New York State energy policy (and home rule)

by: simonstl

Fri Jan 06, 2012 at 15:05:19 PM EST

[ Update: this New York Times article tells a similar story with a lot less background.]

New York State energy policy is a game that's largely about territory and players and not so much about principles. I obviously don't work in Albany, and would be happy to be wrong about much of this, but this is the story I tell based on what I've seen.

The key pieces of this story are New York City and Westchester County.

New York City depends on power generation from outside of the city much the same way it depends on water from outside of the city. One of the key tasks of state government for the past century or so has been keeping New York City supplied.

Electricity has been a particular challenge, as NYC's supplies sometimes get stretched, especially in summer, and the temporary generators Con Ed pulls out haven't been very popular. On top of that, there's a pretty loud call to shut down the Indian Point nuclear power plant just north of NYC, which needs its licenses renewed in 2013 and 2015 to keep operating. Sure enough, it's on a fault line, and Westchester is too densely populated for the evacuation plans to make much sense.

Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s there were hopes to buy electricity from HydroQuebec's ever-larger hydroelectric plants, but Governor (Mario) Cuomo stopped that, or at least barred one set of plans for doing so. The Shoreham nuclear plant could have provided power too, but a nuclear power plant in Long Island had even crazier evacuation plans than one in Westchester.

More recently, the city has been looking to Upstate for power. Around 2004, NYRI, a Canadian company, proposed a major power line from around Utica to Middletown (map), serving NYC, and residents fought hard (rough summary). After a lot of wobbling, Governor Pataki denied them the use of eminent domain in 2006, and it's more or less died since.

However, the Federal Government created a "National Corridor Designation" including roughly the same area. We didn't hear too much about it here because neither Tompkins nor Cortland County is included, but Cayuga, Chenango, Otsego, and Broome are.

That's designed to make it easier for power companies to build corridors. From their FAQ (49KB PDF):

On a more specific level, the designation of a National Corridor is a necessary first step in providing the federal government - through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - siting authority that supplements existing state authority. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides a potential siting venue at FERC for transmission facility proposals within a National Corridor.

In practice, this will mean that if an applicant does not receive approval from a State to site a proposed new transmission facility within a National Corridor, the applicant may then apply to FERC for a permit and authorization to construct the facility. If FERC accepts the application, before it would issue a permit, it would conduct a full National Environmental Policy Act review and consider alternatives.

Such a federal permit would empower the project developer to exercise the right of eminent domain to acquire necessary property rights to build the facilities. However, that authority could only be exercised if the developer could not acquire the property by negotiation, and even then would not apply to property owned by the United States or a State, such as a national or State park. (Emphasis and paragraph breaks added.)

Powerlines, of course, are just one piece of the story. (For more on them, this article on a proposed Champlain-Hudson line has good background.)

Article X, a law for fast-tracking power plant placement decisions, had expired in 2002. Its long failure to get renewed had a lot to do with past crazy powerplant siting decisions, but it finally moved ahead this year. Why?

I think the story politicians (Governor Andrew Cuomo in particular) were hoping would yield political happiness was:

1. Add powerlines and/or gas pipelines from Upstate to the NYC area.

2. Generate power Upstate with wind farms and new plants running on natural gas. (Article X helps with both of these.)

3. Shut down Indian Point.

Point (3) appeals to most Downstate environmentalists. Until recently, natural gas seemed like the miracle fuel, burning cleaner with less climate change impact (yes I know that's questionable), and wind farms were the future, so point (2) also appealed to Downstate environmentalists. Point (2) tied in nicely to growing desperation Upstate for economic development of any kind as well.

Point (1) has always been ugly, but maybe the Feds would take care of that for the state, and let Albany off the hook?

Until it became clear that hydrofracking had massive side effects, this was a plausible story. It's not the only possible story - see, for example, this expensive offshore possibility - but it at least sounded like a balancing of Downstate consumption with clean Upstate production. (And yes, Liquified Natural plants, pipelines elsewhere, etc., mean that this is not just a New York State story.)

This plan, of course, isn't going over very well in a lot of Upstate communities, largely because of hydrofracking. Powerlines don't make people happy, but pollution can force them to desert a place.

How does this tie to home rule, in particular Senator Jim Seward's push for it?

Seward's home rule position lets him find political balance on most of this, except with the relatively small group of voters who have the time to see how the pieces don't fit.

He can tell places like Dryden and Middlefield that overwhelmingly want to avoid hydrofracking that they can stay out of it, while letting places that cheer it on move forward. It takes the heat off of him for the ugliest piece of this puzzle, while letting him stay more or less in the general story Albany is pushing. (And it leaves the conflict open place-by-place for the long run, too.)

It's a classic Albany compromise, in which elected officials can make themselves look better than the oil and gas industry who are busy suing Dryden, while still permitting the companies to do a lot of what they wanted anyway.

(If you have time for the broader story, I suggest the classic Why There Will Always be an Upstate.)

Cross-posted with minor differences from Living in Dryden.

