The end of Joe Bruno = the end of Shelly Silver?

it's like someone hit the reset button (0.00 / 0)

this year.

I like the idea that Silver has lost his political cover, though I was figuring that it would happen after the Dems took over the Senate.  It's surprising and confusing, though very very welcome, to see it come earlier.

(You go deeper into the pressures that kept Assembly members in line than a lot of people have.  I hadn't heard about that cooperation on appointments.)

Even if Silver were to join Bruno at the exit, though, the hard question is whether the institutions that sustained them will continue.  That's the bigger uglier question for New York State, and one I'm less optimistic about.

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by: simonstl @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 13:19:15 PM UTC

Reality Check 101 (4.00 / 1)

It's against my better judgment to reply but there's just so much misinformation here I have to write something. Maybe this post was meant to spin some wild theories so good job Amherst.

I agree with Simon, I hadn't heard about the appointment claims either --- but I think it's simply because they are made up.

And Amherst, I'm really really really interested to know, "NEW Assemblymen have OFTEN run as anti-Silver candidates" Who are you talking about? Which new members? What did they pledge to do in opposing Silver? What did they say? Gosh I must have missed all of them over the past decade.

And where are you getting that there wasn't support for DiNapoli behind closed doors? That Spitzer almost won? The Assembly Democrats couldn't stick their thumb in Eliot's eye enough times for what he did to them. How fast you forget the deafening standing ovation Tom got during Eliot's State of the State just 180 days ago. If Democrats in the Assembly could have voted 10xs for Tom I believe they would have. Your read is so way off - sure some didn't vote for Tom, that's true. There will always be those who have a mind of their own. But to suggest the majority members aren't solid behind their Speaker and solid with Tom is totally foolish. There was no 'crack' in the Tom fight, if you're going to use it as an example it's a clear example of solidarity.

And "RAPIDLY decreasing support from his own members." Are you joking, he's closing in on being the longest serving Speaker ever. One doesn't get there on depreciating assets with those closest to him.

I love this wild claim the best, "Silver has through all of this kept his job through the political cover of George Pataki and Joe Bruno." And now he has to go through Paterson and Smith. When will people learn that this guy Silver listens to his conference and his conference only. And in a very democratic fashion. I don't think this Silver gives a crap who's Governor or Majority leader as he's seen so many come and go. To him it's probably a revolving door of people who are hostile to him openly or not openly. I think that's probably why he relies so much on his conference,wouldn't you after a while?.  

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by: TruBlu @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 18:22:42 PM UTC

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He listens to his conference (0.00 / 0)

but he also finds it convenient to blame them when he kills something behind closed doors that screws over his district, like congestion pricing or killing the commuter tax.  But they do like him, because he is the lightning rod for criticims of the conference's role in our having the worst legislature int he nation.  

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by: Roatti @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 18:37:17 PM UTC

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How does (4.00 / 3)

a standing ovation for Tom DiNapoli have anything to do with anything? They fought about it; Spitzer almost got his way. These are the facts.

Sure they applaud DiNapoli now, Silver tells them to. Many many people in this area were told to help Hillary's campaign this year and did, but  supported, voted for, and contributed to Obama. That's politics.

You want a name? Sure.

Schroeder even won a Democratic primary promising that he wouldn't vote to reelect Speaker Silver until he pledged in writing to get an on-time budget.

              - Inside Albany

Sure Silver listens to his conference - so long as you limit his conference to Democrats whose district number is 86 or lower.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 19:03:53 PM UTC

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That may be enough (0.00 / 0)

for the Speaker to remain Speaker.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

First we have to actually TAKE the Senate for this conversation to start.  Then they will have to pick a leader (no guarantee Mr. Smith will be the guy).

Then you have to find enough members within the Assembly conference who want to whack Shelly, and have some sort of consensus around a replacement - which may never happen.

[Of course Mr. Newell would like to be heard on that first, but that is another matter.]

Point is, there are several political lifetimes between now and September, then November, then the State of the State, and then the next, painful budget.

Miles to go before Shelly sleeps, methinks.

