Bruno's Prosecutors Go Soft While Appeal Is On Hold

They fought hard. They proved their case. At the end of a long trial, Joseph Bruno was found guilty of being a corrupt politician and everyone knew it.

However there was a small problem.

Former Senator Bruno was convicted under the federal "Honest Services" law. That means he was found guilty of not disclosing what he did and not for the actual corrupt practices. The intricacy of it all led the judge to allow Bruno to go free while the law itself is being reviewed by the Supreme Court. And now even the attorneys that helped convict the elderly pol are easing off on ensuring he does the time he deserves.

From The Daily Politics:

Federal prosecutors say ex-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno can stay out of jail while he presses his appeal.

Prosecutors, in a one-sentence letter to Judge Gary Sharpe yesterday, said they would not oppose Bruno's request to remain free while he argues his appeal.[...]

Prosecutors Elizabeth Coombe and William Pericak did not mention the Supreme Court decision in their letter to Sharpe yesterday.

With the mindset of the current Supreme Court leaning towards moneyed interests and against average (see: not wealthy) citizens, the Court will most likely rule in favor of Joe Bruno and swipe the law from the books.

Prosecutors might just be showing signs that their case could ultimately be lost and are giving up on their job to make Bruno pay for his crimes. Unfortunately, at Bruno's advanced age and his image in certain circles of doing great good as an elected official, the man will probably never see the inside of a jail cell.

And Joe Bruno's Sentence Is....

It is late in the afternoon in Albany (though I am typing this from Brooklyn) and ex-State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has finally been sentenced for his crimes against the people of New York. Bruno was making jokes shortly before the sentencing, saying that he knows he did nothing wrong among other things. Unfortunately for the 81 year old boxer, two years in the slammer (in addition to a $280,000 fine) is no laughing matter.

From The Times-Union:

“I know that you don’t believe that you did anything wrong,” Sharpe told the Brunswick Republican, “which is why I didn’t hear one word of contrition here.”

Sharpe said that the federal government’s recommendation of eight years or more in prison would have been too harsh for an 81-year-old, but a sentence that involved no jail time would have sent the wrong message about the severity of Bruno’s offense.

Bruno and all those that received the benefits of having an alliance with a powerful corrupt politician proclaimed Joe's good name. However, independent observers and most importantly the presiding judge realized the seriousness of this matter. Eight years in federal prison is a long time for an octogenarian, but the jail time was meant to show the ex-Senator and all current and future politicians that there is a price to pay if you defraud the people you are elected to serve.

At the moment Bruno continues to proclaim his innocence and generosity for New Yorkers, hoping that the Supreme Court strikes down the law that he was convicted on. Whether or not that happens, the fact remains that he was a corrupt politician that used his office for personal gain to the detriment of our state.

P.S.: Exactly!

I Never Thought I'd Watch This Video

Amongst all the bedlam up in Albany, the recently retired (for whichever reason) Joe Bruno has responded to Governor Paterson's request for help to pass same-sex marriage. Instead of ignoring the weakly-positioned Paterson, Bruno actually decided to help:



Though who's to say if this will have any impact, the Senate is in complete chaos and what happens next is anyone's guess.

Untangling The Web Of Joe Bruno's State Senate

Prosecutors are busy preparing for November's trial against Joe Bruno, but the newly-minted Democratic State Senate is dealing with the aftermath of the corrupt system of patronage that Mr. Bruno and his fellow Republicans had built up in Albany and around the state. Most observers of state politics assumed that the preferential treatment for the former majority party was broad, but not to the degree that they are starting to find out about.

From The NY Times:

They recently realized there are some 75 employees working at the Senate’s own printing plant, a plain brick building on the outskirts of Albany. On Long Island, they found a small television studio, which had been set up — all with public money, with two press aides on hand to help operate it — for the exclusive use of Republican senators to record cable TV shows.

Democrats also came across what they are calling the “Brunomobile,” a $50,000 specially outfitted GMC van, with six leather captain’s chairs (some swiveling), a navigation system, rearview camera and meeting table. Joseph L. Bruno, the former Senate majority leader who was recently indicted on corruption charges, traveled in the van after his use of state helicopters sparked a feud with the Spitzer administration.

