Posted on 11/05/2004 4:52:25 AM PST by The Mayor
While the majority of the country is moving forward, New York is still in reverse. The same old people, with the same old baggage are once more on their way back to Albany. Their Mission this time, Reform Albany, in other words, " to fix what they broke" ...20 years and 2000 re-election campaigns only 30 incumbents have been defeated and not one on time budget... Their #1 job is to pass a budget. And they are going back to fix and reform the legislative process?
The Albany Legislators continue to circumvent the Law and fool the people. We do not have a Representative form of government as designed, In reality we have a dictatorship, a three men in a room dictatorship. I wish I could sit down with everyone in the state and explain it, funny thing is, when I have a chance to talk to people with an open mind it's fairly easy to get them to understand. But to put into words on a website it hard.
Our dictators are Sheldon Silver, Joe Bruno and The governor, name of the governor doesn't matter, they all serve in the same capacity just happens this terms Gov De Jour is Pataki, last one was Mario Cuomo...
The individual legislators are virtually useless, we don't need them. If we want to keep this form of government we can save 100's of millions of dollars a year by eliminating the Assembly and Senate, all their staff, their lawyers and their special perks.
It is time that we file a lawsuit to regain representative government in New York State. I am absolutley serious about this.
It is absolutley useless to send these people back to this form of government. The individual assemblyman and senator are powerless and are cut out of the legislative process so we have no voice. Legislators only support what their political leaders tell them to support.
The leaders are Silver and Bruno, they and they only control everything in their individual houses. Since each has total control of each piece of legislation that is introduced in their own house, each has equeal to the Governor concerning legislative matters.
The leader of each house also appoints the committee chairman and can remove and appoint a chair at any time, there by controlling each committee and the outcome .
So when we hear that something is stuck in a "committee" we should know who controls the committee and it's not the chairman, it's Silver or Bruno. The chairman serves only at the pleasure of the leader.
The Brennan report found that the States legislative committees do little real work, have few hearings on Bills and release almost no reports to it's members making voting decisions.
The leader also appoints all staff, attorneys and appoints members from their own party to the committee. The leader controls pork barrel funding and re-election campaign funds.
So to be a successful legislator all you have to do is suck up to your leader, do what he tells you to do. Then you will get pork money for your district and re-elected. Talk about incumbent protection.
So why, why do we even need all the senators and assemblymen. If they go back and vote for the same leaders and same process we need to file a lawsuit to regain representative government in New York State.
The economy of New York State is not the Presidents fault as the democrats would like you to beleive, the economy was lousy here when Bill Clinton was in office.
We have missed every upswing in the national economy for decades and the only place that is responsible is Albany. The only people responsible responsible for the disastrious condition of this state is all the people we have sent to represent us to Albany.
I would like to Thank The Brennan report and Duane Motley from New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms for the information.
We also need an overhaul at the NYS GOP committee. The elected officals are running the party, not vice-versa.
I agree!
We canot continue to endorse the same old people.
What is the defination of insanity?
Doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.
That's Albany!
If they go back and vote for the same leaders, there will be NO reform.
They can suger coat anything, reform cannot be sugar coated.
I was going to run for the 144th district, what a mistake I made stepping aside.
Hoyt beat Penna 72 to 28 %
These people continue to look at the same party to fix the problems, that is insanity!
Based upon my personal knowledge and experience, everything in the Brennan Report is true and accurate if understated. Unfortunately, lawsuits are an expensive waste of time because the state judges come from the same corrupt political machines and they would invoke the "political question doctrine" to avoid deciding the issues.
The best way to solve the problem is a real and strong grassroots effort to throw the bums out. Tom Souzzi, the democratic Nassau County Executive has started such a grass roots effort, which so far has focused upon both dems and pubs. Only if this movement grows will we see real change in Albany and this movement will only grow if we are willing to suck it up and vote out our representatives even if that means crossing party lines, like I have done to vote against my former employer for the last ten years. When I receive a fancy newsletter from him at taxpayer expense bragging about the state funding he obtained for a new acorn museum or trolley to no where, I send it back with a note that tells him to stop wasting our dollars on such crap and start acting like the fiscal conservative that you claim to be. We need to dog these people at every opportunity. Write letters to the editor of the local paper, ask these jerks questions when they speak at chamber of commerce dinners or the rotary lunch. An most of all, vote for anyone but them and tell them why.
