The Hayseeds blog, No. 255 for the week starting May 4, 2008.
April 20, 2008
Hayseeds No. 254
May 4, 2008
Hayseeds No. 255
May 11, 2008
Hayseeds No. 255
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“ctivists urged changes in the handling of police misconduct and brutality cases in the wake of the acquittal of three officers involved in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day.”
“Paul Tonko resigned Friday as head of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, freeing himself to run for the 21st Congressional District seat, local party officials said.”
“Gov. David Paterson won't be reviving the official state prayer breakfast when the National Day of Prayer comes around again this week.”
That's what CapCon is reporting this morning, based on his interview by the Albany Democratic Committee:
After months of dodging, equivocating, and consideration, Paul Tonko, recently resigned chief of NYSERDA, has decided to run for the 21st CD seat.
During an interview with the Albany Democratic Committee candidate review committee, a member asked him point-blank if he was in the race. According to a member who was in the interview, Tonko responded yes.
Tonko resigned near the close of business on Friday, the day before he was to be interviewed by the Albany Democratic Committee. He informed his staff Friday afternoon and sent a letter to the NYSERDA board effective immediately.
Read Tonko Officially In in Cap Con.
Apparently, they took a straw poll after interviewing the candidates and made it clear that they would likely endorse either Tonko or Steck as their candidate.
"We are expecting a report that will indicate that there were three candidates who received sufficient support that would warrant further consideration in the review process, which is still ongoing," Bosworth said.
The review committee, in secret voting Saturday, gave Steck 10 votes, Tonko 9 votes and Brooks 2, party committee members said.
Four other candidates interviewed received no votes. They were Darius Shahinfar, former staffer for U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand; Lester Freeman, Albany city employee; Arthur Welser, real estate agent; and New York Pharmacists Society Executive Director Craig Burridge. Attorney John Aretakis did not interview, Bosworth said.
Phil Steck enjoys being a county legislator, which essentially is the governing branch of the county party and the place where the committee sticks all of it's patronage hacks. So it seems obvious that they would favor him as he has many friends on the county committee. He also has managed to curry the support of his suburbanite friends in the party, and some in the activist community.
Paul Tonko is beloved. He basically tied Steck. He's was a very popular Assemblyman until he became the chief of NYSERDA, and enjoys the support of many prominent Albany politicians including Jack McEneny. Many people in the party believe he's the only serious candidate with enough name recognition to win both the primary and the general election. He also enjoys the support of the Schenectady County Democratic Committee, and most likely will get Montgomery County's support.
Tracy Brooks is the big loser here. While she has the support of the mayor, she has failed to build support much beyond that. Not getting the party's endorsement, and particularly showing so weakly in the county committee, suggests that she hasn't been building the support to continue on. Brooks might officially claim that she will continue on with or with the endorsement, but the end is near for her campaign.
And the other four candidates: nobody seriously felt they ever had a chance, except maybe themselves. But it's fun to run for Congress—you get to raise a lot of money and see some beautiful parts of the state.
Read 3 gain support in House race in the Times Union.
“A man who serves where Republican Assemblyman Roy McDonald first rose to power will challenge him in the next election. Ian McGaughey, a second-term Democrat on the Wilton Town Board, will announce his candidacy Monday for the 112th Assembly district. Washington County and parts of Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties are in the district. McDonald is a former Wilton supervisor.”
“Districts lost state reimbursement for legal services, and taxpayers may make up difference”
“In 1982, Americans saved more than 11 percent of their disposable income. The personal savings rate dropped to just 0.4 percent last year. An economist blames easy credit — and how we think about money.”
“Americans struggling to make ends meet can quickly find themselves in over their heads when credit card and other bills come due. Kim Love, 49, of Chesapeake, Va., was keeping up with her debt until she went on disability. Her income from working as a medical secretary was cut in half. Her husband also stopped working for medical reasons.”
“RESIGNATION ACCEPTED: Reform that the senator voted for in Assembly prohibits hiring family members”
This is interesting.
The Court of Appeals says that while Elliott Garner was subject to five years of mandatory supervision as a second felony offender, he didn't learn of it until officials presented him with a conditional release agreement as he was leaving prison in 2004. He signed it "under protest." Because of continued drug use, he was sent back to prison a year later.