A Picture, A Thousand Words

by: phillip anderson

Fri Nov 18, 2011 at 17:14:19 PM EST

#N17 Reax Roundup: A Truly Awful Haul From The NYC Media

by: phillip anderson

Fri Nov 18, 2011 at 11:00:03 AM EST

And I have a question for the NYC media this morning. After week when Mike Bloomberg basically spat directly in your collective face, after he blocked you from actually doing your jobs by trying to hide the work he was doing in the public's name from you and after he arrested a good number of your members in the line of duty...how do Bloomberg's boots taste this morning?

As someone who consumes an unhealthy amount of NY/NYC media everyday, even I'm kind of blown away by the tone of this morning's coverage. I mean, I expect semi literate, semi coherent hippie bashing from the New York Post. That's what they do. They've never made a dime doing it, but the Post isn't a business so much as a mouthpiece. The Daily News isn't all that much better in that context, but it's usually a damn sight better than this.

The legacy media of NYC should really hang their head in shame this morning.

Looks like the takeaways from the morning papers are essentially:

1. Blood
2. Hippies vs Harhats
3. OWS is a menace to the entire city, is sad, inconsequential
4. OWS is over, Bloomberg victorious

While the Post goes with celebrity breakups on their FP, the Daily News goes the "bleeds/leads" route.

NYDN's coverage is all over the place, but let's start with Hippies vs Hardhats; Also, pointless:

Occupy Wall Street holds Day of Disruption, but only for the 99%
New York snarled by pointless temper tantrum

Occupy Wall Street protesters and police scuffle in Zuccotti Park on Thursday.
Here's what the Occupy Wall Street bunch accomplished Thursday by having a conniption in lower Manhattan:

They showed just how pointlessly obnoxious they could be.

The occasion was a Day of Disruption, in which the self-anointed representatives of the 99% flocked downtown en masse, presumably to throw wrenches into the gears of the financial sector, thereby damaging an economy that has left many jobless.

Whatever. No one expects clear thinking from tots throwing tantrums.

Two months after the birth of the movement, days after they lost the Zuccotti Park encampment, some in the revealingly small band declared: "Resist austerity. Rebuild the economy. Reclaim our democracy."

But the takeaway was:

"Aggravate workers. Snarl streets. Injure cops. Hammer taxpayers."

Up next: Hippies go home ( with the bonus of opinions from "experts!")

With expulsion from Zuccotti Park and numbers dwindling, Occupy Wall Street movement looks old

Experts think protesters should take their show on the road

Mitchell Moss, NYU professor of urban policy and planning, said it's time for the protesters to take their show on the road.

"At this point, I think they should quickly migrate to the Washington Monument," he said. "There's ample space, and close proximity to the decision makers.

"That should be the next stop on their magical mystery tour."

....

"New Yorkers are a work-oriented people, and there is only a limited amount of patience with people who want to disrupt the city," he said.

....

"This isn't a movement. It's a fad."

Also check out "Scary Bloody Guy Is Scary, Bloody"

Protester Brandon Watts, who was first to pitch a tent at Zuccotti Park, is now the bloody face of 'Day of Action'

as well as "Bloomberg Wins."

Mayor Bloomberg declares victory against Occupy Wall Street as thousands swarm lower Manhattan in all-day rallies

The Post goes full on "Hippies vas Hardhats: Nightmare Commute Edition."

OWS protests disrupt New Yorkers' daily routines

"These guys should be arrested!" yelled Jeff Davis, as he tried to elbow his way through the crowd at East Fifth Street and Broadway on his way home from work to Staten Island.

"This is unbelievable!" he said when he realized his M5 bus - which connects him to the ferry - wouldn't arrive any time soon.

Working stiffs at quitting time were confronted with walls of people that rivaled Times Square on New Year's Eve - disrupting commuters on foot, headed for commuter rail and riding in cars.

Lower Manhattan took the brunt of the protest pain, with massive demonstrations in the morning and evening making even a simple trip across the street completely hellish.

One of the worst streets was Broadway, a protest route that stretched from the bottom of Manhattan all the way north to Union Square.

"I'm trying to get to class!" fumed Gillian Enteman as she headed uptown to school.

She felt it necessary to add: "Class that I pay for!"

Also, OWS is fucking lame, lamers:

Loud, but lame

As apocalyptic acts of public protest go, yesterday's Occupy Wall Street act-out was a bit of a piffle.

There was the promise to shut down Wall Street. Didn't happen.

There was an effort to disrupt subway service. Didn't happen.

And there were to be acts of "massive" civil disobedience at Foley Square and the Brooklyn Bridge. Didn't happen, either.

To be sure, Foley Square was full to overflowing by 5 p.m. - hardly surprising, when it's surrounded by government office buildings and the public-employee unions have been an Occupy mainstay from the outset two months ago.

Which is ironic, given that government employees in New York enjoy health-care and pension benefits that even millionaires might envy - and that surely elude the reach of the vast majority of 99-percenters.

But, in the end, Occupy Wall Street's Day of Action turned out to be all talk.

The rhetoric was rabid, sure.

