The Company Palin-dino Keeps

by: Roatti

Wed Sep 29, 2010 at 17:16:09 PM EDT

But some of the people whom Mr. Paladino has recruited to run his campaign are plagued by brushes with the law and allegations of misconduct, an examination of public records shows.

His campaign manager failed to pay nearly $53,000 in federal taxes over the last few years, prompting the Internal Revenue Service to take action against him. An aide who frequently drives Mr. Paladino on the campaign trail served jail time in Arizona on charges of drunken driving.

Another adviser has been indicted on charges of stealing more than $1 million from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's re-election bid last year. And Mr. Paladino's campaign chairwoman left a local government position amid claims that she had steered $1 billion in public money to a politically connected investment manager.

Their backgrounds could raise questions about the kind of cabinet Mr. Paladino, a Republican, would assemble if elected in November and cast doubt on his ability to radically remake the dysfunctional culture of Albany, government watchdogs said.

And who did Palin-dino hire to be his campaign driver?  Why, the crazy teabagger Rus Thompson, who is certainly qualified to be a campaign driver, but not a communications strategist, because he is a teabagging blogger with a DUI.  But at least Palin-dino's campaign manager, Michael Caputo has an enlightened view of this:

In an interview, Michael R. Caputo, the campaign manager who ran afoul of the I.R.S., said, "This is a campaign of junkyard dogs, not pedigreed poodles."

Yeah, people who live their lives ethically are "pedigreed poodles."  Only pussies don't go around embezzling funds and cheating the IRS!  And of course, only a multimillionaire businessman has the real-man mentality to protect our state from all those pedigreed poodles and their elitist ethics!  

Trainwreck.  

In a Nutshell

by: Roatti

Tue Sep 28, 2010 at 01:35:59 AM EDT

"I have a plan, I have an agenda, I have positions. Carl Paladino has a platform. I want to make sure New Yorkers all across the state understand the difference between them."

Another Reason Paladino Would be a Trainwreck Governor

by: Roatti

Tue Sep 21, 2010 at 18:57:08 PM EDT

His Manhattan jaunt began early on Monday with an interview at the headquarters of Fox News, where he seemed awed by the hive of activity around him well before 8 a.m. "Why do you guys get up so early?" he asked a reporter.

After Paterson, what New York needs is a Governor who is hard-working.  We do not need a Governor who is going to lay in bed all day and read the heritage foundation website.  Our state has too many problems for a lazy, ideologically-blind, old crank to take the helm for the next 4 years.  

Eric Schneiderman May Actually Win This Thing

by: pontificator

Fri Aug 27, 2010 at 18:05:07 PM EDT

Everyone knows who the supposed front-runners are in this race.  But it's pretty clear that this race is up in the air, with no incumbent, and no one with a particularly high profile or name recognition.  

NY-Gov: Cuomo Releases Second Policy Book, on Energy

by: Roatti

Fri Aug 06, 2010 at 17:24:09 PM EDT

I'm loving the wonkiness coming out of the Cuomo camp these days.  After the 250-page "New NY Agenda," the campaign has now released Power NY, a 150-pager on energy policy.  

None of this is truly revolutionary in clean energy circles, but it's incredibly heartening to have a gubernatorial candidate embrace what is largely consensus among clean energy policy supporters as stated policy.  It's a pretty comprehensive plan involving efficiency, smart grid, and increased use of renewables.  Definitly worth a read.

Gov. Paterson to Create Special Immigration Board of Pardons

by: CaseStreet

Tue May 04, 2010 at 00:54:24 AM EDT

According to the New York Times, David Paterson, Governor of New York State, announced Monday that he will create a special panel that will review "cases involving legal immigrants who are at risk of deportation for minor or old convictions."

The announcement comes as the federal government has taken an increasingly hard line in its interpretation of existing immigration law, leaving a growing number of legal immigrants who have criminal records facing deportation.

"Some of our immigration laws, particularly with respect to deportation, are embarrassingly and wrongly inflexible," Mr. Paterson said in a speech on Monday at an annual gathering of the state's top judges.

