Ulster Gardens Developer : "Nothing to be Ashamed of"

 (Excerpts from record story below. Click link below (Record online Mandelbaum for full story)

Business with government

You know what else they have in common?

They do business with various levels of government — and they say they're not looking for favors.

"There's no secret and I have nothing to be ashamed of.

-Jonah Mandelbaum


Supervisor Quigley just say no!

Supervisor Quigley please protect our town and say no to Developer Jonah Mandelbaum until more questions have been answered about this guys track record and until a full environmental study can be completed. I don't know bout you but this just sounds like it smells! JONAH MANDELBAUM AND HIS 57 ASSOCIATES HAVE KEPT THE PEOPLE OF NYS IN THE DARK THROUGH LOOP HOLES IN OUR STATE'S CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS, DON'T LET HIM DO THIS TO THE TOWN OF ULSTER. WE RE NOT FOR SALE!!!!!!!


RECORD ONLINE MANDELBAUM ONE OF NYS'S WEALTHIEST DONORS

"They need money to pay the bills, to get name recognition, to get TV spots to educate the voters about your position. It (getting elected) is about the money," says Taylor, a registered Republican, who also gives to Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-Hurley), John Hall (D-Dover Plains) and state Sen. Bill Larkin (R-Cornwall-on-Hudson) — and wants Republican Orange County to have a bigger say in Democrat Cuomo's administration. "What we do is within the law. But ethically and morally, is it right? It's not good. It's not pretty. But that's what it is."

It's also difficult for the average person to find out just how much a donor is giving.

For instance, Mandelbaum — or his businesses — donates under several names, including Jonah Mandelbaum, JDM Holding, MJJ Building of Orange County, and 57 Associates. His wife, Donna Applegate, also gives, as could her companies.

Donors get around the limits

If you try to track the donations, you'll find that, since 2009, Mandelbaum gave $62,900 in his name to the campaigns of candidates like Gov. David Paterson and Orange County Legislator Melissa Bonacic, daughter of the state senator. But if you search with his wife's name, you'll find that she gave $12,500 to Cuomo. And if you use an address they both use, you'll find another business, Devon Management, gave $5,000 to John Bonacic. That kind of perfectly legal giving from different entities allows you to avoid the $150,000 donation per person limit, or the $5,000 corporate limit.

So does this:

You don't just give to a candidate. You can give to political action committees and to legislative party committees, which are controlled by legislative leaders. This encourages loyalty to party leaders, who then control votes.

"If you know what you're doing, you can give as much as you want to anyone you want," says Horner of the system that already allows you to give more to legislators than to congressmen or senators. "It's a deliberate effort to keep people in the dark."