and of course from the Republican side of the aisle. I wouldn’t want to be accused of being baised to one side or the other..
It’s the corrupt nature of the leadership in Albany that is destroying this state. They can throw money around to buy votes but when it comes to actually doing something to help the people out we can forget it.

And people want to know where the lost revenue will come from when the tolls come down. Try looking right in Albany. I’m sure the next election will see changes…< / sarcasm>

For-profit company gets aid — Page 1 — Times Union - Albany NY
Firm with ties to Senate Majority Leader Bruno received unusual grants

ALBANY — State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno provided a pair of highly unusual state grants to a for-profit company in his district whose directors and investors have links to the Brunswick Republican.

The company, Evident Technologies Inc., has received two $250,000 grants at Bruno’s direction since the 2001 fiscal year. The $500,000 in grants from a pork barrel fund Bruno controls are remarkable because for-profit companies almost never receive these member items, as such earmarks are called.

The money was listed as “operating assistance” for Evident.

The small but growing nanotechnology company was one of just two for-profit businesses among thousands of member item recipients reviewed by the Times Union.

Bruno’s spokesman, Mark Hansen, said Bruno does not have personal ties to Evident. He said the senator provided member item money to Evident because he is committed to promoting job creation. The money was directed through Empire State Development Corp., the state’s economic development arm.

Bruno has ties to two Evident principals — Jared Abbruzzese and Wayne Barr — both of whom share the senator’s keen interest in horse racing.

Abbruzzese is a Loudonville resident under investigation by the state lobbying commission for providing his aircraft to Bruno for several trips, including a fund-raiser and tour of horse farms in Kentucky last year that Barr set up for Bruno. He is described by one associate as a close friend of Bruno.

Abbruzzese’s wife, Sherrie, was among the buyers of land sold by First Grafton Corp., a firm in which Bruno was a 25 percent owner. She bought 12 waterfront acres in 2004 for $90,000, according to Rensselaer County records.

Barr, Abbruzzese’s business partner in various ventures, was an appointee of Bruno’s on the New York Racing Association Board of Trustees until earlier this year.

Abbruzzese and Barr are partners in an Albany business called Capital and Technology Advisors. They previously served as top officers of the former CAI Wireless Systems in Albany.

Abbruzzese also is an investor in, and a driving force behind, Empire Racing Associates, one of three bidders for the state thoroughbred horse racing franchise.

However, Abbruzzese stepped down as a director of Empire in October, the only one of 15 directors in the enterprise do so. At the time, Empire’s bid was under review by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing. Jeff Perlee, executive director of Empire, said Abbruzzese left to eliminate a distraction and because a consultant recommended the board become more independent by not having investors on its board.

Abbruzzese was a founding director of Evident, which was formed in 2000, and served as its co-chairman.

Barr has been a director of Evident since 2002 — about the time Abbruzzese left the board, said Clint Ballinger, Evident’s president.

Ballinger wouldn’t say if the two men are investors in Evident, but other board members say they assume only investors have become directors.

Barr said his and Abbruzzese’s friendship with Bruno had nothing to do with the member item. Evident, he said, made agreements with the state before the money would be released. He would not discuss his private investments.

Ballinger said Evident has grown to about 50 employees from 10 three years ago. He said Bruno’s grant helped the growth and the member item funds helped reimburse Evident for purchasing equipment used in a solar cell project.