Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Only Way to Change Albany is Put All the Bums in Jail: Incumbents Face Little if Any Opposition at the Polls This Fall


Only Way to Change Albany is Put All the Bums in Jail

Incumbents Face Little if Any Opposition at the Polls This Fall




"The amount of political dysfunction in Albany is matched only by the lack of integrity." AG Cuomo

While all three of the daily editorial boards were after Espada only the Daily News put pressure on the State Senate to dump him from his majority leaders post. Not one papers discussed how the state dysfunctional fixed election system results in most incumbents not be challenged at the polls. The NYT said "the state needs a major overhaul, starting with nonpartisan redistricting for 2011, fairer campaign finance rules and a true ethics police. Unless something changes soon, voters will have to throw out nearly the whole crowd come November." That statement indicates that the NYT does not read it own editorials. Despite the anger of the voters and the almost daily attacked by the editorial board on dysfunctional corrupt Albany, there looks like there will be few primaries against incumbents this year than ever before. The NYT does not understand that when petitions start in early June it will to last to challenge incumbents

On September 12, 2004 the NYT editorial written when corruption was a twinkle in the eyes of Espada, Spitzer, Paterson, Brian Mclaughlin, Tony Seminario, Clarence Norman, Joe Bruno, Hiram Monserrate, Efrain Gonazlez, Diana Gordon, Smith, Hevesi, Arroyo said:

"This year, however, the few primary races for New York's abysmal State Legislature. . . Our state government has totally broken down. The Legislature holds the national record for late budgets, and often appears incapable of passing even the simplest bills. The Assembly speaker, Senate majority leader and governor control all the power, and individual lawmakers are responsible for little more than showing up. Then every election season they go home to face what is, at most, token primary opposition. Since so many of the districts are gerrymandered to be safe for one party or the other, election results are usually preordained. Something drastic is required to break this destructive cycle. If there is a primary race in your district, vote against the incumbent. Vote for an opponent, any opponent. Casting a Meaningful Vote (NYT Ed 2004)

True News has been point out this problem of no challengers that the editorials boards seem to be clueless about. The Real Campaign is to Suppress Challengers * Organized Crime Politics -The Rigged Election System * Organized Crime Politics Ballot Lines for Sale * Tammany’s Ballot Control Again and Again * Competive Elections + Press/Public Outrage = Change and Action * NY's Falling Voter Participation * Can't the Media Play This Game Anymore? * How Albany Operates Like the Mob * Albany Lobbyist System Caused by Leaders Lack of Ethics and Morals Standards

Espada Begins the Long Walk

“I would say his average check would be 70-80 bucks when he dined in,” said Peter Chen, owner of Red Plum Sushi, where Espada ate this weekend. “I just know he’s a good customer of mine, but we don’t have any personal relationship. He’s just a customer who decides to come to us as his favorite restaurant.” (GNS)

State of shame They stained the state Senate for cheap political gain when they voted unanimously to elevate Pedro Espada to majority leader, and now they must immediately strip this low excuse for a legislator of the high honor they so wrongly bestowed. (DN Ed) * Pedro's plunder (NYP Ed) * You Call That Charity?New York’s lawsuit against Pedro Espada Jr., the Senate majority leader, suggests that his nonprofit health care organization was less about public service than about serving him. (NYT Ed)

Bronx DA Johnson Hard At Work on Espada's Investigation

Investigators raid Bronx office of Pedro Espada This Morning* Feds, State Officials Raid Espada's Bronx Office * Cuomo And Feds Raid Espada’s Soundview * FBI + IRS = Tough Morning For Espada * State and federal authorities descended on Bronx clinic

