There's A Deafening Clucking Sound And It's Coming From Albany

As I lament the Game 5 loss of my beloved Lakers last night, the feelings for my basketball team quickly fade in the shadow of this impending, or possibly impending, state government shutdown. Senators such as Espada and Diaz, along with the entire Republican caucus have made it nearly impossible to reach any kind of tenable deal to keep New York state humming. Of course, trimming a multi-billion dollar deficit while making everyone happy is an uphill battle but their "self-imposed deadline" came and went months ago. However at this moment the Democrats can't even manage to pass emergency extenders and the clock is ticking quickly towards one of three things, either we get a budget, a way for the renegade Democrats to sign off on another extender or...

As the Daily News calls it, High Noon!

It's high noon today in an Albany budget showdown that will decide if state government shuts down for the first time in New York history.[...]

But a key Bronx Democratic senator continued to insist yesterday that he'll vote against the latest bill because it cuts spending for mental health and social services by $327 million.

"I'm not voting for no more cuts," Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. said. "Let the Republicans cut. I'm a Democrat and Democrats protect services for the poor and needy, they don't cut them."

Without Diaz's vote, the Democratic majority does not have enough votes to pass the bill without Republican help.

Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson expressed confidence the 32 votes will be there to ensure government doesn't shut down.

"We're not playing a game of chicken here," the Brooklyn Democrat said.

Actually, this is a giant game of chicken. No one seems to have the gall or guts to get anything substantial done. The Senate consists of 62 chickens and their squawking and clucking over budget details is getting on everyone's nerves. I understand Diaz doesn't want to cut. If it were up to me and in an alternative universe I'd be increasing the budgets to help the poor and the needy. Unfortunately the Senate and the rest of Albany has been a poor steward of the state's money over the last, oh well let's just say it's been a minute. Because of that, we are stuck with out of control deficits and not enough Senators exist that have the chutzpah to tax the few New Yorkers that had instigated the latest financial meltdown. So, we have to compromise and that means we need to cut. Diaz had better get on board, or else there'll be no state services at all.

Sen. Diaz Goes On An Ant-GLBT Tirade Against Sen. Duane

Senator Diaz showed his true inner homophobe this afternoon with an angry press release directed at Senator Duane. Duane has been claiming that he has more than enough votes to pass same-sex marriage but the anti-equality groups think he's bluffing. So Diaz picked up the baton for his side and lashed out at the westside Senator, demanding he show everyone who the "yes" votes are.

From The Daily Politics:

"If Senator Tom Duane has the necessary Senate votes to pass the homosexual marriage bill in New York State, then he should release the names of those Senators who are supporting the bill. If not, he should shut up.

"If any member of the State Senate is so ashamed to have their names released or to release their own names for this or for any pending legislation, then they clearly feel ashamed of their position."

"If any Senators are unwilling to release their names prior to voting for the homosexual marriage bill, they are sending a clear message to the gay community and to the whole State of New York that these Senators are unwilling to let the public know and that they are ashamed to be publicly associated with the gay community."

"Any Senator who commits himself or herself to something, should be man or woman enough to take a stand and stand by his or her convictions. If they give their word to support something that they are ashamed of, then that is a hypocrisy, and could be interpreted as not wanting to be associated with the matter."

"It is a disgrace that Senator Duane is playing this mind game with his colleagues and with the public. If Senator Duane has the votes, he should release the names. If not, then he should be ashamed of himself.”

Whether or not Duane is playing games (this is politics isn't it?) is besides the point. The hate and vitriol in that statement is disgusting. If Duane wants to hold the names, if there are enough names, then it is his right to do so up until the moment everyone votes on the bill. The only person that should be ashamed is Senator Diaz for his ridiculous outburst and of course, admitting in his words that he is ashamed to be publicly associated with a significantly large community in the city he calls home.

The Gang Of Three Adopts New Moniker

Thinking perhaps that the "Gang of Three" sounded a little too sinister, Sens. Kruger, Espada and Diaz are lightening things up a bit with something more latin....the Three Amigos! Of course in the movie, they were all white comedians but that's besides the point. The three deviant Senators, still rich from success by threatening the new Democratic majority, want to keep the good times going. In Albany, that means raising cash...and lots of it.