"In New York we believe in renewal," he added. "In New York we believe in rehabilitation."

Hamlet on the Hudson Jr.

by: simonstl

Sat May 01, 2010 at 14:58:36 PM EDT

Gannett reports that Andrew Cuomo still hasn't announced, telling the Democratic Rural Conference that:

I believe this upcoming election is the most important for the state of New York in my lifetime, my 52 years

Yes, and why? Would it have something to do with someone running for Governor, just a little?

I'm not a huge Cuomo fan to start with, I'll admit, but I don't see any advantage at all to delaying his announcement. We already have an active AG Democratic primary race, and a very quiet Governor's Democratic primary race.

I'd really like someone to announce they're running for Governor as a Democrat.

New NYT Bombshell: Paterson Is In This Crap Up To His Eyeballs

by: phillip anderson

Thu Mar 25, 2010 at 22:24:20 PM EDT

Gov. David A. Paterson personally helped draft a statement last month that he hoped would be endorsed by a woman involved in a domestic dispute with one of his top aides, proposing language asserting that there had been no violence in the encounter, according to three people with knowledge of the governor's role.

On the night of Feb. 16, with The New York Times preparing an article on the aide, David W. Johnson, Mr. Paterson told his press secretary the key points that needed to be included in a brief statement that was sent to the woman, Mr. Johnson's former companion, the three people said.

He said that the couple's breakup months earlier had been unfriendly but not violent, and that any charges related to the altercation had been dropped.

The language that was drafted, according to the people, was sent in an e-mail message to Mr. Johnson's former companion, Sherr-una Booker, through an intermediary, a woman who was a friend of both Mr. Paterson and Ms. Booker.

Ms. Booker refused to go along, telling the mutual friend at one point in the process that she would not participate in "a lie," according to two people briefed on the exchange.

Mr. Paterson, who himself had spoken with Ms. Booker several times in the preceding 10 days, was disappointed that she would not endorse his statement.

If what the Times is reporting is true, then the Governor has been pretty much lying to the entire state for weeks. All the denials and claims that he wasn't really involved in any of this sad tale are just so much BS if the NYT has got this right. And, let's face it, if it weren't for their reporting, we likely would have never even learned anything about this.

It sure looks like Paterson is up to his eyeballs in this stuff.

I honestly don't really understand how or why Paterson is still our governor.

Steve Levy's Wild Mustache Ride to Albany

by: Roatti

Tue Mar 23, 2010 at 12:33:55 PM EDT

A friend of mine threw this "board game" together to highlight Steve Levy's history of bigoted and anti-immigrant opinions and actions.  Note that it can only be played with a 5-sided die lol.  

Bigots don't win in 2010.

Parents and Educators Say To State Legislators "No Cuts to Education!" at 18 Events across NYS

by: AQE

Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 14:08:46 PM EST

For students in the classrooms these cuts would be more than personal: losing a teacher or being stuffed into overcrowded classes, giving up after-school programs and extra supports would challenge their educational opportunities permanently.  Today we came together to say no - each child deserves their full learning opportunities. Our press release is HERE.

Pictures are HERE from the event in Albany where participants included: the Alliance for Quality Education, Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the New York State Council of School Superintendents, the New York State School Boards Association, the New York State United Teachers, the New York State Parent Teacher Association, the School Administrators Association of New York State, Bishop Orlando Findlayter of Churches United to Save and Heal (A Coalition of 140 Brooklyn Congregations), Parents and Local School Officials.

