Letter to the Editor: 'Vote Greg Ball Out'

To The Editor:

Today, I’ve received another one.  Another glossy, beautiful Greg Ball campaign flyer. This particular flyer was an exercise in Senator Ball’s latest twist on campaigning – if you can’t find anything wrong about your opponent, attack his employer. In other words, everyone better be careful where you work – you’ll be held responsible for anything your employer does. Pursuing this line of thinking,  insurance companies will be suing the employees of McDonalds’s for increased health care costs created by the food they’re shoving across the counter.

Senator Ball’s tactics would be funny if they weren’t so amazingly insulting.  If you read one of Mr. Ball’s flyers, you would be excused for assuming that Justin Wagner owned the firm of Weil Gotsheil and directed all of its operations.

It’s amazing that Mr. Wagner would have the time to run for state senate and oversee and be responsible for every aspect of Weil Gotsheil s business.  And since Mr. Ball  loves to quote from the Weil Gotsheil firm website (and source it in teeny, tiny hard to read white writing), I believe I will do the same:

Weil Gotsheil, 21 offices worldwide from China to Europe and back to the United States.  Approximately 1,200 lawyers.  Wth a Pro Bono practice ranked among the top 20 in the US  (The American Lawyer's 2012 Pro Bono Survey) “Implemented a new Pro Bono Policy in 2005 that includes the goal that every lawyer perform 50 hours of pro bono work each year; the expectation that every partner work on a pro bono matter every year; and the requirement that every new attorney—from first-year associate to lateral partner—take on a pro bono matter within his or her first two years at the firm.”  Ranked among the "Best 20 Law Firms for Diversity" for the fifth consecutive year  (2012 Vault Guide).  

See, Mr. Ball.  That tactic works both ways.

My point being:  Mr. Wagner does not have to apologize for working at Weil Gotsheil .  He is not, however, any more responsible for each and every of its’ business dealings any more than you, or I are responsible for each and every decision made by our employer.

Now, back to Senator Ball.  Frankly, I am severely tired of Senator Ball and his infantile, frat-boy campaigning tactics. The last time I heard someone use name calling in an election campaign, they were running for the president of the fourth grade.   

Both Senator Ball and Mr. Wagner have come out publicly opposing  fracking. So, since Senator Ball can’t outright LIE and say that Mr. Wagner is for fracking, he sends out a misleading flyer which all but accuses Mr. Wagner himself of being on the side of the frackers – because his employer represented companies that engage in fracking. 

Finally, here is what I am learning from Mr. Ball’s mailers and campaign tactics:

1. Greg Ball spends a lot of money on good graphics.
2. Greg Ball engages in infantile name calling which should be so beneath the dignity of my elected representative that I am embarrassed to tell anyone that he is my State Senator.
3. Greg Ball is a callow political careerist who sees the Hudson Valley as a step on his career path and is willing to engage in lying, smear tactics and whatever it takes to speed him on his way.

Ladies and gentlemen,  Greg Ball has proved himself an embarrassment to the people of the Hudson Valley.  We do not need him in the state Senate.  If you are as outraged with his tactics as I am, please vote him out of office.

Rose Rowland

Cortlandt Manor, NY