From The Daily Politics:

The three met today at the Montezuma Mexican Restaurant on Knightsbridge Road in the Bronx. There were two main topics of conversation: The budget and a new political action committee called - what else! - the Three Amigos PAC - that is the brainchild of the group's ringleader, Sen. Carl Kruger.

Kruger, who is a prodigious fundraiser, said he plans to seed the PAC himself and then hopes that from this seed a "forest of trees will grow."

The money will be used to support likeminded candidates, he said. When pressed on whether he and his fellow amigos are looking to grow their swing vote club, given the fact that they are painfully aware that as soon as Smith manages to elect some more Democrats, their clout will disappear.

Finding slimy politicians such as themselves should not be too hard. When those three "Democratic" Senators managed to strike a deal with Smith, they proved that the stench of Albany is still alive and well, and anyone that wants a piece of the financial action within can try and sit at the table, as long as they play by the "Amigos'" rules. You can count on Diaz, Espada and Kruger to be searching for them to hold onto that clout.

So Much For Change In The State Senate

It seems that Malcolm Smith has completely forgot about his little speech after the first deal with the Gang of Three fell through. Back then he and his members were ready stay in the minority instead of making self-interested deals for the Gang. Senator Smith said it was supposed to be about reform and changing the government *cough* bulls**t *cough*. So much for that, Albany is clearly going to stay exactly the same, just with a (D) instead of a (R) controlling the strings in the Senate.

From The NY Daily News:

One source said that Sen. Carl Kruger, a Brooklyn Democrat and a leader of the rebel Democrats, would become chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, and Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a Bronx Democrat and another so-called Gang of Three member, would become chairman of the Aging Committee. Bronx Democrat Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., who under a previous deal that fell apart was to become majority leader, would receive an "influential policy position," sources said.

"Espada will come out the most senior and influential Hispanic in state government," one source said of the Bronx Democrat.

Unlike the previously aborted deal, the positions of president pro tempore and majority leader will not be decoupled. Smith (D-Queens) will hold both titles.

Also, Kruger's Finance Committee will not get a separately funded staff, a source said.

So there are a few changes, limiting some power from the original deal, but the fundamentals stay the same. Basically, Smith is foregoing any appearance of having principles to attain power by giving unearned power to three Senators who threatened his lust for becoming Majority Leader. From now on, if a Senator wants to rise up in the ranks, he or she will know that it is best to make threats at the expense of the institution and their party instead of, you know, actually deserving it.

Time For Malcolm Smith To Stick To One Of His Remarks

The United States Congress starts up tomorrow, nearly all set to go. Here in New York however, State Senators have until Wednesday and no one knows how things will turn out by the opening gavel. One thing is for certain is that the Gang of Three is still in business and is looking for the best deal possible for themselves, regardless of their constituents, their party or their state. The power they seek though, will either come from one of two men, Democrat Malcolm Smith or Republican Dean Skelos.

From The NY Daily News:

Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith - heir apparent to the leadership spot - met face-to-face with the so-called Gang of Three on Sunday night in the Bronx.

It was his first meeting with the renegade Democratic trio since a power-sharing deal brokered by Gov. Paterson imploded and imperiled Smith's standing with his fellow Dems.

The highly public death of the deal created a significant "trust issue" between Smith and the three senators - Ruben Diaz Sr., Pedro Espada Jr. and Carl Kruger - that Smith has yet to resolve, a Gang of Three source said.

"No one has a great deal of faith in [Smith] until this check clears," said the source.

"They've been down this road before. The old Clint Eastwood line comes to mind about your mouth writing checks your body can't cash. They're prepared to bury him if that's the case."

What "bury" means exactly here is still unclear. Skelos would love it if he could hold onto the reigns by having Espada, Kruger and Diaz caucus with him, but people who elected them are mostly Democrats and with the right messaging, will have nothing to do with those turncoats in two years time.

Smith clearly wants to be the Majority Leader but it won't happen the way he wants it with these three schmucks. If he were smart and could look further than right in front of him, he'd stick to a line he uttered when the first deal went kaput. That is, he should stick himself in the minority for another two years and do it right with a stronger and more principled Democratic party in 2010. With the Gang of Three viciously pursued out of office, it'll teach any other potential miscreants to be good Democrats instead of the selfish brats that make up the Gang.

