The Hayseeds blog, No. 250 for the week starting March 30, 2008.
March 16, 2008
Hayseeds No. 249
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Hayseeds No. 250
April 6, 2008
Hayseeds No. 250
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“Roger Stone Jr., who allegedly left a threat in a voice mail for ex-governor's father, had lawyers alert FBI”
“It's been so long since a new portrait was added to the Capitol's Hall of Governors, some wonder if the tradition has died. No, it hasn't.”
“Caught in a political crossfire over the release of violent felons, New York parole officials report that none of the 456 violent felons paroled in the last four years was sent back to prison for committing a new crime.”
“The closing of the Sanctuary for Independent Media to mass gatherings because of code violations is ludicrous and unwarranted. Recently, the Sanctuary was informed it would have to close because its doors were two inches too short.”
“A federal appeals court in New York City is set to hear the case Monday of two Muslim immigrants whose convictions for laundering money from a fictitious terror plot sparked intensive controversy over the FBI's post-9/11 tactics and the government's use of warrantless wiretapping.”
“The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, reports that Spitzer ordered his former communications director, Darren Dopp, and another aide to release travel data from state police that showed Bruno used state aircraft on days he attended Republican fundraisers in New York City.”
“Work is set to begin later this month on the 62-year-old bridge that carries motorists over the Hudson River between Mechanicville and Schaghticoke.”
“For more than a year, Samson and dozens of workers from the Mayfield-based Delaney Construction have labored in a failing culvert that carries a 1,800-foot-long segment of what was once the Brandywine Creek. Originally installed more than six decades before the construction of I-890, the cavernous culvert had deteriorated in many areas, causing sinkholes under the highway overheard.”
“In 2004, a man calling himself Jude Finisterra appeared on BBC World. The network had asked the man, who claimed to be a spokesman for Dow Chemical Company, to comment on the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, when thousands of Indians were killed and sickened by a gas leak at a pesticide factory.”
“A sharp downturn in revenue, troubles on Wall Street and housing market woes are combining to make this year’s state budget process the most challenging since the recession earlier this decade.”
“According to a report released this week by the US Census, the Capital District has the fifth tightest apartment rental market in the country. In other words, there are only four other places where it is harder to find an apartment. This is official confirmation of something that I, as a South End landlord, have known for years.”
“Unfortunately, the proposed redesign of Erie Boulevard would be a step backward. Erie Boulevard needs to be cleaned up, but this project is a waste of taxpayer dollars. We do not need a roundabout that serves only to put more businesses out by limiting the flow of traffic.”
“Hundreds of people assembled on the west lawn of the state Capitol Saturday, calling for an end to the war in Iraq as part of the annual Walk for Peace.”
“Credit-card records obtained from the state Comptroller's Office covering Paterson's nearly 15 months as lieutenant governor showed he charged his state credit card for 13 Albany hotel stays totaling more than $2,500 between Jan. 1, 2007, and this past Feb. 18.”
“Activists angered by China’s crackdown in Tibet upstaged an Olympic flame-lighting ceremony here Monday, unfurling a banner and calling for a boycott to the Beijing Summer Games before they were arrested by police.”
“Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer was deeply involved in his administration’s efforts last year to discredit the State Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, holding detailed discussions with senior aides, ordering damaging information about Mr. Bruno released, and calling an aide at home repeatedly to check on the progress, according to several people with direct knowledge of the investigation.”
“New York officials have long taken pride in the city’s status as a global gateway. But lately, senior executives of some of the country’s biggest corporations, like Alcoa, have been complaining that American immigration policies are thwarting New York’s ability to compete with other world capitals.”
“Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe with a caffeinated Joe Scarborough, Nation editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel weighs in on the Spitzer scandal, what it means for New York, and if there was a set-up.”
“With Obama leading in the popular vote, pledged delegates, states won and picking up virtually ever superdelegate endorsement since Super Tuesday, you'd think that point would be rather obvious. Yet many in the media continue to cover the Obama-Clinton race as if it were a dead heat. It's not. Clinton's slim chances of capturing the nomination all but evaporated last week, with Obama rebounding from the Wright controversy with a historic speech on race, revote efforts in Michigan and Florida collapsing and Bill Richardson sending a strong signal to superdelegates (and former Clintonites) that Obama is still the one.”
“The Federal Reserve's announcement of an open-ended bail-out for Wall Street's endangered financial firms and banks opens an ominous new chapter in what might be called "market socialism with American characteristics." If Washington tries to do something for "losers" who are ordinary citizens, financial titans complain about violating free-market principles. When the titans themselves are going down, they rush to their patrons at the central bank and demand extraordinary relief. Government must save the big money, we are told, for the overall good of the economy. Thus, the financial system's reckless losses--approaching $1 trillion but probably far more--are being "socialized," dumped on the public, the very people victimized by its snares and falsified valuations.”
