The Hayseeds blog, No. 266 for the week starting July 20, 2008.
July 6, 2008
Hayseeds No. 265
July 20, 2008
Hayseeds No. 266
July 27, 2008
Hayseeds No. 266
Visit the Hayseeds Index
to see all previous entries.
He's doing decently on the fundraising circuit raising some hopes that he will be a good candidate in 2010 for re-election.
Fighting back against excessive taxation by refusing to pass a mandatory school bus referendum.
Some conservatives in Schenectady County hope to purge the leadership in the county conservative party.
They are hopeful they will keep their jobs helping out the state police on rescue helicopters.
The head of the town Emergency Medical Service said on Friday he is hopeful the Town Board might reconsider the decision to end helicopter missions with the state police.
“We are sad to see the program go and hope the board might reconsider the position assumed. At this point State Police are actively seeking another vendor,” said EMS chief Jon Politis.
The news this week that Town Supervisor Paula Mahan decided to cut the partnership because of costs and concerns about liability has set a somber mood in the town EMS department, according to Politis.
Colonie is so dumb, trying to save a few bucks without fixing the town's actual spending problems.
They are having trouble finding qualified drivers for the low pay that most bus driving jobs pay.
They are hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party's official declaration of principles.
She probably faces the toughest re-election bid in her very brief career.
The immigration debate has hurt many Hispanics traditional support of socially conservative republican candidates.
Some people both in Obama and McCain camp are less then happy with this weeks satrical New Yorker magazine cover.
Offensive? Sure. But it is the New Yorker magazine. They've been doing such things for years—remember how they published in 1968, after the Watts Riot a magazine cover with instructions on how to make a molotov cocktail.
This officially means that an era is over, with statement posted on Cap Con.
At the conclusion of the 2008 legislation session I announced I would not seek re-election this fall because, after 32 years of public service, I wanted to move on with my life, give my constituents an opportunity for new representation, and my colleagues in the Senate an opportunity for new leadership. Today I am announcing that I will leave the Senate, effective Friday, July 18th. I believe this is the right time to move forward for several reasons.
Over the past few weeks I have made several major economic development announcements of projects that I have been working on for some time — today’s historic announcement with IBM at the nanotechnology center at UAlbany; Momentive bringing its worldwide headquarters to Rensselaer County; the expansion of biomedical research at UAlbany’s East Campus in East Greenbush; a new neotatal care unit at Albany Medical Center and the new rail terminal in Mechanicville.
As a businessman, job creation was my top priority and I’m proud that these new projects are in place to build on our economic successes in the Capitol Region and boost the economy of all of Upstate New York. I’ve always enjoyed telling everyone to “stay tuned,” but it’s the people in the business community, our leaders in higher education and my partners in government that have played such important roles in making these projects and announcements possible.
I have been very fortunate to be able to work with so many talented and dedicated people during my career. I want to thank Governor David Paterson for his leadership and his friendship. I also want to thank Assembly Speaker Silver and Minority Leaders Malcolm Smith and Jim Tedisco for their friendship. We were able to partner together, set aside our differences and tackle so many tough issues. I also want to tahnk all of my staff that have worked so hard and so many hours to support me and make me look good.
And, most importantly, I want to thank the members of the Senate Majority Conference and all the members of the Senate for their friendship and support for so many years. The transition of Senate leadership to the new Majority Leader, Senator Dean Skelos, has been a tremendous success. Senator Skelos is off to a very strong start, traveling all over the state meeting with community leaders, and he will do an outstanding job leading the Senate Majority now, and in the future.
Now I will bring my time in public service to a conclusion. I have no regrets because this has been a great trip and it is time for me to ride off into the sunset.
Joe Bruno might be of the other party, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for him (along with all other elected officials). They work incredibly hard representing their constituents, and fighting for what they believe is right for their communities that they represent.
Bruno certainly is a character, and his legacy in Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties will long be remembered. You got to wish him the best during his retirement.
Apparently when voters are asked about it, they would prefer controls on school tax based on income, rather then just limiting the growth of their tax bill on a yearly income.
