Senate Republicans Lose Seat, Take Their Pork And Go Home

Proof that the Member Item Process.... (0.00 / 0)

....simply holds each district hostage. The message is, "Vote for the status quo, or you will be punished."

It also proves that the MI process is a political payola system where the first goal is to keep incumbents in office.

We've got some work ahead of us.

---

by: NYBri @ Sat Dec 23, 2006 at 01:39:13 AM UTC

Public Resouces as Tools of Violence (4.00 / 1)

This is a perfect example of how member items are tools of violence & reward used to distort the democratic process and reduce the level of participation in civic life, when its not being used to line the pockets of friends and family of the state representative.

---

by: milesblack @ Sat Dec 23, 2006 at 04:19:42 AM UTC

Deja Vu (0.00 / 0)

The Senate majority conference did the same thing when Nancy Larraine Hoffmann lost the 49th to David Valesky in 2004.  Others here may know specific organizations that lost out on funding back then.

---

by: teaparty2 @ Sat Dec 23, 2006 at 14:48:42 PM UTC

idea - let's get the Press using Member "Promises" / Member GTC Grants (4.00 / 1)

all joking aside ..
if everyone started referring to these things as
- Member Promises
- Indian-Giver Grants
- GTC Grants ( stock market - Good Till Canceled )
it might apply some serious embarrassment to the process
ITEM 2
- is anyone in a position to pull the covers off the exact
process by which the grants were revoked ??
- is a Senate PDF Rev 3 file in the works ??
best to all ..

---

by: theNP @ Sun Dec 24, 2006 at 01:57:11 AM UTC

Two-faces of anti-porkers (0.00 / 0)

Isn't eliminating pork the point?  What's up here?  Either you want the pork or you don't want the pork.  Make up your minds.

---

by: TourPro @ Sun Dec 24, 2006 at 16:04:20 PM UTC

Senate Republicans Lose Seat, Take Their Pork And Go Home (0.00 / 0)

Wow, NARAL lost $50 grand after killing themselves helping Spano -- despite his support of Bruno, Skelos, the whole anti-choice Senate leadership.  No wonder they were disappointed 100% pro choice Stewart Cousins won the seat.  She might have principles, but won't be coughing up $50 grand in payoff funds to them anytime soon.

---

by: watchdog.555 @ Mon Dec 25, 2006 at 20:29:28 PM UTC

Did NARAL lose Spano's $50K gift? (0.00 / 0)

It is listed on the remaining list of member items for Spano's 2006-2007 SENATE MAJORITY INITIATIVE FORM for:

NARAL/NY 
to continue the TEEN Outreach Reproductive Challenege [sic] Project

The 06-07 member items for Spano add up to a total of $365K as opposed to the previous year's total of  $3.7M. I have a handy html version of the 06-07 list here: What WAS on the Chopping Block?
Since this year's amount is so much smaller, I am guessing that those are the remaining member items to be paid as opposed to an additional 3M that would have been paid if Spano won re-election?

How do you think we can find this out?

BTW, NARAL's grant is not listed on Spano's website page: LOCAL GRANTS & INITIATIVES.

---

by: am @ Tue Dec 26, 2006 at 15:38:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

There's a Pattern Here (0.00 / 0)

In focusing on Albany, it's just possible we might miss a larger pattern.  Since seat turnovers in Albany have been so rare, Nick Spano's graceless abandonment of the projects and funding he promised stands out.  But if we look at the nearby 19th Congressional District, we see a similar image. 
There, a long-time incumbent Republican Sue Kelly promoted and protected her (false) image as a constituent oriented moderate with a succession of pork promises (just like Nick Spano).  And issued a press release, which was dutifully reported by the local media, every time she succeeded in getting an appropriation by one or another level of approval (just like Nick, except that in Albany there is less acountability and therefore fewer opportunities to issue a self-congratulatory press release.)

And, lo and behold, just like Nick Spano, unfulfilled pork promises made in Kelly's perpetual, but at last unsuccessful, campaign for reelection, will remain unfulfilled.  Susan Elan's article in the December 25 issue of the Journal News on line covers the story. http://www.thejourna...

Now there are those who would argue that Republicans are generically (genetically?)sore losers.  I think the more important point is that while constituent service is a part of the job, including obtaining consideration for funding worthwhile projects, it isn't, or shouldn't be, the entirety of the job. Long after the one-shot infusion for the Little League or the Boys and Girls Club or the Senior Center has been spent and forgotten, the legislation Albany ought to have been enacting could go on doing good.  If our legislators aren't legislating -- and they aren't so long as the majority in each chamber effectively rules like a feudal lord -- they will continue to try to justify their existence with pork.

So, IMHO, overhauling the way Albany doles out pork is tied to real legislative reform that encourages legislators to establish, build and defend a real legislative record instead of buying constituency-favor with short term rations of pork. 

---

by: NY Spotlight @ Tue Dec 26, 2006 at 15:09:06 PM UTC