But there were nowhere near the "tens of thousands" of demonstrators who were supposed to fan out across the five boroughs and convulse New York.

"Some of the demonstrators deliberately pursued violence," Mayor Bloomberg said. "That's behavior that has nothing to do with the First Amendment."

Thus there were arrests - 177 by sunset, including five for assault.

But the "real story," Bloomberg asserted, "is that not that many people are here."

Except, at the end, for the union members.

As rush hour approached, contingents from a number of unions - including the SEIU health-care union, the UFT and DC37 - participated in a largely peaceful march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

But not before a gaggle of the usual suspects went through the ritual-arrest process, and an embarrassing number of elected officials prostrated themselves before their union masters.

So what happened to the "revolution"?

Well, it was wet and very chilly yesterday; bad weather always puts a damper on uninformed outrage.

Monday night's cleansing of Zuccotti Park has clearly diminished the movement's critical mass.

But maybe that "movement" was more illusion than reality all along.

At the end, there were more vagrants, criminals and nut-jobs than protesters at Zuccotti Park.

Apart from self-aggrandizing union poobahs pushing their own agendas, there has been little coherence in any of the protesters' "demands" - just resentment, envy and entitlement.

Yesterday doubtless could have ended differently, of course. Credit the professionalism and patience of the NYPD for seeing to it that it didn't.

Bottom line, though: It seems that Occupy Wall Street has passed its sell-by date - and even the Occupiers know it.

And they saved some column space for Podhoretz to call OWS a bunch of fucking babies. No, really. It's right there in the hed:

Rally is really a tantrum by decry babies

Also, don't miss "Class Traitor Is Horrible Mom"

Runaway mom dreadlocked up

and "Scary Bloody Guy Redux"

Ready riot cops whack back at OWS hooligans

And the Times put their coverage front and center...on page A24. So, ya know, fuck them.

And don't think the dead trees were the only ones marching in this bootlicking Fail Parade. Check out this shot from CBS 2:

"Hundreds!"

Good morning, everybody.

NY-9: Siena Poll Shows 6 Point Turner Lead

by: phillip anderson

Fri Sep 09, 2011 at 10:05:10 AM EDT

Turner Holds 6-Point Lead over Weprin with 4 Days To Go (pdf)

Voters View Turner Favorably & Are Evenly Divided on Weprin;
Say Turner's Campaign is More Positive & Weprin's is More Negative

Heading into the final days of the special election for New York's 9th Congressional District seat, Republican Robert Turner has taken a 50-44 percent lead over Democrat David Weprin, according to a Siena (College) Research Institute poll of likely 9th CD voters released today.  In Siena College's previous poll on August 10th Weprin had led Turner 48-42 percent.

Turner is viewed favorably by 48 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 34 percent, while Weprin has a 41-41 percent favorability rating. By a 43-32 percent margin, likely voters say Turner is running the more positive campaign, and by a similar 39-30 percent margin, they say Weprin's is the more negative campaign.  

"Republican Turner heads into the final days of the campaign with a six-point lead in this heavily Democratic district after having trailedDemocrat Weprin by six points just four weeks
ago," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. "Turner holds a small five-point lead in the Queens portion of the district, where he was trailing by 10 points in the previous Siena College Poll, and he has increased his lead in Brooklyn from six points previously to a now healthy 12-point bulge.

"While Turner has an overwhelming 90-6 percent lead among Republicans, Weprin has only a 63-32 percent lead among Democrats, and Turner has a 38-point lead among likely independent voters," Greenberg said.  "Currently, Turner enjoys a slightly larger lead among independent voters than Weprin has with Democrats. Weprin needs to find a way to win a larger share of Democratic and independent voters if he's going to turn
the race back around in the final days."

You can find the crosstabs here (pdf).

I found this bit quite interesting as well.

"While a plurality of voters says New York State is on the right track, nearly three-quarters of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction," Greenberg said. "The voters' mood on the direction of the country, coupled with the unfavorable rating of President Obama - particularly among Republicans and independents - makes this a tougher election for Weprin, or for any Democrat running in this district or a district like it.

That's troubling. If a Dem running for the seat vacated by Anthony Weiner (Pelosi's decision to force him out is looking pretty dumb right about now, no?) is facing such a headwind, Dems in less friendly territory across the nation are in trouble. According to Siena, Obama's approval rating in the district is a mere 43%. In NYC.

That's very, very bad.

On the web: Weprin for Congress.

NY-9: Turner Believes Zadroga 9/11 Law Shouldn't Cover Ground Zero Volunteers

by: phillip anderson

Wed Aug 24, 2011 at 16:02:32 PM EDT

I'd like to revise that. Let's make it 1 in 10.

Zadroga 9/11 health law shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero, GOP hopeful Turner says

The GOP hopeful running for ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner's seat says the $4.3 billion Zadroga 9/11 health law is too broad - and shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero.

....

"I think it is a little too broad," Turner said.

"My call would be to protect police, fire, emergency workers, construction workers, etc.