“The Adirondack village of Speculator, a tourist destination known for trout fishing and snowmobiling, will live on after residents voted by a 3-to-1 majority not to dissolve their municipality.”
“The overall U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 4,000 after four soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, a grim milestone that is likely to fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces as the war enters its sixth year.”
““In 2006, Democrats started to make the changes that we need in New York. I want to be part of moving New York ahead,” Giardino, of Hopewell Junction, said in a prepared statement. “We need to help families and communities in our state recover from the devastating policies of the last few years.””
“Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once so eager to debate she ran two ads questioning why her rival wouldn't, has yet to say whether she'll debate Sen. Barack Obama in North Carolina next month.”
“It is anything but a celebration, of course. We will mark the 4,000th death because it is an opportunity to remind the American people of the price we are paying for an unjustified war that has entered its sixth year. Unfortunately, although they continue to say overwhelmingly that the war was a mistake and should be dended, Americans have become numbed to the casualties, which have long ago slipped from the front page.”
That's the stark number we are up to with the War in Iraq that continues on without much of a moral purpose or sensibility, and without a plan to get out or focus on our country's many needs.
I'm saddened by all that has happened, and how despite all of the work of activists to end the war, it continues to grind on without control or direction from the public as a whole. And it seems increasingly likely that it will continue into 2009 and maybe even 2010, regardless of who our next President is after this year.
How do you get out of Iraq and hold face in the process? How do you keep it from becoming even more of a cesspool then it already is, stirred up because we had to get out and jump in it.
“Excerpts from the e-mail messages, journals and Web postings of six soldiers who have died in Iraq since Jan. 1, 2007. Among the dead was Sgt. Ryan M. Wood.”
“The secret of happiness is to spend around $5 every day on somebody else.”
“In an earlier posting on the News Blog, we noted that Dr. Jack Kevorkian had taken out papers to run for public office in Michigan, but we couldn't say for sure which office until he actually filed the papers. Well, it appears that Kervorkian got at least the minimum 3,000 signatures he needed, and he will run for Congress in Michigan's 9th district.”
“The yen, euro and pound have taken long strides past the dollar in recent weeks. Wall Street Journal reporter Craig Karmin says it's a story that shouldn't be seen as a surprise — or a reason to forecast doom for the U.S. economy.”
This provactive display of the cost of war on the New York Times website is a must view.
From the article:
Don’t you miss “three men in a room”? That’s long been a scornful reference to the trilateral cabal — made up of the governor, the State Senate majority leader and the Assembly speaker — that convened to settle all important state matters.
Now New Yorkers hear mainly about one man and one woman in a room, with the woman possibly having been rented for the night, depending on which governor we’re discussing. On the plus side, New York is not New Jersey. There, when they talk about three in a room, they mean the former governor, his wife and the driver who says he had sex with both.
Read Missing the Old Days in Albany in the New York Times.
“The court of claims action seeks $500 million in damages from the parks agency for delays in construction caused by the requirement to get the Department of State variance and two approvals from the Department of Environmental Conservation.”
“It seems that Monroe County Democratic Party Chair and State Assemblyman Joe Morelle has already decided who will run against Joe Robach for the 56th state Senate seat. It was reported in the BPP article that Richard Dollinger released a statement that his candidacy has been endorsed by Morelle. This is a major setback for Sandy Frankel and pretty much ends the race for Willa Powell. Morelle’s endorsement is seen as an indication of how the votes will be expected to go at the Democratic County party convention and comes at a critical moment for Dollinger.”
Our Governor David Paterson is not afraid to be truthful with the media and the sure love it. He's not afraid to admit he's not perfect, and that's giving them lots to write about.
Today the talk about is the fact that he experimented with cocaine and marijuana when he was young. Most people's attitudes are so what? It's not as taboo of a thing these days, especially with other politicians from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama admitting to past drug use.
It's good people are coming clean.
The previous day it was discovered that Paterson occasionally would stay in Albany hotels on taxpayer expernecerather then commute back to Guilderland on nights that he had to work late. That raised a few eyebrows, but without evidence that he did anything wrong, it died down.
Maybe the state needs a better policy on when it's appropriate to rent a room. Understandably, Fort Hunter in Guilderland where he lives is a bit of drive, and if you have to work late or be in meetings first thing in the morning, then it might make sense to stay in the city. Yet, we probably should decide if that relatively inexpensive benefit for the Governor or Lieutenant Governor is something that taxpayers should have to pay for.
