Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Board of Elections is the DNA of New York's Corrupt Politics

The Board of Elections is the DNA of New York's Corrupt Politics

Both the NYT and Daily News repeat for the 10,000 time today in their editorials how corrupt the Board of Election is.  How it structure was designed by the Tammany Hall machine.  We know that already. The question the public wants to know is how to fix it.  Six of the past mayors have failed to bring about the need reform and failed.  The problem is the board is tied into the broken political party system which most every election official in this state defends.  Pols support parties not because going against them can drive them from office, but because they find it in their interest not to have any fights, even if those fights can benefit the state and the people they represent with better government.  The real reason the incumbent pols support the BOE that is never discussed in the editorials is that it in most cases the board protects them from challengers, by knocking them off the ballot.  If you want to change the board you going to have to reform the political parties. The last person who tried to do that was Robert Kennedy in 1966.

At the Polls, With Fingers Crossed  The list of failures by New York City’s inept Board of Elections just keeps growing. (NYT Ed) * George Gonzalez was a total, if mercifully brief, disaster as head of the city Board of Elections (DN Ed)*  Mayor Bloomberg: Board Of Elections "Has Not Been Stellar"
* Mayor Mike Tweets His Way Around Incompetent Board of Elections

True News Organized Crime Politics: New York Corrupt Political Parties

 True News BOE Tammany Hall Roots History of BOE Corruption


Governor's Race  Cuomo’s Former Boss, Bill Clinton, Is Also an Admirer (NYT) * Bill Clinton turns on the charm to rally voters for Andrew Cuomo (DN)* Paladino’s Handling of Aunt’s House Involved a Curious Chain of Transactions (NYT)* Paladino Joins Pledge To Not Build Downtown Mosque * Carl Paladino won’t talk about the curious transaction involving his late aunt’s house, which now belongs to his former mistress and mother of his out-of-wedlock child.* Clinton urged Democrats to give Cuomo a “whopping victory” next Tuesday.* WNYC looks at the education agenda of Paladino and Cuomo.*  GOP Targets Senate Control Republicans See Alliance With Cuomo (WSJ) * Cuomo Campaigns Quietly on his Agenda, but Loudly on Paladino's (WNYC) * Clinton Stands Behind Cuomo (NYT) * PEF, CSEA Fire Back Over Layoffs (Updated) * Carl Paladino Lets The Dog Out On NYC Media In WNY Radio Ad »
* Here’s Paladino defending the honor of his dog, Duke, against the evil New York Times.


Term Limits
Poll Shows Wide Term-Limit SupportBy a margin of 65% to 25% (NYT)



Ink By the Barrel
The NYP is doing all it can to knock out Senator sleaze  Sen. Eric Schneiderman.  Today's editorial blames him for AEG by saying he took $76,000 in campaign cash from the very leaders named in Fisch's report. Also connect his ex wife lobby firm Cordo amp; Co to both AEG and the new company running Aqueduct Genting Jennifer Cunningham -- Eric Schneiderman's ex-wife and currently his media strategist and de facto campaign manager. * Flea market vendors lose at Aqueduct  * Staten Island DA Dan Donovan has talked about cracking down on mortgage fraud if he’s elected DA, but doesn’t have much of a record on that.* The Senate Democratic leadership won’t be showing up at today’s Aqueduct racino groundbreaking.*  Aqueduct racino project's minority hirings called into question as groundbreaking day arrives (DN) *  "The Aqueduct racino has long been touted as a project that would hire local minority- and female-owned businesses, but its first such hire is a company from New Jersey," writes our Barbara Ross* Officials To Break Ground On Long-Planned Aqueduct Casino



Madam's 'gay' twist (NYP) * Kristin Davis’ “Vote Homo, Not Cuomo” ad buy is in the modest $40,000 range. * California politicians busted for spending taxpayer money on New York entertainment * "Rent" Candidate Inspires Own Action Figure (NY1) * The Rent Is Too Damn High, the album, debuts on Tuesday

