Residents, Officials Testify Against LNG Island Plan

Group Wants to Build Facility 13 Miles Offshore

By Conor Greene

More than 100 residents and elected officials crowded into the auditorium at PS 114 in Belle Harbor on Sunday to air concerns about a company’s proposal to build an island off the Rockaway coast to store and process imported liquid natural gas.

The Atlantic Sea Island Group has submitted an application to the federal government seeking the permits needed to construct the island about 13 miles offshore from Long Beach. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who lobbied the Coast Guard to hold the hearing after two others took place on Long Island and in New Jersey, called the proposal “unprecedented” but said he is keeping an open mind on the idea.

However, other local elected officials took a strong stance against the proposal, including Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer and Councilman Eric Ulrich. Groups including the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers and the Surfrider Foundation also spoke against the plan.

The public hearing was part of the Coast Guard’s effort to create an Environmental Impact Statement that will be used to determine whether approval should be granted. While issuing permits for these types of projects falls under the jurisdiction of the federal Maritime Administration, Gov. David Paterson has the option of vetoing the application.

According to the application, the Safe Harbor Energy Island would be at least 60 acres at the water surface and more than 110 acres at the ocean floor. It would require about 700,000 truckloads of fill and would be about 14 times larger than Giants Stadium. Tankers would deliver the liquid natural gas from foreign nations, before the substance is converted back into natural gas and distributed through pipelines.

Weiner declined to take a position on the proposal, noting that “right now we have far more questions than answers.” He said there have been several other similar applications filed in the past, including for a facility in the Long Island Sound that was rejected by Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, “but nothing like this.”

“In 2009, knowing what we do about the environment, does having LNG brought here… help us towards energy independence, or does it asseverate the path we’re already on?” wondered Rep. Weiner. “It’s not like what we’ve seen before. I want to hear what the experts have to say.” Still, he recognized that the Rockaway peninsula is the most heavily populated barrier island in the world and home to many people concerned about the environment. “Our relationship with the water is not just a casual one,” he said.

However, other elected officials and environmental groups are already certain that this project will not benefit local residents and isn’t worth the risks or negative impact on the environment. Pheffer argued that only the corporation would benefit from the island and vowed to ask Gov. Paterson to veto the application

“I join the Surfrider Foundation, the Eco Watchers and countless other community groups in expressing my opposition,” said Pheffer to loud applause. “The environmentally-sensitive waterways of our community cannot be jeopardized by this project… The safety and wellbeing of my community cannot and will not be jeopardized” by a project that would be “significantly intrusive and incredibly harmful to the local and global environment.”

Ulrich, who was recently elected to the City Council, said he opposes the plan for several reasons. First, he questioned the need to import liquid natural gas from foreign nations when “American natural gas is in abundance… made right here by American workers.” He is also concerned about impacts on the environment and wondered where the governor stands on the issue. “Is he going to flip like Jon Corzine in New Jersey and sign off on this proposal?” asked Ulrich.

Others including Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, Community Board 14 Chairwoman Dolores Orr and Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg testified against the proposal.



Dan Mundy, Jr. of the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers said he is concerned about the impact it would have on “the very important habitat [which is] home to many species” and the potential terror target it would create. “It will put the local population at risk as a first-of-its-kind project,” he said. “There is no way at the end of the day you can turn around and guarantee to us there won’t be a problem.

In a statement, the Surfrider Foundation noted that LNG must be cooled to -265 degrees Fahrenheit to be converted back to natural gas. As a result of that process, its carbon footprint is roughly equivalent to coal. In addition, it is only available from foreign sources, and if spilled, is extremely flammable and can be ignited by something as innocuous as a boat engine or cell phone.

“The people of Long Beach and their City Council gave a loud, unanimous “no” to LNG after the hearing in January,” said Chris Wade, chair of the local Surfrider Foundation chapter. “But now that we’ve had a hearing in the light of day, here in New York City, we hope that Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council will come out against LNG as well,” he said.

Ulrich Sworn in by Mayor Bloomberg

By Patricia Adams

Councilman-Elect Eric Ulrich was administered his oath of office last Sunday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a ceremonial swearing in held in the auditorium of P.S. 207.

