And we were supposed to believe Senate Democrats were sincerely interested in reforming lax and poorly enforced ethics rules in Albany?

The fiscal crisis didn’t stop Democrats from increasing the Senate payroll 5% after grabbing control of the chamber in January, the Daily News has learned.

The annual Senate payroll is now $63.2 million, up from $60.3 million at the end of last year, state records show.

Senate GOP spokesman John McArdle said at the same time the Dems cut funding for the Republican minority by 58%.

“They have decided this is about patronage, this is about building a political organization with government funds,” McArdle said.

Tags: Albany, ethics, reform

While there has been more attention on Mickey Kearns’s futile effort to oust Byron Brown in the Democrat primary, those of us on the other side of the aisle have our own useless election to pay attention to. It is so useless in fact that Buffalo Republicans have selected a “place-holder” candidate, who way or may not be the candidate in November, while they wait for serious candidates who are contemplating running a losing battle.

Buffalo Republicans Wednesday voted to put businessman Rick Gattone’s name on designating petitions for mayor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be their candidate in November.

Buffalo GOP Chairman Dennis V. Ryan said today his mayoral search is still very much in progress, and that Gattone’s name was inserted on petitions now on the street to “hold the line” while others considering the race make their decisions.

“To start the petition process, Rick was one of several people willing to put their name on petitions until we find a candidate,” Ryan said. “None were serious candidates.”

Ryan acknowledged the possibility that Gattone eventually could emerge as the Republican candidate, but said the party is still talking to other potential entries in the race.

Well, maybe the Republican option will be more attractive after another term of fail leadership from Byron Brown.

Tags: Byron Brown, Mickey Kearns, Rick Gattone

When I heard the news on the radio earlier today, I have to admit I was actually quite conflicted.

The State Senate was rocked today when two Democratic renegade senators broke from the party ranks and joined a surprise — and successful — move by Republicans to retake control of the 62-member chamber.

As 30 Democrats streamed out of the chamber, 30 Republicans and the two renegades remained and — despite lights being turned off, Internet service being shut down and a brief attempt by guards to clear the ornate chamber — wrestled control from the Democrats who took over the Senate in January after seven decades of GOP dominance.

The 32 lawmakers immediately elected Sen. Pedro Espada, a Bronx Democrat, as president of the body and Sen. Dean Skelos, a Nassau County Republican, as majority leader. Skelos had been majority leader when the Senate flipped to Democratic control six months ago.

“This is a coalition,” Espada said, insisting he remains a Democrat. He predicted more Democrats will join their cause in the coming days.

As a former Massachusetts resident, i’ve seen firsthand how one-party rule can damage a state. So, in the short term, I do see the short term benefit to giving Republicans control of the senate again, and particularly ending Malcolm Smith’s brief moment in the leadership. I believe in checks and balances, so in that respect, I can say “this is good.”

But, I don’t like deals like this that swing control back and forth. I didn’t like it when Jim Jeffords bailed on the Republican Party in 2001 by becoming an independent and giving Democrats an unelected majority status in the U.S. Senate. New York voters chose to give Democrats control of the Senate last year, they see it through, and decide in the next election if it was really worth it. I think they were starting to see that the Democrats aren’t the party of the people, and now that message may get muddled.

Also, I wonder if this will actually hurt the Republican Party in the long run, particularly in the next election. I suspect that most won’t look favorably on this switch of power by parliamentary coup and the Republican Party opened itself up to being the scapegoat of what will likely been seen as an unpopular power grab.

It may have been more beneficial to the Republican Party to leave things be, and let the state Democratic Party implode on account of its own corruption, lack of leadership, and disunity.

David Paterson’s popularity — or more accurately, lack thereof — already put him at odds with his party. The typical one-party-rule rubber stamp situation doesn’t quite apply here. But, that being said, the presence of one-party rule with an unpopular governor would have been a better situation for Senate Republicans to paint an effective election-year narrative for change and accountability. Before this switch, Democrats effectively owned every hot button issue out of Albany, especially high taxes, and wasteful spending.

Senator Bill Stachowski, undeniably on the Republicans’ hit list in the next election, was an easier target with Democrats in power, and had been making a habit of abusing taxpayer dollars as a result of newfound powers granted by majority status.

