Gregory R. Ball (born September 16, 1977) is a former American politician from 2006 to 2014 (now a business executive), former active duty
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
officer and member of the
New York State Senate and the
New York State Assembly. He is a resident of
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg (german: Friedrichsberg) is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, this city had a population of 10,530.
Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. ...
.
Early career and background
Ball was born on September 16, 1977
in
Pawling, New York
Pawling may refer to:
*Pawling (town), New York, in Dutchess County
** Pawling (village), New York, in the town of Pawling
*** Pawling (Metro-North station), train station for the village
** Pawling Nature Reserve, in the northern section of the ...
, and grew up on Quaker Hill. In 1996, he was awarded the Falcon Foundation Scholarship and attended the
Valley Forge Military Academy
Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 7–12) and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It follows in the traditional military school format with army traditions. Though military in ...
before receiving an appointment to the
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...
. While at the United States Air Force Academy, Ball interned in the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
Drug Policy Office.
[campaign bio](_blank)
Retrieved on September 25, 2012.
At the Air Force Academy, Ball received a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in Government in 2001. He started a Masters in
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...
at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
in 2004 and was a
fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
at the Center for the Study of the Presidency from 2002 to 2003.
USAF service
Ball was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and requested an assignment with the Air Force Academy's
Diversity Recruitment Office, and was posted in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
for a one-year tour working as a
Minority Admissions Officer. Ball was then assigned to the
11th Wing at
Bolling Air Force Base
Bolling Air Force Base or Bolling AFB was a United States Air Force base in Washington, D.C. In 2010, it was merged with Naval Support Facility Anacostia to form Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling. From its beginning, the installation has hosted el ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, as
protocol officer. The Ceremonies & Protocol office was responsible for planning, organizing and developing projects for the
Secretary of the Air Force
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...
and the
Air Force Chief of Staff
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to th ...
, as well as coordinating
honor guard
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
burial services at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
["I was honored to serve as Greg Ball's mentor while he was in the U.S. Air Force. ... As Greg excelled through the ranks and was promoted to Captain, I was honored to watch Greg perform as an outstanding young officer. Greg Ball graduated from the Air Force Academy, served in the White House Drug Policy Office, lived on Capitol Hill, and served in the 11th Wing in our Nation's capital working directly for four-star generals in the Pentagon and throughout the National Capitol Region. Few Lieutenants are chosen for such a demanding position."–]Col.
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Joseph P. Green, USAF (Ret.)
E-Mail to Bob Fois
June 6, 2006.
During his time in the Ceremonies & Protocol Office, Ball was a Project Officer for numerous events. The largest may have been the 2003 Global Air Chief's Conference, the first since 1997, for which he rented a cruise ship for a welcome reception in Washington, D.C., for dignitaries attending the Global Air Chiefs Conference.
As a lieutenant, Ball was charged with directing
National Hispanic Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month (Spanish: ''Mes nacional de la herencia hispana'') is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, cul ...
in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He organized exhibits and demonstrations to recognize the contributions made by Hispanic countries and cultures, and hosted
Alberto Gonzales, then
White House Counsel
The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Of ...
, in 2003. In 2003, Ball was nominated as "Military Volunteer of the Year" for the 11th Wing. He was awarded an
Air Force Achievement Medal for outstanding service by
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
John P. Jumper
John Phillip Jumper (born February 4, 1945) is a retired United States Air Force general, who served as 17th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from September 6, 2001 to September 2, 2005. He retired from the Air Force on November ...
and was honorably discharged from active duty in January 2005, with the rank of captain.
Business career
Upon his separation from active duty, Ball was recruited by the
Antioch, Illinois
Antioch is a village in the U.S. state of Illinois. Antioch is part of the larger Antioch Township within Lake County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,622. The village is nestled into the Chain O'Lakes waterway system and borders ...
, based Exceed International, a commercial development corporation with a presence in India,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
and
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
.
[Chandramouly, Anjana.]
American dream... in India
. ''Business Line
''Business Line'' or ''The Hindu Business Line'' is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper ''The Hindu'' located in Chennai, India. The newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, p ...
''. March 17, 2006. Placed in charge of the marketing department, he served as a team member with the Company President on a 38-company executive mission to an economic summit in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
, which included representatives from companies such as
Amex,
Cargill,
New York Life
New York Life Insurance Company (NYLIC) is the third-largest life insurance company in the United States, the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States and is ranked #67 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of the largest United State ...
,
Dow Chemical,
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
,
Bechtel, and
Cognizant
Cognizant is an American multinational information technology services and consulting company. It is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. Cognizant is part of the NASDAQ-100 and trades under CTSH. It was founded as an in-hous ...
. Later, Exceed invested $11.1 million in India to expand operations. Construction began on six projects in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, which included the
ESPEE IT Park, and the
Bascon Technology Park, which helped Exceed establish a foothold in India. The company also invested as a joint venture partner in mixed use residential projects such as a water treatment facility.
