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NY: Amazon.com Sues To Stop New Tax
Last Updated on Friday, 2 May 2008 08:46 Written by rslcpol Friday, 2 May 2008 08:46
From The New York Sun:
The so-called Amazon tax has been a touchy political issue as Albany has looked for novel ways to fund the state government’s soaring spending amid a predicted drop-off in state tax revenue as the economy slows. The state’s tax department first set its sights on Amazon.com last year when it quietly changed its policy to require some online retailers to begin collecting state and city sales taxes — a combined 8.375% on purchases in New York City — on all orders from residents of New York State.
Hours after The New York Sun reported the initiative, Governor Spitzer pulled the plug on it — temporarily. Last month, the Legislature and Governor Paterson approved a law that requires Amazon.com to start collecting and remitting sales taxes to New York. No other state is requiring the same of online retailers that don’t have a physical presence in the state.
Posted under Attorney General News, State Legislature News | 1 Comment
OH: Emails Between AG Dann and Scheduler Show ‘Curious Relationship’
Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 April 2008 02:57 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 22 April 2008 09:55
The Youngstown Vindicator says that Democrat A.G. Marc Dann won’t be submitting his resignation over these emails, but blogs galore want more. See what Right Runner has to say, Glass City Jungle runs through some potential Dann replacements, the Wright State CRs offer their two cents on this little mess, and Hamilton County Ohio Votes 2008 weighs in a little as well. And of course you can check out SNS’s most recent thoughts on this whole controversy here (we’ve got photos!), here, and here (just to list a very few). Want to see EVERYTHING ever written about Marc Dann on SNS – go here – and enjoy.
Attorney General Marc Dann’s then-scheduler chastised him in a Sept. 4 e-mail for “taking things out on me and other people here.”Two days after that, on Sept. 6, Jessica Utovich wrote Dann, a Liberty Democrat, that she didn’t “appreciate being yelled at in front of everyone.”In between, Dann sent an e-mail to Utovich: “You are the bff” (text-speak for “best friend forever”).
Some of the e-mails show a curious relationship between Dann and Utovich, of Columbus.
In some e-mails, the two joke with each other, but others show an emotional boss-worker relationship.
Posted under Attorney General News, Dems Behaving Badly | No Comments
NY: Paterson Gives Away LG Campaign Money
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 April 2008 02:39 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 16 April 2008 12:43
This guy is such an improvement over Eliot Spitzer. Who knew that Republicans would have a legitimate shot at the big chair in Albany in 2010?
But Paterson gave away more than that in another way: He donated more than $10,000 from his campaign account as lieutenant governor to non-profit groups, such as a church in New York City and a group that helps disabled children in Israel.Some good-government groups derided the move as another indication of the problems with the state’s loose campaign-finance laws, which has allowed elected officials to dip into their campaign accounts rather than pay for things themselves.
“It’s not appropriate use of campaign dollars,” said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the state League of Women Voters. “They should be used to better inform voters about your message. And that is certainly not what he is doing.”
Posted under Lieutenant Governor News | No Comments
NY: AG Hires Big Guns In Troopergate Probe
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 April 2008 02:51 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 10 April 2008 10:30
Sending a message about getting tough AFTER Spitzer is gone, and seemingly free from any official prosecution, is like sending a sweet 16 birthday card 8 1/2 years too late.
Sending a message that he means business, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Wednesday named two high-powered lawyers to help lead his probe into political manipulation of the state police.They are:
Robert Fiske, a Republican former federal prosecutor who initially led the Whitewater probe during the Clinton administration. Michael Armstrong, a Democratic former Queens district attorney who was chief counsel to the Knapp Commission, which probed New York City Police Department corruption in the 1970s.
Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments
PJ Pizza Party Update
Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 April 2008 12:55 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 April 2008 11:22
1:49pm: The Youngstown Vindicator, that’s Marc Dann’s hometown newspaper, captures a neat post PJ Pizza Party moment in the life of the A.G., with Dann at a regional chamber event to receive a political achievement award. Who are some of the folks are this event? Dann’s aide, long time friend, and condo roomie Leo Jennings, and more interestingly – Dann’s father-in-law. The gist of the Vindicator article is this: Dann is going to have to fight very hard to avoid the title of “one and done” as AG. Read on.
1:42pm: Ohio Democrat Attorney General Marc Dann’s PJ Pizza Party has just gone national. The venerable and widely read (as in national media types) Wonkette has now weighed in on Ohio’s night clothes fashion show. While the post and ensuing comments are somewhere between PG and R, we think it’s an entertaining read. And somehow, Wonkette has Eliot Spitzer making a cameo. CNN…here we come!
