"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Recess From What?


The New York State is preparing to take their winter recess, the question is from what? Since convening on January 7th they have passed only 7 bills.

3 were the deficit reduction bills, 2 sponsored by the Senate GOP and 2 sponsored by Neil Breslin, D-Albany. Not quite sure what the rest of the bunch has been doing.

Ahhh, but here is what one member is doing; hosting high priced cocktail parties.    


Reform and the lure of big money
The Syracuse Post-Standard

Direct from hearing testimony on government reform in Syracuse on Friday, state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, was scheduled to host a $750-a-head fundraiser in Albany Monday night.The Capitol Confidential blog reported Monday that Valesky's event at the Crowne Plaza hotel was the most expensive of 10 fundraisers being held that evening in the capital.

Back when he was in the Senate minority, Valesky charged only $250 for his Albany fundraisers. Now that he is a powerful member of the majority, capital movers and shakers are more eager to get his ear.

State legislators have been holding evening cocktail parties in Albany during legislative sessions for years, despite the fact that the events have been lambasted by reform groups, including the New York Public Interest Research Group and Common Cause. The specter of legislators making laws by day and raising money from lobbyists by night has been symbolic of Albany's ethical morass.

To continue reading: http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2009/02/reform_and_the_lure_of_big_mon.html

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

yes, in a shocking news development, a politician... raises money!

meanwhile, here's looking forward to the howls of principled outrage soon to be found on this blog in response to the former gop senate majority's outrageous excess and wastefulness.

Anonymous said...

Bingo.....hermit thrush. PIV again is sucking black River water.

Anonymous said...

I thinks even Klermit misses the point. Kermit, $750 is three times $250. Now Kernet, why would a man be worth three times as much after an election as before? Might it not be for election purposes? Might this be just a shake down, and therefore an indication of the sale of political influence? It is worth considering, my dear frog. But this is what I would expect from you, mindless partisan knee jerk defensive pablum.

Well done me boy.

Anonymous said...

This shows what a hypocrite Mr. Reform Valesky is! When he was first elected, he vowed to push for a ban on Albany fundraisers. Now that's he's in the Majority, he not only holds them, he raises the price!

What a PHONY! Dave Valesky is a PHONY!

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

Hey, IV and others: lighten up - they are working hard -- it's hard work.

They need a break ... poor whittle legislators ...

Anonymous said...

ho hum, more charges of partisanship from one of the most partisan kids on the block.

if, as anon 4:03 claims, valesky once crusaded against albany fundraisers, then he most certainly deserves to be called out as a hypocrite. but that aside (and i don't mean to dismiss it lightly, only to return to the original point), i genuinely don't see the big deal -- and i'd feel exactly the same if it was a republican instead. was it a "shakedown" when he charged $250 while in the minority? would it not be a "shakedown" if the price was still $250? democrats won the election -- is it really so shocking that the price went up? does anyone seriously suggest that it would be any different with the republicans? i don't deny that it's an unsavory aspect of the business, but sorry, i just can't get worked up about it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous!

Frog is a racial slur especially in this area close to French Canada. Many fine people living in Watertown, NY are F.C. Why do you continue to use that slur and why does PIV not moderate behavior here?

Anonymous said...

anon 6:28,
in fairness to our anonymous friend, i'm pretty sure he's not intentionally appealing to any national or ethnic overtones by calling me a frog. instead, he just wants to convince everyone he's a child: rather than referring to me by, you know, my actual screen name, he seems to prefer a puerile taunt like "kermit", which has (cleverly!) led to the "frog". can't say i personally find that sort of thing very persuasive, but hey, to each their own.

Anonymous said...

Oh MY sensitive aint we.I did'nt know frog was a bad word too.I'll have to put that in my book so I can use it.

Anonymous said...

6:28 I didn't realize the word frog was a no no for some, but then again everybody hates something. My, we do get offended easily. Have you ever heard of Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street. PBS mind you. Get over yourself.

And maybe Klermitt is right. Valesky never campaigned on a platform of reform. So influence selling, business as usual, should be expected. And to think he's just a young crook, just getting going in a long career of political service to a stupid, adoring public. He could go far, leading the Frogs.

Anonymous said...

"Ribbit."

Anonymous said...

12:53 You would have been much better off if you would have just done some thinking in the first place.

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