The Hayseeds blog, No. 194 for the week starting February 10, 2007.
January 27, 2007
Hayseeds No. 193
February 10, 2007
Hayseeds No. 194
February 17, 2007
Hayseeds No. 194
Visit the Hayseeds Index
to see all previous entries.
Today is the Special Election Day down on Long Island's 7th State Senate District. For the many volunteers who been involved, along with all of those concerned with the future of New York State, the Maureen O'Connell v. Craig Johnson race will be decided today.
It's big news. This race could very well give the Democrats another seat in the State Senate. That puts them 2 seats away from holding the majority in the State Senate, for the first time since a brief year in 1965 and the first time for more then a year over 70 years ago.
A two seat majority for the State Senate is worrisome for the Republicans to say the least. It would mean they no longer enjoy a solid enough majority to not be picked off by Democrats on certain enough issues. It also means that some Republicans might become Democrats, or as is the case in the State Senate, return to being Democrats.
Joe Bruno and the healthcare unions that benefit from the status quo are pouring in some serious money into this race for the Republican candidate, O'Connell. And Governor Spitzer has put his weight behind Craig Johnson in a big way. And the voters in Long Island are tired of hearing from both sides about the election.
The Auburn Citizen has an interesting article on the issue of the open meetings law and casual discussions of policy that sometimes fall outside of the law.
That's a real problem, that highlights the issue of compliance with state law in smaller agencies that aren't directly connected with the state. From working with SUNY Plattsburgh, I know how difficult it can be to get records and enforce open meetings when people are less then informed about the law.
Elizabeth Benjamin points out that Spitzer used those words interchangably in his little pact with the legislature over appointment to comptroller.
Another issue pointed out by Benjamin is that Spitzer took rides on casino mogul Richard Fields jet on the campaign trail. So much for being a reformer. Let's quickly add up our governor's reform list as of so far:
But at least he's a Democrat. And he says lots of good things that make us all happy.
Most people say that everything that Eliot Spitzer touches turns into gold. But in the case of Bill Murrow, it looks like his relationship to the governor may be really bad for his prospects of becoming Comptroller.
It looks like the days of the State Senate Republican Majority are perilously close to an end. If two more Republican members die, resign, or change parties, or any combination of these three things, it will mean Democrats will control the State Senate—which includes appointing their members to committee chairs and the flow of legislation on the Senate floor.
That will be a major change in Albany. Spitzer will finally have his own majorities in both houses, if not this year, finally by 2008. This will be very interesting to watch, especially with the Assembly starting to buck him left and right.
Another aspect to watch is how Democrats will get along once they finally gain power of both houses. Will they fight to death? Democrats nationally, and in the state, have a real reputation of fighting within the party, to the point where they ultimately start destroying one and another.
As a side note, Craig Johnson's election means he will be leaving the Nassau County Legislature and a special election down in Nassau County will decide control of the Nassau County legislature.
It looks almost certain that at 2:00 PM Assemblyman Tom DiNappoli will be anointed state comptroller with a formal vote of the legislature, after appearing on cameras last night at chambers with Ron Canestrari.
Spitzer is very unhappy. Rumor has it that he's saying that he won't talk to Shelly after this all plays out in the Assembly this afternoon. He sent out a memo to members asking them to buck Shelly and choose his picks (well, his panel's picks which where a proxy of him), and undermine their constitutional duties.
If that was it, it would be an interesting story of patronage and screwing the governor. But there's more.
While it looks like DiNappoli has the in, it's still not a 100% certain. A lot of Democrats and Republicans have pledged their support for DiNappoli, however other candidates might still remain in the running. Joesph Morelle of Rochester is rumored to have the support of a broad coalition upstate, and if Upstate Democrats and Republicans are will fight a nasty fight, they might go for him.
But that's unlikely. Most likely everybody will go with Shelly and support DiNappoli. It's apparent that he has by partisan support, and that it was pretty much assured to happen that way from the start, even if some people wanted it differently.
It looks like almost for sure now that Assemblyman Tom DiNappoli of Great Neck on Long Island as Comptroller.
We will have to see for sure, but there are lots of rumors swelling around about what Senate Republicans will do, particularly in light of them wanting to appease Spitzer by backing Martha Stark and not another Long Island Democrat.
Still, Senate Republicans only have 32 votes, so their impact is likely to be limited, even if they go along with the 46 Assembly Republicans (versus the 106 Assembly Democrats plus the 28 Senate Democrats).
