BALL RUNNING FOR ASSEMBLY
Taxes,
illegal immigration and dysfunction in Albany are still top
priority
Assemblyman
Greg Ball (R – Carmel) will be seeking re-election to
the New York State Assembly in 2008.
“A little
over a year ago I was elected in a grassroots upset that
sent a clear message to the good old boys in Albany and
back home. Since my election victory, we have made
extraordinary progress by elevating the debate on tough
issues like taxes, illegal immigration and dysfunction in
Albany. On all of these fronts, and more, we are making a
substantial difference and I absolutely love being the
Assemblyman,” said Ball.
“I have spent every waking moment of my first term as
a new legislator fighting against numerous local and state
tax increases, mounting persistent and oftentimes
bi-partisan efforts for reforming Albany and have
continuously attracted widespread, even national attention,
upon the issue of illegal immigration and its local
impacts. We are winning battles everyday, but there is
still a larger war in Albany, and at home, on the issues
that matter most and I look forward to remaining on the
front lines of that fight,” said Ball.
In his first year in the Assembly, Ball has shepherded over
300 pieces of legislation, including 16 that passed the
Assembly in 2007 with his name as a co-sponsor. One of the
bills the Assemblyman is planning on pushing in his next
term is his legislation to help local governments take
advantage of valuable immigration training programs. The
Assemblyman’s bill would help localities with the
cost of these training programs by providing State funding
therefore allowing the director of homeland security to
coordinate with local agencies in regards to immigration.
Proactive, as always, the Assemblyman will be traveling
throughout the state to get counties and local
sheriff’s departments to sign up for the federal
government’s 287g program.
Ball stated,
“The combined and organized efforts between ICE and
state and local law enforcement will help our community,
and our state, to strengthen efforts to prevent these
crimes and to detain and deport those criminal illegal
aliens that are caught. We must begin to employ force
multipliers and begin pooling government resources across
state, county and village lines.”
The Assemblyman is also actively and personally engaged in
dozens of important community issues throughout his
sprawling district such as domestic violence, economic
development, children with disabilities and animal cruelty.
Always proactive, the Assemblyman’s office has
created several independent “Task Forces”
chaired by local community activists to spearhead issues of
concern and has serviced over 1400 constituent cases and
introduced countless pieces of legislation on behalf of
constituents and their families. This allows the
Assemblyman’s small staff to increase their
capabilities by “growing the team” externally
while contemporaneously empowering constituents.
For example,
working hand in hand with local humane societies, the
Assemblyman is the author of a bill that is gaining steam
in the Assembly and once enacted will eliminate the
barbaric practice of puppy and kitten mills. Similarly,
Ball is also working with organizations like
Autism
Speaks as well as
their regional counterparts to create a regional warehouse
of support and information for families raising children
affected by Autism. In fact, Ball is co-sponsoring several
bipartisan bills that will positively impact New
York’s children with autism and their families. An
outspoken budget hawk who has voted against every tax
increase that crossed his desk, Ball is also the co-sponsor
of a comprehensive school tax reform package known as the
“Taxpayer’s Protection Act”, the first
serious piece of legislation of it’s kind, and Ball
is also part of a bipartisan effort demanding a “Blue
Ribbon Commission” on school tax reform.
“We are gaining ground everyday. Stopping the
Governor’s plan for driver’s licenses for
illegal aliens was a huge victory and we have just begun to
see progress on other issues as well, like comprehensive
school tax reform and real reform in Albany. There is still
much more to be done and I look forward to continuing to
serving in Albany to provide the people’s
voice,” said Ball.
Assemblyman Ball on Fox News:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVq_9x_FNLE
Updated
Photo Gallery from “Fox & Hound” New
Year’s Eve Gala:
http://picasaweb.google.com/AssemblymanBall/AnnualNewYearSEveBash
Assemblyman
Ball’s Puppy & Kitten Mill
Legislation:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/099/20070803/