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NY: Senator Says Spitzer Cronies Followed Him
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 April 2008 02:19 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 16 April 2008 10:05
Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean somebody’s not out to get you…
Sen. Dale Volker believes he was followed by someone in law enforcement last summer at the time Senate Republicans were beginning to investigate a scheme by the former Spitzer administration to use the State Police to try to smear GOP Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.Volker, a Depew Republican, made his comments during a confirmation hearing for Harry Corbitt, who has been nominated by Gov. David Paterson to become superintendent of the embattled State Police.The veteran lawmaker, who also retold a story of being wiretapped decades ago by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, later told reporters that people who were connected to Eliot Spitzer during his days as attorney general may have been involved in following him last summer in Albany.
“Maybe I don’t want to believe it was somebody from the State Police, but somebody was watching me,” Volker told reporters after the Corbitt hearing.
Posted under Attorney General News, Dems Behaving Badly, State Legislature News | No Comments
NY: Judges Sue for Raise
Last Updated on Friday, 11 April 2008 09:30 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 April 2008 09:30
Setting up an unprecedented legal showdown among the branches of the state government, the state’s chief judge yesterday sued Gov. David Paterson and the leaders of the Legislature to try to force them to raise judges’ salaries, which have been frozen since 1999.
“Today, owing to the near-decade-long pay freeze that they have endured, New York State judges … face the demeaning situation in which they can expect to earn less than first-year associates at many of the state’s law firms and considerably less than attorneys of comparable experience,” the judges’ lawyer, Bernard Nussbaum, said in court papers filed today in Manhattan.
Posted under Lieutenant Governor News, State Legislature News | No Comments
NY: Governor Kills Energy Deal
Last Updated on Friday, 11 April 2008 08:55 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 April 2008 08:55
Two energy companies’ bid to construct a liquefied-natural-gas terminal in the Long Island Sound effectively died Thursday as New York Gov. David Paterson announced he would not back the project because it violates a state environmental regulation.
At a press conference held on the shore of the Sound, Paterson said the project, which “did not pass the test” for a environmentally stable Long Island Sound, violates New York’s Coastal Zone Management Act. Paterson’s ruling, which came two days before the deadline set for New York by the federal government, follows a decision three weeks ago by the Federal Energy Regulation Committee to allow the terminal to go forward.
The announcement came as a relief to many Connecticut officials, who for months were only able to air their opposition from the sidelines. Since the terminal is by law in New York waters — it just 9 miles away from Wading River, N.Y., while 10 miles from New Haven — the Empire State had jurisdiction over the final decision.
Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
CT: AG Threatens To Sue NY Over Gas
Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 April 2008 11:04 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 8 April 2008 09:35
Sweet – tie up New York’s Democrat A.G. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut’s Democrat A.G. Dick Blumenthal. Maybe they can get California Democrat A.G. Jerry Brown to join the fray to help raise money for his office.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal LAW ’73 on Monday threatened New York with legal if the state decides to go ahead with construction of a liquefied-natural-gas pipeline in the Long Island Sound.With a decision from New York Gov. David Paterson on the proposed Broadwater Energy gas terminal due later this week, several Connecticut officials, including Blumenthal, gathered in Stony Creek, Conn. yesterday to reiterate their own stance: Broadwater must be defeated.
Approved by the Federal Energy Regulations Commission on March 20, the proposed barge-like terminal would convert liquefied natural gas in the Long Island Sound into oil for use in both New York and Connecticut. Positioned about 10 miles south of New Haven, the terminal would officially be considered to be located in New York waters, giving New York — but not Connecticut — control over its future.
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NY: Albany Works Through The Weekend
Last Updated on Monday, 7 April 2008 11:51 Written by rslcpol Monday, 7 April 2008 10:12
ALBANY – Staffs for Gov. David A. Paterson and the legislature continued negotiating a new state budget yesterday, though no major progress was reported.
Despite Paterson’s order that lawmakers stay here, none were seen in the Capitol or the Legislative Office Building yesterday afternoon. However, the staffs of the Budget Division, Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee were working.The 2008-09 spending plan should have been in place last Tuesday. It’s already the tardiest budget in four years, but far from the record set in 2004 of 133 days late.
Major stumbling blocks to wrapping up the $124-billion spending plan appeared to be disagreements over $1 billion in building projects and whether to sunset increases in taxes and fees. In addition, tomorrow’s deadline for approval of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to charge motorists to enter parts of Manhattan on weekdays could further delay the budget.
Was everybody really working for the weekend? Or were they just really good at faking it?
Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
NY: Lawmakers ‘More Powerful Than Ever’
Last Updated on Monday, 7 April 2008 11:00 Written by rslcpol Monday, 7 April 2008 09:38
Anybody care to wager on how long this last?
