Posted on 10/16/2007 10:48:16 PM PDT by neverdem
ALBANY, Oct. 16 — Back in May, in the private dining room of his Park Avenue office building, Peter S. Kalikow marked the end of his six-year reign as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with a heartfelt news conference. It was time to open a new chapter in his life, Mr. Kalikow said, and he would step down as soon as Gov. Eliot Spitzer named a successor.
Five months later, Mr. Kalikow, 64, is still on the job. Mr. Spitzer picked a replacement, H. Dale Hemmerdinger, in June. But the State Senate has yet to vote on the nomination.
“My mother used to say there are two kinds of people in the world — those who leave but never say goodbye, and those who say goodbye but never leave,” Mr. Kalikow said on Monday. “Now I’m turning into one of those second kind of guys. It’s uncomfortable.”
Of all the consequences of the simmering hostility between the governor and the State Senate, perhaps none is as odd — or occasionally awkward — as the political purgatory occupied by more than 80 people selected by Mr. Spitzer for jobs in state government.
They have been nominated for positions high and low, from running the state’s economic development efforts to membership on the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. Background checks have been endured. Press releases have been sent out. Congratulations have been offered. But the nominations remain unconfirmed.
Now Mr. Spitzer’s nominees — the largest glut of unconfirmed state appointments in recent history — face a range of hurdles, some Sisyphean and some almost silly, as they struggle with the responsibilities of jobs they may not technically have yet.
“People ask questions like, ‘It’s October and you’re still “acting” — what’s the problem?’” said Patrick Foye, a former United Way executive whom...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“Hemmerdinger?”
If I were a novelist, no how could I invent as interesting a name as that! And I bet he was born with it, too.
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Can’t Spitzer be recalled or something?
IMPEACH SPITZER !
Sure he can be recalled but in New York State it probably takes hundreds of thousands of signatures. I’d sure like to see it happen.
We didn’t it to Gray Davis here in California my friend. If it can happen here, it can happen in any state!
Read: We DID it to Gray Davis here in California my friend. If it can happen here, it can happen in any state! Recall Spitzer!
I just looked it up yesterday. Only 18 states have recall elections. Recall, initiatives and referenda are relatively newer ideas that started with states as the U.S. grew westward.
Ah Spizer v Bruno.
The irrisistable F***in’ Steamroller, meeting the immovable object.
GO GRIDLOCK!!!!
This “limbo” should last quite a while longer because Spitzer should be impeached.
Thanks for the ping!
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