The unanimous court says only the sentencing judge is authorized to pronounce that part of a sentence. In five other cases, the court sent inmates back to courts to have judges pronounce their post-release supervision.
Read NY court says only judge can impose post-release supervision in the Times Union.
“Corning profit more than triples, lifted by demand for glass used for TV, computer screens”
“Owners complain of Albany's new rules requiring e-mail reports of all items received”
After the Shawn Bell criminal the strong words by the judge in charge meanss their future is unclear.
From the article:
McNulty, D-Green Island, who is retiring at the end of the year, said he wanted to stress three issues from his congressional career. The first was Iraq, where he said there is “no end in sight” to a war that continues to cost American lives and money, despite the supposed success of the recent surge in U.S. troop levels.
Polls show 80 percent of Iraqis favor U.S. withdrawal, he said, and more than 50 percent say attacks on U.S. forces are justified. “These are the people we are supposed to be defending,” he said, adding that continuation of the current U.S. policy is “morally indefensible.”
The second issue he brought up was the need for universal health care coverage. Problems have worsened under President Bush, the congressman said, with the number of uninsured growing from 39 million to 47 million. And, he said, the current failed system is much more expensive than the inclusive models that work well in other industrialized countries.
Finally, he stressed the growing influence of money in politics, citing the 2006 race in a neighboring congressional district, in which Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand defeated incumbent Republican John Sweeney. They spent $6 million between them, McNulty said, and in today’s Washington, most senators are now millionaires along with many members of the House of Representatives. The danger, he said, is that ordinary people like himself, who are not rich, may find it impossible to run effectively for office. He advocated public financing of campaigns as the solution.
Read McNulty reflects on 20 years in Congress.
“Politicians in New York City and Albany really enjoy giving away the public’s money and making it seem like their own largess. As the latest news out of the New York City Council attests, these grants are, at best, a political trick intended to buy voter loyalty. At worst, they have led to outright theft.”
“On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can require voters to present a photo ID at the polling place. Rick Hasen of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles says the push for voter ID laws hinges on the question of voter fraud.”
This John deRosier cartoon probably puts it best about what all this squabbling about the Democratic nomination is all about.
Honestly, I could careless about these candidates. I'll make up my mind whether or not I will vote for Barack-Clinton or McCain when it gets closer to the election. There is no guarantee that I will vote for the Democrat or the Republican or maybe one of the third party candidate, or skip down to the local State Senate race.
“Democrats in Michigan have sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee that proposes a new solution to the battle over whether or not they should by allowed to seat their delegates at the national convention. Under their solution, Clinton would pick up a 10-seat advantage in Michigan, with Clinton getting 69 pledged delegates to 59 for Barack Obama.”
From the article:
A Congressman claims that New York's practice of not collecting taxes on Indian cigarette sales supports smugglers whose profits can end up in the hands of terrorists.
Peter King, a Republican from Long Island, called for an investigation into what he called a "very serious homeland security issue." A prominent Indian leader in New York called the charges "overblown and underdocumented."
New York does not collect taxes on cigarettes sold on Indian land. Many Indians believe the tax would violate their sovereignty and attempts to collect tax a decade ago led to violent clashes between police and the Seneca Indian Nation in western New York.
Critics claim that by refusing to levy the tax, the state misses out on hundreds of millions in revenue and puts convenience stores near Indian land at a competitive disadvantage because of price disparities.
Read NY Congressman claims cigarette smuggling could fund terror.
“More than 2,000 gay-rights activists gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to urge the Legislature to legalize same-sex marriage.”
“In 1982, Americans saved more than 11 percent of their disposable income. The personal savings rate dropped to just 0.4 percent last year. An economist blames easy credit — and how we think about money.”
“Capitol Hill insiders say the battle for congressional superdelegates is over, and one Senate supporter of Barack Obama is hinting strongly that he has prevailed over Hillary Rodham Clinton. ”
Make sure to watch it below and enjoy it.
It really puts NPR's It's All Politics to shame this week.
