Items tagged with 'politics'

Andrew Cuomo is calling for the legalization of recreational marijuana (also a Green New Deal and voting reforms and many other big items)

Andrew Cuomo 2019 agenda speech

Like a State of the State address, but not. / screengrab via Cuomo admin Youtube video of the speech

So, this feels like a step: On Monday Andrew Cuomo -- the governor of New York -- called for the state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2019.

He made the call as part of a larger speech outlining priorities for the next year, what his administration is calling a "justice agenda." (The speech very much had the feel of a State of the State address.) The list is long and includes a bunch of big issues. And it's very possible there could be legislation passed on many of them now that both chambers of the state legislature will be controlled by Democrats.

As with many of the items on the list, Cuomo didn't mention many details to go along with the call for marijuana legalization. But he framed it as a matter of justice, and what he described an unfair targeting of African-American and minority communities.

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Kirsten Gillibrand's appearance on The Late Show -- and her answer to that question

Kirsten Gillibrand's appearance on the The Late Show Thursday night is embedded above.

The clip has been getting a lot of attention this morning because Gillibrand kind-of sort-of says she's thinking about running for president.

Here's a transcript of her answer when Stephen Colbert asked if there was "another election that you might be concentrating on" -- a clear references to the 2020 presidential election:

So I believe it is a moral question for me. And I believe in right versus wrong. And until this election I actually thought that wrong was winning. And as I've traveled across my state, across the country for all these candidates, I've seen the hatred and the division that President Trump has put out into our country and it has called me to fight as hard as I possibly can to restore the moral compass of this country. Our country was founded on the principles that we should care about one another, that we believe in the golden rule. That I should care about your kids or your kids or your kids as much as I care about my own. And so I believe right now that every one of us should figure out how we can do whatever we can with our time, with our talents, to restore that moral decency, that moral compass and that truth of who we are as Americans.
So I will promise you I will give it a long hard thought of consideration.

Of course, just two weeks ago she said during the Senate election debate: "I will serve my six-year term."

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Election 2018: Two maps and three charts

Election2018_governor_treemap.png

You might have heard that there are a lot of votes around New York City.

A few more bits from Election Day 2018 -- about the geographical split in the gubernatorial election, voter turnout, and the unofficial popularity contest.

In (clickable) map and chart form, of course.

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Quick-scan general election results 2018

New York State I Voted sticker

Here's a quick scan of results from elections for the US Senate, Capital Region US House seats, statewide offices, and Capital Region state legislature seats (and a couple other elections).

This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and there are bound to be some changes on Wednesday.

On with the results...

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New York is one of just a handful of states that still don't allow early voting

polling place general election sign

Electoral fact of the day: New York is one of only 13 states that do not have some form of early voting. [NCSL]

Given that early voting makes it easier to vote and is popular in many other states, Common Cause New York's Susan Lerner told the New York Times its absence here is "an embarrassment." [Brennan Center] [NYT]

Back in February a Siena poll asked people in the state about early voting. Two-thirds of respondents said they supported it. Though there was a partisan split on the issue: 81 percent of Democrats said they supported it, but just 48 percent of Republicans. Among Independents, 64 percent supported it.

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The gubernatorial debate -- 36 years ago

The clip embedded above is a New York gubernatorial debate from 1982, a matchup of Democratic lieutenant governor Mario Cuomo and Republican Lewis Lehrman. It's hard to imagine watching a debate like this today.

The debate was posted on YouTube by the Empire Center as part of a piece by EJ McMahon contrasting the level of dialog then with what passes political discourse now. We saw the post earlier this month and thought about it again last night while watching the debate train wreck between Andrew Cuomo and Marc Molinaro.

The back and forth in the debate is often pointed -- and they use some of the same annoying debate moves that show up today -- but it's also detailed and suggests two people with differing perspectives trying to solve problems.

It's also notable that some of the prominent topics Cuomo and Lehrman discussed -- including New York's relatively high taxes, and the exodus of people and jobs from the state -- are still among the big topics now.

By the way
It's remarkable seeing Mario Cuomo freestyle about policy and values in this debate with such rhythm and speed. It's like watching the inspiration for an entire cast of Sorkin characters.

If you're not registered to vote, you should do it today. And if you are registered, you should check your registration today.

polling place sign

Today is apparently National Voter Registration Day.

Whatever day -- today, tomorrow, sometime soon -- it's a good day to register to vote if you're not already registered. Or, if you are registered, to check your registration and update it if you've moved or want to change your party affiliation.

Because: You should vote in every election, especially local elections.

The state Board of Elections has an online function for checking your registration and enrollment -- it will also tell you your polling place. (See a longer note about this below.)

If you're not registered to vote? DON'T WAIT! The deadline to register in time to vote for the November election is October 12.

And here are a bunch of ways you can register to vote -- online, via the mail, and in person.

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Clickable maps of county-by-county results for the Cuomo-Nixon Democratic primary, and state attorney general

New York State Democratic primary governor 2018 map

Andrew Cuomo won by a wide margin overall in the Democratic primary, but as in 2014, he didn't fare well in the greater Capital Region.

For easy scanning and discussion: We've rolled together a few clickable maps based on the results of the Democratic primaries Thursday, including Andrew Cuomo's win over Cynthia Nixon in the gubernatorial primary and the crowded race for state Attorney General.

And here are those maps, along with a few notes...

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Quick-scan 2018 Democratic primary results for New York governor, lieutenant governor, and state attorney general

sign Democratic Party Primary polling place

We rolled together a few maps and notes for these primaries.
____
Updated
Andrew Cuomo has won the Democratic primary for governor over Cynthia Nixon.

With roughly 90 percent of election districts reporting, Cuomo was ahead 64-34, a lead of more than 400,000 votes.

Lieutenant governor
Incumbent Kathy Hochul appears to be headed for victory over challenger Jumaane Williams by a margin of just 48-43.

State attorney general
Tish James is headed for victory in the four-way Democratic primary for state attorney general, with 39 percent of the votes. Zephyr Teachout was in second place (29%).

A few bits from that Siena poll about the Democratic primary between Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon

Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon

The primaries for state elections are this Thursday. And the big spotlight matchup is, of course, the Democratic primary for governor between Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon, which has gotten a lot of attention here in the state and nationally because of Nixon's involvement.

But: The Siena poll released Monday morning has Andrew Cuomo leading Cynthia Nixon 63-22 percent for the primary. That's a wider lead than the 60-29 split Siena reported in July.

There's been a lot of buzzing on Twitter today among state politics people about what that says regarding the primary or just about the poll itself -- mainly, that it could be missing the mark. Because it's roughly correct, it would mean Nixon's in line to not do any better against Cuomo than Zephyr Teachout did four years ago despite much greater attention (and Teachout did pretty well in parts of upstate). Whatever happens this week, it should prompt some interesting interesting thinking/study of state politics and media.

Also: Whatever the polls say, you should show up and vote. Primaries tend to have very low turnout, which makes your vote all the more valuable. That could be especially true in a matchup such as the Democratic primary for state Attorney General in which four candidates are competing and the polling has them all pretty close to each other.

Don't know where to vote or what's on your ballot? Check with the website of your county board of election or the state Board of Election.

Here are a few more interesting bits from the poll...

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Scanning that New York State Department of Health report that argues the case for legalizing recreational marijuana

The New York State Department of Health released its report on regulated marijuana Friday -- and it argues for legalizing recreational marijuana. Here's a chunk for the report that largely sums up the argument:

The positive effects of regulating an adult (21 and over) marijuana market in NYS outweigh the potential negative impacts. Harm reduction principles can and should be incorporated into a regulated marijuana program to help ensure consumer and industry safety. Legalizing marijuana could remove research restrictions in NYS, which will enable the State to add to the knowledge of both the benefits and risks. In addition, NYS would be one of the largest regulated marijuana markets. As such, there is potential for substantial tax revenue in NYS, which can be used to help support program initiatives in areas such as public health, education, transportation, research, law enforcement and workforce development. Tax revenues can also support health care and employment. Finally, legalization of marijuana will address an important social justice issue by reducing disproportionate criminalization and incarceration of certain racial and ethnic minority communities.

Whatever the political machinations at work surrounding this report, it is a remarkable document. Pretty much anyone over the age of, say, 20, has grown up with government/law enforcement/schools warning against the dangers of pot. And in this report the state Department of Health essentially says, yeah, pot has some downsides, but they're probably not as bad as they've been made out to be and our society would be better off it we made it legal and kept an eye on it.

Anyway, we read through the report and pulled out handful of highlights -- about potential benefits, opioids, mental health, criminal justice, and tax revenue -- for easy skimming...

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New York's moving closer to marijuana legalization -- thinking about what could that mean for local communities

David Soares marijuana public meeting

David Soares at Wednesday's meeting in Arbor Hill.

It would not be surprising for New York State to legalize recreational marijuana sometime during the next few years.

Massachusetts will start legal sales of recreational pot this July. That same month in Vermont it will become legal to have and grow small amounts of marijuana. Legalization had majority support among respondents to a Siena New York State poll earlier this year. Cynthia Nixon's made it a plank of her gubernatorial campaign. And Andrew Cuomo, who has been against legalization, ordered the state Department of Health to study it.

If/when legalization happens, there will be a lot of things to sort out -- not just details about how pot will be sold and taxed, but also how to deal with the significant ethical and legal issues that rise from legalizing a product that's been the subject of so much law enforcement and crime for decades.

So how do people want that future to play out? And what can be done in the interim?

Those were some of the questions at the heart of a community discussion with Albany County District Attorney David Soares in Albany this week.

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Another push to get e-bikes up the hill to legalization in New York State

Jump Bike e-bike demo Albany

One of Jump's bike share e-bikes.

E-bikes hold the potential to stretch the use of bikes in all sorts of interesting ways, but they're not currently legal in New York State.

There's a push to change that, and advocates are pedaling hard to make it up the hill before the state legislature ends its current session later this month.

On Wednesday reps from the company behind the bike share operated by CDTA were in town to argue the case for e-bikes along with a handful of state and local leaders. The pitch: e-bikes can be a new way for people to commute, they'll open tourism opportunities, and they'll expand the pool of people who ride bikes.

So here are a few bits about how e-bikes might work with bike share in the Capital Region, and a check-in on where things are at in the state legislature...

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E-bikes stretch the idea of what a bike can be in interesting ways, but they're stuck in a gray area here in New York

E-bikes_bike_with_Capitol_background

Bikes can be a good way to get around. They don't take up a lot of space on roads. They're environmentally friendly. They're fun.

There are also some drawbacks that prevent people from embracing bikes as an everyday transportation option: the relatively slow speed of travel, the sweat, just the general physical exertion of riding.

E-bikes -- which give riders a little help thanks to an electric drive -- can address a lot of these issues. Riding one feels a little bit like magic. And their popularity is on a big upswing.

But there's a snag: New York State doesn't have clear rules for e-bikes.

And that casts some doubt on their future here.

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An end for plastic shopping bags in New York?

plastic shopping bags

Paper or... reusable?

On Monday the Cuomo admin floated a bill that would ban many kinds of plastic shopping bags starting at the beginning of 2019. Bill language blurbage:

This prohibition does not apply to (i) a reusable bag that is not made of film plastic or a compostable bag; (ii) a plastic bag used solely to contain or wrap uncooked meat, fish, or poultry; (iii) a plastic bag used by a customer solely to package bulk items, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy; (iv) a plastic bag used solely to contain food sliced to order; (v) a plastic bag used solely to contain a newspaper for delivery to a subscriber; (vi) plastic bags sold in bulk; (vii) a plastic bag prepackaged for sale to a customer including, but not limited to, a trash bag and a food storage bag; (viii) a plastic garment bag; (ix) a plastic bag provided by a restaurant, tavern or similar establishment to carry out or deliver food; or (x) any other bag exempted by the department in regulations.

The bill would also make the state the sole jurisdiction for regulating the use of plastic bags. There are currently a handful of municipalities around the state already with laws on the books. (And the state already requires larger retailer to collect plastic bags for recycling.)

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Chuck Schumer is supporting marijuana decriminalization (and thinks legalization in states has worked out pretty well)

Chuck Schumer says he'll be introducing legislation for decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level, which would allow states to decide on the legality of recreational pot use. He talked at some length about the idea with Vice News this week. That's a clip embedded above. (He also talks about a few other topics.)

A clip from the clip about why he's changed his mind on this topic:

Number one, I studied the issue and we've now had some evidence, state of Washington, other states, where it has done lots of good and no harm. Justice Brandeis said let the states be laboratories, now we've had a few states, we've had a few laboratories, the experience's been a success. Let's nationalize it. ...
I've looked at what's happened in the states that have done it. It seems to have worked out pretty well. All the parade of horribles that people said would happen didn't occur. Crime did not spike in any place. There's no evidence that young people are using drugs of any type more. The pathway issue hasn't proven to be true. So it all makes sense, you know. When you get evidence -- act on it.

New York's senior Senator also posted a short explanation of his thinking today, highlighting the disproportionate impact that criminalization of marijuana has had on people of color.

Of course, Democrats don't currently control either house of Congress or the presidency. So the chances of anything coming of this sort of legislation in the near term aren't good. But it's notable that someone in Schumer's position in the political establishment -- he's the Senate minority leader -- has publicly taken this stance.

Public opinion has already shifted in this direction -- 61 percent of Americans think marijuana use should be legalized, according to a Pew Research Center poll. And given the generational breakout for that support -- basically each younger generation has more support -- that overall number is almost certain to continue rising.

New York State
David Howard King recently surveyed the political landscape here in New York for legalization and concluded that the state is headed in that direction. [The Alt]

Cynthia Nixon on The Late Show

Cynthia Nixon was on The Late Show last night talking with Stephen Colbert about her run for governor. The 10-minute segment is embedded above if you'd like to watch.

The segment includes some of the usual (somewhat awkward) late night banter, but it's also an opportunity to hear Nixon talk a little bit at length about why she's challenging Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination. And though his questioning had a relatively light touch, Colbert did press her a little bit on topics such as being a celebrity candidate without experience in public office.

NY Mag profile
By the way: Nixon is also the subject of a NY Mag cover story this week that focuses on her motivations for running and the idea that her presence in the race has pushed Cuomo to the left.

Science in politics, scientists in bars, and another March for Science in Albany

Albany March for Science crowd 2017

The crowd at last year's Albany March for Science.

The Albany March for Science returns to West Capitol Park this Saturday. It's the second year for the event -- last year's event drew thousands of people rallying to support research funding and evidence-based public policy on issues such as climate change.

This time around the event will again feature speakers, a march, and hands-on science activity tables.

There are a bunch of local academic and research orgs backing event, including a new local non-profit called CapSci that's aiming to promote public understanding of science through all sorts of events.

We talked with one of the organizers of this year's march -- Sarah Berke, an associate professor of biology at Siena -- about the motivation for a second march and... scientists in bars.

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Talking with young people at the March for Our Lives rally in Albany

Albany March for Our Lives students composite

Thousands of people from around the Capital Region were in West Capitol Park in Albany Saturday for the March for Our Lives rally to protest gun violence. It was one of many such events around the country, and students were key to organizing them.

So we wanted to talk with young people at the rally in Albany about why they were there and what this movement this means to them.

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Photos from the Albany March for Our Lives

Albany March for Our Lives speaker crowd

Thousands of people assembled in West Capitol Park in Albany Saturday for the March for Our Lives event to protest gun violence and advocate for gun control. It was one of many similar events across the country fueled by the outpouring of activism over the past year and focused by the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

The event included speakers talking about the toll of gun violence in neighborhoods, students describing their fear from the threat of school shootings, elected officials highlighting legislative initiatives, and organizers urging people to vote.

We'll have more from the event on Monday. In the meantime, here a bunch of photos from the rally and march around the Capitol...

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Cynthia Nixon is running for governor

It's official: Cynthia Nixon is running for governor. She's lining up a challenge to Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.

That's her announcement video embedded above. A clip:

I Love New York. I've never wanted to live anywhere else. But something has to change. We want our government to work again on health care, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us.
(cut to live speech audio) It can't just be business as usual anymore if we're going to get at the root problem of inequity. We have to turn the system upside down. We have to go out ourselves and seize it. This is a time to stick our necks out, to remember where we came from. This is a time to be visible. This is a time to fight.

Nixon is, of course, famous for her role on Sex and the City. She has also been an activist for a range of causes, particularly increasing funding for New York City's public schools.

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Photos from the Albany High School walkout, and talking with the student organizers

Albany_High_School_walkout_2018-03-14_12.jpg

About 200 Albany High School students participated in a school walkout Wednesday to protest gun violence, one of many similar events at other schools around the region and the country prompted by the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

The students gathered, with the support of the school's administration, for a short (voluntary) assembly ahead of the walkout to talk about focusing attention on issues such as gun control and the importance of speaking up and voting. Then they headed out to march around the school grounds for roughly 17 minutes, a tribute to the people killed in Florida.

"You never know if it can be you," said senior class president Shafiyq Grady after the march. "Just like the 17 students at Parkland, it could have been 17 Albany High students. We shouldn't wait around for something to happen here to take action."

Here are a handful of photos from the march, along with a quick talk with the student organizers -- about why they decided to act, politics today, and how people perceive Albany High School...

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Chris Gibson at Bethlehem Public Library

chris gibson rally point

Former Congressman Chris Gibson will be at the Bethlehem Public Library March 3 to talk about his book Rally Point. The talk is free and open to the public.

Book publisher blurbage:

... RALLY POINT: Five Tasks to Unite the Country and Revitalize the American Dream looks past the 2016 election, past the finger pointing and conventional political thinking, to focus on clear, primary principles that conservatives must debate and defend to protect the future of America. ...
Drawn from a deep appreciation of history and American exceptionalism, Gibson provides incisive and frank analysis of the current political environment, including President Trump, and provides a roadmap based on time-tested Founding principles to help unite our country and revitalize the American Dream.

As you know, Gibson represented the Congressional District in this area that's now held by John Faso after the Gibson chose not to run again. He was at one point ranked the most "liberal" Republican in the House. There was some thinking that he could have been a formidable challenger to Andrew Cuomo for governor, but he ultimately chose not to run in this year's election.

Gibson has said he had an unfavorable view of Donald Trump leading up to the presidential election -- but voted for him anyway because Hillary Clinton "would have been more of the same -- peace through weakness, economic decline and corruption." [TU]

The talk at the Bethlehem Public Library is Saturday, March 3 at 2:30 pm.

Kirsten Gillibrand on Desus and Mero and The Late Show

More evidence that Kirsten Gillibrand is becoming a national figure: KG appeared on both the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Viceland's Desus & Mero this week.

The full-length Desus & Mero segment is embedded above. During the conversation they take up the Kristen/Kirsten issue, Mero's campaign for state comptroller, scandalizing Joe Lieberman with the f word, tweeting as a politician, Donald Trump, Russian interference, publicly-funded elections -- and running for president in 2020. Gillibrand fell back on her usual line about being focused on running for Senate in 2018. (Though look for "KG: Good in the 'hood!" bumper stickers.)

The Late Show segment is embedded below. She and Colbert talked about the NRA and giving up swearing for Lent. (Apparently that's not going well.)

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Dylan Ratigan has jumped into the pool of challengers to Elise Stefanik

dylan ratiganThe Congressional elections this fall will be a big and important story as the Democrats try to take a majority in at least one of the chambers and claim a check against the Trump administration. That story will play out here in the Capital Region because the seats held by John Faso (NY-19) and Elise Stefanik (NY-21) both could potentially flip.

And Stefanik has now picked up a challenger who looks like he could be formidable: Dylan Ratigan -- the former Bloomberg journalist, MSNBC and CNBC host, and current businessman. He formally announced Wednesday in Saranac Lake that he's in the pool for the NY-21 as a Democrat.

On paper Ratigan has handful of qualities that could make him stand out. He has roots in the district -- born and raised in Saranac Lake, went to Union College, and says he's lived in Lake Placid since 2012. He has significant media skills and experience. And he's got an angry, screw 'em all, populist streak -- see his 2011 rant about the financial crisis.

Ratigan left his MSNBC show in 2012 because he said he was fed up with the state of things. He's since started a company that makes containerized hydroponic farming systems. [NYT 2016]

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Kirsten Gillibrand on 60 Minutes

This past weekend's 60 Minutes included a long feature about Kirsten Gillibrand.

It covers a lot of what you'd expect -- her ongoing fight against sexual assault and harassment, her call for Al Franken to resign (clip embedded above), the back and forth with Donald Trump on Twitter, even a visit to her family's home on Noonan Lane in Albany.

But Sharyn Alfonsi also pressed Gillibrand on the way her positions have changed on issues such as gun regulation and immigrant since her time in the House. And that was maybe the most interesting moment of the whole segment. A clip (emphasis added):

Sharyn Alfonsi: So can you understand President Trump's position on immigration, since you were there?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: No. I think his positions are racist.
Sharyn Alfonsi: You were against amnesty, against sanctuary cities. You supported accelerated deportations. You become senator...Why the flip?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: I came from a district that was 98% white. We have immigrants, but not a lot of immigrants. And I hadn't really spent the time to hear those kind of stories about what's it like to worry that your dad could be taken away at any moment, what it's like--
Sharyn Alfonsi: But you're reading the paper--
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Yeah. And I just didn't take the time to understand why these issues mattered because it wasn't right in front of me. And that was my fault. It was something that I'm embarrassed about and I'm ashamed of.

KG seems to be reading the recent political currents in a way that differs from a lot of other national politicians. And that sort of response feels atypical for national figure of her stature. So it's interesting to watch if the way she talks about things -- her energy, her demeanor, her style -- represents some sort broader shift.

Picking through the new Siena poll on topics such as recreational marijuana legalization

marijuana cannabis bud closeup CC Ryan BushbyWhenever there's a new Siena poll out -- like this Monday morning -- the headline is often about the favorability of whoever the governor is or some sort of major issue that's been getting a lot of attention lately.

But the poll typically asks people about a range of issues. We like to pick through these results from the backend of the poll because they provide a peek at how people are feeling about this stuff and some of the dividing lines that run (or don't) through the electorate -- Democrats and Republicans, young and old.

Here are a few such bits -- including about recreational marijuana -- from this new Siena poll...

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In the year between women's marches, here's what people have been doing to change things

Albany Womens March 2018 taking action composite

It was almost exactly one year to the day between the big rally in Albany's West Capitol Park to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017 and this past weekend's Women's March, which again drew thousands of people. (It was one of many such events around the country.)

Protests can be important ways to focus attention. But change doesn't happen from protests alone. And because so many people are so keyed into what's going on politically in the country right now, we were curious about what they've been doing to change things on those other 364 days.

So we asked. Here are a bunch of the answers...

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Photos from the 2018 Women's March in Albany

Albany Women's March at Capitol 2018-01-20

Thousands of people gathered in West Capitol Park in Albany Saturday afternoon for a second Women's March, a follow-up to a similar event a year ago in opposition to the election of Donald Trump. It was one of many such events around the country this weekend.

The crowd at Saturday's rally heard from a series of speakers criticizing the Trump administration, Congressional Republicans, and urging support for immigrants, reproductive rights, environmentalism, and other issues.

A recurring theme this year: Many speakers encouraged the crowd, women especially, to run for office and organize politically.

Here are a bunch of photos from the rally and march around the Capitol...

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Six things from Andrew Cuomo's 2018 State of the State speech

state of state 2018 Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Cuomo delivered his 8th State of the State speech Wednesday. And, citing the recent Republican tax plan, he continued to play up the theme of a federal government that's taken adversarial stance toward New York -- he argued that 2018 is shaping up to potentially be "the toughest year New York has faced in modern political history."

The State of the State is sort of like the opening ceremony for the new legislative season at the state Capitol. State government is Albany's #1 industry, and politics is probably its favorite sport. But even if you're not connected directly to what goes on there, the actions and decisions do eventually end up affecting you.

So, it's good to know what's up. Here's quick overview of some highlights...

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Quick-scan general election results 2017

polling place general election sign

Updated

Here's a quick scan of results from elections around the Capital Region Tuesday, which included many local municipal races. (Some of these elections were largely decided during the primaries in September.)

This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and there are bound to be some changes on Wednesday.

On with the results...

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A chance to hear two sides of the debate over whether there should be a state constitutional convention

New York State Capitol with reflection

The November general election here in New York State will include a ballot question about whether there should be a state constitutional convention. (The question is required to come up every 20 years.) If a majority of people vote in favor of a convention, it will kick off a process that could reshape the state's constitution.

Maybe you've heard a bit about it. Maybe you've seen the yard signs. Maybe -- if you're like most people, we suspect -- you have only a vague sense of the arguments for and against it.

Next Monday, October 30, there's a public forum at the Albany Public Library Washington Ave branch to showcase the pro and con ConCon viewpoints. Erika Lorshbough -- legislative counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union, which is very much against a convention -- will present the con side. Laura Bierman -- executive director of the League of Women Voters of New York State, which supports the idea -- will present the pro side.

The event starts at 6 pm. It's free.