"If someone said, 'I volunteered' or walked through there, it's just not the type," added Turner, who faces Democrat David Weprin in the Sept. 13 special election.

This is the same guy who has been trying desperately to make the phantom "Ground Zero" "Mosque" (he even uses the Pam Gellar-tastic phrase "Victory Mosque") an issue in this campaign. He even cut a TV spot using the images of the burning towers to slam Weprin over it. Classy, right?

"That day [9/11], and for months after, there were no uniforms. Volunteers worked next to rescue crews for weeks," said John Feal, a 9/11 activist and former construction supervisor who lost half his foot at Ground Zero.

"For Bob Turner to turn his back on those New Yorkers, but use images of the burning towers in campaign ads - a circus monkey can out-politic Bob Turner, he's an embarrassment to the Republican Party," fumed Feal.

So, to recap, 9/11 is perfectly OK to exploit for political gain, but those everyday New Yorkers who risked life and limb to rush the scene of the crime and do anything they possibly could to help, who spent months sifting through the smoldering rubble in Lower Manhattan to help someone's family somewhere have something they could bury with dignity, those people, well, those people are moochers who should be on their own.

Glad we cleared that up, Bob.

Oh, and go fuck yourself.

BREAKING: I Don't Care Who Wins NY-9

by: phillip anderson

Mon Aug 22, 2011 at 12:06:09 PM EDT

This morning I read that (shockingly!) the race is now a measure of how pissed off people are at Obama which makes me care even less, really. I mean, there are plenty of working class folks in NY-9 that have plenty of reason to be pissed off at Obama and DC in general, though all the quotes from angry voters in that piece seem to suggest that they are pissed off over Fox News bullshit rather than anything, ya know, real.

Can the GOP steal a seat in NYC? I don't really care. What would either outcome mean for redistricting both downstate and upstate? Eh. Can corrupt machine douchebags like Vito Lopez and Joe Crowley pull out a win? Yawn. If they fail, could it mean the beginning of the end for those two and their empires of corrupt suckage? Now maybe you've piqued my interest some.

I guess what I'mn trying to say is that I've spent all summer ignoring this race for various reasons. The race looks like a typical bullshit fest with pretty low stakes from all angles.

So I'm asking you, am I wrong? If so, how?

Why should I or anyone else outside of NY-9 give a crap about this race?

Feel free to take me to school on this one.

Kruger Pleads Not Guilty To "Broad Based Bribery Racket"

by: phillip anderson

Wed Apr 13, 2011 at 10:09:28 AM EDT

State Senator and 7 Others Plead Not Guilty to Corruption

State Senator Carl Kruger and seven other defendants pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to corruption charges in what federal prosecutors described as a "broad-based bribery racket."

The defendants remained largely silent during the 20-minute hearing in Federal District Court in Manhattan, as their lawyers entered pleas on their behalf. Some of them told Judge Jed S. Rakoff that they were considering asking for separate trials for their clients.

One lawyer has already filed papers asking that his client receive a speedy trial. But Mr. Kruger's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, asked the judge for extra time to prepare for the case, saying that discovery materials were expected to include 100,000 pages of documents and recordings of 30,000 intercepted conversations.

After the hearing, Mr. Kruger declined to comment, but Mr. Brafman denied that his client had ever accepted bribes or abused his position.

In early March, federal prosecutors charged Mr. Kruger, a Democrat from Brooklyn, and the seven others with participating in a scheme in which Mr. Kruger accepted bribes in return for favors. Last week, the United States attorney's office in Manhattan filed a superseding indictment that expanded on the original charges. Some of the new charges were derived from assertions by prosecutors that the defendants had used interstate phone calls, e-mails and money transfers while engaging in bribery, but they offered few new details about the case.

It really looks like the feds have him pretty well nailed and you just know the thought of spending the next decade or three in prison has got to be weighing rather heavily on his bald, fleshy head...

Turning The Screws On Kruger: Feds Tapped 30,000 Phone Calls

by: phillip anderson

Tue Apr 12, 2011 at 10:17:04 AM EDT

FBI listened in on 30,000 phone calls during state Sen. Carl Kruger corruption investigation

Determined to nail state Sen. Carl Kruger, the FBI intercepted a mind-boggling 30,000 calls during the corruption investigation, it was disclosed Monday.

Manhattan federal prosecutors said they amassed 100,000 pages of documents during the probe, which culminated in the arrest of Kruger, fellow Brooklyn Democrat Assemblyman William Boyland and six others on corruption charges.

Prosecutors said Kruger often spoke cryptically, at one point, warning his co-defendant, lobbyist Richard Lipsky that he was "anti-mail ... emails are never innocuous ... even the weather report."

That's quite a bit of documentation, folks. It looks more and more like the feds have Kruger right where they want him, which is sweating a long stretch in prison.

Given how Kruger has played footsie with both parties for so long, all while being a corrupt scumbag, I'd say that the chances that there are more than a few folks in Albany sweating bullets this morning is pretty good.

I'll just say that a man accustomed to living the way that Kruger has over the years, what with a mansion and a Bentley and all, probably isn't too keen on spending the rest of his natural life in the Big House...

