at the same time many legislators will be in Puerto Rico attending an annual conference of lawmakers.

What the hell is this all about? A trade mission to in Puerto Rico? I suppose we are paying for all this too… How many millions will be thrown out the window as they are on a joy ride to another part of the world.

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Senate’s Democratic majority won’t attend Democratic Gov. David Paterson’s address to a joint session of the Legislature Monday, when he will try to build support for attacking New York’s latest fiscal crisis, according to state officials informed of the decision.

“We’re not returning for a photo op” for Paterson, a senior Democratic official said of the governor, who is languishing in the polls as he seeks election in 2010. The official, who is close to the Senate’s majority leaders, spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak for the senators.

“A photo op is going to China for a trade mission while ignoring the widening state budget gap,” said Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook, referring to the trip led by Democratic senators last month. “Addressing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression is no photo op, and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have lost their jobs or homes should be insulted by the insinuation.”

Paterson called for the joint session and has ordered an extraordinary session Tuesday at the same time many legislators will be in Puerto Rico attending an annual conference of lawmakers. The Somos 2009 Winter Conference at the Intercontinental San Juan Resort & Casino began Thursday and ends Tuesday.

The governor wants lawmakers to act on midyear spending cuts in school aid and health care along with measures to raise revenue without raising taxes to close a $3 billion deficit that he says threatens the state’s ability to pay its bills in December.

The Senate’s Republican minority and the Assembly’s Democratic majority and Republican minority plan to attend the address Monday.

“It’s deplorable and disrespectful to the governor and the office of the governor,” said Assembly Republican leader Brian Kolb. “The people they represent should hold them accountable for that … if the governor wants to bring us all together in one room on this, we should be there.”

via The Associated Press: New York Senate majority will snub Gov. Paterson.

So…everybody knew this was wrong, everybody knew he would (should) get fired for all that he did, and it only took these people 6 months to get it done.

Now we are supposed to say “good job”???

That’s like telling the guy that weighs 650 pounds that he is looking good because he went on a diet and he is down to 625.

The Grand Island Bridge toll collector accused of sending threatening e-mails to the leader of an anti-toll group is out of a job.

The Thruway Authority on Wednesday fired David Zelonis, 53, for misconduct.

Robert Douglas, a state hearing officer, found him guilty of sending a series of “constant and threatening” e-mails to Rus Thompson of Grand Island. The messages were meant to “badger, harass and intimidate the customer on a repeated basis,” Thruway spokeswoman Betsy L. Graham said.

Douglas found that Zelonis lacks “the ability, commitment and the focus to conform to the reasonable expectations” of the authority “to perform the basic, critical, key tasks of a toll collector to provide courteous and professional service to customers at all times,” Graham said

Zelonis was accused of targeting Thompson with the e-mails beginning in March 2007, including one that suggested a fire would start in Thompson’s house. It was alleged that Zelonis sent the intimidating e-mails because he thought Thompson’s ongoing push to remove the Grand Island toll barriers would cost him his job.

Zelonis was suspended without pay May 7, just days after he was arraigned on an aggravated harassment charge, and remained off the job for the maximum 30 days.

Thompson said Zelonis had been scheduled to appear on the harassment charge Thursday evening in Grand Island Town Court, but the case was adjourned to Dec. 2.

Terrance C. Brennan, Zelonis’ attorney, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

rmccarthy@buffnews.com

via Thruway fires toll collector for sending e-mail threats : City & Region : The Buffalo News.

Can someone explain to me why Donna Luhs phone number is at the bottom of Senator Antionne Thompson’s fundraiser tickets? Donna Luh serves on the Board of the Thruway Authority, she replaced Jeff Williams. Jeff was our only ally but was quickly replaced by Governor Paterson when this toll fight became very real and a threat to the cash cow the Grand Island Tolls are.

Isn’t this a huge conflict of interest?