As long as the circuit breaker would make owning a house or land more affordable then just simply limiting the growth in the tax assessment, I'm all for it. I'm not sure if I believe some of the groups that say a 'circuit breaker' wouldn't hurt schools as bad as a tax cap, but why not try it.
Despite the retirement of Joe Bruno, there is quite a bit of bickering over where a proposed new IBM plant should be located in the Capital Region.
Both sides are spending lavishly to try to keep or win back the seat, although nothing like the special election last February.
This is an interesting story in the Daily Gazette about Joe Salemone.
Joe Salamone says he simply wants to run for a higher office.
The two-term Mohonasen Board of Education member — the youngest person elected to a school board in New York — now has his eye on the state Assembly's 105th District seat. And he's not concerned about facing a veteran Democrat from the Schenectady City Council in the Working Families Party primary, or the seat's Republican incumbent in the general election.
"Any progress made is a victory," he said Friday, the day after submitting his petition for the nomination. "I'm a young person and any experience I can take ... I'll take it as a positive."
Good for him.
Primaries for obsure political offices can always be quite interesting, for those interested in learning about party factions.
The big trans-national trucking firm in Plattsburgh has announced significant layoffs due to a lack of work with high fuel prices.
They say that by paying workers less they can build buildings cheaper. Which of course is true, even if it's not just or fair to families who struggle to make ends meet in an inflationary time.
The state will be giving them lots of money, so it looks like IBM plans to stay in our area and expand with new-nano chips that might expand what they sell.
They argued that the tax cap didn't save gas buyers any money.
The Times Union takes a look.
A $1.6 billion deal between IBM Corp. and New York state was sealed with a cellphone call made to Lake George on Mother's Day.
Gov. David Paterson recalled Tuesday during a news conference announcing the wide-ranging nanotechnology project how he talked that Sunday with John Kelly III, IBM's director of research, who was vacationing on the lake.
The plan, which includes $1.5 billion from IBM and $140 million from the state, is expected to create 1,000 high-tech jobs, including 325 at the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, where IBM is the major tenant with hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in research and development in computer chip manufacturing.
...
I must admit I had to read today's editorial several times to understand what they where talking about.
While I recommend you read it carefully, probably the core of the editorial is at the end of it.
Regrettably, the Senate is signaling that it may return to Albany sometime this summer to vote on a tax cap. Meanwhile, Mr. Paterson and Tom Suozzi, the Nassau County executive who headed the Property Tax Commission established by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, are warning that a tax cap must be in place to control spending before any circuit breaker can be put in place.
Yes, some kind of restraint is needed, but not a cap. A better way would be to reduce circuit breaker relief in those districts that approve budgets beyond the rate of inflation. That would send a strong signal to school boards to hold the line, or face voter wrath.
So if I understand it right, the Times Union supports a property tax circuit breaker, but only if it's paid for out of the state general funds, much like the enhanced STAR program. If schools hike their spending too much, then the state would curtail their "gift" back to taxpayers right before election day, punishing them further.
In contrast, a circuit breaker makes sense if:
Put all together, that sounds an awful lot like a property tax cap, or if you do what the Times Union is advocating, doing absolutely nothing at all.
Many people take a pay cut when they retire. In the case of Bruno, with his many years of highly paid service, he will actually be getting a pay raise.
Mr. Bruno, a Republican, is likely to get a significant raise from the state by retiring.
He is paid the base legislative salary of $79,500, but his pension, which is a percentage of the average of his three highest-salary years, will be $90,000 to $100,000, because until June he received an extra $41,000 a year for being majority leader, according to the state comptroller’s office. He would be giving up somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,300 a month, before taxes, by remaining in office.
He already received, in a lump sum earlier this year, most of the $41,000 for his role as majority leader and temporary president of the Senate.
Because he stepped down from his leadership role late last month, the balance of that bonus is likely to go to his successor as Senate majority leader, Dean G. Skelos.
John McArdle, a spokesman for Mr. Bruno, said the pension issue “had no bearing on his decision to leave.”
Mr. Bruno can defer some of his pension payments to a beneficiary who could receive payments in the future, but Mr. McArdle said, “I don’t think he’s even looked at that.”
