THE "PORK" IN NEW YORK, Thoughts of an older American on Constitutional Government in the USA Options

[Livyjr]

And catching up on some back news in here, we have ...

"Bruno calls for leaders' meeting - Senate majority leader wants public discussion of priorities Monday; aide says Spitzer staff willing to talk"

By JAY JOCHNOWITZ, State editor, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Saturday, July 14, 2007

ALBANY -- After weeks of bitter words between them, Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno on Friday asked Gov. Eliot Spitzer to hold a public leaders' meeting Monday to talk about priorities.

Bruno and Spitzer have been sparring for the last two weeks over Bruno's use of state planes and what Bruno says was Spitzer's use of State Police to spy on him.

Both have asked for investigations.

Even before that flap, the two were in an escalating confrontation, with Spitzer blaming the Senate for leaving town with unfinished business, and Bruno saying it was Spitzer's fault for insisting on a campaign finance reform plan designed to weaken the Senate Republican majority.

Bruno had also criticized the leaders' meetings convened by the governor this year as unproductive.

But Bruno, saying he wants to move on such issues as senior citizen tax relief, economic development, the death penalty for cop killers, power plant siting regulations, violent video games and healthy schools, said it's time to get "the people's business" done.

"The governor and other legislative leaders must meet at the negotiation table for a public discussion," he said in a news release.

"We need negotiations and leadership to turn unfinished business into real results on the issues that matter to all New Yorkers."

Christine Anderson, a spokeswoman for Spitzer, said, "We've always been willing to meet" and that staffs continued to talk about pending issues, but there was no plan yet for a leaders' meeting.

The most pressing issue Monday is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, which would charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to drive in Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays.

The city stands to lose up to $500 million in federal funds without state action Monday, officials say.

With some complaints that Bloomberg's proposal gave too much power to the mayor, Bruno unveiled a bill authorizing the city to develop and implement a congestion pricing plan, but putting off submission of a plan until Aug. 1.

It would require legislative approval before the year's end, and the program would come up for renewal after three years.

A 12-member commission, with equal representation from the governor, Assembly, Senate and mayor, would recommend ways to spend the new fees and address traffic problems.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, however, still plans to be downstate Monday, talking to New York City and suburban Democrats about the issue, which still faces resistance in his chamber.

As for other issues, "The Assembly's concerned about what's not on the Senate's agenda," said Silver spokesman Dan Weiller.

He listed such issues as reform of public contracting regulations, paid family leave, a pay equity bill and Empire Zone reform.

Jay Jochnowitz can be reached at 454-5424 or by e-mail at jjochnowitz@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

And catching up on what is going on in the CORRUPT EMPIRE of New York today, we have ....

"Comptroller's office says papers missing - Prosecutors investigate disappearance of pension documents"

By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Tuesday, July 17, 2007

ALBANY -- A 2-inch-thick pile of pension documents was discovered missing after the resignation of the state comptroller's top investment executive, and prosecutors for the state and Albany County are investigating the matter, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Monday.

The missing material apparently was the responsibility of David Loglisci, a lawyer and investment banker hired by former Comptroller Alan Hevesi in 2002.

Loglisci, 37, was the $201,135-per-year deputy comptroller and chief investment officer in charge of the roughly $150 billion state pension fund.

The former Salomon Smith Barney vice president resigned in May amid investigations into the scandal-tainted administration of Hevesi by the Albany County district attorney's office and the Attorney General.

Dennis Tompkins, a spokesman for DiNapoli, said the office staff discovered 100 to 150 pages of material missing after Loglisci cleared out.

Most of the records have been recreated, and the few pages still missing will be replaced soon and delivered to the Albany DA, he said.

DiNapoli on Monday said the documents were sought by investigators.

"Since I took office following the Hevesi scandal, I have been cooperating with the Albany County District Attorney's Office and the Office of the Attorney General," DiNapoli said.

"It is apparent that former Comptroller Hevesi and others on his staff engaged in unethical, irresponsible and possibly criminal activity."

DiNapoli is a former Long Island Democratic assemblyman appointed by the Legislature in January to fill Hevesi's slot after Hevesi resigned amid an investigation into his abuse of office by having state employees serve as chauffeurs for his wife.

The comptroller said more cases of wrongdoing by the Hevesi administration may be uncovered and prosecuted.

"The people of New York deserve better than what they got under Alan Hevesi," DiNapoli said.

Efforts to reach Loglisci were unsuccessful.

Investigators are looking into a number of activities and individuals who worked for Hevesi.

"Mr. DiNapoli continues to fully cooperate" by providing information sought for the public integrity investigation that targets, among others, former Hevesi Chief of Staff Jack Chartier, said Heather Orth, a spokeswoman for DA David Soares.

Chartier, who resigned after Hevesi's guilty plea to defrauding taxpayers, is also suspected of abusing his office.

Cuomo has declined to publicly discuss his inquiries, but he said around the time of Loglisci's May resignation that it seemed to him that Hevesi's administration was fraught with "very troubling, serious, systemic conflicts of interest."

James M. Odato can be reached at 454-5083 or by e-mail at jodato@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Hevesi’s Sons and Aides Face Pension Fund Investigation"

By DANNY HAKIM and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH

Published: July 15, 2007

ALBANY, July 13 — State and Albany County investigators are examining whether the sons and top aides of former State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi improperly reaped benefits from his control of the state’s $154 billion pension fund, according to people involved in the investigation.

The inquiry comes amid growing questions about whether New York State’s pension fund, the second largest in the nation, should continue to be overseen almost single-handedly by the comptroller.

Mr. Hevesi, who pleaded guilty in December to defrauding the government by having state workers act as chauffeurs for his ailing wife, oversaw the fund for four years and had broad discretion in the selection of money managers and investments.

Investigators want to know if financial services companies provided favors to those close to him in exchange for pension business.

They are scrutinizing the relationship between Mr. Hevesi’s office and several companies, including Third Point Capital, a hedge fund.

In 2005, the comptroller’s office decided to invest a portion of the pension’s money in a fund that invests in hedge funds, including Third Point.

Several months later, Third Point hired Mr. Hevesi’s elder son, Daniel.

It is not clear what role, if any, the elder Mr. Hevesi played in the Third Point investment.

Daniel Hevesi markets Third Point to institutional investors, according to securities filings.

He also owns a brokerage firm, Praetorian Securities, that does business out of Third Point’s office.

It is not clear who Praetorian’s clients are or if Daniel Hevesi profited from any relationship with the pension fund.

A person with knowledge of the investigations said a top official within the comptroller’s office knew about the relationship between Third Point and Daniel Hevesi and circumvented internal guidelines requiring that it be disclosed.

Investigators are also examining the relationship between the elder Mr. Hevesi’s office when he was comptroller and eSpeed, a Manhattan-based company that has processed trades for the pension fund.

Mr. Hevesi’s longtime political consultant, Hank Morris, has served on the board of the company and collected millions of dollars in connection with his role there, a person involved in the investigation said.

The payments were said to be “placement fees,” but it was not clear what services Mr. Morris had provided to earn them.

Such fees are usually paid to marketing advisers who help investors win blocks of pension money to manage.

Mr. Morris could not be reached for comment, and a spokesman for Third Point Capital declined to comment.

In addition, investigators are reviewing records of political contributions from investment firms and their executives to Mr. Hevesi’s younger son, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat.

It is legal in New York State for investment managers to contribute to comptrollers (or any elected official), and they have long done so.

Money managers vie aggressively for the job of investing blocks of public pension money, and New York State’s fund is so large that even a tiny piece could generate substantial management fees.

It would be illegal for companies to make contributions with the understanding they would receive business or favorable treatment, but such a case would probably be difficult for investigators to prove.

The probe is being conducted jointly by the Albany County district attorney, P. David Soares, and the state’s attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo.

It was set off by allegations that the comptroller’s former chief of staff, Jack Chartier, had obtained, among other things, a loan for his friend, the actress Peggy Lipton, from an executive at Markstone Capital, another firm that manages pension fund money.

Lawyers or representatives for Mr. Chartier, Ms. Lipton and Markstone Capital had no comment or did not return calls.

Spokesmen for Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Soares declined to comment.

Mr. Cuomo said in May that the investigation suggested there were “very troubling, serious, systemic conflicts of interest” in the comptroller’s office, but he declined to provide details.

Alan G. Hevesi’s lawyer, Joel Cohen, said he could not comment on the investigation.

Daniel Hevesi did not return a call to his office, and a spokesman for Andrew Hevesi said he would not comment.

State laws prohibit officials from engaging in activities that create or appear to create a conflict with their public duties, and they are barred from securing unwarranted privileges for themselves or others.

Andrew Hevesi won election two years ago to the Queens Assembly district that his father had represented for 22 years.

Donations from investment firms that manage state pension fund assets, or their executives, make up more than 10 percent of the campaign contributions that Andrew Hevesi has received.

Some of Andrew Hevesi’s contributors lived thousands of miles from his Assembly district, including Elliott Broidy, the Los Angeles-based chairman of Markstone.

He donated $3,400 in 2005.

Another company that contributed to campaigns by members of the Hevesi family is Mezzacappa Management LLC, a private investment firm based in Manhattan that manages a number of funds for wealthy individuals, pension funds and other institutions.

One of its funds, the Mezzacappa Maiden Lane Fund, received $198 million from the New York pension fund in January 2005.

Mezzacappa Management and people tied to it have made donations to Alan Hevesi since 2002 totaling $88,000, according to campaign filings.

In 2005, the firm and its chief executive, Damon Mezzacappa, also made contributions totaling $5,000 to Andrew Hevesi.

A Mezzacappa official declined to comment.

Alan Hevesi’s 35-year career in politics ended in December, when he pleaded guilty to a felony after admitting he had ordered state workers to serve as chauffeur for his ailing wife.

He paid a $5,000 fine and resigned from the comptroller’s job.

Thomas P. DiNapoli, who was chosen by the Legislature to fill Alan Hevesi’s post, has taken steps to shore up internal safeguards since taking over, including the creation of a new position, inspector general.

Surpassing the size of the state’s more than $120 billion budget, the pension fund makes payments to 334,000 retirees, and 648,000 other workers are due to receive benefits in the future.

New York’s pension fund structure, which relies on the comptroller as the fund’s sole trustee, is unusual.

Many states have boards that oversee their funds.

Comptrollers and other elected pension officials have often been accused of conflicts of interest because the office can expose them to an endless parade of finance professionals vying for blocks of pension money to manage and willing to do favors to win that business.

But as pension trustees, they have a legal duty to invest prudently.

“The issue of having a single person as the sole trustee is an issue worth taking a hard look at,” Gov. Eliot Spitzer said last week.

“It’s not an easy question, but it’s one that certainly we will look at in the context of all this.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/nyregion...nted=1&_r=1

[Livyjr]

And keeping up with the background in here, as I missed a few days worth of posting do to this or that occurring out there in the non-CYBER WORLD, we have ....

THE NEW YORK POST

"HEVESI PAPER$ IN MYSTERY VANISH - PENSION-FEE FILES STOLEN OR DESTROYED"

July 16, 2007 -- INVESTIGATORS probing possible illegal pension fund activities during disgraced state Comptroller Alan Hevesi's tenure are being hampered by the disappearance of "volumes" of sensitive documents, The Post has learned.

The documents - providing a paper trail on the investment of tens of millions of dollars in pension-fund assets - disappeared after former Democratic Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli was named by the Legislature in February to replace Hevesi, who pleaded guilty to misusing state resources and resigned in disgrace in December, a source close to DiNapoli's office said.

"This involves actions that occurred on DiNapoli's watch, not on Hevesi's," the source said, noting that internal tracking records confirm the time frame the documents went missing.

The papers, which identify who received fees for obtaining state pension-fund investments, were believed stolen or destroyed by a high-ranking Comptroller's Office employee, according to the source.

The disappearance of the documents - which could point the finger at politically connected individuals who received the investment fees - has hampered ongoing investigations of the Hevesi scandal being conducted by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who has convened a special grand jury.

"The investigation would have been wrapped up a week ago if it wasn't for the missing documents," the source said.

Investigators believe they know who stole or destroyed the documents, although it is unclear if the individual will be criminally charged.

Copies of some of the records are now being reacquired from firms that are still doing business with the state's huge pension fund, the source said.

The New York Times reported yesterday that investigators are seeking to determine if Hevesi's sons, Andrew and Daniel, illegally benefited from their father's connections.

DiNapoli has repeatedly refused to comment on the investigation.

*

Albany insiders doubt Inspector General Kristine Hamann's ability to fairly investigate the Spitzer administration's role in having the State Police monitor Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's activities - and a conflict of interest is the reason why.

Hamann, a former executive assistant district attorney in the office of Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau, was appointed to her job by Gov. Spitzer, whose reputation would be seriously damaged if Hamann finds that the governor or his aides directed a State Police surveillance program, as Bruno charges.

"Nobody expects the full story from Hamann," said a source close to Bruno.

fredric.dicker@nypost.com

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07162007/news/...side_albany.htm

[Livyjr]

And keeping up with the background in here, as I missed a few days worth of posting do to this or that occurring out there in the non-CYBER WORLD, we have ....

"A right or wrong in use of state's aircraft? - Bruno controversy gives rise to debate over long-standing practice, reimbursement of taxpayers"

By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Monday, July 16, 2007

ALBANY -- John Faso, the fiscally conservative Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Eliot Spitzer last fall, supports use of state aircraft by legislative leaders like Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno for flights to political events.

But former GOP comptroller candidate Chris Callaghan thinks taxpayers should be reimbursed.

Even as Bruno, R-Brunswick, seems to be rethinking his practice of using state helicopters and State Police drivers for his fundraising and state business trips, Faso said Bruno did nothing wrong.

"As long as there is legitimate state business, I don't have a problem with it," Faso, a lobbyist, said.

"I don't think Sen. Bruno did anything wrong, nor do I think he did anything out of the ordinary."

"This has been the long-standing practice."

He said he has no opinion of Bruno using State Police as drivers when he gets to Manhattan.

Bruno's staff said troopers have been driving Bruno and his aides around Manhattan after they get off State Police helicopters because of threats to Bruno.

State Police have not explained why they've provided Bruno security and car rides since at least 2006.

Spitzer has directed the agency to conduct a threat assessment.

Faso said it's fair to expect Bruno to provide his itinerary in exchange for traveling aboard state aircraft.

Bruno has refused to publicly disclose his schedule of events on days he takes state flights.

He maintains his trips, including three in May for GOP fundraisers in Manhattan, involved state business.

A few lobbyists and a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg have said they met with Bruno about legislative business for portions of the three May days.

Bruno typically requests and receives flights worth at least $3,000 an hour from Albany to Manhattan on Thursdays.

He did not travel on State Police aircraft this Thursday, a State Police spokesman said.

Bruno declared earlier this week that he didn't think he'd ask for the helicopter in the near future.

His press office did not return calls Friday.

In an television interview on Capital News 9, Bruno said he is considering legislation to ban using state aircraft for political trips.

The New York Post and Channel 6 reported he is proposing to forgo State Police security details.

Callaghan said Bruno's idea of banning flights for political trips would be inefficient because legislative leaders and governors often schedule official and political events for their travels.

He said it would be better to require reimbursement for the political portion of such travel on a pro-rated basis.

In November, Callaghan lost to Alan Hevesi, the incumbent comptroller, after disclosing that Hevesi assigned staff as drivers for his wife.

The revelations led to Hevesi's guilty plea to fraud and his resignation.

Spitzer has furnished the attorney general's office and the Albany County district attorney's office with materials about Bruno's use of state aircraft.

Bruno has complained to the inspector general and attorney general that Spitzer abused his power because State Police investigators made reports about where they picked up and dropped off Bruno in Manhattan.

The fundraising trips by Bruno were first reported by the Times Union July 1 in a story about use of state aircraft.

Only Bruno, Spitzer and Lt. Gov. David Paterson flew on the state aircraft during the first five months of 2007.

Unlike the other two men, Bruno refused to release his itineraries.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he books commercial flights for his travel but made an exception when he flew with Spitzer on a state helicopter in mid-June from Albany to attend JPMorgan Chase and Co.'s announcement of a new skyscraper at lower Manhattan.

At least one of the Democratic governor's trips included a political event -- a Monroe County Democratic fundraiser.

An Ethics Commission opinion, written in 1995 when Spitzer's special counsel, Richard Rifkin, headed the commission, says that using state aircraft for travel that includes political functions is valid as long as the trip has "a bona fide public purpose."

James M. Odato can be reached at 454-5083 or by e-mail at jodato@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

And while we are on the subject of "PAY TO PLAY" here in the CORRUPT EMPIRE of New York, we have ....

"Just call him an advocate"

Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Monday, July 16, 2007

Jeff Gural, who spent a small fortune purchasing, fixing up and installing 1,500 video slot machines at Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs in the past two years, is scheduled to come to Albany today to try to explain why he isn't a lobbyist.

Gural acknowledges he's pushed for legislation to help harness track operators, including him.

He needs the help, he said, because his investment in the tracks is losing $1 million a month.

Two years ago, Gural pushed for a law that raised the percentages VLT operators get to keep, and he's backing another measure to get even more.

Passed the Senate, it's under negotiation in the Assembly.

In an interview, the Manhattan real estate executive said he was contacted by the Temporary State Commission on Lobbying about his activities.

"I can't imagine I would be considered a lobbyist," said Gural, who pays lobbyist James Crane $10,000 a month.

"I'm not getting paid by anybody."

Failure to register as a lobbyist could bring stiff penalties.

The law defines a lobbyist as someone working for passage or defeat of a bill and who spends or is paid at least $5,000.

Gural has helped write legislation and has e-mailed numerous gaming officials to tell of his success in killing a bill that would have increased purses for horse owners.

"I am a better lobbyist than anything else," he said during a panel discussion at the Harness Tracks of America and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations joint conference in Florida in March.

His advice, according to the transcript: "Do the lobbying yourself; get to know these people."

He also said lobbying involves donating to politicians.

Indeed, in 2006 alone, Gural gave about $181,500 to various candidates, including $22,000 to the Spitzer/Paterson campaign and $25,000 to Andrew Cuomo.

"They didn't seem bashful at all about taking money from people," he said of New York's politicians.

Contributor: Capitol bureau reporter James M. Odato. Got a tip? Call 454-5424 or e-mail jjochnowitz@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

And what would a CORRUPT EMPIRE be without royalty and privilege?

"Officials get new aircraft - Heavy state use spurs authority to pay $6.5M for replacement plane"

By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Thursday, July 19, 2007

A plane owned by the New York Power Authority has been getting such a workout from state officials that it's been sold, and the agency is buying a new one for $6.5 million.

Records show the authority's B-350 King airplane was used last year, and through June 30 this year, by a bipartisan roster that included former Gov. George Pataki and his wife, Libby, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, state Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, former Lt. Gov. Mary O. Donohue and successor David Paterson, and more than three dozen other nonauthority employees, including press aides and Pataki's photographer.

The plane, purchased in 2000 for about $5.5 million, was sold during the past few weeks after Power Authority trustees determined that it had been logging 50 percent more mileage than the typical B-350, a popular twin-engine craft that can carry about 15 people.

The selling price couldn't be determined.

The authority concluded it would be more practical to replace the plane with a newer model from the supplier, Raytheon Aircraft Co.

It is similar model in many ways, including seating capacity.

The use of state aircraft has been in the news lately, triggered by a report in the Times Union that Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno used a State Police helicopter to fly to New York City this year on three days that he attended political fundraisers.

While he hasn't released his itineraries, Bruno insists he also did public business on the flights.

Use of state aircraft for strictly political or personal use would be a violation of Public Officers Law, but the state Ethics Commission has said that if any public business also is done during the trip, the use is acceptable.

The affair ignited a firestorm in the Capitol, with Bruno charging Spitzer was using State Police to keep track of him, and government reform groups calling for full, clearer rules about the use of state aircraft, including full reimbursement by if any political business takes place on the trips.

The Power Authority has long had its own airplane and uses it when employees need to reach remote power plants in Northern New York.

When the authority isn't using it, the aircraft can be used by politicians and their staff.

Power Authority spokesman Brian Vattimo said the plane is made available to other officials and the State Police under a long-standing arrangement with the governor's office.

It's kept at the Albany International Airport or Westchester County Airport, according to state documents.

Vattimo stressed that to his knowledge no investigating agencies have asked the Power Authority about use of the plane.

The flight records, which were obtained Wednesday, do not list the purpose of any of the trips, although the "NYPA Power Business Travel Passenger Usage Reports" include a column for "business purpose."

Authority officials don't ask riders why they need the plane, Vattimo said.

The riders are cleared by either the governor's office or State Police, he said.

"They would talk with the governor's scheduling office or travel desk," Vattimo said.

Spitzer's office said Wednesday that details on the purposes of the trips would require another Freedom of Information request.

Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson said the forms, which were revised this year, require plane users to provide a schedule of their government business on the trip.

Pataki spokesman David Catalfamo said the plane was used properly by his boss and the former first lady.

"The administration acted consistent with the authority expressed in the ethics opinion governing usage," said Catalfamo, who added: "As the first lady, Mrs. Pataki on rare occasions would accompany the governor on state business."

One of the dates that the Power Authority plane was used coincided with a Dec. 8 trip Pataki took to Lynchburg, Va., to tour a factory where columns for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center were being made.

Pataki chartered a luxury jet, however, at a cost of more than $10,700, and the state comptroller's office later refused to pay the bill.

Flight logs show that the Power Authority plane picked up the Patakis and others in Lynchburg that day, flying to Washington D.C. and then to Newburgh.

Robach, one of the few elected legislators to appear on any state plane manifests, could not be immediately reached for comment on the reasons for his March 6, 2006, flight from Rochester to Albany.

However, the flight coincided with the funeral of a slain state trooper, Trooper Andrew Sperr.

Donohue, the lieutenant governor at the time, also flew in the plane that day.

Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or by e-mail at rkarlin@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

July 13, 2007 at 5:19 pm by James M. Odato

Marc Violette, a press officer for Eliot Spitzer dating from his days as attorney general, has moved out of the governor’s press office to take a similar job with the Dormitory Authority.

The $110,000 authority job had been held by Claudia Hutton.

She recently moved to the Health Department for a $125,000 job as spokeswoman.

The governor’s press office is down two people now, as Brad Maione departed to become spokesman for the state Office of General Services, which pays $85,800.

COMMENTS

Comment by John Galt — July 14, 2007 @ 2:48 pm: What vital state function do these people fulfill that makes them worth so much state money here in NYS?

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by sdj — July 15, 2007 @ 10:54 am I’m certainly not one to defend public authorities or how they are used in New York - there are entirely too many and backdoor borrowing on behalf of the state has been abused severely over the years.

However, departments of communications also hold top policy and strategy advisors.

These people are typically in the inner circle of top management.

In the private sector, a director of communications for a company the size of DASNY would make significantly more than $110,000.

Similarly, the Department of Health has nearly 6,000 employees and they administer something like $50 billion in spending.

Again, a top policy and strategy advisor in an organization of this magnitude making $125,000 is not out of line at all.

Are they hacks?

Could be, but that’s totally dependent on who you ask.

I think “hack” is an incredibly overused term.

Our taxes aren’t ridiculously high because of them and their salaries in that there really aren’t that many of them.

Our taxes are ridiculously high because of the many layers of redundancy throughout state and local governments that drive billions in spending that could be lowered or streamlined in any number of ways.

Our taxes are so high because so many things that should be addressed probably never will be because of a lack of policital will or a strong case of stubbornness.

Finally, our taxes are so high because voters are largely complacent with the status quo and they keep voting in the same people with the same policies again and again and again.

Why was Pataki here for SOOOO long when even his own people and party thought he was largely ineffective for major part of 3 terms?

Cuomo was the same story.

While people like Hutton and Violette may contribute more than others because of their “advisor” role, they are not the driving force.

They are spin doctors and that’s not helping the bigger picture, but there are much bigger problems out there.

We have an opportunity to change things.

On the other hand, we always have.

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by sdj: In the private sector, a director of communications for a company the size of DASNY would make significantly more than $110,000.

JOHN GALT REPLIES: sdj, in all truth, what someone makes in the private sector is totally irrelevant to this discussion here ….

STATE GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE PRIVATE SECTOR!

It’s not, so please, don’t feed us this crap mantra of “the state must be like business to compete” …

And that is not a difficult concept to grasp, actually ….

And your argument that these SPINMEISTERS are “top policy and strategy advisors” really serves to put some light on this subject where it belongs ….

These people are political hacks in the sense that they are PARTY OPERATIVES …

They are not working for us, the people of the State of NY ….

They are working for the good of the PARTY ….

Like Communist cadres in a communist government ….

Except ….

We here in NYS do not have nor want a communist-style government …

If these political hacks want to make private-sector money, the private sector beckons to them to go join it ….

And so …

Comment by John Galt — July 16, 2007 @ 7:24 am

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by Mike — July 16, 2007 @ 10:13 am: I agree with John Galt.

“Public service” has been redefined as “servicing the public”; i.e., fleecing the flock, and too many people are ok with that.

Any of these folks would do just fine in the private sector, so have at it.

Take less money from the people for doing the people’s business, or chase your dream of riches by being the mouthpiece and spinmeister for United Widgets, Inc. or whatever.

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by John Galt — July 16, 2007 @ 5:25 pm: The point that is being missed here and the question that is not being answered is what do these people DO FOR US?

The state is not private industry ….

Private industry might need “spokespersons”, and having worked in private industry, I have some familarity with what purpose they serve in that field of endeavor ….

But why do we need spokespersons for OUR government?

What service are they providing to us, the taxpayers out here?

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by sdj — July 16, 2007 @ 8:46 pm: Mr. Galt…..

I think you have very much missed my point.

If you had actually finished reading, you would have had a better picture of what I was trying to say.

I would never say that the government should be run as private industry.

It shouldn’t.

It can’t.

That’s the point of government.

Anyone that’s ever read words “public good” understands the difference.

However, when you say that these people work for the party you aren’t entirely off.

They work “at the pleasure of” their bosses.

Generally speaking, their bosses are elected officials (or a step down from them).

So yes, as these people and their bosses need to be re-elected, the ideals of the party and the agenda that party’s platform provided at the last election is definitely a priority.

The MAJORITY of voters asked for it, at least the majority of those that actually took the time to vote with an informed decision did!

Don’t ever think that re-election or the continuation of the party in power isn’t right up there.

It’s called democracy and that’s how it works, like it or not.

These people, along with many others, drive that agenda and make sure the word gets out.

Yes, many of the people in question move around with various bosses.

They’re good at what they do, and they’re paid marginally well to do a good job (many have been in the private sector).

They are in demand.

If you think this doesn’t happen in every level of government across the country, you are sadly mistaken.

However, as I said before, your angst is misplaced.

If you really think these guys are the problem, consider the fact that there are literally thousands of taxing entities across the state, from the state itself, to counties, towns, villages, cities, water districts, library districts, school districts, water districts etc etc etc etc etc.

Do you think there is some duplication happening there?

Maybe?

When do you think it will change?

The people that run every one of them has something to lose.

Do you know how many public authorities the state has?

It’s something pushing 800.

How many do you think North Carolina has?

I’ll bet a handful at most.

Thank you Robert Moses.

Think about the fact that there is at least a 98% incumbancy rate in this state.

That’s one of the BIG reasons you see the same names again and again and again.

SO MANY people don’t even think in the voter booth, they pull the name they know.

Hence the need for serious campaign finance reform.

Yes.

These people that you so informally name “hack” work at the pleasure of whoever they happen to work for.

They are not unionized and they can get canned at any time (that pleasure stops in a heartbeat and often does).

But of the 240,000 state employees, they are a handful.

My comment revolved around the fact that there are MUCH BIGGER problems out there.

What service do they provide you ask?

They tell you what your elected officials are doing.

Of course it’s spun.

Don’t be stupid, it has to be.

But they also have very much of a hand in deciding what policies to pursue and what to avoid.

You don’t have to like it, but that’s what happens.

And it’s not always a bad thing as many of our elected officials are actually decent people trying to do good things for YOU.

How will you know if they don’t tell you????

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by Mike — July 17, 2007 @ 10:46 am: sdj: an otherwise well-written post flawed by the inclusion of this canard:

“What service do they provide you ask?"

"They tell you what your elected officials are doing."

"Of course it’s spun."

"Don’t be stupid, it has to be."

"But they also have very much of a hand in deciding what policies to pursue and what to avoid."

"You don’t have to like it, but that’s what happens…”

This is simply not accurate.

I have lots of experience in State government and I am, quite honestly, relieved to be out of it.

I’ve had decades of dealings with “public information” people who do, indeed, provide an essential service in their own way in terms of getting the message out and, at their best, educating the people of the State about the resources the agency in question can provide for them.

However, not in any case do they actually “have very much of a hand in deciding what policies to pursue and what to avoid”.

Sorry, but NO WAY.

They are part of the audience in policy discussions among executive and legal staff and do, in fact, provide input, especially regarding what may or not “play in Peoria”, to be sure.

But they do what they are told.

They attempt to defend barely defensible policy decisions if it comes to that.

As such, they are mouthpieces and spinmeisters, but most assuredly not “deciders”.

Their service is worth what the market will bear.

But with so many professionals who are instrumental in doing work that may mean life or death to people (nurses immediately come to mind) who are grossly underpaid by the State (despite those great benefits), must we, the taxpayers, pay GE-level salaries to “public information officers” and “spokespersons”?

If someone wants to get rich, don’t do it on the people’s dime.

Go work in the private sector.

That’s John Galt’s message and I support it.

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by John Galt — July 17, 2007 @ 5:58 pm: Thanks, Mike, for making that point for me ….

And to me, this excuse that I should just overlook this issue because “there are MUCH BIGGER problems out there” really doesn’t cut it, either ….

Every single dime of OUR tax dollars that are being wasted by the State of New York on political hacks is a waste of OUR time and resources, because we are the ones who have to either work a bit harder or longer to pay those dimes for these hacks who provide no tangible services to us, or if we are on a fixed income, then we have to do without to pay for these people who do not provide any real services to us, as Mike makes clear above here with his example of nurses, who we do need a lot more than we need these three spokespersons above here, plus the ones at the NYSDEC …..

And these agency spokespersons that we are talking about in this particular thread don’t tell us what our elected officials are doing ….

Specifically, we are talking about Marc Violette, a press officer for Eliot Spitzer dating from his days as attorney general, who has moved out of the governor’s press office to take a similar job with the Dormitory Authority, which $110,000 authority job had been held by Claudia Hutton who recently moved to the Health Department for a $125,000 job as spokeswoman, and Brad Maione, who departed to become spokesman for the state Office of General Services, which pays $85,800 …..

There are three people we citizens don’t need in OUR government and there is about $300,000 that we could save right there ….

And it is as good a place to start as any ….

Especially since this is such an obvious waste of our tax dollars ….

And so ….

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by sdj — July 17, 2007 @ 8:38 pm: Clearly I am not getting my point across.

I absolutely agree with you Mr. Galt when you say every one of our wasted dimes is important.

100%

I don’t completely agree with Mike’s statement that press and communications gurus are not part of the policy process, but I think we are more in agreement than either of us may realize.

Will it “play in Peoria” goes very far and has significant influence.

If it’s not going to get press (or even worse, if it’s going to get bad press), then something needs to change or whatever policy option in question needs to go away until a better time.

This sort of decisionmaking goes on throughout the campaign process and is a daily part of the life of any management team - I don’t care where they are in bureaucratic chain.

However, to both of you, I truly understand and even agree with your concept.

But what I’ve been trying to say is that one of the biggest problems we have in this state is that there are SO many problems.

Prioritizing is next to impossible because of all the competing interests.

You’re right, Mr. Galt.

Take the nurses.

It’s a crime how they are treated.

Better yet (at least in my view), school teachers.

It is truly pathetic how we treat the very people that take care of us and our children.

So fine.

Let’s dispose of these so-called hacks.

There are probably about 100-150 of them, out of 240,000 state workers and another god knows how many locals.

I’ll even go as far as 500.

500 at $100,000K each is $50 million, out of a $125 BILLION budget (and that’s only the State).

That is hardly worth rounding error.

Is it wrong that these people make what they do?

You seem to think that they are not worth their salaries.

I, personally, think some are worth every penny and more.

Mike, maybe you have a better understanding.

I don’t mean to be insulting here, but Mr. Galt, I don’t think you understand as I’m not sure you have the same experience.

Mike, I too have spent many years in government, both in and out of the Legislature.

I’ve also spent a number of years in the private sector in the not-for-profit world and a couple of family owned businesses.

I spent a good portion of my youth on a farm.

Out of all of this, I’ve learned that New York state has a incredible problem with prioritizing public policy.

The voters do not help the situation at all in that they are often lemmings.

Do you have any idea how many thousands it cost all of us to pay for the Senate’s show yesterday?

They got nothing done.

They did nothing and they showed knowing that they would do nothing, but yet we will all pay for them to show up.

So we save $50 million getting rid of the hacks.

There are 19 million people in the State.

Everybody gets $2.63?

Maybe we should give the teachers a raise, or the nurses.

$50 million would go a long way for them.

But wait, what about the snow plow drivers?

And the vets.

We can’t forget the vets.

How about day care workers?

Or police?

Or firemen?

The list goes on and on and on.

Better yet, let’s figure out a way to save those of you on fixed incomes some real money.

Let’s consolidate some of the layers of bureaucracy and elimate some taxing districts.

Let’s eliminate 3 quarters of the public authorities and bring the real government back into the light so that people can see what is actually being spent and where (how much did “the joe” cost anyway???).

Let’s quit paying companies to maybe show up and create a couple of jobs.

Let’s make it worth their while to be here.

There are so many issues and you’re concentrating on something so very small in the big picture.

I’m afraid we are doomed to disagree here.

With the utmost respect for both of you, I’m sorry, but I really think we have significantly bigger problems out there.

and so…………….

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

THE ALBANY, NEW YORK TIMES UNION CAPITAL CONFIDENTIAL BLOG:

"Spitzer Press Officer Packs Up For The Dorms"

Comment by Mike — July 18, 2007 @ 11:14 am: sdj:

Best thing you said in a generally thoughtful reply:

“Better yet, let’s figure out a way to save those of you on fixed incomes some real money."

"Let’s consolidate some of the layers of bureaucracy and elimate some taxing districts."

"Let’s eliminate 3 quarters of the public authorities and bring the real government back into the light so that people can see what is actually being spent and where (how much did “the joe” cost anyway???)."

"Let’s quit paying companies to maybe show up and create a couple of jobs."

"Let’s make it worth their while to be here.”

I couldn’t agree with you more.

Two things: the spokespeople earn their keep mostly in providing damage control.

I don’t want to tell tales out of school, but I’ve served under Commissioners who have made unpopular policy decisions for both the right and the wrong reasons.

Ultimately they call the tune after advice from all quarters.

Typically, legal and public relations carry the most weight, I agree.

Secondly, “everyday people” (to borrow from the name of one of our bloggers) have a very difficult time wrapping themselves around the concept of a $125 billion budget and the comparative “insignificance” of $50 million.

A mere hundred thousand would make an enormous difference in the lives of 99.999% of the citizens of New York State, at least.

The structural reforms you suggested in the quote I cited above are excellent ideas.

Seems to me that the first step is to clear the incumbents out of positions of power and bring in lots of “Young Turk” legislators from both parties who are not afraid to change everything.

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=5034

[Livyjr]

NEWSDAY

AP New York

"DiNapoli says records were missing from deputy's desk"

July 16, 2007, 6:08 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said his staff discovered that records were missing following the resignation of a deputy comptroller involved with the state's massive pension fund this past spring.

The discovery that items were missing from the desk of David Loglisci was reported to Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who is investigating the behavior of past employees under former Comptroller Alan Hevesi, DiNapoli said Monday.

"Within a short time, we compiled copies of nearly all the missing documents and delivered them to the district attorney," DiNapoli said in a statement following a published report that missing material has hampered investigators.

DiNapoli did not identify the records.

Loglisci was Hevesi's deputy comptroller for pension investment and cash management.

"We will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement officials to ensure that any wrongdoing by the Hevesi administration is uncovered and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," DiNapoli's statement said.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced in May that his office is working with Soares to investigate whether investment funds and companies took advantage of conflicts of interest within the state Comptroller's Office that may have affected the $150 billion pension fund.

Hevesi resigned in December and pleaded guilty to a felony for using state employees as drivers and companions for his wife.

The plea resulted in no jail time.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/new...egion-apnewyork

[Livyjr]

THE NEW YORK SUN

"Silver, Bruno Edging Out Governor"

By JACOB GERSHMAN, Staff Reporter of the Sun

July 17, 2007

Since becoming governor, Governor Spitzer has spent more than $4 million in campaign funds, amassing expenses that outmatched his intake of contributions during the same period.

He has less money in the bank than his main Albany adversary, the state Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, and half that of the speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver.

According to Board of Elections filings for the past six months, Mr. Spitzer's rate of spending was unusually high for a governor who is not up for re-election for more than three years, a reflection of his tumultuous first months in office marked by a fierce public battle with a major interest group and conflicts with lawmakers over the budget.

At the current pace, Mr. Spitzer will spend more than $30 million by the end of his first term in 2010.

The governor's failure to raise more money than he exhausted — he picked up $3.7 million in the period — suggests he will likely have to find a new strategy for dealing with resistance to his budget priorities if he is to remain solvent.

The campaign deficit also raises questions about his ability to raise enough money while sticking to his self-imposed pledge to refuse to accept individual contributions of more than $10,000, less than a fifth of the legal limit.

Hundreds of Mr. Spitzer's donations totaled $10,000, suggesting that contributors would have given the governor more money had he not imposed the cap.

Mr. Spitzer has tried to make up for the cash cap by encouraging donors to bundle contributions, a practice that has drawn criticism from Mr. Bruno and other lawmakers who have accused the governor of hypocrisy.

The filings also showed multiple cases of donations coming from the same household that collectively exceed $10,000, pointing to another way the governor has sought to overcome his self-created handicap.

Many of the big contributors to Mr. Spitzer came from the fields of finance and law.

Corporate executives, hedge fund managers, real estate developers, and investment bankers were well represented on the list, which also included partners at several lucrative Manhattan law firms.

Between February and April, Mr. Spitzer paid Global Strategy Group, a Manhattan-based consulting firm that advised his gubernatorial campaign, more than $3 million, much of it for a string of television ads defending his budget from a well-financed attack campaign waged by the state's largest health care employees' union, 1199 SEIU, and a major hospital association.

The amount also includes $500,000 Mr. Spitzer spent from his personal fortune.

It's not clear how much Mr. Spitzer benefited from the ad buy.

The final budget passed by the Legislature restored a large chunk of the cuts to hospitals and nursing homes that Mr. Spitzer sought.

Mr. Spitzer also paid $100,000 to the New York Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, the local chapter of a national organization that represents low-income residents, which also backed the governor during his budget battle.

Among the governor's contributors were publicist Howard Rubenstein; Albany lobbyist Patricia Lynch and her husband; Donald Trump; a supermarket magnate who is a possible mayoral hopeful, John Catsimatidis, and designer Kenneth Cole, all of whom gave $10,000.

At least $60,000 in contributions came from people connected to the real estate giant Tishman Speyer, which is expected to place a bid to develop the Hudson Rail Yards.

President and CEO Jerry Speyer gave $10,000.

Three members of the Tishman family gave donations totaling $25,000.

A partnership listed to Chairman Robert Tishman's address, Fulbright and Jaworski LLP, gave $25,000.

Mr. Spitzer also returned $10,000 checks from developer Steven Roth and his wife, as well as a $10,000 check from an Albany lobbying firm, Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman and Dicker.

An employee of the governor's campaign committee said the money was returned because the donors were "involved in a significant way" with state business.

Mr. Roth is part of Excelsior Racing, a group bidding to manage the state's horseracing tracks.

Mr. Bruno, the Senate majority leader and the most vocal critic of the governor's leadership, has $1.6 million in his re-election account, having raised more than $200,000 and spent more than $500,000.

Mr. Bruno spent close to $5,000 on more than 20 visits to Jack's Oyster House, an upscale Albany restaurant close to the Capital building.

The Senate leader, whose business interests are being probed by federal investigators, paid about $100,000 in legal fees to Dreyer Boyajian, a law firm in Albany.

Mr. Silver has $2.9 million in his re-election account.

The Republican state party, which endorsed Mayor Giuliani for president, has more than $500,000 in its operating account, having received a $60,000 donation from Paul Singer, a hedge fund executive and major fund-raiser for Mr. Giuliani.

http://www.nysun.com/article/58510?page_no=1

[Livyjr]

THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Spitzer Raises Millions in First 6 Months; Donations to Bruno Pay His Legal Bills"

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE

Published: July 17, 2007

ALBANY, July 16 — Gov. Eliot Spitzer raised about $3.7 million during the first six months of his first term, despite limiting himself to contributions of $10,000 or less, according to campaign finance filings released on Monday by the State Board of Elections.

But little of that money will go toward any future campaign for re-election.

During the same period, Mr. Spitzer paid more than $3 million to the Global Strategy Group, a political and corporate consulting firm that does work for Mr. Spitzer and where his former campaign manager, Ryan Toohey, is a principal.

The bulk of that amount, according to the filings, was spent on television advertisements during February and March, when Mr. Spitzer was locked in a battle over cuts to state health care spending with Senate Republicans and their allies in the health care industry.

An alliance of New York hospitals and health care workers spent roughly $10 million on television and radio advertisements and mailings to pressure Mr. Spitzer into restoring some of his cuts.

During the same period, Mr. Spitzer’s chief antagonist in Albany, Senator Joseph L. Bruno, received contributions of nearly $222,000, most of which he spent on legal bills.

Mr. Bruno, who is the subject of a federal investigation into his outside business activities, paid more than $148,000 to the Albany law firm of Dreyer Boyajian.

Mr. Bruno’s counterpart in the state Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver, had $7,000 in contributions.

Filings were not yet available for the Senate Republican Campaign Committee and the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, the main fund-raising arms of the Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats, respectively.

According to Monday’s filings, Mr. Spitzer also transferred about $2 million left over from his 2006 campaign for governor into an account established for a potential re-election campaign in 2010.

Between the governor’s fund-raising, the transfers, and his spending on advertising this winter, his re-election account now has roughly $1.5 million.

Many of the governor’s new contributions came from individual donors who gave the $10,000 maximum donation Mr. Spitzer said he would accept, about one-fifth of what state law allows.

And in a sign of governor’s drawing power among New York’s rich and famous — and his frequent trips inside and outside the state to raise money — Mr. Spitzer’s contributors include more than a few well-known names from the worlds of high society, real estate, and Hollywood.

Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, a prominent philanthropist and Democratic fund-raiser, gave Mr. Spitzer $10,000, as did her husband, Carl Spielvogel, a former advertising executive and a former ambassador to Slovakia.

The real estate developer Donald J. Trump donated $10,000, and so did the movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

Mr. Spitzer also received $10,000 checks from two people widely said to be weighing a New York City mayoral bid on the Republican ticket in 2009: Richard D. Parsons, the chief executive of Time Warner, and John A. Catsimatidis, who owns Gristedes and other supermarket and convenience-store chains.

According to the filings, Mr. Bruno wrote Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg a $1,708 check from his campaign account last week to reimburse him for a private plane ride to Washington, where the two met with federal officials to discuss the mayor’s congestion pricing plan.

Why the reimbursement?

This month, Spitzer administration officials asked state investigators to review Mr. Bruno’s use of state helicopters, leading Mr. Bruno to call for an investigation of the governor for having the state police keep tabs on his whereabouts.

But Mr. Bruno apparently did not want any questions to be raised about his latest flight.

John E. McArdle, a spokesman for Mr. Bruno, said of the Bloomberg check: “We cut a check and paid it so nobody says we accepted an illegal plane ride or something.”

Danny Hakim contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/nyregion...amp;oref=slogin