In his remarks the Mayor said, “We're going to work together in this city. One of the things that Eric is going to find out is that while sometimes you read about all the differences between one party and another, at a city level, everybody works together. There are Republicans, Conservatives, Democrats, Liberals, Working Families Parties, and Communist Party for all I know. From every party in the world, they live in this city, they work in this city, and some of them work for the city. But one thing is for sure, they do work together. And that's what makes this place the greatest city in the world.”

Ulrich, who was elected to fill the position vacated by State Senator Joe Addabbo in the February 23rd Special Election, was sworn in officially by the City Clerk March 18th following the certification of the election results on March 17th.

Those results show that Ulrich won the election with 3549 (44.5%) of the votes of the 8,030 voters who showed up to cast their ballots. Although not unusual in a special election, only 10% of the Council District's approximately 80,000 registered voters cast a ballot in the election to fill the City Council seat. The other 90% stayed home.

The segment of the district that saw the largest turnout was that part that lies within the 23rd Assembly District where three of the four candidates, Ulrich, Lew Simon, and Geraldine Chapey, who ended up on the ballot serve as District Leaders for their respective parties. A fourth 23rd AD District Leader, Frank Gulluscio was in the race until being knocked off the ballot. In the 23rd Assembly District 13% of the registered voters took the time to cast a ballot.

Councilman Ulrich must run again in the fall for a full Council term. Mayor Bloomberg offered up some advice for the second youngest person ever elected to the New York City Council. “If you march in Rockaway in the St. Patrick’s Day after doing something controversial, expect a lot of one finger waves. Make sure you attend all of the stated city council meetings; I don’t know if the Speaker keeps an attendance record, but I can tell you that the New York Post does.” Most importantly, Bloomberg explained to Ulrich, was that if he wanted a long and successful career in government, “Don’t ever vote against a bill introduced by the mayor’s office.” Before swearing in the Councilman elect, Bloomberg quipped that he hoped to do a better job than Justice John Roberts.

Ulrich thanked the attendees, the mayor, his family and all those who he says helped him get elected. “I said I would represent this district with honor and integrity and that is the only promise I will make. There were many obstacles in the way and people who said this couldn’t be done.” Ulrich addressed the fact that some people feel his role in politics would be brief. “I’m here to stay, I’m not a benchwarmer.”

On Wednesday, the city clerk officially swore in Ulrich. “I’ve heard among some of my colleagues that I may not be here very long and that I’ll have a tough time getting re-elected.” Ulrich says he can understand those remarks, especially considering Democrats outnumber Republicans by a majority of about 3-to-1 in his council district.

“But I am a person who has been proving people wrong all my life. I was told I would never be the district leader. Then I was told I would never be the city councilman. I still hear that I won by a fluke.” Ulrich says he doesn’t intend to focus on those remarks. “I was officially sworn in today and all I am thinking about is getting my offices open and getting about the business of my constituency. I’m going to do my job in the council now and I hope I’ll be doing it in the future.

Ulrich says that he feels if Mike Bloomberg secures the Republican line, the mayor's position at the top of the ticket will prove a tremendous help to his own re-election bid. “If you look at 2005, the Mayor received over 70% of the votes in our council district. Obviously the new addition to the council is hoping for history to repeat.

Recount in 32nd Council Special Election

By Patricia Adams

For anyone wondering just how long it will take for Eric Ulrich to begin his role as the new Councilmember of the 32nd District, the answer seems to be still a couple of weeks away. Although preliminary counts show Ulrich as a clear victor, a re-canvassing of approximately 100 voting machines took place on Monday March 2 and was completed by Tuesday.

Ulrich’s closest opponent in the race, Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, who was behind in the original counts by roughly 1,000 votes, still has hopes that a recount will find him at the top of the heap. In fact a call to his office will transfer you by automated attendant to Mr. Simon, who has left behind the following recorded announcement: “I want to thank everyone who came out and voted. The election is still not over so please keep us in your prayers. The election is still not over.”

In an interview with Simon, the district leader has acknowledged that he has not conceded the race because many times things are discovered in the recanvassing process that can turn the direction of things. “Many times, during the mandatory recount,” Simon says things are not done or recorded properly. “We are still awaiting a total count of paper ballots and we are very proud of the showing that we made.”

Monday, Simon says he sent a team of observers to watch over the recanvassing process, which allows for observation by the public, as well as representatives sent by involved candidates. The process is overseen by equal representation from both the Democratic and the Republican parties.

