Residents get Results!

The Ulster County Legislature, lead by the Republican Majority is functioning as voters had hoped. It has curbed a runaway executive and brought the Democrat County Exec himself back to the middle, if not slightly right on fiscal matters.

Countering a Democrat Executive and Democrat lead Legislature was the mantra of all fiscal conservatives running this past November. It is safe to say they know why they were elected, and to the satisfaction of residents from New Paltz to Saugerties and Kerhonkson to Kingston they seem to be fulfilling their campaign pledge.

What is not really news and actually expected is the move by Mike Hein, the proverbial ‘drunken sailor’ to a position of fiscal responsibility. But can a leopard really change his spots.

We think not, it is more likely the fear of challenging the Republican Majority and his desire for re-election that has forced this move to the center. We’ve seen him in action, its like he can’t help himself from running his mouth and opening the county checkbook.

Now it seems he is trying every trick in the book to appear conscious of the impending economic disaster that is befalling the State and County.

Smart voters realize that it would have been more prudent of him if he had anticipated what most of us were painfully aware of even before he took office, the fact that county spending was out of control and a bad economy would only exacerbate the situation.

But as a Bull in a China Shop, go Mike go, he increased his executive staff by six and spent the Democrat majority into exile.

It is important to keep Mr. Hein’s first year as County Exec fresh in our mind and realize that it the counter balance of the Republican Legislature lead by Fred Wadnola that is responsible for reining him in.

Now all we need to do is change Albany and Washington and taxpayers across the nation might once again see prosperity in their future.