Democrats throughout New York State: Call upon your lawmakers today to oppose one of the most radical and dangerous pieces of legislation, the Reproductive Health Act S5808/A11484.  This bill contains broad language that would open the door to extreme measures that will harm women and children.

New York Assembly Passes Bill Attacking Presumption of Innocence

Dog owner group calls on elected Albany representatives to uphold state laws,challenges A3765 (Englebright) as direct violation of civil rights and misuse of public funds                                                                                                     

(For the latest click on www.bxnews.net orhttp://bedfordparknews.blogspot.com/) 

100 PERCENT By Robert Press Vice-Chairman The Committee of 100 Democrats Pedro Espada Jr. won the democratic primary and the general election in the 33rd state senate district in 2008. The democrats also then took a 32-30 majority in the state senate. However it took less than six months for Senator Espada to align himself with the republican minority, bringing fellow democrat Senator Monserate (of Queens) to throw the New York State Senate into chaos. For 31 days nothing was done as crucial bills expired. The State Senate became a three-ring circus, as Senator Monserate quickly returned to the democratic fold stalemating the senate 31-31 with no Lieutenant Governor to break the deadlock. In ring #1 were the senate democrats who clocked in then clocked out. In ring #2 were the senate republicans doing the same thing. In ring #3 was Governor Patterson who huffed and puffed threatening all the senators with convening a special session everyday (including weekends) until the stalemate was over. Since he was no steamroller (as was the case in the previous governor) Patterson's second act was to appoint a Lieutenant Governor to break the deadlock in the state senate. This act was challenged by senate republicans as to the legality of it in the New York State constitution. No governor had ever appointed his second in command, and as for state-wide vacancies the state legislature selects the replacement, as was the case in Attorney General G. Oliver Koppell, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli most recently. There has never been an appointed or selected Lieutenant Governor as prescribed in the state constitution. Even before the legal proceedings will end, the stalemate in the senate has ended as Senator Pedro Espada Jr. has decided to return to the democratic fold, only to be named majority leader by the democrats, second only to Malcolm Smith who Espada had said was not and will not be the senate leader. As for the senate republicans, if you play with fire you are likely to get burned. Remember there is always next year for Espada to change his mind again, or possibly that soon to become vacant upstate democratic senate seat that should be up for grabs in a special election. $36 million dollars and counting. No that is not the cost of the General Motors bailout or the MTA shortfall this year, but how much money Mike Bloomberg has spent so far before anyone has even filed a petition to run for mayor. At this rate he will spend well over $100 million dollars, breaking all records on a local election to brainwash the voting public. It is to bad most of the millions are being spent out of state to generate Bloomcrap. If you have any comments about this column or The Committee of 100 Democrats, you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com , or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press Vice-Chairman, or write to The Committee of 100 Democrats 212 Lisbon Place Bronx N.Y. 10458 Attn Mr. Ricky Martinez Chairman.

Paterson is your new tax...

The Baldeo for Senate Committee is pleased to announce that at a meeting of members and supporters held on Friday, November 2, 2007, the decision was made to file a third party nominating petition in addition to the Democratic Party designating petition on behalf of Albert Baldeo for the 15^th State Senate district in 2008. Additionally, the Baldeo campaign has been encouraged by, and will continue to seek the nomination of the Working Families Party, the Independence Party and other third party lines for the General Election. 

via the New York Post

This is a sad follow-up to the open letter I sent you in November in the exciting, hope-filled hours before a historic landslide victory gave you a popular mandate to carry out the reforms you repeatedly promised you were all about.

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Maybe if you had taken some of my suggestions you could have avoided the disturbing, business-as-usual mess that engulfed and embarrassed our state during the past week - as you desperately abandoned your reform pledges in an unsuccessful effort to get an on-time budget.

Frankly, the price paid for your failure - in terms of the public's money and the severe damage to your reputation - could hardly be higher.

via the New York Daily News

We live in the Age of Addiction. Our nation is addicted to oil. Our people are addicted to junk food. And Albany is addicted to secrecy.

Just ask Eliot Spitzer. The man who promised that Day One: Everything Changes is the latest "reformer" to fall victim to secrecy's sway. Maybe we need a 12-step program instead of elections. Or maybe we need to move Albany to a warm-weather state so sunshine can find its dark and dirty corners.

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When I said it was my opinion he had given into the Legislature's usual scams of secrecy, he shot back: "I'm the governor of the state. I'll be Lyndon Johnson. I'll craft the deals and I'll get the job done. You will write and I will do. That's why you're there and I'm here."

Lyndon Johnson? Wow. Twelve steps may not be enough to cure our new governor.

(more)

Mr. DiNapoli is the Comptroller, despite being having been called “unqualified,” and it is now his burden to prove the critics wrong. Unlike the Governor or the media it is not his technical qualifications that trouble me. Experts can be hired to provide information and advice, although the person doing the hiring must have enough knowledge to evaluate that advice, which often conflicts. My concern with a former member of the Assembly serving as Comptroller is different -- conflict of interest. Our incumbent elected officials, those who work for them, and the small number groups that support them, have become an insular tribe with overlapping interests that conflict with, and have been given priority over, those of most current and all future New Yorkers. As Comptroller, Mr. DiNapoli will oversee three functions -- financial reporting, auditing of state agencies and local governments, and pension administration. In each of those functions, doing an honest job would require him to show, for all to see, who the winners are, and who the losers are.

There's a lot riding on how Eliot Spitzer responds to his first real defeat in a while.

Writes a reader:

"If he's gracious, he gets it. If not, could be an ugly four years."

Hey. How's it going? Everyone settling in nicely now that Pataki's gone? Congrats, too, on adding another Democratic State Senator. Slowly but surely, eh?

Anyhow, I want to talk with you a little bit about this whole Hevesi replacement situation.

See, I like Governor Spitzer. I voted for him. I am hopeful about his agenda to reform the way you guys all do business on the Hudson. I didn't vote for Shelly Silver. I didn't vote for Joe Bruno. Neither of those guys represent me, neither of those guys represent anyone in WNY, and none of them are particularly interested in what goes on out here in the stix, right? I mean, Silver is from the lower east side of Manhattan, and Bruno has a nice horse farm near Saratoga. I don't mind Silver running the Assembly or Bruno running the Senate. After all, they're elected to do so by their membership. What I do mind is that they see themselves as co-Governors of the state along with Spitzer.