Although there was much banter and speculation as to whether it was Simon who demanded the recount or Ulrich himself served papers for the recanvassing to take place, the fact of the matter is that the recounting of the machines is standard procedure in every election.

According to the Board of Elections, “the preliminary election “results” reported on election night are just that - preliminary.” Valerie Vasquez, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the NYC Board of Elections, explained that the process that began on Monday is nothing unusual.

Vasquez says that an election is not certified and no winner is officially declared until every vote is counted. Included in those votes would be a re –canvassing of each machine, and a count of all paper ballots, including those from the military, absentee voters, and handicapped voters. New York State Election law mandates the vote counts before the election results can be certified as the “official” count.

The way the procedure works is that, following the close of polling sites on any election day at 9:00 p.m., the preliminary election results are produced. This is accomplished by poll workers from major parties, Democrat and Republican, opening the machines and manually recording the results for each machine on their tally sheets. The New York City Police Department collects the materials containing these results, compiles them, and enters the information into its computer system for tabulation.

How It Works

After the polls close on election night, poll workers transcribe the number of votes for each candidate from the face of the voting machines onto “Return of Canvass” forms. These poll workers then hand the “Return of Canvass” sheets to the police officer assigned to the polling location. All candidates and members of their respective campaigns are permitted by law to assign poll watchers to observe the poll workers and to record the preliminary results onto their own tally sheets as they are read off by the poll workers.

Once collected, the police officer delivers the “Return of Canvass” sheet to the police precinct. At the police precinct the results are transcribed into its computer system. The computer records are then transmitted to the Associated Press and a copy of each “Return of Canvass” form is delivered to the Associated Press office at 55 Washington Street in Brooklyn. The Associated Press then shares the preliminary results with its colleagues in the news media. These preliminary results, however, do not include the count of any of the varied types of paper ballots.

New York State has one of the most meticulous recanvassing procedures in the country. State Election Law requires the Board of Elections to recanvass every voting machine used in an election within 15 days of the election.

During this process, bipartisan teams of Board of Elections employees record the results for tabulation. As an extra layer of oversight, representatives of all campaigns involved in a particular election are notified of the recanvassing schedule and are invited to monitor the official recanvassing and ensure its accuracy. The absentee and affidavit ballots are then opened and tabulated after staff review. The campaigns are once again invited to monitor the opening and counting of these paper ballots.

Subsequent to the recanvassing the Board of Elections certifies the election result pursuant to and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the applicable portions of New York State Election Law.

Ulrich, who has already made several trips to City Hall, has been involved in meeting with Speaker Christine Quinn and other colleagues. Insiders say it is a little frustrating that he has been given all the paperwork to locate his district offices and put his staff in place but that all that activity is frozen until the election commissioners meet and certify the election officially.

Initial raw data collected from returns show that Ulrich carried all but one polling site on the mainland and that Simon carried the peninsula for the most part. Ulrich’s victory on the mainland amounted to about 64%.

According to campaign spokesman for Ulrich, Bart Haggerty, the results from Monday’s recanvassing efforts were as follows: Ulrich: 3,424; Simon: 2,472; Chapey: 897; and Ricatto: 664

Additional information suggests that there are no more than approximately 300 valid paper ballots which would still have Lew Simon falling far short of what he would need to capture the victory from Ulrich even if he were to take 100% of the paper ballots. Officials say that the paper should be counted by tomorrow, however according to Valerie Velesquez the earliest the Commissioners will certify the election could be as late as March 17th.

Eric Ulrich says he just wants to get on with the business of getting about his work in City Hall and throughout the community. “I think that people deserve representation and that they deserve it now. It is clear that the people have chosen me to be their next city councilman and I will be ready to serve on day one, “Ulrich says. “Paperwork can’t be signed until the commissioners officially certify the election. I hope it will be soon.”

Editorial: Voters' Choice Tossed - No Place for TKO at Polticial Ringside

In the 32nd City Council district which covers parts of Richmond Hill, Ozone and South Ozone Parks, Woodhaven, Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel and parts of the Rockaway peninsula, a special election for the city council seat will take place next Tuesday, February 24.

Although for our readers in the West, the election is not directly connected to their district, we wanted to share this editorial with them because what has happened in the 32nd could easily occur in any district, leaving constituents vulnerable and at the hands of those seeking elected office for all the wrong reasons.