Kirsten Gillibrand en Vogue

kirsten gillibrand vogue 2017 clipThe new issue of Vogue includes a feature about Kirsten Gillibrand in which the author, Jonathan Van Meter, visits the Senator at her home in Brunswick*, eats lunch with her in Troy, and attends events with her around the state. (It sounds like the visit was back in August.) A clip:

"It's a heavy feeling being in Washington," she says. "There are so many important issues at risk. You're in a fighting stance every day. Because the stuff that comes over Twitter is so horrible. The attack on the transgender troops: disgusting, disgraceful, outrageous. It's just endless. And then you try to do your day job of finding good bipartisan work across the aisle... You're doing both all the time. I guess I would describe it as intense. Everything is very intense."
Gillibrand's intensity is in her news and radio interviews, her impromptu press conference on the Capitol steps, her speeches at protests, her Twitter feed. She is exceedingly direct and genuine for a politician, especially when speaking about sexual assault in the military, say, or paid family leave, both core issues for her. And she has a populist streak--she has argued for single-payer health care for a decade--that puts her closer to Bernie Sanders than to Clinton. Of course, she's a quarter-century younger than Bernie and a more likable proposition altogether. "It's flattering," she says when I point out that she's made every Democratic shortlist for 2020. Is the idea of higher office something she thinks about? "I'm entirely focused on 2018. Some of the worst ideas Trump has can be better blocked if we have a majority in the House or Senate or both."

The piece -- with photos by Annie Leibovitz -- checks most of the KG profile boxes, among them: her potential as a presidential candidate, the issues she's focused on while in office (and how they've changed), her work ethic in the Senate and willingness to engage Republicans, a mention of her grandmother.

* Though its location is tagged as Troy in the article.

A breakdown of the voting in the Albany Democratic mayoral primary, up close

albany democratic mayoral primary 2017 election district map clip

The Albany mayoral primary, one more time: Here's an up-close geographic breakdown of the voting in the Albany Democratic primary, which was won by Kathy Sheehan. As you know, it is the de facto election for the office because of the large Democratic enrollment in the city.

Above is a clip from a map of individual election districts and unofficial vote counts (that now include absentee ballots).

Are there clickable maps? You know there are clickable maps.

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Albany's mayor gets selected by just a small slice of the city's population

albany mayoral primary 2017 voter participation chart publish

Here's another bit from last week's Albany Democratic mayoral primary: Just about 15 percent of the city's voting-age population cast a vote in the primary.

That's remarkable not only because it's relatively so few people overall, but also because the primary is the de facto election for mayor (and other city offices) because of the overwhelming enrollment advantage Democrats have in the city.

The numbers are below, but we put together the graphic above as a quick illustration. The biggest square represents the entire adult population of the city of Albany. Each successive square represents the percentage of that population in each category -- all the way down to the number of people who voted in Tuesday's mayoral primary.

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Quick-scan primary election results 2017: Sheehan wins Albany Democratic mayoral primary

campaign yard signs Hackett Boulevard

Here's a quick scan of results from the primary elections Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and there are bound to be some changes on Wednesday and beyond as absentee ballots are counted.

The big news in Albany on the night was that Kathy Sheehan won the Democratic primary for mayor. Barring something very unusual happening, she's now in line to be re-elected to a second term in November.

On with the results...

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Skimming the last poll in the Democratic primary for Albany mayor

Albany mayoral 2017 Democratic candidates

We don't want to make too much out of the Spectrum/Siena poll of the Albany mayoral race that was released Sunday because 1) the primary vote is Tuesday and we'll know who actually won then and 2) it's largely the same as the poll that was out almost a month ago.

But looking at the results, the thing that struck us was the sense that people have pretty much had their minds made up for a while now -- even with the 500some* debate and candidate events since the last poll.

Also: Whatever the poll results indicate, however wide the apparent margins might be, SHOW UP AND VOTE ON TUESDAY.

Local elections don't draw huge numbers of people, which means the votes of a few hundred (or fewer) people can make a big difference. This can be especially true in an election on the level of a Common Council seat in which a handful of votes could determine the outcome.

Polls are open from noon-9 pm. Don't know where to vote? Check with the state Board of Elections website.

Anyway, here are a few bits...

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Albany mayor 2017: Kathy Sheehan

Kathy Sheehan mayoral announcement 2017

Kathy Sheehan had her re-election campaign announcement in April.

Updated with text clips for skimming.

Next Tuesday, September 12, is primary day. And it will be a big day in the city of Albany because the Democratic primary will almost certainly select the person who will be mayor for the next four years.

This week we're talking with the three Democratic candidates: incumbent mayor Kathy Sheehan, and challengers Carolyn McLaughlin and Frank Commisso Jr.

And we're posting audio of the conversations so you can listen when you like -- either streamed here at AOA, or downloaded to your phone or mobile device. We'll also be pulling a handful of text clips from the conversations if you'd rather skim and read.

Next up: Kathy Sheehan, who's running for a second term. We talked with her at her campaign office on Madison Ave Friday afternoon.

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Albany mayor 2017: Frank Commisso Jr

Frank Commisso Jr press conference 2017-07-12

Frank Commisso Jr at a press conference this past July.

Next Tuesday, September 12, is primary day. And it will be a big day in the city of Albany because the Democratic primary will almost certainly select the person who will be mayor for the next four years.

This week we're talking with the three Democratic candidates: incumbent mayor Kathy Sheehan, and challengers Carolyn McLaughlin and Frank Commisso Jr.

And we're posting audio of the conversations so you can listen when you like -- either streamed here at AOA, or downloaded to your phone or mobile device. We'll also be pulling a handful of text clips from the conversations if you'd rather skim and read.

Next up: Frank Commisso Jr., who's currently a Common Council member representing the 15th ward.

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Albany mayor 2017: Carolyn McLaughlin

Carolyn McLaughlin Albany mayoral race announce

Carolyn McLaughlin at her mayoral campaign announcement in January.

Next Tuesday, September 12, is primary day. And it will be a big day in the city of Albany because the Democratic primary will almost certainly select the person who will be mayor for the next four years.

This week we're talking with the three Democratic candidates: incumbent mayor Kathy Sheehan, and challengers Carolyn McLaughlin and Frank Commisso Jr.

And we're posting audio of the conversations so you can listen when you like -- either streamed here at AOA, or downloaded to your phone or mobile device. We'll also be pulling a handful of text clips from the conversations if you'd rather skim and read.

First up: Carolyn McLaughlin, who's currently the Albany Common Council president. We talked with her in her campaign offices on South Pearl Street.

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The yard of campaign yard signs

campaign yard signs Hackett Boulevard

Maybe you've passed by that yard on Hackett Boulevard in Albany that's full of campaign yard signs. It's become an annual tradition.

And we gotta admit it's something we look for, kind of like the house in the neighborhood that really goes all out for each Halloween.

The seasonal display is the work of journalist Marc Gronich. He said he started up the tradition 10 years ago as sort of educational exhibition of who's running for office that year. As he told us via email:

This year all the candidates gave me their signs willingly. I even have some signs you haven't seen elsewhere around the city, such as the Mark Robinson lawn sign and the Lockridge for Coroner sign, as far as I know.
After the September primary, I'll take down the signs for the people who lost and put up signs for the other candidates running in November. Who knows who is running for state Supreme Court? Peter Crummey of Colonie (R) and Julian Schreibman of Kingston (D). Julian will be bringing his lawn sign up to Albany to add to the fun.

Politics really is Albany's favorite sport.

Picking through the new Siena poll about the Albany mayoral election + a schedule of debates and candidate forums

Albany mayoral 2017 Democratic candidates

We're just about a month away from the Democratic primary in the Albany mayoral election -- it's September 12. And, because of the party's overwhelming voter enrollment in the city, the primary is the de facto election for mayor and many other city elected positions.

So it's worth looking over the new Siena poll out today that covers the mayoral election.

Here are a few bits from that, along with some info about upcoming debates...

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Scenes from the Albany rally response to Charlottesville

Albany Charlottesville rally 2017 August 13

Several hundred people turned out in Albany's Townsend Park Sunday to speak out against racism and show their solidarity with the victims of this weekend's white supremacy march and attacks in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The rally was pulled together by a number of local political, labor, and faith groups, among them Citizen Action, the Social Justice Center of Albany, and Jewish Voices for Peace.

Here are a few scenes from the Albany rally.

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Kirsten Gillibrand town hall at HVCC

Kirsten_Gillibrand_official_Senate_portrait_2017.jpgKirsten Gillibrand will be appearing at a town hall-style meeting at Hudson Valley Community College this Wednesday, August 9. Blurbage:

She'll give brief remarks, then take your questions about everything from health care to the economy.
Staff will also be on hand to answer questions you might have about how the Senator's office can assist constituents. This is the perfect chance to raise your voice on the issues you care about.
All are welcome to come.

That link includes info about how to claim a spot. Capacity is limited. These sorts of events have been well attended around the country in recent months. (You might have heard there have been a few things of interest happening in US politics lately.) So it's not a bad idea to claim a spot sooner rather than lather.

The event is in the gym at the McDonough Sports Complex. Doors open at 4:15 pm. The event starts at 5 pm and will finish at 6:30 pm.

How New York's House members voted on AHCA

US Capitol Martin Falbisoner CC

photo: Martin Falbisoner via Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The big national news on Thursday was the House of Representatives vote on the latest version of the American Health Care Act, the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The bill narrowly passed 217-213.

When the day started, there was a little bit mystery about how the Capital Region's two Republican reps would vote. But first John Faso, and then Elise Stefanik, fell into line with the Republican leadership and voted in favor of for the bill.

Statements: Tonko | Stefanik | Faso.

The potential effects of the bill aren't entirely clear -- the Republican leadership in the House pushed it through before the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office could make its estimates -- but it's a big departure from the Affordable Care Act and probably means millions fewer people with health care coverage. [NYT] [Vox]

If you spent any time on Twitter Thursday, you probably saw people vowing political payback for Congress members who voted for the bill. John Faso, in particular, was catching a lot of heat of there. And considering his relatively narrow victory last fall -- he won 54-46 -- he's looking like a prime target for Democrats aiming to flip seats in 2018. Will all that anger and dissatisfaction translate into voter turnout and action next year?

Here's how New York's Congressional delegation voted, along with the percentage of the vote each member got during the 2016 general election...

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Signs from the Albany March for Science

Albany March for Science crowd

Thousands of people gathered in West Capitol Park Saturday for the Albany Science March event to rally support for research funding and evidence-based public policy on issues such as climate change. (Here's more about the motivation for the event.) It was one of many related marches around the country.

As with most events likes this, many of the people at the Capitol had signs. Unlike most events like this, many of those signs involved mathematical puns or other nerdy references and jokes.

Here are a bunch of those signs, along with a handful of photos from the event...

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Talking about the motivation for the March for Science in Albany

inaugurate resistance women's march albany 2017 january

From the women's march in Albany in January. "I was very excited after seeing the momentum after the women's march in Albany, so I wanted to get involved," said Jessica Reichard, one of the organizers of the upcoming Albany march for science.

The presidential election has stirred a lot of people to take action or speak up in ways that maybe they haven't in the past, prompting new connections and organizing.

The next example is this Saturday, when there will be a March for Science in DC and cities around the country, including here in Albany. The mission statement for the local event:

• Promote scientific education for both adults and children
• Increase communication between scientists and the community
• See how government and scientists can work together
• Join with the National March to demonstrate the public support worldwide for evidence-based policies

The Facebook page for the event in West Capitol Park and subsequent march has almost 2,000 people marked as planning to go.

"One of the things that I've found most remarkable is the way our group has formed organically," said Jessica Reichard, an engineer and one of the organizers of the Albany event, this week. "None of us knew each other before organizing this -- we just connected on Facebook and it just kind of took on a life of its own with a lot of passionate people."

Here's a quick chat with Reichard about the motivation for the event in Albany and the intersection of science and politics...

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WMHT live town hall with John Faso

John Faso Congressional portrait

WMHT has a live video town hall program with local Congressman John Faso set to run this Thursday, April 13 from 8-9 pm. It'll be broadcast on WMHT's TV channel, as well livestreamed on its website and Facebook page.

New York NOW's Matt Ryan and the TU's Casey Seiler will moderate. WMHT says you'll be able to submit questions by using #FasoTownHall on Twitter and Facebook. The livestream will include an additional 15 minutes of questions. (There will also be a studio audience -- it's already full.)

There's been a clamor around the country for Congressional town hall-style meetings since the last election, with overflow crowds. Faso has so far declined to participate in such events, calling them "shouting-and-screaming sessions." [Daily Freeman]

So, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. As WMHT said today in a release, it "expects lively public discourse."

As you know, John Faso represents the NY 19 Congressional District, which wraps around the southern end of the Capital Region. He succeeded Chris Gibson in the seat, and it's the Republican's first term in Congress.

Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan is now officially running for re-election

Kathy Sheehan mayoral announcement 2017

Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan officially announced Saturday that she's running for re-election.

She made the formal announcement before a crowd at the Ancient Order of Hibernians hall in Albany. A clip:

When I was running for mayor four years ago, I heard three things over and over again. That we were a city with a plan, but no action -- lots of plans and no action. That we were being strangled by out-dated rules and regulations that made it hard for people to do things like put a deck on their house without going before the zoning board of appeals, and that we were guilty of leaving money on the table when it was clear we needed every dollar we could get. I took those concerns to heart and every day over the last three years we've worked to turn those perceptions and the realities around. We are showing ourselves and the world that Albany is a city with a plan, and that we know how to act, and that we know how to get results.
And we're doing it through hard work; the un-sexy, unglamorous work; the big-picture, Capital Center, Park South, anti-poverty work. We're tackling the longterm problems we knew we had when we started this journey together four years ago.

Video of Sheehan's announcement speech is embedded below.

Sheehan is currently in her first term as mayor. Prior to that, she served as the city's treasurer for four years. Albany has had just four mayors since 1942.

The Democratic field for mayor now includes Sheehan, Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin, and Common Council member Frank Commisso Jr. They will be focused on the September party primary, which has historically been the de facto election for the office because of the party's overwhelming enrollment advantage in the city.

Dan Plaat has announced his intent to run for mayor on Green Party line.

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The presidential vote, district by district

election desk rohla 2016 presidential district map Capital Region png

Of course, such maps show area, not population. Some of those wide spaces between urban areas have relatively few people. Hillary Clinton ended up taking New York State 58-37 over Donald Trump

A link follow-up of sorts to the stuff about how populations are changing around New York State and the urban/rural split...

That map above is a clip of how Capital Region election districts voted in the last presidential election. It's from a larger national map by Ryne Rohla at Election Desk that aggregates the results from virtually all of the nation's election precincts.*

One of the things that sticks out when looking over New York State on the map is how stark the urban/rural split was between districts that went for Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump. That's not all that surprising -- it's not a new pattern, as Rohla's map also shows for 2012. But the pattern appears to have intensified in this past election.

Another interesting bit: The Rohla map also shows which direction districts shifted between 2012 and 2016. And the way things shook out in the Capital Region core is kind of surprising. Even in such Democratic strongholds as the city of Albany, there were districts that shifted toward Trump.

(* We had thought about doing something similar for New York State, but the challenge of pulling together the necessary election data and map files for all 62 counties in the state seemed too daunting. For someone to do this for the entire nation is crazypants dedicated/ambitious.)

Earlier on AOA:
+ Another look at New York State's population change, this time along the urban/rural split
+ Clickable county by county results for 2016 presidential election in New York State

Frank Commisso Jr. is running for Albany mayor

Frank Commisso Jr mayor announce

Common Council member Frank Commisso Jr. officially announced Thursday that he's running for mayor of Albany.

His announcement speech before a crowd at the Polish American Citizens Club focused largely on the city's fiscal issues and taxes. A clip:

The mayor's economic development policies are not developing Albany's economy. Instead of encouraging strategic investments and tactical investments in our city where we can make improvements, put people to work, create taxable revenue, the Sheehan model of economic development is irresponsible. It's become a system of corporate welfare. (applause) The mayor's argument goes that if we provide millions of dollars in tax breaks, it will benefit you and your neighbors and your families, that it will spur improvement in the surrounding neighborhoods. But that growth hasn't occurred, right? Even worse, Albany's largest non-tax-paying entities are enriching themselves at the expense of workers, seniors, small businesses, young professionals, and working class families more broadly. So there will be a lot of folks over the next six months who say Albany's economy is growing and it's growing well and we have all this great new development. Well, the reality is that none of that development is taxable. When those folks say the economy in the city of Albany is growing, you need to ask yourself -- or ask them -- who is it growing for?

Commisso, a Democrat, represents the 15th ward, on the city's west/southwest side. He was first elected in 2009. He currently works in the Albany County comptroller's office, and previously worked for the office of the state comptroller. His father, Frank Commisso, has been the majority leader of the Albany County Legislature since 1993.

Commisso joins Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin, also a Democrat, as official entrants into the race. Mayor Kathy Sheehan has not yet publicly stated that she's running. The field will be focused on the September party primary, which has historically been the de facto election for the office because of the party's overwhelming enrollment advantage in the city.

Dan Plaat has announced his intent to run for mayor on Green Party line.

Commisso was introduced Thursday by a lineup of speakers that included Judy Logan, a candidate for city treasurer; Common Council members Mark Robinson and Judd Krasher; and county comptroller Mike Conners.

Here's video of Commisso's announcement speech...

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"No Es Mi Presidente"

Local musician/activist Taina Asili has a new protest song -- "No Es Mi Presidente" -- and talked about it this week with Rolling Stone. From the interview, about music and activism:

"Within my culture and my people, Puerto Ricans, we have always used music as a tool of resistance in our folkloric art. I see this music as a part of that legacy. In general, we've seen, throughout the world, representations of that, whether we're looking at resistance songs in South Africa or folk songs, hip-hop, jazz. All of these genres really come out of musical movements of resistance. What we need more now than ever is to continue that legacy. What I resonate with now more than ever is artists that are speaking truth to power and using their voices to create a platform for social change to be more visible."

Portions of the video were shot at the Social Justice Center in Albany. And noted writer/activist/former Common Council member Barbara Smith is among the people featured.

See also this Alt profile of Asili from January.

Siena poll: Wide support for allowing ride-hailing services upstate

uber app sample screenshotsFrom the Siena poll out Monday: 76 percent respondents support allowing ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to operate across the state.

And the proposal has widespread support, according to the poll results. More than 70 percent of respondents across every subgroup -- political, age, racial income, and so on -- supported the idea, with one exception. That group: people over age 55, in which the proposal had the support of 65 percent (and 14 percent said they didn't know or didn't have an opinion).

As you know, the issue is up again in the state legislature, and Andrew Cuomo has said he supports it.

Other bits from this Siena poll about issues such as the SUNY free tuition proposal, the Empire State Trail, Andrew Cuomo, and Donald Trump...

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Fair Share 4 Albany

fair share for albany logoThe push for the city of Albany to get that additional $12.5 million from the state continues...

The Sheehan administration, backed by the city's state legislators, formally launched a campaign called Fair Share 4 Albany Thursday in an effort to focus attention on the bid for the inclusion of the "Capital City Funding" in the state budget.

The campaign -- with its own logo (that it's on the right), website, and social media streams -- is focused on the city's low level of state municipal aid per capita compared to other big cities around the state* and it's high level of tax-exempt property. And it's urging people to call elected state officials to press the case -- it even includes tips on what to say.

The $12.5 million didn't show up in the Cuomo admin's 30-day budget amendments last week, setting off a scramble for the mayor's administration because the current budget relies on the money. Kathy Sheehan has said the city is facing the prospect of cuts to things like recreation programs and Alive at Five if the money doesn't come through.

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How Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are voting on the Trump cabinet nominations

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand composite

Updated February 2

The other day we mentioned that Kirsten Gillibrand had, at that point, voted against each of the Trump administration cabinet nominations -- the only US Senator to do so. She's been getting national attention for that fact this week, and in comments here at AOA people were interested, too.

With that interest in mind -- and to make it easy to find the info in one place for New York's Senators -- we're putting together a running tally of how Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer are voting on the Donald Trump's cabinet picks. We'll update it as votes come along in the Senate.

Let's have a look...

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Messages from the "Inaugurate Resistance" march and rally in Albany

inaugurate resistance march Albany messages composite

Thousands of people marched in Albany Saturday as part of the "Inaugurate Resistance" event, one of many similar marches around the country coinciding with the Women's March in DC.

We wandered through the crowd to ask a bunch of marchers why they were participating -- and what message they hoped to send by being there.

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Photos from the "Inaugurate Resistance" march and rally in Albany

inaugurate resistance march Albany 2017-01-21

Organizers said the crowd included 7,000 people.

Thousand of people turned out in Albany Saturday for the "Inaugurate Resistance" march to protest the presidential administration of Donald Trump and rally for issues ranging from civil rights to the environment to health care. The local event, organized by Citizen Action, was one of many similar marches around the country coinciding with the Women's March in DC.

Among the signs: "I Stand With Planned Parenthood," "We Are Not Fake News," "We Stand For Black Lives," "Climate Change is Real," "Keep Your Tiny Hands to Yourself," "Defend Public Education," and "Resist Bigly."

Here are a bunch of photos from the march and rally...

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Carolyn McLaughlin is running for Albany mayor

Carolyn McLaughlin Albany mayoral race announce

Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin officially announced Saturday morning that she's running for mayor of Albany.

From her announcement speech at the Albany Colosseum building on South Pearl Street:

We know it's not about us as an individual, but it's about what we as a community can do to make this city of Albany that ultimate community for which we all can be proud to say that we live in, that we work in, and that we play in. We know that this can be the kind of city that recognizes that you can't be about one neighborhood, but it's about all neighborhoods.

McLaughlin, a Democrat, was first elected to the Common Council in 1997, representing the 2nd Ward, which includes the South End. She won the Common Council presidency in 2009. (She was also chair of the Albany County Democratic Committee for two years until losing out in a party election this past September in what was seen as part of the build up to the mayoral race.)

McLaughlin is the first candidate to officially announce she's in the pool for mayor. She will presumably face incumbent Democratic mayor Kathy Sheehan in the party's primary this September (and perhaps one other person?). The Democratic primary has historically been the de facto election for the office because of the party's overwhelming enrollment advantage in the city.

If elected, McLaughlin would be the first African-American mayor of Albany.

Here's video of McLaughlin's announcement speech, along with another clip of her talking about her personal and professional history...

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A call for early voting and other ways to make it easier to vote in New York State

albany county ballot scanner

There are a lot of steps before you get this to this point.

Given that the United States republic is more than two centuries old, it's remarkable that we still struggle with the mechanics of one of the fundamental aspects of democratic government: voting.

New York State is no exception, as a new report from the office of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman notes the presidential primaries this year highlighted multiple problems with how the state's voting system is set up and administered. Among the most amazing examples: A person already registered to vote had to have declared or changed her party affiliation 193 days ahead of the primary in order to be eligible to vote.

The report details many of these problems and also offers a slate of potential upgrades of the state's voting and voting registration processes. One that we suspect would be popular: early voting. A clip from the report:

Permitting early voting is an easy solution to the problems of long lines and overwhelmed poll sites. Under New York State Election Law, the only way by which voters can cast a ballot early is by submitting an absentee ballot. However, access to absentee ballots is limited to a specific set of circumstances ... As a result, New York is one of only 13 states that fails to provide all voters the opportunity to cast a ballot in person prior to an election day. Permitting early voting in New York would make voting more accessible while simultaneously alleviating some of the pressure on poll sites and workers caused by heavy Election Day traffic.

Many of the other proposed reforms also seem very reasonable, such such as...

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Opportunities for becoming more politically and socially active in the community?

garden shovel in dirtAlyssa emails:

Hey AOA! After the most recent election, I'm looking to be more politically and socially active in the community. Know of any local activist groups I can join?

We've heard something similar from a lot of people recently, that they're interested in actively getting involved with some sort of cause, campaign, or effort. So, we'll expand Alyssa's question a little bit to include not just activist groups, but also non-profits pushing for change that have volunteer opportunities.

Got a suggestion for Alyssa, if not a specific group then maybe a cause to focus on? Please share!

Earlier on AOA: It's time to dig in.

It's time to dig in

garden shovel in dirt

By Greg

It's clear that this presidential election season left a lot of people discouraged and fearful. Even if you were OK with the outcome of the vote, there's still a not-small chance that you don't feel good about how the whole process played out. As a nation we didn't wrap ourselves in glory on this one.

The uncertainty about what happens now -- the anxiety -- is understandable. I've felt it in a way that I don't think I've ever felt about politics before. And I can't even imagine how people who already felt threatened because of some of the rhetoric during the campaign now feel. There's a lot for all of us to consider about how we ended up here.

So, it might feel like a time to withdraw. But what I've tried to remind myself is that now is actually the time to dig in, to steady ourselves for the ongoing push to make the sort of country in which we want to live.

And a good place to start is on a local level. Here are a few ways to do that.

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Clickable county by county results for 2016 presidential election in New York State

new york state presidential election 2016 voting results map

There's a clickable map after the jump.

Updated

In a presidential election marked by polling surprises, the voting in New York State pretty much shook out as expected.