Then before then, the buzz was all about how the governor had a rough patch in his marriage, and he and his wife went seperate ways for a while, having seperate relationships in mutual affairs.
At least Paterson is honest, and human. He has his fallacies, and he's not in denial about it. Yet you have to wonder when the media will start focusing on the real issues of the day, like why the state budget is not getting passed, or how the State Senate has blocked progress by not passing a complete budget and making unrealistic demands in their budget resolutions which state what they wish to see in the budget.
Comptroller Tom DiNappoli says it's critical that the state come up with a budget quickly, so that it can start to address the new economic realities of the recession that our state is facing. Being that we are so dependent on Wall Street, and being a high tax state, will are the ones that will bleed the most and hardest based on the widely expected recession.
I doubt we will see Joe Bruno as Governor, as I think Paterson will be a successful governor. But if that where to happen, the New York Sun looks at the pattern of succession defined in the consitution, that would make the State Senate Majority Leader until a new governor could be selected in a special election in November.
“A published report says that years after Gov. David Paterson said he ended an affair with a state employee, he traveled with her to South Carolina while working on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign.”
“An Amsterdam nonprofit could be in line for thousands of dollars in refunded property taxes the courts say it should not have paid.”
“Officials in Malta and Stillwater will work together as the towns consider a proposed $3.2 billion computer chip factory at the Luther Forest Technology Campus.”
“The former aide, Darren Dopp, was Spitzer’s communications director in the governor’s office and for two terms in the attorney general’s office. Dopp has said he was following orders and the law when he compiled and disclosed to a reporter state police travel records concerning Bruno when he used state aircraft on days he attended Republican fund-raisers.”
“Albany couple whose house was demolished by city see their funds -- and hopes -- vanish”
“It may seem incredible to say this, given past experience, but a few years from now Europe and the world could be looking back at the Bush administration with nostalgia. This possibility will arise if the US elects Senator John McCain as president in November.”
The media has been talking about the fact that Roger Stone is claiming to have tipped off the FBI about Spitzer's prostitution habits.
Maybe he wrote a letter about it to the FBI. If he did, they probably tossed it in the file cabinet with all the other allegations against other public officials. But I have my doubts.
I think Roger Stone just wanted his name in the news, so he claimed to write this letter. He probably wanted to get his moment of fame, now that the whole Spitzergate scandal has boiled down, and the claim that he threatened the Governor's dad in the process.
“When Gov. David A. Paterson told NY1 News on Monday that he had used marijuana and cocaine as a young man, he was joining a list of New York politicians who have answered such questions in recent years. Here is a guide to what they (and a few national figures) have said.”
"America I smoke marijuana every chance I get I'm not sorry"--Allen Ginsberg.
Rhetorical question: During the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s-1930s, did anyone ever ask Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt if he'd ever had a martini?
— Comment By Soundpolitic
“Of the 28,000 commercial airline flights that take to the skies on an average day in the United States, fewer than 1 percent are protected by on-board, armed federal air marshals, a nationwide CNN investigation has found.”
“The greenback has bounced back a bit after hitting a record low against the euro last week.”
“Hooker bookers for the call-girl ring that brought down Eliot Spitzer are ready to open their little black books to make a deal with the feds, sources told The Post.”
“Mothers described the gunfire that killed their children to those attending the first forum on reducing gun violence in the city Tuesday.”
“A regular attendee at City Council meetings says the city targeted his house for code violations the same week he complained about city code enforcement at a public meeting.”
“Three members of Troy's Boy Scout Troop 502 have attained scouting's highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award. Ethan Fleming, 18, and Nicholas Gentile and Brent Kelley, both 17, were honored in a ceremony March 16 at First Baptist Church of Troy.”
“a physical exam, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday.”
“Police can strip-search and inspect the bodies of suspected criminals but need a warrant for a physical exam, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday.”
“U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer made his first visit to the Luther Forest Technology Campus Tuesday morning to tell local officials and residents he believes a $3.2 billion Advanced Micro Devices Inc. plant will be built there as planned.”
“Anticipating a surge in troubled financial institutions, federal regulators will increase by 60 percent the number of workers who handle bank failures.”
“The death of the 4,000th American serviceman in the Iraq war is, at its core, no different from all those that came before it, dating back to the U.S. invasion in 2003. Another man or woman has died, in all likelihood at a cruelly premature age. All have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, raising the haunting question of what else they might have done -- in further national service, for the greater good of society, on behalf of their families or out of pure joy and selfish whimsy.”
“While the commercial real estate lobby may not like this idea, one way to lessen the demand on gasoline would be to allow more private and public sector employees to work from home. The social byproducts would be worthwhile, as well.”
