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SD-15: Serph Maltese Is Campaigning With YOUR Money

by: phillip anderson

Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 17:20:49 PM EDT

What does this look like to you?

If you answered "campaign mailer", please step to the head of the class. Then take a look at who paid for it.

US Postage
PAID
New York Senate

That's right. YOU paid for it.

Much more including more images on the flip...

phillip anderson :: SD-15: Serph Maltese Is Campaigning With YOUR Money

You paid for that, too.

and that.

And this one as well.

We all know the incumbent GOP Senators do this all the time. Hugh Farley is a particularly brazen repeat offender. But, I'm struggling to remember if I've ever seen taxpayer funded ~~campaign literature~~ mailings as brazen as this one.

I'm awfully tired of these guys spending our money on their campaigns.

On the web: Joe Addabbo on ActBlue.

UPDATE: The campaign of Joe Addabbo, the man who will relieve us finally of the likes of Serph Maltese, just sent this in. Apparently they quite a day of canvasing today.

Tags: SD-15, Serph Maltese, Joe Addabbo, Queens, New York City, NYC, State Senate, (All Tags)

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SD-15: Serph Maltese Is Campaigning With YOUR Money | 5 comments

What's the law? (4.00 / 1)

Under NYC law, legislators are allowed to send, at taxpayer expense, mailings to their constituents. There is a "blackout period," however, before an election.

Does anyone know what, if any, blackout period exists under state law, and whether Maltese's mailing violated it?

by: Dan Jacoby @ Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 21:45:27 PM UTC

Great question (0.00 / 0)

by: Roatti @ Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 00:30:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

They have no (0.00 / 0)

internal proceedure regarding this that I could find, here are the Senate Rules. The Senate exempts themself from everything. There is no State law that I know of other than the Public Officers Law advertisement prohibition (hope the link works) but this mailer does not seem to violate it.

by: TruBlu @ Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 03:20:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Blackout dates/Newsletters (0.00 / 0)

Bulk mail/communications are not permitted after election-related blackout dates. For a general election it's 2 months prior; for a primary it's one month. These dates are strictly adhered to in the Assembly.

All Assembly mailers are black and white with one accent color. Photos are limited. Communications operates a 'no frills' shop.

by: LOBlue @ Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 09:03:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The lower house (0.00 / 0)

has always been frugal as you say. You'd have to credit the Democratic leadership there but some don't like to credit them for process reform and for having put this in their House Rules. That said it will be very interesting if the Senate Dems bother to change things once they are in. Everyone is boasting they will be better. All I have seen is more of the same, from protective remarks about pork to not sharing resources or having an independent redistricting commission to not even coming out for a floor vote.

by: TruBlu @ Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 15:36:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]