So Malcolm, please, no deals, be a man and wait it out. Giving in to the gang's demands will sour Albany even more than it is now...and that is no short order.

A Holiday Greeting Sen. Diaz Deserves

Here ya go Senator:

Ruben "I'm A Dem" Diaz Tries To Defend His Selfishness

Former/current Gang of Three member Senator Ruben Diaz must be feeling the heat from his district. For nearly two months he has subverted the new Democratic majority to achieve his own ends. Preventing gays from getting married and enjoying equal civil rights are among his priorities and in the means, he had threatened the power of his own party in the State Senate. Once the blogs, unions and his own constituents started going after him, he has decided to fight back.

From NY Politicker:

State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. sent out this open letter in response to a campaign by labor groups to try to bring him in line behind State Senator Malcolm Smith.[...]

"I have always been a Democrat. I am still a Democrat. And I will always be a Democrat," Diaz wrote in the two-page letter to constituents.

He said it was being released "in response to the negative campaign some special interests have begun in my community."

If he didn't think the efforts by NY Democrats, WFP and others was serious, Diaz wouldn't have put out this "I'm still a Democrat" response. He knows that his actions with Kruger and Espada have been detrimental to the party and the Senate. If the voters in the district fully realized what a threat he was, they would have kicked him to the curb in the primaries. Now he's doing damage control while still holding on to his anti-civil rights stance for the GLBT community.

We'll see if it works.

Unions Start To Make The Gang Of Three Pay A Price

When Diaz, Espada and Kruger bonded together to create havoc for Senate Democrats in order to further their own interests, the short term gains clouded their long term outlook. Scheming for a deal is something this politicians know very well, but threatening to caucus with Republicans when you come from a heavily Democratic district is a very dumb idea. Yet they went along with it, still haven't gained anything besides notoriety and now they are starting to pay a price.

From The Daily Politics:

This week, some 8,000 Bronx members of 32BJ will receive direct direct mail pieces targeting two of the so-called Gang of Three - Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. and Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. - in an effort to crank up pressure on the dissidents to come back to the Democratic fold and back Malcolm Smith for majority leader.

The mailers, which are in both English and Spanish, are part of a wider campaign by a number of labor interests that were instrumental in helping the Senate Democrats win a majority of seats this fall for the first time since 1965 and don't want to see the fruits of their labor scuttled by three renegades.

Other union members of this pro-Democrat alliance include: Unite-HERE/ New York Hotel Trades Council, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the Communications Workers of America.

Seriously, what were these three thinking? That they would just get away with throwing our brand new majority away so that they can get some plum positions and the perks that come along with it? Meh. The Senate Dems in Albany may not be perfect, but with the help of unions like 32 BJ, we're slowly making them more responsive to the progressive and pro-working family agenda we desire.

Ruben Diaz Doesn't Understand The Word "Inclusion"

"Gang" member and State Senator Ruben Diaz of The Bronx came out and made a statement praising Barack Obama's decision to stick with homophobe Rick Warren for the invocation at the inauguration next month. He was happy to see someone that is wary of teh gay such as himself get up and stand in front of millions billions and have them as a captive audience for a few minutes. Well I am sure plenty of people love this "reaching out" to the right, but Diaz still doesn't get it.

From The Daily Politics:

"To some people, if you oppose homosexual marriage and abortion, you are not a Democrat and you are certainly not be invited to deliver an inaugural invocation."

"To those people, it does not matter how hard you fight to protect human services by creating job opportunities for your community, bringing low income housing to the poor, fighting against the closing of health services, protecting the immigrants, and opposing the Governor of the State of New York and the Mayor of the City of New York for cutting needed services when they try to balance their budgets on the backs of the poor and less fortunate families and senior citizens."

"By rejecting the call to dis-invite Reverend Warren and by welcoming him to deliver the inauguration ceremony’s invocation in Washington, DC, Barack Obama has sent a message of inclusion...that we should be welcome all the time, not only to be used when they want our votes, support and participation in coalitions to benefit others.

