Taxpayers win…Patterson Looses

Finally, some good news for New York’s taxpayers.  You can read it for yourself here.Gov. David Patterson withdrew his recommended “new fees”in the state budget. I bet it has a lot to do with how poorly he is doing in the polls. What do you think?

Jimmy Tedisco and Dean Skelos should be gloating right now. They should be saying “Go ahead guys, have your little pow wow with out us! Good luck getting your tax and spend budget passed without us!”

Any way, thank you to all those concerned taxpayers who voiced their opinion. I have received hundreds of e-mails expressing the outrage of these fees. It’s about time somebody listened us. I only have one advice for you all;

This is only one battle of many to come. We need to continue the fight.

Politics As Usual

Once again, the failing Democratic Governor David Patterson, held another closed door “three men in the room” meeting. Talking about dysfunction!  Patterson has shown us that him and his administration can not govern themselves out of a paper bag.

Then you have newly elected Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. Senator Malcolm Smith has not accomplished one thing since gaining control of the State Senate.  That’s because he’s not ready for “PRIME TIME”! Senator Smith can not get his own conference in control. The latest example being the MTA $2 bridge toll plan. Five members of his conference will not back him.

Finally, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is the queen of procrastination. The more dissent the better off he is. Silver is known for stalling and back door deals. It only makes him more powerful. What a great government we have.

I’m proud to call myself a New Yorker…. aren’t you?

State Senate Goes Interactive (It’s time to speak up!)

In general, when it comes to policy and governing the Senate Republicans can run circles around Smith and the Democrats. When it comes to the Internet … they are years behind.

The Senate Democratic Majority released a new interactive website to allow the public to submit ideas about how to spend the state’s money. - What a great idea!!!  What a good way to open up the process to the people and allow them to speak. That does not mean they will listen, but it makes people feel they are part of the process at the same time the Democrats collect data on people so they can more effectivly communicate to them. Brilliant!!!

Now is the time for everybody to speak up or shut up. Go to the site and tell the Democrats what you think. If your from upstate and feel you are getting screwed because everything is going downstate, then tell them. If you are from NYC, tell them they are doing a great job. In either case … Tell Them!!!

On the other hand, the Senate Republican Majority when in power would have never implemented a Internet plan like that. The Senate Republicans shaded away from the Internet. Just look at last year’s campaigns. They had a very small insignificant Internet component. Maybe … just maybe… that’s one of the reasons they lost power. No progressive thinking?

The Senate Republican’s did release a new campaign website http://www.nysenategop.org. It’s basic but functional. It does provide some useful information. They need to really bump up their internet presence if they want to survive in NY.

Actually, that goes for all Republicans in the state. Each County committee from the grassroots level up needs to create a presence on the web and harness the power it has. They need to create a network of websites, blogs and interactive issue based sites. They need to collect data, email addresses and harness the power of social networks and groups. They need to understand how the Internet works and understand it’s power.  Just then will the public understand what it is to be a NY Republican. The  NY Democrats are years ahead of the Republicans.

NY Republicans have alot of work to do. Hopefully in the wake of last year’s elections, NY Republicans across the state will rely on their technology people who truely understand the Internet to help guide the rebuilding process. That’s the only way the party will be able to truly rebuild.

Tuesday’s Odds and Ends

ARUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

It’s really frustrating to watch the business as usual that is going on in the Republican Party. Jimmy T. got the GOP nod yesterday to be their candidate to replace Gillibrand. Not my personal choice for that seat but I wish Jimmy well. The Democrats seem to be struggling to come with a credible candidate. It’s time for all republicans to come together and back Jimmy’s candidacy for the party’s sake.

Let’s go Jimmy!!!!

On a slightly different note, Niagara County GOP Chair Henry Wojtaszek has been making the rounds and speaking to various republican groups throughout the different counties. People close to Henry say as the State GOP’s Upstate rep, he’s trying to rebuild and unify the county GOPs from the ground up. When asked if he is looking to challenge Mondello for the chairmanship, they deny that that is his intentions, but they also did not rule it out. You can see Henry at a Rensselaer County GOP function in February. More details to come.

In other news, Good for you Senator Skelos. Yesterday, Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos called to question Gov. Patterson’s credabilitywith his antics of “three Dem’s in a room” – which I have to give credit to Dean’s spokesman John McArdle who was dubbed that. I call them the “Three Amigos”. The Governor has made the legislative process a circus lately and deserves to called on it.

Thank you Dean!

More to come

The Three Amigos In A Room

Hypocrites! That’s all the current Democrats are… Hypocrites.

For years Democratic Senator Malcolm Smith (while in the Senate Minority) bitched and complained about not being apart of the State budget negotiations. Year after year he slammed then Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno for not including him in on all the fun. Then there is Governor Patterson who as a Senator complained year after year because he was not invited to play in any reindeer games either.

Now that Patterson is Governor and Smith is Senate Majority Leader, the tables seemed to be turned. Today the Governor scheduled a three Amigos budget meeting for tomorrow. Guess who was not invited to play with the other kids. Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos and “want-a-be” Congressman,  and current Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco. In fact, neither leader had a clue that a meeting was going to take place until press called asking questions.

So my question is Where is all the bipartisan bulls–t that keeps spewing out of Patterson and Smith’s mouth. It seems to me that it is business as usual.

Just once I would love to see the press and the public hold these elected officials accountable for their words and actions. The State is in the middle of a financial crisis and the Governor is playing partisan politics as usual. It goes to show you that Patterson is no different than his predecessor Eliot “whore” Spitzer – AKA Client #9.

Finally, WHERE’S REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIR JOSEPH MONDELLO? I”m waiting for a press release from State Republican Executive Director, Matt Walter calling attention to inconsistencies from what Smith and Patterson say publicly and what they actually do.

We have a better chance seeing New York turn to a red state, than hear from Mondello or the Republican State Party on anything controversial.