Then there’s the fact the Democratic Party, which was reportedly “on the brink of an all- out civil war,” now has something to unite them, as all of their internal struggles are forgotten. I think they strategy of divide and conquer would have been far more effective at producing electoral victories to not only bring Republicans back in power, but to keep them in power, and bring balance back to state government.

So, I can’t say this Republican is jumping for joy right now.  The Democrats were doing fine being their own worst enemy, this power switch has given them a rallying point.

UPDATE: Paterson is outraged…

Tags: Bill Stachowski, corruption, David Paterson, Malcolm Smith, State Senate, taxes

It is quite disturbing that Governor Paterson would sign legislation that lets drug offenders’ criminal records remain sealed, protecting them from background checks, which means that these offenders could get hired as school teachers, without the school, or parents, ever knowing. But, what is even more disturbing is that Paterson doesn’t seem to care about that concern.

At the weekly open leaders meeting called by David Paterson, Minority Leader Dean Skelos spent over 15 minutes raging about a proposal that would make it easier to seal the records of some drug offenders, but David Paterson held firm
.
“Just so you’re aware, Senator, I can only speak for myself: I signed the bill, I read the bill, and I’m aware of the section of the bill,” Paterson said. “There was no unintended consequence on my part.”

He said that the idea was to allow people fighting drug addictions to get back into the work force in places where a drug offense would be a hindrance. Paterson pointed out that no violent offenders are eligible to have their records sealed.

Republicans object to the provision because it would permit drug offenders to get jobs they previously wouldn’t have been able to get because of background checks, like in schools.

So, this ought to have you asking yourself, if you’d be okay with a former drug offender being in a job, like a teacher, that allows him or her to be in regular contact with your kids? Paterson doesn’t think you have the right to know What if you own a business, don’t you think you have the right to know if the person you are about to hire has such a record?

Tags: David Paterson, Dean Skelos

…happen to be mostly Democrats.

As Brooklyn Sen. Kevin Parker joins the growing list of indicted state lawmakers, it’s time to face a disturbing fact.

The vast majority of Albany’s crime wave can be traced to one group: New York City Democrats.

Of the 18 elected officials in state government charged with crimes since 2003, no fewer than 16 have hailed from the five boroughs, and 15 carry a “D” after their names in the newspaper.

Those appalling numbers get even more lopsided when you factor in the most infamous perp of all, Eliot (Love Gov) Spitzer. He was never formally accused of patronizing prostitutes but resigned in disgrace anyway.

The rap sheet is especially disturbing at this juncture in the state’s history, because this same crime-prone group happens to monopolize the three major levers of power:

Gov. Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver are from Manhattan, and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is from Queens.

According to Bill Hammond, the author of the editorial, Republicans need to “start connecting dots for voters, paint Democrats as the party of corruption and start winning elections again.” I agree that the state GOP needs to do a better job connecting the dots, but I am far less convinced that the Democrat voters care all that much about corruption to boot out the bad apples.

Across the country, Democrats have been elected and reelected despite their corruption. Some of the most infamous include Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) back in the 1980s, who was revealed to have had an affair with an underage male congressional page. HE was reelected six times afterwards until he retired. Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-IL) had an affair with an underage campaign worker, and was still reelected with 90% of his district standing behind him. He was later convicted on a number of charges, and his sentence was commuted by Bill Clinton. Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) who was finally defeated last year, had been previously reelected despite on ongoing bribery scandal, which had already seen several of his colleagues and aides go down.

These are just a few examples of a party that more than willing declare Republicans guilty until proven innocent (and still guilty anyway) but willingly turn a blind eye to corruption in their party.

So, as much as I’d like to believe the Democrat voters of New York would ever vote out the corrupt Democrats in Albany they’ve been reelecting for years, I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Tags: Albany, corruption, scandal

I never believed the the federal stimulus plan would have any long term benefit to the economy. It didn’t take long for Obama’s bogus promise that the stimulus would prevent the unemployment rate from going above 8 percent to be proven wrong. But, seriously, if the money is supposed to be used for things that create jobs, then that’s what it should go to… not crap like this.

It was supposed to be a federal stimulus project that would create jobs in Central New York, rebuild local infrastructure and help clean up Onondaga Lake.

The $120,000 in economic stimulus money set aside for Onondaga Lake will “improve the quality of life for residents in the area,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said last month.

At the same time, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., predicted the lake project “will create jobs across the region and promote long-term economic growth.”