Diaz needs to find a dictionary, because if he is talking about inclusion, the Senator should know that in the Democratic party, we fight for civil rights for all, not just certain minorities. Now, not all Democrats have to agree with abortion and the right for everyone to be able to get married. I'm sure there are plenty out there, such as Mr. Diaz. Yet our party needs solid direction from its leaders. The ideal of equality for all is something to strive for, not to set aside so that we can pretend to be harmonious with people like Mr. Warren.

Smith Grows A Spine, Stands Up And Denounces The Gang Of Three

The deal with the three devils, also known as Malcolm Smith's attempt at becoming the head of the State Senate by bowing to Espada, Kruger and Diaz's demands, is now officially dead and over as of late this morning. Smith did the right thing and threw it completely out instead of trying to juggle the demands of the Gang and the rest of the caucus. All I have to say is "Whew!" Well alright, I can say a lot more than that but most importantly, I'm glad that the next session is not going to be tainted by that terrible deal.

Of course, now that it's over, there's a ton of drama (not that there wasn't a lot to begin with) surrounding the outcome. On the Gang's side, they had their own gripes about "reform" and "Hispanic empowerment." The ball is in their court now and we'll have to see if they'll actually go to the dark side Republican caucus.

Despite the lofty talk on both sides (and I really do hope that Smith simply came to his senses once he realized how unmanageable the deal was), the reality of it all suggests that like most things in Albany, this latest disgraceful episode is about money and power. New York may not be as bad as the Chicago/Illinois political scene, but the high drama over a renegade attempt to make self-interested deals ranks right up there.

Going forward, if Smith wants to hold onto the mantle of the Democratic caucus (and the public's support), he better remember to stand up straight and make sure he knows that a spine is a good thing to have.

The Deal With The Three Devils Falls Apart, Hooray!

The news out of Albany last night was sour for Malcolm Smith and the greedy Gang of Three, but really, is anyone else truly upset? Smith promised Kruger, Espada and Diaz the moon and the stars but outside of that backroom where the deal was made, it was never going to be accepted by the rest of the Democratic caucus. Now this week (and it's only Wednesday) everything is falling to pieces and we are expecting some sort of announcement today from the Gang that will probably denounce Smith and throw their support to Skel....nah, not yet at least. Though according to Diaz, we should be afraid, very, very afraid. Oh and he's mad, can you guess who his ire is directed at?

Teh gays!

The bulk of his displeasure was directed at the gay community ("They're jamming my phones"), the editorial pages that have panned the deal ("What else could they say about us that they haven't said at this point?") and, oddly, former Mayor Ed Koch.

Evidently, Diaz had just caught Koch's weekly appearance on NY1's "Wise Guys" segment during which he, according to Diaz, referred to the Gang of Three as "rats."

"The only rat is Ed Koch," Diaz exclaimed. "When he was mayor, nobody in our community wanted him. The only rat he had was this rate. Rev. Diaz. Now this rate is no good anymore."

"The gays are calling my office. They're jamming my phones. They're going to see what we can do. They've going to see exactly what we can do. Ed Koch is going to see what we can do. They're just going to see. That is what I'm telling you."

Oh noes! Not the gays! How dare they demand equal rights under the law! Oh and Ed Koch, and the newspapers, and the bloggers, and, and, and....oh, cry me a polluted East River. Diaz really needs to get a hold of a mirror, along with one for his friends Kruger and Espada. Too bad their greed is clouding their vision for that to work. But hey, if they want to go and back Skelos, that's fine, because in two years, the heavily Democratic districts they come from will be able to see what happened with crystal clear clarity.

NY Senate Dems Reward Bad Behavior

Senate Democrats in Albany are still a month out from officially assuming power and yet they have seemed to screw it all up already. Kruger, Diaz and Espada "fell in line" but the deals that got them to do that could have incredible consequences. It seems that those in attendance at yesterday's meeting, particularly Malcolm Smith and Governor Paterson went for the short term gain of solving the inter-party leadership kerfuffle at the expense of what happens inside our own party across the state.

From The Cityroom:

Two people involved in the talks said that Mr. Espada will get the title of majority leader under the deal, though Mr. Smith would be the real leader of the Democratic caucus, with the title of president pro tempore. Still, the deal would make Mr. Espada arguably the most powerful Latino elected official in New York State.