“The disconnect between home values and sales widened last month in the greater Capital Region, according to statistics released Monday by the Greater Capital Association of Realtors.”
“In case you’re wondering, yes, I did hie myself down to New York City today (Monday) to hear oral arguments in the case of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, the two Albany Muslims who are appealing their convictions for supposedly supporting terrorism.”
“The new governor will meet with Stratton in City Hall at 11 a.m., according to a media advisory from the governor's office. The meeting will be closed to the press, but the two will talk to the media after the meeting.”
“Angelo Santabarbara may not be a big cheese in county politics yet, but the freshman legislator from Rotterdam certainly knows how to produce his fair share of the dairy staple.”
As reported in the Daily Gazette:
Under criticism Tuesday, Strichman insisted that the code enforcement was not intended to punish Livingston for his comments, but Mayor Brian U. Stratton apologized to Livingston and directed Strichman to call the resident as well.
“I apologized for the infraction,” Stratton said. “It wasn’t done with vindiction ... but the bottom line is I think things got out of hand here. Perhaps tempers or some other things got in the way ... That’s not something I support. That’s not how things are done in this administration.”
Strichman confirmed he ordered a code inspection of Livingston’s house after reading the minutes of a City Council meeting.
“I read, ‘Mr. Livingston complained about the lack of code enforcement on Union Triangle,’ and I said, ‘but he’s got a deteriorating porch,’ ” Strichman said. “But it’s impossible to give a notice to Mr. Livingston without it seeming like it’s in retaliation to something. He’s always got an issue. This is something I have not been sending to code enforcement because of that issue, the timing.”
But this time, he called code enforcement and directed them to review Livingston’s house. Four days after Livingston’s comments, an inspector cited Livingston for house numbers that were about 2 inches too small and for peeling paint on his porch eaves and soffits at 1096 Gillespie St. No other house was cited on that day in that neighborhood.
Read Mayor sorry for code incident in the Gazette.
This is an interesting story about a program at Fishkill Correctional, a medium security prison, where exceptional prisoners are given the opporunity to train dogs for the disabled.
“In light of the sensational sex scandal involving Eliot Spitzer and his subsequent resignation as governor, New Yorkers might be apt to cut state leaders a little slack as they piece together a budget deal in the wake of these startling and unexpected events.
But that, in no way, gives state lawmakers wiggle room to avoid doing the hard work and miss the budget deadline. That means negotiating a budget agreement in good faith and with legitimate ground rules. Lawmakers aren't abiding by those principles, and the budget is supposed to be in place by Tuesday.”
Amazingly David Paterson did not admit to any other indiscretion today, and the media didn't dig up anything interesting.
So we have to make up something.
Governor's Paterson went to the State Fair last year, and participated in a cow-milking contest. He groped the teat in the wrong way which angered the cow, which started to nudge him with leg.
See, this has all the elements of a good news story. It has to do with sexuality or at least teats, which will get everybody all excited. Too bad it's fake.
Did I mention there is a budget that has to get done?
“This is an election year for Soares, who beat the incumbent, Paul Clyne, in the Democratic primary in 2004. Coincidence that the communique debuts now?”
“The window of Albany High School's counseling center blossoms with a spring display of college acceptance letters copied on colorful paper. Senior Kewsi Burgess hoped to get one from his top choice -- SUNY Oneonta.”
They've hired former thug and District Attorney Pat DeAngelis to go after you.
Former District Attorney Patricia DeAngelis has been hired by the rural town of Stephentown to prosecute vehicle and traffic violations.
Town Supervisor Tom Sherman announced at a town board meeting this week that the town has entered into a contract with DeAngelis at a rate of $250 an hour.
Town Court Clerk Debbie Coppola said they needed someone to prosecute the cases when a person sends a traffic ticket back in with the not guilty box checked. State Police have changed their policy of providing an trooper for the courts to handle such matters, Coppola said.
”We had a list of potential attorneys and we started calling them and everyone turned us down but when we got to her, she said yes,” Coppola said.
You would think that's a big step down for her. But for $250/hr, it's not bad deal for anyone. The state certainly doesn't pay me that much.
I wonder if now you'll find DeAngelis breaking into your house, abducting your children, or stealing your car, just to get you to pay for speeding. This could be scary.
Read DeAngelis prosecuting traffic tickets.
From the Daily News:
Pssst, David Paterson. YOU'RE THE GOVERNOR. It's time to start acting like it.
Now would be good; yesterday even better.
We know too much about your personal life and not enough about where you intend to lead the Empire State. First you admitted to affairs you and your wife each had. Then you said you had several more. Then you talked about your use of marijuana and cocaine. Were you a bedwetter?
