When Open Government meets Fiction Government

we're (4.00 / 3)

doing the best we can, folks. oh, and do not try this at home.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

---

by: phillip anderson @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 19:59:40 PM UTC

you all had been doing a pretty good job of walking the line (0.00 / 0)

until this, anyhow.

---

by: simonstl @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 20:16:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do wish (4.00 / 1)

...we could upload comments with pictures of dogs in white wigs and suitcoats deliberating earnestly....

---

by: robinia @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 20:47:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A Website or Blog (4.00 / 1)

devoted to an institution that is also paid for by that institution is going to self promote the institution. You can put bells and whistles and bows on it and call it an independent format but at the end of the day it is what it is and the talent that brings you the site gets their paycheck and has a boss. You are pointing to something that smacks of a rapid response promotion machine. Well, you said to me the other day who will be the cheerleader for the Senate. Perhaps you have just unearthed the who. I for one am not horrified by this at all. I expect self promotion because it is self preservation. And if one does not engage in self preservation in New York State politics you will be chewed up, spit out and eaten alive.  

---

by: TruBlu @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 20:06:34 PM UTC

sure (0.00 / 0)

but the fun question in today's New York Senate is what the institution is, and what "self-preservation" means in relationship to that.

I'm afraid that if things don't work out as smoothly as we'd all like, this kind of moment ensures that the web site will be just another target for partisanship:

"They promised reform, and what'd they provide?  Propaganda!"

Perhaps I'm giving the Republicans too much credit for their ability to notice such things, though.

---

by: simonstl @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 20:16:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Simon, A couple of things (4.00 / 1)

Today that surrealism kicked up a notch. The official Senate blog had been sticking to announcements and legal documents, even if most of these did seem to come from the Democratic leadership. The latest piece, though, is laughable:

First...we have posted ALL legal documents and announcements. If there are more Dems, that's because they have submitted more.

Second...whether you think the quorum was real or not, it doesn't matter. It was. Period. According to Senate rules, Padavan was there and appropriately counted. Intent has nothing to do with it. That is the way the Senate has operated for hundreds of years.

"I'm sorry, officer, I didn't mean to run that light and crash into the bus. I was going for coffee"

"Oh, okay, no problem. We won't count the accident since you were only going for coffee and obviously didn't mean it."

And, conversely, the June 8th sideshow certainly wasn't legal according to the rules of the Senate.

Now, if you want to make the argument that the rules of the Senate are crazy, then that's one thing, and if you want to make the argument that following them is unimportant...well that's another. BUT, since the rules are all that we have to abide by, then, I'll stick with them.

And, the ends to this, I might add, was to actually pass bills that millions of New Yorkers depend upon...that would have passed 62-0 under normal circumstances. They passed necessary legislation that was due to expire, not push an ideological agenda through.

The Power for Jobs extender alone protects over 250,000 jobs. Now, if you want to call that frivolous, Go talk to the quarter million families whose paychecks are now threatened and tell them that the Democrats are playing games.


We've got some work ahead of us.

---

by: NYBri @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 14:47:27 PM UTC

if you want to destroy your credibility permanently (0.00 / 0)

This is precisely how to do it.  If you want to call that legal, you're welcome to fight it in the courts, but you'll be mocked over and over and over and over...

Like I said - Open Government, meet Fiction Government.  No one else in New York outside of the Democratic Caucus and those in its employ have signed on to this particular storyline, and if they do so, it's completely at their peril.

The sad part for me is that this breaks the web site's story pretty badly.

Good luck righting the ship!  You, uh, need it.

---

by: simonstl @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 17:12:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]