Mr. Kruger would be named chairman of the Senate Finance Committee — a major post with the power to approve gubernatorial nominees and a lead role in negotiating state budgets — and the committee would become more autonomous.

And the senators will sit in alphabetical order in the chamber, rather than divided by party, along with other changes to the Senate’s rules that will make it more democratic — something Mr. Smith has long advocated.

I could care less if they say according to height, weight or shoe size. Where the Senators seats are in the chamber doesn't amount to a hill of beans. What does count here is that Kruger got the Finance Committee, screwing over Western New York and the presumed chair Bill Stachowski. Upstate is not going to like that at all. All of the power rests from the Bronx on down.

Diaz is getting what he wants as well. Gay marriage is issue non-grata in the State Senate for at least two years now. Marriage advocates will continue to fight the good fight, but real progress can easily be stymied by the egomaniac of the Gang, Senator-Elect Espada.

Espada is getting a fantastic deal out of this. While being called "Majority Leader" is simply a title and doesn't carry the oomph that President Pro Tem does for Smith, the position isn't to be taken lightly, especially as a brand new Senator. He also gets a prime spot on the Rules Committee, which is an excellent "gatekeeper" seat in terms of bringing legislation to the floor.

Ultimately, this is about rewarding bad behavior. The three of them cut their deals and the biggest loser from this of course, is the average New Yorker. For all of Espada's talk about Latino empowerment, the only Latino he cares about is himself. He has certainly made that clear before. The whole thing reminds me of what happened in the U.S. Senate just last month, when Lieberman fought like hell to beatup Democrats and when his GOP friends lost, he came back to eat at the leadership's trough and was given a slap on the wrist in front of the cameras and accepted with open arms immediately after.

Like the leadership in Washington, Albany has shown that they simply want the masses to vote for them, a few to lick envelopes and when the ballots have been counted, to be shooed away for two years until it is time for re-election. Well, that simply is not going to happen. The people, especially those in Diaz, Kruger and Espada's districts will come to know their Senators quite well for the conniving traitors that they are. Then, if all goes well, there will be actual Democrats who care about the principles of their party and kick them out of office during the primary election of 2010. Espada lost his primary race before, it can certainly happen again.

Gang Of Three Officially Disbands, Dems Will Control The Senate

What was beginning to seem like an on-going soap opera drama, quickly came to an end today. Hiram Monserrate dropped out of a group opposed to Malcolm Smith becoming Majority Leader, but Espada, Kruger and Diaz held out for an entire month. Today it is being reported that the three sat down with Smith and everything is copasetic. Hmmm....

From The Daily Politics:

The leadership battle that has frozen the Senate since Election Day is over, and the three renegade senators known as the Gang of Three have all pledged to support Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith for majority leader in exchange for an agreement that will result in what Sen. Carl Kruger called "significant and historic reform" of how the chamber operates.

He refused to provide any additional information, saying that a press release will be forthcoming from Smith's office.

I called Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., and he confirmed: "It's over. It's a done deal. We agreed."

But what about gay marriage - Diaz's signature issue and the one thing he said he absolutely wouldn't abide coming to the floor?

The senator refused to tell me anything about what kind of deal Smith struck on that (recall that Diaz said he wanted a written pledge that whoever he supported for leader would not bring a bill legalizing same-sex marriage). The only thing he would say was: "I'm comfortable that everything's going to be OK."

Everything's going to be OK for whom exactly? It's great that the Democrats have control of the Senate, but at what price? Both sides are saying that we're going to have reform and things are wonderful but no one wants to talk specifics. Inquiring minds want to know what Kruger, Diaz and Espada are getting out of this. Something just does not smell right.

Tom Duane Sends A Message To Pedro Espada

Not only is Senator Tom Duane not concerned about the Gang of Three, he rubs it in their faces that being a Republican is a bad idea here in New York. Jeff Campagna follows it up at this weekend's Same-Sex Marriage forum with a pro-Democratic message.



While Espada hasn't shown he's coming to his senses anytime soon, it is comforting to see the others start to come around, regardless of the language they use about the matter.

