Liberals across cyberspace cheered Thursday when Sen. Al Franken declined to give Sen. Joe Lieberman an additional two minutes to drone on about amendments to the Senate healthcare provision he is single-handledly making worse. Talking Points Memo got the video, here it is.
On "Hardball" today, Chris Matthews asked me whether I thought it was merely a procedural move -- Senate leadership released a statement saying all senators had been asked to hasten the debate -- or whether it was political. I said it was political, and it was a "satisfying" moment for liberals, since President Obama's team has spent time vilifying Howard Dean for opposing the bill, but hasn't said word one about Lieberman hijacking it. (I also say more about why I oppose Dean's call to kill the bill.) Here's the video:
Polls show he’s more than 40 points behind Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary, he’s got next to no friends left in Albany and, in all likelihood, he’ll be shown to have raised embarrassingly little money for a sitting governor at the next filing deadline in January.
So when he remains on the attack, going out of his way to antagonize the Legislature as he grapples with a projected $9 billion budget deficit; and when he continues to joke confidently at public appearances as if he doesn’t have a care in the world; and when he says he running for governor no matter what—is it a prideful bluff? Is it a deluded but genuine commitment to making the race? Or is it something else entirely?
After all, any reasonable analysis of conventional political mores, historical precedent and the current political climate in New York tells us that it’s all the result of a rational calculation, and that the governor is doing exactly what he has to do.
“If he’s not in the hunt, it diminishes his capacity to do his job,” said Gerald Benjamin, a professor of political science at SUNY New Paltz. “He has to stay in the hunt, even if he’s not. The minute he announces he’s a lame duck, he’s a lame duck.”
But other people in Democratic politics aren’t sure.
“It’s strange,” said Bill Montfort, chairman of the Warren County Democratic Party. “It’s strange that he keeps pressing on. But hey, you know, Spitzer thinks that he can make a comeback, too. I don’t know. I have no idea. Nobody’s committing to anything, even Andrew isn’t saying anything. Nobody’s committing to anything because they’re waiting to see what this guy does, and he keeps going forward.”
“He thinks he can turn this around,” said Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf. “But look at Andrew Cuomo’s numbers. How does he even get close?”
Certainly, the governor isn’t acting like a politician who’s too worried about his standing in the polls.
At a ceremony last Friday, when he signed a bill to provide more oversight of public authorities, he stood in front of a blue curtain at his Manhattan office, joined by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as well as the bill’s sponsors: Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Westchester County Democrat, and State Senator Bill Perkins, who holds the Harlem seat that Mr. Paterson vacated when he became lieutenant governor in 2007.
Mr. Silver seemed more dour than usual. That morning’s Post contained a report of Mr. Paterson’s saying he would urinate “when the Legislature is under me.” (Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Mr. Paterson, later said the quote was inaccurate. “Cindy asked the governor if he has pissed off anyone lately, and he said ‘probably the Legislature.’”) He had been denouncing lawmakers on talk radio for shirking their responsibility to address a midyear deficit, though members of Mr. Silver’s chamber had quietly been ready to support some of Mr. Paterson’s more severe proposals. The theme was repeated later in the week, when Mr. Paterson gave a speech to business leaders on Wall Street about his fiscal initiatives.
“So you were hanging out in my district,” Mr. Silver grumbled next to a live microphone. “I heard you’re going back somewhere else Monday, to Wall Street? The Stock Exchange? I own that.”
“You own the Stock Exchange?” Mr. Paterson shot back. “Well, I have to make sure to have you come along.”
Mr. Silver laughed disingenuously and the event began. Mr. Paterson’s opening paragraph mentioned that Mr. Brodsky—long a champion of authority oversight—could now “die in peace.”
Mr. Brodsky looked stunned, turning directly to Mr. Paterson and saying, “Happy Hanukkah to you, Governor.” Reached by phone later, Mr. Brodsky declined to speak about the incident. (Later, in a phone interview, Mr. Brodsky said, “David uses humor for a number of purposes—because he likes to laugh, as a rhetorical tool, to make a point and sometimes as a defense mechanism. And it works most of the time. People who try to read stuff into the successful or failed jokes are not sensible and not fair to him.”)