In many past elections, this newspaper has endorsed candidates for various elections. This time our endorsement is somewhat unconventional. It goes to a candidate who is not in the race. His name is Frank Gulluscio and the reason Frank will not win this special election in because he was removed from the ballot due to a ruling by a judge in reference to the manner in which subpoenas for his petitions were served.

The purpose of gathering signatures for nominating petitions is for candidates to demonstrate that they have enough support from their potential constituents. We agree that there should be challenges to such volumes where flaws and defects exist concerning those who actually witnessed the signatures or in meeting requisite numbers of signatures, providing, of course, they were collected with no fraud involved.

But Geraldine Chapey has succeeded in making a mockery of the petition process, hiring a top-dollar election lawyer to get her opponents off the ballot not on the merit or quality of their signatures but technicalities that do not reflect the desire of the voters. To us that would strongly suggest that the voice of the people can be overruled by an error in paperwork or procedure. This we find inexcusable and void of ethic.

Last week we commented on the Wave’s debate in Rockaway where questions regarding Chapey’s city and state taxpayer funded Trinity Services were left unanswered in the minds of many. Chapey’s contemptuous attitude when a similar question arose from an audience member re-introduced the subject at this Thursday’s debate. It infuriated the crowd. At one point Chapey directed a comment to the audience. “If you don’t want to listen then please go outside.”

Chapey’s Trinity Services has been the recipient of well over a million dollars to provide youth and senior services. It is not an unfair question to ask who is employed by the program and how much of the money is spent on staffing. It’s not unreasonable to ask any other question regarding the disbursement of those public funds by a not-for-profit agency subject to public disclosure rules.

Another question that did not get asked but in our view requires an answer has been floating around regarding Trinity. People all across this country have been questioning and expressing dissatisfaction with the role lobbyists have been playing. Many believe, that a lot of our tax dollars have been wasted because lobbyists have influenced far too much in government to “feed” their clients from the public coffers.

A roam around another of our favorite sources of public information, the city’s lobbyist and client database, reveals some factoids. Between April 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008 Trinity Services, Inc. was the client of some well-known lobbyists to the tune of more than $60,000. Whose pockets did that money come out of as it moved into the pockets of the lobbyists is a fair question. Is that what the proceeds of the annual Trinity Luncheon were spent on? Is that what the “donations” to ride the van were spent on? Who knows? But, there are voters who want to know.

As if all this were not enough, the whole “pay to play” issue took another twist this week as the Daily News reported on an odd contribution to Chapey’s campaign coffers from the Bishop of Brooklyn. Bishops don’t usually mix themselves up publicly in “big” political races, much less the most local of local races. It doesn’t take much to agree that the “smell test” has turned in a pretty big failure in this case. Seems Candidate Chapey’s mother, the other Geraldine is a member of the State Education Department’s Board of Regents. The regents have a big say so when it comes to approving charter schools.

Now we’re not opposed to charter schools, but if a scheme is afoot to create them as political “rewards” rather than as a viable public education option for our children then something smells - please excuse the pun - to high heaven. Glenn DiResto got it right when he said in the News article, "It creates a suspicion of impropriety. This is politics as usual.”

Chapey was successful in narrowing the field of candidates. Her success was the voters’ loss. As candidates, both Frank Gulluscio and Eric Ulrich stood head and shoulders above Simon, Chapey, and Ricatto in all respects. Democracy lost in this round. Frank’s out, Eric’s in. The choice for the time being is clear as a bell. In November, we can all tune in for the race that should have been now.

The Forumnewsgroup/photo by JULIE COURT

Great Debate - Some Ill Equipped, Some Ill Mannered, but Prepardness Wins Crowd Over

Politics Unusual
By Patricia Adams

The last of the locally sponsored candidate debates took place last Thursday evening in meeting room at St. Barnabus Church. The Queens Chronicle and The Forum served up the first 45 minutes of questions and then opened the floor for a 20-minute round of pre-screened audience questions. There were pointed questions regarding a number of issues asked, some were answered, others skirted, while some left the candidates downright stumped.

There was no applause meter necessary to distinguish that Eric Ulrich drew the most active and verbal support of the standing-room only crowd. Of course everyone realizes that historically, candidates pack the audience with supporters and planted hecklers, but Mr. Ulrich was not only the recipient of cheers of those who accompanied him. The supporters of his opponents liked what he had to say as well. Ulrich came out way on top of this debate and deservedly so. For his command of the issues, combined with the best speaking style and the fact that he was so well prepared, we put him at the head of the class for this event.

