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Sen. Joe Bruno As "The Reformer"
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending Governor Spitzer’s first State of the State address. As he took the stage I half-expected to hear a collective sigh of relief from the people of our State. The Governor laid out an ambitious agenda before the State Legislature, and needless to say this is going to be an exciting year. Before entering the chamber I met the Governor, who informed me that I’d be pleased with his address. He went on to say that many of the Reforming Albany measures that I have championed in my five years in the Senate were included in his speech. "We are in danger of losing the confidence of those who elected us,” the Governor told the crowd. “To restore their confidence we must overhaul our campaign finance, lobbying and election laws." It’s nice to have a Governor who gets it. Governor Spitzer is no shrinking violet. Through self-imposed executive orders, and an open willingness to challenge the status quo, he did more for reform by Day Three than we saw in the previous 12 years. No one is as capable of giving these long-stalled reform efforts the momentum they need to be implemented, but he will need the cooperation of legislative leaders from both chambers. Senator Joe Bruno, who single-handedly controls what legislation appears for a floor vote in the Senate (I have reform legislation that would change this), has stymied nearly all reform efforts in the Senate. However, his mind can be changed and he has already pledged to support reform efforts once the new session begins. Later this month his word will be put to the test. He has already “adopted”—for lack of a better word—two of my pieces of reform legislation! The first, S2304, states that "all appropriations and reappropriations shall be specifically itemized and detailed to demonstrate the purpose of such appropriation, including the revenue source of such appropriation, and to ensure accountability in the use of public funds. Such specific itemization shall appear in clear and plain language." The second, S7092,provides for requiring full disclosure of any memoranda of understanding between the governor and the legislature regarding member items, appropriations and capital funding in the state budget. Senator Bruno has been welcome to support my legislation in each of the years they were introduced, now I hope he let’s me support his. (Republicans frequently do not allow Democrats to support their legislation. Though to be honest, most of it is quite bad, so its generally not a problem!) Later this month, Senate Democrats will again introduce our legislative rules reform proposals. While Senator Bruno seems to be enjoying his new role in the media, as a Reformer, in short order we will know if he is delivering rhetoric, or results. Liz Krueger is a State Senator representing New York's 26th District, Manhattan's East Side and Midtown. SEN. JOE BRUNO AS "THE
Liz for mayor!!!
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You fake! How dare you call yourself a reformer after you fail to do your job as head of the State Senate Democratic Committee? You hurt a lot of people you rich incompetent. If you had any decency you would resign not. It is Liz Krueger fault that Bruno is in power today. If you back the democrat candidates running for State Senate this year he would be out.If you had a shred of decency you would resign today. It is tragic that you’re taking credit for the daring of Spitzer and the newspaper editorial, with you on house bill. You are a fake and phonyI just hope it is one of the bums you have on the DSCC on the payroll who wrote this crap. It sick how they get on the blogs telling everyone how great you are. Resign now Krueger for the good of the senate
Anonymous - you are a creep and you don't get it at all. Liz Krueger was the most successful DSCC chair we have ever had. Have people already forgotten the victories of 2004 - Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, Jose Serrano Jr., and Dave Valesky!! That would not have happened without Krueger's efforts. In 2006, Krueger realized that it was not realistic to go for seats of Republicans who are eventually going to retire (or die). It was an issue of money and strategic insight. And that is exactly the key to Krueger's efforts -- she had a strategy -- to wait until 2008 during a presidential election when there will be massive turnout. Despite the wait and see strategy, we still took the Westchester seat from Spano. Krueger is the best thing to happen to Albany in decades. Whats the point of calling her a "rich incompetent". She is far from incompetent and who cares if she has money. And my fave comment was your assertion that Krueger is the reason that Bruno is still leader. That could possibly be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Anonymous, you just have no common sense. Liz, you talking about "reform" is laughable considering 9 of 10 of the most recent politicians charged with corruption were Democrats including your colleague Efrain Gonzalez. I don't recall hearing anything from you about any of these guys. Most outrageous is the deafening silence from every elected Democrat in the legislature regarding Alan Hevesi. I am totally confidant that everybody knew about long before it blew up, but nobody had the stomach to speak out. You sure didn't. 5:13/5:20 is absolutely right. Screw reform and electeds like Kruger and Serrano who try to enact it. Let's say the Governor in fact proposes process and election reform measures you agree with (not what is most important to me, but not unimportant).