Here's A Full list of the Events:

Albany - Legislative Office Building LCA press room, 11:00 A.M.
Jamestown - Jefferson Middle School library, 195 Martin Road,  1:30 P.M.
Peru - Peru Central School District High School community room, 17 School Street, 12:00 P.M.
Troy - Troy High School, 1950 Burdett Avenue, 11:00 A.M.
Schenectady - Mount Pleasant Middle School, 121 Forest Road, 11:00 A.M.
Yonkers - Lincoln High School library, 375 Kneeland Avenue, 11:30 A.M.
Longwood - Longwood CSD, Longwood High School library, 100 Longwood Road, 12:00 P.M.
Syracuse - Edward Smith Middle School cafeteria, 1106 Lancaster Avenue, 6:00 P.M.
Peekskill- Peekskill High School library, 1072 Elm Street, 11:00 A.M.
Manhattan-Murry Bergtraum High School, 411 Pearl Street, 12:30P.M.
Manhattan -MS 54 Booker T. Washington School, 103 West 107th Street, 3:00 P.M.
Bronx-PS 11 -Town Hall Meeting,1257 Ogden Avenue, 5:00 P.M.
Brooklyn-IS 318 Eugenio Maria De Hostos 101 Walton Street, 3:00 P.M.
Brooklyn-PS 13 Roberto Clemente Press Conference, 557 Pennsylvania Avenue, 12:00 P.M.
Brooklyn-IS 171 Abraham Lincoln - Town Hall Meeting, 528 Ridgewood Avenue, 6:00-8:00 P.M.
Queens-IS 125 Thomas J McCann, 46-02 47th Avenue, Woodside, 3:00 P.M.
Queens-Make the Road, 92-10 Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst, 11:00 A.M.
Staten Island - PS 45R, 58 Lawrence Avenue, 2:30 P.M.

This is Getting Ridiculous

by: urizon

Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 17:58:48 PM EST

Gov. David A. Paterson violated state ethics laws when he secured free tickets to the opening game of the World Series from the Yankees last fall for himself and others, the New York State Commission on Public Integrity charged on Wednesday. The accusation came as the governor, already mired in scandal, met with his cabinet and insisted he would stay in office.

In addition to violating the state's ban on gifts to public officials, Mr. Paterson falsely testified under oath that he had intended to pay for the tickets for his son and his son's friend, according to the commission. Mr. Paterson had never intended to pay for the tickets, the commission determined, and did so only after inquiries from the news media, after which he submitted a backdated check as payment. (emphasis mine)

What the hell did we do to deserve this?  

"Tell her the governor wants her to make this go away"

by: phillip anderson

Tue Mar 02, 2010 at 22:52:09 PM EST

A key figure in the domestic abuse scandal bedeviling Gov. David A. Paterson told investigators that the governor phoned to enlist her help in quieting the accuser, according to a person with knowledge of her account.

"Tell her the governor wants her to make this go away," Deneane Brown said Mr. Paterson told her, according to the person. Ms. Brown, a state worker, was friends with both the governor and the woman who says that a senior aide to Mr. Paterson roughed her up in a violent Halloween altercation.

It's certainly not going away now, is it?

Unbelievable.

NYT: Paterson Personally Directed Staff To Contact Violence Victim

by: phillip anderson

Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 23:28:34 PM EST

Paterson Is Said to Have Ordered Calls in Abuse Case

Gov. David A. Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who had accused his close aide of assaulting her, according to two people with direct knowledge of the governor's actions.

Mr. Paterson instructed his press secretary, Marissa Shorenstein, to ask the woman to publicly describe the episode as nonviolent, according to a third person, who was briefed on the matter. That description would contradict the woman's accounts to the police and in court.

Mr. Paterson also enlisted another state employee, Deneane Brown, a friend of both the governor and the accuser, to make contact with the woman before she was due in court to finalize an order of protection against the aide, David W. Johnson, the two people with direct knowledge said. Ms. Brown, an employee of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, reached out to the woman on more than one occasion over a period of several days and arranged a phone call between the governor and the woman, Mr. Johnson's companion.

After the calls from Ms. Brown and the conversation with the governor, the woman failed to appear for the court hearing on Feb. 8, and the case was dropped.

These accounts provide the first evidence that Mr. Paterson helped direct an effort to influence the accuser.

Just when you thought this whole sordid tale couldn't get worse, it does. Can anyone tell me that what the governor and his staff engaged in here isn't de facto witness tampering? Don't people go to jail for that?

Say what you want to about Spitzer, but when the Times had him dead to rights, he manned up, admitted it and walked away.

