“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.”
Dear Nieces and Nephews
When a candidate calls attention to something in their campaign, Auntie and the Team often find it amusing to see exactly how accurate the candidate is regarding their claim. (And common sense would suggest that if you call attention to it, you better be accurate.) Let’s take a look at such a claim made by Candidate for NYS Assembly: Colin Schmitt.
On his website appears the following blog:
New Windsor, NY -- (7/16/18) Today, State Assembly Candidate Colin Schmitt, announced that his campaign committee SCHMITT4NY raised $44,115 in just over a month and a half!
Colin Schmitt stated, “Our campaign has become a movement. Powered by grassroots supporters from all across this district who share a common desire to elect an Assemblyman who will seek to reform Albany, defend our Hudson Valley Values and work around the clock to advocate for each and every resident.”
“I appreciate my many local supporters and neighbors who joined together to donate what they could to make my campaign for State Assembly one of the best funded in the state. Seniors, veterans, students, union members, hard working families, small business owners and local residents of all backgrounds make up the supporters donating to my campaign, volunteering to collect and sign petitions and pledging their support in November.”
Sounds almost like a local mandate, doesn’t it? Remember, he said this himself, not a staffer or a volunteer. COLIN SAID IT.
grassroots; noun (used with a singular or plural verb) Also grass roots.
· the common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc.; the rank and file.
Keeping this definition in mind, does “grassroots” include local developers, security firms and various corporations? PAC’s and individuals outside the district? Local Law firms, Attorneys and Republican Party elite? Colin’s version of grass roots (Seniors, veterans, students, union members, hard working families, small business owners and local residents of all backgrounds) is demonstrated as follows.
MCG Construction $4400 in June 2018
$2000.00 from Verla International on 9/12/18. The company that is also “open for business”in New Windsor is a violator of OSHA and other laws for workers safety. One Verla employee lost their life (DIED) because of this company that is still non-compliant and many others were injured.
Does "grassroots" include Multi-Millionaire William Kaplan of Newburgh? (sharing his largess with the Republicans this time around: $2500.00 to Schmitt4NY on 8/22/18) Well, one could categorize him as a senior.
$3000 from Nannini and Callahan Excavating and contributions from Spagnoli Excavating and HydroVac Excavating and Fayo and Sons Excavating ($100, $250 and $120 respectively). These could qualify as "families".
Colin’s grassroots Political Action Committee in NYC , RSA PAC , (a landlords group that wants to eliminate rent stabilization and other constraints on what landlords can charge for rent, under the guise of “Neighborhood Preservation”) gave a few thousand dollars: $2000 in June and $2400 in October (that is just this year)
Cathy Young for Senate $4400
Hutch Tower Two Owner LLC in NYC $4400
Laborer Int. Union PAC $2000
Highland Green MPH LLC in Stony Point $2000
An individual from Irvington, NY $2500
JD McDonald Inc $1200
NYS Laborers PAC State Fund $1100
$1000 from McGoey Hauser Edsall Consulting Engineers on 8/23/18
$1000 from D and J industries of Woodrigde NJ
$1000 from Walden Attorney Brandon Ozman Sept 2018
$1000 from Walden Attorney Brandon Ozman Oct 2018
$1000 from Warwick Developer Jonah Mendlebaum
$1000 from an individual in Yorktown Heights
$1000 from Camo Pollution Control in Wappinger Falls
$1000 from the Committee to ReElect Bill Larkin
$1000 from Hyvue of Orange Inc*
$1000 from Jointa Lime Company
$1000 from Van Etten Contracting
$1000 from Water Street Management Inc Rochester ($750 and $250)
$1000 from Citizens for Greene
In July, $2500 from Santa Hill Ranch in Campbell Hall
and $2500 in October from Robert Santagata, CEO of Santa Hill Ranch Inc.
Atlas Security $500 (FOS)
$500 from an individual in Toms River NJ
Diversified Properties LLC $500
Drake Loeb PLLC $500
DOHAS LLC $250
Ironworkers Political Action League Wash DC $250
MNTM Engineering $250
Laborers Local 17 PAC $500
Kelly Naughton $500 (Kelly is an attorney and partner at Burke, Miele, Golden & Naughton and is an Attorney for the Town of Goshen. So was Golden. Both Attorneys were involved with Legoland approvals and were apparently pro-Legoland .)
Benjamin Osterer Atty at Law 500
A and R Concrete Products $300
Argenio Brothers $250 and $500
Pietrzak and Pfau Engineering Goshen $250
Willinghan Engineering (New Paltz) $200
Construction Contractors of the Hudson Valley $200
Friends of Steve Neuhaus $150
Multiple donations under $1000 from Contractors groups
Republican party committees from various candidates/committees
Pharmacies:
RSS Rx inc New Windsor $200
P and S Pharmacy Wurtsboro $200
Hudson Regional LTC Pharmacy Middletown $200
Slate Hill chemists, Slate Hill $200
Washingtonville Pharmacy $200
Emerald Retirement in Stony Point $45
Check out that smile and think about where you have seen it before. 
This is not a complete list, there’s more. But realize that Colin Schmitt has received over $40,000 from his version of “grassroots” in 2018 alone. If you are an Excavating Company, an engineering firm in or out of the district, a contractor, a Pharmacy, Lawyer, Labor Union or a landlords/property management group, you can expect great things with Colin’s win. Just like the ethics law in New Windsor for which he takes credit, Colin presents his finances as a positive and keeps repeating it over and over so that people will eventually believe it.
Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Colin keeps saying “This IS grassroots, this IS grassroots…)
Hey Colin, this ain’t Kansas! And this is NOT “grassroots”.
Looks like pay to play to us.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
*Hyvue and Highview; CEO Edward Biagini
Sidebar 1: In 2012, Colin, in his first run for Assembly, a big supporter was CARL PALADINO!!!**
$3500 from Palidino’s PAC in 2012
**When Colin was active in the Tea Party, he was endorsed by none other than Carl Paladino!
Sidebar 2
MATT RETTIG Candidate for the 99th Assembly District
Never held a government or political patronage job
Has actual business and union experience
Most importantly his campaign financial disclosure forms reveal something claimed by Colin: “a grass roots campaign funded by the people” not corporations, llc’s or mega rich donors outside the district.
In fact there is no schedule B (“corporations”) in his 32 pre general or 11 day pre general election reports
Matt did receive $4400 fro NYSUT (NYS United Teachers); $2000 from the NYS AFL-CIO COPE Account and $500 NYS UAW Region 9 PAC and $3500 from an individual in COH
Matt received a donation from an individual in Bedford Corners NY thru ActBlue for $1500.00
and a whopping $15,000 transfer in from the NYS Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee.
Contributions from family members have not been included here or in Colin’s list of donors, and in Colin’s case, “new” family in the form of in-laws have also been excluded.
All of this financial data is obtained through the NYS Board of Elections website under “Campaign Disclosure Forms.” https://www.elections.ny.gov/CFViewReports.html
Colin also claims that he was:
ReplyDelete“Director of Operations for the NYS Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee”
There is no such title for any committee in the NYS Senate
It should read:
“Director of Operations for FOR SENATOR GREG BALL, WHO WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NYS Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee”
entirely different meaning..
He has lied about most of his "achievements" mostly the town ethics law.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Colin wins a few Pinocchios.
ReplyDelete