[The Mayor]

I will be checking with an Attorney and would like your advice on this
It is high time we take back control of the Legislative process in Albany!

Thank you to wben.com and Tom Bauerle for the NY Flag

[The Mayor]

PING!

Your input please..

[mvpel]

If you ever get tired, we'd welcome more small-government conservatives here in New Hampshire - about 10,000, to be exact.

[i cant stand it]

You can add me to the list.

[Gritty]

The appalling confiscatory taxes and oppressively liberal political climate in NY is one of the reasons I no longer live there. The upstaters are the groaning serfs, the city-dwellers are the greedy lords.

Upstate NY can be a marvelously wonderful place to live and is full of great people. But, decades of corrupt, liberal rule based in the large city machines have turned it into a gasping rural fiefdom struggling to survive on the edge as they are sucked dry by the socialist city and it's environs who hold all the political power. Take a look at the red/blue map. Like California or any other blue state on the skids, it's easy to see what's going on there by looking at the map.

[The Mayor]

Indeed, Bruno earlier this year dubbed as "nonsense" a report by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University that criticized the Legislature. On Wednesday, he said he hopes lawmakers thoroughly discuss many of the report's recommendations.

Bruno to make changes To what degree Joe?

[The Mayor]

Job cuts, tax hikes expected in county budget
James Fink
Business First
Erie County Executive Joel Giambra will release his 2005 budget proposal Friday morning at 10:30 and early indications are it will include drastic measures, including deep job cuts, reductions to various agencies including libraries and possibly a property tax increase.

The budget, which must be approved by the Erie County Legislature by early December, is considered draconian in light of the continually rising Medicaid costs that Giambra has said are strangling county coffers

Giambra, in trying to avoid major cuts in personnel and services, is seeking approval from both state and county lawmakers to raise the sales tax from 8.25 percent to 9.25 percent to help cover the estimated budget deficit, which may top $130 million.

As for any detailed hints about what the budget may have in store, Giambra administration officials have remained tight lipped.

"All I can say is that we're still working on it and expect to be working on it through the night and into the morning," said Jeff Hammond, Giambra's spokesman.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2004/11/01/daily38.html

WBEN will carry the budget speech by Giambra live this morning..

[The Mayor]

Ping!

I need help putting back together my ping list..

[The Mayor]

Ping!

[The Mayor]

Ping!

[Labyrinthos]

I speak from experience after having worked as a part-time special counsel in Albany for 8 years for a republican assemblyman who then moved to the senate, where I worked for him for another two years. When he was a member of the minority in the assembly for 10 years, he was a leading sponsor of term limit legislation. When he became a member of the majority in the senate, term limits were no longer a priority and indeed, during his 14 years in the senate, he has opposed term limits.

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.

[eleni121]

Mayor - did you post this thread on the NY list?

[deadhead]

Thanks for the ping Mayor. Have to go out, will read later.

[The Mayor]

PING!

[Revolting cat!]

[The Mayor]

I don't know if you saw this article..

[The Mayor]

This is a great map!

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/NY/P/00/map.html