Lew Simon was Lew Simon. Opinions of his candidacy were expressed here weeks ago and we believe that his long-standing track record of documented untruthfulness eliminates him from consideration because of the obvious deficits in character associated with not telling the truth. And really why elect Lew to the city council? According to him he’s already doing the job for you, so why not just get two councilmen for the price of one. It is only fair to give credit where it is due however, and we must say that Lew has a somewhat effective dynamic when speaking and does have a strong command of many of the issues-- albeit seen in his own light.

Glenn DiResto is apparently a nice guy. A retired NYPD Lieutenant, DiResto makes no bones about the fact that he is not a politician or a polished speaker. He simply wants to come in and do what’s best for the district. Touting his years in law enforcement as a strong training ground for understanding what the district needs, DiResto cites the same experience as his foundation for understanding the structure and mechanisms of city government. We like DiResto and have a feeling we will be seeing more of him in the future. For now though, he is not ready, but certainly has had a great opportunity to experience some of the highs of politics and bear witness to some of the all time lows we’ve ever seen in a local race.

When speaking about Mike Ricatto we can’t really say more than Mike says himself. He’s a businessman. While we have great respect for the success of people who make the most out of a good business model, in the times we are facing currently, the savvy of business is not what will bring home the bacon to this district. A true understanding of the issues, priorities and functions of city government is the only formula for any semblance of holding on for the upswing; for according to the proposed budget, there is no bacon to bring home. His obvious unfamiliarity of the area, centered both on geography and major issues, and his political inexperience will not send Mike Ricatto to the City Council this time around.

The remaining candidate, Geraldine Chapey, brought with her something the other candidates seemed to have left at the door — an attitude. A bad one. Chapey spent most of her opening statements reveling in a tale about a “kindergarten epiphany” when her mother, also named Geraldine Chapey, essentially explained to the teacher that while other children were quick to give up tasks, her Geraldine always took them on and finished them. Her answers to the questions were indirect, lacked substance and often spoke about connections to other governmental representatives with whom she had good working relationships. The position of city councilmember is just that. The district is not seeking an ambassador.

Chapey largely emphasized her academic achievements but if this were a classroom, we can’t see her even approaching a passing grade for this event. Her answers drew boos from the crowd and in a collective opinion, an angry audience delivered a message to Chapey—they were disgusted with her antics. Her apparent unwillingness to answer a direct question did not bode well. Transparency, when it comes to the spending of public money is something voters all across this country are clamoring for. The public has a right to know. Elected officials and wannabe elected officials are subject to open questioning from those they seek to represent. Voters have the right to seek information and it is the obligation of a candidate to answer direct questions directly without dissembling.

But it wasn’t until the last round - when candidates got to pose questions to each other — that were taken from interesting and informative, to shall we say — a new level. When Eric Ulrich brought what he called to the room “the eight-hundred pound gorilla,” he touched on the subject that has everyone up in arms over the legitimacy of this race. Ulrich asked a pointed question of Chapey — “Geraldine why don’t you want Frank Gulluscio in this race?” Her first response was to ask Eric why he challenged the petitions of another candidate. Once again Ulrich rose to the top expressing that Frank Gulluscio belongs in the race because of all his work and experience in the district and making perfectly clear that his challenge to Mike Ricatto was because in his eyes, Ricatto was a ‘Johnny-come-lately to the district’ carpetbagger.

It was at this point when Chapey revealed herself to be, not a viable candidate for city council, but one who considers this election comparable to a game. “When you go into the pool hall,” Chapey said, “the rules are posted on the wall.”

Well guess what Dr. Chapey, you are trying to head for City Hall, not a pool hall where random balls are sunk into felt pockets using cue sticks. You don’t need a cue, you need a clue. This is no game.

Your answers and your attitude were not one bit reflective of the academic, Christian and proud Irish heritage you claim is the fabric of your existence. In an all important special election in the 32nd, you’ve created an upheaval not at all deserved by the people of this district, especially in an already difficult set of circumstances.