Stop! You don't have to answer. It's okay to say "no comment." There's an old saying in journalism: There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. So don't blame the press for your bizarre beginning.
Your candor has become too much of a good thing. It's admirable you want to set a different tone from the secretive, paranoid bully you replaced. But the pendulum is swinging too far and on all the wrong topics. You're acting weak, as though you must surrender all your privacy to what writer Peter Osnos called the "tyranny of revelation."
You don't. You have a choice. And you have a responsibility to set a positive agenda and deliver on it for the people of New York. You're wasting something you can't get back - a first impression. It's time to get to work.
Agreed. There is that thing called a budget that the state of New York State is supposed to pass by April 1st? Remember that? It's kind of more important who the Governor has been sleeping with over the past decade or so.
Read Make a clean break, Dave in the Daily News.
“Stocks dropped on Wednesday morning after a pair of pessimistic reports on home sales and business spending reminded investors about the precarious state of the economy.”
There will be no more night stays at 74 State or other hotels downtown to avoid the ride back to Guilderland.
The Governor is becoming an Albany resident for the first time in decades by moving in the executive mansion !!! While other people are leaving the city, at least one new person will come to Albany.
Gov. David A. Paterson will reside in the Executive Mansion when in Albany, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Mr. Paterson has begun staying at the mansion, said the spokeswoman, Christine Anderson, and he and his family will soon be moving more of their belongings into the residence.
The governor and his wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, own a home in suburban Guilderland, near Albany, and rent an apartment in Harlem. They will keep both homes, Ms. Anderson said.
This is great. We need a governor who isn't an absentee governor, who does his governing from Manhattan or wherever else that's far away from the legislature. Even Guilderland is inconvenient for those moments when a governor is needed immediately to take control of our state in a time of crisis.
Welcome to Albany, David Paterson !
See Paterson Family Is Moving Into the Executive Mansion in the New York Times.
“Few Western New Yorkers know potholes better than John Byrne, a Buffalo street repair worker for almost a quarter of a century.”
“New government research has found “large and growing” disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades.”
From the New York Observer:
Last month, a market-research firm called my Lower East Side apartment to gauge my support for Paul Newell.
I admitted that I had never heard Newell’s name before, and the caller quickly explained that Newell will challenge my state assemblyman–Speaker Sheldon Silver–in the Democratic primary in September.
The caller told me Newell is 32, worked as a community organizer and lives on the Lower East Side. Then he presented positive statements about Newell and Silver, followed by negative statements about Silver. He asked me to say if the statements would make me “more likely” or “less likely” to vote for that candidate. Then it was over, but the origin of the call was a mystery.
Silver has been in the State Assembly since 1976, became Speaker in 1994, and hasn’t had a primary challenger in several years. His campaign committee has almost $3 million. Newell’s committee has less than $20,000. The cost of hiring a polling firm is several thousand dollars.
Read Polling a Sheldon Silver Primary? in The New York Observer.
Patterson came to Schenectady to deliver the bad news about the declining economy.
SCHENECTADY—Gov. David Paterson visited Schenectady officials this morning to make his case for a 2 percent cut in the money the state gives local cities—and Mayor Brian U. Stratton said the city can live with the expected $220,000 loss. With the state facing a $4.6 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year, Paterson has proposed the across-the-board cut in the money the state sends to cities.
Stratton said that while the expected cut in aid to Schenectady will hurt, he thought it was important to support Paterson now in anticipation of other aid and revitalization grants that the city might be a candidate for down the road.
Read Paterson in Schenectady to pitch aid cut.
“The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday on whether a schizophrenic man should be allowed to represent himself in court. Alex Chadwick discusses the case with Supreme Court reporter Lyle Denniston.”
“Proponents and opponents of a proposal to raise tolls on the New York State Thruway debated the merits of the issue during a public hearing Tuesday in the auditorium of the Buffalo & Erie County Central Library.”
“The results of a grand jury investigation into the problem-plagued construction of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center are to be announced today by county District Attorney Holley Carnright.”
“"The freebies are over, over there," he said. "We got all the meters changed. They're all all-day meters. It costs ... two bucks to park there for 10 hours."”
“Local officials, members of the Bike-Ped Committee and interested New Paltz citizens will meet at the marked intersection of the rail trail at Main Street/state Route 299 and parade across the street to "raise the flag" on behalf of pedestrians.”
“Landscape architects take ride to find out how their designs affect the disabled”
“It's likely that the Paterson family will live together at the mansion sporadically as they had at their Guilderland home, mostly during summers and school breaks. They have no plans at this point to put their Guilderland property up for sale, Givner said.”
