy released this statement Thursday:
“If the tax cut compromise outlined by President Obama comes to the floor as currently proposed, I will support it. As with any compromise, there are provisions that I do not agree with, but I firmly believe that in this package the good outweighs the bad. This plan would help businesses create jobs and help middle class families by easing their tax burden. It also keeps in mind the massive deficit and debt that have been built up by the poor decisions of the last ten years. It is important that it is not a permanent extension that we can’t afford but rather a targeted deal that will help get the economy moving and keep our long term fiscal crisis in mind.”
The Times Union this morning has one of those stories that outlines how things really work beneath the idealistic veneer of modern politics. It’s about how outgoing U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, the Democrat who lost re-election to retired Marine Chris Gibson, a Republican riding the recent wave that shifted control of Congress in November, has been evicted from his Washington D.C. office, where callers can no longer leave a message, making it hard for constituents in the 20th Congressional District to reach the representative. The story goes on to point out how Murphy, 40, “is only one among scores of politicians who still have duties to perform even after their constituents voted them out, and has had to move with another 80 or so lame duck members of the House to a cubicle city set up in a banquet room in the basement of the Rayburn Office Building. And to make matters worse, even though votes are continuing over the coming weeks, and constituents back home still want representation, the General Services Administration has told Murphy he would not be able to retrieve messages left on the voice mail in his D.C. office, and all but one of his district offices have closed by order of the GSA… leaving only the one in Saratoga Springs — where the voice mailbox was full Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, Murphy’s office is suggesting constituents call their U.S. Senators… although that’s not an option in some other states now left without any Democrats in federal office.
WASHINGTON/ALBANY – On the same day that the Daily Mail and Register Star are running versions of a story (more conservatively for Catskill) about the current Bush Tax Bill extension fight in Washington, pitting incoming Congressman Chris Gibson, Republican, against the man he defeated, Democrat Scott Murphy, after Murphy voted along with the rest of the current House Democratic majority for limiting tax extensions to the middle class, the Times Union has a fascinating story about the amounts of outside money that came into the 20th Congressional District this past electoral cycle, and how they helped Gibson ride the underlying voter registration demographics of Upstate, briefly overturned by Kristin Gillibrand a few years back when she defeated John Sweeney, and barely maintained in Murphy’s special election 800-vote win last year.
“U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy raised and spent more money than his opponent, but it couldn’t save his job,” reporter Jordan Carleo-Evangelist writes, pulling from newly-released Federal Election Commission reports and records. “But the numbers fail to tell the whole story…. While Gibson, a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook, lagged Murphy in personal fundraising, he benefited greatly from spending by outside organizations, much of it from conservative-leaning groups opposing Murphy for his votes on controversial issues such as the health care reform bill. More than $1.7 million was spent to oppose Murphy in 2010, compared to just $696,000 to oppose Gibson.”
Carleo-Evangelist ties the Gibson outside money to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed the spending of unlimited amounts of cash on election advertising. Among actual amounts charted in our region were $447,366 from American Crossroads, a group backed by Republican strategist Karl Rove, and $498,950 from the conservative-leaning 60 Plus Association.
Roberta Davis, from Columbia County Democrats website.
Democrats say Roberta Davis elected Columbia County Coroner
The Columbia County Democrats’ website is crowing that Roberta Davis has beaten Republican Deborah Simonsmeier, citing an unofficial count of absentee ballots:
Roberta Davis: 1,062
Deborah Simonsmeier: 671
“The margin is well ahead of the dozen or so votes she was behind on Election Night,” the Democrats’ website says, and would make her Columbia County’s Third County Coroner with Angelo Nero and George Davis M.D. Mrs. Davis ran on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.
Murphy votes for tax cut
Outgoing Congressman Scott Murphy voted Thursday for a permanent extension of tax cuts that apply to every family’s first $250,000 of income. The tax cut passed the House of Representatives 234-188, and is expected to be filibustered by Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Republicans there want to extend the tax cuts to all incomes, while Democrats believe families with higher incomes then $250,000 should be taxed more to pay down the debt or stimulate the economy. Chris Gibson, who defeated Murphy in November and takes over the District 20 seat in January, is out of the country, and could not be reached about how he would have voted on the bill.
Slopes open this weekend Windham Mountain starts their 50th anniversary season Saturday at 8 a.m., according to their Facebook page. “Last weekend’s snowmaking held up and Team Snow had the system charged up at midnight,” the site says. Windham opens with two lifts, three trails, two boxes, and three rails this weekend. Hunter Mountain’s website says “anticipated opening Sun. Dec. 5.”