“It seems like he’s taken some gloves off,” said Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright, the chairman of the Manhattan Democratic Party. “You have to be yourself, and I think he’s being more of himself.”
And “himself” is, according to several people close to the governor, a person who works best under pressure and pushes back when pushed. It is not desperation, the people insist, despite Mr. Paterson’s occasionally erratic behavior. He is still fighting, with the perceived futility of his efforts seen (but not publicly admitted) by some of his closest allies but not by him. In fact, said one person who has seen Mr. Paterson recently, he has made the switch into “serious campaign mode.”
“I think his head’s in a good place, and what I mean by that is that I think he’s geared up to run and he knows what it’s going to take for him to be a winner come next year,” said Bill Lynch, a political consultant who advises Mr. Paterson. “That’s not a change. I think he’s always been there, as far as I’m concerned. He’s just stepping up his game.” As much as he can. After last Wednesday’s Wall Street speech, Mr. Paterson held a fund-raiser at 24 Fifth, a cozy venue where he mingled with lobbyists over smoked salmon and soft licks from a jazz trio.
“I am running for governor in 2010!” Mr. Paterson told the room, according to someone in it. “If it doesn’t work out, I’m going to go on The View. They need a little affirmative action on The View.”
“I think the governor is focused on leading the state out of the fiscal crisis, and is concentrating all of his energies on that effort, and I think he is obviously reaching out and trying to give people confidence in his ability to lead the state through a very difficult time,” said Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City, who was at the fund-raiser.
After the event, Mr. Paterson adjourned to the nearby Cru with several high-dollar contributors for a “Champagne toast.”
It’s unclear the extent to which this rage at legislators, too, is calculated. Mr. Paterson has trumpeted it for the past several weeks, hoping to increase his standing in the polls by picking on the only group less popular than himself. But it is rooted, too, in animosity dating to this summer. Mr. Paterson blasted senators for a crippling leadership struggle, and they blasted back. One accused the governor of selling “woof tickets.” Another, Kevin Parker, called Mr. Paterson a “coke-snorting, staff-banging governor.”
“I think that David was very, for want of a better word, hurt that the Senate blamed him for some of their internal problems back in July. I think that there’s a certain level of, I think he’s still smarting there from their anger. But I don’t think that really shows,” said Mr. Wright. “He’s issued all the clarion calls, and he didn’t quite get it, and I don’t think he really understands why they don’t get the severity.”
His repeated attacks suggest more than pure calculation. After his interactions with Messrs. Silver and Brodsky, Mr. Paterson went on the radio Sunday and called legislators “liars.” He then returned to the blue-curtained briefing room to announce he was stalling payments to schools and local governments. It was the legislators’ fault.
And so the attacks continued.
“The reality is that they only temporarily delayed the day of reckoning that has now come today,” Mr. Paterson said. “The question is, who is going to wake up and face reality, and who is going to keep sleeping on the job.”
And so, for now, does the campaign.
“He doesn’t give up,” Mr. Sheinkopf said, with a note of pathos. “He doesn’t give up. Not his nature.” jveilkind@observer.com
“I am proud of the members of the Bronx City Council delegation for standing together and voting against this development project, and I am happy to see that so many City Council members from other boroughs were willing to join us. This is not the outcome we wanted. We presented the City and the developer with a very reasonable community benefits agreement, yet they did not want to accept our terms. Unfortunately, we were forced to oppose this project because of their collective unwillingness to negotiate.
“It is no longer an acceptable business model to allow billionaire companies to take major tax breaks to do business in our borough while they create little more than part-time, low wages jobs without benefits or much chance for advancement. What we wanted all along was to have the Armory developed in such a way that not only the developer and the tenants benefit, but also the people of the borough of the Bronx. What today's vote confirms is that we can no longer support any project that only ensures profits for the developer while leaving our residents in poverty.