Friday Morning Corruption Roundup

by: phillip anderson

Fri Mar 11, 2011 at 09:39:27 AM EST

Unlike Bruno, Change In "Honest Services" Statute Unlikely To Derail Kruger Case (CHN)

Like Joe Bruno, Carl Kruger and William Boyland were charged by federal prosecutors with corruption and "theft of honest services." But while Bruno's conviction is being appealed after a Supreme Court ruling that many believe will lead to its overturning, experts familiar with both cases argue that Kruger is not likely to have the same legal grounds to push back.

....

In Skilling vs. United States, the Supreme Court nullified certain applications of the "honest services" law, but left in place those applying to "bribery and kickbacks."

Federal prosecutors appear to be targeting Kruger on these exact charges, legal sources say.

"The Skilling decision specifically allowed prosecutors to continue to go forward on bribery cases and kickback cases," said one person close to the Bruno case. "That's exactly what Kruger is being charged with here."

....

"Over the course of time, there were individuals involved in business and lobbying that basically had Senator Kruger on the payroll to do their bidding, while they were supposed to be serving the interest of the public," Bharara said, arguing that the pattern of abuse set Kruger apart.

Graft Charges Depict Kruger's Lavish Lifestyle (NYT)

But there was something unusual about Mr. Kruger. He rarely socialized with fellow senators, seemed uncomfortable in crowds, frequently took his lunch alone in the drab Capitol cafeteria and, in an age of ubiquitous cellphones, could be spotted whispering into public pay phones.

On Thursday, federal prosecutors unveiled a 53-page criminal complaint against Mr. Kruger, 61, that unlocked many of the mysteries of his life - but deepened others. It portrayed a man who had amassed at least $1 million in bribes in return for political favors: helping hospitals seeking to merge, obtaining state money for real-estate developers, expanding the business hours of liquor stores.

And it revealed, prosecutors say, that the seemingly measured senator was using the bribes to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, financing a four-door Bentley Arnage and a $2 million waterfront home originally built for a boss of the Luchese crime family.

...

Despite listing his official residence as his sister's home on Avenue L in Mill Basin, Mr. Kruger had all but moved in with the Turanos in their 7,000-square-foot home, which towers over others in the neighborhood and features ostentatious sculptures of frolicking children and soaring seagulls.

....

And it was Michael Turano, the complaint said, who established shell companies to conceal the bribes, and later used the money to finance the Bentley, pay credit card bills and make mortgage payments on the house. One of the accounts bore the name "Bassett," the name of the street on which they lived.

....

He has also faced unusually intense criticism from gay rights activists for his 2009 vote against a Senate bill legalizing same-sex marriage. Activists traveled last year to the Turano residence and the Brooklyn home of Mr. Kruger's sister, protesting loudly and saying Mr. Kruger himself was gay. Mr. Kruger has said he is not gay.

Um, he's gay. Duh. (He was one of the "three men in a closet" who voted against marriage equality, by the way. He was the only Dem in that group. I'll leave it to you sort out who the other two were.)

Not sure what exactly his sexual orientation has to do with him likely being a crook, but the Post...goes there anyway.

Gay pol's $1 mil 'bribe' out-rage (NYP)

Closeted Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger, a Democratic powerhouse, traded political favors for more than $1 million in bribes over the last five years -- which his live-in boyfriend helped launder, the feds charged yesterday.

Kruger and his secret longtime companion, Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, were among eight men arrested in a sweeping government "pay-to-play" corruption scandal.

....

Neighbors said that Kruger clearly lived in the massive Mill Basin home owned by Michael Turano, while neighbors of Kruger's "official" residence in the Georgetown section of Brooklyn said either that they did not recognize him or that he was rarely, if ever, there. The feds, meanwhile, said Boyland accepted a no-show job that paid him $177,000 over five years from health-care provider MediSys in exchange for trying to secure millions of dollars in grants to its hospitals.

....

The criminal complaint revealed that on Monday, FBI agents raided Lipsky's Upper West Side residence, where they found $102,000 in cash from a safe in a closet and $4,000 "in crisp, large denominational bills from the pocket of a suit belonging to Lipsky."

At about 9:54 a.m. that same day -- as the search was ongoing -- a call was made from Kruger's phone, which was tapped by authorities, to Lipsky's phone, the complaint said.

....

"Immediately afterward," the complaint said, "26 calls were placed from the Kruger phone to the Lipsky phone every few minutes from approximately 9:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. These calls were unanswered."

Seven minutes after that last call -- and right after Kruger was told by a "known New York state political operative" that Lipsky had asked that Kruger stop calling him because the FBI was at his house -- Kruger called Michael Turano and told him about the raid, the complaint said.

"I suggest you don't answer the door until I find out more about what's going on," Kruger told Turano, the complaint said.

Busted.

Carl Kruger And The Phantom Campaign Donations

by: phillip anderson

Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 17:05:09 PM EST

NYPIRG Follows The Money: Major Wrinkle In Carl Kruger's Donation Reports? Updated!