Then there are the parking spots, always at a premium near the Capitol. Democrats had been given roughly one spot per senator — there were 30 Democrats last year — and guessed there were perhaps double or even triple that controlled by the majority. Instead, they have learned, there are more than 800.

Sadly, that is just the beginning of it. The inequality between Republicans and Democrats was vast, more so than many others legislatures. That is in part because, as the FBI calls it, the byzantine rules of the State Senate easily hid the patronage and cronyism within.

Now it is the job of the Feds to deal with Mr. Bruno, no matter how hard he proclaims his innocence against the wall of evidence towering above him. In the Senate, it will be up to the Democrats not only to fully air and expose what the Republicans have been up to for the last few decades but to keep it as clean as possible so that their talk of reform is turned into action.

Finally, Joe Bruno Indicted For Corruption!

After years of meticulously investigating the now-former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, Joe Bruno has been indicted on eight counts of public corruption. It has been a long time coming for this day, but despite many denials from Mr. Bruno of wrongdoing, his time in court is soon at hand.

From The Times-Union:

ALBANY - A federal grand jury today indicted former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno on felony charges alleging he used his position to extract $3.2 million in private consulting fees from clients who sought to purchase his influence.

An 8-count indictment handed up today charges the 79-year-old Republican with corruption charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Bruno pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Albany and released without bail.

Bruno had spending thousands on lawyers in the last month, so he probably knew this was coming. Whether he knows shame from this, I sincerely doubt it. However, it is a great day for those of us that wish to clean up the filth in Albany and across our state. Bruno may have resigned his position last year, but it does not absolve him of the crimes he will be tried for. Further, I hope it serves as a warning to all current and future legislators that there is a price to be paid when you take the trust of the electorate and spit in their faces in the name of tainted influence and greed.

Of course, the possibility of him serving 20 years is probably nil. Forfeiting his assets and spending a few months or years behind bars is a little more likely.

Bruno's Indictments May Finally Be Near

Ex-Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has already begun his new lobbying career, but his past might just catch up to him anyways. Bruno has been under investigation for approximately three years now and the government's attorneys could be ready to strike. Or at least Bruno's friends think so.

From The NY Daily News:

Pals of former state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno are bracing themselves for his possible indictment - which an ally of the one-time GOP powerhouse said is 80% likely - before the year is out.

"The sense is that they spent all this time turning over every rock and they can't just let it go without doing something," a source close to Bruno said. Federal prosecutors have been investigating the ex-majority leader's outside business interests for three years.

Bruno is "prepared for the worst, but isn't going to let it affect the way he handles himself," the source said.

It could just be idle speculation telegraphed out by Bruno, but I suspect reaching out to Liz on this to smooth things over before an indictment does indeed come to fruition. His friends think the case is weak (naturally) but unless they work for the U.S. Government, they really do not have a clue as to what the Feds know. Bruno thinks he's a slick politician, but even those types can be caught.

Joe Bruno's Transparency Trick Foiled By Empire Center

I read this little gem last night by E.J. McMahon that shows with a little hard work, you can do an end-run around politicians that try to deceive the public they are supposed to be serving. The Times article yesterday featuring Joe Bruno was amusing in that his responses were so blatantly smug and arrogant. The irony of the piece is not to be missed, especially with Bruno's long history of doing things in secret and kept away from every New Yorker outside his office. Here is McMahon's reply to Bruno's phony attempt at making government more open and accountable.

From The Empire Center:

Today's New York Times profile of the ex-leader (here) highlights the irony that Bruno, who had to be sued before he would release details of pork-barrel expenditures during his last term, is now "preaching the virtues of smaller, leaner, more accountable government" in his new role as chief executive of an infotech and software consulting firm. And it recounts the following:

Mr. Bruno, for example, was the first Senate leader to require the release of every internal expenditure made by the Senate.

But those reports are published only every six months, in a book format that makes it extremely difficult to examine the spending in any systematic way. (Asked about it, Mr. Bruno joked, "You noticed that, huh?")

Well, here at the Empire Center, we sure noticed. To penetrate the Legislature's deliberate opacity, we translated all the Senate and Assembly expenditure reports into searchable databases at www.SeeThroughNY.net.

