Posted on 07/09/2009 6:49:00 AM PDT by NYer
ALBANY -- Gov. Paterson yesterday put New York on a course to become a banana republic, with an unelected governor (himself), an unelected lieutenant governor (Richard Ravitch) and an unelected state comptroller (Tom DiNapoli), who, under pressure from Paterson, has refused to give elected senators their pay.
Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, c'mon up -- to Albany!
Maybe now we know why Paterson flunked the bar exam after three years at Hofstra Law School.
Paterson's unprecedented move -- in defiance of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and 230 years of state history -- is mind-boggling in its implications for democracy, not to mention the monthlong Senate stalemate where a hoped-for settlement may be scuttled by his action.
If Paterson, Eliot Spitzer's politically convenient running mate as lieutenant governor, gets his way, New Yorkers could have a team of unelected and therefore unaccountable executives serving through Dec. 31, 2010 -- with enormous powers of spending, policy making and appointments.
New York's Constitution says the succession goes from governor to lieutenant governor and, when there is no lieutenant governor, to the elected Senate president and the elected Assembly speaker.
Paterson is taking his unprecedented action in the face of an unequivocal finding by Cuomo, New York's only elected statewide official, that such an action is unconstitutional.
Former Gov. Mario Cuomo, the father of the current attorney general and a first-class legal mind who graduated first in his class from St. John's Law School, saw his first lieutenant governor, Alfred DelBello, quit.
Then-Gov. Cuomo never considered naming a replacement. He considered such an action illegal, as well as unconstitutional.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It should be obvious by now that the democrat party is the reincarnation of the communist party.
This unelected bullcrap needs to stop. Paterson is the legitimate governor - he was elected Lt. Gov, and the line of succession is very clear in the event of a resignation or death. Was Ford “unelected”? Truman? This guy needs to get off that tack. Spitzer was enough of an ego case not to have a guy as his number 2 who was too capable, but Paterson is still the rightful gov.
So is this a twofer, critics get to be both racist and blindist?
The GOP got a judge to block Ravitch’s appointment.
Duhhhhhhhhhh, which way did he go George, which way did he go?
there should have been a provision in the law that made him run again in a special election within a year of his taking over the office....
in this case, unless someone brings it to court and takes it to the supremes, nothing will be done...
that is how the rats get away with all of this...
Lawlessness is rising all over the country, easy to see. This will lead to anarchy of course, that’s the logical end which in turn will lead to major oppression by government forces. I didn’t say the military but it will be a military type thing, perhaps a nationwide mega-law enforcement organization (”Civilian Security Force”) like a huge SWAT team putting down insurrections. Then guerrilla warfare erupts then... Welcome to the third world Amerika.
We have tax dodgers in charge of finances, thieves and cynical “judges” circumventing the law, redefining what the law means to conveniently fit their agenda favoring the lawless themselves, a vicious circle.
New Yorkers keep voting for Dems, this is what they get. Keep it up, folks.
Actually Gerald Ford was unelected to the presidency. He was picked to replace Spiro Agnew after his resignation and that put him in line to succeed Richard Nixon when he resigned. I wouldn’t call Truman or Paterson unelected because they were elected to the post from which they succeeded to the top job. The real point of this Paterson story is that he had no power to appoint someone to the lieutenant governorship but did so anyway. It is the lieutenant governor now in office who is unelected, not Paterson.
I just sent this out to all the4 media contacts I have.
Governor and Lawsuit update....
First the Lawsuit.
Last week Tom DiNapoli asked the court for permission to stop the pay of the senators. He did this after he was served with our Lawsuit. It’s great that he is finally doing it but how he is doing it is not how we the taxpayers would do it. I am flattered that he is following our lead, but I just wish he would let us handle it. We are working on getting a declaration that will allow comptroller to stop paying them...but comptroller keeps doing things a different way and that may hinder us.
DiNapoli is only in his position because of the leadership in Albany, he is stepping lightly as not to anger the legislators. We, the taxpayers are able to do it without fear from them. We not only want to stop their cash flow, we want to make this retroactive. Why they got paid for 2 weeks already is a violation of the state statute we are basing this suit on. The Comptroller violated the finance Law by paying them when they clearly are not faithfully discharging their constitutional duties as elected representatives.
DiNapoli will ensure they will recieve their pay after the deal is done and they finally return to work. We cannot allow them to get paid for anytime they have not done their job. The Senators know this, it is just like them not getting paid when the budget is late, they all end up getting paid anyway.
The appointment of Lt Governor is a violation of the Constitutional duties of the Governor. It states that he can replace an elected official. The Lt Gov is not elkected on an individual basis, he is elected in tandem with the governor. Now the residents and taxpayers of NY State will have to pay for all sides as this will be in court and the Republicans have already gotten a court order to stop this appointment and besides what has this accomplished? What it did do is stop the already agreed upon shared leadership agreement between both sides in the senate. The Gov has made this worse.
Word has it that if a deal is not done by todays end the four hispanics will join the Republican caucus along with two or more Democrats.
The Governor stepped in it knee deep. It is a political power play for him and his bid for election next year. The robo calls sent out downstate last night were paid for by Paterson 2010. What a pity that he has made this a purely political move rather than a step for the taxpayers of NY State. This state is divided on “Party” not on taxpayer representation and it will tear us apart all the more. Party politics are destroying this state and it MUST come to an end!
The proof is in the Senate.
Rus Thompson
Grand Island, NY
Mike Powers
Phillips Lytle Lawfirm
Thanks for the update. I think the gov will lose this in court.
Excellent points! I have tried to explain this pattern to family and friends who “gave the benefit of the doubt” to Obama when they pulled the lever. They are now too proud to admit they were wrong; rather, they sink deeper into the pit by trying to justify the actions of these political bimbos. Dollars to donuts, when anarchy does break out, they will blame former President George W. Bush.
Liz a little more sauce for you re the bozo Patterson.
Quit knockin' blind black guys, Grampa! Just remember,
Love be blind,
God is Love
Patterson be blind
Therefore Patterson be God!
Honky!
Of course, this also means Eliot Spitzer now be Lt. God. Film at 11
David Patterson...blind as a bat and dumb as a post.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.