Would the Senate Dems be willing to make common cause with the Assembly Republicans and the Governor against the majorities, risking member itens and perks?
That's the real question here for Spitzer. Does he get his agenda through (or part of it) by dealing with the other two men in the room, expecting them to ram the deal through 212 to 0 as usual? Or does he reach out to indidual members and try to convince them to vote as such?
I know that legislators often think their own prestige is enhanced by standing together against the executive. Except that the state legislature no longer has any prestige.
Liz Kruger has failed to seize the initiative to take Democrats over the top in the beat year that it could have been done. Collossal failure. Had she been as attentive or supportive 1% as Schumer was in Congressional candidates, Democrats would have controlled the State senate. What is your excuse, Liz, same BS like Crowley's? BEND YOUR HEAD IN PRAYER AND SHAME, LIZ-WITH SPITZER, DAVID PATERSON, MALCOLM SMITH, JOE CROWLEY & CO. REPENT! You have disgraced all democrats, and tax payers seeking change. All that money sitting in the bank, all you big democratic guns, all your charades-AND NONE OF YOU, NONE OF YOU COWARDS/MORONS-NOT ONE PHOTO OP WITH JIMMY DAHROUG, BRIAN KEELER OR ALBERT BALDEO!!!!! Keep your money where it is, and pork barrel it out to one of your schemes! But suck it up-You still have to lick Bruno's shoes. How does it taste, Liz? Any better? You could have been lording it over Bruno's royal rear today, but you were too blind to see the good in these orphan candidates. I am ashamed to be a democrat! I say, the entire DSCC must resign! 8:47 Sounds like a very poor loser. After reading both of his anonymous comments, it is no wonder the people of Queens chose to keep the Republican incumbent. And on the topic at hand, I can only imagine what Assembly Democrats were thinking when Spitzer stood at their podium demanding reform. Good for him! "Bend your head in prayer and shame" ? *Scratches head in confusion*
I can't believe how many clueless losers hang out on this board. Schumer was talking about taking over the senate and when given a chance he did it. Kruegar had the position to do the same and failed. Public office is not permanent if you do not do the job go! Let someone who can do the job take over. Don’t let the dysfunctionalism of Albany keep you in power for ever. By the way how many consultants are on DSCC payroll? Will we ever see a report or is that hidden from the public like everything else in Albany? There is not a lot of "clueless losers" on here. It is one person, a failed candidate himself, who likes to post a lot....anonymously. Has anyone read the book "Three Men in a Room" which came out last year? It was good, I recommend it to anyone who doesn't get why reform is so needed. whoa...the vitriol inside state senate circles is really intense. give kruger credit: she's participating in a way opener (is that a word) conversation than most pols right here. and she's right about bruno.
Schumer did an amazing job this year but had a million more advantages than Krueger did. Up until now, the NY Senate Dems have been the poor stepchild who no one (especially the Assembly Dems and the state Party) wanted to help with anything. The Assembly Dems have been more than happy to have a Republican Senate they could blame for everything....plus once the Senate Dems take over the Assembly Dems won't be nearly as important as they are now. Other than Spitzer and Hillary Clinton no one on the state level helped the Senate Dems at all this year. And let's not forget that even lots of the Senate Dems didn't do anything at all to help the campaign effort this year. Finally, because everyone knew that the Republicans weren't going to get any state-wide seats this year, EVERY Republlican dollar and operative went to the Senate Republicans. The fact that the Senate Dems were able to protect their most vulnerable member (Valesky) and take out the 3rd most powerful Repbublican Senator (Spano) under these circumstances is pretty amazing and says a lot about the work Krueger did. 9:26 and 10:40 When you stop spinning are you saying nobody can do a better job. Valesky won by 10,000 vote to take credit for that is like taking credit for the sun coming up.
anyone who is that upset with the dscc, must not have gotten their help in the last election. who wants to bet that all the nasty comments on here are from baldeo?
Maybe it from the voters of New York who believe that a Democratic controlled will support progressive policies and programs. The pro liz Posting are coming from the same person 8:47 Sounds like a very poor loser. 2:48 I can't believe how many clueless losers 12:31 There is not a lot of "clueless losers" Why don't you get a real job loser
It seems to me that politics is a closed clan that has nothing to do with the rest of us. Those who reach outside the tribe are to be commended. My guess is the snipers are from inside the tribe.