“The snow hasn’t even melted in the foothills of Afghanistan’s rough and tumble Hindu Kush, but already bad news is flooding in from America’s 6 1/2-year war there. And hardly anyone seems to be paying attention.”
“Mayor Bloomberg spoke warmly of Barack Obama during his brief introduction of the presidential candidate at Cooper Union this morning and also reiterated his criteria for the White House hopeful he will eventually support, but did not go so far as to announce his backing of the Illinois senator.”
While he respects their hard work, he says in these trying financial times, the state can't afford to pay legislators more and suffer the shared pain.
According to the The Daily News:
Assembly Democrats were taken aback to read this morning that Gov. David Paterson had put the kibosh on legislative pay raises, saying he made no mention of that disappointing news when he paid a surprise visit to the closed-door majority conference at the Capitol at 7 p.m. last night.
The new governor received a standing ovation and told his fellow Democrats that they are under-appreciated and had not been treated with sufficient "respect" by his predecessor - a pronouncement that was met by hearty applause, according to one lawmaker.
During his brief remarks, which lasted about five minutes, Paterson also told the Assembly Democrats that he believes they work harder than they're given credit for and he intends to work with them going forward.
That's a reasonable position to take this year. Everybody should share equally in the pain of the recession. It's not like the Governor is threatening to lay off some of the legislators to save some money. They will still be getting paid, even if they aren't getting a raise this year.
I'm glad the governor has a lot of respect for the hard work of legislators, and hopefully they can all work together, even if a pay raise isn't feasible at this time. When times get better though, let's hope a pay raise for both judges and legislators is back on the table—they could use it.
In case you wondering, many legislative staffers did get pay raises in the past year or two, after eight years of staying the same. Those are set by the respective bodies through existing funds and don't require the approval of the governor.
“A sixth Democrat, Arthur Welser, has entered the race for the 21st Congressional District seat, from which Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, will retire at the end of this term, after 20 years.”
“The economy nearly sputtered out at the end of the year and is probably faring even worse now amid continuing housing, credit and financial crises.”
““I think that more than any elected official on this planet, and probably in outer space, I have discussed my personal situation over the last week,” he told reporters at a news conference with local officials.”
“Xerox says its "Sustainability Calculator" uses proprietary algorithms and document assessment research to suggest ways to reduce energy and paper consumption from office devices regardless of manufacturer.”
“Gov. David A. Paterson today takes his state budget gloom tour to Buffalo, where he is likely to express concern about the ailing local economy while warning that this is not the year to look to the Capitol for additional state aid.”
“Plans are solidifying to bring a string of Civil War-era building shells on Genesee Street in downtown Buffalo back to life.”
It looks that tax rates won't be going up for the wealthiest of New Yorkers:
ALBANY — Lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson are nearing a deal on a new state budget that does not include a tax hike on millionaires sought by Assembly Democrats, legislators said Wednesday.
Paterson met privately with legislative leaders Tuesday night and narrowed their differences to about $300 million to $400 million. The final product is expected to exceed $124 billion and be about 4.2 percent higher than this year. They are still hopeful of adopting a new spending plan before the start of the new fiscal on April 1.
Agreements reached so far rejects the Assembly's plan to raise the top income-tax rate on the 26,000 people who earn more than $1 million a year from 6.85 percent to 7.7 percent for three years, said Republican Assembly Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady. That would have raised an additional $1.5 billion a year.Tedisco said the leaders also agreed to lower the Republican-controlled Senate's $2.4 billion increase in revenue projections to about $400 million.
“The trouble with the (millionaire) tax is it's a job-killing tax,” said Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira. “In this state we seem to love jobs but hate the people that create them.”
But partly to offset the rejection of that levy, and late word that business-tax collections are now expected to be about $300 million less next year than originally thought, about $1 billion of the $1.7 billion in new taxes and fees that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed when he presented his budget in January would be approved. There was no immediate word on which fees, which included a hike from $5 to $20 for car insurance and higher gasoline taxes, would be retained.
Read Millonare Tax Dead in The Ithaca Journal.
“In New York, the law states you can breastfeed in any public place. But an Albany woman says a State Museum employee must not know that. Kristin Kelly is a young mother of three including a 4 month old she breast feeds.”
“Senator Barack Obama’s videotaped response to President Bush’s final State of the Union address — almost five minutes of Mr. Obama’s talking directly to the camera — elicited little attention from newspaper and television reporters in January.”
From the Daily News:
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno announced today that the Senate plans to work through the weekend in hopes of reaching a budget agreement prior to the April 1 deadline.
While it's fairly standard for legislative and executive staffers to go sleepless during the budget crunch, in this case Bruno meant that members are also going to be sticking around in Albany for the weekend (we shall see exactly how many of them are actually on hand come Saturday).