Espada hit with 'loot' suit * Espada hit with 'loot' suit Cuomo blasts Sen. for $14M clinic 'plunder' * Cuomo Accuses Espada of Diverting Millions From Clinics * How to Rack Up $20,000 Worth of Sushi (Tip Not Included) * Gonzalez: Espada Jr. and family stole $14M from clinic: suit* Here’s video of Espada’s press conference * The TU says it’s time for the Senate Democrats to “salvage their self-respect” and remove Espada from his leadership post * Issues not addressed in Cuomo’s suit against Espada include the senator’s residency, member items, and labor-law issues * “New York’s five mob families – the Luchese, Gambino, Bonanno, Genovese and Colombo clans – will have to make some room. Say hello to the Espada organization out of the Bronx,” writes Juan Gonzalez * Lawmakers: Beat It, Espada * Silver: Let Senate Clean Up Its Own Mess * Cuomo on Espada: 'Even We Never Heard of That Arrangement' * Silver: Espada Mess Doesn't Mean We're All Bums * Sampson Questions Cuomo’s Espada Case
AEG The Fix at the Track Inspector general questions Paterson on Aqueduct deal

MTA Contracts Federal investigators are probing how government money has been used in four of the city's largest transit mega-projects -- all of which are way over budget or years behind schedule. Feds probe rail-project $$ bungle

Albany Has Found A Way to Corrupt the Theater
The inspector general’s report said that the longtime artistic director of the New York State Theater Institute improperly used state money to enrich herself and her family. Report Sees Corruption in State-Financed Institute * Editorial: State of shame And then it comes to light that the flat-busted State of New York has been subsidizing an upstate theater organization to the tune of $3.6 million a year and, of course, getting ripped off in the process. So says state Inspector General Joseph Fisch

Pay to Play City Council Exclusive: Quinn angry over de Blasio website * From True News Controlling the News: What Happen to the Council Slush Fund Investigation? * Member Item Slush Fund Cover Up * Cover Up At City Hall Continues



Bloomberg Said to Rely on Financier Under Fire The mayor is loyal to his financial advisor despite Ratter’s legal problems * Bloomberg Roots for Wall Street * NYC Mayor Defends Wall Street Before Obama Visit

Bloomberg vs. Schumer (Politico)
"Bloomberg had previously criticized the city’s congressional delegation in generic terms for backing stringent regulation of banks and giant hedge funds, arguing that it would cripple the city’s most vital industry. But the third-term mayor has become increasingly disillusioned with Schumer in recent days, sources say, singling out the Brooklyn Democrat in recent meetings with business leaders and politicians. . . Bloomberg visited the Capitol last week seeking to defend the financial industry. But in the process, he wound up sitting in on a GOP gripe session about New York Democrats — and, sources say, chimed in to criticize Schumer for turning against a hometown industry that has fueled both men’s careers."(Politico) There will be deep financial costs to New York with the passage of the Wall Street financial package, which the NY media seems to either ignore or not understand. * Financial Debate Renews Scrutiny on Banks’ Size

Goldman in a Free Fall
He wasn't named in the Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud suit against Goldman Sachs, but CEO Lloyd Blankfein nonetheless will find himself on the hot seat about the matter when he goes to Washington to testify before a congressional panel about toxic mortgage securities. It's Lloyd's of Washington next week * Welcome, O - to city you want to ruin (Goodwin NYP) * All the President's Goldman men* Financial Debate Renews Scrutiny on Banks’ Size * Schumer at Odds with NY Leaders over Wall Street Bonuses (Video) * .Schumer blinks Wall St.'s senator approves of Obama's bank tax * Senator Kirsten Gillibrand backs reform for Wall Street * WFP Pushes Wall Street Bonus Tax * More legislators are backing a bonus tax to bridge the budget deficit. (GNS) * Goldman Sachs has donated generously to members of Congress. (Politico) * Republicans want Barack Obama to return donations from Goldman Sachs * Goldman Sachs Plans "Big Boys Defense" Washington Post: Bank Is Making Plans to Rebut SEC Charges, Will Argue "Highly Sophisticated" Clients Knew Its Products Well


