Bruce the Blog

The few times I’ve spent in Carmel have been chasing a little white ball at Centennial Golf Course, a great, if pricey, place to play.

As part of my ongoing efforts to become educated about all the communities in North County, including those not currently part of our coverage area of more than seven towns, I was eager to get to Carmel’s VFW headquarters on Route 52, opposite Lake Gleneida, on Tuesday night (August 13).

The attraction for me, and more than 100 others present, was a debate between incumbent 99th District Assemblyman Greg Ball and his challenger, John Degnan, former Mayor of Brewster. They are both running in the September 9 Republican Primary for the privilege of holding that line in the November election.

The two combatants — and those present would attest that is not as much hyperbole as it looks on paper — traded accusations, barbs, insults and denials of the other’s allegations of inaction or, worse, acting against the public’s interest. The agenda bullet points are familiar enough by now: unregistered immigrants, property taxes and the state of state government as practiced in Albany.

Here’s a sampling: Ball — “This is a horrible, nasty campaign.” Degnan (not responding to that Ball remark but to a question from audience): “He’s a liar.”

The crowd was passionate, with at least three-quarters of them cheering on Assemblyman Ball vociferously; that was to be expected, as one resident put it, because “this is his home base.”

The moderator, Karl Rhode, of VFW, a Vietnam veteran, was not shy about holding both the candidates and outspoken audience members to account for stepping outside the lines of debate decorum.

He cautioned both candidates about what he deemed improper remarks or disruptions.

Rhode admonished Ball more than once about interrupting Degnan while the latter had the podium, one time even threatening to end the debate altogether, but then relented. One Ball supporter blurted out, “You’re denying democracy,” to which Rhode replied, “You’re our guest here.”

Rhode also chastised Degnan to not address remarks to anybody in the audience by name after the candidate made caustic remarks about Southeast Supervisor Michael Rights, who was present.

Nevertheless, Ball did make references to New York State Senator Vincent Leibell, also on hand, who has created quite a buzz in this race by funneling substantial financial support to the Degnan campaign. The Ball remarks were not about that fact, but painted the popular Senator as part of the “good ol’ boys’ club in Albany” that Ball has made a virtual political career, in a very short time, of tweaking and challenging to change its profligate ways.

The debate did not so much end as disintegrate into a crossfire of salvos among candidates and their respective supporters. It started with a question posed by the moderator to Assemblyman Ball that the candidate for re-election took exception to, because it besmirched his military service. There followed a heated exchange between Ball and Rhode alluding to whether the moderator was a Leibell partisan and therefore trying to embarrass Ball with such questions. One Ball campaign worker whispered in my ear that Rhode used to be on the payroll of Senator Leibell. The one-word response from the Senator’s office: “Never.”

Ball began persistently demanding to know of Degnan, “What are you, John — Democrat or Republican?” [A registered Republican, Degnan was endorsed for Assembly by the Putnam County Democrats and Republicans. Ball was endorsed by Westchester County Republicans. Pawling Republicans in Dutchess County issued no endorsement.]

The inquiry to his opponent by Ball seemed to be the final straw for Moderator Rhode, who stepped to the mike to signal the end of the session, which was in effect at its end anyhow because, as Rhode himself allowed, the only audience questions left to ask were obviously partisan statements with question marks attached at the end.

Then the supporters joined in, with a Degnan loyalist decrying a Ball remark while Degnan was speaking with, “This is an outburst!” A Ball person behind him replied, “Oh, be quiet.” Then the Degnan person said to Ball, “That’s inappropriate.” Ball: “You’re inappropriate.” Degnan person: “So’s your conduct, sir.” Ball: “So is yours.” And so it went.

The climax to the noisy dispersal of the audience came when Degnan supporter Robert Buckley left the hall repeating the refrain, “Greg Ball’s a fraud,” and throwing in a remark that “He’s anti-union.” That Buckley is an imposing figure did not deter a middle-aged woman on Ball’s side from confronting him as he exited.

Someone in the Degnan camp I spoke with was not pleased with Buckley’s over-the-top behavior. Even less pleased was a Ball supporter who, watching Buckley wend his way through the crowd to exit the building, expressed concern for the safety of others.

Another debate between the two candidates is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13, at 8:00 p.m. at the Somers Library in Reis Park on Route 139 (between Routes 202 and 100). It is sponsored by the Somers Republican Town Committee and the Somers Republican Club. Early Wednesday afternoon, Rey Solano, head of the Somers Republican Club, told me his group had not heard back from John Degnan or his camp confirming his attendance.