Hayseeds No. 101

Can You Hear Me Now?

If your on the Northway in the Adirondacks and you break down, you better be looking for a trucker or somebody else to hitch you a ride. As many of us know, the old emergency phones up there failed from a Y2K bug and haven't been working for half a decade now. Assembly Ortloff and Sayward are particularly ticked off about this as it's in their districts and the state should have done something to allow drivers to contact help in that desolate part of the Northway.

Saratoga to Consider Open Space in Future Designs.

Mayor Lenz says he's totally committed to protecting open space at the same time increasing low-income housing around the city. It should be interesting to see what he's able to do: Saratoga more then any other city around is big into it's Main Street with all it's cultural attractions.

Scenic Roads in Hudson Valley to Get Funds.

It looks like several neat little highways along the Hudson River will be getting federal and state funds to make them even more beautiful and enjoyable to ride along. It's only going to be a few more months until the weather is nice for crusing, and the Storm King Highway will be open once again. Intermodal transit is an important part of these funds, so also expect more bike trails and the alike to be added along these stretches.

Guv Pataki Promises Open Budget Meeting Today.

All three men in a room are going to come together under ultra-tight security to scream at each other and talk about three different things. Think of it kind of like the Rockefeller Drug Law Hearings Revisted (TM) except with budget talk. Shelly's all over pumping more money into NYC schools, Joe would at least publicly like to see a contigency budget and other budget reform, and Pataki wants his budget passed.

Expect some sorta off-the-record jokes about Pataki's farm to start the meeting. Then expect little more. At least Pataki is trying to pretend that they can come to some agreement, and they will likely set another so-called open budget meeting in a few weeks to come, giving our elected leaders some time to 'conference' behind closed doors.

HVCC Interm President Silvestri Taking a Paid Sabatical.

Copying a rather bad idea from Bob Chancellor of SUNY, the man wants some time off from running his college to think about it all. Like Bob, he plans to leave shortly there after his sabatical, taking not only his new found knowledge, but a lot of taxpayer and student knowledge for no work. Life sure is fun in academia. I'm going ask my boss today if I can get a 6-month paid sabatical. *yawn*

David Soares and His Tounge Twisters.

While many of us thought that Senator Breslin shot himself in the foot with his remarks about the NRA last October, it looks like another Albany Democrat is doing more damage to himself. The right wing on AM radio have been having a lot of fun with his comments on finding work for former drug dealers through setting up shops. It's easy to suspect that he wasn't suggesting that drug dealers open up shop in Arbor Hill store fronts, but instead that they should go into legitimate business.

Other then that, most people haven't seen all that much difference between Soares and Clyne. Public defenders and private defense attorneys say that most of the old people are still kicking around the court circut, and while they work at the will of Soares they tend to do about the same as before. There are a few less felony drug counts and the alike. Just remember kids, actions speak much louder then actions. Just pray that words don't mute out actions. And government goes really slow, bucking and straining the whole way.

Schenectady's Fabolous Recycling Program.

Is suspended once again, in a quiet little fashion, not to irk residents. Apparently, it was too difficult for the city's diesel mechanic to fix the truck right away, so it's been about a week without recycling in the city. And people are upset that they are going through the effort of recycling and getting nothing in return—except a higher tax bill. I certainly would be. At least I don't live in Schenectady. See the Daily Gazette.

Pataki's Open Meeting.

It seems that this blog was about right about it yesterday: not much got done, but it was open to the public for the few that knew about it. There where some staggering debate rules that probably prevented the off-the-cuff comments that we usually hear in the legislature. It did give us some insight into the positions of elected leaders:

• CFE is still up in the air. Positions the same as last year.
• Pataki is willing to decouple appropiations (money amounts) from the Article 7 bill that implements them, allowing the legislature to change language. Currently the legislature can only change money amounts in appropiations bills as per the Court of Appeals Decision.
• Contigency Budgets appear to be a dead idea as Shelly thinks it's a way to let legislators of the hook, and underfund education and healthcare at the same time. Shelly is right on this point. Requiring a real budget be passed in a timely fashion is the only way to ensure state priorities are met.
• Minority leaders in the room where ignored until Shelly requested that they be given time. Even in public, they act as though it's three men in a room.
• Pataki pointed to his charts repeatly like a Ross Perot, until he remembered that Senate Minority Leader Patterson was legally blind and didn't have a clue to what he was pointing to.

And of course this comment:

The meeting was not without humor. Bruno complained about the seating arrangements, joking: "How come Shelly is facing the cameras and I'm not?"

"I must be obvious to you, senator," Silver later responded. "I'm just better looking then you are."

Amen. That's probably pretty close to the truth. Looks are all in your head I guess, and to Patterson it probably didn't matter much at all. Pataki had such faith in the minority leaders coming to future meetings that he stated I just hope that we can speak freely, you know, and not get voted off the island. It's tough when Albany politics are just another version of survior.

Hevesi at the Same Time Cautions to Those Men.

You better watch out, you better not borrow, you not pout, I'm telling you why—New York State government is running out of money to borrow. Over the years it seems even more debt has been added to the great debt of Rocky. Maybe Hevesi is just a party spoiler, but borrowing can over time create a heavy load on taxpayers. NYS has borrowed roughly $45 billion dollars OR about $2,200 dollars for each man, women, and while. Ad the debt of NYS' nearly 700 different public authorities from the Albany Housing Authority to the Metro Transit Authority, and you'll add another $60 or so billion dollars to that big number

I'm George Pataki, And I'm Introducing Healthy NY.

Not for long, Mr. Pataki if the Assembly gets it way in banning public officals from being in public service announcements. Good government groups must be thrilled. Maybe it will save taxpayers some money, by getting rid of frivilous public service ads.