New York's Democracy Disaster
Incumbent Protected, Nobody is Running to Throw Out the Bums
NYT Editorial Board Join True News in concluding that the State's incumbent protection election law discourages challengers from running. For the last two years True News has been warning the NYT and others that you cannot throw the bums out of Albany if nobody runs against them. Bring On the Primaries (NYT) This year the bad economy has added to the protection of incumbents. Top election lawyers and consultants agree.
We will see the lowest amount of challenges to make the ballot in recent history. With petitions starting Tuesday it is to late to get more challengers to run. Yes this is outrages considering the corrupt in Albany and the newspapers blasting blasting it dysfunctional and the damage they are doing to New York and its citizens ever week. Newspapers must become education in how incumbent has used the election system to hold New York hostage to their corruption. Incumbents also have access to millions in union contributions and campaign workers. Unions Pick Up Tab for Council Members' Fines, Legal Bills
True News the Tail that Wags the NYTIn the last week True News has been trying to get the attention of the old media to this coming disaster of democracy. On Tuesday June 2nd we published Even the Meltdown Economy is Helping Incumbents Get Reelected Nobody Has Any Money to Run Yesterday we publish What About Reforming New York's Democratic Party? on February 11, 2009 True News published The Real Campaign is to Suppress Challengers * on December 19, 2009 True News published How Albany Operates Like the Mob
True News is Glad that Today's NYT Editorial Joined Us in Educating the Public How Albany Rob Our Democracy
"Candidates will start collecting signatures on Tuesday to get on the ballot. But their petitions then will be challenged by party nitpickers who get rich disqualifying the competition for minute errors. New York’s political laws should encourage good candidates to compete. Instead, incumbents sit placidly on old laws designed to limit competition to help them keep their jobs."
NY passes students who get wrong answers on school tests (NYP)Sunday Update: Terror bust at JFK * * Report: NYPD Arrests Two N.J. Men With Links To Terror Cell (NY1) *Report Says Two Detained at N.Y.C. Airport Were on Their Way to Join Jihadist Group in Somalia (CBS) * Qns. track blaze traps hundreds in J-train tunnel * Long-Term Unemployed Now 46 Percent Of Unemployed, Highest Percentage On Record * Paterson Aide to Lead OTB After Its Chairman Quits * Walk the Talk Congress can repair some of the damage of the Citizens United decision by passing the Disclose Act. (NYT Ed) * Is the worst over? BP's latest effort to plug well is collecting 1/3 of the 800,000 gallons of oil (DN) * Illegal hotels like 'Jazz on Times Square' raise red flags for City Hall (DN) * A gentleman’s C: New York again scores poorly on making education reforms (DN ed) * The anti-nanny state: Domestics deserve equal labor rights, not special rights (DN Ed) * Oil spill tests President Obama's management style (Politico) * Future Of Healthcare Coverage Looms Over Event Honoring WTC Responders (NY1) * FOXNews.com - Helen Thomas Apologizes for Saying Jews Should 'Get the Hell Out of Palestine' TV Update TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads
Rangel slams Bam: We're fighting Iraq war only for oil (DN)Election 2010 Rival: DiNapoli's a failure (NYP) * Samuels Drops LG Bid * Indys Back Wilson, Punt On AG * Cuomo thanks Indies–via conference call *What scandal? Rangel running again (NYP) * Wilson Slams DiNapoli On WFP (YNN) * FP Taps Placeholders For Gov, LG, AG (YNN) * Black leadership meets, discusses Cuomo's stands (Politico) * Newsday looks at GOP gubernatorial nominee Rick Lazio's fundraising hurdle * Fred LeBrun thinks Cuomo is dealing in “make-believe” at the moment, and will be an entirely different person if he’s elected.
Espada Prime Residence?* Protesters Demand Espada's Ouster At Suburban Home (WCBS) * Emmy Suzuki Harris At a rally in front of Pedro Espada's residence in Mamoroneck video by Rafael Martínez Alequín for: www.yourfreepress.blogspot.com
Boss Rule on Judicial PicksBrooklyn Democrats aren't the only ones to act autocratically in selecting judges. In Manhattan, as reform fades away, the New York County Democratic executive committee district leaders made an endorsement on May 27 for the county-wide Civil Court vacancies. Under party rules, the executive committee may only endorse panel-screened candidates for countywide judicial seats. They adhered to this, but nevertheless, under the new leader, the endorsement was a sham, orchestrated Soviet-style, and made a mockery of democracy as each candidate was allowed one minute to speak. There wasn't even the appearance of propriety. (Flacks)
Twitter azipaybarah NYS Independence Party endorsed Republican Harry Wilson 4 comptroller. Snubs Tom DiNapoli, a Dem whom Cuomo is investigating. #nygov #wnyc
Twitter azipaybarahWorking Families Party went into closed-door session 2 discuss who to nominate 4 governor. Would have been fun to watch. #wnyc #nygov
Twitter Ben Smith Rangel refers to Wall Street bankers as "terrorists" http://politi.co/cwUcPZ (via @maghabe123)
Budget Cut to the BoneBudget Cuts Hit a Brooklyn Area Over and Over "Christina Nieves’s life revolves around a handful of blocks in Brooklyn: Drop off her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son at the Strong Place day care center. Make sure her 75-year-old grandmother, who uses a wheelchair, makes it to lunch at the Gowanus Senior Center. Then, on too many occasions to count, take her son, who is asthmatic and prone to seizures, to the Wyckoff children’s clinic. And with warm days now here, watch her children frolic at the Douglass and DeGraw pool.Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to close all four places." (NYT) * City Drops Plan to Charge Rent to Shelter Residents (NYT) * Policy doesn't charge homeless rent - it makes them save (DN) * Helping shelter families $ave (NYP) *Sunday Update Albany takes the fun out of dysfunction Plattsburgh Press Republican * “This year’s crop of candidates for governor and Legislature should say, specifically, what they would do to balance the state budget,” says the Buffalo News.