The Paterson Presser Live

by: phillip anderson

Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 14:55:14 PM EST

Does he go the Full Monty and resign? Take the poll.

UPDATE: And he's out....of the race. Paterson says "I have never abused my office, not now, not ever." and vows to serve out the rest of the term.

Actual NYT 'Bombshell' Drops Straight On Paterson's Head

by: phillip anderson

Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 21:47:49 PM EST

Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.

In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor's personal security detail.

Then early this month, days before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.

...

On Wednesday night, in response to inquiries from The New York Times, a senior administration official said Mr. Paterson would request that Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo investigate his administration's handling of the matter. The official also said the governor would suspend Mr. Johnson without pay. He declined to answer any specific questions about the governor's role in the matter.

It's worse than you already think. You should really go read the whole thing.

UPDATE: Just got this statement via email from the Governor's office:

"Serious questions have been raised about contact the State Police may have had with a private citizen who filed a complaint against a member of my staff. Any allegation of improper influence must be investigated thoroughly and completely.

"Superintendent Harry Corbitt has directed the State Police to conduct an internal investigation into this matter. I have full faith and trust in the integrity and ability of the State Police to conduct a thorough investigation.

"Because of the seriousness of these allegations, and the sensitive role of this staff member in my Administration, I am asking the Attorney General to investigate the matter to ensure in the public's mind that a comprehensive and independent inquiry has been conducted. Pending the outcome of the investigation, I am suspending David Johnson without pay."

NYT Drops 'Bombshell' Story About David.....Johnson?

by: phillip anderson

Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 08:21:36 AM EST

David W. Johnson has worked for Gov. David A. Paterson for much of his adult life. He began as a young, ambitious intern from Harlem when Mr. Paterson was a state legislator. He rose to be Mr. Paterson's driver, serving as a kind of protector and scheduler.

In recent months, however, Mr. Johnson's ascent has been striking: he is now one of the most senior people in the governor's administration, paid $132,000. He is described as Mr. Paterson's closest confidant, a man with a designated room for his overnight stays in the Executive Mansion, and a broadening role in areas like campaign strategy, government initiatives and the management of the governor's staff.

A review of Mr. Johnson's rise and his history, undertaken after he emerged as perhaps the man closest to the state's chief executive, shows that he was twice arrested on felony drug charges as a teenager, including a charge of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in Harlem.

The examination of his background, based on interviews and records, shows he has at least one other arrest, for misdemeanor assault in the 1990s, although there is very little publicly available about that case.

New York Times: Nope, not us

by: simonstl

Mon Feb 15, 2010 at 08:24:20 AM EST

As the rumors of a bombshell story move beyond their shelf-life, the New York Times Public Editor writes a bit on the supposed Paterson story and last weekend's wildfire:

The furor erupted as Paterson, a Democrat, is preparing for a difficult election fight and facing calls from within his own party to step aside for fear he cannot win. It is a normal time for a paper like The Times to prepare an in-depth examination of his nearly two-year tenure, and Times reporters have been interviewing sources about him...

I think The Times and Paterson were caught in a terrible spot, but I think the paper is right to maintain its silence until ready to speak with an article on its own pages. It could have denied the Paterson rumors. But what if the next time it really was looking into a scandal involving a public figure? Silence then would speak volumes. The demands for comment on work in progress could be limitless.

I'll be slower to jump next time, I hope.

Paterson To Resign?

by: phillip anderson

Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 20:22:25 PM EST

People keep asking me if I have heard anything more than what everyone else has. I haven't.

You?

Again?

by: simonstl

Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 17:10:33 PM EST

I've been holding off on writing about this, because it seems to come drip by drip. There are more of them appearing lately, though - Liz Benjamin, NGD, and now Capitol Confidential. The New York Times seems to be the journalistic epicenter of the story - we'll see what happens, I guess.

Destiny may not always be what it seems. If this turns out to be real, I fear for New York State going forward.

Is Steve Levy really considering a switch to the GOP?

by: cliffweathers

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 16:28:00 PM EST

They're now just short of predicting that Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy will be switching parties in his run for the Governor's seat come November.