The Gang Of Three Do Not Understand NY Referendum

I'm grateful that Hiram Monserrate came to his senses and broke from the independent gang of Democrats in order to get behind Malcolm Smith. The other three however, Kruger, Diaz and Espada are wandering further into the woods and in dangerous territory if they want to win re-election in 2010. Yesterday's meeting accomplished absolutely nothing but more uncertainty for the Senate. The three are desperately trying to remain relevant and delaying their decision about whether to support Smith has now been delayed until January. Oh and they added something new to the mix about their bigotry the debate over gay marriage in New York.

From The Daily Politics:

The biggest news to come out of the get-together, which took place at an Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, is that the three Democrats - Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., Sen. Carl Kruger and Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. - are calling for a referendum, rather than legislative action, on gay marriage.

"Basically, they said if Malcolm thinks term limits changes should be decided by referendum, then why not gay marriage?" said a source close to the three.

(Smith recently said he would not move to block a bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Parker that would require any changes to local term limits laws to be put to the public for a vote).

This is, of course, a way to keep Diaz Sr. in the fold, since he has made it very clear that he won't support anyone for leader unless that person pledges not to bring a gay marriage bill to the floor for a vote.

The new Senate under Smith, according to Smith will not require him to bring the bill to the floor because he will not hoard power like Bruno had for all those years. Tom Duane or any other Senator should be able to bring bills out of committee all on their own.

As for the question on a referenda on gay marriage, this topic is nothing like the debate over term limits. In that area, the Mayor and Council of NYC abused their authority and violated the spirit of the city charter for personal gain. The people of NYC had already instituted term limits by referendum and it is only fair that to rescind it would require the same method.

Now for gay marriage, this is a question of expanding equal rights to an oppressed minority in our country that is treated unfairly due to sexual orientation. It shouldn't even have to be considered by the legislature but since we restrict their rights as a state, then Albany must give them their rights. Those that vote against it, as Keith Olbermann put it so forcefully Monday night have a problem with other people's love and need to take a second look at their conscience before going forth.

Frankly, this matter has to be taken care of from above and the legislature has to show true leadership in giving all New Yorkers equal rights regardless of whether they want to marry someone of the same sex or not. Obviously it didn't and couldn't happen under Joe Bruno or the brief period with Dean Skelos, but it can with Malcolm Smith as Majority Leader, no matter if he introduces it himself or not.

Tom Duane Schools Ruben Diaz For Trying To Be A Bully

This isn't a schoolyard fight we're talking about, this is between two grown men in the New York State Senate with two very different views about marriage equality. Senator Duane, being the only openly gay member has been outspoken on the issue and with a Democratic Senate, is poised to help deliver equality in the state. As a current renegade Democrat, Diaz doesn't particularly like teh gay and wants potential Majority Leader Smith not to bring such a bill to the floor for a vote. Too bad he doesn't know that things, they are a changin' in Albany.

From The Daily Politics:

Sen. Tom Duane today accused Gang of Three member Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. of being "a little bit of a bully" on same-sex marriage and said the Bronx Democrat is mistakenly working under an old model of how the Senate works by casting this as a make-or-break issue in the leadership battle.

"It's absurd that Sen. Diaz thinks he can bully his way on this issue," Duane said. "That is just not the way the government is going to be in the new Senate."

"I guess he thinks he hasn't been getting enough attention, so he feels need to bully his way to the forefront, but that's not going to fly in the Senate anymore. He'll get used to things running in a more democratic way."

"Sen. (Malcolm) Smith is going to be the leader of the Senate differently than Sen. (Joe) Bruno or even Sen. (Dean) Skelos," Duane continued. "It's a whole new way to operate. It's not just going to be up to Sen. Smith...on what comes to the floor."

Smith said something along the same lines in a Times interview just before Election Day, promising to provide more power to rank-and-file lawmakers and even share power, to some degree, with the Republican minority (assuming they lose the leadership fight).

Aww poor Ruben, just because you want to exclude the gay community from rights that heterosexuals have doesn't mean you'll get your way if you threaten the balance of power in the Senate. If anything, the longer you wait to fall in line behind Smith, the more momentum a challenger has to take you out in two years. With the tide of power swaying back to our side, no one needs a backstabber around while we try and clear up some of the muck that has brought progress to a halt in New York. Duane can bring the bill down by himself and no one will care how loud you scream and shout.