Cornyn plays King-maker

by: Exile on Ericsson St.

Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 00:27:09 AM EST

"Senator Cornyn believes Peter King would be a very formidable candidate. He believes the seat could be in play, and is prepared to commit the resources to win the seat," said a senior Republican aide familiar with the meeting.

A source close to King confirmed  that the congressman is strongly considering running for the Senate. He is expected to make a final decision whether to run "soon after" Gov. David Paterson appoints a successor for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.

If the NRSC backs Peter King in a Republican primary, I'll seriously consider sending them a check.  

Monroe County scandal update

by: Exile on Ericsson St.

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 22:32:19 PM EST

Lawyer says arrested union workers in County scandal ordered to do private work

News 10NBC gets answers for the first time. The lawyer for two men charged with stealing taxpayer money says they never thought they were breaking the law.

[....]

"Their position was they felt that what they were doing was legal and correct. They never thought that what they were doing was a criminal act," Morabito said. Morabito says they did what they were ordered to do.

"Who told them to do it?" this reporter asked. "Well I'm getting the impression others, their immediate supervisors," he said.

Here's what I've heard:

1.  This crew allegedly did work on (former Monroe County and NYS GOP Chair) Steve Minarik's kitchen, (County Clerk) Cheryl DiNolfo's sidewalks, and on the exterior of (State Senator) Joe Robach's house.

2.  This scam has been going on for years.

3. The authorities have flipped one of the key players (Robert Morone, head of ROBUTRAD Corp).

4. The FBI may get involved with the investigation.

I've yet to hear that this touches Maggie Brooks, whom many believe may appear on the Republican statewide ticket in 2010, but it sounds like Joe Robach could be in trouble, politically if not legally.    

Welcoming Congressman-elect Massa to DC

by: jonah in nyc

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 21:56:10 PM EST

The Bankruptcy Fix for Home Foreclosures

by: jmcbride

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 15:55:19 PM EST

Most people have heard a very little bit about this solution, but it has not been well explained in the media.  The simplistic story is that there could be a law to allow bankruptcy judges to restructure home mortgages.  Some news stories add the fact that this is already available for people who own second homes or yachts.  

What is being proposed after the fold.  

New York State Budget Crisis

by: Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 14:48:15 PM EST

New York State is facing its most serious budget crisis since the Depression of the 1930s - a deficit of over $12.5 billion for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2009 - mostly because state taxes will bring in much less than in 2008.  And the MTA has a $1.2 billion budget gap.  What does it mean for our community?  Why is it happening?  How should we deal with it?

What does it mean for our community?

The total budget the Legislature adopted in April 2008 was $121.6 billion.  $56.3 billion of that is state tax dollars.  The rest is from Federal aid and other sources.

New York's budget pays for vitally important things.  About 38% of state tax dollars goes for school aid.  Another 27% pays for Medicaid - mostly for health care for the elderly and disabled.  Every state dollar for Medicaid is matched by a dollar from Washington.  Medicaid helps support the health care system we all depend on.  Add mental health and higher education, and you have 76% of state tax dollars.  And the deficit equals over 20% of state tax dollars.

So if we close the budget deficit by cutting spending, that inevitably means doing serious damage to health, mental health, education and higher education.  That's where the money is.

The rest of the state budget is relatively small items.  Even radically slashing those items would not save much money.  

This is a stupid way of increasing state revenue

by: Exile on Ericsson St.

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 16:19:23 PM EST

The owner of one of western New York's largest wine and liquor stores may be fined $10,000 by the New York State Liquor Authority because he had the audacity to sell wine gift bags to his customers who were buying, you know, wine.

Here's the short version: The law is written to enumerate the various things that a wine or liquor store is permitted to sell. Like most stores, Marketview Liquor in Henrietta, NY sells wine, wine glasses, wine stoppers, and corkscrews. That's all just fine. But because the law does not specifically say that such stores can sell wine gift bags, the sale of such decorative bags must be punished. It does not matter if the law inconveniences customers who had hoped to do their holiday wine shopping in one location -- they can go to the grocery store if they want a gift bag.

[....]

...several state lawmakers asked me not to use their name when they explained that they believe this whole thing is about liquor stores vs. grocery stores. They said that lawmakers knew they had upset grocery stores by preventing wine sales on their premises, so they disallowed the sale of some wine accessories in liquor stores (wine-themed magnets is another. Seriously.)

The bottom line is, well, the bottom line: no one seemed to think the SLA would enforce these rules, but the state needs cash.

There have to be better ways for the state to raise more money.  

Addendum: The fine will probably be less than 10K.  But the State Liquor Authority claims "we can't choose to ignore it."  I think they can.      

