Guest Commentary:Robin Murphy:Are You Proud of Greg Ball?

My Fellow District Leaders,

I’m a District Leader in New Castle and I’m writing to you the night before the GOP State Senate Convention..

I have been receiving the glossy mailers that Greg Ball has been sending out. I have received phone calls from his staffers. I have read emails written by fellow District Leaders and Republican leadership making the case to support Greg Ball at the convention. I understand and appreciate the interest in supporting an incumbent and for party unity. However, while I actively supported Greg Ball last election, I am not voting for Greg Ball at the convention.

In 2010, when the Republican Leadership, including Dean Skelos, was opposed to Greg Ball primarying the GOP endorsed candidate, I genuinely thought that Greg Ball would make a great state senator. I was impressed with Greg’s speeches and his mailers. He said what I wanted to hear. I was confident he understood the problems we were facing. I believed him when he promised to fight for the taxpayers and for smaller government. I trusted Greg Ball.

Unfortunately, I misplaced my trust in Greg Ball. He hasn’t been the same state senator he campaigned he’d be. His actions in the Senate did not match his promises. This election I am supporting Steve Katz.

I know I’m not the only one who is concerned with Greg’s behavior including his inappropriate tweets, anonymous robocalls, creation and distribution of misleading videos and a website filled with false information, manipulated photos and vitriolic words, questionable fundraising, and the absurd amount of personal spending he writes off on his campaign. These and other similar incidents attributed to Greg Ball show his poor judgement and lack of maturity. What about his attacking Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth again and again, his pandering to the environmentalists and standing on Teamsters Union picket lines? This is not what one would hope from a REPUBLICAN state senator.

STILL, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITH GREG’S VOTING RECORD.

He promised to vote against new taxes but instead he voted for a $2 Billion tax increase.
He promised us fundamental budget reform but instead he voted for increased spending.
He promised us relief from unfunded mandates but instead he voted to put a bandaid on the cancer and tells us the problem is fixed.
He promised us Ethics Reform but instead he floods our mailboxes with self-servicing propoganda paid for with our tax dollars.
He promised he’d fight for the taxpayers but he is NOT in favor of repealing or revising the Triborough Amendment and Wicks Law, which helps the unions and hurts the rest of us. (By the way, this makes sense when you see his list of noteworthy financial contributors, many of whom represent unions and other special interests.

It’s important to have leaders in Albany with the strength of their convictions. Steve Katz is a consistent, principled conservative who doesn’t waver in the face of political pressure and opportunism as Greg Ball has over the last 2 years.

If you aren’t already planning to, I hope you will consider voting for Steve Katz on Monday.

If you have any questions about Steve, please don’t let them go unanswered. Call Steve directly at (914) 400-3095.

I hope to see you at the Convention Monday evening but if you will not be attending personally and have already given your proxy to your Committee Chair, please call him or her and say you want your vote to go for Steve Katz.

Yours truly,
Robin Murphy
Chappaqua

(914) 618-1097 cell
Bazzo 04/02/12