Memo to Times reporter Nick Confessore: you'll find those reports at this page.

Memo to former Senator Bruno: nice try.

Nice try indeed Mr. Bruno. Joe may not realize, but the age of the internet is a beautiful thing. Transparency and accountability will come to Albany, whether crooked politicians such as Bruno like it or not. Now let's see Confessore publish those reports in the Times. I for one will be anxiously waiting to see them for all to see.

Bruno's Reformation? Hell Will Freeze Over First

Joe Bruno may not be one of the three men in the proverbial room anymore, but that doesn't mean he's stopped adhering to a similar way of doing business. While he is busy paying in and out of state lawyers to keep the FBI off his trail, seventy-nine year old Joe is working hard to lobby for his friends. That isn't too surprising, but what the company in question is hawking is quite hilarious.

From The NY Times:

Over the nearly 14 years he served as Senate majority leader, Mr. Bruno became to some critics one of the symbols of Albany’s secrecy, inefficiency and profligacy. Now, as the chief executive of CMA Consulting Services, an information technology and software firm based just outside Albany, Mr. Bruno is preaching the virtues of smaller, leaner, more accountable government. (The aforementioned Web site, by the way, is called Project Sunlight.)

Where Mr. Bruno once steered hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development money to his suburban Albany district, he now pitches municipal agencies on how to save money by switching to paperless payroll systems.

The man who went to court rather than reveal details of the Senate’s pork-barrel spending now speaks proudly of his company’s role in designing a program for the state comptroller that allows reporters or the public to examine any contract between a state agency and a vendor.

The Times does a good job of fleshing out the irony in the interview and as you read it, you can tell Bruno could care less how people feel about what he's doing and how he goes about it. In a nutshell, the lobbying he's doing now comes naturally to him and whether he's selling this technology or pork bellies, it really doesn't matter. The response to his critics really says it all.

“Bruno wasn’t some rank-and-file legislator,” said Blair Horner, the legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group. “The bottom-line corporate reason is, they’re hoping that he will fatten the bottom line, that his personal relationships will help them to keep and expand the amount of government contract work.”

Indeed, some do not buy Mr. Bruno’s new enthusiasm for transparent government or his claims that it is consistent with policies he advocated as senator.

Mr. Bruno, for example, was the first Senate leader to require the release of every internal expenditure made by the Senate.

But those reports are published only every six months, in a book format that makes it extremely difficult to examine the spending in any systematic way. (Asked about it, Mr. Bruno joked, “You noticed that, huh?”)

Yeah Mr. Bruno, we've noticed, but unfortunately for those that truly believe in good government, it is nearly too late to hold him accountable for all of his secretive actions. Now the focus has to be on the here and now, and hopefully the time of Joe Bruno will come to an end shortly after the man himself leaves Albany.

Bruno Gets Sweet Pension

It must be nice to be Joe Bruno. Now that he is retiring from the New York State Senate he'll be receiving a sweet deal for his years of service to all of his large contributors and business partners constituents throughout the years. Even though he was making just under $80k (base salary), his pension will be a lot more....and he'll be working in the private sector for who knows how much money.

From The Gothamist:

State Senator Joseph Bruno, who will retire tomorrow from his decades of public service tomorrow, will receive $90,000-100,000 annually in pension. According to the NY Times, that's a step up from his base salary of $79,500/year (plus his retirement health benefits are pretty sweet, too). But Bruno won't be kicking back, telling reporters, "I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to go off and retire and just play with horses and golf." He says he'll work in the private sector, not for a non-profit.

Well yeah, why would he want to give anything back after spending decades enriching himself via his outside business ventures. That would just be very un-Joe Bruno. Of course, you never know, he may be forced to do community service at some point, whether it is outside or behind bars. Then again, I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Bruno Tried To 'Deal' With FBI, FBI Seizes Documents Instead

Apparently stepping down from office isn't good enough for the FBI and their case against Joe Bruno. While the investigation was not the reason he is leaving Albany, he still had his lawyer plead with the Federal Bureau of Investigations to make the case go away. Bruno may think that everyone is susceptible to a deal in Albany, but not when it comes to his situation and the FBI.

