Updated list ~ Monserrate must Go.

by: NYBri

Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 14:37:51 PM EDT

List courtesy of Jessica. Add your name HERE.

Senator Craig Johnson Statement on Monserrate

by: NYBri

Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 13:38:49 PM EDT

"I've reserved comment on the gravely serious situation surrounding Senator Monserrate until Senate Leadership decided how to proceed. Now that a review panel has been formed, and the Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations will not be referred this matter, I believe it is now appropriate to share my personal point of view. I join my colleagues in calling for Senator Monserrate to resign his position. Domestic violence is a horrific crime. As a husband and a father, I simply do not believe that someone convicted of assaulting a woman should be a member of this chamber. However, I also support due process. I am confident that this panel will conduct its work in a fair, impartial, and swift manner."

Remember, if you haven't signed the petition to remove Senator Monserrate, do it now and tell your friends that domestic violence is a terrible crime and it has no place in the lives of our elected officials.

The signatures will be delivered to Senator Monserrate's office as well as those of the Senate Leadership...and to the committee for good measure.

Ruben Rants

by: NYBri

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 17:38:42 PM EDT

First, it is disappointing to hear Senate Conference President John Sampson saying that he is putting together an independent and impartial Senate Committee to investigate Senator Hiram Monserrate and at the same time sending a message to the committee members by stating "As a father and as a husband, I am not only angry, I am also pissed off".  That statement alone may be interpreted as a direct order to the committee to "get Monserrate".

Second, it is even more disturbing to hear the supposed President of the so called "independent and impartial committee",  Senator Eric Schneiderman saying that  he spoke with Senator Dean Skelos and reminded him that "since back in June we all know what this individual is capable of doing". So much for impartiality.

Third, if anyone thinks that there could be any Republican Senator who will be impartial to Senator Monserrate after the embarrassment that Senators Espada and Monserrate put them through back in June, he or she must be on another planet.

Four, to add insult to injury, there are five Hispanic Senators among the 32 Democratic Senators.  One must question why not even one of them was appointed to the committee.

For these four reasons and more, I believe that the real intention of this "independent and impartial" committee is to get even with Senator Monserrate for what he did to the Democrats this past June and to use the Republicans who have been praying for such an opportunity to settle the score with Senator Monserrate.

Skelos names his four to the Committee - plus one more

by: NYBri

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 16:50:47 PM EDT

This creates a majority of women (five) on the nine member committee...and in case Sampson wasn't serious about the nine member thing, he offered Sen. Betty Little to be in the bullpen for short relief.

I wonder if Monserrate can read wall writing, because it's there in all its ten foot, spray painted glory....and Skelos just dotted a few "i's".

Here's Dean's statement:

   Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos today announced members of his conference to serve on the committee that will investigate the matter regarding Senator Hiram Monserrate.

   Members of the Republican Conference appointed by Senator Skelos include Senator Andrew Lanza (R-I, Staten Island), a former Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, Senator John Flanagan (R-C-I, East Northport), a former Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, Senator James Alesi (R-C-I, Perinton), a former Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee and Senator Cathy Young (R-I-C, Olean).

   In addition to these four members, Senator Skelos also submitted to Senator Sampson the appointment of Senator Betty Little (R-C-I, Queensbury) to serve on the committee. Her appointment would make the membership of the committee even with five Democrats and five Republicans.

   "I submitted Senator Little's name as a fifth Republican member of this special committee to ensure balance and bipartisanship," Senator Skelos said. "As the editorial today in the Daily News recommended, 'Senator Sampson should add a Republican member to avoid setting an example of allowing the majority party to be the sole arbiter of ethics enforcement.'"

Side note: we are near 1000 signatures at FIREMONSERRATE.COM. Tell everyone you know. We have to keep the pressure on and not let this committee thing let the issue fall into the Albany sinkhole.

Statement from Congressman John Hall

by: NYBri

Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 18:45:36 PM EDT

"All New Yorkers, especially those who have been victims of domestic abuse, deserve to have Senator Monserrate step down or be removed from office. Monserrate has been convicted of a deplorable crime. The New York State Senate should set the example that violence against women will not be tolerated in our society."

Congressman Hall's office just sent this to us. We applaud and agree with his position. He joins US Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congressmen Massa and Joseph Crowley in calling for NYS Senator Monserrate to do the right thing by the state of New York and his district by stepping down.

