Bruno: Government Should be More Opaque

blair horner is right (4.00 / 1)

this is bullshit.

had enough? join the cause.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 04:15:05 AM UTC

I'm reading this bill... (4.00 / 1)

And will add on to your post Roatti. I'll have some analysis in the morning, but I don't like it. One of my favorite hobbies is to read legislation. I find it very interesting. The big thing we should focus on here is the words "Public Officers Law." That is not good. The Public Officers Law makes things FOIL-proof. I'll explain more tomorrow...

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by: robert.harding @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 04:57:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hunch (4.00 / 1)

Thanks, Robert, for looking more closely at this.  Bruno is like a street-corner magician-- if you get distracted by what he is saying (which has no real consequence), you will miss the sleight-of-hand by which the silver dollar disappears.  So, I have a hunch about this one: Don Barber's campaign folks may be sniffing too vigorously around sweetheart deals between Jim Seward and the insurance companies, and Bruno is arranging to put evidence out of reach.  Now, here is a thought: is Joe Morelle sponsoring this because the Assembly Chair of the Insurance Committee has also been soft-pedaling it on investigations of insurance companies?  I looked at their respective contributions from the insurance industry-- while both have some, the overlap is not so great.  In particular, Seward has a LOT of "mutual insurance" industry and life insurance industry contributors.  Is the Republican Crony State moving money around to one another (or from consumers to themselves) through Mutual Insurance life insurance policies?

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by: robinia @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 10:36:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What a coincidence! (0.00 / 0)

Now it all makes sense- except for Morelle.  

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by: Roatti @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 14:58:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What was the assembly vote? (4.00 / 1)

How many of our thirty went along with this, if any lets out them and hold our own accountable as well.  In an era when our AG Cuomo and now Comptroller DiNapoli have rolled-out the most open of sunshine public info sites, why should any of our party including leader Smith not have been swingin from the chandeliers over a bill like this?

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by: politics64 @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 12:31:15 PM UTC

I think all the Democratic (0.00 / 0)

Senators voted for it except for Liz K. Rubber stamp Democratic Senators I guess. But the idea is to take over the Senate with whatever we have and whatever they do we'll just have to hold our nose. Even if it is more of the same and status quo at least it will be ours. The Assembly Democrats are the ones to hold accountable and they are a much bigger target. Hell, even though they did not pass this let's blame them for it. (You're aiming at the wrong store front).

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by: TruBlu @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:05:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Morelle is alone (0.00 / 0)

as sponsor of the Assembly version-- so, as the Senate version has no sponsorship at all, I guess that does make you wonder what he sees in it.  We should ask. As I wrote above, he does not have anywhere near the contributions from the industry that Seward has, although he heads the analogous committee.  Which would be a sign of integrity, I'd think.

Sorry to hear our Senators thought this bill was a swell idea.  I'm thinking there are parts of Michael Moore's movie about health care that might have relied on some of this kind of FOILed document.

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by: robinia @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:20:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I disagree totally! (4.00 / 1)

I know of nobody who wants a Democratic State Senate more than I do but that does not mean a free pass to vote for this shit! Lets call all the Democratic senators offices and let them know they should have been with Liz K on this one and they are expected to have our backs on issues like this in the future!

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by: politics64 @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:23:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The Senate website has no info on it (0.00 / 0)

surprise

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by: Roatti @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:23:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Why are you so anti-Democratic-Senate? (0.00 / 0)

snark

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by: Roatti @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:27:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What is with you, TruBlu? (4.00 / 1)

I get it now. Assembly Democrats = Good. Senate Democrats = Bad.

The truth is, in this instance, EVERYONE will receive the wrath. I would like to say that I can pat the Assembly Democrats on the ass and say "good job" but the truth is that they haven't voted on it yet and if they do, what's to say they don't vote overwhelmingly in favor of it?

The Senate voted 60-1. The Assembly could easily be much of the same.

I will wait until the Assembly votes to pass judgment on the Assembly. Giving them credit at this point could mean pie on your face later on.  

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by: robert.harding @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:49:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I doubt (0.00 / 0)

Assembly Democrats would vote for a non disclosure measure for the insurance industry. This one smells like Senate Republicans. I'm not anti Senate Democrats, I'm against turning a blind eye to what some Democrats in the State are doing because of a zeal to take the Senate over. This inquiry into what the Senate Democrats did is healthy it just surprised me to see it here. They are the same Senators who wouldn't come out and vote when congestion pricing was on the Senate floor but it was brushed over, I don't remember any wrath. I am a big time Democrat and a fan of them -- I just see a double standard in the 'Bluer than Blue' standard we apply to some and not others and was pointing that out once again. It would be healthy to apply one standard to all and gives more credibility frankly.  

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by: TruBlu @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 16:48:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No assembly vote yet (0.00 / 0)

http://assembly.state.ny.us/le...

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by: Roatti @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 at 15:21:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]