“This administration, and all future administrations, must understand that we are partners in government, and we must work together to develop an agenda for this borough and this City. In the coming months we will examine the future of the Kingsbridge Armory, and I look forward to speaking with all interested parties on moving ahead with a new project,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Senate Transportation chair Martin Malave Dilan is royally cheesed off at not being apprised of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s potential $340 million budget gap, which is developing roughly seven months after the governor and Legislature hashed out a bailout plan for the authority.
Using extremely blunt language, Dilan’s letter to chairman Jay Walder notes his worry that this more recent communication breakdown is indicative of a bad case of same-old-same-old, and sends the message that MTA CFO Gary Dellaverson might need to let the press office handle the media relations.
On the plus side, he suggests that a contentious relationship would be good for newspaper revenues.
The full text:
Dear Chairman Walder:
I am writing you today to discuss the unfortunate circumstances regarding my lack of notification of budgetary shortfalls within the Metropolitan Transportation Agency. Specifically, I find it disappointing that members of your staff would notify the media, while excluding my colleagues and I in the Legislature.
To be clear, my sentiments are not rooted within the action of notifying the press, I simply believe your organization should provide the Legislature with the same consideration we have provided you. Both, prior to your arrival, with the new revenue package advanced in May, and throughout your nomination process, we have continually relied and agreed upon the importance of an open dialogue. I am disappointed that your commitment to an openness within the MTA and initiating a new era of accountability and transparency has not begun to take shape.
It is an affront to our burgeoning partnership, often discussed in previous months, to exclude us from this critical information. Additionally, it is difficult to think that our exclusion was not simply a matter of being overlooked. One can only conclude that by going to the press first, your organization was in fact using the media to once again stir the bees’ nest, rallying fears of insufficient funding and potential fare increases and service cuts.
In conclusion, this occurrence reflects my greatest fear regarding the MTA. It appears, even under new leadership, that business will continue as usual with Gary Dellaverson assuming the additional role of press secretary for the MTA. Instead of a cooperative exchange of thoughts and information, we may be left with an adversarial relationship played out in the press. While this may be good for newspaper revenues, it will not be good for the State of New York or for the state of the MTA.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your response.
During the 60's, 70's and early 80's the symbol of decay driving business and people out of the city was the subway. The delay, broken trains, dirty stations, homeless not to mention the graffiti sent a message that the city downfall was our of control. Now after two decades of an complete makeover that worked, signs are pointing to a return to the subways bad old days. New Yorkers know that the subway are the life blood of the city. They also know like any good doctor that once those veins become deceased the body will soon die. New Yorker have been watching a state government which would drain even the most hopefu, fail to save the MTA from Doomsday Cuts. Now after the state bailout that raised taxi fees and taxes to freelance workers the state last week poured oil on the fire when it grabbed $143 million from the transit agency to fill its own massive budget gaps. The broken promises did not end with the elected officials Two weeks ago the new MTA chairmanJay Waldertold us there would be no fare hike in 2010. Now with the crap Albany put in place just 7 months ago, increasing everything from rental cars to cab fees and adding a payroll tax to save the MTA from doomsday service cuts, we are told they did not raise enough cash. The MTA needs a bailout from its bailout and the MTA looks to slash many bus routes, cut W, Z subway lines. We have not even talk about the fact that the 25 billion capital budget the MTA needs to keep the subway in good condition is unfunded. On May 4th after the failed bailout plan was announced GOV: LET'S DEAL WITH MTA CAPITAL BUDGET LATER * Molinaro on the M.T.A.: 'We're Screwed' , 2nd Avenue Subway Sickness? Will the subways decline again and trigger another mass exodus of the city? This time we not only have to deal with service cuts. We have to deal with a state government and MTA that the public no longer believes is telling the truthMaybe the MTA should hire lucky Leo to raise revenue?Man Makes $45K Yearly on Discarded Betting SlipsClueless Subway Goo GoosDon't Help How in the world can good government group leader and media star Gene Russianoff say the best thing to happen to the MTA was the bailout when we now know the bailout has failed, the 25 billion capital budget is unfunded and the raise in fees and taxes are driving business and the middle class out? Best and Worst in NYC Transit in 2009 , Dilan to MTA: Keep me in the loop, or else , Nicole Gelinas suggests service cuts that hit key state lawmakers' districts.