It turns out none of it was true — except for the amount of taxpayer money involved.

The $120,000 will not rebuild infrastructure. It will not build anything. It won’t even clean up a single drop of the polluted lake.

The money — included in the $4.6 billion in federal stimulus funds headed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — will pay to print a pamphlet about the lake cleanup, Army Corps officials say. Even then, the “State of the Lake” report won’t be completely new, according to Lynn Greer, the Onondaga Lake outreach coordinator for the Buffalo District of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The federal money will pay to update and reprint a 16-page color pamphlet from 2001, which updated the original version published in 1992.

One can only wonder just how much has been wasted…

Tags: Charles Schumer, infrastructure, Kirsten Gillibrand, Lynn Greer, Onondaga Lake, stimulus, taxpayer, wasteful spending

Governor Paterson’s quest for political survival tests his party’s loyalty, and, according to the New York Post, has the Democratic Party  ”on the brink of an ‘all- out civil war’ as unelected Gov. Paterson desperately fights to hold an office few think he can win at the polls next year,”

The battle lines are pitting Paterson, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, a Paterson appointee, and several party functionaries against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic leaders of the Legislature, and state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who had a serious and unexpected public clash with the governor on Friday. 

“It’s become ‘Groundhog Day’ with Paterson. His disasters just keep repeating themselves,” was how one of the state’s best-known Democrats put it. 

 Cuomo, the highly popular son of former governor Mario Cuomo, is gearing up to run for governor next year and is seen by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and other senior legislative Democrats as their party’s strongest standard-bearer.

Paterson, with desperately low public-approval ratings and a penchant for blunders, is seen, by contrast, as so weak that his presence on the ticket could put Republicans back in control of the state Senate and, in what many Democrats view as the ultimate horror, guarantee the election of Rudy Giuliani as the state’s next governor.

If tensions are high in the state Democratic Party, the only loser here is Governor Paterson, who will be thrown under the bus quicker than Barack Obama can free captured terrorists at GItmo. If the party thinks Paterson presence on the ticket automatically boosts Republicans — and it might — then they force him out however they can. It doesn’t matter that he soft-launched his campaign a few weeks ago, he’s a goner… and the longer he waits the worse it will be for him.

Tags: David Paterson, New York Democrats, New York Post

A new SIena poll shows that leaving New York State isn’t just for the wealthy who are fed up with ridiculous taxes. According to the new poll, 10 percent of New Yorkers want to relocate as soon as possible, and 11 percent said they leave the state if things don’t get better. Those numbers are the highest ever.

Tags: Siena Poll, taxes

As you all know, Kevin Hardwick has left WBEN to run for Erie County Legislature, the show continues with Dave Debo hosting the show “ a fairly regular basis” with occasional substitutes like WBEN News Reporters like Barbara Burns or Steve Cichon.

I missed the new format of the show this morning to go on another turkey hunt (which wasn’t as successful as my first hunt, only saw a couple hens this morning) but I look forward to tuning in regularly, and, should I be invited, returning as an in-studio guest.

Tags: Barbara Burns, Dave Debo, Kevin Hardwick, Steve Cichon, WBEN

I couldn’t help noticing that Tom Golisano, in explaining why he is leaving New York, said that his tax dollars “will not continue to fund Albany’s bloated bureaucracy, corrupt politicians or regular handouts to the special interests.” I just find it a bit ironic since his own organization, Responsible New York, endorsed Joe Mesi for state senate last year. Mesi, after losing that election, accepted a $70,000/year patronage job in the state senate.

Tags: Joe Mesi, Responsible New York, special interests, State Senate, Tom Gosilano

 NEW YORK Republicans are eyeing a dynamic but little- known upstate businessman and elected official to run for governor next year if Rudy Giuliani declines, The Post has learned.

GOP leaders say Erie County Executive Chris Collins, a wealthy, charismatic, conservative-oriented entrepreneur and government reformer is interested.

Collins, who won a surprising landslide victory in the heavily Democratic county in 2007, would make a great candidate, they say.

“He recently came to see me, and I came away sure he was interested in running for governor,” former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato told The Post.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. This idea that Chris Collins could run for governor was floated to me a few weeks ago, and my first instinct was to say, “Yes, he is definately a potential candidate in the future… but not in 2010.”