The work week started on Wednesday due to the Easter holiday - uncharacteristically late for state lawmakers, who generally start Monday and head home mid-week.
Read The Daily Politics Blog on Weekend Plans.
“No one expects a 3-year-old who loves to dress like a princess to swear like a sailor.”
“Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly, backed away Thursday from his plan to seek an income tax increase for New Yorkers who earn more than $1 million a year, as lawmakers took a step toward completing a state budget.”
Watch the Governor, Speaker Silver, and Majority Leader Bruno in the latest budget comedy. Rumor has it that they've worked out some deals and we will hear how much us mere mortal New Yorkers will be paying, and what big ticket items we will be getting.
This should be quite interesting to watch. But probably not as much fun as last year with Governor Spitzer.
“CLIFTON PARK -- At the Shenendehowa Senior Center, after the talk about taxes and alternative energy was over, Marian Pedersen -- mother of five, grandmother to six -- eyed U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's midsection and said, "I think the way she's carrying, she's having a boy."”
“As the bottom falls out on Wall Street revenues, legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson late Thursday said they are hastening to fashion a new state budget of about $124 billion that will be built on some increased fees and other unspecified funds.”
“A dozen people protesting a lack of state funding to AIDs programs were arrested at about 1:30 p.m. after they laid down on the marble floor outside the Senate majority offices on the third floor of the Capitol.”
From the Times Union:
Most lawmakers will continue to muddle through, in part by falling back on millions of dollars in campaign contributions which, under the rules they wrote, can pay for almost anything from Buffalo Bills tickets to a trip to Ireland.
Auto insurance payments, gasoline and other expenses are also paid by campaign contributions that offset household or daily work expenses most people must take from their salaries, according to the records of many lawmakers reviewed this week.
Read Campaign cash eases sacrifices in the Times Union.
From the Times Union blog, and it's quite interesting to watch to get an idear what's happening with the budget.
(from CapCon)
It seems like some thieves are seeking a quick buck ripping them off trucks and cars parked on city streets and the muni lot:
PLATTSBURGH—Some area drivers have been surprised to find their vehicles missing catalytic converters.
Earlier this month, thieves targeted several trucks and SUVs in the area during a series of late-night crimes.
Using handheld saws, the thieves were able to cut the expensive converters off at least three vehicles within the City of Plattsburgh limits.
One driver was reported to have left his truck in a city parking lot overnight and returned the following day to find it sounding like it belonged on a race track.
When a City of Plattsburgh vehicle suddenly sounded like it had a small jet engine, officials found out it was also missing its converter.
City Police said those incidents and another converter theft occurred separately but have been linked based on the nature of the crime.
Glad I don't leave my truck parked on the street any more in Plattsburgh. Of course, who'd want to steal a catalytic converter off a 1998 Ford Ranger? Please don't steal it off my truck today, as it's parked on the street, or I will be awful unhappy.
Read Thieves targeting catalytic converters for quick cash in the Press Republican.
Apparently they have little collector value at this time, despite the downfall of the governor.
From the Binghamton Press-Connects:
ALBANY—Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer may have spent thousands on high-priced call girls, but collectors of the disgraced governor's memorabilia can find serious bargains on eBay.
It's been nearly two weeks since Spitzer resigned after he was labeled "Client 9" in a federal investigation into The Emperor's Club prostitution ring, but online revelers have already started hawking T-shirts, pins, newspapers and more chronicling his fall from grace.
And they're going cheap.
Most items have no bids—even authentic-looking "Spitzer 2006" pins.
Read Spitzer memorabilia isn't bringing in the big bucks.
From the Binghamton Press-Connects:
Still, the fact that lawmakers agreed to hold spending to less than the governor's original proposal is so unusual as to be historic, one leader said.
"I've spent 26 years waiting for this day," said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, who was elected to the Assembly in 1982. "Usually with the Legislature, it's more taxes, more spending."
The new fiscal year starts at midnight Monday.
Paterson called the agreement, reached after he huddled behind closed doors with lawmakers over the last three days, "the first milestone" on the trip to get a budget adopted on time. But he knows a lot of work remains to be done.
Of course, that's because everybody sees the writing on the wall. We are in a recession, and the economists see it as likely the worst recession in New York history since the Great Depression. And everybody agrees on that.
New York is in deep trouble. Let's hope these deep cuts are enough to make it through the year, and by some act of god, revenues will start going back up and things can get going on.
Read Paterson, leaders announce budget deal from the Press Connects.