The NYT Can Break the Albany Wall Of Silence Today All the NYT has to do is ask questions to the leaders of Albany. They can even email the same question to all the elected officials. Why not use the excellent information that the U.S. Attorney who got Bruno Andrew Baxter said about the state's ethics and disclosure laws. He said Albany covers it tracks so well that is make it much harder for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute public corruption involving state officials. There's just so little transparency in the legislative process that it takes an enormous amount of time and effort to uncover what really happened." We like to see the NYT asked everyone in Albany why they operate in secrecy like organize crime and the only the only time transparency comes into play is when they make campaign promises to do more of it during election time. Meanwhile the U.S. Attorney is still looking at the legislature
Everything Changes from Day One A reunion tour that despite rumors will not be sponsored by former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg Gov on comptrol race: Spitz fits! *** A Lie from A Public Spokeman, Shocking State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is "not concerned about who runs against him" in 2010, according to a spokesman It not good to lie when the top deputy controller is involved in a corruption investigation. Is this all there is to journalism in 2010, the press filling out copy on their pages with BS from flacks? * The jury is still out on whether the stimulus cash created jobs, DiNapoli said during a stop in Binghamton.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced today that he cannot and will not support any agreement on the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment proposal that does not include a mandatory living wage component for retail workers at the site, and is urging the City Council to defeat the plan when it comes up for a vote on Monday.
“From the first day I got involved in the issue of the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, I made it crystal clear that I would not support this project unless it included a guarantee that the employees at the future retail center would be paid a living wage. Though the wage supplement provisions that the Bloomberg administration has put forward represent a major step forward compared to our negotiations six months ago, there is no guarantee. With that said, I will continue to oppose this project, and I urge the members of the City Council to do the same,” said Borough President Diaz.
Though Borough President Diaz will not support any agreement that does not include a mandatory living wage provision, it should be noted that many aspects of the proposed deal would not have been possible without the advocacy of the borough president, community leaders and other Bronx elected officials.
“I am proud of the work that my office did to negotiate a strong community benefits agreement for this project that would offer the best possible benefits for the people of the Bronx. But the current proposals fall short of our stated goals, and I cannot, in good conscience, support this deal. I hope that the City Council will join me in opposition and vote this project down,” said Borough President Diaz.
Borough President Diaz called on the City Council to pass a living wage mandate in the new year for City-subsidized projects, and urged the State Legislature to pass a statewide IDA reform bill. Both pieces of legislation would require projects that receive taxpayer funding to pay employees a living wage.
The financial and economic trauma of 2008-9 challenges us to ask:where have we been, where are we now and where are we going?
Pundits who in 2007 didn’t have a clue about what we faced now write authoritatively of its causes; learned journals debate the future of capitalism; and public confidence in short-term and mid-term economic forecasts ranks below confidence in weather forecasts.Most distressing, there has been little informed and thoughtful discussion of what precautions we should take to diminish the prospects of such upheavals from occurring again and again; and the foxes may remain in charge of the hen house.
Many turn to economic icons for insights.John Maynard Keynes, Milton Friedman and Joseph Schumpeter were smarter than theirdisciples realize, however;Keynes was not a Socialist, Friedman was not an anti-government anarchist and Schumpeter knew that not all business destruction is necessarily creative.Significantly, each would have been horrified to see how our Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) have today become Creatively Realigned Accounting Principles (CRAP)!
Home mortgages given to borrowers with no down payment and income insufficient to cover debt service; Triple A bond ratings given to securities of dubious value; 30 to 1 leveraged loans given to shaky borrowers; derivative packages and credit default swaps so opaque that even George Soros and Warren Buffett said they didn’t understand them—all would have been decried, without reference to profound economic theories.