Here are county-by-county clickable maps of the results, along with a few notes about some geographic voting patterns around the state...

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Quick-scan general election results 2016

general election ballot 2016 president

Here's a quick scan of results from elections around the Capital Region Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and there are bound to be some changes on Wednesday.

On with the results...

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How do you feel about our country right now?

election 2016 voters 4 composite

So, about this election. It's been tough.

On television, on social media, and face-to-face we've gotten the sense that a lot of people are discouraged right now. This election cycle has, for some people, brought out some challenging realizations about our differences. And whatever happens Tuesday night, the nation is going to have to find a way to pick up the pieces and move on together. We've been thinking about how hard it's going to be for people do that because of where the election has left people emotionally.

So we stopped outside a few polling sites around the Albany area Tuesday to ask people this question:

Based on everything that's happened this election season, how do you feel about our country right now?

Here's are some of the answers we got...

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That time I was put in charge of a polling location at the last minute

polling place general election sign

By Justin K. Rivers

A few years ago, I was in between jobs. I knew one of the two Montgomery County election commissioners because I was volunteering for some local campaigns, and he asked me to be a poll worker for the general election that November.

The county has been struggling to staff polling places. The shift is long, the usual folks are all getting older, and not as many people want to (or can) do it any more.

The job comes with a stipend. I needed the hundred bucks, so I said yes.

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Hillary Clinton continues to poll ahead of Donald Trump in New York (and upstate)

Hillary Clinton and Donald TrumpA few bits from the new Siena poll out Tuesday morning:

If the 2016 election for President was held today, who would you vote for if the candidates were:
Hillary Clinton: 51%
Donald Trump: 30%
Gary Johnson: 8%
Jill Stein: 3%

The numbers for upstate voters: Clinton - 42% | Trump - 36% | Johnson: 11% | Stein 4%

[T]ell me whether you have a favorable opinion or an unfavorable opinion of each person or institution I name.
Hillary Clinton 52% favorable | 46% unfavorable
Donald Trump: 29% favorable | 68% unfavorable

One of the many remarkable things about this presidential election is how much many people seem to not like either candidate.

Do you think Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump is honest and trustworthy or not?
Hillary Clinton: 39% Yes | 58% No
Donald Trump: 29% Yes | 67% No

If Andrew Cuomo runs for re-election as Governor in two years, as things stand now, would you vote to re-elect him or would you prefer someone else?
Re-elect Cuomo: 45%
Prefer someone else: 49%
____

The Siena Research Institute says this poll was conducted September 11-15 and included 600 likely voters in New York State. Margin of error is +/- 5.

candidate photos via their campaign websites: Clinton | Trump

Governor Mario Cuomo: Poetry & Prose on WMHT, preview screening at State Museum

The trailer for the upcoming WHMT documentary Governor Mario Cuomo: Poetry & Prose is embedded above. Blurbage:

Experience the memorable twelve years Mario Cuomo spent as New York's 52nd Governor including his initial run for this office in 1982 against Ed Koch, his lauded 1984 keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, his flirtations with running for president that earned him the nickname 'Hamlet on the Hudson,' and his final political race versus George Pataki.

The doc premieres on WMHT October 3 at 9 pm. But there's also a free preview screening at the State Museum September 29 at 5:30 pm, with a discussion following (see the link to RSVP).

Preet Bharara at Saint Rose

Preet BhararaUS Attorney Preet Bharara will be at Saint Rose October 6 for an event titled "Bribery or Just Access to Elected Officials: Tawdry Tales of Ferraris, Rolexes and Ball Gowns." Bharara will be part of a panel discussion that will include:

+ U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska (also a Saint Rose alum) -- Preska will also offer opening remarks

+ Grant Jaquith, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York

+ E. Stewart Jones Jr., the high-profile local criminal defense attorney

+ Times Union editor Rex Smith

Bharara is the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. It's not a stretch to say that he's has had as much influence as anyone on New York State government over the past year, with his office winning convictions of both Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos, former leaders of the state Assembly and Senate.

The Saint Rose event is Thursday, October 6 at 5:30 pm in the Lally School forum space (1009 Madison Ave). It's free and open to the public -- but pre-registration is required: preskaevent@gmail.com.

Saint Rose advertises on AOA.

photo: US Department of Justice

Siena poll on Clinton-Trump, Andrew Cuomo re-election, Uber

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

A few bits from the Siena poll out today of New York State registered voters:

+ Respondents say they would vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the presidential election 52-31. (Upstate it's 38-40 in favor of Trump, which is shift. When the Siena poll asked about a potential Clinton-Trump matchup this past spring, upstate respondents picked Clinton 51-38.)

+ The "unfavorables" for both Clinton and Trump continue to be high. Clinton's favorable/unfavorable split is 46/51 and Trump's is 27/68.

+ "If Andrew Cuomo runs for re-election as Governor in two years, as things stand now, would you vote to re-elect him or would you prefer someone else?" -- re-elect: 42 percent | prefer someone else: 49 percent

+ "[D]o you support or oppose legislation that would allow ride sharing companies like Uber to operate in your area?" -- support: 70 percent | oppose: 19 percent

+ "Do you support or oppose legislation that would legalize daily fantasy sports companies, like FanDuel or Draft kings, to operate here in New York?" -- support: 37 percent | oppose: 45 percent

The Siena Research Institute poll was conducted May 22-26 with 825 New York State registered voters. Margin of error is +/- 3.9.

candidate photos via their campaign websites: Clinton | Trump

Hugh Farley is not running for re-election

Hugh Farley 2016Some things around this area seem like permanent features: The Hudson River, the Helderberg Escarpment, Hugh Farley representing the Schenectady area in the state Senate.

The 83-year-old Farley was first elected to the state Senate in 1976 and has won re-election two years at a time ever since. But Tuesday he announced that he will not be running for re-election this fall. From his statement:

The love of my life, Sharon, my wife of 57 years, is now dealing with several health issues and it is my desire and responsibility to spend more time with her and my family.
I have loved my Senate career and feel I have served with honor and integrity. I accomplished more than I ever could have dreamed. ...
Service to individual citizens has always been of paramount importance to me. Over the years I have been able to assist thousands of individuals, families and businesses who have reached out to my office in a time of need. I have enjoyed making a real difference for real people.
I am grateful to my constituents who for 20 elections and 2 primaries have expressed their support and confidence in me and given me massive pluralities. I am grateful to the people on my staff who serve my constituents so well, and make me look good, day after day.
I am most grateful to my family for their sacrifices and support for me all these years.

Farley also cited many piece of legislation he was involved with, including his early support of hospice services and frequent support of library legislation.

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Chris Gibson is not running for governor

Chris Gibson Congressional portraitIn a bit of a surprise, Chris Gibson announced today that he will not be running for governor of New York in 2018. From a statement emailed to the media Monday afternoon:

"The last year has also brought into greater clarity what our next steps should be as a family. Mary Jo and I have three teenagers who are in their last years at home. In addition, I was just offered and accepted a position with Williams College as a Visiting Lecturer on Leadership beginning in February 2017, and anticipate accepting other academic positions shortly. Ultimately, for our family, the opportunity to spend increased time together balanced with a return to academia was one we could not pass up.
"Therefore, I will not be running for Governor in 2018. At the conclusion of my term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will be leaving politics and starting this new direction with my family. In the near-term, I will be closing my exploratory committee. For our donors to that committee, we'll be refunding contributions we've received.

As you know, Gibson is a Republican and currently represents the NY-19 in Congress (he lives in Kinderhook) -- that's the district that starts in Rensselaer County wraps around the southern end of the Capital Region core around to Montgomery County. He announced a year ago that he would leave Congress when this current term ends. And he had been publicly touring on the idea of maybe/probably challenging Andrew Cuomo during the next cycle.

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New York presidential primary 2016 results

presidential primary results Cap Region map clips

Clips from the maps of results for the Democratic (left) and Republican primaries by Congressional District.

Originally published Wednesday 9:30 am. Updated Wednesday at 11:30 am.

Here's a quick scan of (unofficial) results from the New York presidential primaries on Tuesday:

+ In the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders statewide 58-42. That resulted in Clinton winning the state's delegates 139-108.

+ In the Republican primary, Donald Trump beat John Kasich and Ted Cruz 60-25-15. That results in Trump picking up 90 delegates and Kasich 5 delegates.

After the jump there are clickable maps of the results by Congressional District (delegates are apportioned by those districts) and counties. The maps highlight some clear differences across the state, like the fact that Bernie Sanders did well upstate.

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Picking the candidate the other party likes the least

Siena poll presidential candidates favorable unfavorable

Favorable/unfavorable for each candidate by party. SRI polled 538 New York State likely Democratic primary voters April 6-11 (margin of error +/- 4.5 points), and 469 New York State likely Republican primary voters over the same period (margin of error +/- 5 points).

Three bits from the new Siena New York presidential primary poll, beyond which candidates are said to be leading overall:

Upstate
Despite trailing Hillary Clinton 52-42 overall, Bernie Sanders appears to be doing well upstate -- the poll has him ahead of Clinton here 48-46.

On the Republican side, the poll has Donald Trump leading among upstate voters 48-25-21 over Kasich and Cruz. (He's up 50-27-17 statewide.)

Nominating the person the other side dislikes the most
We always find the favorable/unfavorable question interesting, in part to see what people of one party think about candidates in the other party. And with an eye toward the general election, it's notable that both parties appear to be leaning toward nominating the person the other party dislikes the most.

The color-coded table above shows the favorable/unfavorable numbers from this Siena poll for each of the five candidates, broken out by party. Democrats in this state appear to really not like Donald Trump. And Republicans tend to really not like Hillary Clinton.

Ted Cruz
New York primary voters really don't seem to like Ted Cruz -- majorities of both parties said they had an unfavorable view of him.
____

Earlier on AOA: Voices from the Albany rallies for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump

Voices from the Albany rallies for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump

sanders trump albany rallies composite

The Capital Region isn't used to being courted by presidential candidates, so Monday was remarkable -- three presidential candidates all made stops in the area in the same day: Bernie Sanders at rally in Albany, John Kasich at public events in Troy and Saratoga Springs (and a private event in Albany), and Donald Trump at the TU Center. (And that all follows on visits from Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz just last week).

Thousands of people turned out for these events, with queues for both the Sanders and Trump rallies wrapping around city blocks.

We stopped by those two events in Albany Monday to talk with people standing in line about why the made the effort to be there...

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JFK in Troy, 1960

Albany Archives shared this photo today of then-Senator John F. Kennedy campaigning in Troy in September of 1960 today (you are following @AlbanyArchives, right?). And it struck us how informal the whole scene looked, especially in contract to the large campaign events that have recently happened in the Capital Region.

Anyway, we were able to find a transcript of some of JFK's remarks that day in Troy. He mostly talked about Russia and China and communism. Here's a clip from the American Presidency Project at the University of California-Santa Barbara:

So I come here to Troy and ask your support. The name of Troy goes back in history. Therefore, in this city you connect the old with the new but the cause is still the same, the maintenance of freedom, the maintenance of self-government, at a time when it is under far more serious challenges than the city of ancient Troy ever faced. I come to Troy and ask your help in this campaign.

Kennedy would, of course, go on to the win the presidency against Richard Nixon later that fall. He won New York State 52.5-47.3 -- though the only Capital Region county he won was Albany.

Lineup for Museum of Political Corruption event includes Zephyr Teachout

museum of political corruption kickbackThe Museum of Political Corruption project has a public event coming up focused on -- surprise! -- political corruption. The roundtable discussion and public forum is April 4 at the Touhey Forum at Saint Rose (1009 Madison Ave) at 7:30 pm. It's free to attend.

The lineup (descriptions via MPC):

+ Frank Anechiarico, ​Maynard-Knox Professor of Government and Law, Hamilton College, author of The Pursuit of Absolute Integrity: How Corruption Control Makes Government Ineffective
+ Blair Horner, Executive Director, New York Public Interest Research Group
+ Zephyr Teachout - Associate Professor of Law, Fordham University, author of Corruption in America
+ Jimmy Vielkind, POLITICO, New York's Albany Bureau Chief
+ Moderator: Thomas Bass, Professor of English and Journalism at SUNY Albany

(As you know, Teachout is also running for the NY 19 Congressional District. And she ran against Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination in the last gubernatorial election.)

The project -- the website for which projects it's "due to open in 2019" -- is also holding a fundraiser ahead of the public event at The Point (it's just up the street from Saint Rose). Admission to that is a donation of $25 or more.

Siena poll: Clinton tops Trump in hypothetical matchup in New York (even upstate)

Donald Trump at ESP gun rights rally 2014 April 1

Donald Trump at a gun rights rally at ESP two years ago.

Gather now at the rail as we all gawk at the 2016 presidential horse race.

In the (increasingly less) hypothetical matchup between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump for the White House, Clinton would top Trump 57-34 here in New York State, according the Siena poll out today.

As for Trump's recent claim that when it comes to Upstate New York, "I'm like, the most popular person that's ever lived" and that he could win New York State -- Clinton beats him 56-33 among upstate respondents, according to the Siena poll. [TU] [CNN]

The whole situation around Trump is odd in a way (OK, probably more than one way) because his own party appears to be deeply conflicted about him.

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How New Yorkers see the presidential race

siena poll republicans clinton sanders vs republians

Republicans who told the Siena poll they'd vote for either Clinton or Sanders.

A lot of the stuff about the presidential race in the Siena poll out Monday is, well, pretty much what you'd expect in New York State. Democratic respondents said they preferred Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders 55-34 in a primary. And respondents picked Clinton over all the potential Republicans in a theoretical matchup by relatively consistent margins of about 57-32 (or thereabout).

But one of the things about Hillary Clinton is that she's a polarizing figure -- even here in New York State, which elected her to the US Senate. That table above lists how many Republican respondents to the Siena poll said they would vote for either Clinton or Bernie Sanders in a hypothetical matchup with each of the various Republican contenders. (The margin of error for Republicans in the poll is relatively high -- see below -- so grains of salt.)

Yep, some number of Republicans not only said they're likely to vote for the Democrat -- but a portion (or portions) said they'd be more likely to do so if the Democrat was Bernie Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton. And just going on general ideology, that's kind of unexpected because Sanders has repeatedly described himself as a socialist -- and even criticized Clinton for being too moderate.

Of course, there's a lot more to the situation, including a Hillary Clinton's long history in the political spotlight. But, still, the preference is a little surprising.

Speaking of polarizing figures (Donald Trump)...

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Zephyr Teachout is running for the NY 19 Congressional District

zephyr teachout 2014Zephyr Teachout announced Monday that's she's officially into the pool for the NY 19 Congressional District. [@ZephyrTeachout]

The district, currently held by Republican Chris Gibson, wraps around the southern end of the Capital Region, including most of Rensselaer County. It covers all of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties, and parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery, and (as mentioned) Rensselaer counties.

Teachout, who's a law professor at Fordham (and has been living in Dutchess County), most recently made her name in New York politics for challenging Andrew Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic primary for governor. She did well in many of the counties included in the NY19, in some cases beating Cuomo by large margins. (The Democratic and Republican voter enrollments in that district are pretty much even, with almost as many voters not affiliated with a party as affiliated with each of the two big parties.) [THR]

The field for the NY 19 already included Democrat John Kehoe and Republicans John Faso, Andrew Heaney, and Bob Bishop.

Chris Gibson isn't running for re-election in the district, and is apparently thinking about running for governor.

photo: Chae Kiln via Wikipedia

Don't know/no opinion

state capitol night from ESP

If you follow "the news" regularly it's easy to get a sort of warped idea of what people in the general public know about or are following. So we thought this bit from the Siena poll out this week was interesting. The poll asked people this question:

I'm going to read a series of names of people and institutions in public life and I'd like you to tell me whether you have a favorable opinion or an unfavorable opinion of each person or institution I name.

Here are the percentages of respondents who replied that they either "don't know" or had "no opinion" for each of the following people:

+ Andrew Cuomo: 11 percent
+ Carl Heastie: 74 percent
+ John Flanagan: 74 percent
+ Sheldon Silver: 30 percent
+ Dean Skelos: 53 percent
+ Barack Obama: 15 percent
+ Chuck Schumer: 15 percent
+ Preet Bharara: 73 percent
+ Eric Schneiderman: 49 percent

Some of these are kind of what you'd expect. Cuomo, Obama, Schumer are well known. Heastie and Flanagan are both relatively new to their leadership positions in the legislature.

But Silver and Skelos? The poll was conducted December 6-10 -- after Silver's guilty verdict and before Skelos's. And you'd think Bharara might rate more of a reaction given how much he's been in the news lately. (A separate question asked how closely people were following the Silver and Skelos trials -- 47 percent said closely or somewhat closely.)

Another question asked people how likely to they'd be to re-elect their state legislators next year given the recent scandals. "Less likely" got 46 percent, "no effect" 37 percent, and "more likely" 10 percent.

SRI says the poll was conducted December 6-10 and included 822 registered NYS voters. Margin of error is +/- 4.

The New York State AG's attempt to tackle daily fantasy (and the state's complicated relationship with gambling)

fanduel draft kings screengrabs

If you had Eric Schneiderman starting in your state attorney general attention fantasy league this week, you're rolling up a lot points.

New York State's AG caused a big splash yesterday when his office sent cease and desist letters to the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies ordering them to stop operating in the state because his office had concluded they're "illegal gambling" operations. A clip from the press release:

"Our investigation has found that, unlike traditional fantasy sports, daily fantasy sports companies are engaged in illegal gambling under New York law, causing the same kinds of social and economic harms as other forms of illegal gambling, and misleading New York consumers," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "Daily fantasy sports is neither victimless nor harmless, and it is clear that DraftKings and FanDuel are the leaders of a massive, multi-billion-dollar scheme intended to evade the law and fleece sports fans across the country. Today we have sent a clear message: not in New York, and not on my watch."

If you're thinking "Daily fantasy what?" or "Billions of dollars?" right now, this New York Times article includes a lot of background.

Fantasy sports was already immensely popular. And it's changed the way a lot of people view sports -- following individual players and performances rather than teams. You could argue the games have, in a way, just become number generators for the fantasy games.

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Cuomo moving to raise minimum wage for state employees to $15 per hour

andrew cuomo state employee 15 per hour screengrab

The Cuomo admin announced Tuesday that Andrew Cuomo is moving to unilaterally set a $15 minimum wage for state employees.

The increase would be phased in over the next few years, rising to $15 in New York City by the end of 2018, and by 2021 in the rest of the state. It's projected the increase would affect approximately 10,000 state employees -- 9,000 of them outside New York City.

The governor publicly announced the plan at a Fight for 15 rally in New York City. "This is about basic fairness and basic justice," he said of the push to raise the minimum wage both in New York State and across the country. "We're going to lead the way. The nation's going to watch us."

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Quick-scan general election results 2015

polling place general election sign

Here's a quick scan of results from local elections around the Capital Region Tuesday.

This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and some are bound to change as things settle.

On with the results...

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A few more thoughts about the push for Uber, Lyft, and similar services upstate

uber app sample screenshots

Sample screenshots from the Uber app.

The ongoing campaign to open the way for taxi-app services such as Uber and Lyft to operate in Upstate New York got another push this week when Uber publicly backed the campaign at the Capitol, framing it in part as a jobs and economic development issue. [NYT]

A bill that addresses insurance and regulatory issues for these sorts of "transportation network" companies has been floating around the state legislature since last session. Lyft has been pushing for legislation like this since at least this past spring. And this past summer Andrew Cuomo made comments that sounded like he supported some sort of statewide regulation. [NYS Senate] [NY Observer]

We touched on the taxi service/Uber/Lyft situation a bunch of times already. So here are a few more bits and thoughts prompted by Uber's actions this week...

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A $15 minimum wage, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump

Donald Trump at ESP gun rights rally 2014 April 1

Donald Trump at the ESP last year.

A few interesting bits from recent polls of New York State:

Support for $15-an-hour minimum wage
A Quinnipiac poll out last week reported that respondents supported "raising the state's minimum wage to $15.00 an hour over the next several years" 62-35. Democrats and independents were both titled toward the supporting side (85 and 59 percent supporting), and Republicans were titled to toward the oppose side (65 percent opposing). Upstate was the region with lowest percentage of supporters -- 50 percent -- compared to 77 percent in NYC and 61 in the NYC suburbs. (That's probably not surprising given how much of a difference there is in median wages between upstate and downstate.)

The Q poll was conducted September 10-15 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Hillary and The Donald
The Siena poll out today reports that, for the first time in the poll's history, more respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton than a favorable one. The former New York US Senator's favorable/unfavorable split was 46-51. The splits among Democrats (71/24) and Republicans (13/86) were what you'd expect. But the split among independents was 32 percent favorable / 65 percent unfavorable.

Clinton's still the overwhelming favorite among Democratic respondents for the presidential nomination -- 45 percent said they'd vote for her.

The poll also asking favorable/unfavorable question about Donald Trump, and the split was 32/58. But among Republican respondents, Trump led the field for the Republican nomination, with 34 percent saying they'd vote for him in a primary.

Oh, and about George Pataki -- his favorable/unfavorable split was 32/58, which was roughly the same for Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Just three percent of Republican respondents said they'd vote for the former New York governor in a Republican presidential primary.

The Siena Poll was conducted September 14-17 and has a +/- 4 percent point margin of error (+/-5 for Democrats, +/-6.7 for Republicans).

Cuomo: Raise New York State's minimum wage to $15 an hour for all industries

cuomo biden 15 minimum wage screengrab

Cuomo announced the push during an event in New York City with Joe Biden.

Updated

Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that he will be pushing to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour. The announcement accompanied word from the governor that the state Department of Labor has accepted the wage board recommendation that the minimum wage for fast food workers increased to $15 an hour.

Cuomo's push to raise the overall state minimum wage isn't that surprising (even if he had downplayed the push for $15 earlier this year). He had tried to get the legislature to accept an increase to $10.50 ($11.50 in NYC) during the last legislative session. And the fast food wage board plan was pretty clearly an attempt to out maneuver the opposition in the legislature. (State Senate Republicans -- the most likely road block to the minimum wage increase -- criticized Cuomo's handling of the fast food wage increase Thursday.) [NYT] [Politics on the Hudson]

Invoking the memory of both FDR and his father, Andrew called the proposed increase as matter of economic justice. "You cannot support a family on 18,000 a year in New York State, not to mention having a decent living," he said with Joe Biden looking on in New York City. "Every working man and woman in the state of new york deserves $15 an hour as a minimum wage and we're not going to stop until we get it done."

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George Pataki is running for President

As mentioned everywhere, George Pataki is running for president. His announcement video is embedded above.

In the video you'll no doubt immediately recognize the ample Pataki charm, his innate skill in summoning the ardor of the body politic, and his apparent inability to tie his own tie without help.

In the unlikely event* George Pataki actually becomes president, he'd be the fifth former New York governor to do so. He's the first New York governor to run since Nelson Rockefeller's serial and unsuccessful attempts in the 1960s (he would later flash some unique campaigning skills).

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* Unlikely events include, but are not limited to: the core of the Republican Party deciding Pataki wouldn't actually have been a Democrat in many other states, zombie apocalypse, Hillary Clinton being revealed as an alien, robot apocalypse, Jeb Bush deciding to instead open an art gallery with GWB called Bush Brothers Brushes, crow apocalypse.

Siena poll: Majority support minimum wage increase to $10.50 per hour

washington dollar bill green shadeWhen given the choice of letting the New York State minimum wage rise to the already-scheduled level of $9/hour next year or raise it to $10.50 per hour, almost 3/4 of respondents in a Siena poll out today picked the $10.50 level.

Here's the question text from the Siena poll, because it was a little complicated:

The current minimum wage in New York State is eight dollars seventy-five cents per hour. It is scheduled to go to nine dollars per hour next year. When it comes to the minimum wage, among the following three choices, do you agree more with the State Senate, which wants it kept at nine dollars per hour, OR Governor Cuomo, who wants it increased to ten dollars fifty cents per hour, OR the State Assembly, which wants it increased to ten dollars fifty cents per hour now, with provisions to go higher in future years?

And the answer options:

+ "State Senate, which wants it kept at nine dollars per hour": 26 percent of all respondents

+ "Governor Cuomo, who wants it increased to ten dollars fifty cents per hour": 20 percent of all respondents

+ "State Assembly, which wants it increased to ten dollars fifty cents per hour now, with provisions to go higher in future years": 52 percent of all respondents

The $10.50/hour options drew the combined support of more than 65 percent in each of the three income categories for respondents -- less than $50k, $50-$100k, and $100k+. And it also had at least 50 percent support from both Democrats and Republicans.

The Siena poll also asked about the idea of a having a higher minimum wage downstate -- the yes/no split on that was 47/51 for all respondents. NYC respondents supported 55 percent, it was essentially even for people in the downstate suburbs, and upstate respondents opposed it 63-43.

The Siena Research Institute says the poll was conducted March 15-19 and has a +/- 3.5% margin of error.