Audio from Hudson special school board meeting Monday
WGXC’s Alan Skerrett and Joan Geitz attended the special Hudson board meeting Monday, and made an mp3 recording you can listen to by clicking here. Read several different accounts of the meeting here.
Murphy still busy as terms nears end Debora Gilbert in The Columbia Paper has an interview with outgoing Congressman Scott Murphy who says he is most proud of visiting every one of the 137 towns and cities in his district during his abbreviated term (he is pictured at one of those meeting’s last March in Coxsackie). “He also held 150 healthcare town-hall-style meetings,” the article says, though that is clearly not true (that would be one meeting every three or so days, and without counting those 137 town meetings that would be impossible.) “I helped get money for bridges, high speed Internet and broadband. I enjoyed listening and learning, and working to access federal support for people,” Murphy mused, saying he was not sure what he would do next. “We helped with loan programs, grants for fire departments for equipment and materials. We worked to reform Wall Street so that never again will Main Street have to bail out Wall Street. We worked to make the economy stronger at both levels, micro and macro.”
WIOX starts webcasting WIOX, the new full-power non-commercial radio station based in Roxbury, New York, now has its webstream up and running.
Double duty Fred Rosen in The Daily Freeman writes about Brian Daniels, one of several associate commissioners in the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, directing the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped and an ordained rabbi, leading Temple Israel of Catskill, 55 miles away from Saratoga County, where he lives with his wife and children. “We are a Reform Jewish congregation and our wish is to fulfill the spiritual needs of Jewish people of all ages in Greene County and its environs,” Daniels told Rosen. “We fulfill this through emphasizing the principles of our sacred tradition, including welcoming the stranger, celebrating joyous moments together, providing comfort and sharing in grief during moments of sadness and, just as importantly, fulfilling the expectations set forth by our teachings, which have been inspired by God, whose presence we welcome and feel through our communal pursuits.”
Ever wondered what the dreaded term of the season “earmarks” means on a local basis? A story in today’s Catskill Daily Mail by Melanie Lekocevic charts the recent receipt of federal funding for important firefighting equipment for the Athens Volunteer Fire Company via a $94,000 grant secured through U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy’s office before his loss to rformer marine Chris Gibson, a conservative Republican, earlier this month.
Announced several months ago, the grant has finally come in, and so has the equipment.
The Athens fire department used the money to purchase 25 sets of full turnout gear for its firefighters, including the jackets, pants, helmets and boots they need to go into a burning building. Purchase of the gear took up about half of the federal grant money.
As part of the turnout gear, the department also purchased the integrated escape harnesses that attach to the jackets, and are now required – but not paid for – by the state.
“If you need to leave a building rapidly, the escape harness allows you to leave through a window and let yourself down to the ground in a safe manner,” Fire Chief John Greco said.
The equipment also includes a “drag device” on the jacket’s back, which enables a firefighter to physically drag a fallen comrade out of a burning building.
The 25 sets of turnout gear were critical because the department’s old gear was due to be replaced for safety’s sake.
Greene County election results (must refresh page).
WGXC’s Tom Roe will be at the Columbia County Board of Elections office and posting results as they become official.
WGXC has campaign schedules for election day from Didi Barrett (running for State Senate seat in Columbia County), Chris Gibson (running for NY 20th Congressional seat), Scott Murphy (running for NY 20th Congressional seat), and James Seward (running unopposed for State Senate seat in Greene County).
Didi Barrett
9:00-9:30 a.m.: Vote at Millbrook firehouse with family.
11:30 a.m.-noon: Visit Hudson campaign office, 731 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534.
noon-2 p.m.: Canvas in Hudson.
3-3:30 p.m.: Lunch stop at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 103rd Election Day Dinner, Rte. 9 and Church St. Hyde Park, NY 12538. All proceeds will support local missions. No reservations are needed and takeout is available. Take out prices are $12 adults or seniors and $6 children.
3:30-5:30 p.m.: Phone banking at Didi for Senate Headquarters, 4068 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538.
6-7 p.m.: New Hamburg train station.
9-?: Election Night Party at Didi for Senate Headquarters, 4068 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538.
Chris Gibson
9 a.m.: Casting vote at McNary Center, Sylvester St., Kinderhook, NY 12106
10 p.m.: Election Night Event at Holiday Inn of Saratoga, 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Scott Murphy
9:30 a.m.: Vote at Glens Falls High School tennis court entrance, 10 Quade Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
2 p.m.: Visit Greene County Democrat Headquarters, 377 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414
4 p.m.: Visit Dutchess County Democrat Headquarters, 4068 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
6 p.m.: Visit Columbia County Democrat Headquarters, 731 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534
9 p.m.: Gideon Putnam Ballroom, Gideon Putnam, 24 Gideon Putnam Road, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
James Seward
8:30 a.m.: Election Day Pancake Breakfast at Veterans Club; 60 Main Street; Cooperstown, NY.