The economic nightmare we are going through represents a failure not of capitalism but of capitalists and their enablers.The colossal short-sightedness of our financial system’s referees and scorekeepers—the Federal Reserve, the Treasury and the S.E.C.—has permitted shrewd gamblers to manipulate the system to their benefit and everyone else’s loss; and now we are left with the wreckage.
The savings glut in emerging economies, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s prolonged easy money policy in the early 2000’s and Washington’s anti-regulatory climate set the stage for increased leverage and for asset bubbles that were bound to burst.Political pressure on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—and the all but criminal failure of rating agencies to assess risk properly—combined to bring the international financial system to its knees, and, in 2008, to cost U.S. households some $11 trillion—18% of their wealth.
Our vibrant, dynamic free market economy has taken a savage and unnecessary pounding, and much pain will be endured before we regain healthy long-term growth.
The housing crisis seems to be easing somewhat today, although nearly three million home mortgages are in payment default and an estimated 15 million U.S. homes are worth less than their mortgages.Diminished new construction, normal population growth and a drop of 30% so far in nationwide housing prices since their peak in May 2006 will in due course bring housing markets back to equilibrium.
But a fearful storm in commercial real estate still looms, and the federal government and the financial world seem in a state of nervous wishful-thinking.
Deutsche Bank estimates at $1.7 trillion the total value of short-term commercial loans on banks’ books (some 25% of the assets of the average institution), and Deutsche Bank analysts estimate that as many as three quarters of the loans taken out in 2007 (“the most toxic vintage”) will have trouble rolling over.Others place at $1.4 trillion commercial real estate loans falling due between now and 2012 with uncertain prospects of renewal.The Federal Reserve believes that banks are grossly under-reserved for these loans, at 38 cents on the dollar.
Commercial foreclosures are being avoided.“Extend and Pretend” or “Delay and Pray” is the governmental/banking response, with new accounting rules and low interest rates fuelinghopes that maybe, maybe, time will permit some alchemy to “transform baser metal into gold.”In the meantime, no one knows what this means about the health of the banking system.
Giving solvent but hard-pressed borrowers elbow room is one thing, keeping “zombies” standing is another; and a distinction should be drawn.
Today, while federal authorities deserve high praise for working energetically to prevent a financial Crash from turning into another Great Depression, unemployment is over 10% and going higher, frightened consumers are increasing their savings and curtailing unnecessary purchases, government (federal, state and municipal) is running staggering deficits that must be faced eventually, and our fragile banking system is unable or unwilling to provide the liquidity our economy needs.
The current “jobless recovery”—fueled by massive government spending on “cash for clunkers,” tax credits for home buyers, expanded unemployment benefits, etc.—is dependent on such stimuli and may peter out as those diminish.And no one knows to what extent newly-replenished inventories will find retail purchasers.
Governmental authorities are caught between the Scylla and Charybdis of short-term fear of destructive deflation and long-term disastrous inflation.We will undoubtedly muddle through, with a “best case” being continuing high unemployment, low growth and some painful dislocation for a few years, or we may face a “worst case” that our experts prefer not to consider.
The dynamism, creativity and entrepreneurial exuberance that stoke capitalism’s powerful engines for growth tend to reinforce each other to speculative excess.Economic stagnation, on the other hand, results from excessive efforts to dampen those necessary “animal spirits.”Others feel that a proper balance between savings, investment, production and consumption is the key to economic health, and that Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” needs occasional outside guidance.
In any case, the capitalistic goose that lays our golden eggs must be kept healthy and safe.“Systemic risk” was not lessened by the Federal Reserve’s mandate to use monetary policy to maintain stable prices and full employment.The S.E.C., like Claude Raines in the old film Casablanca, was “shocked, absolutely shocked” to find forbidden gambling going on under their noses.The F.D.I.C. was oblivious to conditions in the banking world, and the Treasury Department just helped everyone to “do their thing.”