Last year Senator Maziarz and myself wrote a Bill that was submitted in to the Senate and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt submitted in to the Assembly. The Assembly Bill #10003 Senate Bill # S6824has yet to make it out of the transportation committee and actually came close to the floor in the Senate before it was stopped and has not see the light of day since the Democrats took over the Senate. Senator Thompson said, now that we are in the majority these tolls will come down.

Rus Thompson
Http://NoGITolls.com

Now I can understand why he was looking at me the way he was last night in court. Although the Order of Protection is still in force, I worry what this guy is capable of. Next court date is December 2nd. This was supposed to be all over last night in court.

I talked to the DA and he informed me that Zelonis was going to plead guilty to charges of Harassment instead of aggravated harassment, this would be a “Violation” instead of a misdemeanor. In other words a slap on the wrist for harassing me through emails for 23 months. I agreed just to get this over with, this now is going on 3 years with out any kind of conclusion and tonight I hoped it would be concluded.

For all these months David Zelonis has evaded me, would not make eye contact even when I had to give him my toll dollar. Tonight When Mr Zelonis arrived at the court some 45 minutes late, he was bold as he walked up the stairs into the court room. He stared at me with a look of contempt like he was blaming me for causing his delima. He continued on into the court room. I stayed out in the hallway waiting to be called in. I thought this would finally be over in a short time, finally after almost 3 years.

We helped out in every race above and a few losses but Wow, what a great night for the taxpayers in Erie County.

Kevin Hardwick soundly defeated Michele Iannello in Erie County’s 10th District, helping the Republican party make inroads in the legislature, and while his victory wasn’t much of a surprise, the ease in which he won was.

A political science professor at Canisius College, Hardwick held a 61 percent-to-39 percent lead on Iannello with 91 percent of the districts reporting as of press time Tuesday.

Hardwick said he hopes that the results will help bring an end to bickering in the county legislature.

“The people elected all of us,” Hardwick said. “We have two teams and we need to make it one and behave like adults. The people should stand for nothing less.”

Although results aren’t official, numbers indicate the Republicans will double their influence in the legislature from three to six, taking away the super majority necessary to override a veto from Republican County Executive Chris Collins.

Iannello said she gave the race her best shot, but the residents decided to make a change.

“Obviously the people in the 10th district want a new face,” Iannello said. “I wish Kevin all the best.”

via Tonawanda News – ERIE COUNTY: Hardwick trounces Iannello.

NJ: 11,652 Christie [R] 7,930 Corzine [D] 1,894 Daggett [I]

NY: 9 PM Hoffman [C] Owens [D] ABCNEWS: Vast Economic Discontent Spells Trouble for Dems in 2010…

All he is is a puppet for the Grand Island Republican committee and I hope he loses.

Dear Editor,
Hi. Ray Billica, candidate for Town Councilman with some thoughts about signs.

Well folks, I’ve just got to get this off my shoulders. This issue has bothered me for a long time, way before I decided to run for office. Why is it that some politicians seem to think we don’t mind all the signs they put up in locations they’re not allowed to place them? Specifically, you need to have permission from the property owner before you place your sign. Additionally, the shoulders of the road are owned by the agency in charge of that road and random placement along shoulders of the road should not be allowed.

Apparently there are some candidates who don’t follow this way of thinking. I have seen many signs by some of my opponents, and others, with signs placed in areas that permission has not been granted. Just in case you need a specific instance, the northeast corner of Stony Point and Whitehaven roads property owner does not allow any political signs on their property. But there are some there!!

I HAVE GOTTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR EVERY SIGN THAT I HAVE PLACED.

Some say, Why don’t you just put up your sign next to the others? I say, NO! Two wrongs don’t make a right. If that’s what I need to do to win, then I guess I won’t win.

So in closing, I’d like to request that all politicians remove their signs from properties for which permission hasn’t been granted.
Thank you.
Ray Billica
Candidate for Town Councilman

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