It's in Eric's Hands....and Four Female Democratic Senators

by: NYBri

Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:37:46 PM EDT

Eric Schneiderman will chair and, in a nod as to where this may be going, the other four Democratic members of the committee will be women; Sens. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Diane Savino, Toby Stavisky and Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

Interesting choice here in that two of those four are women of color which would also blunt earlier charges of racism leveled by Senator Diaz in his statement of support of Monserrate.

We await the Republican's appointments to the committee. It will be interesting to see if women are represented there as well.

More later, but we need to continue to push the Senate so that they do the right thing and remove Monserrate from office.

The committee needs to move quickly and not let the old way of doing business in Albany stretch this out until the matter is buried.

Just heard from Congressman Massa's Peeps: His Statement

by: NYBri

Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 11:09:22 AM EDT

Domestic abuse is unacceptable and I have no tolerance for it. Senator Monserrate has been convicted and I think he should resign or the Senate Leadership should take steps to remove him from office. Elected officials should lead by example, that is why we must stand united and act decisively to oppose violence against women.

SIGN THE PETITION

The bandwagon is getting crowded. Are you aboard?

by: NYBri

Mon Oct 19, 2009 at 18:12:57 PM EDT

and now: Democratic Public Advocate Nominee Bill de Blasio

Your turn. SIGN THE PETITION. We will deliver it to the right people. Senator Monserrate among them.

WWND? (What Would Nigerians Do?)

by: robinia

Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 23:01:10 PM EDT

The new blog on the block, AlbanyFAIL, features The Joker Himself, 'splainin' it Espada-style in his own words, how he may have to send the cops after the Dems to drag 'em to session.

I find it helpful, in wack-crazy times like these, to consider what others elsewhere might do in similar situations (i.e.: Californians might have a voter recall and install a Senate full of movie stars.... couldn't be less dramatic than what we have here in NY...AlbanyFAIL considers a traditional Japanese approach).  

It is in this spirit that I encourage you to consider WWND-- "What would Nigerians do?"

[This] conveys a narrative of both desperation and transparency.

I'm warning you, Boy's State: don't make us come down there!

Video of the Coup Attempt

by: robinia

Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 07:46:38 AM EDT

Liveblogging from Capital Camp

by: robinia

Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 10:14:22 AM EDT

So, I am here at Capitol Camp, signed in, with a prime seat next to the video camera (so as to stay OFF it), waiting for the crowds to arrive.  So far, the wireless is good, the check-in folks are friendly.... and you can't get an attendee list. which is too bad, 'cuz I would like to check out who will eventually show up.  

They must be a bunch of real geeks, as there are precious few here at the advertised 10 AM start time.  Will update when something happens other than government employees chatting it up with each other.

Update: If you would like to check in directly yourself, the event is being livecast.  The room for the Keynote from NY Senate CIO Hoppin (I'm thinkin' that could be the best of the event) is: http://www.livestream.com/nyse...  Later, when we get into the break-out sessions, there will also be content at: http://www.livestream.com/nyse...
Please feel free to use this as an open thread to post your thoughts about what you may see.

Good Reviews for Senate Website

by: robinia

Fri May 08, 2009 at 12:48:13 PM EDT

DragonFlyEye likes style and substance,

Rochester Turning likes the graphing functionality,

Buffalo Pundit says there's a whole new way of thinking in evidence,

Room 8 says "Hats Off To The NYS Senate"

Planet Albany makes the same point I did, although less charitably: the transparency does sort of let you see things the way they are in the Senate, which, um, still needs improvement....

Not everybody has the news yet, of course....

Gotham Gazzette's Eye on Albany is still MTA-watching and

Capital Confidential is still catching up with Gillibrand's site (are they paying them enough over there yet?).

But, I'd say that there is some consensus out there: nice work, Phillip, NYS Senate CIO staff.  We shall be making use of it....

Breaking-- NYBri Hits the Bigtime-- New Director of Communications for NYS Senate Majority

by: robinia

Thu Apr 02, 2009 at 13:59:09 PM EDT

Congrats, NYBri!

I'm thinking we are about to see some better communication.....

Making Headway

by: robinia

Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 02:25:08 AM EST

Early reports show Democratic challengers for state Senate far behind the Republican incumbents in the 51st District, the 53rd District and the 54th District.

Democrat Don Barber, 59, trails Sen. Jim Seward, R-51st Dist., 33 percent to 66 percent with 59 percent of precincts reporting.

Sen. George Winner, R-53rd Dist., leads John Tonello 62 percent to 32 percent with 64 percent of precincts reporting.

Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-54th Dist., leads Paloma Capanna 74 percent to 26 percent with 56 percent of precincts reporting.

UPDATE:
Tonello actually did remarkably well, considering how late in the game he got in, how little money he had, and how busy he was with his day job AND being Mayor of Elmira.  From Ithaca Journal

Incumbent state Sen. George H. Winner Jr., R-Elmira, won a third two-year term Tuesday, defeating Democratic Elmira Mayor John Tonello by 56,063 votes to 38,638 or 59.2 percent to 40.8 percent, according to unofficial results.

Barber's race, with a much more concentrated effort, ended up with unofficial results of Seward 63,979, Barber 34,054, according to the Ithaca Journal.
That is 65.26% to 34.74%.

Does that tell us something about what strategy works in bluing these rural upstate districts?  Well, folks, I think you could use it to explain and understand my active and involved support for Rep. Mike Arcuri, who I think will just squeak by in a district that largely overlaps Seward's.

The Powers primary tells a bit of a similar story, too.  Thought food.

Senator Winner: "You May Already Be a Loser" -- Serious Challenger in SD 53

by: robinia

Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 08:37:14 AM EDT

Ah, but the times they are a'changing.  Even in the formerly-dependable-Republican SD 53-- the seat that Randy Kuhl used to be able to keep simply by being a tall Republican guy with nice hair who wasn't afraid to use his guns to threaten his wife if she got out of line.  When Kuhl was boosted into the Congressional seat for no good reason, he was replaced by another empty suit, George Winner.  Winner hasn't done much since 2004, but made a bit of a name for himself last summer acting as Joe Bruno's investigative attack-dog in the Troopergate show.

Many SD 53 voters will continue to vote for a State Senate candidate that matches the party in power in the State Senate-- and many seem to be starting to undestand  that means a Democrat.  So, as per the resolution we passed some months back, it is important to recruit and support a candidate in every race, even those where party enrollment numbers may seem daunting.  I am thrilled to let the TAP community know that, in SD 53, that role is being taken up by a very credible, very electable individual who will give Winner and the GOP a serious challenge in what was thought to be a "safe" district.  Details on the flip.  

Text Message Ban Passes Senate

by: robert.harding

Tue May 27, 2008 at 16:35:25 PM EDT

The Senate just announced it has passed a bill that, while probably a good idea when it comes to teen drivers and safety, will seriously crimp the style of bloggers in New York - a measure that "prohibits the writing, sending or reading of text messages on a hand-held mobile telephone while driving."

The bill is being sponsored in the Senate by Long Island Republican Carl Marcellino, who said:

"Text messaging is the ultimate distraction, taking any and all focus and attention off the road. Most of the time you're using two thumbs, plus you're looking at the screen. And if you're driving, that fraction of a second that you take your eye off the road can be the difference between an accident or not."

The driving force behind this bill, which adds a prohibition against texting to the existing law that bans driving while talking on a hand-held cellular phone, is a July 2007 automobile crash that killed five recent high school graduates.

I appreciate the intent behind this legislation, which is to keep people safe while driving. The problem I have is that you are passing a law that is very hard to enforce. Holding a cell phone up to your ear is a lot more obvious than sending text messages is. Plus, contrary to Sen. Marcellino's description, people can text with one hand. I know I do. A lot of people I know do. "Texting" is something you can conceal rather easily. In fact, it is just like typing on a computer. Once you get used to where the buttons are, you don't even need to look down.

I might sound sarcastic here, but good luck enforcing this one. This isn't on the same level as the cell phone while driving ban. That, at least, is enforceable. Enforcing this one is going to be very difficult, if not impossible.  

A need for the TAP Community to rally around Obama, Our State Senate efforts will be helped!

by: politics64

Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:23:18 AM EDT

Cross posted from Newsdays Spincycle:

Gas holiday: LI senators try the Hillary pander

New York State Legislature Travel Expenditures

by: robert.harding

Mon May 05, 2008 at 14:31:43 PM EDT

I filed a Freedom of Information request to obtain the New York State Legislature's travel expenditures for 2007. The exact request I filed was for "per diem payments, taxi fares, mileage, train tickets and any other expenses incurred for travel to Albany."

Via a spreadsheet, you can see all the recipients of these travel expenditures and how much they were reimbursed. Total, New York state legislators received $3,267,903.94 in travel expenditures for 2007.

Here is a preview. These are the top five recipients of travel expenditures.