Eventually, Ball was elevated to Vice President of Exceed's Northeastern United States division and returned to New York.
[The Next Economy]
.
Exceed International
'. Retrieved on February 24, 2008. The
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
based developer employs nearly 400 people in various fields such as project management, development, architecture, engineering, construction, government relations, finance, and technology. In 2006, Exceed proposed a $75 million urban renewal project for the village of
Brewster which would generate some $2 million a year in tax revenue for the town.
[Plans call for $75 million urban renewal project of village's downtown]
".
Putnam County Courier
'. March 24, 2006. The village's Mayor noted that "All of the infrastructure work recently completed by defining our identity within the watershed has paid off. Brewster finds itself in a situation where people are eagerly interested in working with the village in partnership to see our village revitalized".
Political career
In early 2005, Ball announced his candidacy for State Assembly as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and stated he would attempt to unseat the incumbent Assemblyman
Will Stephens
Willis "Will" Stephens Jr. (born November 22, 1955) is an American attorney and former politician who represented the 99th district in the New York State Assembly. After serving in the Assembly for twelve years, Stephens was defeated in the Se ...
in a primary.
Stephens' family had held the seat nearly continuously for eighty years: his grandfather,
D. Mallory Stephens, represented the district from 1926 to 1952; his father, Willis Stephens Sr., held the seat from 1952 to 1982; and Stephens himself served from 1994 to 2006. Ball received over $110,000 in campaign contributions for the race. He was placed on the primary ballot by the signature of over 1800 petitioners.
In 2004, while living in D.C., Ball created a charity polo event for underprivileged youth known as the
Courage Cup, which presented $10,000 to charities in 2005. The Courage Cup was also investigated by the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' after allegations that Ball was diverting funds from the charity to his political campaigns. The ''Poughkeepsie Journal'' noted that Ball's political action committee made a donation to the Courage Cup charity for the use of the tent at the event. The group then solicited funds for Ball in the tent, an activity the assemblyman said was "perfectly legal and above-board.".
At times Ball's campaign was noted for its unorthodoxy. Ball himself dressed up in a chicken suit and followed around Stephens after the incumbent refused to debate him.
[Risinit, Mike.]
The chicken suit has been mothballed, sort of
. ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
''. May 31, 2006.
On September 12, 2006, in the Republican Primary for New York's 99th District, Ball defeated Stephens in a landslide with 70.4% (5,165 votes) to 29.6% (2,176 votes) for Stephens, the lowest vote total for any incumbent running for reelection to the State Assembly that day.
Stephens drew criticism when he refused to repudiate a letter about challenger Greg Ball which falsely claimed Mr. Ball had received a dishonorable discharge from the United States Air Force.
According to a 2006 interview, Ball's ultimate political ambition is to become the Governor of New York State.
[
]
New York State Assembly (2007–2010)
Ball has stated that "since my election victory, we have made extraordinary progress by elevating the debate on tough issues like taxes, illegal immigration and dysfunction in Albany." He was sworn into office on January 8, 2007. The first time Ball rose to speak in the Assembly chamber, he called the legislature "dysfunctional", and withstood boos from his colleagues. The next day, Governor Spitzer called Ball to express support for his sentiments.[Risinit, Mike.]
Eliot's on the phone
. ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
''. February 9, 2007.
Ball stated that "It was not easy getting up as the new guy and standing up to tell a group of people what they don't want to hear" but his speech became so popular that soon dozens of reporters began calling, he appeared on Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
, excerpts from the floor speech popped up on numerous political blogs, his campaign web site received so many visits that its server crashed, and, a YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
video of his remarks was ranked 80th among new videos the day it was uploaded.[Confessore, Nicholas.]
Scolding Peers, Legislator Draws Notice
. ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. February 10, 2007. Although the remarks were contentious, they echoed a fifty-six page study from the nonpartisan New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice, which referred to the legislature as "the least deliberative and most dysfunctional in the nation".
As ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Ball announced legislation expanding the eligibility for veterans to receive tax exemption benefits, including the exemption of real property owned by certain disabled veterans from property taxation. Ball authored the bill that created the tuition remission program for veterans, offering them free tuition at both SUNY and CUNY undergraduate and graduate institutions. Governor Eliot Spitzer included the measure in his 2008 executive budget proposal, and the measure was kept funded in Governor David Paterson's version.
According to ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
'', one key to Ball's success was that his campaign identified the concern local voters cared most about: illegal immigration.[West, Debra.]
The Greg Ball effect: An anti-illegal alien strategy takes root and thrives
. ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
''. August 12, 2007. The ''New York Sun
''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...