The crucial question is what steps we can take to permit us to benefit from a free market economy’s vigor yet not be burned by its excesses; the outlook is not clear.The financial services industry’s powerful lobbyists, the strongest in Washington, seem poised to stymie efforts that deal with causes of crises rather than symptoms.Memories in Washington are short, and “business as usual” is likely to be the order of the day.
In the immediate future, we must revive the economy; in the intermediate future, we must return to balanced budgetsand then “grow” our way out of the huge debts we are accruing; and in the longer future we must preclude such debacles from occurring repeatedly.
What should be done, and by whom?
1)“Too big to fail” is a problem that must be faced.Both explicit and implied government guarantees justify reasonable regulation, transparency, substantial capital reserves, modest leverage, and fair compensation practices (such as “claw backs”) to a greater degree than in the past; and, for those who do not want such guarantees, orderly bankruptcy proceedings must be accepted and anticipated as capitalism’s answer to incompetent management or bad luck.
2)Since the purpose of government regulation is to protect the saving and investing public and the productive business sector, and not to protect financial wheeler-dealers, we must rethink the distinction between savings institutions and gambling houses.Glass-Steagall, where were you when we needed you?Consumer protection groups, wake up!
3)The demagogues who promoted sub-prime mortgages cynically invoked the American Dream of home ownership, when they really meant the American Dream of “getting rich quick,” which usually doesn’t work.Renting rather than home-ownership is appropriate for many families, and this must be acknowledged frankly.A 60% rate of home ownership seems to be stable, a 70% rate seems unsustainable.
4)The multi-trillion dollar derivatives and credit default swaps industry must be subject to transparency requirements and reasonable regulation.Opaque markets lead to abuse of investors and to insider hanky-panky.
5)The “naked short selling” (selling shares one hasn’t borrowed) that destroyed Bear Stearns and Lehman Bros. should be prohibited. “Exchange Traded Funds” and “Dollar Carry Trades,” whose bursting bubbles can be widely destructive, require greater transparency and reasonable regulation.
6)Some form of continuing responsibility by the issuers of securitized debt (for the protection of purchasers and to dampen the fee-induced issuance of junk) must be considered.
7)Financial services industry compensation and bonuses should relate to long-term, not short-term results (and that, ideally, should be true of U.S. business generally).
8)The abject failure of the securities rating institutions must be acknowledged and dealt with.“Let the buyer beware” is not good enough for the 21st century.
9)The Prompt Corrective Action law, which called on the FDIC to rate banks with regard to the level of capitalization and which empowered the FDIC to intervene forcefully with “Critically Under Capitalized Banks,” should be reinstituted.
Finally, and most important:
10)We must decide which vehicle or vehicles are to be entrusted with the oversight of systemic risk to the entire financial system and its major components.The ancient Romans loved the phrase “Who shall guard the guardians?”The question remains today, and the answer may be “more than one.”A central bank independent of short-term political pressure is “necessary” but it might not be “sufficient.”
Can our governmental figures stop acting like politicians and start acting like statesmen? Can the financial services industry adjust its incentives to encourage constructive rather than destructive actions?Above all, can the American public, obsessed with rights rather than responsibilities and entitlements rather than obligations, accept a revised tax system that encourages increased savings, investment and production and moderately less personal consumption, with more emphasis on public goods over private, and more long-term thinking rather than short-term?
Furthermore, can we reduce oil consumption, get more value from health care spending, and end electoral gerrymandering so as to strengthen “the vital center” and to reduce the power of ideologues from the left or right? Finally, can we face frankly our unfunded obligations of Social Security and Medicare which now are into the many trillions of dollars?
Albany Cannot Fix Itself; If Sex Sells Newspapers Why Not the True News Blog?