A quick scan of the feds' allegations against Sheldon Silver

sheldon silver federal complaint screengrab

As you have no doubt heard incessantly today, Sheldon Silver -- the loooongtime speaker of the state Assembly, one of the most powerful politicians in New York -- was arrested by the feds today on corruption charges. Silver said Thursday afternoon that he's "confident that when all the answers are aired I will be vindicated." [State of Politics]

So what exactly are the feds accusing Silver of having done?

Here it is, broken down in a quick-scan format.

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Sheldon Silver arrested

sheldon silver at podiumHuge state politics news: Sheldon Silver has been arrested by the feds on corruption charges -- he turned himself in to the FBI Thursday morning in New York City, according to the New York Times.

NYT first reported back in December that Silver was under investigation by the feds, and reported Wednesday night that the Speaker of the state Assembly would be arrested. From NYT:

The investigation of Mr. Silver began after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in March abruptly shut down an anticorruption commission he had created in 2013.
The federal inquiry, led by the United States Attorney for the Southern District, focused on payments that Mr. Silver received from a small law firm that specializes in seeking reductions of New York City real estate taxes.
While it is legal for lawmakers to hold outside jobs, investigators said Mr. Silver failed to list the payments from the firm, Goldberg & Iryami, on his annual financial disclosure filings with the state.
In the past, Mr. Silver has been criticized for his outside law practice, a lucrative career that supplements the $121,000 he earns as speaker.
In 2013, Mr. Silver earned at least $650,000 in legal income, including work for the personal injury law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, according to his most recent financial disclosure filing.
But what he does to earn that income has long been a mystery in Albany, and Mr. Silver has refused to provide details about his work.

Silver's attorneys issued a statement Thursday morning: "We're disappointed that the prosecutors have chosen to proceed with these meritless criminal charges." [WSJ]

As recently as two weeks ago Silver, in typical Sheldon Silver fashion, calmly no-commented the news that he was under investigation. [NYDN]

Silver, who represents a section of lower Manhattan, has been speaker for just short of forever (well, 1994), the second longest tenure in New York history. He is one of "The Three Men in a Room" of state government. And he's demonstrated a remarkable ability during that time to ride out the waves and scandals (of which there have been many) in the legislature. Here's a NY Mag article from a few years back that looked at Silver's ability to persist.

More than 30 New York state legislators have faced ethical or criminal charges since 2000, according to list kept by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Some history: Over at State of Politics, Liz Benjamin looks at what happened the last time an Assembly speaker was arrested, in 1990.

photo: Nyer42 via Wikipedia

5 things from the 2015 State of the State / state budget presentation

state of state 2015 three amigos slide

Sometimes people have a little too much with Powerpoint.

Andrew Cuomo delivered his combined State of the State/state budget presentation -- the Powerpoint of the State, if you will -- Wednesday afternoon.

It was long (almost an hour-and-a-half). And the briefing book for it is 550 pages.

So here's a quick, 5-things scan of the presentation.

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That time -- not even that long ago -- that Albany annexed a chunk of Bethlehem

hurstville Bethlehem Albany border 1956

Was Bethlehem, is now Albany.

There was a bit of ripple this week when Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan mentioned the topic of annexation during a panel discussion about poverty and cities. From an article over at Capital:

"We could expand," Sheehan said. "States that have elastic cities where there's an ability annex do not have the same stratification that we see here in New York State. So there are states where you can grow your way out of this situation because you can expand your tax base by annexing. We can look at that, but we could also look at how we fundamentally fund our cities ... because cities still grow every day. The city of Albany doubles in population every day when people come here to work.
"We have to look at all levels at how we are funding our cities and have a conversation with those wealthier, surrounding suburban communities about what it is we need to do to address that inequity that we have," she said.

So this was a more a nod to the idea than actually raising it as a realistic option. (Update: Here's Sheehan emphasizing that point. [TWCN]) And that makes sense, because the idea that Albany could/would annex one of its surrounding suburbs seems... highly unlikely.

But. You might be surprised to find out that Albany has done just that in the past -- and it wasn't even that long ago (on the scale of Albany history). And the episode highlights why it would be so unlikely today.

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Is Albany getting the short end of the stick?

albany city hall

The amount of aid the state distributes to cities might sound like a topic straight out of Snoresville, but it's an important -- and recurring -- topic related to Albany's finances. And Albany's finances are related to all sorts of other topics that do get a lot more attention: stuff like taxes and new development.

For years, Albany leaders have argued that city gets hosed on the amount of municipal aid the city gets from the state, especially compared to other large upstate cities. And, in the annual tradition, Kathy Sheehan has been raising this point again as the machinery of the state government budget process starts whirring. Over at the Times Union, JCE recently had an article detailing some of the mayor's arguments that Albany should be getting more from the state.

The longtime argument in favor of Albany getting more state aid has essentially boiled down to this point: When compared to other large upstate cities, Albany gets much less in aid per capita.

So, with the topic in circulation again, we figured it'd be interesting to look at exactly that -- how much the capital city is getting per capita versus other cities.

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Mario Cuomo and that speech

If you're under a certain age -- we'll let you draw that line wherever you want -- it might be a little hard to get a feel for the place Mario Cuomo occupied in American politics, and why his passing has been such a noted event. Sure, there are the facts -- three-term governor, almost presidential candidate, Andrew's dad, and so on. But a person's place in history -- on a national level, or even in a neighborhood -- is more than just the sum of their facts.

Mario's Cuomo's famous speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention helps fill that out. It was a jab at then-president Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party, and a declaration of what Cuomo believed the Democratic Party should represent. A video clip is embedded above. Here's the full text. And here's some background on the speech, which involved both Andrew Cuomo and Tim Russert. [NYDN]

Over at Medium, Doug Garr wrote about what it was like to work for Mario Cuomo as a speechwriter between 1992 and 1994:

On Sunday night, one of his speechwriting aides called me. My current draft, in short, was woefully inadequate. (Looking back, I knew he was not at his happiest when he had to address a group where maybe only 10 people had voted for him. Bankers certainly weren't his base.) I was read the marginal comments, none of them good. Then he laughed and said, do you want to hear what he wrote on the last page? Yes, shoot. "This isn't an ending. This is a collapse." I didn't laugh until he told me that he took the brunt of the Governor's wrath that afternoon, when Cuomo threw the pages up in the air and exclaimed, "Can't anybody write a simple, declarative sentence any more? Get me a fucking nun." This referred to his Catholic grammar education and the how he learned to write in parochial school. From then on, we called this the "get me a fucking nun" speech.

Fracking to be banned in New York

The Cuomo's administration's long-awaited decision on whether to allow hydrofracking in the state arrived today during a cabinet meeting -- and it will move to formally ban the method of extracting natural gas from the earth. [NYT]

The decision was pegged to the long-delayed state Department of Health study of the issue. A key clip from Capitol Confidential:

While [acting state health commissioner Howard] Zucker took pains to point out that the data on long-term impacts of hydrofracking is not fully conclusive, he turned personal in his decision.
"Would I live in a community with HVHF (high-volume hydraulic fracturing) based on the facts I have now?" Zucker said. "Would I let my child play in the school field nearby, or my family drink the water from the tap or grow their vegetables in the soil? After looking at a plethora of reports ... my answer is no."

Allowing fracking had been pitched as potential economic development for the Southern Tier, which sits atop natural gas deposits in the Marcellus Shale formation. Pennsylvania allows fracking, and a large swath of the state has natural gas wells now. The Southern Tier has some of the highest unemploymen rates in the state. [NPR State Impact]

But fracking also appears to involve some significant environmental risks, especially for ground water, and environmentalists and other advocacy groups have been pushing hard on the Cuomo admin over the last few years to not allow fracking.

Capital Region gets $60 million in Regional Economic Development Awards

monument square 2014 market rendering cropped

The planned permanent space for the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market was awarded $1.5 million.

Capital Region projects got a combined $60 million in the Regional Economic Development Council awards announced Thursday. An easy-scan table of the projects is after the jump.

The region snagged $82.8 million last year. But this time around it was not a "top performer" in the state's annual Who Want's to Win Some Pork?!?! game show -- it ended up receiving the second-lowest amount out of the state's 10 regions.

Here are a few of the project awards that caught our eye on the first pass...

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Four ideas for changing things for the better in marginalized communities

Wednesday evening at The Spectrum there's a screening of The Throwaways, a documentary created by local activist Ira McKinley and local filmmaker Bhawin Suchak. The duo co-produced and co-directed the film, which is about how people in many inner city communities, especially African-American men, have become marginalized by race, the criminal justice system, and economics -- and the challenges and frustrations that result. As Suchak described it to us, the film is a "raw and real" look at the topic through the eyes of McKinley.

The film comes along when these issues are getting a lot of national attention because of what's happening in Ferguson, Missouri.

"I think we're at a really important moment in this country's history when it comes to relationships between folks from different races," Suchak told us this week. "I think it's important for white people to not be defensive and to listen, and also do their own work. For me, part of what that means is trying to connect and make the connections that people who are living this are making all the time because they have to because it's survival. So I hope, and I think we've seen in our screenings, that our film can be a way to begin conversation."

With those sorts of conversations in mind, we asked McKinley and Suchak for suggestions about how to change things for the better in marginalized communities in our area.

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NY Governor 2014: 5 (+1) maps

election2014 Cuomo Astorino diff map clip

Updated with a bonus map.

Andrew Cuomo won re-election Tuesday over Republican challenger Rob Astorino 53-39 (according to the official unofficial count this morning with 93 percent of precincts reporting).

And while a win is win, it's not the landslide that the Cuomo team had at one time been trying to pile up. [NYT]

Here are county-by-county gubernatorial results from around the state in 5 clickable maps.

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Quick-scan general election results 2014

polling place sign

Updated Wednesday 9:20 am.

Here's a quick scan of results from elections around the Capital Region Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and some are bound to change as things settle.

On with the results...

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Campaign Yard Sign Design Election 2014, Part II

campaign yard design election 2014 composite part 2

Election Day is Tuesday, so it's time to pull the lever for part two of Campaign Yard Sign Election 2014.

The first half of the design election included spleen throbbing induced by questionable typography.

Will the next batch of campaign signs go over better?

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Campaign Yard Sign Design Election 2014, Part I

campaign yard sign design election 2014 governor composite

Election Day is next Tuesday, and that means campaign yard sign season is at its peak. Front lawns, street medians, parking lots, and many other spots are now filled with the signs -- they're everywhere.

So we thought it'd be fun to get together a few designers again to critique this year's crop of campaign yard signs as design objects. (Alternately, you might view this as test of how much questionable typography it takes to make a designer's spleen start throbbing -- and we now have an answer.)

Because it's a campaign yard sign bumper crop, we've split the signs into two batches. First up: governor, state Senate, and Schenectady Family Court.

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Albany Common Council passes red light camera ordinance: comments, votes, thoughts

albany red light camera vote fahy

State Assemblywoman Pat Fahy speaks during the public comment period ahead of Monday's night vote on red light cameras.

The Albany Common Council passed the ordinance for a red light camera demonstration project in the city Monday night. The ordinance passed 11-4 after some impassioned comments from council members.

Pending a signature on the bill from mayor Kathy Sheehan, who supports the measure, Albany will be on its way to becoming the first municipality in the Capital Region to get the automatic cameras.

Comments, the votes, the ordinance, and a few thoughts...

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Clickable county by county results for the Cuomo-Teachout primary

cuomo teachout primary result map

The deeper the blue, the higher the percentage of Cuomo votes. The deeper the yellow, the more Teachout votes. (Unofficial results with 98 percent of precincts reporting.)

Map of the day: The above is a county-by-county breakdown of votes in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

As you know, Andrew Cuomo beat challenger Zephyr Teachout 60-33. But it was a strong showing for Teachout. And as the map indicates, she ran ahead of the governor in many parts of the state.

There's a clickable large-format map after the jump, along with a few notes.

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Lobbying the Hobby Lobby

jasmine shea hobby lobby

The pics posted by Jasmine Shea on Twitter from a Hobby Lobby in Latham.

Prompted by the Supreme Court's recent decision in the Hobby Lobby case, Jasmine Shea wanted to do something to protest the company's policies on covering birth control for its employees. So Shea decided to visit the Hobby Lobby store in Latham last week to pass out condoms.

Along the way there Shea, who describes her day job as "office worker/comic relief," and a friend decided to add to their protest with a prank: They were going re-arrange the decorative letters sold in the store to spell out the words "pro choice."

It was a relatively small act, but it ended getting a big response after Shea posted pics on Twitter and Instagram. Sites such as Jezebel and Feministing featured the pics, and the act ended up being covered by the Washington Post. And even now, a week later, it's continuing to generate attention.

All that from something that happened in a store Shea says was more or less empty of shoppers.

We bounced Jasmine Shea a few questions this week about why she did what she did, the response it's gotten, and how it compares to other more traditional forms of activism.

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"You Don't Have to Put Up the Red Light"

Presented (mostly) without comment: "Sheehan (You Don't Have to Put Up the Red Light)," by former Albany mayoral candidate Jesse Calhoun. It's... well, it's much pretty much it sounds like -- a cover of "Roxanne" by The Police as criticism of a possible plan to install red light cameras in Albany.

Calhoun was the Republican candidate for mayor in last year's election. He's also part of a band, The Ameros.

A few quick comments:

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The lieutenant governor: so close to being governor, yet so far away

mary anne krupsak hugh carey 1977

Mary Anne Krupsak, the first female lieutenant governor of New York, talking with governor Hugh Carey 1977. / photo via New York State Archives

Andrew Cuomo's selection of Kathy Hochul to run as his lieutenant governor this week got us thinking about the job of lt gov, and whether the possible (likely?) election of Hochul could push New York any closer to having a female governor. [Capital]

So let's a take a quick spin through the (low profile) history of New York's lieutenant governors...

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Donald Trump, Rob Astorino, and the gun rally on the Empire State Plaza

gun rally esp donald trump

Donald Trump after his speech at an anti-SAFE Act rally on the ESP Tuesday.

Donald Trump was at the Empire State Plaza Tuesday for an anti-SAFE Act rally -- as were Carl Paladino, the former Republican candidate for governor, and Rob Astorino, who looks to be the next Republican candidate for governor, along with (we're guessing) about 2,000 people.

Trump talked about protecting the 2nd Amendment during his time up on stage, and then talked a bit about maybe buying the Buffalo Bills during a short press session afterward. Then he left, in a helicopter apparently.

The celebrity something-aire wasn't really the interesting thing during the time we listened on the sunny plaza Tuesday. We ended up being more curious about Astorino -- the Westchester County exec -- who we hadn't seen much of before.

Here are a few thoughts and observations, about the rally, about Astorino, and about Andrew Cuomo...

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Siena poll: continued majority support for medical marijuana legalization, not for recreational pot

medical marijuana signSome follow-up to the recent Q Poll that reported a majority of New Yorkers -- 57-39 -- supported legalizing recreational marijuana use: A Siena poll out today reports respondents oppose recreational legalization 53-43.

The results on recreational pot legalization might not be as far apart as they seem. The Q Poll reported a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, and the Siena poll 3.5 points. And differences in the makeup of the samples could lead to different results. They also asked slightly different questions:

Q Poll: "Do you support or oppose allowing adults in New York State to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use?"

Siena: "Looking beyond the issue of medical marijuana, two states - Colorado and Washington - have legalized and regulated marijuana for recreational use. Do you support or oppose passing a similar law in New York to legalize and regulate marijuana for recreational use?"

As with that Q poll, the Siena poll also reports large majority support for at least some sort of medical marijuana program in the state. This isn't surprising -- polls have reported majorities in favor of medical marijuana for the last few years. (See 2010.)

Related: There was an interesting article in NYT today about the fact that it's apparently unclear how many votes currently constitute a majority in the state Senate (because of vacancies and the current three-coalition makeup of the body) -- and how that could have an effect on potential votes about legalizing medical marijuana.

More bits from the Siena poll...

+ Respondents had a more or less three-bears split on the Common Core standards: too demanding, not demanding enough, just about right.

+ Respondents prefer Andrew Cuomo over "someone else", 54-37.

+ 73 percent of respondents supported allowing local municipalities to set their own minimum wage at rate higher than the state's.

+ On allowing fracking: oppose - 43 percent | support - 38 percent.

photo: Flickr user Caveman 92223

Q Poll: Majority of New Yorkers support medical marijuana and recreational pot legalization

q poll ny marijuana 2014-02 small

Don't squint, man, here's a large-format version. Wait, what if our world is just a large-format interactive illustration on the computer of some higher being? Crazy. ... Hey, you wanna get some pizza...

A few interesting things about the Q Poll out this week that looked at where New Yorkers stand on marijuana legalization:

+ There's across the board support for medical marijuana. The Q Poll reports that 88 percent of respondents said they were in favor of allowing marijuana use for medical purposes. And not a single demographic group registered support below 82 percent.

That a majority support medical marijuana isn't surprising -- New Yorkers have been trending that way for years -- but the strength and breadth of the support is notable.

+ A majority of the Q Poll respondents -- 57 percent -- said they support allowing "small amounts of marijuana for personal use." The only groups of respondents in which a majority opposed: Republicans (55-39 against) and people age 65+ (57-38 against).

+ There appears to be gradient of opinion on pot questions, from young to old. Not that this is really all that surprising, but the younger the person in the Q Poll, the more likely they were to support relaxing rules and attitudes about pot. Example: 83 percent of respondents 18-29 said they supported allowing small amounts of marijuana use for person use. While at the other end of the age spectrum, 65+, just 38 percent said they support legalization.

This age gradient is depicted in the graph above, which includes the numbers from a handful of the survey's questions. (Don't squint -- here's the large format version.)

It'll be interesting to see how results such as this latest Q Poll will play out at the state Capitol. There's been some push for medical marijuana in the legislature over the last few years, and there's now even a bill to legalize and tax pot in a system similar to the one for alcohol.

And Andrew Cuomo? On one hand, medical marijuana -- and even recreational pot legalization -- is growing in popularity. On the other hand, Cuomo probably wants to stick to the moderate Democrat brand he's developed in an attempt to also appeal to moderate Republicans (both here and, you know, other parts of the nation). Cuomo has proposed a limited trial program for medical marijuana, though advocates have criticized it for being too timid. And his admin has called recreational legalization a "non-starter." Is there a point at which public support shifts his position on the issue?

Poll details: "From February 6 - 10, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,488 New York State voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones."

Three mayors on a "new era in city government" at Albany Law

kathy sheehan lovely warren joanne yepsenThe new mayors of Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Rochester will be at Albany Law February 19 for an event titled "Leading a New Era in City Government: Women Mayors of Upstate New York." Even blurbage:

Come listen to Kathy Sheehan '94, Albany, Lovely Warren '03, Rochester, and Joanne Yepsen, Saratoga Springs, all newly elected mayors of cities in Upstate New York, discuss their own journey to elected leadership seats, their personal insights on the equitable participation of women in politics and government, and the unique responsibility of running a city government.

You already know a bit about Sheehan and Yepsen, but maybe not Lovely Warren. She's an interesting story -- her victory in the Rochester mayoral election was considered a big upset. And she's just 36 years old (and got a law degree from Albany Law in 2003). Her term has gotten off to a bit of a rough start.

The Albany Law event is at 4 pm on February 19 (a Wednesday), and there's a reception afterward. It's free and open to the public, but if you'd like to attend the reception, registration is required (details at the link).

Albany Law advertises on AOA.

Focusing on support for a possible Capital Region casino, town by town

capital region casino support by town map composite

Don't squint, and don't scratch your head -- it'll make sense when you see the bigger versions.

The Capital Region is in line to get a casino as part of the vote to allow full casino gambling last fall (as you know). And based on comments made by Andrew Cuomo in last week's State of the State address, the selection of the casino site is scheduled to happen sometime during the six months or so.

As the selection process picks up, the discussion around it is focusing in part not just on where a casino might be viable, but also which municipalities do -- or don't -- want one of the gambling facilities. Examples: The vocal opposition in Saratoga Springs to a full casino, despite conventional wisdom that the Spa City would be a leading potential site; or, conversely, the mayor of Rensselaer's lobbying for his city to be in the running.

The casino selection process doesn't include local approval. Even so, we thought it'd be interesting to get a better feel for how cities and towns in the Capital Region might be leaning on the issue based on how residents voted last November on the state constitutional amendment that allowed casinos.

So we pulled the vote totals on the ballot question for the Capital Region by town, mapped 'em, and also put together some "tree maps" (kind of like square pie charts) to get a sense of how a city or town's support or opposition fits into the whole.

That's a long way of saying: look at these maps and charts...

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A quick scan of State of the State 2014

sos 2014 andrew cuomo screengrab

We believe you're familiar with the governor, Andrew Cuomo.

As you know, this year's State of the State speech was Wednesday. There will be all sorts of coverage dissecting for the next few days. This isn't that. This is just a few quick-scan highlights.

And here they are...

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A quick scan of Joe Biden's appearance at the state Capitol

Biden and Cuomo

Vice President Joe Biden dropped into Albany today for an appearance at the state Capitol, to talk about rebuilding infrastructure after the storms that have hit the state in recent years, to literally and figuratively give Andrew Cuomo a pat on the back -- and see a Cuomo powerpoint presentation. "I wish everyone could see this presentation," Biden said (really, he actually said that).

Infrastructure is an important issue, but it's one of those topics that tends to make people start to glaze over a bit -- you know, until it breaks. So it's worth paying attention to it, maybe even better if someone else watched it for you. As we did.

Here's a quick-scan recap of Biden's appearance at the Capitol Tuesday...

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How New York's deck of counties split on the casino vote

nys counties casino vote majorities map

Red = counties in which a majority voted "yes." Black = counties in which a majority voted "no." (Corrected.)

One of the items up for a vote Tuesday was a proposed New York State constitutional amendment that would allow up to seven full casinos around the state, starting upstate. The Cuomo admin has been pushing the idea as economic development, and framed it that way again after the vote. [NYS BOE] [NYT] [Cuomo admin]

The amendment was approved, 57-43. But support around the state was evenly distributed. In fact, majorities in three of the Capital Region's four core counties voted against it -- one of the majority "no" counties was Saratoga, which has a good chance of ending up with a casino. [NYS BOE]

We pulled the unofficial vote tallies on the casino amendment and mapped the results by county. Two clickable maps are after the jump.

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Quick-scan general election results 2013

polling place sign 2013

Updated 10:24 am Wednesday

Here's a quick scan of results from the general election around the Capital Region Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights.

Numbers are unofficial, and some are bound to change as things settle (and as absentees are counted).

OK, on with the results...

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Talking with the Republican, Green, and Conservative candidates for Albany mayor

albany mayoral candidates 2013 calhoun portelli sullivan
Jesse Calhoun, Theresa Portelli, Joe Sullivan

As you know, one of the offices up for election in Tuesday's election is mayor of Albany, an important election for a lot people -- whether they live in the city, work in the city, or just go there often. And as you also know, voter enrollment in the city heavily Democratic -- so the winner of September's Democratic primary, current city treasurer Kathy Sheehan, is in position to take the election. (Here's an interview with her from just before the primary.)

Pretty much every candidate will tell you they're in a race to win it. But even if victory is a long shot, there are other reasons to run -- maybe most importantly, getting alternative ideas out there and focusing attention on topics a candidate thinks should be getting more of the spotlight.

So with that mind, we interviewed the other mayoral candidates with spots on the ballot: Jesse Calhoun, on the Republican line; Theresa Portelli, on the Green Party line; and Joe Sullivan, on the Conservative Party line.

Here are their answers to a handful of questions in a quick scan, pick-and-choose format.

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"Gillibrand is good at having it both ways..."

kirsten gillibrand national journal cover 2013-OctoberThe National Journal has a big article on Kirsten Gillibrand's rise to prominence in national politics, and the evolution of her positions on various issues along the way. From "How Kirsten Gillibrand Shed Her Past on the Way to Liberal Stardom," by Ben Terris:

It's a stretch to imagine Gillibrand running for president any time soon: There's a Hillary-sized shadow hanging over 2016, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo also appears above her on the New York depth chart. But this is a Democratic Party desperate for new blood and new talent. At 46, Gillibrand fits the bill perhaps better than anyone--and she has begun to build a national persona that can match her ambitions. Her battle against the Pentagon over sexual assaults in the military has won her headlines and praise. At the same time, she's a stunningly adept fundraiser who earns loyalty from her colleagues the old-fashioned way--by doling out money. It's telling that when potential women presidents are mentioned, the list tends to begin and end at Clinton. There is opportunity there.
But to reach that place in the firmament, Gillibrand will have to pull off what many politicians before her have had to do: reconcile her past political identities with her present ones. Gillibrand isn't the first Democrat from a rural, centrist background to try to build a bridge to the progressive wing of the party. (See: the other Clinton, Bill.) And often, it can be easier to accomplish than those liberals trying to convince rank-and-file voters that they are one of them, as both Barack Obama and John Kerry before him struggled to do. But that doesn't mean she won't have some explaining to do on what can be politely termed her evolution.
How she navigates those questions will say a lot about her readiness for the grand stage.

If you've been following along over the past few years, a lot of it won't be new to you. But it's another picture of KG as a persistent, savvy, highly-skilled politician.