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by: Lead Dog @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 19:49:34 PM UTC

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That guy? (0.00 / 0)

There will always be those that have a mind of their own but you would have someone think all new members "often" run on an anti-Silver platform. That is what you claimed after all. One person when there's been what, maybe 80 new members in the past decade? That's not "often," that is next to "never" my friend.

So this Schroeder I see drew a line in the sand and then when the budget was on time basically said  "Speaker Silver deserves a lot of credit for the on-time budget..." Nice that's an extensive anti-Silver platform if ever I have seen one.

So who is this Schroeder, he the same guy who got into a fight with Silver in the Buffalo news because Assembly lawyers said he couldn't use taxpayer money to run his private business and consulting work. That's a real reformer for you heh.

I'm with Lead Dog (nice name by the way). Waaaaaaaayyyy ahead of ourselves. And yeah, a standing-o has alot to do with everything.

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by: TruBlu @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 22:25:59 PM UTC

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Schroeder's not unique (0.00 / 0)

A lot of folks do question Silver while running, then fall in line once they're in Albany.  (Unfortunately the original City Hall article is gone, but hopefully the quotes are enough to give you the gist.)

I'm sure you'd argue that it's because Silver is so wonderful, but I can't say I share that perspective.

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by: simonstl @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 22:37:16 PM UTC

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Thanks for the link (0.00 / 0)

That is what I have thought for some time. That it's not as sinister as some believe. While to some it appears they are falling in line, the ones who get there say not so fast. No one is beating anyone. No one is twisting arms. They simply change their opinion once they become legislators. They change because they see things for themselves for the first time rather than through the filtered eye of the media. (I'm not a big media fan).

The media wants to sell papers, they want controversy and they want villains. I if just believed what I read in the paper I would hate Silver and fall in line with what they want, subscribers. I talk mostly to advocates as a source of information.

Chuck Lavine happens to be an Assemblyman I do respect. I like his candor and am glad he had the guts to say he now realizes that what he "used to read in the papers is not quite the way things really happen," adding, "the reality is of course what I knew it would be, which is infinitely more complex."

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by: TruBlu @ Wed Jun 25, 2008 at 00:53:30 AM UTC

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Schroeder is a good dude (0.00 / 0)

But like most reformers, he has to live in the fish tank with the barracudas and other predators.  He holds his own, gets a few member items (like everyone else), and is a hard worker, but he isn't a beloved figure by the leadership.

Contrast that, say to some of the sycophants in the conferences, and it makes you wish for 150 Schrodeders.

But let's not get stuck on exceptions or general "rules."  Albany remains less than perfect, but oddly, for a change, has been more functional than dysfunctional of late.

If the governor is really willing to bite the bullet and pass tax hikes AND spending cuts next year to get the state's finances in order, we have a shot at increasing our long-term competitiveness.  If not, the Titanic deck-chair metaphor - replacing Eliot with David, Joe with Dean, Malcolm with  . . . and Shelly with who-knows - is certainly apt.

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by: Lead Dog @ Wed Jun 25, 2008 at 03:45:33 AM UTC

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Brownfields reform was fiscally huge (0.00 / 0)

NYS legislation has a tendency to spring major leaks-- not all that surprising considering it is researched by "eye candy" and written by lobbyists' law firms.  The previous Brownfields legislation was agreed by everyone to be "not working" (just like IDAs and Empire Zones... remember them?  Still there.).  Just what that meant-- the Governor referred to it as a "runaway train" I believe-- is not so clear in media reports.  But, probably the better metaphor is those old Western movies where the black-hat guys make a hole in the side of the bank and are carrying out the town's cash in sacks and packing it up in saddlebags.

Whoever was the force for fixing this-- Paterson?  Shelly? Joe? Some combination of 2?-- did something very responsible for us. I'd like to think that could possibly continue... am inclined to give a lot of credit to Paterson on this, except his recent actions have me really baffled.  That Aubertine "misunderstanding" was weird-- does Paterson maybe still think that Joe Bruno speaks for upstate, not you and me and Aubertine (who is "one of us")? So, maybe, over the years, Shelly has come to actually listen to some upstate voices?  Dunno.  Wish it were not all so obscure.

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by: robinia @ Thu Jun 26, 2008 at 12:42:11 PM UTC

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