I wonder if I can count on that when I retire. I know I will get a state pension, but I can't imagine it will ever be higher then what I'm currently making.
He will be able to lobby the executive branch and make even more money then his massive state pension.
He says we should brace for several years of an under-preforming economy as recessions don't historically end with a quick boom, unlike how fast the bottom can drop out of the economy.
The Daily Gazette looks at the latest debate on the issues facing the next Congressman to be elected from the Albany area.
They've decided not to be quite so fascist.
Students are once again allowed to bring their cellular phones to school, but please, no calls during class.
The Schenectady Board of Education on Wednesday approved changes to its Code of Conduct for the 2008-09 school year. One change would be to permit cellphones or other electronic devices like MP3 players, iPods and Game Boys on school grounds, but require that they be turned off while in the classroom during instructional time.
The previous policy had banned these devices altogether, which school officials said was difficult to enforce.
...
He says he will carry on Bruno' legacy.
They just need to figure out how to secure them and transport them to the polling sites.
China's newest buildings are truly amazing.
He is such an inspiration for so many of us.
It's kind of a sad one in that sense, and The Record has a fascinating article called Bruno Reflects On Political Career.
This is sad news about a beautiful public building.
They say the building is ugly and has structural problems, so they plan to demolish it and replace it with a parking structure, with a fake-park on top of it.
Personal contact and making issues that matter to voters are still the best way to get people out and voting.
Pros and cons of healthcare reform in Massachusetts.
Cities are increasingly using their wireless networks for surveillance purposes raising hackles from civil libertarians.
I don't understand the big deal. When you are on a public street, anybody can photograph you. They aren't talking about putting cameras in bathrooms, or other places where they can be used voyeristically. Political spying is another danger, but that can be avoided with good control structures on police, and severe penalties for illicit activities on behalf of police.
This is great news for Democrats.
Obama's record-setting fundraising allows him to boost his efforts in traditionally red states like Virginia that have recently become competitive.
Virginia last voted Democratic for president in 1964. But in 2005, voters elected a Democratic governor, and in 2006, a Democratic senator. Obama is opening 20 offices in the state. In Fairfax County, with more voters than anyplace else in Virginia, he'll have a staffer working each county supervisor's district.
"Clearly, the Obama campaign has made a strategic decision to invest heavily in Virginia and put it in play, and that can only be a good thing for all the rest of us," says Democrat Gerry Connolly, the Fairfax County board chairman, who is running for Congress this year.
Let's hope we get a good majority this year at all levels.
I'm glad our military is spending our taxpayer dollars so well.
The Air Force's use of more than $16 million in counter-terrorism funds for "comfort capsules" on military planes has prompted an internal debate over whether taxpayer money should be used for luxury Defense items.
Air Force officials say the government needs the new "capsules," which will be installed aboard Air Force aircraft, will ensure that leaders can talk, work and rest comfortably in the air. But the top brass's preoccupation with creating new high-flying luxury in wartime has alienated lower-ranking Air Force officers familiar with the effort, as well as congressional staff and a nonprofit group that calls the program a waste of money, The Post's R. Jeffrey Smith reports.
Figuring some $120 of my paycheck is handed every week over to the federal government, I'm glad that the military brass is traveling in such comfort—especially when I'm paying $65 to fill my truck with gas, with cracked vinyl seats and no air conditioning.
He says we have a moral obligation to help out the most needy in the world.
More terrible news on how we treat other human beings.
Private contractors are giving the United States complete crap when it comes to work.
The Times Union looks at plans to demolish this beautiful building to build yet another parking structure, and put grass on top of it. Without even seeing the drawings of the new building, it already seems ugly.
This conference is happening this weekend.
The third annual gathering of the Netroots (formerly known as the YearlyKos Convention) will be held July 17–20 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Netroots Nation 2008 will include panels led by national and international experts; identity, issue and regional caucuses; prominent political, issue and policy-oriented speakers; a progressive film screening series; and the most concentrated gathering of progressive bloggers to date.
Interesting.