Lawmakers thought of Eliot Spitzer as if he were an abusive parent whose spittle-flecked tirades masked deep insecurities and personal demons. They resented him, rebelled, and flouted his will. Initially, they feared him. Then they laughed at him. In the end, they felt sorry for him.David Paterson is the cool parent. He’s been there in their shoes. He can relate. He had problems with money, women, and drugs and isn’t pretending otherwise. Lawmakers know that despite his fancy governor’s mansion address, he’s still one of them at heart. He’s not really governor as much as he is the Legislature’s representative in the executive chamber.
A senator for more than two decades, Mr. Paterson feels their election-year pain, sympathizes with their fear of budget cuts, and, when they seriously get out of line, gently nudges them toward fiscal responsibility.
Posted under Attorney General News, State Legislature News | No Comments
Who’s Reading The SNS This Week?
Last Updated on Friday, 4 April 2008 02:18 Written by rslcpol Friday, 4 April 2008 12:08
The SNS had readers from 39 states click over to see what’s happening with state and local officials.
The top 10 biggest hitters in the last 7 days came from Missouri (probably loving the singing Democrats and Boy George bit, and the whole fake candidate thing), Iowa (checking in on the negative impact of collective bargaining for public employees), Mississippi (wanting to learn more about the new rock and hard place Democrat A.G. Jim Hood finds himself pinched between), Illinois (Purple Hotel anyone?), Indiana (no doubt checking up to see who the Republican A.G. nominee will be – will it be another Sidd Finch?), the stateless District of Columbia (checking up on just about everything), Virginia (learning about halted executions, ’09 AGs race, and vetting state judges), the Empire State (Spitzer, Paterson and Co!), New Jersey (looking for Zach Braff references possibly – nah – reading up on less lethal ammo), and rounding out the top 10 is Ohio (catching up a little bit of everything as well it seems).
Not a bad week readers. Keep the tips coming, and if you’re seeing something informative, insightful, or just plain funny, send it our way and we’ll work it in.
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NY: Spitzer Corruption Cop Leaves
Last Updated on Friday, 4 April 2008 01:52 Written by rslcpol Friday, 4 April 2008 10:06
Yes, the IG in this case really did a bang up job of investigating the misdeeds of her Governor. Truly, a substantial record of accomplishment was missed we’re afraid.
The state inspector general, whose office investigates government corruption but was criticized by Republicans for not aggressively pursing last summer’s Troopergate scandal, is joining the growing ranks of Spitzer administration appointees leaving Albany now that David A. Paterson is governor.
Kristine Hamann, a former criminal prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, offered her resignation to Paterson on Thursday, effective April 10.
“She’s honored to have served and she does feel she’s achieved a substantial record of accomplishment,” and agency spokeswoman said.
Hamann was unavailable for comment.
Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments
NY: AG To Investigate State Police
Last Updated on Thursday, 3 April 2008 11:05 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 3 April 2008 10:30
Wow – thank goodness Andrew Cuomo is acting so swiftly. It’s not like these allegations have been around for months…oh wait…our bad. Not so swift there AC 180.
State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he will investigate the New York State Police after his office received numerous complaints from public officials about “police interference” into their lives.
Gov. David Paterson asked Cuomo this week to investigate whether state police are improperly targeting state officials after a probe found that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer used police to damage Republican Senate Leader Joseph Bruno.
Cuomo told Gannett News Service earlier this week that his office has received numerous accusations from political leaders about tactics by state police to delve into their backgrounds or interfere in political campaigns.
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NY: New Governor’s Campaign Funds Being Dissected
Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 02:15 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 25 March 2008 01:51
Wow – rare that advocacy groups aren’t up in arms over something. The honeymoon will over soon enough. The standard that’s being applied here is wonderfully double. There are probably more political leaders in Albany than care to be counted who wish they could get a pass like this on their own ethical issues. Rest assured – some enterprising legislator will introduce a bill soon enough that will prohibit such spending from campaign funds. And the then advocacy groups will weigh in – albeit quietly.
Governor Paterson’s use of campaign funds to pay for hotels, clothing, and services is being dissected by the press but appears to be escaping the scrutiny of the state’s official investigatory bodies.Lawmakers and advocacy groups have been largely muted on the matter as well, while almost every new day of Mr. Paterson’s nascent administration brings a fresh round of questions about his use of campaign donations. A Republican senator who is chairman of the Investigations Committee, George Winner, said Republican lawmakers have not discussed the possibility of investigating Mr. Paterson’s use of campaign money.
A professor of political science at Baruch College, Douglas Muzzio, said there is a real reluctance in political circles to call off the honeymoon that greeted Mr. Paterson on his first day in office and a fear among elected officials that if the new governor is put under a microscope for his campaign expenditures, Albany lawmakers could soon face the same scrutiny.
Posted under Dems Behaving Badly, Lieutenant Governor News | No Comments