New York Economic Meltdown A jumpin'-tax flash on homes (NYP) City homeowners will soon be reaching into their depleted pockets again, with property-tax bills going up -- even as home prices remain stagnant or are dipping * Mike shouts down noise 'woe' (NYP) * M.T.A. Board Raises Bridge and Tunnel Tolls * Halloween Parade Takes Short Cut(WSJ) * Cash Tolls Increased for Tunnels, Bridges (WSJ)* The state workforce has shrunk by about 5,000 positions, but layoffs are still on the horizon.* Paterson says state will layoff 898 workers * NY Taxpayers Paid $9M For Teachers' Cosmetic Work



Did Rattner Tell Cuomo the Truth About Chooch? 
The power brokers have not been able to game Cuomo to let they agent Steve Rattner off the hook.  The power brokers who are not used to being out of control are sitting and waiting to see what the new Italian American governor does about Rattner part in funding a movie (Chooch) about Italian teens who get drunk in New Mexico and visit some madams who if things don't change could be future candidates for governor of New York. * Attorney General Andrew Cuomo cool to Steve Rattner SEC pension case deal (DN) * The feds are going ahead on a "pay-to-play" settlement with Manhattan moneyman Steve Rattner without the backing of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Tense Call Led to Rattner Legal Standoff A tense phone call helped lead to a standoff between Andrew Cuomo and Steven Rattner in a pay-to-play investigation of the state's public pension fund.
"During that call, previously undisclosed, Mr. Cuomo said he was troubled that Mr. Rattner's former firm only recently had given investigators certain emails relevant to the probe, long after his office first asked for documents. Mr. Cuomo also questioned whether, based on these emails, Mr. Rattner may not have been fully forthcoming in testimony under oath in 2008 before a grand jury, people familiar with the call said. It isn't clear how his lawyers responded at the time. . . .  During that call, previously undisclosed, Mr. Cuomo said he was troubled that Mr. Rattner's former firm only recently had given investigators certain emails relevant to the probe, long after his office first asked for documents. Mr. Cuomo also questioned whether, based on these emails, Mr. Rattner may not have been fully forthcoming in testimony under oath in 2008 before a grand jury, people familiar with the call said. It isn't clear how his lawyers responded at the time." (WSJ)* State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli on the pay-to-play pension fund scandal: “There was a problem with the office. I can’t make that history change, but what I can change is how we’re going to do things in the future.”

Pay to Play Vito  Vito hires lawyer! Embattled lawmaker plots ‘libel’ action


Regrets... Gov. Paterson's Had A Few...


Terrorism  SI 'jihadi' a terror dunce (NYP) * D.C. plotter wanted to kill 'as many Metro riders as possible' (DN) * FBI learned of subway terror suspect in January (NYP)

Law and Order E. Village kidnap attempt (NYP) * 3 charged, 1 cleared in gay-bash (NYP) * Shock vid of murder confession (NYP) * Killer stare-down (NYP) * Childhood Abuse Is Cited for a Convicted Killer of 3 (NYT) * Recalling a New York Character, in Fiction and Real Life Judge Burton B. Roberts (NYT) * Charges Dropped Against Fourth Man in Bronx Antigay Attacks (NYT) * New Case Targets Murder Convicts(WSJ) * Harlem neighborhood lives with fear and tears as deadly gang war rages on (DN) * Teen's body found in bag in Bronx closet (DN) * Six NYPD officers honored after their rough rides (DN) * Stabbed Teen Girl Found In Bronx Apartment (NY1) * NFL great Taylor due back in NY court on rape case * E. Village kidnap attempt (NYP) * Man, woman found shot dead in car in apparent execution near Linden Hill Cemetery in Queens (DN) * Mistrial declared in WABC radio newsman’s death * Activist wants guns behind bodega counters (NYP)



Media and New Tech  President skewered by Jon Stewart in 'Daily Show' interview (NYP) * Hits are missed: Cablevision, Fox talks strike out (NYP) * Cablevision Fails to Break Impasse(WSJ) * “Client 9″ screened in NYC, but Eliot Spitzer didn’t show. * Pres. Obama Disputes Charge His Administration Has Been Legislatively “Timid” On The Daily Show * Did Gawker Go Too Far On Alleged Christine O’Donnell One-Night Stand Story? * Video map: A ghoulish campaign season



Who Will Control Congress?