Friday, March 19, 2010

Facts about Don Wise's 17-Year-Old Personal Bankruptcy Work in His Favor

Last week I posted a blog about the Kingston-Rhinebeck Tea Party's meeting and Don Wise's statement that he was planning to run against Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. Almost immediately one of Assemblyman Cahill's supporters began hurling mud at Mr. Wise by bringing up Wise's 17-year-old personal bankruptcy.

I spoke with Mr. Wise directly concerning the bankruptcy allegations and decided that the facts reflect positively on Mr. Wise's character. The text of his e-mail is below. The issue is 17 years old; Mr. Wise was in his early twenties when it occurred. Due to circumstances beyond his control he was unemployed and had to cover major medical bills involving a new born son. Since then, Mr. Wise turned his life around. He founded a company, Apex Construction, that has never suffered financial difficulties of any kind and has at times employed as many as 12 people in the region. I am curious as to whether Mr. Cahill has ever employed anyone except through government largess and extraction of taxes from productive taxpayers.

Since assuming office in the late 1990s Mr. Cahill has quietly watched massive bloating and wasteful spending. Property taxes have exploded during Mr. Cahill's watch, but he has had little to say about it. Teachers' salaries have exploded but school children's achievement has been dismal. The Wicks Law, which adds 15 to 30 percent to construction costs and so increases the state's annual budget by several percent, has been passed every year while Mr. Cahill has played it safe and failed to protest. Mr. Cahill has done nothing to stop massive Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse, which likely adds about 15% of pure waste to the state's annual budget. New York has more than double the per capita Medicaid cost that California does.

In other words, Medicaid fraud and the Wicks Law alone likely add about 20% to the State's budget, yet Mr. Cahill has said nothing. Mr. Cahill has quietly watched and applauded as the state's budget has been handed over to greedy public sector unions who have fought for featherbedding at every turn. Mr. Cahill has done absolutely nothing to stop ever-escalating property taxes needed to fund the mismanagement of the state's schools, Medicaid and construction. Mr. Cahill has been happy to glad hand and reap the benefits of the bloat in state government while as many as two million New Yorkers have fled the Democratic Party's depredation, nay the outright annihilation, of the state's productive sector

If there is any hope for this Ottoman-Empire-like State, a state in which democracy has virtually failed due to an absence of competent public debate, it is a candidate like Don Wise. Despite, or rather beacause of his passive record as an Assemblyman, Mr. Cahill's minions throw mud rather than debate issues. The first thing Mr. Cahill should do instead of slinging mud is explain the bloat and fraud in the state's Medicaid plan and why he and his fellow Democrats have not repealed the Wicks Law since 1912.

The text of Don Wise's e-mail to me concerning his personal bankruptcy follow:

Mitchell,
It was a pleasure meeting you and later talking to you, I understand your concerns regarding my past, to clear up any confusion:

About 17 years ago, my wife and I were beginning a family with a child and a new home. At the time Michele was a stay at home Mom and I found myself unemployed with medical expenses for my son who was born with physical abnormalities which required multiple surgeries. This in addition to his propensity to contract illnesses, (such as ear infections), drained whatever nest egg we had.

There were personal issues in addition to my son's illnesses which forced us to pursue the course of action which concerns you. I have, since then refused to be at the hands of others when it concerned the security and welfare of my family and went into business for myself, Apex Construction is a successful enterprise which has at times employed as many as 12 men depending on the economy. I have always striven to be more than just a boss and even in uncertain economic times I have regarded their interests before my own.

If there is any thing else that concerns either yourself or other members of the Tea Party, I will make myself available to you as you see fit.I have never tried to run from my past, In 2007, in my attempt to unseat Nick Woerner, then Town of Ulster Supervisor, I made public every thing either negative or positive in my business and personal life.

Sincerely,

Don Wise

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why are you so quick to conclude that people who say negative things about Mr. Wise are "Cahill supporters"?

Indeed, there is no reason to conclude that at all except to turn an attack on Mr. Wise into an attack on Mr. Cahill.

That is one of the oldest tricks in the book and it is also one of the most transparent.

Mitchell Langbert said...

Almost as old a trick as your cowardice in hiding behind hooded anonymity, behind which you call Wise names.

If you have some other reason than a 17 year old bankruptcy that he overcame or your support for thieving Democrats, please make your point clear.

So far you have only made clear that you a person of low character and a fool.

Anonymous said...

Beyond the obvious bias for Cahill the initial commenter has put forth, is there any reason to promote the bad choices and lack of integrity that Cahill has himself portrayed while a State Assemblyman.
Mr. Cahill has been in Albany far too long, 8 terms is enough for the voters to get a real picture of what career politicians look like and stand for, or should I say refuse to stand for.
Cahill's record and relations with NYC Assemblyman Sheldon Silver are cause enough for District 101 voters to cringe. Property Taxes the MTA tax, School taxes sales taxes uncontrolled union's and too much government are all symptoms of career politicians, we need to clean house in Albany.
Based on his personal experiences, Don Wise seems a good place to start.
The Poster is correct, what jobs has Cahill created that weren't on the taxpayers dime? NOT ONE, What has Cahill done to control spending other than raise the bar on how much of taxpayer money he is willing to spend to continue to fuel dysfunctional state programs?
It's time for a clean slate in Albany, public service should be just that, a service, Cahill has made it a career. It's time to show him the door.
We should be be looking to men and women with character to tend to the business of the people, terms limits are one way, Mr Wise has expressed his support for term limits and that to me suggests that he is not looking to retire on our tax dollars.
It's time to listen to new voices, I'd like to hear more from Mr. Wise and less for Cahill.