It looks like it has played out as follows:
Martha Stark - Adams, Ball, Bonacic, Breslin, Butler, Calhoun, Cole, Connor, Crouch, Diaz (Sr.), Dilan, Duane, Duprey, Errigo, Finch, Fitzpatrick, Giglio, Gonzalez, Hassell-Thompson, Hawley, Huntley, Kirwan, Klein, Kolb, Krueger, Kruger, Lopez (Peter), Maziarz, McDonald, Millman, Molinaro, Montgomery, Oaks, O’Mara, Onorato, Oppenheimer, Parker, Perkins, Quinn, Rabbitt, Reilich, Robach, Sabini, Sampson, Savino, Sayward, Scozzafava, Smith, Stachowski, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousins, Tedisco, Thompson, Tonko, Townsend, Valesky.
Tom DiNappoli - Everybody Else
It looks like the senate Democrats went for Stark as did Assembly Republicans. Some Assembly Democrats went for Stark who were in the Black and Latino cacus. It looks like if Senate Democrats take the Senate, in the next few months or in 2008, it's going to be the Assembly Democrats on the outside.
Desitito says while we should care about reform, but the consitution clearly says in this case the legislature should select. Also accused panel not attentive. Galef says she is changing her vote to DiNappoli based on people's descriptions of him.
Gantt says we should do what we constitutionally right, and DiNappoli has intergity and will protect his pension. Glick says Martha Stark a friend of mine, brilliant, hardworking. Glick says she listened to everybody who came in front of the Comptroller hearing. Says Tom DiNappoli will do a better job for state of New York.
Dov Hikid says god made DiNappoli perfect, not to mention he just was a good canddiate.
And More analysis to come.
No, the answer should not be Riverkeeper and Riverkeeper alone. It looks like since the State DEC has taken over duties for monitoring the River north of Kingston from the Coast Guard that enforcement has been lax to say the least.
While property taxes are a bit out my range of subject matter knowledge, Spitzer's enhanced STAR program deserves at least some mention. With this program, homeowners who make less then $60,000 a year get a bigger STAR rebate then those making more then that.
It's an improvement on the STAR program. But as Frank Mauro noted at the Fiscal Policy Institute breakfaster yesterday at the Albany "Rubber Chicken" Room, the program is about as flawed as any STAR program in the past and doesn't address equality issue as good as fairly funding schools or tying property tax to the ability to pay.
Property taxes are such an important issue in this state. And unfortunately STAR does little to control them, except give people a minimal rebate every year, and tell schools that they are free to raise their taxes as they see fit, and the state is free to cut aid to schools.
Some State Senator from NYC has an idea for a bill that's getting a lot of play from the media, despite not having a chance in hell of going anywhere, that would make it illegal to cross a street while listening to tunes or yacking with your girlfriend.
That might sound like a good idea, but it's dead on arrival. But still I like the proposal I heard years ago around the halls of power in Albany from the great former Assemblyman Frank Seddio—a ban on milking cows while talking on your cellphone.
Think about it. You would reduce livestock handling injuries. That reduces workers comp costs, something that farmers are always grumbling about. You would make sure the teats of the cow stay clean by not being distracted when cleaning them off and getting less manure in the milk. Not to mention you avoid pinching the cow in the wrong way.
That is of course if the cellphones worked on the farm, or anywheres besides very selective points in Downtown Albany.
It looks like the new Assemblyman from Western Putnam County along with parts of Westchester had some bold things to say about the process of selecting the Comptroller during the hearings. If you were lucky enough to be watching it in person or on Assembly TV it was pretty nice:
“Today is a sad day for New York State,” the rookie began as heads turned his way. “The public trust has been violated. ... This is about a Legislature that is resisting a governor who has a mandate for reform.
“This is the most dysfunctional Legislature,” Ball continued as the hisses and catcalls started and he raised his volume, “in the United States of America.”
That triggered full-throated boos and repeated shouts of “Sit down” and “Resign,” momentarily silencing Ball.
“Mr. Speaker, will you please take control?” Ball said to the man with the gavel, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan. Silver offered no help.
Ball was brave, pretty darn brave. Of course, it's a sad statement on the decorum of the Assembly, with Shelly refusing to keep order in his house. Certainly many people share his criticism, even if it's a bit inaccurate with the procedures of our state consitution.
I can see Assemblyman Ball going places. He might be in the wrong party for myself, but he's a good guy. Once he finds himself in an office that respects Republicans, he will do some great things.
