Albany's Insanity

Help us stand up and send a message to Albany and the excessive and yes illegal spending that continues in Albany! Come to the fundraiser, we cannot do this alone.

Political Class Dismissed » Stop the Pork Lawsuit
The lawsuit seeks a permanent end to all cash grants to private corporations for “economic development.”

CALENDAR

Nov. 25, 7-9pm–Fundraiser–Brennan’s, Main and Transit, Clarence, NY $25 (wine, beer, pizza, salad).

Dec. 3

6am–tax revolt convoy leaves from the Park & Ride at Thruway Exit 49 in Depew at Transit Rd.

noon–rally on the Capitol steps

1:30pm–oral argument, State Supreme Court, Justice Thomas Lynch, 16 Eagle St (across from Capitol)

This should be considered criminal in nature. We the People elect these supposed leaders to represent us, isn’t that why we go to the election machines every two years? They are elected to represent the people as a whole. Each legislator is supposed to represent their district to the best of their ability. Well they all FAIL! Instead of us, the people of New York, the special interests win out every time and we have to pay.

Why we tolerate this is beyond me so I guess I am calling the wrong ones fools, we are the fools for constantly sending them back to do the same thing every year.

Watertown Daily Times | Albany at worst

Loyal to special interests, not the people

The charade played out in Albany Tuesday by a dysfunctional state government was a disgrace. The naysayers backed by well-funded special-interest groups won the day as Gov. David A. Paterson was forced to cancel a special session of the Legislature after it was apparent the legislative leadership wasn’t going to do anything to close a $1.5 billion budget gap. And New Yorkers will pay a deeper price for their irresponsibility in the long run.

Gov. Paterson had met a steady drumbeat of opposition and predictions of dire consequences from well-funded special-interest groups and lobbyists objecting to his proposed $2 billion in midyear cuts. Legislative leaders refused to work with him. After a 90-minute gathering with the Assembly and Senate majority and minority leaders, Gov. Paterson gave in and called off the special session.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos’s bankrupt leadership gave political cover to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Mr. Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, had refused to consider the governor’s proposals unless the governor presented his 2009-10 budget. But then he abruptly changed his position in an attempt to embarrass the governor by promising a Senate vote certain to defeat the proposed cuts. It was political posturing rather than a serious desire to work with the governor to confront the fiscal crisis.

Speaker Silver, D-Manhattan, lashed out at Sen. Skelos for “passing the buck” to the next Legislature. However, Speaker Silver merely paid lip service to the governor’s plan to bail the state out of a deficit that could reach $12.5 billion by the end of the next fiscal year.

Yet he sat back and used Senate inaction as his excuse to avoid addressing the state’s fiscal crisis in the Assembly now, rather than later. So much for leadership that kowtowed to special interests.

What a frikin joke Albany is, all this and we paid for it. We pay for this type of side show or circus. Once again the people of New York re-elected these fools and now we are stuck with it once again. A new day is dawning? The dawning of complete Democrat control of New York with all the leadership being from downstate. Wonderful, get ready, hold on to your wallets.

It’s no longer a joke, this is a travesty.

watch the video here….

No Special Session; Paterson, Leaders Verbally Spar

No surprise – cutting billions out of the New York State budget will be a contentious process. Tuesday, state leaders duked it out verbally in Albany before a special session of the state Legislature was supposed to begin.

A meeting between Governor Paterson and top state leaders was filled with heated moments, as lawmakers disagree on how to slash $2 billion out of the budget.

Tensions were high between Paterson and Dean Skelos, the Republican leader in the state Senate. Skelos said he wanted to wait to see next year’s budget before cutting funding. Paterson couldn’t hide his annoyance.

“You have nothing,” repeated Paterson over and over to Skelos. “I’m still waiting for your submission on how to solve this problem.”

Despite that, Skelos emerges the winner. The special session will be delayed until December, as Skelos wished. Lawmakers will be heading back to Rochester. Gov. Paterson’s budget is due December 16th.

They met, had tea and crumpets and got NOTHING accomplished and all left singing “This is the end, my only friend, the end by Jim Morrison and the Doors. We should all be singing, Say it ain’t so Gov Please, say it ain’t so, by Roger Daltry.

Governor, legislative leaders meet secretly – WRGB CBS 6 Albany

Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders refuse to say if any progress is being made in an unannounced Sunday meeting of the leaders two days before an emergency economic session.

An Associated Press reporter who learned of the meeting was escorted from Paterson’s state offices and told there would be no public disclosure of what transpired in the closed-door meeting.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver never embraced any of Paterson’s proposed spending cuts and refused to provide their own ideas to address a projected $2 billion budget deficit this year.

Paterson has called for cuts in school aid growth and health care, areas fiercely protected in the Legislature by special interests led by public worker unions.

All we hear from the unions is that they have a plan without cutting jobs and raises. Sure have you seen it? Have you heard about it? The main plan is to get more creative in funding. What does that mean? Looking in places where they haven’t raised taxes and fees lately. Never do the take a leadership role in trying to save the taxpayers a dime, never mind a dime, not even a penny. It sickens me.

We should file bankruptcy in this state and start all over again because this system is killing us.

Local News: Paterson plan: No layoffs, no raises for state workers

Governor David Paterson’s plan to axe a negotiated three percent raise for state workers will harm do considerably harm to the employees and their families, union leaders said Wednesday.

Paterson proposed the freeze as a means of avoiding layoffs in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. He did not suggest layoffs for 2008.

“People don’t understand that when you say there’s no raise for next year, whatever amount of money that would have [received] next year, that’s money you’re not getting for the rest of your career each year,” said Ken Brynien, President of the Public Employees Federation (PEF). “So each person is being asked to give up alot of money over the course of their career to save the state.”

Paterson’s budget proposal also calls for state workers to pay more for health insurance, and for workers and retirees to contribute to Medicare Part B premiums. Under the plan, workers would also delay a single paycheck, pushing it into the next fiscal year.

Steven Madarasz, Communications Director for the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), said Paterson’s plan undermines the negotiated contracts.