Governor Paterson To Hold Upstate Town Halls After State Of The State Address

by: robert.harding

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 15:51:10 PM EST

Governor Paterson won't be having separate addresses this year. He will give a State of the State Address at 1 p.m. Wednesday before a joint session of the New York State Legislature.

But he won't leave upstate behind. The Governor's office announced today that Governor Paterson will hold town hall meetings in select upstate cities to discuss issues impacting the upstate region.

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he will hold a series of town hall meetings across Upstate New York in the weeks following his first State of the State address. The first of several town hall meetings and events will be held this Sunday, January 11 in Watertown, and is open to the public. Governor Paterson will spend a portion of the next six weeks traveling throughout Upstate New York to hear the concerns of everyday residents and to deliver his agenda for the coming year as we confront historic economic challenges.

"This is a difficult time for New Yorkers in every part of the State. Now, more than ever, we must work together and support one another as we build a better, stronger future for New York," said Governor Paterson. "This week, I will deliver my first State of the State address. I will lay out my goals for the coming year and I look forward to personally delivering that message to New Yorkers across the State as I embark on an Upstate tour in the days and weeks to come."

Governor Paterson added: "On Wednesday, I will celebrate our State's regional diversity, but discuss the importance of coming together as one unified state. In that spirit, I will not deliver a separate State of the Upstate address this year; instead, I will hold several town hall meetings and events to hear directly from our Upstate citizens about the challenges they face."

The first town hall meeting has already been announced. It will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday in Watertown at the North Side Improvement League, 633 Mill Street. The doors open at 4 p.m., so if you plan on attending the town hall meeting in Watertown, get their early.

Also, if you plan on attending any of the town hall meetings, you will need to RSVP. You can RSVP here starting tomorrow. You can also use that website to submit any questions or comments you may want to send to the governor if you aren't able to attend.

I am a proud resident of upstate but I believe that this is the right move by Paterson. One address is enough. The town halls are a more personal way of addressing certain issues we may have.

I will be in attendance for the Western New York town hall and depending on where the town hall meetings are held in the Finger Lakes region and the Southern Tier, I might be at either of those. So if you can't make it, I will at least have a summary for you about what went on at these meetings.

The New York State Legislature: Still Broken And Still In Need Of Repair

by: robert.harding

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 09:08:30 AM EST

As we begin a new session in Albany with an Assembly still dominated by Democrats and a Senate that hopefully will be controlled by Democrats, the Brennan Center has unveiled an update to its report on the New York State Legislature. Its findings show that since the initial report in 2004, a lot has gone unchanged.

From the Brennan Center on the past history of its reports:

The legislative leadership largely dismissed the findings of the 2004 report. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told the New York Times, "Nothing happens here in Albany, in the Assembly, without the input of the rank-and-file legislators." Joe Bruno, who recently left the Senate after serving for 14 years as its Majority Leader, called the report "pure nonsense" and equated a more democratic process with that of a Third World country.

Yet when the Legislature came back into session in early 2005, the Leaders announced rules changes-the first time in a generation-accompanied by self-congratulatory fanfare. In press releases that described the reforms' aspirational effect on the Legislature, the Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority Leader claimed that the new rules would usher in an era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability. The Senate even went so far as to claim that it addressed most of the recommendations made by the Brennan Center.

Unfinished Business: New York State Legislative Reform 2006 Update concluded that the changes on the whole, while a good start, were by no means transformative. The Legislature failed to adopt a comprehensive set of new rules that incorporated the Brennan Center's recommendations for making the legislative process more robust and democratic. Of the changes that the legislature did adopt, some, quite cynically, codified the status quo in new ways. The continued presence of these rules stifles rigorous deliberation and debate and hobbles the sincere efforts of a number of rank-and-file legislators to represent the best interests of their constituents and the state as a whole.

Where do we find ourselves today? Things have unchanged. One of the subjects of the previous reports are the committees and the lack of work these committees put in. In fact, one of the summary findings of the latest Brennan Center report says that most standing committees in both houses failed to meet at any point during the legislative session.

The report also stressed what we already know: The leadership in both houses have a "stranglehold" on the actions that take place in their respective houses.

The Brennan Center keeps it easy for the Legislature. They call on both houses to achieve the following five objectives:

- Strengthen standing committees by giving members authority to convene meetings and by requiring committee members to be present to vote.

- End the leadership stranglehold on bills coming to the floor by allowing rank-and-file members to discharge bills from committee and place them on the floor calendar by majority vote.

- Allow adequate opportunity for consideration of legislation by requiring adequate fiscal analysis and allowing ample time for full consideration of each bill on the floor before the close of session.

- Provide sufficient opportunity and resources for full consideration of legislation by making use of robust conference committees and distributing member funds equally.

- Make all records and products of the legislative process fully transparent and easily accessible to the public through the Internet.