Congress Makes
Money Always
Always

In the 1990's the money came from Wall Street after they repealed bank regulations including the 1933 Glass–Steagall Act banking act today after the nations economic melt down the
Dems Raising Off Wall Street Reform





Bloomberg Offshore $$$
Bloomberg’s charitable foundation has been transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to offshore tax havens, depriving the city of crucial revenue * Bloomberg’s Offshore Millions * Bloomberg and other mayors are funding television ads attacking illegal guns. (AP) * What Happens in the Caymans Apparently Stays There * 'I Don't Know What They Do with the Investments'' Yet want to keep Steve Rattner as My Financier advisor who Under Fire in pensiongate investigation by Cuomo


Bloomberg Political Enemies are Gunning for the Anti Gun Mayor

War Against Bloomberg Who dropped this story Mayor Bloomberg's Offshore Millions? The Cayman Islands, Cyrus, And Mauritius
California AG Going After Rating Agencies As Part of the Pension Investigation Calif. AG claims Moody's won't comply with probe (LA Times) * Stop ... Ignoring ... Me! Calif. AG Pressing Moody's for Response to Subpoena * Regulator probes Wall Street accounting* Moody's Slapped With Subpoena: Credit Rating Agency Not Cooperating With Crisis Investigators

Everybody Got A Price Daniel Goldstein, Last Atlantic Yards Holdout, Sells for $3 Million

Bushwick luxury condos turn into halfway house for drug addicts run by paroled felon * The last family standing is still fighting their eviction from Atlantic Yards.

Green Goes Dark
Cavern on the green Shame of famous eatery's dark decay


Election 2010 Azi Paybarah provides a handy cheat sheet on the would-be Democratic AGs. * Meet the Attorney General Candidates * Contributors to Democrat-turned-Republican Steve Levy are demanding their money back. (AP)

Charter Commission Pols seek more power, not an end to corruption and dysfunctionalism. Will the Charter Commission and public let them get their wish? Markowitz wants borough presidents back in power * John Liu shows his inner Al Haig Want more power * Everybody wants more power. So where's Chris Quinn?


It was a banker, not Roger Stone, who tipped the feds to Eliot Spitzer’s dalliances. (NYP) * Spitz foiled by bank dick * Spitzer's requests for anonymity got him caught

Charter Fight Becomes Personal
The NYP and DN today continued to attack State Senator Bill Perkins Bill Perkins, hypocrite (NYP ED) * Elite scholar pol now denying kids (NYP) * State of shame: Sen. Bill Perkins to hold charter schools witch hunt (DN) * NY1 Exclusive: Charter Commission Won't Seek Elimination of Borough BPs, City PA
Albany Budget Opposition to the election-year property tax breaks being advocated by the Senate Democrats is building from Paterson and Bloomberg * New York state budget follies, Day 21 * Gov To Lawmakers: Get Ready To Stick Around AlbanyNY Economic Melt Down Ambulances Stop Bringing Psychiatric Patients To St. Vincent's * Bloomy's green dream hit by fiscal crisis


Happy 100 Birthday, Mr. Mayor Wagner

'Open' season for doormen Building workers strike midnight deal * Deal Reached That Averts a Walkout by Doormen

Law and Order Pot pedaler in a day of high drama * Cops seek IDs of gals in killer's pix (with photos) *Mob perv busts Crew pimped out underage hookers: feds * Charges Called ‘New Low’ for Gambinos * Son of Michael Douglas Is Sentenced in Drug Case


Sex is King at NY1
Former New York 1 reporter Gary Anthony Ramsay can't remember if he forced a kiss on Sammarco The same reporter Gary Anthony Ramsay left employment left the station after calling an NY1 talk show and falsely identifying himself as "Dalton from the upper East Side" to give his opinion about a story on former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. * NY1 butt heads





Both Democrats and Republicans spent lavishly from their party coffers. (WP)