From The Gothamist:

While State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has denied his surprising decision not to seek re-election had anything to do with the FBI's investigation into his finances, the FBI hauled away a "massive volume" of Bruno's records, dating back to 1995. The Post says the FBI seized the documents hours before Bruno's Monday afternoon announcement.

In 2006, Bruno announced that he was under investigation, for various deals involving land, racehorses, and labor unions. Interestingly, the Daily News reports that Bruno's lawyer contacted the FBI to see if his stepping-down "would help end" the FBI probe. But the FBI did not make a deal. And the Times Union says the documents were requested months ago, but the Senate "delayed responding to the request."

Even with this week's events, I still do not believe that the FBI's investigation has anything to do with his decision to not run for re-election. Trying to snatch a deal from the FBI is merely a bonus while the main issue is that the Senate is poised to switch to the Democrats in the Senate, ending the lucrative practices Bruno has been involved with for years, incidentally the reason why the FBI has been on his case. The thing is, Bruno is a smart guy and has alluded authorities for nearly three years. Making the authorities' spotlight go away would be nice, but the real deal is the loss of power, and in Albany, that is all that matters.

Joe Bruno Gives Up, Not Seeking Re-Election

Late-breaking news out of Albany is that Joe Bruno is not going to seek re-election to the New York State Senate. Joe has been there for more than three decades, but now the Majority Leader is calling it quits. Being the last day of the legislative session, he picked a decisive time to leave, with just enough time for a Republican candidate to run out and start collecting petition signatures. The question is, why is he dropping out now? Is the reason a legal situation or a political one....and don't try and tell me he wants to spend more time with his family, that one is wayyyy too played out.

Since the whole FBI situation has seemed to stall for some time now, the general mood that the State Senate will flip to the Democratic Party is the likely reason. Joe Bruno is so powerful in Albany because he controls the State Senate, care of the Republican majority. Now that the Democrats are only two seats away and have several strong challenges going for this election cycle, the time might be right for this septuagenarian to call it a day and a political career. If renovations for the Minority caucus room mean anything, Republicans really do sense that their time of Senatorial power is at an end.

So now Joe can ride off into the sunset this fall (if the FBI doesn't catch up to him of course) and perhaps a few other elderly Republicans might follow him as well. This house of cards might truly fall and fall fast. Just one more reason for me to look forward to November.

Trying To Oust Aubertine? WTF Paterson?

David Paterson came into the Governor's office with high hopes from the progressive Democratic community. Although he may not be 'progressive,' he certainly had testified towards supporting many wonderful things, such as campaign and ethics reform. He failed us on that this year but at least he's still a Democrat right? Well one has to wonder what his motivation was in offering Senator Aubertine a job when our party is fighting so hard to win back the majority in the Senate after decades of Republican rule.

From Capitol Confidential:

In the brewing fight for the Senate majority between the Republicans and Democrats, Paterson has pulled one out of the Spitzer playbook - picking off a Senator with a plum appointed position.

But the attempt didn’t benefit the side you expect from the former Senate Minority Leader. At the urging of Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Paterson offered the job to Democratic Sen. Darrel Aubertine, according to sources. Aubertine declined the offer.

Aubertine is the Senate Democrats’ most vulnerable marginal, having been elected only 4 months ago in a costly special election in an overwhelmingly Republican Senate district. (see stats below).

A Watertown Daily Times story ran Saturday, reporting that Aubertine was offered the chairmanship of the New York Power Authority, which would have doubled his current Senate salary of $79,500.

Later that same day, Aubertine released a statement confirming the report, saying, in part:

”I was offered the opportunity to serve as NYPA chairman last week,” Sen. Aubertine said. “I’m certainly very, very flattered to not only have been considered, but to have been offered the position. After discussions with my family and friends, my decision was to keep my commitment to the people of the 48th Senate District.”

Well I'm glad at least one politician has the best interest of the 48th District and our party at heart. I'm not too sure about Governor Paterson though. Now Paterson's record indicates he is indeed a Democrat, so what gives? What does Joe Bruno have over him to make him try and offer Aubertine a position that would be to the New York Democratic Party's detriment? He may have reminded us of Spitzer, but at least Spitzer played dirty for our benefit, not Joe Bruno's.