8 p.m.: Election Returns/Victory Celebration at Campaign Headquarters; 14 Dietz Street; Oneonta NY.
Voting in Cairo at 10 a.m. Nov. 2, 2010. Photo by Tom Roe.
Former President Bill Clinton came to Saratoga this morning to support the re-election campaign of Rep. Scott Murphy, who polls have losing tomorrow to Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson. Capitol Confidential, via Kyle Hughes of NYSNYS, provides this video of Bill Clinton from this morning’s rally.
this video of Clinton’s appearance for Murphy.
Rematch slated for 108th Assembly seat
The Columbia Paper, Emilia Teasdale writes about the campaigns of incumbent Tim Gordon, and Republican challenger Steve McLaughlin for the 108th Assembly District seat which covers northern Greene and Columbia counties.
Cuomo spreads his love to Murphy
Capitol Confidential, Jimmy Vielkind reports on Saturday’s political rally in Ballston Lake with Democrat Congressman Scott Murphy, who is struggling in the polls to retain his seat, with Andrew Cuomo, who is not struggling in the polls in his quest to become governor.
WMHT hosted the final debate of the campaign tonight between Rep. Scott Murphy and Kinderhook-based challenger Chris Gibson. The television station so far has released just this one-minute clip with a man from the audience asked if the candidates are in favor of eliminating corporate campaign contributions and/or requiring large contributors be identified.
GFC – Voter – Poll – Track 2 NY CD 20 Key Fiindings Memo POS[1] Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports: Chris Gibson’s campaign released a poll this morning by Public Opinion Strategies showing he leads his Democratic opponent, Rep. Scott Murphy, by two points. This POS poll shows Gibson, a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook, leading 44-42; an earlier POS poll showed Gibson within “striking distance,” trailing Murphy, D-Glens Falls, by six. A poll by the National Republican Congressional Committee leaked to the Washington Post showed Gibson leading 48-45. The last public poll, Siena College’s survey in September, showed Murphy leading. There are risks to believing leaked polls, especially when campaigns only summarize their findings (a memo is above) without showing the questions asked. But it’s been a long time since the Siena poll, and the general consensus among observers in the district is the race will converge to within the margin of error — which both Republican polls show. Gibson said during a radio interview with Fred Dicker that he was “encouraged” by the result, but the only poll that matters is on election day.
The Poughkeepsie Journal‘s editorial board met with U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, and Chris Gibson, a Republican from Kinderhook, who are vying for the 20th Congressional District seat, yesterday. They have three videos up on their site of the discussion.
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Rep. Scott Murphy and Kinderhook-based Republican challenger Chris Gibson released ads attacking each other this weekend. Murphy and Gibson face a Nov. 2 election to see which one represents NY’s 20th District, which includes Greene and Columbia counties. Gibson’s ad:
Rep. Scott Murphy, Democrat from Glens Falls, tours Solaqua Power and Arts campus in Chatham at 11 a.m. Tuesday and will present a nearly $50,000 USDA grant to power a new solar manufacturing division of SunDog Solar, 343 Route 295, Chatham, NY. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook-based Republican Chris Gibson.
Both incumbent Scott Murphy (Democrat from Glens Falls) and Chris Gibson (Republican from Kinderhook) released internal polls today showing better results for their campaigns then independent polls have so far. The Gibson internal poll can be seen at Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog. Gibson touted his new poll this morning, one showing him trailing by four points, 42-38, and, “among the voters most interested in the election, Gibson leads, 41-40 [percent],” Public Opinion Strategies said. Later this afternoon Murphy’s campaign announced that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today released a new Grove Insight poll that shows Representative Scott Murphy leading Republican challenger Chris Gibson by 13 percent, 51 percent to 38 percent. Conducted September 28-30, the poll surveyed 400 likely voters and has a 4.9 percent margin of error. An earlier Siena Poll found Murphy ahead by 17 points. That survey was conducted from Sept. 12-14, just as Gibson’s first advertisements were going on air. An earlier conservative poll found the Republican trailing by a smaller margin. Maggie Haberman in Politico is also reporting Murphy raised over $900,000 in July, August, and September. Murphy also announced he will be at VFW Post 770, Sullivan-Teator Post at 539 Main St. in Catskill, at noon Tuesday, and then at the Cairo Library at 1 p.m. to discuss the recent USDA loan and grant to build new a facility. The Cairo Public Library is located at 512 Main St., Cairo. Gibson will be in Germantown Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. for Oktoberfest at Palentine Park along the town’s Main St. Gibson’s campaign also revealed a new television advertisment today, below.