“Four of the seven remaining presidential primaries are in big coal-producing states. Ths forces Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to walk a fine line, balancing concerns about global warming with concerns about energy. ”
“Chafee joins Fresh Air to talk about his new book, Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President. It is an insider's memoir about the Republican Party's rightward drift, and about life at the political center during George W. Bush's first six years in the White House.”
That's how Governor Patterson is describing our state's growing budget crisis. His solution: dramatic cuts to government, elimination of special districts whenever possible.
New York state faces a "terrible plight"—an unprecedented $20 billion in budget gaps over the next three years, Gov. David Paterson warned Wednesday.
The governor outlined the looming crisis as he embraced the recommendations of a commission that suggested paring down the thousands of local governments, authorities, special districts and taxing entities in the state as a way to save taxpayers more than $1 billion.
I'm not sure how much money really is in government consolidation, but it's always worth looking at and experimenting. Maybe it will work out great, maybe not. We will have to see.
Read A warning, and a way out?.
“According to survey results released this morning by the Siena Research Institute, 41 percent of New Yorkers said gas prices are their leading concern. Other top concerns include food (21 percent), health care (20 percent), stocks (9 percent) and real estate (6 percent.)”
“Soaring prices for food, gas push consumer spending to a faster pace than expected ”
That's what a letter in the Daily Gazette notes today:
Re April 27 Viewpoint by Barbara N. Dolan, “What is justice worth?”: I guess I really have to be in sympathy for her and her husband — after all, it must be tough to get by on a mere $150,000-$200,000 a year — with no raise in pay since 1998 or ’99. Gee whiz, that’s really tough.
I should have some idea, since I retired from Verizon in ’92 with a pension that hasn’t been increased since, and possibly never will. But then I can collect on my Social Security, which I contributed to for over 45 years, bringing my total yearly income to a whopping $18,000 a year! Try living on that, lady.
If she and her husband can’t make it on their income, quit and go into private practice; I’m sure someone else would like a crack at her hubby’s income and is well-qualified also. Or maybe they should try to live like so many of us poor “slobs” in this work.
I have to say the Supreme Court Justices have some ego to even suggest that they are desperate for a raise when so many other New Yorkers are suffering so much worst.
Thanks to Dan's Upstream for pointing this LtE out. It dramatically points out what is wrong with New York State government these days.
He also makes an interesting point, noting that despite the fact that most judges' high salaries have not changed, their stipends and benefits have increased.
Is Judge Judith S. Kaye Telling The Whole Truth When She Says New York State Judges Haven’t Had A Pay Raise In Ten Years?
The answer is a simple no.
In 2007 New York State judges received a pay raise in the form of a $5,000 expense account to cover anything from uncovered medical costs to judicial robe purchases, according to Joel Stashenko in a New York Law Journal Article, published on November 2, 2007.
Stashenko goes onto say, “The 1,300 state judges also will get more vacation time, reimbursement for a third night of attending annual meetings of their judicial associations and a return to a statewide forum for their summer judicial seminars instead of a regional one.”
Read Letters to the Editor for May 1 in the Daily Gazette.
The beloved politician from Amsterdam confirmed that he would be running for Congress this year when asked by the Daily Gazette.
Paul Tonko confirmed Thursday that he is running for Congress in the 21st District to succeed U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who is retiring at the end of the year.
“Yes,” Tonko responded when asked at a Democratic Party event in Saratoga Springs whether he is running. He said he has not yet made a formal announcement of his candidacy because he is “putting my paperwork together.” Tonko resigned last week as head of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority. He previously served more than 20 years as a state assemblyman representing Montgomery and much of Schenectady counties.
Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said he sees Tonko as one of the two leading candidates in the race, the other being Tracey Brooks of Albany County. Brooks is an attorney and a former aide to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
That's outstanding. Rumor has it that Paul Tonko will have a press conference next week on Thursday, where he will officially kick off his campaign for Congress. I look forward to going door to door for Tonko.
Read Tonko says he is in the running.
This image says a lot about Barack Obama.
“HOUSE GUESTS Campaign workers like Erin Suhr, above, and Alisha Cordell, bottom left, depend on the generosity of others during the primary season. ”