NYPIRG's Bill Mahoney put together a list (which you can see here or below) of those who have benefitted from under-fire state Sen. Carl Kruger's political generosity. Initally, he noted that only a few Senators, namely NYC Sens. Mike Gianaris and Liz Kruger, appeared not to have gotten any donations.

But here's the catch, and maybe it's a big one: I got a call (and perhaps others did, too) from the office of state Sen. Jose Peralta of Queens, insisting that he never got any KrugerBucks. HOWEVER, Kruger reported giving Peralta a donation. Peralta's committee never reported receiving it. Where did it go???

Says Mahoney in an email: "It has come to my attention that the list I sent around earlier might not be the most accurate place to find out who Carl Kruger donated to.  Nearly $50,000 of the donations he reported making were never reported as receipts by the committees he claimed he was sending checks to. There's a chance this is a massive typographical error- perhaps dozens of campaign treasurers forgot to include donations from Kruger in their records.  However, I've spoken to a staffer for one of the legislators who never got a check - Sen. Peralta - who was adamant that their filings were correct and Kruger's claim that he once gave them $1,000 was not true."

Um, weird, huh? Some other pols that Carl Kruger was supposedly donating to (and reporting), but for which a check never seemed to arrive include Senators Dilan (a JV Amigo) and Hassell-Thompson.

Money appears to have been disbursed and reported, but somehow the checks never arrived where they were supposed to.

Or something.

Getting weirder and weirder.

The Complaint Against Carl Kruger

by: phillip anderson

Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 10:34:46 AM EST

Have at it!

Kruger, Carl et al Complaint

AM Corruption Roundup

by: phillip anderson

Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 09:45:07 AM EST

Here's a roundup of the latest. Also do check out the awesome new blog about all things Brooklyn politics, cleverly named The Brooklyn Politics

Brooklyn Senator and Assemblyman Face Corruption Charges (NYT)

State Senator Carl Kruger, a powerful and at times controversial Brooklyn Democrat; a state assemblyman; and an influential lobbyist are expected to turn themselves in on Thursday to federal authorities in Manhattan on corruption charges, according to several people briefed on the matter.

Mr. Kruger had been under investigation by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn who were looking into accusations that he had helped businessmen surmount bureaucratic hurdles in exchange for assistance raising campaign money, but the charges stemmed from an investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Others, including William F. Boyland Jr., a four-term Democratic state assemblyman from Brooklyn, and Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist, and two hospital executives, were also expected to face charges in the case, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the charges had not been made public.

...

Mr. Levitis, who owned the Rasputin nightclub on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, was accused by prosecutors in Brooklyn of lying about a discussion he had had with an F.B.I. confidential informant who was posing as a businessman looking for help with an inspection. The discussion was secretly recorded.

During that conversation, according to the charges, Mr. Levitis, a personal-injury lawyer, solicited a $3,000 payment, telling the informant that he would pass on $2,000 to an aide to Mr. Kruger and keep the rest. Mr. Levitis also told him that he might have to hold a fund-raiser for the lawmaker.

Mr. Kruger has for years been a wily fixture in the Capitol. His ability to reach across the aisle and form close alliances with Republicans helped him earn a committee chairmanship when Democrats were in the minority. When his party won control of the chamber two years ago, Mr. Kruger joined two lawmakers from the Bronx in withholding votes from fellow Democrats until given perquisites and leadership positions, including the chairmanship of the Finance Committee.

State Sen. Carl Kruger, Assemblyman William Boyland to surrender to feds on bribery charges (NYDN)

State Sen. Carl Kruger, one of the most powerful players in Albany, and Assemblyman William Boyland are expected to surrender Thursday to face charges in a long-running, broad-reaching bribery conspiracy, sources told the Daily News.

Federal prosecutors are expected to charge Kruger, a veteran Brooklyn Democrat, with using his clout as a public official to line his pockets, several sources said. Several of those who allegedly paid the bribes will also be charged.

Boyland, also a Brooklyn Democrat, was hired as a consultant by companies seeking influence in Albany, sources said.

The feds have been eying Kruger since 2007 amid allegations he collected campaign cash in exchange for political favors.

Sources said Kruger took bribes to do favors for hospital executives, a Brooklyn-based developer and a lobbyist, Richard Lipsky.

The payoffs were funneled into checking accounts that Kruger had access to, the sources said.

Kruger turns self in to face corruption charges (NYP)

State Senator Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) surrendered to federal authorities to face corruption charges.

Kruger, flanked by his attorney Ben Brafman and two other men, turned himself in to the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Manhattan around 8:30 a.m.

The senator, looking solemn and wearing a dark suit, walked silently into the building.

"He's saddened because he's one of the most dedicated public servants for the past 25 years with an impeccable reputation," Brafman said. "This obviously is a difficult day for all of us."

....

When asked about the pending charges against him, he said, "I have no comment. My attorney will be releasing a statement later today." He then walked off with his head down.

....

A Democratic operative said, "Everyone knows that Carl has been using his post to take money for years, so this isn't surprising. What's more surprising is that it didn't happen 10 years ago."