Congressman Scott Murphy and Republican challenger Chris Gibson have agreed to three more joint appearances before voters decide which one represents NY’s 20th District. WGXC has posted YouTube videos of their previous debate, and will post raw recordings of these events whenever possible.
Event 1:
Poughkeepsie Journal Joint Editorial Board
October 13, 4 p.m.
Poughkeepsie, NY
Event 2:
League of Women Voters
October 19, 7 p.m.
Queensbury High School Auditorium
Queensbury, NY
Event 3:
WMHT-TV/Albany Times Union Debate
October 21, 8 p.m.
Troy, NY
Chris Gibson, Republican from Kinderhook, is airing his second ad (above) in his attempt to unseat Democrat Scott Murphy in NY”s 20th Congressional District, which covers Greene and Columbia counties. The Murphy campaign quickly responded with a press release that does not challenge any facts in Gibson’s ads but point out the differences of opinion of the two candidates on health care.
Rep. Scott Murphy, the incumbent Democrat in the NY-20 District, has released the ad above in response to one debuting earlier this week from a right-leaning seniors group. 60-Plus, a Virginia-based lobby, is spending over $500,000 on ads in our area, which will substantially help Republican challenger Chris Gibson who has much less money for ads then Murphy.
“65 percent of voters surveyed don’t know enough about him to have a favorable or unfavorable impression, including 59 percent of Republicans surveyed. Murphy, however, rates only 17 percent unknown, less among Democrats and only 10 percent in the district’s most populous counties of Rensselaer and Saratoga. Gibson has been airing advertisements for less time than Murphy, and fewer voters have seen them, the poll found. The two candidate have clashed over their positions on health care reform legislation, what to do about the Bush-era tax cuts and economic stimulus packages. The poll found voters favor implementing the health care legislation — which Murphy voted for — by a 50-44 percent margin; favored Murphy’s position (proposed by Barack Obama) of eliminating tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 in place, which the poll showed favored by a 52-44 and that voters supported a proposal for $50 billion of infrastructure spending, which Murphy has backed, by a 57-39 margin.” Read the entire story in Capitol Confidential.
The group “60-Plus,” which describes itself as a right-leaning version of AARP, is airing an ad (YouTube version above) attacking Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls in his election against Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson. Murphy has a large fundraising advantage over Gibson, but the $550,000 that 60-Plus will spend levels the playing field somewhat. The ad attempts to link Murphy to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and their support for President Obama’s health care reform bill. Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union’s blog “Capitol Confidential” writes, “Murphy’s aides have preemptively responded to the ad, noting the group has advocated for the privatization of Social Security in the past. Gibson, during a debate, said he did not share that position.”
Kinderhook’s Chris Gibson is challenging incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy for New York’s District 20 seat in Congress, which includes Greene and Columbia counties. Above, his first campaign ad.
Congressman Scott Murphy will hold a “Kick-Off” for his Columbia County campaign Thu. Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at 731 Warren St. in Hudson. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson.
Rep. Scott Murphy raised $63,000 more than Republican challenger Chris Gibson this summer, and has $1.45 million in the bank, more than Gibson’s $526,334, according to the campaigns. Murphy raised $325,000 from July 1 to Aug. 25, and Gibson raised $261,955. Murphy has two ads on the air regionally now, Gibson’s campaign has yet to roll out a TV ad. The New York Times has moved the race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up,” and back to “lean Democrat.” The Cook Political Report also rates the contest “Leans D.” The campaign’s first poll is out, from the conservative American Action Forum, and it shows Murphy leading Kinderhook’s Gibson 45 to 40 percent, with a 4.9 percent margin of error. Given the poll’s conservative bent and the large margin of error, it is possible that Murphy has a slightly larger lead currently, but probably not above the 50 percent mark. The poll also found just 37 percent name recognition for Gibson, compared to Murphy’s 91 percent name recognition. That means Gibson has lots of room to impress voters who will soon know his name when TV ads air. Gibson also is winning more national Republican support lately, which may help make up that fundraising disadvantage. Tuesday Gibson was advanced to the top tier of the National Republican Congressional Committee‘s “Young Guns” program, who, according to the National Journal, along with 51 others, “represent some of the GOP’s top pickup opportunities this fall.” Nationally, polls indicate there may be many Republicans replacing Democrats in other House of Representative elections. Locally, Gibson has far more signs on lawns, and has for months, perhaps earlier than some municipalities allow. That may be a sign of passionate, dedicated volunteers, which would help get out the vote on election day. Surely, calling this race one way or the other would be premature.