'' reported that Ball, who has called for some local prison and police officials to be trained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help deport illegal immigrants, defines himself as a moderate on the immigration issue. Ball made illegal immigration a focal point of his bid for office.[Klein, Benjamin.]
Ball looks to hold people’s feet to the fire
. ''Legislative Gazette
The ''Legislative Gazette'' is a weekly newspaper covering New York state government and politics located in Albany, New York. Published on Mondays from September through June, the publication bills itself as "The weekly newspaper of the New York ...
''. January 16, 2007. In October 2007, he strongly criticized Governor Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. He was at the forefront of the opposition to the plan, and his Statewide petition to stop it led to the Assembly Minority Conference's decision to sue the Governor to stop the plan.
Ball has worked to promote businesses that hire legal immigrant laborers, and has begun to create a database for usage on his campaign website.[Risinit, Mike.]
Move over, Yellow Pages
". ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
''. April 25, 2007. His campaign headquarters in Pawling may have been targeted over the contentious issue, and was vandalized with swastikas
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
in October 2006, although the person or persons responsible misspelled the word "Fascist" twice. An oft-quoted line from his campaign literature was that "Illegal Immigration is Illegal".
2008 election
Ball was referred to as "one of the rising stars in the Republican Party" during speculation that he would run against freshman Congressman John Hall John Hall may refer to:
Academics
* John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic
* John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal
* John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...
in 2008, although he later ruled out a challenge against Hall.[Risinit, Mike.]
Carmel assemblyman says he won't run for Congress in '08
. ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
''. December 31, 2007. In early May 2008, John Degnan, the former Mayor of Brewster, New York
Brewster is a village and the principal settlement within the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York. Its population was 2,390 at the time of the 2010 census. The village, which is the most densely populated portion of the county, was nam ...
, announced he would be mounting a challenge to the freshman Assemblyman. In the September 9th, 2008 primary, Ball won the primary by a 3 to 1 margin amongst Republicans. He again faced Degnan, who had the Democratic nomination, in the general election, and was re-elected with 60% of the vote.
Feud with State Senator Vincent Leibell
In July 2010, State Senator Vincent Leibell blamed Ball for a raid of the Senator's home which was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
. The Senator was later arrested, tried, and convicted on several counts of Federal corruption charges. Ball had often accused the Senator of using the office as his "personal piggy bank
The feud between Leibell and Ball dated back to the 2008 election, when Ball first accused the Senator of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against him
On August 26, 2008, a local newspaper known as ''The Putnam Times'' published court documents surrounding the breakup between Ball and a Washington, D.C., woman in 2003. Ball blamed Leibell for hiring private investigators for the newspaper article, and for funding the campaign of his Democratic challenger, John Degnan. Ball stated both he and the woman both filed for orders of protection following the end of their relationship. In November 2003, both Ball and the woman asked the court to dismiss their complaints against each other, which was done. Ball told ''The Daily News'' that "It was just a heartfelt breakup where both parties jointly requested a 'cooling off' period, and the entire matter was mutually dismissed. My life is an open book, and always has been."
While ''The Putnam Times'', a local paper incorrectly reported that Ball violated the order of protection by following the woman to Israel on July 20, ''News Channel 12'', a regional network, pointed out that order of protection was filed six days earlier on July 14, and court records state Ball traveled to Israel on June 20. ''The Poughkeepsie Journal'' also later pointed out that there was never a criminal restraining order, and the documents printed by the ''Times'' was actually a Injunction, temporary order of protection, which anyone can request.
Following the revelations that Ball's ex-girlfriend filed for an order of protection against him in 2003, on September 3, 2008, the ''Journal News'' reported that a former member of Ball's staff had accused him of sexually harassing her in a letter sent to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver detailing the incident. Perrault's accusations were later found to be fabrications and Ball was exonerated.
Initially, ''News 12'' analyst Mike Edelman called the report "not credible," and many questioned the timing of the complaint, as the former staff member waited a year to write the letter until a few days before the primary election. The previous day, Ball had released e-mails from his former Chief of Staff, which stated that Perreault was ready to "go forward with a lawsuit and 'embellish' some of the details," calling the letter to Silver into question. Ball said the letter was part of a "smear campaign", and that the ex-Chief of Staff was a "mole" for State Senator Vincent Leibell, who was backing his primary opponent. Ball released a taped phone conversation between the ex-Chief of Staff and a local political candidate, where his former deputy stated he was working for "the senate" to "neuter" Ball. Although at first, the ex-Chief of Staff denied working for the senate to ''The Journal News'', the next day, he admitted it in another article, but Senator Leibell denied any conspiracy.[Risinit, Michael.]
GOP primary candidates locked in bitter spat
. ''Poughkeepsie Journal
The ''Poughkeepsie Journal'' is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York, and owned by Gannett, which bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 (though not a daily newspaper until 1860), the ''Journal'' is the oldest paper in New York state, a ...