Fire Cutbacks Called 'Deadly' "Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano on Friday said Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to shutter 20 fire companies would increase response times and have a serious impact on public safety, prompting City Council members to denounce the move as both dangerous and foolhardy." (WSJ) * FDNY must close 20 firehouses to save $37M: commish (DN) * FDNY Revisits Planned Fire House Closures
What Do Booth Agents Do?Booth Agents Won't Go Without Hearing (WSJ) * Blame it on train It sure beats having to forge a doctor's note. Straphangers late for work because of subway delays are now a few clicks away from proving to their bosses that they are not oversleeping slackers. (NYP) * Judge Rules MTA Cannot Lay Off Subway Booth Workers (NY1)
OTB Chair OutOTB Chairman Announces Resignation (NY1) * OTB Chairman Announces Resignation (NY1) * Drosselmeyer wins Belmont Stakes Reuters * Paterson Aide to Lead OTB After Its Chairman Quits
New York Economic Meltdown Has NY Racing Lost its Luster? (WSJ) * Teacher layoffs 'up in the air' with feds' $600M cut: Bloomy (DN) * Public school budget cuts spark protest (WABC) * e Budget Hole Gets Deeper (Gotham Gazette) Sunday Update 100G jobs soaring at piggy PA Port Authority fat cats taking home a base salary of $100,000 or more rose to nearly 1,400 in 2009
Lame Duck Paterson Runs the Government
Takes the heat for the legislature with cuts in emergency spending bills
New Tack On Budget Attack Governor David Paterson, unable to pass a state budget since April, is trying to wield his executive power piece by piece. (WSJ) * Paterson cuts $775M in health care for emergency bill * $385M bloodletting from gov budget ax (NYP) * Governor Puts Budget Plans In Emergency Spending Bills (NY1) Sunday Update Paterson Adds Health Care Cuts To Latest Budget Extension (NY1)
Cigarette Makers and Retailers Sue to Block Rule Requiring Antismoking Posters (NYT)
Sotomayor From the Bronx
What a homecoming! Sotomayor honored all over the Bronx * Bronxdale Houses Renamed In Honor Of Sotomayor (NY1)
Blood Bath KillingsLaw and Order Bloods bath: 38 indicted Thirty-eight reputed members of the Bloods street gang and their associates -- including five involved in the stray-bullet shooting of a 15-year-old girl on her way home from school -- were indicted in The Bronx yesterday on murder-conspiracy (NYP) * Parole for Police Officer’s Killer (NYT) * High-End Boutiques Caught in Robberies (WSJ) *Cheers! 'Lush worker' pickpockets nabbed for subway thefts (DN) * Cyanide-slay hubby (NYP) * 'Evil' widow gets 12 yrs. in hubby hit (NYP) * Cop-killer on the roam (NYP) *Man Charged in Attempted Crown Heights Sex Assaults * Convicted of Murder as Teenager and Paroled at 41 (NYT) Update Sunday Daly: Parole idiots suck up to cop killer Shuaib Raheem * Queens man wrongly jailed for 19 years battles dark past * Brooklyn Rape Suspects Caught On Tape (Fox 5) * Woman dragged into Central Park and raped (NYP)
Abu Monsoor al-Amriki speaks to comrades in the Mujahideen Youth Movement in Somalia.Terrorism NY Immigrant Convicted of Violating Iran Embargo (NYT) * Mosque Plans Roil Towns (NYT) * Report: NYPD Arrests Two N.J. Men With Links To Terror Cell (NY1) * Two New Jersey men with Al Qaeda links nabbed before boarding flights at Kennedy Airport: official(DN) * U.S. ‘Secret War’ Expands - The Washington Post * Two Arrested at Kennedy Airport on Terror Charges (NYT)
Media and New Tech Ziff Davis is sold -- again (NYP) * Brian Williams From Gulf Region: 'It's Groundhog Day' * We’ll Make You a Star (if the Web Agrees) *Rush Limbaugh Weds #4, And Elton John Sings * Rudy Giuliani, Karl Rove, Fred Thompson and Sean Hannity attended Rush Limbaugh’s latest wedding
Israel Ships of fools: Israel has duty and obligation to stop Gaza blockade runners (DN Ed) * Helen Thomas Tells Jews — ‘Get the Hell Out of Palestine’ and Go Back to Germany & Poland *Israeli Navy taunted about Holocaust before 9 killed Sunday Update Israel 'to reject raid inquiry' BBC News * Helen Thomas Dropped By Speaking Agency * Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for a federal investigation into al Qaeda ties to the Turkish flotilla trying to break the Israeli blockade* More Thomas fallout (Politico)
Wall Street and the Economy Hiring Recovery Sputters (WSJ) * Home-Sales Decline Suggests Trouble (WSJ) * Job No. 1 for D.C.: Rising unemployment is the country's biggest challenge (DN Ed) Sunday Update Madoff: 'F*** my victims. I carried them for 20 years, and now I'm doing 150.'
Oil Leak Oil hits Florida: Oily tarballs blot Pensacola beaches (DN) * BP CEO To STEP ASIDE From Spill Cleanup Operations After Numerous Gaffes * White House adjusts to a new normal with oil spill (Washington Post) * In Gulf, It Was Unclear Who Was in Charge of Oil Rig (NYT) * Don’t Get Mad, Mr. President. Get Even.If Mr. Obama is to have a truly transformative presidency, there could be no better catalyst than oil. (Rich NYT)