Joe Bruno Is No Friend Of Equality

Governor Paterson did a great thing this month by directing state agencies to observe same-sex marriages that were performed in other states. Too bad the last Republican majority in New York couldn't just leave it be. Senate Majority Leader Bruno has decided to seek legal action against the Governor's memo and his excuse is that the Executive shouldn't have too much power. Of course he really didn't mind it when Pataki was in charge, but that is neither here nor there.

From The Daily Politics:

Bruno, who had just finished singing Paterson's praises for recognizing the need to "partner" with the Senate Republicans (as opposed to waging all-out war against them, as Eliot Spitzer did), admitted the governor had not given him the heads up about the May 14 memo on this topic sent to the agencies by Paterson counsel, David Nocenti.

The majority leader needled reporters about missing this story, saying: "Why didn't you report it? You didn't even know it. Who should I blame?" He said he plans to take up the issue with Paterson when the two speak this afternoon.

"I haven't really seen the directive," Bruno said. "What I do know is that there's a bigger question, and that specifically, that has to do with the powers of the executive, by executive order, versus the Legislature. We went through that with the illegal aliens being licensed. That was that same question.

Unfortunately from a legal standpoint the memo holds less water than the executive order issued by Spitzer over illegal immigrant driver licenses. So expect Bruno to try and gather another win over the Governor's authorities. Of course once we get the majority in the Senate back (psst....here's how) this won't be a problem because we should be able to pass progressive legislation with full control in Albany next year. Equality for everyone regardless of gender preference should not be an issue, and that is something we are determined to see through.

Working Families Party Reasserts Tax Proposal On The Wealthy

Although the tax hike on New York's wealthiest failed during the budget process this year, there is new hope for implementation of it yet again. It doesn't look exactly like what it did two months ago, but a redistribution of income for those that have less is definitely a good thing considering all of the corporate welfare that has been going on in New York and the country in the last few years decades.

From The NY Sun:

Under a plan advanced by the labor-backed Working Families Party, the wealthiest New Yorkers would see their state personal income taxes more than double.

Marginal income between $500,000 and $1 million would be taxed at a rate of 9.35%. Between $1 million and $5 million, the rate would go up to 10.35%. From $5 million to $10 million, the rate would be 11.85%. Income above $10 million would be taxed at $13.85%, which is more than double the current rate of 6.85%.

Party officials said the tax hike would generate $6.5 billion a year for the state and would apply to just fewer than 100,000 filers.

The money would be used to pay for a property tax break for households with up to $250,000 in gross adjusted income. The plan would give rebates to homeowners when their taxes consume a certain percentage of their income. The rebate would cover 70% of the taxes owed above the percentage cap, which would range between 5% and 9% of income.

It is time for legislation on local, state and federal levels to have some progressive threads in it. This bill would do just that for the Empire State. Even though Speaker Silver hasn't come out for it yet, I doubt it matters until Joe Bruno is no longer one of 'three men in a room'. Despite that, we must continue to push for these issues so that New York weeds out the politicians who side for the wealthy and not the people.

Getting rid of Bruno's majority this November will go a long way in starting that process.

All-You-Can-Eat Pork Barrel Spending Fest In Albany

For every little good thing that comes out of our state government, there seems to be several bad or depressing items right behind it. The amount of pork is certainly a big part of that negative equation and our elected representatives are making sure it gets spread around, despite massive budget cuts elsewhere. To the three men in the room, putting member's names on small projects is more useful than system-wide fixes for education, infrastructure and the overall health of the state's economy.

From The NY Times:

ALBANY — While state analysts are forecasting lean times, lawmakers are bankrolling what some see as a bumper crop of pork.

Late Tuesday, the Senate approved $350 million worth of capital projects. At the direction of Senate Republicans, the state will be spending $5 million to pay for buses at private or parochial schools, $1 million to finance an archival depository at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan and $500,000 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

“These economic development projects will continue our successful partnership among the private sector, higher education and state government to help create new jobs and retain the highly skilled work force necessary to sustain future economic growth,” the Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, said in a statement.