''. September 7, 2008.
The Assembly Ethics committee met in October 2008, reaching a 'not guilty' verdict and ruling that no harassment ever occurred, and unanimously voted to throw out the charges against Assemblyman Ball. The accuser, the 60-year-old Perrault, had been the target of numerous sexual harassment allegations at a prior job, where she was a supervisor. It was noted that Ball's accuser had herself settled four lawsuits for an undisclosed sum, at least three of which accused her of sexual harassment.
2010 election, notable votes
In May 2009, Ball announced he was a candidate for Congress in New York's 19th congressional district. Ball drew some attention by raising more money than incumbent Congressman John Hall in the second quarter of 200
On November 21, 2009, Ball abandoned his Congressional run and decided to run for State Senate in District 40, the seat formerly held by Vincent Leibell
In a letter to his supporters, Ball stated that the job of reforming Albany had not been completed, saying, "From property tax reform to corruption in government, the job I set to do in 2006 is still incomplete, and it can only be accomplished by continuing to tackle our nation's most dysfunctional legislature.
Ball, who was opposed by the Republican Party operatives, defeated endorsed Republican candidate and Somers, New York, Somers town supervisor Mary Beth Murphy in a primary election in September 2010. On November 2, 2010, Ball won election to the New York Senate from the 40th district by a 52%-48% margin over Mike Kaplowitz
Michael B. Kaplowitz (born September 3, 1959) is an American lawyer, financial planner and Democratic politician from Somers, New York. He was a member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators and represented portions of New Castle, So ...
, also from Somers.
Political positions
On June 24, 2011, Ball voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during a senate roll-call vote on the Marriage Equality Act, which narrowly passed 33-29 and legalized marriages performed in the state regardless of the genders involved in the union. In
CNN interview
Ball said he did not think the bill went far enough in extending religious protections for "individuals and businesses with religious objections" to marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Ball opposes drilling in the Marcellus Formation
The Marcellus Formation or the Marcellus Shale is a Middle Devonian age unit of sedimentary rock found in eastern North America. Named for a distinctive outcrop near the village of Marcellus, New York, in the United States,
it extends throughou ...
and in particular the use of hydraulic fracturing in the process.[Campbell, Jon (December 21, 2011)]
Ball, Castelli slam hydrofracking, Ball takes dig at Hayworth
''Gannett News Service''. Retrieved December 21, 2011. He has taken several tours of Pennsylvania with Josh Fox
Josh Fox is an American film director, playwright and environmental activist, best known for his Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning 2010 documentary, ''Gasland''. He is one of the most prominent public opponents of hydraulic fracturing and horizon ...
, the director of ''Gasland
''Gasland'' is a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States where natural gas drilling activity was a concern and, specifically, on hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), a method ...
''.
Ball supported the temporary two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax relief, calling out incumbent Representative Nan Hayworth for voting against the bill using class-related rhetoric, accusing Hayworth of being out of touch with her constituents.
In 2012, Ball has expressed strong support for the use of public funds to transport private school students and is currently trying to increase the distance for these children that the public schools would be responsible for.[Katherine Pacchian]
Ball Holds Busing Forum at Somers JFK High School
, The Daily Croton, March 17, 2012
Ball spoke out against publishing the names and addresses of handgun permit holders, insulting the editors of The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett.
''The Journal News'' was created through a merger of ...
, and accusing them of privacy violation.
Gregory Ball has taken a strong, public stance against medical marijuana since bills regarding the topic have come before the NYS senate after passing through the Assembly. After Just Say Now activists contacted their representatives during the week of April 1, 2013, Senator Gregory Ball tweete
"Receiving emails, calls on "Medical" Marijuana...let me be clear: Marijuana is NOT medicine. Period. Next topic..."
In April 2013, Ball argued on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Dzhokhar "Jahar" Anzorovich Tsarnaev born July 22, 1993)russian: Джоха́р Анзо́рович Царна́ев, link=no ; ce, Царнаев Анзор-кIант ДжовхӀар o; ( Kyrgyz language, Kyrgyz: Жохар Анзор уу ...
, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...
, should be tortured in order to obtain information on any possible attacks in the future. He subsequently got into a heated on-air exchange with CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
host Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was ...
when asked to defend his Twitter post.
Retirement from politics
In May 2014, Ball announced that he would not seek reelection, opting instead to return to the private sector. He was replaced by Yorktown town councilman Terrence P. Murphy on January 1, 2015.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Gregory R.
1977 births
Living people
American business executives
American veterans' rights activists
American real estate businesspeople
Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni
Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
Republican Party New York (state) state senators
Politicians from Putnam County, New York
United States Air Force Academy alumni
United States Air Force officers
People from Pawling, New York
People from Carmel, New York
21st-century American politicians