Earlier on AOA: "What is required of that money? Because it makes me uncomfortable..."

Stacking the deck with words?

roulette wheel by Hakan Dahlstrom FlickrSurprise: If you frame an issue positively, more people will support it.

A Siena poll out this week asked people about the upcoming ballot question on whether New York should legalize full casino gambling. When people were asked:

Do you support or oppose passing an amendment to the state constitution to allow non-Indian, Las Vegas style casinos to be built in New York?

Responses were: 46 percent support | 46 percent oppose | 8 percent don't know.

When people were read the following, which includes actual text from the ballot question:

A proposed constitutional amendment on casino gambling will be on the ballot in November. Specifically, the wording on the ballot says in part that the amendment would, QUOTE allow the Legislature to authorize up to seven casinos in New York State for the legislated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools, and permitting local governments to lower property taxes through revenues generated, UNQUOTE. If you were voting today and were asked whether the amendment should be approved, would you vote yes or no?

Responses were: 55 percent support | 42 percent oppose | 3 percent don't know.

The poll's margin of error was +/- 3.4 percent, according to SRI.

Critics of the ballot question's wording have argued it casts an overly optimistic light on casinos. As NYPIRG's Blair Horner recently said of the question's phrasing: "It has more spin than a roulette wheel." [NYSNYS]

See also: the use of the word "gaming" instead of "gambling."

Right track/wrong track: The Siena poll also reported that 46 percent of respondents said the state was on the "wrong track" compared to 43 percent who said it was on the "right track." SRI says it's the first time since November 2011 the balance has shifted toward wrong track.

photo: Flickr user Håkan Dahlström (cc)

Kathy Sheehan wins Democratic primary for Albany mayor

Thumbnail image for kathy sheehan 2013-09-05 1The big takeaway from Tuesday's primary election results: Kathy Sheehan is in position to become the next mayor of Albany.

Sheehan, the current city treasurer, won the city's Democratic primary for mayor 66-29 over former councilman Corey Ellis, according to unofficial results.* That margin isn't really a surprise -- Sheehan had big leads in polls from both late July and early September.

Sheehan will now face Jesse Calhoun (Republican), Joseph Sullivan (Conservative), and whoever emerges from the Green Party.** Because of the overwhelming enrollment advantage Democrats have in the city, something highly unexpected would have to happen for Sheehan to not win the general election.

Albany has had just three mayors since 1942. When Jerry Jennings finishes his term this December, he'll have held the office for the last 20.

Earlier on AOA: Albany mayoral candidate interview 2013: Kathy Sheehan

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Quick-scan primary election results 2013

Thumbnail image for albany county ballot scannerHere's a quick scan of results from primary elections around the Capital Region Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights.

Numbers are unofficial, and some are bound to change as things settle (and as absentees are counted).

And, of course, these are the primary elections -- the general election is November 5.

OK, on with the results...

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Siena poll: Sheehan has big lead on Ellis

sheehan ellis 2013-09A Siena poll out this weekend reported that Kathy Sheehan leads Corey Ellis in the Democratic mayoral primary 68-20 -- and that's with 92 percent of respondents saying they've either made up their mind or are unlikely to change it.

The poll result isn't really surprising. Sheehan had a large lead in a Siena poll released at the beginning of August, and if a voter was leaning in her direction there probably isn't much that's happened in the interim that would shift that decision. It's not that people seem to dislike Ellis -- 58 percent said they have a favorable opinion of him. It's just that people like Sheehan more -- 76 percent said they have a favorable opinion. (And 65 percent said they have a favorable opinion of Jerry Jennings.)

The thing we took away from the poll results: People appear to be expecting that Sheehan will make a significant difference for the city.* Three-quarters of respondents have a favorable opinion of her. The same number say they're satisfied with the choices for mayor. And when asked, "Overall today, do you think a Mayor of Albany is capable of successfully addressing the problems facing Albany or do you think the
problems are too large for any Mayor to address?" -- more than 70 percent said they think the mayor is capable of successfully addressing the problems facing the city.

It'll be interesting to see how people react if a Sheehan administration hits some speed bumps. It's not like that's necessarily a low-probability event -- however well prepared and planned an administration might be, things almost never go exactly to plan. And Albany definitely faces some rough stretches, particularly in closing the city's budget gap.

* Well, duh, they say they're going to vote for her. But sometimes people vote for the the candidate they think is the least-bad choice.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Albany mayoral candidate interview: Corey Ellis
+ Albany mayoral candidate interview: Kathy Sheehan

Albany mayor 2013: Kathy Sheehan

kathy sheehan 2013-09-05 1
Kathy Sheehan.

For the first time in 20 years, Albany will have a new mayor next year. The changeover is important not just for the city itself, but for the tens of thousands of people who go there each day for work or entertainment. Even if you don't live in Albany, what happens there probably affects you in some way.

The key point in the process of electing the next mayor is next Tuesday, September 10, primary day. Because the voter registration in Albany is overwhelmingly Democratic, the winner of the Democratic primary for mayor will almost certainly win the general election.

This week we talked with the two Democratic competing in the primary -- former common councilman Corey Ellis, and current city treasurer Kathy Sheehan. We asked them each the same set of questions on a range of issues -- from why they want to be mayor, to an aquarium downtown, to what books have influenced them -- and we're sharing those answers at length. The Q&A is set up so it's easy to scan and focus in on the questions that interest you.

On Thursday, we had the responses form Corey Ellis. Today, answers from Kathy Sheehan...

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Albany mayor 2013: Corey Ellis

corey ellis 2013-09-04 1
Corey Ellis. He also ran for mayor in 2009, losing to Jerry Jennings in the Democratic primary.

For the first time in 20 years, Albany will have a new mayor next year. The changeover is important not just for the city itself, but for the tens of thousands of people who go there each day for work or entertainment. Even if you don't live in Albany, what happens there probably affects you in some way.

The key point in the process of electing the next mayor is next Tuesday, September 10, primary day. Because the voter registration in Albany is overwhelmingly Democratic, the winner of the Democratic primary for mayor will almost certainly win the general election.

This week we talked with the two Democratic competing in the primary -- former common councilman Corey Ellis, and current city treasurer Kathy Sheehan. We asked them each the same set of questions on a range of issues -- from why they want to be mayor, to an aquarium downtown, to what books have influenced them -- and we're sharing those answers at length. The Q&A is set up so it's easy to scan and focus on the questions that interest you.

First up: Corey Ellis.

Update: Here are the responses from Kathy Sheehan.

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Top Obama campaign advisers to speak at UAlbany

axelrod plouffe favreau

Left to right: Axelrod, Plouffe, Favreau.

Update: Here's the link for registration.

The World Within Reach speakers series has lined up an appearance by three of top advisers on Barack Obama's two presidential campaigns: David Axelrod, David Plouffe, and John Favreau. The trio will be talking and taking questions as part of a "Inside the Obama Campaign" program September 28 at the SEFCU Arena.

This should be a pretty big event for political nerds. Axelrod was key adviser to Obama as he moved from Illinois state Senate, to the US Senate, to the White House. Plouffe was the campaign manager for the 2008 Obama presidential campaigns and then served as senior advisor to the White House. Favreau was Obama's chief speech writer for the first presidential campaign and served in the same role at the White House.

The event at UAlbany starts at 8 pm on September 28. It will be open to the public, but a ticket will be required. Details on how to get a ticket are still to come -- the UAlbany Student Association, the event's organizer, says the info will be posted on its website and Facebook page.

This is the seventh event for World Within Reach speakers series. It's put together a string of high-profile speakers, including Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Howard Dean and Karl Rove (together), and Russell Simmons.

photos via Washington Speakers Bureau

"What is required of that money? Because it makes me uncomfortable..."

Kirsten Gillibrand was on the Daily Show Thursday night talking about her admirable efforts to reform how the military handles sexual assault, as well as a few other issues. The first segment is embedded above, and the second after the jump.

The second segment -- especially the extended segment at the Daily Show website -- is worth watching because John Oliver (politely) tries to put the screws to KG over the amount of money she's taken from banking organizations such as Goldman Sachs. It's interesting to watch Gillibrand field Oliver's questions. Once again she displays a remarkable ability to both side-step and reframe the question (that is, not really answer it) while at the same time coming off as totally reasonable and likable.

That's a valuable skill for politician. And maybe it's a peek into the reasons KG is apparently becoming a formidable player in the Senate -- and keeps getting mentioned as an eventual presidential candidate.

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Picking through that Siena poll on the Albany mayoral Democratic primary

Thumbnail image for sheehan ellis side by sideA few bits from the Siena/YNN poll of the Albany Democratic mayoral primary:

+ When asked for whom Democratic respondents would vote for today, Kathy Sheehan led Corey Ellis 54-23, with 23 percent undecided. 85 percent of respondents said there was either "no chance" they would change their mind or it was unlikely.

+ When asked which candidate would do a better job on a series of issues, Sheehan led Ellis in every issue -- with the largest margins for economic development (50-19) and keeping city taxes under control (50-18) and "capitalizing on the Hudson River waterfront as an Albany asset" (49-14). Ellis was closest on fighting crime (39-26) and addressing neighborhood concerns (40-32).

+ 57 percent of respondents said they support term limits for mayor.

+ 71 percent of respondents said they had a favorable opinion of Jerry Jennings. And 66 percent said they rate his job as mayor as either good or excellent.

+ 51 percent said they believe the city is on the right track.

+ The poll also asked people's opinions on a handful of aspects of the city. The answers point to some disparities between how African-American and white residents perceive and experience the quality of things like the condition of parks and roads, and the job done by police. A graph of responses is after the jump.

The poll did not ask people about non-Democratic candidates.

Crosstabs. The margin of error for the poll was +/- 3.2 percentage points and +/- 3.8 percentage points for Democrats only.

Update: YNN talked with Sheehan and Ellis about the poll results and some of the issues mentioned.

The primary is September 10. Considering the fact that the city is overwhelmingly Democratic by enrollment, the primary is pretty much the de facto election. And last time around, only about 14,000 people cast a vote in the mayoral primary. So it's worth doing some research and voting, if you can -- because your vote really could matter. That's especially true in Common Council primaries, where seats are sometimes won by fewer than 20 votes.

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Albany Museum of Political Corruption

eliot spitzer client no 9 museum frameWith Trader Joe's now in the area, Bruce Roter has moved on to another pursuit: an Albany Museum of Political Corruption.

As Roter tells the Biz Review's Mike DeMasi: "That's what Albany is known for. Why shy away from it? Let's embrace it. If other politicians can come from around the state and sully the name of Albany, why not cash in on it?"

From the Facebook page Roter has set up for the idea:

Just think of it, a wonderful "rogue's gallery" of those who have sullied Albany's fine name!

And the creative possibilities!... for example, visitors wouldn't pay an entrance fee, they'd pay a bribe! (of course). And parents will be encouraged to lie about how old their children are!

And the gift shop, ladies and gentlemen, that will be the best! We will sell little dolls of men and women in suits, and written on their backs will be this: "I bought this legislator in Albany, NY." ...

Friends, we here in Albany take ourselves too seriously. A bit of self-deprecating humor would serve us well. Or, to "corrupt" the lyrics from a famous song: "a spoonful of irreverence makes the medicine go down!"

[via @AlbBizMikeD]

From way back: No Trader Joe's, no peace: What's up with Bruce Roter's supermarket activism [CelinaBean]

Spitzer photo: US Department of State via Wikipedia

Vote counting

Thumbnail image for state capitol across plaza 2012 DecemberNYPIRG released its round up of end-of-session state legislature stats today. It's total political nerd food. A few bits:

+ The legislature passed 650 bills in both chambers. That's up a bit from last year, but it's not out of step with the long downward trend that's been going on since the average number peaked during the administration of Nelson Rockefeller -- during which an average of 1,356.20 were passed.

+ More than half of bills passed in the Senate did so with not a single nay vote. In the Assembly, 42 percent did so.

+ Almost half of all the bills passed by the Assembly were passed during the last week of the session. In the Senate, 36 percent were passed in the final week.

+ Andrew Cuomo got a lot of criticism for issuing "message of necessity" to speed along passage of the NY SAFE Act. He ended up using tactic on just two other bills during the session. That is a very low number compared to the annual average since 1995: 70.4 (and that includes just five during the previous session).

+ Senator Kevin Parker led the legislature in the number of bills introduced (406). Assemblyman Jose Rivera was the only legislator to not introduce a single bill.

+ Teaming up: Three local legislators were among the leaders in the highest percentage of bills introduced with a same-as bill in the other chamber -- Pat Fahy (100%, 15 bills), Cecelia Tkaczyk (96%, 25 bills), Kathy Marchione (87.5%, 32 bills).

+ Neil Breslin led the legislature in the number of resolutions adopted: 304 -- 37 more than the next person.

+ In both chambers the top 10 rankings for members who voted "no" on bills are dominated by party members not in the majority -- except for one: state Senator Greg Ball, a Republican, who topped state Senate chart.

+ The leading vote misser: Assemblyman William F. Boyland Jr, who missed 74 percent of all votes.

+ Votes recorded as absent/no vote taken by local legislators:
Senate: Marchione (5), Breslin (1), Farley (1), , Tkaczyk (0)
Assembly: Jordan (123), McLaughlin (55), McDonald (35), Santabarbara (10), Steck (2), Fahy (0), Lopez (0), Tedisco (0)

+ Senator Liz Krueger (D) was by far the leader in number of words spoken in floor debates in the chamber at 40,064 words -- 13,658 more than the next person, Tom Libbous (R). Libbous got most the laughs (according to the official record) -- 38.

Jerry Jennings on the decision not to run

Jerry Jennings press conference

"I haven't lost my love for this city. I haven't lost my excitement about seeing and getting things done."

As you've heard, Jerry Jennings announced via letter Tuesday night that he will not run for re-election. This is a big deal -- Jennings has been in office for 20 years. And, at least in the last century or so, Albany doesn't get a new mayor very often. There have been just three since 1942.

The way the announcement came about was a surprise, too. As Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin told the media this morning: "Very few people knew [that it was happening], even people close to him ... They were surprised."

So, as you might imagine, there were a lot of people packed into a conference room at city hall Wednesday morning to hear Jennings talk a bit about his decision.

Here's a quick scan of a handful of clips -- even one about tanning...

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Jerry Jennings not running for re-election

jerry jennings large

Jennings during his 2009 campaign for mayor.

Updated

There's been a lot of speculation over whether Jerry Jennings would be running for re-election this fall for mayor of Albany. Speculation over.

From a letter to city residents sent out by the mayor's office Tuesday evening:

My love for this City and my commitment to our children, our neighborhoods and the people who reside in them is boundless. Given this, the decision of whether to seek another term as your mayor has been one of the difficult evaluations I have ever faced. My family has been supportive; my trusted friends valued.
After countless hours of deliberation and evaluation, I have decided not to seek re-election as your Mayor. Although every day I still find joy in the work I do and in the people I serve, the time has come for a new chapter to be written.

The full letter is embedded after the jump.

Jennings is the 74th mayor in Albany's history. He was elected to the office in 1993, upsetting the Democrat party's establishment candidate. He's now in his fifth term and is the second longest tenured mayor in Albany history, after only Erastus Corning 2nd.

The city of Albany has had just three mayors since 1942.

Current city treasurer Kathy Sheehan has already announced her candidacy for the job, as has former Common Councilman Corey Ellis, who challenged Jennings in the Democratic primary in 2009. Both are Democrats -- and the party's September primary is pretty much the de facto election for the office. It will be interesting to see if Jennings' announcement prompts others to get into the race.

The city of Albany will have a new mayor next year. It's not often you can say that.

Also after the jump: A compilation of reaction to the announcement...

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"Distrustful, even cynical"

state capitol across plaza 2012 DecemberBits from the Siena poll released today:

+ When asked about how they view state politics, 52 percent of respondents said they were "distrustful, even cynical."

+ About 1/3 of respondents said it was either "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that their own state Senator or Assembly member could be arrested for corruption.

+ Percent who said they support: term limits, 82 percent; limiting candidates to one party line, 55 percent; a full-time legislature with no outside jobs, 54 percent. (If that were a Jeopardy clue, the correct response would be: "What are three things unlikely to happen with the New York State legislature?")

+ Andrew Cuomo's "favorable" number was 62 percent (it was 77 percent two years ago). And 16 percent of respondents said he was doing a "poor" job, the highest level so far. Fifty-three percent said they'd vote to re-elect him as things stand now.

+ On supporting full casinos in the state: 49 percent support, 44 percent oppose.

+ On whether to approve hydrofracking: 40 percent support, 45 percent oppose.

crosstabs | poll was conducted April 14-18 | margin of error: +/- 3.4

Earlier:
+ Andrew Cuomo's calibrations
+ State legislation: $10,000

Andrew Cuomo's calibrations

nymag cuomo machievelli cover 2013-AprilWe finally got around to reading "The Albany Machiavelli," the long profile of Andrew Cuomo by Chris Smith in this week's NY Mag. Smith remarks that "Cuomo may be this country's best politician--in the interest-swapping, nut-­cutting, backroom sense--since Lyndon Baines Johnson." And there are a bunch of interesting back room bits about Cuomo's handling of issues, his relationship with the legislature, how fracking vexes the Cuomo political calculations, the potential role of Hillary Clinton in blocking in his presidential ambitions.

This section resonated with us:

So far that experiment has been a solid success, especially for Cuomo. He's been more fiscally responsible than many of his predecessors. He's boldly and forcefully delivered on progressive ideals, legalizing gay marriage and passing some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. He's been rewarded with high public-approval numbers in New York and heightened national stature. Yet there's also a cost, and a considerable irony, to Cuomo's tactics. For all his speechifying about the "us" of government, he runs a government of one, controlling decisions large and small. And the way Cuomo wins his battles--strong-­arming and horse-trading; a mastery of talking past inconvenient questions and facts--tends to antagonize enemies and allies, as in the most recent round of budget wrangling, in which he managed to chafe both liberals and business fat cats. People are afraid of him; David Paterson, as governor, once described feeling like Cuomo was lurking under the floorboards of the executive mansion, holding a saw. In politics, fear can be a highly useful tool, but it is a risky one. The governor doesn't have many friends. ...
As Cuomo looks to score a wide reelection margin in 2014, he has become New York's most successful governor since, well, the early days of Mario Cuomo. Yet he's engendered much more fear than love--an emotion the governor believes is overrated, in politics anyway. The growing turbulence will show whether he's right about the value of affection in Albany--and whether Andrew Cuomo will loom larger in history than his father.

Now a little arm chair political science: We get the sense that everyone respects Andrew Cuomo, even his enemies and detractors (maybe especially his enemies and detractors). But do people like him? You know, in talking with people it's like there's this acknowledgement that Cuomo has imposed a certain order on state politics, and the situation is no longer the embarrassing train wreck it had been. It's just that there isn't much (if any) love or passion for him. And that's a problem if you're running for president -- because as much as issues and all that stuff matter, there's also an emotional part of it for voters.

Anyway. This (here, totally stripped of its context) quote-- "They have needs, and you have needs. And your appetite has to be calibrated thusly." -- kind of us made us a feel a little bit for Sandra Lee.

Scenes from the rally to repeal the NY SAFE Act

rally to repeal ny safe act new york state capitol 2013-02-28

Thousand of people rallied outside the Capitol Thursday for the repeal of the NY SAFE Act. Among those there: NRA president David Keene (Cap Con/NY Now has video). And Carl Paladino was also there, apparently in low-profile mode. [TU CapCon] [State of Politics]

A lot of the talk from the speakers was you might expect at a rally against a gun control law: a focus on the 2nd Amendment (and other rights), freedom, charges of government overreach, chants of "Cuomo's gotta go." And there were also some of the caricatures you might expect -- both in the people rallying, and in their messages (there were at a few führer references).

But there was also a lot of talk about things you might not expect if you're only familiar with these sorts of rallies via blurbs on the news. And it's the kind of stuff you could easily come across at, say, an anti-fracking rally (or whatever the issue): the importance of voting and voter registration, paying attention to what you're elected representatives are doing, problems with the legislative process and back room dealing.

Here are a bunch of scenes from the rally...

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Chris Gibson ranked as most "liberal" Republican in the House

Chris Gibson Congressional portraitThe National Journal does an annual vote rating of Congress members (methodology), then it ranks the representatives and senators on "liberal" and "conservative" scales. And this year, in National Journal's estimate, Chris Gibson ranked as the most liberal House Republican -- with a voting record more liberal than that of 10 House Democrats.

From an accompanying article about Gibson:

Gibson placed the furthest left of all House Republicans in National Journal's 2012 ideological vote ratings. Whether that means he is the most liberal, the most moderate, or perhaps just the least conservative member of the GOP conference is in the eye of the beholder. The way Gibson sees it, he landed near the middle of both ratings in his first term because he balances a pro-growth and an anti-debt agenda, all while representing a district (New York's 19th) that Obama carried twice.
"This is the kind of representation that gets things done, that creates jobs," Gibson said. "We can bring people together in an era rife with partisanship and divide."

After the jump, a quick scan of the ratings for other regional Congress members, and little more about the NY 20th, which Gibson represented until the most recent redistricting. (We'll just say it now... yes, there's a graph.)

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A quick scan of Andrew Cuomo's 2013 budget

andrew cuomo budget presentation 2013

Now with descriptive podium.

Two weeks ago was the State of the State address (the talk), this week: the budget proposal (the walk). The budget is a big deal for the state, because it's the Cuomo administration putting its money (actually, all our money) where its mouth is.

Like last year, this year's budget presentation didn't include the dire pronouncements about gloom and doom that had been so common in previous years. As Andrew Cuomo said at Tuesday's presentation, "It's not supposed to be traumatic." He even called this year's budget proposal "simple and straightforward." (Those are always in the eye of the budget beholder -- we are talking about a plan to spend $130something billion here.)

So let's get to it...

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The state Senate 46th election is over. Finally.

cecelia tkaczykDemocrat Cecelia Tkaczyk has won the election for state Senate 46th over Republican George Amedore (unofficially). More than two months after election day. After absentee ballot counts. After court challenges. After a counting of challenged ballots. By 19 votes (or so). [TU CapCon]

Tkacyzk had trailed Amedore by 35 votes, but she gained the advantage after 90 additional ballots were opened and counted in Ulster County Friday morning. [YNN] [Daily Freeman]

Said Tkaczyk in a statement: "It is an incredible privilege to have been selected by the people of the 46th District to serve as their State Senator. No one believed our campaign had a chance in a district hand-carved by Republicans, and yet the power of good ideas and a strong campaign proved itself."

Said Amedore to the Business Review after the count: "I just know one thing: This has got to stop. ... The election happened in November. It's mid-January. Let's get this behind us and just move on." [Biz Review]

The state Senate 46th covers a large chunk of western Albany County, and much of Schenectady County, Montgomery County, Greene County, and Ulster County (pdf map).

This result is notable for a few reasons:

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New gun control legislation passed, signed

Andrew Cuomo signing SAFE Act

Andrew Cuomo signing the legislation shortly after 5 pm on Tuesday.

The state Assembly passed -- and Andrew Cuomo signed (video) -- the NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act Tuesday afternoon. The state Senate passed the gun legislation late Monday night. The law takes effect immediately, though many provisions in it don't start right away.

The law is notable for a few reasons. New York now has the strictest assault rifle ban in the nation. And, from a symbolic and political perspective, New York becomes the first state to pass new gun control legislation after the Newtown shootings.

A quick overview of what's included in the law is after the jump, as well as a rundown of how Capital Region legislators voted.

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A quick scan of State of the State 2013

andrew cuomo 2013 state of the state screengrab

There will be all kinds of coverage of Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address everywhere over the next few days. But for right now, here's a quick, scannable overview of this afternoon's speech -- enough to get you through a conversation today -- you'll find it after the jump.

Spoilers: "innovation hot spots," upstate New York, casinos, equality, and gun control.

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State Senate is about sharing now, apparently

Thumbnail image for NYS Capitol from ESPWith Andrew Cuomo supplying a carefully choreographed order to the executive branch of New York State government, it's good to know that we can continue to count on the state Senate to provide the political drama we've come to expect from the Capitol.

The latest turn in the ongoing drama: Republicans and the Independent Democratic Conference -- a group of four (now five) breakaway Democrats -- announced today that they've formed a coalition to grab control of the chamber.

From the press release:

Under the unprecedented agreement, the Independent Democratic Conference will be formally recognized as a third, permanent Senate conference. Senator [Jeff] Klein and Senator [Dean] Skelos will assume the roles of Conference Leader for their respective conferences and will administer joint and equal authority over (1) the daily senate agenda (a/k/a the "Active List," which lays out which bills will be voted on each day), (2) the state budget, (3) appointments to state and local boards, and (4) leadership and committee assignments for their respective conferences. Under the agreement, coalition leaders will need to work together to lead the Senate forward. The new agreement will also provide for a process by which the title of Temporary President will alternate between the two conference leaders every two weeks. Therefore, the role of the temporary president will be constitutionally fulfilled at all times.

What could go wrong? And if we're going to have coalition government, maybe the Senate should make like Parliament, with Question Time for the Temporary President and yelling backbenchers. We'd watch that.