12:17pm: Political Science 216 has a very good breakdown on the potential cover up elements on the Ohio A.G.s office PJ Pizza Party. At this point they’ve got it down to three easy to follow steps. We’ll add our two cents for what it’s worth: It appears that Marc Dann has already made his situation worse by not having his people and himself fess up every detail of what’s transpired in this disappointing episode. There are skads of people involved in politics who learn after the fact that it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up that gets you in true legal jeopardy.
Posted under Blog | No Comments
OH: ANOTHER Dem Sex Scandal? AG Allegedly W/Staffer In PJ’s
Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 April 2008 01:00 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 8 April 2008 09:14
Just what exactly is going on w/this country’s current and former Democrat attorneys general? First there was Kansas AG (now former) Paul Morrison, then there was NY Governor (former AG, and now former Governor) Eliot Spitzer, and now this has come out about Ohio’s Democrat A.G. Marc Dann? This certainly seals the deal on Dann’s prospect for re-election in 2010. Next we’ll be looking for a Morrison/Spitzer-like resignation (which won’t happen until the rest of the story comes out).
The Columbus Post Dispatch picked up the story on Sunday – this is a story that is far from over. There appear to elements of a fumbled attempt of a cover up, and some other classic and sophomoric political spin strategies. The image this article conjures up of life in the Ohio A.G.’s office is flat out disturbing: Long time buddies of Democrat A.G. Marc Dann, who failed to pass the most basic of integrity and background checks, hired for high paying senior positions in the Office of Attorney General. Buddies who appear to be behaving like boorish, drunken college boys – beer, pizza, bringing home girls to the flop pad.
The details in this article are beyond shocking – they’re flat out offensive. A senior staffer telling his subordinates that they “owe” him for their jobs. The same senior staffers plying twenty-something year old young ladies with alcohol, the appearance of non-consensual activity between the senior staffer and subordinates after a night of drinking. Is this the Ohio Office of Attorney General, or is it the Delta House?
The kicker, for today at least, is the AGs office desire to make the whole matter go away privately, “without making it public”. Apparently, according to the article, Mr. Dann’s buddy was recognized as a problem by the agency. You have to wonder how much more of this type of stuff went on under the A.G.’s nose – and he would know because you see Attorney General Marc Dann was roommates with the senior staffer/harasser in question – and in fact himself was present during at least one of the episodes. Apparently, he was having a pajama scheduling meeting with his 28 year old scheduler.
We’ve left out a bunch of details – so read the Dispatch’s article here for more detail, get the quick over view from the Hamilton News-Journal here.
The blogs in Ohio are on fire with this story. Check out Politics Ohio Dot Com for the commentary there. The comments on the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s blog is enfuego. Political Science 216 has started the Marc Dann Resignation Watch. Even this leftist/progressive Ohio blog is having a hard time spinning this favorably for their man Dann.
Dann, Gutierrez, and Communications Director Leo Jennings III also shared an apartment in suburban Columbus, where some of the harassment allegedly occurred.The Dispatch, quoting from the complaints, said one of the women, Cindy Stankoski, accompanied Gutierrez to the apartment on Sept. 10 after they had been to a couple of bars. She said she woke up after a nap and three buttons on her pants were undone while Gutierrez was beside her wearing only underwear.
The same night, according to the complaint, another staffer — Jessica Utovich, 28 — was at the apartment in her pajamas with Dann. Utovich had been Dann’s scheduler until she got a 26 percent pay raise and new duties in September.
Posted under Attorney General News, Dems Behaving Badly | 5 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.
Posted under Blog | 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.
Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments
NY: DA Soares Tells Newsday to ‘Say That to My Face’
Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 April 2008 10:10 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 1 April 2008 09:30
Have to add here – the ed-board in question took a pass on criticizing Democrat A.G. Andrew Cuomo’s failure to do a better job on looking into the Democrat Governor’s role in troopergate.
Albany County DA David Soares, in a TV interview airing tonight, apparently rips Newsday’s editorial board, which called him either “afraid of Spitzer” or “incompetent” for not targeting Eliot Spitzer in his first report on the Troopergate affair last year, and then concluding last week (after Spitzer had resigned in a prostitution scandal) that the ex-gov was behind Troopergate and lied about it.In an interview on NY One News, which will air the interview with Dominic Carter tonight:
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in that editorial staff, and anyone on that editorial staff who questions my integrity, they should probably come to Albany and do it in my office, staring at me in the eye. They certainly have a right to their opinion, but they do not have a right to alter the facts to suit their opinions.”
Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments