Saturday, February 14, 2009

THE BRUNOMOBILE and more




New York State Senate Democrats have been in control for 50 days now. It's taken this long to follow the perk mon
ey to the Brunomobile and the TV studio in Long Island?

For the period equatable to the Dark Ages, Republicans had control of the State Senate and have accumulated quite a few perks during their reign of "Good Ol Boys" and insider wealth dispersal.

The New York Times reported: The Democrats are still t
rying to find out how the chamber's nearly $100 million budget was spent, how perks were distributed and even how many people were on the payroll under the GOP. You know, the "smaller government party".

On the list of surprises, was a quasi-political outfit, staffed with 75 or more, funded by the taxpayers engaged in Rep
ublican campaign propaganda, mailings and brochures. Located very close to the State Capital. A printing outfit only a few minutes away! How could the Democrats or even the press not have stumbled on this during the last 40 years? 75 employees for 40 years? Starting 40K to 90K/year with benefits? You do the math.

Getting back to this tricked out van for Joe Bruno. Tell me it's a joke. The arrogance i
s over the top and it has reached the point of unbelievable. Is there any way we, as New Yorkers, can garnish their future wages until death?

Malcolm A. Smith's top aid, Angelo Aponte, said; "Every time we nail something down, we uncover another rock and there's another 30 people there -- it's all over the state."

Considering the way Governor Blago of Illinois handled his stellar exit, we all know the corruption grows within the party in power, unless the press and the good people of that party stick to the ethical d
uties of the office they hold. Which is never.

The new report shines a light on the much-maligned political culture in Albany, where the division of taxpayer-funded resources has traditionally been lopsided in favor of the majority party.

Aponte continued: Republicans are not cooperating as he investigates payroll records and the money trail. He said an audit would be conducted, either by the state comptroller or an outside accounting firm.

Smith has been modifying the dispersal of monies to individual Senators, but has cut spending in the two main committee staff budgets. Both the majority and minority staff will see less than half of what they're used to.

Imagine you become the CEO of a massive company and noone knows how many employees are on the payroll? No wonder Albany has the reputation it does.

Smith, the new leadership and all those who fought so hard to see this change happen, have plenty of work to do. Just as was done when Ulster County did it's big shift, the deep cleaning will continue. Those specialty expenditures that make everyone grab their chin and say "Hmmm" will be weeded out and made public.

Honestly, It should be fun if it werent so sad.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ulster County did what big shift? Some kind of "shift", only without the "f" in that word!! So far there isn't anything, although on the other hand it is too early in the game.
This state is the worst state on the planet--not just the country, not just the continent, not just the hemisphere, but the friggin' PLANET.
How about this idea? Call out the National Guard to recover Albany and Washington for awhile, until free and truly fair elections can be held and guard the polling places to ensure that happens. Let's try to approximate the democracy that exists in Iraq or somewhere for a change. Wouldn't hurt, and could ACTUALLY help!!

Anonymous said...

Mike why are you making a big deal about the Republicans missuse of funds,when Kingston's very own DPW has obviously missused funds and are missing equiptment and you nor anyone else is publicly or privitely asking for an investagation,Mike so stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes. lets see if you print this and call for an ivestagation.

Anonymous said...

Some of the same Democrats that are still serving from the "Dark Ages" did know about much of the "secret" expenditures but elected to keep their mouths shut. Not because they condoned the actions, but because they were in districts with a conservative upstate electorate and they were vulnerable.

All of a sudden, its popular to pick on the "godfather" like actions of the past leadership. Where was their collective spine when they had more to lose?

Anonymous said...

Hey, you guys griping about DPW all day on the other blogs just cant get enough, you've got to inject more of this repetitious rhetoric over here?
Your continual rants arent helping the investigation either way and you all seem petty. Just carry on the way you are Mike, the diversity of KP is what keeps me coming back every day.

TRB

Anonymous said...

As a Republican and a believer in limited government, it always angers me when I read about such excesses. When it is Republicans who commit such abuses of our trust, I add a large dose of disappointment to my anger.

Unfortunately, these kinds of abuses are not limited to only one party and seem to pop up whenever one group remains in power over an extended length of time.

This is why the idea of term limits pops up so regularly when the voters are willfully blind, because of the attitude, "Well, he may be a crook, but he's our crook".

I have a strong desire to begin listing the abuses by Democrats that come to mind, but I know that the response would only be an equally long list of abuses by Republicans.

Despite our political differences, those of us who believe in the basic goodness of our country and our beliefs, need to stand up in disgust against these kinds of abuses, even if it means that one finds him or herself represented by someone from another political party.

It seems that the only time the rank and file of a political party have an opportunity to shape the direction of the party is when a primary is held for a party's nomination to any office. Sadly, the powers that be in both parties deny us that opportunity much too often.

Anonymous said...

OH PUHLEEEZE,,, go & look under Shelly Silver's rock & see what corruption you find there, He is the biggest thief in ALbany & has corrupted the system far better than old Bruno ever could.

Look it up, Shelly is the corrupt thievin leader of the worst "government" ever elected.

Anonymous said...

Smith is a bully...and we saw it first hand at Wiltwyck last summer.

Anonymous said...

"The arrogance is over the top and it has reached the point of unbelievable. Is there any way we, as New Yorkers, can garnish their future wages until death?" (Mike Madsen; lol,lol,lol....)

You are starting to sound like me!!!

Can I start compiling the list? Oh yeah, I already have...

How to really save our economy?

Maybe by calling in a master team of gypsie pick-pockets to start picking the pockets of the master (oh yes indeed) pocket pickers...

Yes, anyone, of any affiliation, can become corrupt...

But I think its less likely (there are exceptions) of Democrats... especially progressive Democrats... because most of the ones that I've met (again, there are exceptions, and I've met pretty integral people associated with both parties) actually appear "to give a damn."

Another one of those days...

The news, all told, is really depressing...

The politics in this area are a whole other "bag of tricks..."

And I wonder, will we all pull together to make it through this (the saying, "don't sweat the small stuff," comes to mind) --- or not?

We got BIG issues folks! BIG, BIG Issues...

This isn't a time to be playing "Monopoly"...

It is time to play "Scrabble"...

Follow the "Clue"...

And - before we all lose our voice, choice and options -

"Life!"

NS

[Lol, I like this (Anyone watch "Madagascar?") so much that I'm going to put it up ("bask in my glow" - lol) over on my blog...

Which, by the way, has some really interesting polls [some poll questions are in line with some of the topics addressed over here(Mike and I appear to think somewhat alike, except that I'm one of those "nasty" - I'm working on it! -smokers...)] ---

So come take the polls (if Mike allows me to do this?) --- if you get a chance at http://www.spreadingourwings.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

This week it's a Republican next week a Democrat. Once you get to the State and Federal levels with all of its special interests the party doesn't matter. Politicans on these levels are seperated into 3 categories. Thiefs, Thiefs that haven't been caught yet, and Thiefs that have found legal ways to get their "perks" of office.

Before everyone picks some state or federal rep to defend, take a look at where there money comes from. Take a look at the trips they have taken lately and who pays for it, because I guaruntee you it was not them. Just because it may be legal doesn't mean it is right. Government is for the rich paid for by the lobbyists. Ask Murtha, Dodd, Cheney, Bruno and the list goes on.

Makes you want to take a ride to Boston Harbor and look for a ship filled with tea.

Anonymous said...

I say term limits are the only way to go.

Term limits NOW

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:22PM

Mind if I ask you what you have in mind when you say "term limits?" My mother has brought this up (in her way) as well - and she makes a pretty convincing argument.

NS