What Bruno means by sustaining economic growth is that the 'pay to play' culture in Albany will continue as it has for a long time now. We wouldn't want to actually invest in our state as a whole when legislators can get big campaign checks from a specified amount of donors that are able to capitalize on their contribution to state politics, right? This is why we need to get rid of Bruno and everyone else like him with a real reform package that includes clean elections. It is a must if we ever want to see a real improvement in how our tax dollars are managed in the Empire State.

And The Biggest Pigs In Albany Are.....

Ah its Monday morning and what do I feel like for breakfast? How about some bacon? If you go up to Albany, there is plenty of it and certain members in the Senate are extremely well adept at spending that pork. Can you guess who the winner of that contest is? If you guessed Joe Bruno, you'd be correct.

From The Daily Politics:

1) Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, $4.211 million (about $1 million more than Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver plans to personally allocate in this fiscal year).

2) Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos, $3.740 million (from Long Island, leader-in-waiting).

3) Sen. Tom Libous, $3.497 million (a Binghamton-area senator once considered a contender for Bruno's leadership post).

4) Sen. Owen Johnson, $3.276 million (chairs the Finance Committee).

5) Sen. Joe Robach, $2.550 million (a Rochester-area Democrat-turned-Republican who is one of the Senate minority's top targets this fall).

6) Sen. Thomas Morahan, $2.464 million (a Hudson Valley lawmaker who is the Senate's liaison to the executive branch).

7) Sen. Dale Volker, $2.446 million (a Western NY veteran lawmaker who recently said he thought someone connected to the State Police was spying on him during the Spitzer administration).

8) Sen. Serphin Maltese, $2.441 million (of Queens, the Democrats' top priority to oust).

9) Sen. Frank Padavan, $2.438 million (also from Queens, also in the crosshairs).

10) Sen. Cathy Young, $2.322 million (Western NY senator elected in a 2005 special election to fill the seat of the late Sen. Patricia McGee).

Oh yeah, they are all Republicans. That of course comes with being in the leadership. There is no equal sharing or fair play when it comes to spending in the State Senate. Now for those that cry out that the Democrats do it too, well, you'd be correct, though as you can see in the excel sheet, it isn't quite as bad (per member that is). The bottom line is, like everything in Albany, it must be reformed.

How Albany Really Works, Puppet Show Style

Politicians have trouble telling New Yorkers how the system works up in Albany, except for Brian Keeler and a few others. So to combat the tight-lipped legislators we have three little stick puppets who can really shed some light on the process of how the budget is made.

Now That Bush Is Going, Billionaires Turn To.....Joe Bruno?

George Bush has but a few months left in his tragedy of a Presidency, so one of his staunchest "supporters," Billionaires for Bush have decided to get local and go to Albany to help out their dear friend Joe Bruno help protect the rich while the state budget is being decided.

Alright, you probably guessed that wasn't exactly the case, Bruno has enough friends to get his anti-working and middle class shoved down our throats. So that is why Joe Seeman and others came to Albany to lobby (outdoors style) legislators to put back the Working Families Party' proposal to add an additional temporary tax to those that make a million dollars a year. In their shpeel they make some very good points.

From The NY Daily News:

Billionaires for Bruno
Class Privilege, Not Class Action

Rob M. Blind and Phil T Rich, Co-Chairs
Hal E. Burton, Treasurer
Iona Bigga Yacht, Secretary

Thank You, Senators, for Defeating the Millionaires Tax
Mission Accomplished – No, You Can’t
The Campaign Checks are In the Mail

Top Ten Reasons why the Taxing the Rich is a Bad Idea

1. Tax Work, Not Wealth

2. Taxes are Not for Everyone; Only Little People Pay Taxes

3. It’s Going to Cost a Bundle to Buy both the State Senate and Presidential
Elections in 2008

4. Its Hard to Feed Your Family on a Million Dollars a Year

5. Show Me the Money - Greed is Good

6. The Yacht Needs a Paint Job

7. The Maid Wants Bus Fare

8. A million a year is not that much when you have 2 kids in Ivy League
Schools, vacation homes in the Hamptons and the Vineyards, housekeepers, nannies,
groundskeepers, chauffeurs, butlers and tax shelter experts to pay, and a
large residence on Central Park West

9. What’s Good for New York is Bad for the Wealthy

10. New York is Number 1 in Income Inequality – Let’s Keep it that Way

Sadly, the real reasons Bruno opposes the measure are probably scattered within that list, minus the irony of course. The best proponent we had was Sheldon Silver (sic) and now he thinks it is most likely dead. Of course you have got to hand it to these billionaires (at least in spirit) for going up to Albany to state their case so humorously.

Progress On The Budget Leaves Out The Tax On Wealthy

April 1st is four days away and the budget is starting to form into a more solid object. Unfortunately that will not include an additional tax on New Yorkers that make over a million dollars. With the enormous gap in the state's budget, that $1.5 billion in extra revenue sure would have been nice, but the objections from the slightly Republican Senate and their ringleader Joe Bruno quashed those hopes. Gov. Paterson just wants to have it done...and he sided with Bruno in order to be ready for Tuesday.

From The NY Times:

Mr. Silver’s plan for a so-called millionaires’ tax, which had been met with skepticism from the governor’s office and the State Senate from its inception, was a critical piece of the Assembly’s budget plan. The Assembly estimated that it would add more than $1.5 billion in revenue, and Mr. Silver defended it vigorously.

But as it became increasingly clear that neither Mr.. Paterson nor Mr. Bruno would support the plan, Mr. Silver agreed to stand down.

“There will not be an income tax on high earners as part of the budget,” he said in an interview Thursday night. But he pledged to continue pressing for a tax increase on the wealthiest New Yorkers once the budget is completed. “My conference and I still believe it’s the appropriate thing to do, and it is what we should be doing as we go forward.”

The likelihood of it passes looks slim, at least for this year. Paterson needs this budget under his belt and Bruno has no intention of spreading the burden of the recession onto the rich. What we need is to make the Senate blue this November and restart next session with full control of the state government. Unfortunately for now, it seems that everything is being decided by the three men in a room, and only one of them passionately wants to see the millionaire's tax through.

Bloomberg's Republican Donation Excuse Denied!

You would think when you lie to cover your tracks, that in politics the lie will eventually be sniffed out and exposed. Apparently our Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't that good of a politician. When the story came out that "Mr. Independent" donated half a million dollars to re-elect Republican state Senators in order to hold their slim majority, Democrats were pissed off and many wondered just how independent Bloomberg really is. Well his excuse was that a divided government was better and more so that Senate Republicans were better at funding the priorities of New York City and especially on education.

Well now we know that is complete bullshit:

Last year Democratic Senator David Valesky from Oneida introduced a bill that would amend the New York State constitution to prohibit unfunded mandates. The Senate bill is S.2201 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing amendments to article 9 of the constitution, in relation to prohibiting unfunded mandates. The bill went through all the hoops but was being stalled in committee by the Republican majority until February when the Senate Democrats filed a Notice of Motion to Petition which would pull the bill out of committee and have a floor debate. The Democrats did the same thing last year and lost. Yesterday the vote was straight down party lines again with the republicans once again playing petty politics with an important piece of legislation. Instead of voting to make sure that schools are fully funded by the state for mandates forced on the districts by the State, Fuschillo, Skelos, Marcellino and Hannon voted for the status quo of high taxes. Nassau's lone Democrat in the Senate Craig Johnson was a co-sponsor of the bill.

It is a testament to the Nassau republican delegations inability to do what is right instead of what is politicially expedient. The change to the State constitution would be a step in the right direction for school aid across the state. I personally do not believe that many of the state education mandates are needed to begin with but as long as they are there, they must be fully funded. This bill cannot change the fact that No Child Left Behind is a huge under-funded Federal mandate by about $955million. That is something the NY Congressional Delegation must deal with. The best thing to do is repeal NCLB because we will never see it fully funded and in my opinion it hurts students more than helps.

Basically what that is saying, and the summary of the bill below it in the link is that the New York state Republican delegation in the Senate does not give a rat's ass about education in New York City or the state. The state will now abandon their duty to finance our schools. So what do you have to say about this Mr. Independent Republican-backing Mayor?