There is a lot to look at in this report. Among other things, the Brennan Center also discussed the "inequity" that exists in the current member item system which rewards majority members over minority members and the call for more openness in the Legislature is loud and clear.

While I appreciate the fact that the Brennan Center has unveiled another report, it should not be necessary. The Brennan Center did this state a great service in 2004 when it first reported on the dysfunctional state of our state's legislature. Unfortunately, the report fell on deaf ears in Albany. The recommendations that these reports have made over the years can mean real change for the New York State Legislature. But with the wrong people in charge, these recommendations have gone nowhere.

I believe the Senate Democrats would implement these reforms and I do believe that there are members of the New York State Assembly who want to see these recommendations become reality. But until we see real leadership in Albany, these recommendations won't be implemented.

Bruno Investigation Extends to elder Daughter and SUNY Research Foundation

by: Andrew C. White

Sun Jan 04, 2009 at 14:40:21 PM EST

At second glance... one realizes that wherever the FBI turns it discovers yet one more area of Joe Bruno's life that needs investigating.

Today's Albany Times Union brings us the latest in the epic saga.

ALBANY - The FBI's investigation of former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno has expanded to the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, according to sources familiar with the probe.

In particular, a knowledgeable source said, the FBI is probing the work activities of Susan M. Bruno, the elder daughter of the former Senate leader.

Congressman Eric Massa's Swearing-In Reception Tomorrow Night

by: robert.harding

Sun Jan 04, 2009 at 11:47:41 AM EST

Congressman-Elect Eric Massa

Cordially invites you to a reception in honor of his Swearing in as a Member of the 111th Congress.

Monday, January 5, 2009

6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

The Monocle

107 D Street, N.E.

Capitol Hill

RSVP:

massa.reception@gmail.com

I won't be able to attend, but I will be getting reports from Congressman Massa's staff. So I should have some pictures and a summary of what goes on.

But if you are in the area, try to make it. It promises to be a great time with a new member of Congress.  

Brennan report update

by: Exile on Ericsson St.

Sun Jan 04, 2009 at 11:08:32 AM EST

Tomorrow the Brennan Center will release an update to its report.  Stay tuned....  

Fine craftsmanship

by: simonstl

Sat Jan 03, 2009 at 20:39:28 PM EST

The Dryden Courier's editorial for this week, "Thank God It's Over", celebrates the end of a year they clearly didn't enjoy. In the midst of all that, I found this gem:

[Governor Paterson] inherited a financial mess that took many, many State administrations to perfect.

There was a lot of getting here, but I had no idea that New York State actually set out to perfect its financial mess.

That explains a few things, though!

Kennedy calculus

by: Exile on Ericsson St.

Sat Jan 03, 2009 at 13:21:24 PM EST

Ticket balance is also a consideration. Some of Mr. Paterson's advisers envision a Republican ticket headed by Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, for governor, with Joanne M. Mahoney, the popular Onondaga County executive, as his running mate. Rounding out the ticket might be John J. Faso, the former assemblyman, for comptroller, and Peter T. King, the Long Island Republican, for Senate.

"That's a white Catholic ticket," said one person who has ties to the governor's political team, and who requested anonymity for fear of losing those ties. "And it's white Catholics upstate they are going to lose."

I'm not sure I agree that a Park Avenue "princess" (to use Ruth Marcus's infamous formulation) really appeals to Joe Saranac (to put an upstate twist on an annoying political cliche), regardless of her religion.  The article does go on to point out that Mario Cuomo (who is on the ticket) is Catholic and popular upstate. And I think the article is right to point out that the issue here is the whole ticket, not just the Senate race  -- I don't think there's anyway Peter King beats anybody in that race but Rudy might have some chance against Paterson (though Paterson would clearly be the favorite).  

This brings up another question: does anyone have any thoughts on who Paterson will pick for Lieutenant Governor?  

What's coming in 2009?

by: simonstl

Thu Jan 01, 2009 at 18:57:07 PM EST

2008 was a crazy roller-coaster of a political year in New York State, and I suspect it'll leave us with one hell of a hangover.

Any thoughts on the year ahead of us?

• Will we have a Democratic State Senate?

• Will we have a functioning Democratic State Senate?

• What door will Paterson turn to for US Senate?

• Will there be more indictments?

• Will there be more sudden retirements from public office?

• Will the feds bail out our broken budget?

• What'll we see in local elections?

That's just a few starter questions. 2008 was, um, very different than I'd thought it would be. What's coming in 2009?

Burris for Senate; more on the Powell case

by: Dan Jacoby

Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 15:29:48 PM EST

But...

The Constitution (Article I, Section 5) states that either House of Congress may, "with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member."  So it seems that if Harry Reid can get 2/3 of the Senate to vote to expel Burris, that would end Burris's tenure.

But (there's always more) ...