The development included extra drama in the form a B plot line involving Democrat Malcolm Smith, who was part of the Senate leadership when it was briefly (and chaotically) under Democratic control. It came out today he's joined the IDC. (We hope there was some sort of dramatic reveal.) [NY Post]

So what?

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Push for pot, now with lobbying muscle

medical marijuana signNoted: a Colorado-based marijuana company has hired influential lobbying firm Patricia Lynch Associates to push for marijuana legalization in New York State. [NYDN]

One of the main arguments being floated for pot legalization: tax revenue. State senator Diane Savino -- who's been pushing for medical marijuana since at least earlier this year -- told the NY Post earlier this month that licensing and taxing could generate close to $1 billion for the state. We'd be interested in the math behind that figure. We did some back-of-the-envelope estimating a few years back and figured the state could probably pull in at least $230 million. [WSJ] [NY Post]

Andrew Cuomo has publicly been less than enthusiastic about the idea. [State of Politics]

Voters in both Colorado and Washington State recently approved measures to legalize recreational use of pot. Estimates of the revenue potential from taxation in those states are in the $300-$400 million/year range. [CNN] [US News]

Eighteen states and DC now allow medical marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures -- even though it's still illegal under federal law. A Siena poll reported this past May that New Yorkers support legalizing medical marijuana 57-33.

Earlier on AOA: Pot prices around New York State (2011)

photo: Flickr user Caveman 92223

General election results 2012

polling place sign election 2012

Updated 10 am Wednesday

Here's a quick scan of results from elections around the Capital Region Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial, and some are bound to change as things settle.

OK, on with the results...

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Surprises in local state Senate races?

state senate 43 and 46 district maps

A couple of interesting things about two local state Senate races in the Siena poll out today:

Roy McDonald
Here's how respondents said they'd be voting in the state Senate 43rd election:
Kathy Marchione (R): 40%
Roy McDonald (I): 29%
Robin Andrews (D): 25%
(MOE +/- 4.4%)

Yep, Roy McDonald -- who stopped campaigning after narrowly losing the Republican primary -- polled ahead of the Democrat in the race, Robin Andrews. Two questions that occurred to us because of this result:

+ Could Roy McDonald have won the general election if he kept going?

+ And/or, is McDonald's relatively strong showing in the poll just an artifact of incumbency? Of all the candidates in the field, he's the one most likely to be known by voters. And 67% of respondents in the Siena poll said they didn't know about/didn't have an opinion of Robin Andrews.

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Tonko/Dieterich Twitter debate

daily gazette ny20 twitter debate screengrabThe Daily Gazette's David Lombardo hosted a Twitter debate for the 20th Congressional District race between incumbent Paul Tonko (D) and challenger Bob Dieterich (R) yesterday -- it's embedded (with free access) at that link.

How was it? Not bad!

Sure, the candidates weren't able to go on at length about their positions -- though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Most debates are relatively high in "blah blah blah" content. But on Twitter the candidates had to get right to the point. Considering the way a lot of these sorts of discussions go off the rails because of the candidates and/or moderators, some built-in constraints can be helpful (up next: dueling political haiku).

Of course, a Twitter debate by itself would be insufficient -- but part of a broader mix of live debates, interviews, exchanges, it's a good changeup. So +1 for trying something new. We'd like to see it again.

Shake up for horse racing in New York

horse in stable at saratoga race courseTwo important recent developments about horse racing in New York:

State takeover of NYRA
The Cuomo admin announced today (Monday) that Andrew Cuomo has signed the legislation that creates the "NYRA Reorganization Board" -- basically the committee that will carry out the three-year state takeover of NYRA, a plan that was announced this past spring. This is important because NYRA is the org that runs the Saratoga Race Course, Belmont, and Aqueduct. From the press release:

"New York State's racing industry is a major economic driver in the state, supporting thousands of jobs and attracting tourists from around the world," Governor Cuomo said. "New York taxpayers and the betting public deserve a racing industry that is managed competently and does not neglect the health and safety of the horses. The NYRA Reorganization Board will restore public trust, accountability, and transparency to the racing industry in our state, so New York can continue to offer one of the most exciting, enjoyable, safe horse racing experiences in the nation."

The reorganization board will have 17 members -- Cuomo gets to pick seven of them, the Senate and Assembly two each, and the current NYRA board five, with a chairperson nominated by Cuomo.

NYRA has been a scandal-plagued trainwreck for years, so it will be interesting to see if the state takeover smooths things out.

Horse safety
On Friday the Cuomo admin announced a series of reforms aimed at promoting the safety of horses racing on tracks in New York.

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Roy McDonald stops his campaign

roy mcdonaldIn a statement today Roy McDonald announced that he will not "actively campaign" in the upcoming general election for the state Senate 43rd.

As you know, the incumbent state Senator from Saratoga County lost the Republican primary to Kathy Marchione -- the election came to down to absentee ballots, and McDonald came up about 100 votes short. McDonald could have continued in the general election on the Independence Party line. [State of Politics] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

From McDonald's statement:

Moving forward, I will be supporting all Republican candidates - including Kathy Marchione - in the General Election, because I believe maintaining the Republican Majority in the New York State Senate will continue to positively change state government. It is important to recognize the need for checks and balances in our democracy, which can only be assured by a multi-party system.

Marchione's challenge of McDonald was prompted by the senator's vote in favor of the Marriage Equality Act. Of the four Republican state senators who voted for the act, two survived primary challenges, another chose not to run, and McDonald lost. He didn't mention the vote in his statement.

Even so, McDonald will be remembered for that vote on the historic legislation -- and his awesomely non-politician statement that preceded it:

"You get to the point where you evolve in your life where everything isn't black and white, good and bad, and you try to do the right thing.
"You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, f--- it, I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing.
"I'm tired of Republican-Democrat politics. They can take the job and shove it. I come from a blue-collar background. I'm trying to do the right thing, and that's where I'm going with this."

His vote and statement made him a temporary viral star online and won him a relative avalanche of campaign funding. [AOA] [NYDN] [AOA]

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Political memorabilia show

political memorabilia show keefeThis Saturday at the Best Western Sovereign Hotel (across from UAlbany) there's a political memorabilia show. From the blurbage:

100'S of Collectors of American Political Campaign material with gather Saturday in Albany starting at 9:00 a.m. to buy sell and trade OBAMA, ROMNEY and ABE LINCOLN campaign buttons and other political and historic material.

As you might imagine, threre's a whole world of campaign memorabilia collectors. They even have their own org. And they collect all sorts of stuff -- buttons, stickers, the always popular "ephemera."

The show at the Best Western is from 9 am-2 pm. It's free to get in.

Good design leads to electoral success?

campaign sign design primary winners

Winning design?

Observation: the results of our campaign yard sign design primary matched up surprisingly well with what actually happened in last week's primaries.

Here's the breakdown...

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State and local primary election results 2012

electioneering line albany new scotland ave 2012

Here's a quick scan of results from state and local primary elections around the Capital Region Thursday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial.

The boards of election from Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Columbia, Washington, Greene, Montgomery counties have results posted online.

These primary results are important because some of the winners will face little or no competition in the general election. And in the case of the state Senate 43rd -- Roy McDonald vs. Kathy Marchione for the Republican line -- the primary is too close to call.

OK, here are the results...

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Political yard sign design primary, part II

political yard sign design primary composite 2

Oh, the polarizing typefaces.

Yesterday we started our political yard sign design primary with a look at signs for Albany County DA, and a few local state Senate races. Today, we move onto a handful of local Assembly races. And there a lot of signs. So let's get to it.

As in part one, we got a trio of accomplished local designers to critique signs. Here are the results...

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Political yard sign design primary, part I

political yard sign design primary composite 1

In this primary, your stance on kerning can make all the difference.

The primary elections for state and local offices is this Thursday. And that means lawns, medians, parking lots, and other spots all over the Capital Region are currently adorned with political signs. So. Many. Political signs.

You can't help not seeing them. They're everywhere. So we thought it'd be fun to look at the signs a little differently, a little more fundamentally -- as design objects. And we got a trio of accomplished local designers to critique the design of signs from a handful of local races.

Because of the vast herds of signs this year, we've broken the design primary up into two days.

Today: design primary results from races for Albany County DA, State Senate 43rd, and State Senate 44th...

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Kirsten Gillibrand on the Daily Show

Kirsten Gillibrand was on the Daily Show last night. KG was there to talk about the Democratic National Convention, and getting more women involved with politics The video is embedded above. And part two is post jump.

Increasing the number of women in politics is one of KG's frequent focuses. She was on a panel about topic yesterday at the convention -- she talked about her 2006 run against John Sweeney and her grandmother, Polly Noonan (a key figure in the political machine that ran Albany). [TU CapCon]

Watching these Daily Show segments reminded us of how Gillibrand often doesn't come across as a typical politician. Instead of the measured, bland presence that many politicians usually have on TV, KG registers as enthusiastic. That's drawn her some flak, but it makes her stand out. And she comes through the TV more like a real person. That's a pretty useful skill for a politician.

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Many chances to see candidates for state Assembly and Senate, Albany County DA

Thumbnail image for albany county ballot scannerA lot of Capital Region politicians are currently missing their hats because they've thrown them in to some ring or the other. That's what happens when a lot of incumbents decide not to run. The result: some very long slates for offices.

Something that might help you narrow the field: seeing the candidate for a race in person in one place. There are a bunch of chances this week (listed post jump). Bring a scorecard.

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That (anti) fracking rally in downtown Albany

anti-fracking rally capitol park Albany

A crowd of about 1,000 people showed up in downtown Albany Monday to rally against hydrofracking. The crowd gathered in the Corning Preserve, then filled the block on Broadway in front of the the DEC building, moved up the middle of State Street, and finally to Capitol Park for a lineup speakers. [LoHud Albany Watch] [@JonCampbellGAN] [@JonCampbellGAN] [@_1134] [@AmandaSavarese]

The anti-fracking movement is fired up right now because the Cuomo administration's decision on whether to allow the natural gas extraction method is reportedly near -- and the word circulating is that the admin will allow some fracking in the state. (Cuomo played down those rumors recently.) Not surprisingly, much of the anti-fracking message today was directed at Andrew Cuomo. [CBS News] [TU] [Reuters]

The decision -- whenever it comes out -- will be a big deal.

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How to win a mayors race

valleycats mayors mascots

A rare time out from the intensity of the race for (left to right) "Gary McCarthy," "Lou Rosamilia," and "Jerry Jennings."

By Casey Normile

While many politicians are just gearing up for the fall elections, some Capital Region politicians have been at it since the beginning of summer.

The nightly mayors race at the Tri-City ValleyCats games have kept Albany mayor "Jerry Jennings," Troy mayor "Lou Rosamilia," and Schenectady mayor "Gary McCarthy" in peak political shape.

Hardened with the fire of intense competition, honed to a razor sharp edge by experience, the three mayors now graciously offer some tips to other local politicians on how to win...

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Behold, the Andrew Cuomo bobblehead

andrew cuomo bobbleheadMonday night was Andrew Cuomo bobblhead night at the ValleyCats game. The bobblhead on the right is the one snagged by Jessica R.

Much like the actual Andrew Cuomo, the the bobblehead Andrew Cuomo apparently enjoyed strong popularity. People were lined up ahead of time in order to score one of the 1,500 bobbles. Inevitable next question: will bobblehead Andrew Cuomo run for the bobblehead presidency? The world holds its breath, nodding its head gently, waiting for an answer.

Sadly, the life of a bobblehead can be tough -- a lesson bobblhead Andrew Cuomo found out last night.

Earlier on AOA: Kim's collection of Capital Region/New York State bobbleheads

photo: Jessica R

You might have heard: Andrew Cuomo is popular

andrew cuomo mediumThe Quinnipiac Poll out today reports that Andrew Cuomo's approval rating has hit 71 percent -- the highest level for a New York governor as measured by the Q poll since George Pataki hit 81 percent shortly after 9/11.

Cuomo's approval mark hit a high mark of 77 percent in the Siena poll in February. The polling over the last few months prompted a Washington Post writer to declare Cuomo "most popular governor in the country" back in April.

Of course, if you've followed New York politics for any length of time, the next natural thought is: there's no where to go now but down.

A few other bits from the Q poll:

+ 78 percent of respondents supported some sort of raise in the state's minimum wage.

+ Respondents supported making teacher evaluations public 56-40.

+ Respondents support "the creation of Las Vegas-type casinos" 56-33 -- but support for changing the state constitution to do so is 49-42.

Poll: New Yorkers continue to support medical marijuana, not sure about fracking and MMA

medical marijuana signNew Yorkers support the legalization of medical marijuana 57-33, according to the Siena poll out today.

That result isn't really surprising -- a few other polls in recent years have also registered support for medical marijuana. The only subgroups in this new Siena poll not responding with majority support: Republicans and conservatives. Also, the income group registering the most support for it: $100k+ at 68 percent.

There have been bills in the legislature over the last few years that would legalize medical marijuana. And state Senator Diane Savino has picked the issue up again this year. But the chances of a bill making it through are probably small without support from Andrew Cuomo -- and he appeared to indicate last month he's not on board. [WSJ] [State of Politics]

We're curious to see the results if people were asked about straight out legalization or decriminalization of pot.

A few other bits from the poll...

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Poll: strong support for minimum wage increase

8 dollars 50 cents

$8.50

A large majority of New Yorkers support raising the state's minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour, according to the Siena poll out today. Of the people polled, support for the increase ran 78-17. The group registering the lowest support for the increase was Republicans -- and even among that group, 58 percent support it.

A few other interesting bits from today's poll:

+ One of Andrew Cuomo's strategies since becoming governor has appeared to be finding ways to allow the legislature to look good (while still doing what he wants it to do). It seems to be working: the number of people saying they have a "favorable" opinion of the Assembly and Senate are at "highest ever" levels* -- in the upper 40s.

+ The Occupy Wall Street movement registered its lowest favorability so far -- 38/52 favorable/unfavorable. The Tea Party's favorable/unfavorable: 38/58.

+ If the presidential election was now: Obama 57 | Romney 37.

+ The percent of people who said "don't know" or have "no opinion" of Kirsten Gillibrand is 25 percent -- the same as it was back in January 2011. We suspect this is roughly the same percentage of people who would feel open about admitting they don't follow politics or government at all. Chuck Schumer's don't know/no opinion: 9. See also: Chuck who?

+ KG still easily beats any of the potential Republicans in a hypothetical matchup for the US Senate.

+ The percent of people who agreed that New York State is on the "right track": 55 percent, a "highest ever" level.

* "Trends reflect questions asked at least twice since the first Siena College Poll in February 2005."

Occupy Albany re-emerges

occupy albany march 2012-05-01 pearl street

On Pearl Street this afternoon.

Occupy Albany reminded people today that it's still kicking by gathering in Lafayette and Academy parks and marching around downtown Albany. The group is planning to celebrate "May Day's historic roots in the labor movement." Also: "It is worth noting, however, that celebration is scheduled to continue past the 11pm park curfew." (This feels familiar.)

Two people were arrested by State Police today for setting up a table without a permit in the state-owned Lafayette Park. [TU]

Hey, that's Chris Gibson and... Alec Baldwin

chris gibson alec baldwin

Jack Donaghy has just told Chris Gibson a terrible secret about the Trivection oven.

Among Alec Baldwin's stops this week in DC while lobbying for National Endowment for the Arts funding: Chris Gibson.

The Congressman's office says Baldwin wanted to thank Gibson for his support of arts funding. Baldwin has been working with a group called Americans for the Arts to rally support for the NEA. At the National Press Club yesterday he called Gibson a "hero" of the arts on Capitol Hill. [NPC] [TU CapCon]

Last year Gibson was one of only a handful of House Republicans to vote against a cut to NEA funding. The measure still passed by eight votes. From a political perspective, Gibson's support makes sense. It'd be he hard to represent the Hudson Valley and somehow be seen as anti-arts. And his new district -- NY-19, if he's re-elected -- covers even more of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. [Americans for the Arts]

Gibson's office says the Congressman invited Baldwin to the district to co-host an arts event. Alec Baldwin in Kinderhook would have a certain State and Main quality...

(Press release post-jump.)

photo: Chris Gibson's office

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New Congressional districts for the Capital Region

new york state congressional districts 2012

Here's the map of new Congressional districts for New York State approved by a panel of federal judges (large format). The state is down two districts, from 29 to 27, after the most recent census.

Under the new lines, the Capital Region is now spread over three districts: NY 19 (currently Chris Gibson), NY 20 (currently Paul Tonko), and NY 21 (currently Bill Owens). There's some significant reorganization, especially in the core of the area -- the cities of Albany, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, and Troy are now in the same district (they had been split between districts represented by Tonko and Gibson).

The New York Times has posted a very good interactive map comparing the new and old districts.

All the new maps from the federal judges are embedded after the jump.

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New York State scores a "D"

state integrity investigation nys report cardA project called the "State Integrity Investigation" has released report cards for each state's "corruption risk." And, surprise (not really), New York State scored poorly.

New York State's score -- 65%, a D -- ranked #36. The state had low scores in categories such as public access to info, state pension fund management, budget processes, and redistricting.

The project is a collaboration between The Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity, and Public Radio International. The scores were determined by journalists in each state based on a set of 330 question (apparently not among the questions: "Are bills passed by sleep-deprived legislators in the middle of the night?). In New York, the journalist was the Gotham Gazette's David King.

New Jersey was the top-ranked state (87%, B+), Georgia was the lowest (49%, F).

image: State Integrity Investigation

The Capital Region's legislative districts, before and after the proposed new lines

capital region 2012 proposed assembly districts

How Capital Region state Assembly districts could shape up.

Update: Andrew Cuomo says he'll veto the new lines, which probably means negotiations and adjustments. [AP/WSJ]
____

The task force in charge of drawing new districts for the state Senate and Assembly released its slate of proposed maps this week. As this is New York State politics, there was much criticism. And we'll get to some of that in a bit.

The Capital Region could potentially end up being affected by a lot by the proposed new district lines. Most significantly, the task force is proposing to add a new Senate district that would cover the southwest corner of the area. But there are also shifts in the city of Albany, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, and Troy.

Reading about all this, we found it kind of hard to keep all the old and new maps straight. So we've we've put together before-and-after versions of the Capital Region's legislative districts -- the current districts side by side with the proposed new lines.

Citizens of the Capital Region, meet what could be your new gerrymanders...

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Kirsten Gillibrand, SOPA/PIPA, 2016, and cake

Senator Kirsten GillibrandThere was some interesting blowback today for Kirsten Gillibrand on SOPA/PIPA -- federal legislation touted as a way for copyright holders to crack down on piracy, but in practice would muck up much of the internet. Under pressure from widespread online protest this week, Congressional leaders took the bills off the table today. [TechDirt] [Wired]

Both Chuck Schumer and KG were co-sponsors of PIPA (basically the Senate version of SOPA), and tech industry people in NYC organized a large protest (with actual, in-real-life people) outside the senators' office there on Wednesday. [BetaBeat]

Apparently in response to the protests and the pulling of the bill, KG (or her office) posted on her Facebook page today:

Whether passing the 9/11 Health Bill, repealing DADT, or my call to action for women, I have always urged New Yorkers to make their voices heard. There has been an outpouring of democracy in action over the last several weeks on PIPA & SOPA. While many of my colleagues and I have worked hard to address concerns with the current bill, it is clear this proposal will not create consensus on how to crack down on the real problem of online theft that threatens tens of thousands of New York jobs in a balanced way that ensures our tech companies will continue to flourish. It is time for Congress to take a step back and start over with both sides bringing their solutions to the table to find common ground towards solving this problem. New talks between stakeholders -- media companies, music and film companies, Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley here in New York is a critically needed step forward. Make no mistake, we must act to protect the theft of intellectual property that costs our economy billions in revenue -- but we must get it right without unintended consequences that could stifle the internet.

Which, in turn, prompted Markos Moulitsas (the Kos in Daily Kos) to argue that KG is "trying to have her cake, and eat it too, on PIPA." And the overarching reason, in his view: she's looking ahead to 2016 and a run for a White House.

[via @patrickboegel]

A quick scan of Andrew Cuomo's 2012 budget

cuomo budget 2012 screengrab

Let me show you some PowerPoints...

Updated Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

Andrew Cuomo and his administration presented their proposed 2012-2013 budget this afternoon. The budget is a big deal for the state, because it's the Cuomo administration putting its money (actually, all our money) where its mouth is.

This year's presentation was less dramatic than last year -- there was no declaration of the state being "functionally bankrupt." Cuomo touted the measures taken in last year's budget for helping to make things easier this year. "We regained the public trust," he said, "That is a great gift and an awesome responsibility. Let's build on it this year, even higher, together." (pause for applause)

So, we watched the address and skimmed through the budget briefing docs so you don't have to. Here's a quick overview of Cuomo's proposed budget...

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A quick scan of the State of the State 2012

Cuomo SOTS screen shot.jpg

Today's SOTS at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center

There will be all kinds of coverage of Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address everywhere over the next few days. But for right now, here's a quick, scannable overview of this afternoon's speech -- enough to get you through a conversation today -- you'll find it after the jump.

Spoilers: It mentions casino gambling and convention centers, and "reimagined" government.

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Interesting in 2011: Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian

harry tuntunjian with uncle sam statue

Outgoing Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian.

All this week we'll be highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.

After two terms, Harry Tutunjian steps down as the mayor of Troy this week. In his eight-year tenure as mayor, Tutunjian has overseen a lot of change in the Collar City: new development, the controversial demolition of the former city hall, and the plan for the new Riverfront Park which broke ground this week. Tutunjian's term was also marked by some rather public and acrimonious battles with the Troy city council.

One the things we've found interesting about Tutunjian is that he's made frequent use of Twitter -- to share news, answer questions from constituents, promote local businesses, make contacts, and jab political opponents. And while Twitter might not necessarily have always been the best venue, we think public officials communicating this way is generally a good thing. And we'd love to see more local officials follow Tutunjian's example.

So, as his last term as mayor comes to a close, we talked with @TroyMayor about his time in office, his leadership style, and the appeal of the Collar City.

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Interesting in 2011: Mike Guidice & Jen Pursley Guidice

Mike & Jen Guidice (photo-Patrick Dodson).jpg

Hounds on the Hudson owners, and Albany chickens proponents, Mike and Jen.

All this week we'll be highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.

We've known about Hounds on the Hudson Mike and Jen for a while, but this year the owners of the local dog walking company became known more for chickens than for dogs.

When the city of Albany took away the chickens they'd been raising for years in the backyard of their Grand Street home, Mike and Jen, along with councilman Dominick Calsolaro and a group of dedicated volunteers, worked to amend a 10-year-old law that prohibits farm animals from being kept in Albany in order to allow for small urban chicken coops.

Word spread quickly through social media, and for a while it seemed that everywhere we went someone was talking about urban chickens. But the issue sparked other conversations about participation in local government and what it really means to be a progressive city. Regardless of the outcome, it was interesting to hear the various opinions.

The Albany chickens group campaigned, refined their ordinance and finally got it passed by the common council, but in the end Jerry Jennings vetoed the law and there were not enough votes on the council to override.

So after all of their efforts, Mike and Jen did not get their chickens back. We've been wondering what they did get out of the whole experience, and what, if anything, is next for Albany chickens.

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The eviction of Occupy Albany

occupy albany tent on state street

Occupy Albany took its protest on the road. Literally.

Updated Friday evening

Following the expiration of its permit Thursday morning, Occupy Albany was evicted from Academy Park that afternoon. City of Albany Department of General Services employees dismantled and removed tents as police watched.

Then things went a bit crazy -- Occupiers took their last tent on a tour of the city's streets before returning to the park. That's when police grabbed the last tent, the scene became chaotic, there was pepper spray, and a few arrests.

Here's a photo log of what we saw.

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Occupy Albany, two months later

occupy albany 2 months composite

Occupy Albany's permit to continue the protest in Albany's Academy Park ran out at 7 am this morning, and it's possible they could be booted by the city tonight (though it doesn't appear likely, at this point). Update: The city ">moved in this afternoon and took down tents.

The Occupy protestors have been in Academy park since October. This seemed like a good time to ask some of the OA protestors about what effect they think they've had during the last two months -- and what happens next.

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Occupy Albany's demand

Occupy Albany Makes Demands

After a two month encampment, Occupy Albany made its first official demand today.

After two months camped out in Albany's Academy Park -- and two days before they face potential eviction by the city -- Occupy Albany protestors made their first public demand today.

At a press conference amid the tents they announced they've decided to focus on separating politics from money. In a prepared statement occupiers argued "the voice of the people is drowned out by the corrupting influence that concentrated economic power exerts on the government."

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The gerrymanders of New York State

lincoln riding vacuum cleaner senate districtA few figures from Citizen's Union's recent report on gerrymandering in New York State and what the org says is the resulting "pernicious decades-long erosion of our state's democracy and governance":

+ 96 percent of incumbents in the state legislature have been re-elected since 2002

+ the average margin of victory in contested races last year: 51 percent

+ 19 percent of general election state races were uncontested in 2010

Perhaps the most colorful of New York's gerrymanders: the Senate 51st -- AKA, "Lincoln Riding on a Vacuum Cleaner." Of course, the gerrymander's original habitat was Massachusetts.