Today's NYDN story of the two female teachers caught naked by the school janitor in a classroom not only would make a great porn movie (staring Tiger's Holly Sampson) it shows how New York's tabloids are trying to sell newspapers. Every day the DN and NYP turn over their main news pages to this burning issue. Putting babes on has worked for fox and the news programs why not for the dying newspaper business.Language teachers AliniBrito, Cindy Mauro caught by janitor having naked romp in HS classroom
Throw the Albany Bums Out NYP Editorial says the Only Way to Fix Albany is for incumbents to lose. They point out have Albany cleverly uses member item funds to get reelected. It was very interesting that members of Bruno's jury said their were reluctant to convict because the former majority leader of the senate did so much for their community. Bruno just understood what Tammany leaders like George Washington Plunkett tough over a hundred years ago that you can get away with graft if you give something back to the community. Plunkett did not have to deal with the federal "honest services" law which unfortunately is being challenged by other crooks in the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile the Albany cesspool looks for ways to get over this new conviction * Assemblyman: Bruno shows what is wrong with NY * Senator Bruno’s Legacy (NYT Ed)
They understand the lesson on how to keep a corrupt system going of another Tammany leader, Boss Tweed. ""The appearance of law must be upheld, especially when it's being broken." A nonsense bill to ban the use of state workers for personal business is being sold in the media as the magic pill to reform Albany. Brian McLaughlin nor Tony Seminario never used a person worker. Hank Morris was Hevesi political consultant not a staff member. Both Daniel Squadron and Eric Schneiderman have turned into grandmas pressure cooker as they try to decrease public anger with fake reforms Bruno scandal sparks new sleaze bill * Meaningless unless there is strong enforcement, according to some. (BN)Albany is so cocky with their ability to get away with everything they might not even past meaningless reforms In Albany, a Legislature Indifferent, if Not Averse, to Ethics Rules New York State’s ethics laws do not do much to deter corruption. Rather, they often enable it and even help conceal it from the public Need change of ethics in Albany, says Bruno juror The media is so clueless Albany lawmakers are working on it. (NYS Public Radio/ AP) True News wrote about the media cluelessness to the cause of the Albany corruption a year ago When Watchdogs Don't Bite
Today's NYP Editorial understand the lasting power of Albany's Incumbent Protection Society Real Problem: Incumbents are re-elected literally 98 percent of the time, not Bruno followed the lack of laws (TU) "Albany's real problem isn't so much that lawmakers take bribes, but that they give them. Using tax dollars. This year alone, they spent $170 million in public funds on "member items" -- pork-barrel projects -- intended chiefly to buy votes in their districts. And they routinely appropriate hundreds of millions in pension and work-rule sweeteners for public-employee unions, while lavishing billions more on New York's well-connected health-care cartel. n the wake of the Bruno trial come sincere calls for tougher ethics laws. But corruption is embedded in Albany's DNA -- it's systemic, pervasive and quite impervious to the quick fix. Change won't come without a cleansing of the political establishment -- a process voters may well have begun last month by booting some entrenched pols, like Westchester Executive Andrew Spano and Nassau Executive Tom Suozzi. If that continues, there's hope. If it doesn't -- well, there isn't. It's that simple." (NYP Ed) The Albany cesspool
Bloomberg's MatrixMayor Fights Over Power, Not Money NYT JIM DWYER does a good job of showing up what the reason for the fight between the Bloomberg and the Manhattan DA. For the last two weeks the media master mayor used the press to attack Morgenthau on a fake issue, bank accounts. "Some weeks back, the state attorney general’s office sent the city a request for records of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, one of these invisible public agencies wearing the costume gowns of a nonprofit operation. The attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, was looking into a report that the city, through the Economic Development Corporation, was the source of funds for lobbyists who helped persuade the City Council to condemn land in Willets Point, Queens. It is illegal for a not-for-profit corporation to use city money for lobbying" (DwyerNYT) Bloomberg's campaign issue that he has improved the school system, while it has not been discredited is in trouble because of test scores Fuzzy math behind NY test gains: criticsNew York City fourth- and eighth-graders have made little if any improvement since 2007 on the "gold standard" national math test * National Test Scores Show Stalled Progress For City Kids