Legislator		Total Expenditures
Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper (D)		$36,452.25
Sen. Efrain Gonzalez (D)		$34,268.20
Sen. William Stachowski (D)		$32,893.44
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D)		$30,353.31
Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak (D)		$30,274.47

Don't let that preview fool you. This applies to both parties and the amount of money involved is significant. In the large scheme of things, $3 million is a very small fraction of the budget, but it is $3 million nonetheless.

The significance of this is the fact that the state legislators, earlier this year, were trying to justify a pay raise. Future arguments in favor of a legislative pay raise will be made - they seem to be made every year. What these expenditures show us is that the legislators do not have it that bad. On top of their $79,500 salary per year, they get reimbursed for travel to Albany (some more than others). In Silver's case, for example, that means the taxpayers paid him nearly $110,000 last year. That doesn't include any leadership bonuses he received.

Our legislators are taken care of when they are in Albany and when they must travel to Albany.

Again, to see the full spreadsheet, click here.

Majority Rule In The Senate Means Rule Over Everything

by: robert.harding

Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 10:52:43 AM EDT

It was on a quiet Friday last October that the Democrats' cellphones stopped working.

The bills had not gone unpaid. The phone company had not gone bankrupt. But Joseph L. Bruno, the State Senate majority leader and New York's top Republican, had become furious that week when he learned that Democratic aides in the Senate were drafting a letter to the Internal Revenue Service suggesting that it investigate his income taxes. To Democrats, the cutoff was no coincidence.

"Top people in our counsel and press office had no cell service - simultaneously," said Senator John D. Sabini, a Democrat from Queens.

A spokesman for the Senate Republicans, John E. McArdle, described the allegation that Mr. Bruno had ordered a cellphone cutoff as "delusional." But Senate Democrats still consider the episode a telling sign of the stakes this fall, when they will seek to end the Republicans' decades-long control of the Senate.

...

In Albany, the majority gets the biggest offices, the choicest parking spots near the Capitol and the most "member items," Albany's term for legislative pork.

Everyone who works on the Senate's vast central administrative staff, from secretaries to accountants to carpenters, serves at the pleasure of the majority leader. Members of the majority can not only turn off the minority's cellphones if they feel like it, they can also turn out the office lights.

"When they were mad at us," said Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, "we couldn't even get office supplies."

Most legislative bodies confer some special privileges on the majority party, but few take it to such as an extreme as New York's Legislature, where the Democrats who dominate the Assembly and the Republicans who rule the Senate exert minute control over each chamber's perks, privileges and patronage. For years, members of the minority parties in both chambers have griped about cramped offices and inadequate staff.

And you wonder why our Legislature is so dysfunctional.

I would like to see a day where the majority and minority can have the same number of staffers and treated equally. To me, I think it is good enough to have the majority in the Senate to forward your legislation.  

Johnson Criticizes U.S. Senate GOP For Blocking Fair Pay Act

by: robert.harding

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 12:35:56 PM EDT

The Senate vote yesterday was 56 to 42. This vote was so important that both Democratic presidential candidates - Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama - showed up to cast their votes in favor.

The vote was on a motion to invoke cloture, but it fell four votes shy of succeeding. John McCain did not show up to vote on this legislation.

Here is what Johnson had to say about the vote yesterday.

"The shortsighted and wrongheaded actions of Republicans in the U.S. Senate have made it even more vital to get a real Fair Pay Act passed in New York.

My legislation, (S.3936), would offer protections to employees and add some teeth to the federal Equal Pay Act, which in the more than  40 years since its passage has fallen short ensuring equal pay for equal work.

This bill has passed the New York State Assembly every year since 2002. Instead of committing to true change that would benefit thousands of working class families in New York, these Republicans' counterparts in the New York State Senate championed a cynical piece of legislation to "study" pay inequality, which has already been the subject of countless studies, and increase fines for laws that are nearly unenforceable.

New York residents deserve more than lip service.

I remain committed to fighting to make sure that New York joins the two dozen other states that have the Fair Pay Act on the books."

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 would do the following: "A bill to amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice, and for other purposes."

Here is video of Johnson arguing for the Fair Pay Act:

The federal version is named after Ledbetter, who sued Goodyear after realizing on the verge of retirement that she was not receiving the same pay raises as the men she worked with. The Supreme Court ruled against Ledbetter, arguing that employers are protected from such lawsuits if the discriminatory offense occurred 180 days or more prior to the lawsuit.