Kruger has one of the Legislature's largest campaign war chests: $2.6 million as of last July.

Lipsky was fired yesterday by The Committee to Save New York, a coalition lobbing for Gov. Cuomo's budget. Committee spokesman Bill Cunningham said Lipsky, who was retained three week ago, was booted "to remove any distraction."

Kruger latest senator in peril (ATU)

Kruger demonstrated a propensity for bucking the wishes of Democratic conference leaders unless his demands for more clout -- including the committee chairmanship -- were met. In late 2008, he formed a caucus known as the "four amigos" along with Democrats Hiram Monserrate of Queens as well as Pedro Espada Jr. and Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx. The renegade quartet refused to back Sen. Malcolm Smith as majority leader unless they were given additional perks.

In June 2009, Espada and Monserrate defected to the Republican conference in a coup that would have tipped control of the Senate -- as well as attached perks and legislative authority -- to the GOP. That day, Kruger was seen asking Espada why he was not offered the opportunity to participate in the coup.

Oh dear. Carl was upset he didn't get to come out and play in the coup. Sad. That episode further illustrates that Albany's corruption problem is most certainly bipartisan. So do this, also from the Times Union:

Prosecutors have made a cottage industry of scrutinizing members of the Senate. Espada, who was given the title of majority leader after the 2009 coup, was charged in December with embezzlement and conspiracy for taking money from the Soundview health clinic he runs with members of his family. Espada has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges; his case is pending. He lost a 2010 Democratic primary to Sen. Gustavo Rivera.

Espada was indicted a week after Sen. Vincent Leibell, a Republican from Putnam County, pleaded guilty to shaking down a lawyer in his district for partial kickbacks of money received from groups that received taxpayer-funded "member items" the senator had steered toward them.

Another of the so-called amigos, Monserrate, was found guilty of misdemeanor assault for manhandling his girlfriend during a domestic dispute at their apartment. Monserrate was expelled from the Senate in February 2010, and lost a special election to Sen. Jose Peralta, a Democrat.

Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, is awaiting sentencing on a December 2010 misdemeanor conviction of criminal mischief related to an altercation with a New York Post photographer. He was re-elected last year and continues to serve in the chamber.

Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno was found guilty of federal charges that he deprived the public of its right to honest services. Jurors sustained charges that Bruno accepted $200,000 in business-consulting fees from a company that later did state business, and was paid $80,000 for a horse prosecutors said was "virtually worthless" from a man seeking racing business from the state.

What a mess. Like I said, it should be a rather interesting day.

Stay tuned.

Hey, Remember The "Four Amigos?"

by: phillip anderson

Wed Mar 09, 2011 at 18:56:16 PM EST

How'd that work out?

Seems that our state's Strategic Four Amigo Reserve is running dangerously low, as we may soon be down to only one Amigo, the, um...cowboy one.

Whoa! Carl Kruger To Surrender To US Attorney Tomorrow

by: phillip anderson

Wed Mar 09, 2011 at 18:06:15 PM EST

Excl - Brooklyn State Senator Carl Kruger turning himself in to US Atty tomorrow, say sources. On ny1 soon w details.

Developing...

UPDATE: As Roatti points out in the comments, perhaps this shouldn't be such a surprise after this from last week:

Lawyer pleads guilty to lying to feds in corruption probe of state Sen. Carl Kruger

A Brooklyn lawyer pleaded guilty Tuesday to lying to the feds in a corruption probe of state Sen. Carl Kruger.

The FBI had been investigating whether Michael Levitis received favors from the powerful Brooklyn pol in exchange for campaign contributions.

They also asked whether he discussed holding a fund-raiser at the popular Rasputin's supper club with Kruger.

Levitis denied having talks with Kruger about a fund-raiser, but admitted Tuesday that he lied.

Kruger is not named in papers filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, but multiple sources confirmed he was a subject of the investigation.
....

"Michael had the great misfortune of getting caught up with the wrong, dirty group of people - Albany politicians," said defense lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman.

UPDATE II: Cap Con has more, says Kruger will be processed "on several charges" tomorrow.

The person said Kruger would be "processed on several charges," but details regarding them were not immediately clear. Kruger has reportedly been in the cross-hairs of federal prosecutors since 2008 for allegedly requiring political campaign contributions in return for officials favors.

Ooof!

Hats Off To Mayor Bloomberg

by: phillip anderson

Wed Aug 04, 2010 at 06:36:00 AM EDT

"In the mid-1650s, the small Jewish community living in lower Manhattan petitioned Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant for the right to build a synagogue, and they were turned down. In 1657, when Stuyvesant also prohibited Quakers from holding meetings, a group of non-Quakers in Queens signed the Flushing Remonstrance, a petition in defense of the right of Quakers and others to freely practice their religion. It was perhaps the first formal political petition for religious freedom in the American colonies, and the organizer was thrown in jail and then banished from New Amsterdam.

"In the 1700s, even as religious freedom took hold in America, Catholics in New York were effectively prohibited from practicing their religion, and priests could be arrested. Largely as a result, the first Catholic parish in New York City was not established until the 1780s, St. Peter's on Barclay Street, which still stands just one block north of the World Trade Center site, and one block south of the proposed mosque and community center.

"This morning, the city's Landmark Preservation Commission unanimously voted to extend-not to extend-landmark status to the building on Park Place where the mosque and community center are planned. The decision was based solely on the fact that there was little architectural significance to the building. But with or without landmark designation, there is nothing in the law that would prevent the owners from opening a mosque within the existing building.

"The simple fact is, this building is private property, and the owners have a right to use the building as a house of worship, and the government has no right whatsoever to deny that right. And if it were tried, the courts would almost certainly strike it down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

"Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question: Should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? That may happen in other countries, but we should never allow it to happen here.

"This nation was founded on the principle that the government must never choose between religions or favor one over another. The World Trade Center site will forever hold a special place in our city, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan.

Kudos, Mr. Mayor. Well said.

RIP George Steinbrenner

by: phillip anderson

Tue Jul 13, 2010 at 10:14:18 AM EDT

George Steinbrenner passes away

George Steinbrenner has died.

"It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing," the family said in a statement released this morning. "He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80. He was an incredible and charitable man. First and foremost he was devoted to his entire family - his beloved wife, Joan; his sisters, Susan Norpell and Judy Kamm, his children, Hank, Jennifer Jessica and Hal; and all of his grandchildren. He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again."

Steinbrenner turned 80 years old on July 4 and as recently as Friday he was at the Yankees minor league complex in Florida where he told an Associated Press reporter he was "feeling good."

Godspeed, Mr. Steinbrenner.

Liu, de Blasio Run Away With Runoff

by: phillip anderson

Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 22:37:15 PM EDT

De Blasio, Liu Claim Victory In Primary Runoff

City councilmen Bill de Blasio and John Liu have beat out their opponents in today's Democratic primary runoff for public advocate and city comptroller, respectively.

With 85 percent of the precincts reporting, de Blasio soared past former public advocate Mark Green with 63 percent of the vote.

With his on-the-job experience, Green was once considered the favorite in the race. But that changed two weeks ago when de Blasio outgained Green in the primary, forcing the runoff.

Come November, de Blasio will face Republican Alex Zablocki in the general election.

Meanwhile, in the race for city comptroller, John Liu defeated fellow City Council member David Yassky with nearly 56 percent of the vote.

Following Tuesday night's win, Liu is expected to become the first Asian-American elected to citywide office.

He is heavily favored against Republican Joe Mendola when the two go head to head in the general election.

I don't usually do this (the flu meds make me bold), but I will just say that I voted for both the winners.

July 4, 1939

by: phillip anderson

Sat Jul 04, 2009 at 18:08:13 PM EDT

Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."

- Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939

BREAKING: Four Story Building Collapses In Brooklyn

by: phillip anderson

Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 14:17:15 PM EDT

So hope they make it out and everyone walks away from this one.

UPDATE: Looks awful.

(via this guy)

UPDATE II: Whew. Looks like everyone made it out OK. Also, the Post says the building had a history of shaking and crumbling facade.

QOTD

by: phillip anderson

Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 08:32:09 AM EDT

"Well, my favorite players are the players on the two New York teams. And I have a daughter who's a professional athlete part-time, hopefully a student the other half of the time, and she's out of town. She'll be with me at the Yankees game. Not that she doesn't love the Mets, but she just couldn't arrange to be here today."

"But she once told me years ago, she said, 'You know, whether it's a good game or a bad game, whether they're playing well or playing poorly, they are trying their best, and you owe it to them to stay til the end.' And I think the only time we didn't was either at a Mets or a Yankees game. It was 1 in the morning, it was still going on, and she started shivering. And I said, 'George, I don't care what you say, we're outta here.'"

"But I plan to stay til the end of the game. Hopefully it's an exciting, high-scoring game, which is the kind of games that I like, with the New York team - in this case the Mets - winning."

"And I think, you know, not everybody stays til the end, but I have. Whether it's the Rangers or the Knicks or the Mets or the Yankees, or I suppose the Jets and the Giants, the few games I've been to, I stay 'til the end of the game or duck out 30 seconds earlier to beat the crowd, maybe."

"But short of that, it's going to be a good game, and I think this is going to be a great year for both teams. They're both exciting. They have new players and they have new stadiums to play in, and these stadiums are going to be wonderful for New York, and the teams are great. They build an esprit de corps here and they give people something to argue about."

"I saw the other day, the paper today, I guess it was that President Obama's minister has strong views about the Yankees. I happen to disagree with him. I don't know what my rabbi thinks about the Yankees, but hopefully I can't imagine that he'd hate the Yankees. Whether he's a Yankee or Met fan or both, I don't know, but he's certainly counseled a parishioner - namely me - to be both. All the best."

- Our Democrat - turned Republican - turned Independent - turned Republican again Mayor, Michael Bloomberg as quoted by Adam Lisberg (via Liz)