If I could do three things to change Albany I would do the following: First, allow ballot initiatives so we the people can force real change since our elected officials are unwilling to do so. Unfortunately, that requires a change to the state constitution which requires the approval of the same people we are trying to change. Second, shorten the legislative session to thirty days, no exceptions except in certain limited emergency situations, with the passage of the state budget not one of the exceptions. That way the legislature will have to do something are begone. Third, impose criminal penalties upon the governor and each and every member of the Assembly and senate for failing to pass a budget on time. Other changes: Limit each member to three bills, no exceptions, except for certain limited emergency situations. Limit each member to three support staff, no exceptions. Distribute funds to the members to run their offices equally regardless of party.
The bottom line is that NY sucks. If you want proof, go to places like Texas and Florida where even without a state income tax, they provide decent schools, roads, and other government services without anything close to the total tax burden that we have here in NY.
I agree with all you said!!
I am getting some great info by freepmail too.
This needs to happen.
I will not step aside again to run for legislature.
I have something that the democrats don't have and that is a NO vote..
Sam Hoyt 144th district is my wonderful representative.
Useless, kow tows to the unions and silver so he is proclaimed a successful legislator.
The turnout in this state was one of the lowest in the nation...many have opted out of the system because they figure Big Brother will continue to send them their checks every month regardless...
The bloated Medicaid and pensions are killing the localities..and the State is unwilling to reform.
Yeah...it's time to sue the pants off the idiots in Albany!!!
Giambra is their worst nightmare...good for him!!!
Mayor - did you post this thread on the NY list?
I heard this morning that the state chair Treadwell may be on the way out...good riddance!
Thanks for the ping Mayor. Have to go out, will read later.
The county map is really intersting. Illinois looks like it's similar to New York. Mostly red with a little blue mixed in ... and I'm sure that the counties for Chicago will be blue. With all that red in it, IL still went for Kerry.
Yes, I'm pretty sure..
I was hoping to get more feed back on this issue.
Sorry, I have been trying to redo my ping list.
Two weeks ago I had to reformat my puter and lost lots of stuff
and some will take time to update.
I have been asking for someone to resend me the ping list to no avail..
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
I second the comment about bringing a lawsuit before judges who are tied to the parties. I think it will be an expensive waste of money. In the Bronx last Tuesday where I voted, there was the same name across the row for a judgeship in three different columns. There was no other name in the row. Needless to say, I didn't bother to vote for that row.
On the next row for another judgeship, the dems and the pubbies had the same nominee. The Conservatives had a different guy, and they're my party. Later, that day I ran into a friend who's a Court Officer in the Bronx. He tells me the Conservative nominee has a reputation similar to a liberal judge who had the name "Cut 'em loose Bruce".
I can't think of any suggestions. As bad as the RINOs and now Conservatives appear to be, my gut tells me the dems would never throw their bums out. Look at Clinton's impeachment.
I have a difficult time finding a good judge to vote for.
Sometimes I am stuck with just the endorsements,
If I hear one endorsed by a the working family's party
I stay away. It's tough running into judges so we can drill them on where they stand.
I am talking to a good lawyer, I also received some great advice in freepmail.
If this could get some press coverage, get some legs we could have some help building a grass roots effort.
People all over are stunned that all are returning, well most of them.
They all feel that thier guy is doing a good job for them and
can't seem to tie them to Albany
They come home from Albany and then blame Albany.
Elect me as a reformer, not re-elect me as a reformer.
The electorate up here look to their own party to fix things.
They can't vote outside the party..
Would you add me to your PING list?
Reminds me of the sign you see as you head across the bridge from Matamoras PA into Port Jervis NY.
The sign is supposed to read :Welcome to Ny [governor's name] -Governor"
Well.. back in 1990 or so, someone changed it so that it read, for about a week or so, "Welcome to NY. Mario M. Cuomo - Emperor"
I failed to get a picture of it unfortunately.
But it was quite an illustration of NY in general.
What bilge - upstate New York is subsidized by NYC and its suburbs.
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