Until next week…

Ballot Challenges in 32nd District Stun Voters, Candidates

Two Knocked Off Ballot; Chapey’s Tactics Called "Witch Hunt"

By Patricia Adams

The supposed front runner for Joe Addabbo's council seat, Frank Gulluscio, was thrown off of the ballot by his opponent, Geraldine Chapey on Monday because of a legal technicality about the nature in which his validating petition was served.

The candidate quickly cried foul stating that, "the idea that this is a system meant to uphold democracy is preposterous when the signatures of thousands of voters can be rendered meaningless by a legal technicality. We must demand that we have a system where the will of the people cannot be overturned by lawyers."

"Geraldine Chapey has been on what can only be described as a witch hunt, dragging her opponents into court, causing us hours of wasted time and thousands of dollars in lawyer’s fees. She obviously feels that the only way she can win is to eliminate the competition using her lawyer, rather than in a fair election by the will of the people. I cannot imagine that the voters of the 32nd Council District would want to be represented by someone like that."

Also among the candidates not to survive the challenge was former NYPD Officer Glenn DiResto.

The hearing was originally scheduled today because Chapey's team was claiming Gulluscio did not have enough signatures to make it on the ballot. Gulluscio had vehemently denied this claim and came into court prepared with hundreds of signatures that he felt had been knocked off erroneously. However, before they had the chance to make their case, the judge threw out the entire case because of what she felt was an error in the service of the validating petition.

Gulluscio commented that, "Although I am disappointed by the tactics employed by my opponent, I look forward to pursuing all options to allow me to continue to serve the people of the 32nd Council District."

James Wu, a spokesperson for the Chapey campaign explained the matter this way, “Frank Gulluscio did not attain the ballot because he had insufficient signatures.”

Some confusion seems to have existed regarding what challenges were filed and what was ruled upon. While a challenge to the legality of Gulluscio’s use of a star on his petition was filed, that issue ultimately was never considered or ruled on. The objection to the use of the five-point star was that it’s a recognized symbol of the Democratic party, which is not allowed in the non-partisan special election petition process.

As the Elections Commissioners resumed with their regular meeting on Monday morning, before the Executive Session, there was a second call in which they decided that Gulluscio simply did not make the signature requirement. And so it was, with a swift and final decision that the candidacy of Frank Guluuscio was ended on a technicality, that which the candidate continues to maintain was in no way a fair representation afforded to the voters of the 32 Council District in the upcoming special election.

With the field now narrowed to four candidates, one of the remaining contenders, Mike Ricatto had this to say, "I am extremely disappointed that some candidates have been thrown off the ballot for the upcoming 32nd Council District Special election. The democratic process is about giving voters a choice and the opportunity to vote for candidates who share their values, ideals and vision for better government. I am against eliminating candidates from the ballot for legal technicalities. Geraldine Chapey and her legal team along with Eric Ulrich and his handlers Tom Ognibene and the Haggerty's have successfully tied up candidates in court preventing them from reaching voters. I am glad this unfortunate episode is over and I can continue my efforts to speak to voters throughout the district about the important issues that concern them."

The third candidate who remains on the ballot is Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, Geraldine Chapey’s co-leader on the Rockaway Peninsula. There is much speculation as to why Simon’s petition volume did not fall prey to Chapey’s challenge axe, but nonetheless, Simon is very disturbed over the fact that any candidates were removed from the ballot during the process of the special election.

“I have been co-leaders with Geraldine for the last 15 years. Never once during that time did she produce more than 100 signatures for the district leader race. I find it shocking that she was able to gather these many signatures but I firmly believe that there should have been no challenges in the special election, especially due to the time constraints of the process. The bottom line, according to Simon is that he was disappointed and shocked to see that people were knocked off the ballot.

Simon also raised serious questions about why there has been no record of filings at the Campaign Finance Board. “It’s obvious that Geraldine has spent money on posters, literature, mailing and staff and that nothing has been reported. I would be most interested to see an audit conducted to see if these expenditures are in tact.”

The fourth and remaining candidate, Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich was quick to express that his feelings about the process is that it is “antiquated and that our state officials really need to re-examine the rules so that citizens have the right to get on the ballot and run in an election.”

Ulrich maintains that one of the first steps toward ensuring better government in the city and state is to make ballot requirements less stringent. “It is truly unfortunate that Geraldine felt it was up to her to select her opposition instead of affording that opportunity to the voters in the 32nd to whom it truly belongs. She felt it was her choice and not theirs.”