[via @dannyhakim and NYDN]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Soapbox: Why I didn't vote last Tuesday
+ New York State ranked last in voter turnout

map: NYS LATFOR

Where New Yorkers stand on Occupy movement

A few bits from the Siena poll out today:

+ 71 percent of respondents said they had been paying at least "some" attention to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

+ 66 percent said Occupy protesters "do not" represent 99 percent of people (56 percent for Democrats, 80 for Republicans).

+ On whether Occupiers should be allowed to stay in parks 24 hours a day -- 57 percent said yes (67 percent of Democrats, 42 percent of Republicans).

+ Favorable/unfavorable: Occupy Wall Street 45/44 | Tea Party 28/60.

+ "Do you think there has been too much media coverage [of Occupy Wall Street movement], about the right amount of coverage, or not enough coverage?" 29 percent said too much, 46 percent right amount, 22 percent not enough. Republicans were split 41/41 on too much versus right amount.

It's been interesting watching reaction to the Occupy movement on Twitter and other places online. The reaction seems to range from automatic, uncritical support to contempt/borderline disgust. That's kind of remarkable for a movement/group whose message lacks sharp focus. Then again, maybe that allows everyone to project their own notions onto the situation.

Why I didn't vote last Tuesday

albany county ballot 2011-11-08

By Jennifer O'Connor

soapbox badgeTuesday was, of course, Election Day -- and for the third time in 12 years, I did not vote.

The first time I didn't vote was 1999. I turned 18 on October 3, was a freshman in college and was overwhelmed and misinformed about where to vote. The second time was in 2003. I had just moved to a new town and registered when changing my drivers license. The registration was never processed.

But this year, my absence from the polls was an active choice.

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Arrests at Occupy Albany

occupy albany lafayette arrests 2011-11-12

One of the protesters being arrested.

State Police arrested approximately 25 Occupy Albany protesters in Lafayette Park shortly after 11 pm Saturday. The park is across the street from the Capitol and owned by the state -- the Cuomo administration instituted a curfew there in late October. This group of protesters had gathered in a deliberate attempt to see if there would be a response from the state. [TU]

As they were clearing the park, State Police said they would also arrest members of media in the park. Media members moved to the sidewalk, but then returned to the park and were not arrested.

Saturday afternoon, State Police had arrested an Occupy protester -- Bradley Russell -- in Lafayette Park for building an "illegal structure" there. Occupy Albany had sent out a press release Friday announcing that Russell intended to build the "freedom fort" as a protest against the state curfew. [TU] [OA press release, pasted after jump]

The Occupy Albany protest previously had been contained to the city-owned Academy Park, which is directly adjacent to Lafayette. Officials from the city of Albany and Albany County have said local police would not arrest or charge protesters staying in the city-owned side of the park.

Here's a tweet-by-tweet of how things went down Saturday night, with photos...

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Election results highlights 2011

ballot 2011

Here's a quick scan of results from local elections Tuesday. This is not a comprehensive list, just some highlights. Numbers are unofficial.

The boards of election from Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties have results posted online.

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We need a better opposition party

albany county ballot 2011-11-08

Someone's else's name here. Please.

Standing at the voting booth today, looking at all the unopposed races, we thought: Albany needs a better opposition party -- whether it's Republicans, Greens, Technocrats, the Party Party. Something, anything to make the Democrats at least have to earn it.

You know, there's a small mischievous thrill from voting "none of the above" as a write-in, but it doesn't really help anything. And voting for voting's sake is hollow.

More photos from Occupy Albany

occupy albany dog bailout sebastien

There's now a Flickr pool for photos from Occupy Albany, and a handful of photographers are contributing to it.

Sebastien has continued to update his ongoing photoset from Occupy of Albany (that's his photo above), as has Tim Raab. Their latest photos give a bit of a sense of how the scene is evolving as the protesters settle in for what apparently is intended to be a long term stay. One example: there's now a "People's Potty."

Occupy representatives met with city officials this week about some of the health and safety issues that might arise because of a long term stay at the park. There didn't seem to be much specific that came out of the meeting other than agreement to keep talking and working together. [Fox23] [TU]

photo: Sebastien Barre

Sights and sounds from Occupy Albany, and a focus on Cuomo

Here's a nice video from Occupy Albany by Bhawin Suchak. It give you a sense of the scene there. (It's worth mentioning the piece is sympathetic to the cause. There's a whole thread here about how orgs and social movements are now creating media coverage of themselves -- but we'll leave that to political scientists and media theorists.) And here's a new photoset from Sunday by Timothy Raab.

Andrew Cuomo
One of the apparent results of the stories circulating that Andrew Cuomo wanted the police to arrest the Occupy Albany protesters for violating park curfew is that Cuomo is emerging as a/one focus of the protest (or, at least, the coverage of the protest -- the media get bored when the story doesn't change). As Jimmy Vielkind asked in a headline this morning: "Is Occupy Albany about Cuomo? Is it now?" There's already been a "Cuomoville" sign (historical context). [Gotham Gazette] [TU]

Ron Canestrari said today that pressure for extending the Millionaire's Tax has been increasing among state politicians -- in part because of the Occupy movements. [State of Politics]

Occupy Albany

Occupy Albany 2011 #1 Crowd Shot.jpg

Occupy Albany protestors in Lafayette Park today.

The Occupy Albany protest began Friday afternoon. Protestors gathered with signs at Lafayette Park, right across from the state Capitol.

So, who's down there? And what are they hoping they'll achieve?

Here are some of the faces of Occupy Albany and why they were there...

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Toward occupying Albany, via consensus

occupy albany general assembly crowd expressing approval

The crowd expressing approval during the general assembly.

Update: Here are some the people were at the first day of Occupy Albany -- and why they were there.
____

Occupy Albany, the local incarnation of the Occupy movement, has decided to start its occupation this Friday (October 21) at noon in Lafayette/Academy Park (the park across Washington Ave from the Capitol).

The decision came via the group's "general assembly" Sunday night at the Grand Street Community Arts. Curious about the movement, and interested to hear about how it might be manifesting locally, we stopped by the meeting. It was at times remarkable -- and frustrating.

Here are a few observations and thoughts...

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Bill Clinton speaking in Albany September 27

bill clinton at world economic forum 2006 davosUpdate: Here's video of the speech.
____

Shh, don't tell anyone: Bill Clinton will be speaking in Albany next week (Tuesday, September 27).

The former president will be the keynote speaker at a conference at the Empire State Plaza for the regional economic councils set up by the Cuomo administration. The event is open to the public, but there's a ticket lottery. You must enter by the end of this Tuesday (September 20) and confirm your intent to attend within 24 hours of being notified.

Oddly, the Cuomo admin seems to be underplaying the event a bit. On the website for the economic councils, it's just billed as "Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/ REGIONAL COUNCIL STATEWIDE CONFERENCE/ September 27, 2011- Albany, NY." Stars are always so touchy about whose name goes above the title...

Bill Clinton was last here in March when he spoke at UAlbany.

[via Biz Review]

photo: Flickr user World Economic Forum

The Pataki-for-president thing keeps going -- somehow

pataki speaking at conferenceThis George-Pataki-wants-to-run-for-president thing just won't go away -- probably because he keeps pushing it! He's now expected to announce... something... this weekend in Iowa. [AP/WP] [CNN] [Des Moines Register]

At Five Thirty Eight, Nate Silver has analyzed the Republican field and determined there's room for Pataki -- somewhere behind Mitt Romney, who's depicted as a gas giant (maybe we're reading the graph incorrectly).

All this talk is ridiculous. Because, as we said last year when there was low level hum about Pataki in 2012, and we'll repeat it now:

Why it's implausible that George Pataki will be President of the United States

photo: Flickr user Center for American Progress Action Fund

Speed reading what local Congressional reps said about the debt ceiling deal

schumer gillibrand gibson tonko

Yes, No, Yes, No

The federal debt-ceiling drama ended today after the Senate passed the bill raising the ceiling, and Barack Obama signed it late this afternoon. [NYT] [NYT]

No one seems happy about the deal -- a fact reflected in the votes and comments from local Congressional reps, who split on how they voted...

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Lewis Black on Albany

lewis black closeup

One of our favorite Lewis Black lines, about mad cow disease: "What were these ranchers thinking when they started feeding cows to other cows? Hey, when I eat human, I get a little crazy myself!"

Comedian and playwright Lewis Black is heading for Albany in a few months to do his stand-up act at The Palace. Black is well known for his rants and observations about politics, which is pretty much our local sport.

So we gave him a call to ask what he thinks about some of the things that have been going on lately at the state Capitol.

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An animated account of the Marriage Equality Act

The recent passage of the Marriage Equality Act, as only NMA -- the animated Taiwanese news -- could report it:

[via Politics on the Hudson]

Earlier on AOA: New York Senate passes Marriage Equality Act, Andrew Cuomo signs it shortly after

New York Senate passes Marriage Equality Act, Andrew Cuomo signs it shortly after

same sex marriage senate vote composite

A few scenes from the state Capitol Friday night.

The state Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act 33-29 Friday night.

Earlier in the evening, the Assembly passed amendments to the bill that included increased protections for religious organizations that choose not to participate in same-sex marriages.

Andrew Cuomo signed the bill shortly before midnight on Friday. It takes effect 30 days after his signature.

Recaps, quotes and pics from the vote after the jump...

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Same-sex marriage vote: corn-hold

The Daily Show takes on the state Senate's choice of issues to address.

And because we know you're hanging on every development in this state vegetable drama, contrary to that new report in the clip, only the Senate has voted in favor of corn. The grain (yes, not actually a vegetable) is backed by Republicans in the Democratic majority Assembly.

Is same-sex marriage legal in New York, yet?

Gay marriage rally 9.jpgThat's the question everyone keeps asking. And the legislature seems to be taking forever. Seriously, if the state Senate can vote on whether corn should be the official state vegetable, you'd think they could move this issue along a little faster.

To make it easy to keep track of what's happening, we've created a single-serve site: IsSame-SexMarriageLegalinNY.com.

It gets right to the point.

You can follow it on Twitter: @SSMNewYork.

Marriage equality rally

Marriage equality crowd.jpg

Today's marriage equality rally outside the Capitol.

Several hundred people rallied outside the state Capitol Tuesday afternoon for a last minute push for marriage equality. The rally included speeches by families, clergy, gay rights activists, union reps and legislators.

Jim Alesi, the first Republican in the state Senate to publicly declare he'd be voting for the Marriage Equality Act, was one of the first people to stand up and speak at the rally. "I'm a Republican," Alesi joked with the crowd. "I was born that way."

The Republican senator said he lost a lot of friends when he decided to vote in favor of marriage equality. "I think I have some new friends," he told the crowd, which cheered in response.

Alesi said that at one point he was anguishing over the vote, but not anymore. "Passing marriage equality is the most important thing I can do, I think, in my 20-year history as a legislator."

"My name begins with A," he told the crowd, noting he's the first Republican called during votes in the Senate. "I am proud to be a Republican. And I will also be proud to be the first Republican to vote for marriage equality in this state."

After the jump, a look at the rest of the rally...

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NYC taxi invasion

taxis at nys capitol

Manhattan to Albany would be a rather expensive fare. (About $300 before tip, according to this fare calculator.)

Summer emails:

NYC taxis have invaded downtown Albany! Apparently they're in town for some sort of protest, but it was strange sight. The photos (attached) doesn't do it justice.

There was a mass taxi sighting at the Exit 24 tolls this morning, too.

The cabs are part of a rally against legislation that would let livery drivers in the city pick up passengers who hail them in northern Manhattan and the four non-Manhattan boroughs (the cabs are upset because they say the law would cut into their business). The Bloomberg admin is pushing the legislation, and apparently it's trying to route around a city council traffic jam. [NY Post] [NYT] [Gothamist]

More photos via Summer after the jump.

Update: Sean reports that many of the taxis were ticketed.

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Roy McDonald: viral star

roy mcdonaldRoy McDonald's now-famous line about his switch on same-sex marriage -- "Well, f--- it, I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing." -- has made him a small-scale viral star online.

On Buzzfeed, a site that "tracks the web's obsessions in real time," the post about McDonald's line has racked up more than 82,000 likes on Facebook. (It also earned him the "badass" and "win" badges.) Searches on Google for "Roy McDonald" shot up to a level almost 20 times the average rate after his comments started spreading (that's relative, of course, we doubt there was mass googling of him before this). And, in a sentence we never thought we'd type, there was a story about Roy McDonald on TMZ (11k FB likes).

Comments praising McDonald's switch have been showing up on his Facebook page's wall at a healthy clip. His page is promoting his position on the issue, with a profile pic that says he's "standing up for your equal rights." He also a "Stand with Roy" petition. And he's asking for campaign contributions ("a little bit will go a long way towards silencing the critics").

Also: The column by the Post-Star editor Ken Tingley about McDonald's switch is worth reading.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Roy McDonald will vote yes on same-sex marriage
+ To: Roy McDonald, From: Bombers and Matt Baumgartner, Re: marriage equality

Assembly speeches on same-sex marriage

New York Now has edited together a handful of clips from speeches in the Assembly yesterday ahead of the vote on the Marriage Equality Act. Some of the speeches are passionate and thoughtful.

How local Assembly members voted yesterday:
Yes: Canestrari, McEneny, Reilly
No: Amedore, Jordan, Tedisco, McLaughlin

Roy McDonald will vote yes on same-sex marriage

roy mcdonaldThe Capitol media Twitter feeds erupted late this afternoon with news that state Senator Roy McDonald -- who reps Rensselaer County and most of Saratoga County -- will vote yes on the bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. That brings that vote count in favor to 31 (one short of a majority).

Said McDonald to the Times Union's Jimmy Vielkind:

"I'm trying to do the right thing. Rather than wait I worked with the governor ... I'm not out to alienate anybody. This is driven by compassion. ... My lifestyle is my lifestyle -- I don't want anyone telling me or my children what to do."

McDonald, as quoted by the NYDN's Ken Lovett:

"You get to the point where you evolve in your life where everything isn't black and white, good and bad, and you try to do the right thing.
"You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, f--- it, I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing.

And McDonald quotes via tweets by NYT's Danny Hakim:

"I think I'm doing the right thing, it's the appropriate thing, and if the public respects that, I'm grateful. If they don't... then I move on. ..."
"I'm tired of blowhard radio people, blowhard television people, blowhard newspapers. They can take the job & shove it."

McDonald had voted "no" the last time around, and he's said for weeks that he was undecided on the issue. He had been the subject of some intense lobbying lately, including a billboard along I-787 urging him to support same-sex marriage. He becomes the second Republican Senator to say he'll vote "yes."

There's a clip of McDonald talking about his decision, after the jump.

Andrew Cuomo submitted a bill today that would legalize same-sex marriage (the bill is embedded after the jump). From the memo for "The Marriage Equality Act":

Section 3 of this bill would add new Section 10-a to the Domestic Relations Law (DRL) providing that: (1) a marriage that is otherwise valid shall be valid regardless of whether parties to the marriage are of the same or different sex; (2) no government treatment or legal status, effect, right, benefit, privilege, protection or responsibility relating to marriage shall differ based on the parties to the marriage being or having been of the same sex rather than a different sex; and, (3) all relevant gender-specific language set forth in or referenced by New York law shall be construed in a gender-neutral manner.

The Cuomo admin says the bill aims to keep civil marriage separate from "the religious institution of marriage." One of the provisions of the bill amends the current law "to make clear that no member of the clergy acting in such capacity may be required to perform any marriage."

The bill would take effect 30 days after it's signed.

A similar bill has passed the Assembly in previous years and is expected to do so again. Dean Skelos has said the Senate could have a vote on the bill this week. [Daily Politics]

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Andrew Cuomo would like you to pay attention to the road

texting while drivingThe Cuomo admin proposed legislation that would make it illegal to use any portable electronic device while driving (exception: phone with a hands-free device). From the release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced he will introduce new legislation that will crack down on drivers caught using a portable electronic device including blackberrys, iPhones, i-pads, laptop computers, gaming devices and any other portable device, or talking on a cell phone without a hands free device, while driving. The bill would impose unprecedented penalties drivers caught using such a device by adding three points on a driver's license in order to curb the dramatic rise of this dangerous activity. Governor Cuomo's legislation would also make driving while using any portable electronic device a primary, rather than just a secondary offense, meaning that drivers can now be stopped solely if they are found to be using such a device while driving.

As it is now, you can't be stopped specifically for texting or phoning while driving -- you have to be pulled over for some over offense (say, crossing the double yellow because you weren't watching) and then you can be tagged for using your phone.

You might think you can text and drive with no problem -- we're all above average drivers, right (oh, wait...) -- but you're probably wrong. There's research that indicates a distracted driver is about as bad as a driver with a .08 blood alcohol level, which is the legal limit for drunk driving. (The New York Times produced a good series about the risks of distracted driving.)

The Cuomo admin hasn't posted the actual bill, yet, so there are still some questions. Among them: what about dashboard GPS devices (trying to find out where you're going can make you forget about where you're going). And automakers are starting to put dashboard computers into cars.

There's already a bill in the legislature that would make texting while driving a primary offense.

photo: Flickr user mrJasonWeaver

Kirsten Gillibrand's push for open government

Kirsten Gillibrand has been pushing the cause of open public data this week. The clip above is her presentation at the nerd-wonk Personal Democracy Forum on Monday -- she talked about her office's disclosure of schedules and earmarks and how's she's pushed for similar disclosure for all Congressional members.

KG also announced this week that she's co-sponsoring the "Public Online Information Act," a bill that would require public info to be made available online in a searchable format before it could be considered public.

It's good to see this kind of support for open data initiatives -- in the Information Age (or whatever you call right now), useful access to data generated by the government should be a civil right. But if KG and other open government people want to really shake things up, they'll push for the federal government (which has money) to help develop tools for local governments (which don't have money) to collect, manage and share public data. The state of access to local public data is currently underwhelming -- even for data that should be relatively easy to post. (When was the last time you searched crime reports online for your town -- oh, right, you probably can't.)

A few cities are already headed in this direction. New York City has made a big deal of it recently, releasing a "road map" toward becoming a "digital city." It's touting the push as a way of increasing civic engagement and economic development. (It already makes some data available via a "data mine.")

That kind of initiative is easier for a place like NYC -- it has a huge budget. The jump is much bigger for local municipalities that can't be even manage to consistently post their press releases online (nevermind in a format that's not pdf).

Albany chicken veto override vote

Dominick Calsalaro speaking ahead of the veto vote

Councilman Dominick Calsolaro speaking ahead of the override vote.

The push to allow backyard chickens in Albany came to an end Monday as an override attempt of the Jerry Jennings' veto failed to get enough votes in the Common Council .

Mike Guidice, who along with his wife Jen Pursley has been leading the chicken coalition, was disappointed -- and talking about what's next.

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To: Roy McDonald, From: Bombers and Matt Baumgartner, Re: marriage equality

mcdonald marriage equality billboard baumgartner

You can see it as you travel south on I-787.

This electronic billboard message is now showing along I-787, just north of the Central Warehouse. Bombers owner Matt Baumgartner bought the billboard to reach one person: state Senator Roy McDonald. The Republican, who represents Rensselaer County and much of Saratoga County, is publicly "undecided" on legalizing same-sex marriage.

We emailed with Matt, who's gay and has been an outspoken proponent of marriage equality, this afternoon about why he chose a billboard to reach McDonald.

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Polls: public leaning toward support of same-sex marriage. Probably.

same-sex marriage rally 2011-05-09Efforts to get a bill legalizing same-sex marriage through the state legislature have been ramping up (as has the opposition). Here are how a few recent polls have measured the public's opinion on the issue (all numbers for registered voters):

NY1/YNN-Marist poll conducted April 25-29

Do you believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman?
Yes: 51% | No: 47% | Don't know: 2%

Which of the following comes closest to your view?
Gay or lesbian couples should be allowed to marry: 51%
Gay or lesbian couples should be allowed to legally form civil unions, but not marry: 28%
There should be no legal recognition of the relationship between gay or lesbian couples: 21%

margin of error: +/- 3.5 - poll data

Quinnipiac poll conducted April 5-11

Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married?
Support: 56% | Oppose: 38% | Don't know: 5%

margin of error: +/- 2.4 - poll data

Siena poll conducted April 4-6

Do you support or oppose making same sex marriages legal in New York State?
Support: 58% | Oppose: 36% | Don't know: 6%

margin of error: +/- 3.5 - poll data

Nationally: it appears a majority of Americans now support legalizing same-sex marriage. [FiveThirtyEight]
____

Of course, in some ways, the only opinion that matters right now is that of the legislators who represent potential swing votes in the state Senate (the bill will almost certainly pass the Assembly). The last vote on the issue in the chamber -- in December 2009 -- was 38-24 against.

photo: Matt Ryan

Rally for same-sex marriage

same-sex_marriage_rally_2011-05-09_ryan.jpg

Today's rally at the Capitol. (Courtesy of New York Now's Matt Ryan.)

More than a thousand people showed up at a rally for same-sex marriage outside the Capitol today. But a lot of the coverage focused on the one person who was not there: Andrew Cuomo. [NYT City Room]

Lieutenant governor Bob Duffy (you remember him: from Rochester, silver hair, tall) was there -- and made sure to emphasize that Cuomo's absence doesn't indicate a lack of support for legalizing same-sex marriage. he said a "horrendous" schedule kept Cuomo from appearing. The disembodied voice of Cuomo will be soon be making an appearance on the issue on your phone, though. And his admin says the "People First" statewide campaign will be highlighting the issue. [Karen DeWitt] [State of Politics] [State of Politics] [Cuomo admin]

So is same-sex marriage going to move ahead, or what?

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Chuck who?

chuck schumer official portraitThe Brennan Center recently released a "report card on New York's civil literacy." Newsflash: it's low, in most of the way's you'd expect (nope, the President can't declare war; the founders weren't trying to found a Christian nation; the Constitution's goal wasn't to increase the power of the 13 original states).

But this bit made us take notice/wonder/laugh wryly: 58 percent of New Yorkers in the survey failed to name at least one of the two current New York members of the US Senate. As the report notes (emphasis added):

Respondents were not given any list to choose from, so they had no opportunity to guess or "refresh their recollection." Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's junior Senator, was appointed less than two years ago, after then-Senator Hillary Clinton was appointed Secretary of State. Senator Gillibrand had never previously run for statewide office, and the fact that her name wasn't widely known is not surprising. Chuck Schumer, though, has represented New York State since 1999 and is a major national player on the political stage. It is significant that so few New Yorkers were able to provide his name when asked, especially when we consider that both senators' names were on the ballot in the November 2010 elections and both were campaigning during the time the poll was conducted.

That's right, Chuck Schumer, who hasn't passed up an opportunity for a press conference -- ever* -- still not at the top of a majority of New Yorkers' minds.

It's worth noting that Schumer did get 65.5 percent of the vote in last year's election, so he's doing OK -- whether people remember his name or not.

The full Brennan Center report is embedded after the jump.

* Unconfirmed, but probably true.

photo: schumer.senate.gov

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On public concubinage

andrew cuomo mediumOf all the criticisms one could make of Andrew Cuomo, this is probably the weirdest (and dirtiest sounding): "public concubinage."

Edward Peters -- self-described as "one of the most widely-known lay [Catholic] canon lawyers in North America" and reportedly an adviser to the Vatican -- wrote earlier this year that Cuomo and First Lady-friend Sandra Lee live in "public concubinage" -- and as a result, Cuomo should not be allowed to receive communion. [NYT] [Canon Law Blog]

And Cuomo did just that at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany after his inauguration -- during a mass led by bishop Howard Hubbard, no less. Peters accused Hubbard of a "dereliction of pastoral duty" for not admonishing Cuomo and Lee "for their objectively and publicly sinful status." And Peters recently told a conservative news site that Cuomo's action "produces grave scandal within the faith community." [NYDN] [CNS]

The Albany diocese released a statement this afternoon about all this in which it basically told Peters to mind his own business (politely). And Cuomo said to reporters today: "For me, I choose to keep my religion and my religious practices private and not discuss it in the political arena." [State of Politics] [TU CapCon]

Not being read up on concubinage -- public or otherwise -- we did a little research. According to Wikipedia (so you know it must be true), it's defined as:

Concubinage is the state of a woman or man in an ongoing, usually matrimonially-oriented relationship with somebody to whom they cannot be married, often because of a difference in social status.

Well, there are certainly status differences here. She is more famous than he is. And a lot richer.

Earlier on AOA: Sandra Lee in Vogue

The wail over the quail

two raw quailPaul Egan, the teachers union official accused of flipping out at Marche this week over the size of a quail, says in a letter that it wasn't the bird's size that upset him but rather an evening of poor service. From the letter, posted online by Daily Politics:

A number of untoward incidents occurred, including half the party not getting served for an hour and a half, late and rude service, drinks hot and cold spilled by waiters and cold and uncooked meals.