What's with the anonymous attacks? Get some balls people. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20615FD345B0C738DDDA80994DE404482 http://thealbanyproject.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-does-ny-dscc-exist.html http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/missed_opportunity.html Instead of beating up on Baldeo, accusing him of all kinds of nonsense-like that bogus gun pointing incident- why don't you guys do your research? "Albert Baldeo was unwilling to criticize the DSCC and Queens County Dems. He said that we have to go forward hand in hand for the betterment of the Democratic party..." the Times reported. You Dems light to fight too much, against the party's best interests. I am not saying that Baldeo and other candidates should not be angry at th eway they were shunned. But these candidates have been very forgiving. As someone said "Bring me Liz's head on a platter" would have been understood. who wants to bet that all the nasty comments on here are from baldeo? I would. No, we have gotten the same response from all State senate hopefuls-Brian Keeler, Nora Marino, Jimmy Dahroug, Odelia , Tittone, Albert Baldeo. They ALL confirmed their disappointment at the lack of financial and other support they received. Why don't you call them ALL and speak to them individually? Or perhaps hold a meeting with these candidates who felt abandoned. Then send a report to the proper person to take action. That is why DSCC has to come out quickly and forcefully for those that can take out Republican incumbents. We suggest Baldeo, Dahroug and Marino as early horses going forward. Schumer did an amazing job this year but had a million more advantages than Krueger did. Up until now, the NY Senate Dems have been the poor stepchild who no one (especially the Assembly Dems and the state Party) wanted to help with anything. I GUESS YOUR DEMOCRATIC HOPEFULS ARE ORPHANS, IF YOU GUYS ARE STEPCHILDREN! IF YOU WANT A DEMOCRAT MAJORITY, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. Can whoever is posting all of these nassty and really ridiclous angry rants please shut up already about all of this DSCC inside baseball type stuff. No one cares!! And if it is Albert Badeo continually posting, please stop and get a life!! YOU LOST -- please just get over it and move on with your life. The real issue here is reform and its importance in transforiming the dysfunctional mess that is Albany & the NYS government. Even if don't like Krueger, she makes good points and is right about this stuff because obviously she's been active and interested in these issues for years. Now with Spitzer being there with his bully pulpit and the power of the exectuive order, maybe he can push the other two guys in the room to clean up their acts and encourage the members of their respective houses to do the same.
Albert Baldeo is a hero. He used his own resources and time to take on one of the worst Republicans in the Senate. Serf Maltese is anti gun control. Worked to stop more funding for our city's schools and work against increase in workman's compensation and many other social programs. Baldeo 49% exposed the deals most Queens’s politicians make with Republicans. Baldeo 49% exposed the short-comings of DSCC. Baldeo is a hero because he showed everyone that it is the democrat’s insiders standing in the way of a democratic take over of the NYS Senate.To say that Baldeo lost when in fact he won big just shows that Kruger and the DSCC just want to protect their power and control of money at all costs. If they are not removed it just another example of the closed Albany Incumbent Protection Society.
It is spelled K-R-U-E-G-E-R. You have mispelled it in each of your 7 postings. Check out today's NY Times. Krueger is no longer the DSCC chair (unfortunately). This was a bad decision on Smith's part but the moron who hates her so much should be happy. Plus now he/she has 3 co-chairs to bother for the next 2 years.
Jane, I guess this was another silly, bitter decision, all engineered by that "loser" Albert Baldeo. Well, guess what, it seems like there are now thousands of other morons and losers who share Albert Baldeo's views-according to you-who are now coming to their senses, and want to see a Democratic majority. Look for the closest jungle, Jane, and go out swinging. No more pay check from Liz for you. You failed Liz. Take a bow from your Mediterranean cruise, Albert Baldeo. The credit is yours! It seems you can clean house more than Spitzer!
Mr. Baldeo, your constant attacks on others and praise for yourself is getting a little wierd. Please stop. Or if you don't, at least have the courtesy to proofread your endless comments. You want to say Baldeo wrote all those comments? Peter Ostrich, there are 18,000 democrats who voted for change in Baldeo's district, and another 10,000 well wishers, who, unlike you, still cherish the freedom of free speech and reform. The fact that DSCC messed up big time is not weird, but CRIMINAL, and this is a matter of grave concern for all democrats, as confirmed by many writers and bloggers. Give credit to some of us for expressing our disgust at this foul up. Well, I am not Baldeo, and I don't care to be him, but I care about the lack of leadership shown by DSCCin the last elections. You got a problem witrh me, too? Post new comment |
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