Congressman Scott Murphy will be at the opening of Greene County’s Democratic Party headquarters, at 377 Main St., Wednesday at 6 p.m. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook’s Chris Gibson. The Democrats candidate for Greene County Treasurer, Alan Pavese, will also be there.
Congressional candidate Chris Gibson will be at Columbia County Fair Friday, Sept. 3 and Saturday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. The fair is located at 182 Hudson Ave. in Chatham, NY. Gibson, from Kinderhook, is challenging incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy in the election this November.
Jimmy Vielkind notes in Capitol Confidential that Rep. Scott Murphy released his second television advertisement (above) of his re-election campaign, another 30-second spot on television stations around the 10-county 20th district, this one in with small business owners touting his praises. Murphy, the Democrat incumbent, is running against Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson, who has not yet aired television advertisements. “He has said he will ‘compete in the air’ and Republican sources suggest he’ll go up closer to Labor Day,” Vielkind reports.
Above, part one through five of YouTube videos of the candidate forum Thursday night between incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy and challenger Republican Chris Gibson. Video news footage below of the Scott Murphy/Chris Gibson candidate forum last night in Glens Falls, NY has been edited by Albany-based television stations. Organizers of the forum (Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Organization) posted the YouTube video 30 hours after the event. 48 hours later, CBS 6 in Albany has video of the entire debate broken into sections up on its site.
Craig Remaley, owner of Mountain T-Shirts in Catskill, speaks with Congressional candidate Chris Gibson Aug. 24, 2010.
WGXC uploaded audio from Chris Gibson‘s appearance at 1 p.m. today at Mountain T-Shirts in Catskill. At the event, Gibson took questions from the audience of about 40 in the middle of the screen printer’s workshop and said that he and incumbent Scott Murphy will debate Thursday night in an internet forum upstate. Both men are running for the U.S. District 20 seat in Congress, Murphy the incumbent Democrat, and Gibson the challenging Republican. At Mountain T-Shirts Gibson said he would not join any caucus including the Tea Party Caucus if elected, and called for a repeal of the health care bill recently passed by Congress. Click here to listen to audio mp3, or paste the following url into your computer’s media player:
The details of the Meet the Candidates Forum hosted by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Organization 6 p.m. August 26: The forum will not be open to the public, but credentialed media are being encouraged to cover the discussion. The event will be held at The Hyde, 161 Warren St., in Glens Falls with invited members of the ARCC Young Professionals Organization. The public, however, will be able to view the debate in its entirety thanks to a video of the event that will be made available on YouTube by the ARCC YPO.)
Congressman Scott Murphy will be at Space360 in Hudson Friday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. to help constituents accessing assistance from the federal government through federal programs including Medicare, veterans benefits, Social Security. Anyone with that sort of problem is welcome to come and ask the Congressman for help at Space360, 360 Warren St., Hudson.
“Josh Kraushaar of the Hotline has an interesting investigative tweet today. HotlineJosh points out that the National Republican Congressional Committee has announced plans to reserve advertising air time in the race to defeat Capital Region Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee “hasn’t yet” done the same, he writes. But Murphy’s not waiting for help from Democrats in Washington. He’s already airing a TV commercial featuring his 59 family members who regularly get together for Sunday dinner.” Read the entire story in New York on the Potomac, or watch the video below.
By 5 p.m., the Gibson staff released a statement in response to the ad: “In his new ad, Scott Murphy acts as though he is not part of the problem in Washington, yet the facts indicate otherwise. He supported the failed stimulus bill, voted for a government take-over of healthcare against the will of the voters, co-sponsored card-check to eliminate the secret ballot in union votes, voted for Cap and Trade and then voted for a second $26 billion stimulus bill just last week. His votes helped increase the debt and deficit, yet did nothing to increase private sector jobs. On the contrary, his voting record added more impediments to job creation. I realize these facts do not make for a good ad, but we need to check the rhetoric against his voting record,” said Gibson.
Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) announced Friday that the Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl will receive a $4.8 million loan from the USDA Rural Development’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. Charles B. Slutzky, of Hunter Mountain said in Murphy’s press release, “This is great news for Hunter Mountain and for all of Greene County. This loan will enable us to build a new, state-of-the-art six-passenger chairlift that will dramatically improve our facilities and our ability to attract visitors to our region.”
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So what happens to a defeated politician, especially a Congressman or woman who rode to power against great odds, narrowly won election, and seemed to gain popularity from at least his or her constituency while in office? For U.S. Senator 
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