The first issue was obvious: If you don’t live in Erie County, you’ve probably never heard of Chris Collins. Name recognition is actually quite important, even against an unpopular incumbent.  

The second issue was that it would be seen as quite a big jump: going from County Executive to Governor. Just as Caroline Kennedy’s potential jump from daughter of a slain president to U.S. Senator was hard for most to accept, Collins would similarly be open to those types of criticisms.  When I lived in Massachusetts, I was very involved in local politics, and one major problem the Massachusetts GOP had with candidate recruitment was that potential candidates weren’t interested in running for city- or state-level office before running for Congress or the U.S. Senate.  They weren’t willing to establish themselves locally and build up name recognition outside of their hometown or district before jumping into a race for an office in which they had significant disadvantages in name recognition and funds. Chris Collins would be at a similar disadvantage if he ran now.

Chris Collins may be a rising star in the New York Republican Party, but, I believe that people should be ready for the jobs they take and leaders have a record of accomplishment.

The other day on WBEN, Sandy Beach said that Collins has yet to “pay his dues.”  And that’s another point worth addressing. I am certainly willing to trade public sector experience for private sector experience – and Collins’ 30+ years of business experience certainly makes him qualified – but I do agree that Collins needs to finish one term as Erie County Executive before seeking higher office.  Now, I’d like to believe that voters considered this, but then again, Barack Obama had barely served in the U.S. Senate before running for president, so he has no record of accomplishment and is completely unqualified to be president. Chris Collins is far more qualified to be governor than Barack Obama is to be president, (hell, he is more qualified than Barack Obama to be president) but that doesn’t means Collins should run for governor just yet.

It appears, despite media speculation, Collins doesn’t see himself jumping in the race either, according to this statement via WBEN:

“I am humbled and encouraged by the attention that our success in Erie County is generating across New York State. Whether it’s been fundamentally reforming county government, signing historic labor agreements that actually respect taxpayers or cutting discretionary spending by 25%, every decision we’re making in Erie County is based on providing value to taxpayers.”

“We are challenging and beating the status quo in our community by reducing spending, restoring accountability and respecting taxpayers and local decision making. Albany could learn a thing or two from Erie County.”

“Ultimately, what New Yorkers desperately need now is proven leadership with a history of success that can make the tough decisions and right this sinking ship. Mayor Giuliani is exactly the kind of leader we need at this moment in history, and that’s why I have urged him to run for Governor.”

 I think the state GOP has a good future leader in Chris Collins, but I’d like to see him finish the job he started before seeking his next job.

Tags: Barack Obama, Chris Collins, New York Post, Rudy Giuliani, Sandy Beach, WBEN

…why Terrell Owens received the key to the city of Buffalo?

Apparently even he doesn’t know why.

Owens was asked why he deserved to receive a key.

“I don’t know why I’m deserving. But I can honestly say that me being here and my dedication, I’ll show you why I’m deserving,” he replied.

Some have questioned Brown’s decision to honor Owens, whose outspoken ways were branded as distractions to teams he previously played on in other cities. The fact that Owens has yet to even play a single pre-season game in a Buffalo Bills uniform spurred critics to accuse Brown of trying to seize media attention in an election year. The mayor insisted the ceremony was “all in fun.” 

Tags: Buffalo, Buffalo Bills, Byron Brown, Terrell Owens

Bob McCarthy reports this morning…

Canisius College political science Professor Kevin R. Hardwick is ready to trade his radio booth for a seat in the County Legislature.

Hardwick, host of WBEN’s “Hardline with Hardwick” politics and government show for the past four years, said this morning he will challenge incumbent Democrat Michele M. Iannello in District 10. As a result, this morning’s show on WBEN was his last.

“I’ve had a lot of media exposure and I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” he said prior to the broadcast. “But there’s a difference between the color commentary of a baseball game and being the guy on the field who can make a difference. The time has come where I’m ready to get back in the arena.”

The veteran political commentator said he felt he could not continue hosting a political program on the air while running for office.

Since I moved here last year, I have enjoyed listening to Kevin’s show, as well being a guest. I have joined him in-studio a number of times this past year, most recently last week. I will miss the show and miss those in-studio appearances, but I wish him the best of luck in his campaign, and look froward to doing what I can to help him.

Tags: Hardline with Hardwick, Kevin Hardwick, Michele Iannello, WBEN

I remember when Rush Limbaugh announced he was leaving New York because of high property taxes… The so-called “Working Families” Party went giddy. 