“The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and six-term Vermont lawmaker said there is no way that Clinton is going to win enough pledged delegates to get the nomination. Leahy told Vermont Public Radio, in a show that aired Thursday, that Clinton ought to withdraw and should be backing Sen. Barack Obama. But Leahy said that's obviously a decision only Clinton can make.”
From Albanyny.org expired on Democracy In Albany:
Domain name expired for City of Albany website!
I was just reading the TU article about pinpointing crime.
Thought I would visit the cities website mentioned in the article, but surprise surprise. The domain name has expired. It expired on March 22nd!!!
What a brilliant way of keeping information from the public ;)
What really cracks me up is the crime system debuted on Wednesday, but the domain name had already expired by then.
See albanyny.org, which prior to this morning was the official City of Albany website, but now is a domain name for sale webpage.
Apparently the bill was due on Saturday, but nobody noticed until Network Solutions took action from them, and took the domain name into their possession, so they can sell it back to the city for an exorbitant price, for all you great taxpayers to pay.
From Whois.net:
Domain ID:D23107950-LROR
Domain Name:ALBANYNY.ORG
Created On:23-Mar-2000 00:04:13 UTC
Last Updated On:28-Mar-2008 07:39:36 UTC
Expiration Date:23-Mar-2009 00:04:13 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Network Solutions LLC (R63-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:AUTORENEWPERIOD
Registrant ID:DOMAIN-RESALE
Registrant Name:Pending Renewal or Deletion
Registrant Street1:P.O. Box 430
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Herndon
Registrant State/Province:VA
Registrant Postal Code:20172
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.5707088786
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:pendingrenewalordeletion@networksolutions.com
Admin ID:DOMAIN-RESALE
Admin Name:Pending Renewal or Deletion
Admin Street1:P.O. Box 430
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Herndon
Admin State/Province:VA
Admin Postal Code:20172
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.5707088786
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:pendingrenewalordeletion@networksolutions.com
Tech ID:DOMAIN-RESALE
Tech Name:Pending Renewal or Deletion
Tech Street1:P.O. Box 430
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Herndon
Tech State/Province:VA
Tech Postal Code:20172
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.5707088786
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:pendingrenewalordeletion@networksolutions.com
Name Server:NS1.PENDINGRENEWALDELETION.COM
Name Server:NS2.PENDINGRENEWALDELETION.COM
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
If you turn OFF javascript, you can see it in Google Cache which the city tries to prevent caching by using javascript and saying no cache in their robots.txt. This is why it's not on archive.org.
The city don't people digging through old web pages of the city, because they might find out something that's inconvenient to the current city administration.
A quick follow up.....
It seems that Albany's website is now: albanyny.gov/
— Comment By Andy Arthur
“A group of Congressional candidates and military thinker types have put together what they call "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq." ”
“While counties are blasting the state for a budget proposal to shift the proportion of welfare cost from 50 to 52 percent in the counties, anti-poverty advocates haven’t given up on efforts to raise the state’s basic grant.”
From the article:
Ken Crowe reports over on the Local Politics blog that county executives from around the state continued today to criticize the state budget, saying New York is shifting more costs to localities.
“Shift to local government and shaft the taxpayer,” said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli om a conference call today.
Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino said the state needs more fiscal discipline. “Instead of tightening theirs at the state level and reducing their spending, they’re passing it on to the local level,”
Albany County Exeuctive Michael Breslin said the state’s cuts for the counties “make no sense” and that the state reductions will hurt “the people who desperately are going to need more assistance.”
From the article:
The state’s county executives are angry about state spending cuts that will increase their financial load for state-mandated programs.
“Shift to local government and shaft the taxpayer,” Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli said today in a statewide press conference call held by the New York State County Executives Association.
The county executives warned of cuts in services after April 1 when the new state fiscal year begins and soaring property taxes in 2009.
“Instead of tightening theirs at the state level and reducing their spending, they’re passing it on to the local level,” Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino said.
Albany County Exeuctive Michael Breslin said the state’s cuts for the counties “make no sense.”
Breslin said the state reductions will hurt “the people who desperately are going to need more assistance.”
The county executives were angered by Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton’s comments about accepting the 2 percent cut in state spending. They noted the cities still are getting 7 percent increases in their state aid.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, president of the association, said the executives would take their case to the public and warned that further actions would occur.
Asked what was planned, Levy said, “stay tuned.”
Read Shift and shaft.
“Albany County DA David Soares' second Troopergate report has quietly appeared on his Web site. No press release to announce this has yet been issued.”
“Arcane financial instruments and unregulated Wall Street greed could plunge us into the next Great Depression.”
“Some Dems float the New York Statehouse as an option.”
“Efforts under way to reform agency regulating the sale of alcohol in New York”
“Increased spending plan relies on revenues that may not materialize”
