| As we mentioned yesterday, the silly season for the battle for the state Senate has already begun in earnest. The fight for the Senate next year will be fierce, but who says anyone has to wait for next year?
Shortly after his election in February, State Sen. Craig Johnson found himself under fire from something called "the North Shore Committee for Truth."
"As taxpayers, parents and Long Islanders, the actions of state government have a tremendous impact on our lives," begins an e-mail sent by the committee to selected residents in Johnson's district. The missive accused the rookie state legislator of failing to fight funding cuts for local hospitals and school aid.
No committee members' names were included in the letter, titled "Craig's Closet." Not surprisingly, Johnson blasts its charges and contests its factual assertions.
Reports filed this week with the state Board of Elections shed some light. On April 26, the state Senate Republican Campaign Committee transferred $5,000 to the committee, which is registered out of the Westbury home of its treasurer, Christine Nagy, an enrolled Republican.
The article goes on to describe a TV ad being run against freshman Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a perfectly legitimate thing to do. But whay on earth does a public employee, a very highly paid public employee, Bruno spokesman John McArdle, seem to be running the effort?
Stewart-Cousins was even the subject of a TV attack ad unveiled by the GOP yesterday, with the tag line: "She just isn't getting the job done." Will one against Johnson follow? "Stay tuned," said Bruno spokesman John McArdle.
Do we really need to pay someone $180,000 dollars a year to be actively involved in partisan politics? We apparently furnish him a state car as well.
This can't be legal, right?
Oh, right. This is New York. |