We won, and now Rush Limbaugh is leaving New York forever. 

Why is Limbaugh packing it in?  In the new state budget, millionaires will now have to pay higher taxes than a trucker or a janitor. It’s a big victory for fairness—and for the schoolchildren, elderly, disabled, and homeless New Yorkers who were threatened by budget cuts.

Well, this “fairness” has claimed another notable wealthy New Yorker, Tom Golisano:

Thomas Golisano announced Thursday he is changing his residence to Florida, citing the burden of income and property taxes in New York.

Golisano made the announcement during his speech at the 2009 Financial Executive of the Year Awards luncheon, which is co-presented by the Rochester Business Journal, showing his Florida driver’s license in a slide accompanying the presentation.

He spoke about how local property taxes are higher than most areas of the country and even other parts of the state, and said the system for making and challenging assessments is flawed.

Considering the wealthy already were paying a majority of the taxes in the state, when taxes get high enough that the wealthy decide it is not worth it to stay in New York, they will leave. This didn’t start with Rush Limbaugh, and it doesn’t end with Tom Golisano, This is part of a growing trend that is not only sending the source of a majority of the state’s tax revenue away, but will also keep new taxpayers from coming in.

So really, the WFP shouldn’t celebrate when wealthy taxpayers leave for Florida or somewhere else that won’t rob them of their money. The schoolchildren, elderly, disabled, and homeless would much rather have them in New York. 

Tags: property taxes, Rush Limbaugh, state budget, Thomas Golisano

…because there is probably a high-paying job waiting for you in the New York State Senate…

Edward Hennessey, former Republican Brookhaven town board member who ran a losing comeback race as a Democrat two years ago, has found a soft landing spot as part-time $50,000-a-year counsel to the Senate Democrats.

Hennessey, whose loss cost Democrats control of the board, started last week, splitting his time between Albany and the Senate’s Hauppauge office. Sources say the post allows Hennessey, with 18 years in the state pension system, a chance to reach 20 years — and 40 percent of the average of his three highest years’ salary.

Richard Schaffer, county Democratic chair, said the post allows Hennessey to share his “knowledge and experience in town and county government.”

But Jesse Garcia, town GOP chairman, called it “a political payoff to a failed candidate at a time when we should be tightening our belts in government.”

It never ends does it? It must be nice to lose a race and still end up with a $50,000-year part-time job.

Tags: Brookhaven, Edward Hennessey, Jesse Garcia, political payoff, Richard Schaffer

The Buffalo Bean has received a letter from Jay Anderson, candidate for Amherst Town Board, to the residents of Amherst.

Dear Amherst residents:

I wish to thank the Amherst Republican Committee for their vote of confidence in nominating me as one of their candidates for the Amherst Town Board. I am deeply honored. I pledge to all Amherst residents to run an honest and issue oriented campaign.

I am also seeking the Conservative and Independence Party endorsements. My philosophy is to represent the taxpayers with diligence and dedication to eliminate government interference in our private lives and to assure stringent fiscal responsibility.

My goal as an Amherst Council member will be to build our community by encouraging productivity and incentive, to recognize and strengthen the importance of the family unit, ease the burden on the taxpayers and to assure that the Town exercises restraint and accountability in its fiscal policies.

Amherst residents can be assured that my public service interests are sincere and deep rooted. For over twenty years I have been instilled with a sense of duty and determination in restoring the quality of life Amherst residents deserve. My dad, Rick Anderson, while serving in the County Legislature and State Assembly; taught me that taxpayers deserve quality services at the lowest taxes possible. I am committed to ensure that Amherst Town government be cost efficient, through proven management techniques, cost containment measures and common sense. 

Amherst has been the chosen home of thousands of families due to our great quality of life. In 1954 my grandparents moved to Amherst and I was born here at Millard Suburban Hospital. One of my goals as a Town council member is to provide a town environment that will continue to attract and retain residents.

I am confident that the excellent slate of Republican candidates can, and will, work together to restore a Town government we can all be proud of. I am pledged to cost efficiency, lower taxes, smart redevelopment and a voter referendum on the size of the Town Board.

Richard (Jay) Anderson

You can show your support for Jay Anderson’s campaign on Facebook here.

Tags: Amherst Town Board, Jay Anderson