The incident has prompted the media to pick through Egan's past, which includes allegations that he helped students at a Bronx school cheat on a standardized test. [NY Post]

By the way: the best tag for this situation comes via Casey Seiler: "Marche Madness." [TU CapCon]

Also: Bob, who dropped the great parking lot Shakespeare comment last week, returned with his own poetic take on this situation. That's after the jump.

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New Yorkers to Cuomo: be mine

andrew cuomo mediumThe Siena poll out today reports that Andrew Cuomo currently has his highest-ever favorability rating -- 77 percent of respondents reported having a favorable opinion of the governor.

People have pretty much swooned over Cuomo. In addition to that crazy-high favorability mark, 57 percent say he's doing an "excellent" or "good" job as governor. Seventy percent say they trust him, over the legislature, to do the right thing for the state. And 47 percent say they would give Cuomo's proposed state budget a grade of A or B. (Let's see what people think after the budget's actually finished -- legislating has a way of killing the mood.)

And get this: 47 percent of respondents say the state is now on the right track (as opposed to 39 percent saying it's heading the wrong way). It's the first time since October 2007 the right track number has been higher than the wrong track.

Kirsten Gillibrand While not in the throes of full-on infatuation, New Yorkers do seem to be warming to Kirsten Gillibrand. KG's favorability mark was 57 percent in this poll, the highest it's ever been. And 52 percent said they'd re-elect her.

Gillibrands moving to Brunswick

Senator Kirsten GillibrandKirsten Gillibrand and her husband have bought a house in Brunswick, near the Troy Country Club. The house -- on more than 2.5 acres with a tennis court -- was $335,000. [WNYT] [TU]

KG and her family had been living at her mom's house in Albany temporarily after they sold their house in Columbia County, so they could move closer to family. Being closer to the airport is probably a nice bonus, too.

Speed reading the coverage of Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal

cuomo budget presentation 2011To much fanfare (and powerpoint) Andrew Cuomo presented his proposed state budget yesterday.

During the presentation he described the state as "functionally bankrupt," and remarked that he viewed his dental appointments for root canal as a welcome respite from the budget process. So, that gives you a sense of where the state's at.

We've read a bunch of the details and coverage of the budget so you don't have to. Let's get to it...

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Bill Clinton coming to UAlbany

bill clinton at world economic forum 2006 davosBill Clinton is coming to UAlbany as part of the school's World Within Reach Speaker Series. The former President will be speaking March 2.

The first mention we saw of this event came via the Albany Student Press Twitter feed. UAlbany Student Association president Justin Wax Jacobs confirmed the appearance via email. (The SA organizes the speaker series.)

Previous events in this series have included Colin Powell, Barbara Walters and a debate between Howard Dean and Karl Rove. These events have been open to the public (a pre-registered ticket was required).

We'll follow up when there's info about the Clinton appearance.

The 42nd President was in the Capital Region just recently -- he made a brief stop in Saratoga in November to campaign for Scott Murphy.

Update: Clinton will speaking at SEFCU Arena on the uptown campus. Registration starts February 1. It's open to "UAlbany students, faculty, staff, and alumni."

Earlier on AOA: a whole bunch of stuff about Barack Obama's Schenectady visit

photo: Flickr user World Economic Forum

Barack Obama's visit to Schenectady, take two

Thumbnail image for obama hvcc feed picThe White House sent out the schedule for Barack Obama's (re)planned visit to Schenectady this Friday. From the press release:

WASHINGTON--On Friday, January 21, 2011, President Barack Obama will travel to Schenectady, NY, to visit the birthplace of General Electric and deliver remarks on the economy. He will depart Schenectady later the same day. The arrival and departure of Air Force One in Albany, NY, is open to pre-credentialed media and closed to the public.
The President will then travel to the General Electric Plant in Schenectady, home to GE's largest energy division, including steam turbines, generators, wind and solar, and the future home of GE's advanced battery manufacturing facility. The President will tour the site with GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt and he will make remarks on the importance of growing the economy and making America more competitive by investing in jobs, innovation and clean energy. The President's remarks are open to the press, but space is limited. Public attendance at this event is by invitation only. [AOA adds: we've heard there was a lottery for GE employees to attend.]
The GE plant in Schenectady is a direct beneficiary of GE's power turbine deal with India announced during the President's trip last November.

As with the previously planned visit, the POTUS will not be in the Capital Region very long -- just about two hours. Air Force One is scheduled to arrive at ALB around noon. The President is scheduled to speak at GE around 1 pm. And AF1 is scheduled to take off again around 2 pm.

Are you enjoying the honeymoon with Andrew Cuomo?

andrew cuomo mediumThe Siena poll out today reports that Andrew Cuomo's favorability is at 70 percent -- it's highest point since June 2009. And when respondents were asked who they trusted to do the right thing -- Cuomo or the legislature -- the governor was picked 68-17.

Also possibly of interest: 50 percent or more of respondents in every ideological group had Cuomo pegged as "moderate."

On race

The poll also asked people about race relations in New York State: "As we look to next week's commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, how would you describe the state of race relations in New York State? Would you say they are excellent, good, fair, or poor?"

Overall, 55 percent respondents said race relations were excellent or good. 43 percent said they were fair or poor.

Among white respondents the split was 60/40. Among African-Americans it was 36/63.

Walking the Hall of Governors at the Capitol

Hall of Governors at NYS Capitol

Where governors walked. And, just recently again, the rest of us.

By Akum Norder

Architecture, at its best, creates buildings that not only shelter us, but that reflect something of our values or ideals. Churches inspire our eyes to soar upwards, awed by dappled light through stained glass. Banks are designed (well, they used to be designed) to look solid, strong, unshakeable.

State capitols usually feature a central, light-filled rotunda for this very reason. It's a manifestation of our democratic values: government as something open, transparent, accessible, welcoming to all.

And then there's New York.

"Open, accessible and welcoming" are words few would apply to New York's state Capitol. You're more likely to hear things like "labyrinthine," "dark," "can't get anywhere unless you already know where you're going." If we see architecture as a representation of government, then, well, you might say we have the state capitol we deserve.

With that said, it's an absolutely beautiful building. And now we can see a little bit more of it.

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Barack Obama coming to Schenectady

air force one taxi

Air Force Once at ALB during Barack's Obama's last visit here.

Update: The TU reports the President will be visiting the GE campus, most likely the new battery plant being constructed there.

_____

The word going around this afternoon is that Barack Obama will be visiting next Tuesday. All the reports are based on unnamed "sources." [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The purpose of the visit is still unclear, but all the speculation is focused on some sort of GE-related thing. WTEN reports the "the governor's office" confirmed the POTUS will visit a GE facility. [WTEN]

Of course, President Obama visited the Capital Region in September 2009 and spoke at HVCC.

photo: Amy Mengel

Lay out the Congressional air mattress

chris gibsonChris Gibson is officially on the job as a Congressman after the 112th Congress convened Wednesday. And his congressional office space is now his second home -- both figuratively and literally.

Gibson is one of the apparently large handful of Congressional reps who have decided to not get a place to stay in DC -- so they're sleeping in their offices. Gibson will reportedly be bedding down on an air mattress (let's hope he at least sprung for an Aerobed) and showering in the Congressional gym. [WSJ] [State of Politics]

The Congressman has said that renting a place in DC was an unnecessary expense. And as he told YNN last month:

Look, it's going to better accommodations than I had over in Iraq. I can tell you that much. Really when I'm there, I'm really focused on work. They aren't 9 to 5 hours, it's up to 18 hours a day. [WNYT] [YNN]

By the way: the salary for House members is is $174,000 a year. Gibson has stopped taking his military pension while he's on the Congressional payroll so as not to be a double dipper. [Wikipedia] [Journal Register]

A quick scan of State of the State 2011

cuomo state of state 2011

And did I mention that I brought Power Point slides?

There will be much coverage of Andrew Cuomo's first State of the State speech all over the media. But if you're just looking for a quick overview of what he said, or just enough to not have a blank look when someone says, "hey, how about that State of the State? -- here's a quick scan...

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Kirsten Gillibrand on the Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Kirsten Gillibrand
www.thedailyshow.com


If Jon Stewart is a person of influence, Kirsten Gillibrand got a pretty good endorsement last night.

Sample line, Stewart on KG's efforts in the Senate: "You know what you are? You're The Who in a hotel -- you're just wrecking the joint."

The Kirsten Gillibrand storyline shifts

gillibrand nyt front page 2010-12-23This was a big week for Kirsten Gillibrand. Two pieces of legislation for which she's gained a high-profile supporter were approved in Congress. First, it was the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. And yesterday, it was the bill funding health care for 9/11 responders.

The legislative successes landed her on the front page of the New York Times today:

Once derided as an accidental senator, lampooned for her verbosity and threatened with many challengers who openly doubted her abilities, a succinct, passionate and effective Senator Gillibrand has made her presence felt in the final days of this Congress.
Her efforts have won grudging admiration from critics, adulation from national liberals and gay rights groups, and accolades from New York politicians across the political spectrum, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who once shopped for potential candidates to oust her.
Even her relentlessness, which once drew mockery, is now earning the highest compliment of all: professional jealousy from her more senior colleagues.

Chuck Schumer said this week that KG's persistence on the 9/11 bill had Senate colleagues asking him to call her off:

You know, some of these senators said: Would you stop her from bothering me? And I said: No! And the result of all that hard work we see today. What a great victory for a new legislator, isn't that fabulous. For any legislator, but for someone this new to do so much so soon is utterly amazing. [State of Politics]

This coverage represents quite a shift in the media's attitude toward KG. Earlier this year as she faced a possible challenge for her Senate seat, stories often focused on issues such as her weight loss and the the tone of her voice. And just this past fall Harry Reid reportedly called KG "the hottest member" of the Senate.

As it happens, this recent arc is roughly similar to one Gillibrand followed here in the Capital Region. She wasn't given much chance of knocking off John Sweeney (though his self-destruction didn't hurt). And there were doubters she could hold onto the seat in the majority Republican district (which she did, easily).

May we suggest a new media frame for KG: not to be underestimated.

Earlier: Don't Ask Don't Tell as Kirsten Gillibrand's signature issue

image: New York Times

New York is third most populous state again, but it's losing two Congressional seats

There's a bigger version of this interactive display embedded in wide screen after the jump.

New York State had 19,378,102 residents on April 1, 2010, according to data released by the Census Bureau today. That ranks the Empire State third overall among states for population.

New York was the third most-populous state during the 2000 decennial census, too. The state's population has grown by 401,645 people since then. But its slice of the nation's overall population declined in that time. In 2000, New York counted as 7 percent of the US population -- now it's 6 percent.

And, as expected, New York is losing two Congressional seats. After re-apportionment, the state will have 27 members of the US House. (A House seat will represent about 710,767 people this time around.)

The total national population was counted at 308,745,538. That's up 9.7 percent since 2000.

Tables with number candy are after the jump.

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Don't Ask Don't Tell as Kirsten Gillibrand's signature issue


KG speaking in the Senate before the DADT vote

Steve Kornacki writing today at Capital New York about how the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell has become Kirsten Gillibrand's "signature issue":

... It is impossible to overstate how perfectly the issue addressed all of her political imperatives. Since her appointment, Gillibrand had been pleading with gay-rights leaders to consider her an ally; this was her chance to prove that she really was. It also promised to boost her overall image with liberal primary voters and her reputation with high-end Democratic donors around New York City, among whom DADT repeal, and gay rights in general, was particularly important. Plus, with Democrats running the White House and Congress for the first time since '94, the stakes were real; this wouldn't be an exercise in symbolism. There was also minimal chance of general-election blowback, with swing voters, especially in blue states like New York, increasingly ready for DADT to go.
... after two years in the Senate, DADT has become Gillibrand's signature issue. Job security may have been her primary motive, but the repeal fight also helped Gillibrand establish her own political identity in the Senate and with New Yorkers, and to develop her own voice.

Kornacki notes that DADT probably would have been repealed without KG's efforts, but "all of her efforts helped ensure Saturday's result." The whole piece is worth reading -- it puts KG's Senate career in context.

David Paterson's greatest hits

New York Now has put together an epic montage covering David Paterson's 34 months in office. It's all in there, from Paterson taking the oath of office and the legislature chanting "David, David, David!" -- to him asking "why me?" It's remarkable to watch his body language change over the course of the montage. He just seems beaten down by the end.

Paterson will also be appearing on New York Now tonight for another exit interview (7:30 pm on WMHT -- and Sunday at 11 pm).

The montage highlights some of the reasons we feel conflicted about David Paterson. On one hand, he was thrown into a job that even he probably never expected to have, sounded the alarm early about the state's fiscal crisis, kept the state solvent, took the initiative to get a lieutenant governor in place (and kept Pedro Espada from possibly being next in line for governor -- *shiver*), made a good pick for US Senator (KG), and basically stuck it to the legislature while it stalled on the budget.

On the other hand (and it's a big hand)... Paterson had a tendency to say one thing one day and something else the next, didn't necessarily surround himself with the best people, turned the selection of a new US Senator into a circus, seemingly ignored the guy he picked to help fix the state's fiscal situation, intervened in a case of alleged domestic violence involving a top aide, his administration tried to score free Yankees tickets, and he just seemed to generally be a scandal magnet. And that doesn't even cover all of it.

So long, Governor Paterson. It wasn't boring.

New York State ranked last in voter turnout

albany county ballot scannerNew York State had the lowest voter turnout in nation during this most recent election, according to figures compiled by the United State Election Project at George Mason University. Of people eligible vote (but not necessarily registered), only 32.1 percent showed up on Election Day (methodology).

The top five states -- and bottom five -- are after the jump.

The Empire State has done a bit better in recent years. During the 2008 election, the state ranked 42nd with 58.3 percent. And in the 2006 midterm election, the state again ranked 42nd on 34.9 percent participation.

Among the reasons offered by political scientists for New York's low turnout: uncompetitive races and a slow adoption of convenient voting options such as early voting.

[via NYT City Room]

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Siena poll: New Yorkers "optimistic" about Cuomo

andrew cuomo mediumA few bits from the Siena Poll out Monday:

+ Andrew Cuomo's favorable/unfavorable: 64/26

+ Percent of respondents who said they were "optimistic" about Cuomo's chances of creating jobs: 75 percent

+ Percent of respondent show said they were "optimistic" about Cuomo's chances of balancing the state budget: 59 percent

(Respondents were generally optimistic for Cuomo's chances on every policy front.)

+ Percent of respondents who said New York's fiscal condition is "fair" or "poor": 92 percent

+ The top two priorities, by far: developing new jobs and balancing the state budget

+ 53 percent said Democrats and Republicans should "share power" to run the state Senate.

+ "Do you support or oppose the Governor and Legislature passing a law to legalize same sex marriages in New York?": support: 52 | oppose: 39

+ 85 percent said they don't like talk about Cuomo running for president

photo via Andrew Cuomo Facebook

Pataki 2012? Really?

pataki speaking at conference

Presidential material?

There's buzz this week (OK, it's actually a low-level hum) about George Pataki running for president. Of the United States.

The push is off to an entertaining start. In talking about a potential run with ABC News, Pataki noted he was mayor of Peekskill at one time:

It was a challenging job, mayor of Peekskill, let me assure you. Twice the size of Wasilla.

Of course, that's a jab at Sarah Palin (her camp's response), of which Pataki added later in the interview:

It was hard for me to support Carl Paladino. And I did that. So certainly if the choice is between her and President Obama, I don't think I'd have any difficulty at all supporting Sarah Palin.

Fun.

Even so, the idea that it's plausible Pataki could actually become president is borderline crazy talk. So much so that we've compiled a few reasons why into a list:

"Why it's implausible that George Pataki will be President of the United States."

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AOA Exit Poll 2010 important issues

NYS Capitol from ESP

People are not too happy about what's been going on here.

Here are the results of the "What was the most important issue to you?" question from AOA's informal exit poll. (We posted results from the multiple choice questions earlier this week.)

You can probably guess what some of the top issues are. But we were a bit surprised by just how irked people seem to be by the screwed-up state of government.

Results and a few notes after the jump.

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AOA Exit Poll 2010 results

albany county ballot scanner

We did sort of have to resist the urge to tell it how many copies we wanted.

Here are the results from AOA's informal exit poll yesterday. Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill it out -- we got 133 responses.

Charts and a few comments after the jump.

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Election results 2010

2010 ballot closeup

Updated Wednesday at 7:55 am

Here's a quick scan of results from statewide, as well as federal and state-level locally-relevant races. Numbers are unofficial and some don't represent total counts, yet (we'll update).

The boards of election from Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties have results posted online.

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AOA Exit Poll 2010 (and drawing!)

Thumbnail image for ballot scannerUpdate: The drawing's now closed, as is the exit poll. Thanks!
___

We thought it'd be interesting/fun to do a quick (and totally unscientific) exit poll for Election Day.

So, the first-ever AOA Exit Poll is after the jump. It should take all of 30 seconds to fill out. We'll post the aggregate results tomorrow.

Also, as part of the poll, we're giving away a copy of the Daily Show book Earth: A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race. We'll draw one winner at random from all the people who take the poll.

Important: You have to take the poll by 11:59 November 2 to qualify for the book drawing. You'll also have to enter an email address (that you check regularly) so we can contact you. We'll notify the winner by noon on November 3. And the winner must respond by 8 pm that day.

On to the poll!

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Meanwhile at Rent is 2 Damn High HQ...

In the skit above, local comics Matt Kelly and Mary Briwa imagine the reaction back at campaign headquarters to Jimmy "The Rent is TOO DAMN High" McMillan's performance in the gubernatorial debate.

And in what only seems like a skit, the real McMillan is now shilling for an online shopping site. [TU CapCon]

Earlier on AOA:
+ "Jimmy McMillan" on SNL
+ Other things that are too damn high

Bill Clinton in Saratoga

bill clinton saratoga

New York Now Matt sent along this photoset from Bill Clinton appearance this morning at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga.

Clinton was in town to campaign for Scott Murphy. Said Clinton of the race between Murphy and Republican Chris Gibson: "It's not about right and left, it's about tomorrow versus yesterday." (You can probably guess which candidate he thinks represents tomorrow.) [TU CapCon]

While Clinton and Murphy were in Saratoga, Gibson was on TALK 1300 also striking a non-idealogical tone: "Here's the thing though: Let's not worry about who gets the credit ... At the end of the day when we get the economy moving again, that's what matters." [Post-Star]

Sometimes it seems like we don't really have good choices in our elections. But both Murphy and Gibson seem like smart, engaged people. Sure, they have different viewpoints -- but neither is a bozo. That's saying something.

Here's the video of their debate two weeks ago.

As late as the end of September, Murphy had a big lead in the polls. But the latest Siena poll reported Gibson up by 9. FiveThirtyEight is projecting a 4.5 point win for Gibson.

(Thanks, Matt!)

photo: Matt Ryan

Siena poll: Gibson now leads Murphy

murphy gibson ny20The Siena poll out today reports that Chris Gibson now leads Scott Murphy 51-42 for the NY 20th Congressional District. Gibson also leads 49-42 among independents.

That's quite a swing from a little more than a month ago, when the Siena poll had Murphy up 54-37 (and up 58-30 among independents). Murphy has also lost what was a strong lead in the northern part of the district (he's from Glens Falls, Gibson is from Kinderhook). And his favorability rating has taken a dive -- it was 56-27 a month ago, now it's 45-45.

Interestingly, Barack Obama's favorabilty rating in the district has also fallen over the that time (51 then, 41 now) -- but Kirsten Gillibrand's has not.

The poll was conducted October 23-25 -- that's after last week's debate, in which Gibson came across as confident and likable. [WMHT video]

Bill Clinton is coming to Saratoga Springs Monday to campaign for Murphy. And you can bet both campaigns will be running a whole bunch of ads between now and election day. [Post-Star]

This poll was of "likely" voters and its margin of error was +/- 3.8.

Murphy photo via campaign site
Gibson photo via campaign Facebook page

"Jimmy McMillan" on SNL

SNL took on Jimmy "The rent is TOO DAMN high" this past weekend. We wouldn't be surprised if some of this skit was already written before the gubernatorial debate was over...

It's funny enough. But it points to the difficulty of parodying a process that has already successfully parodied itself.

NY Mag asked McMillan about the skit -- his response: "That put me over the top. It's over. This election is over."

Fox23 went to Brooklyn last week to follow McMillan. It found that he's pretty good at staying on message, not so great at math and that people in the neighborhood call him "Papa Smurf." Also, if elected he says he would turn the Governor's Mansion into a dojo.

And that bit about McMillan not paying rent? He told NYT last week that he hasn't paid rent for the last decade because he and his landlords are "like family."

Earlier on AOA: Other things that are too damn high

Congressional debates tonight

murphy gibson ny20Because we know that you arrange your social schedule around such events, here's tonight's lineup:

US Senate: Kirsten Gillibrand and Joe DioGuardi
7 pm on YNN
The Siena poll out this week reported that Gillibrand has large lead, but there should still be some good back-and-forth here. KG is a very capable debater and DioGuardi went after her in a debate last Friday.

NY 20th: Scott Murphy and Chris Gibson
8 pm on WMHT
We're looking forward to this debate because both candidates are accomplished people who seem to be serious about the issues confronting the country -- though they differ greatly on how they think we should take on those challenges. Their debate earlier this week did get a little heated when the flip-flopping allegations came out. Still, there should be some substantial back-and-forth here. And the race is relatively close.

State IG: public's best interest was of "militant indifference" to state leaders in Aqueduct project

A report out today from the State Inspector General criticizes pretty much all the state leaders involved with the failed AEG bid for the big Aqueduct racino project. The report alleges that leaders ignored vetting, leaked info, took questionable campaign contributions or just didn't try to stop a process they knew to be flawed.

Says state IG Joseph Fish in the press release:

This process was doomed from the start, and at each turn, our state leaders abdicated their public duty, failed to impose ethical restraints and focused on political gain at a cost of millions to New Yorkers ... Unfortunately, and shamefully, consideration of what was in the public's best interest, rather than the political interest of the decision makers, was a matter of militant indifference to them.

The IG's office says it's forwarding the report to federal and local prosecutors, as well as the state Legislative Ethics Commission.

The Aqueduct project has since been won by another investor, Genting New York. Some of the revenue from the deal will be used to prop up horse racing in the state -- including $100 million in improvements at Saratoga Race Course (though it could be 2012 before that happens). [TU CapCon] [Saratogian]

Kirsten Gillibrand in Vogue

gillibrand vogue thumbnailThe November issue of Vogue includes a long profile of Kirsten Gillibrand. A clip:

"I think faith transformed my interest in politics into a calling for service," she says. "I think it's metaphorical . . . to actually raise your voice. But you have to really fight hard. Just as I was talking to you about trying to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. It takes enormous effort. Nothing happens in Washington unless you really push--push your colleagues, push the White House, push the leadership. You don't have to necessarily do it in an aggressive way. You can do it in a very kind way. But people need to know it's important to you. It's the belief in something that can make the difference in winning the debate. They need to know that you care."

The piece follows KG through DC, NYC and Columbia County (Hudson gets some pub). The writer, Jonathan Van Meter, practically gushes about her. (Maybe it was the cheese she had put in his omelet.)

There are a few photos, too.

thumbnail: Vogue

[via @michellejamiek]

Gubernatorial debate live blog

nygov debate mcmillan rent too highWith a slate of candidates that looks more like a reality show cast than a ballot, we figured tonight's debate could be fun to live blog. Of course, there was only one way to find out.

Live blogging after the jump.

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Congressional and gubernatorial debates

Thumbnail image for cuomo and paladinoDebates for both local Congressional races -- and the gubernatorial race -- are coming up. And they're all on TV:

New York 21st
Incumbent Democrat Paul Tonko and Republican challenger Ted Danz will be debating tonight at 8 pm on WMHT. It'll be posted online tomorrow.

New York 20th
Incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy and Republican challenger Chris Gibson will meet next Thursday (October 21) at 8pm on WMHT.

Governor
It's Monday at 7pm on YNN. This one is shaping up to be a circus. Here's the lineup, which looks like a reality show cast:

Charles Barron (Freedom Party)
Andrew Cuomo (Democratic Party)
Kristin Davis (Anti-Prohibition Party)
Howie Hawkins (Green Party)
Jimmy McMillan (Rent is too Damn High Party)
Carl Paladino (Republican Party)
Warren Redlich (Libertarian Party)

Paladino: I don't want children "brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option"

Speaking in Brooklyn Sunday Carl Paladino said: "... I don't want [children] brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option -- it isn't."

The speech was recorded by WNYC's Azi Payabarah. The clip is embedded above -- and here's a longer version. Here's the comment in context, which he appeared to be reading from a prepared speech:

I didn't march in a gay pride parade this year. My opponent did. And that's not the example we should be showing our children -- and certainly not in their schools.
And don't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way. That would be a dastardly lie. My approach is live and let live. I just think my children -- and your children -- would be much better off, and much more successful, getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option -- it isn't.

Andrew Cuomo's campaign released a statement in response to Paladino's comments: "Mr. Paladino's statement displays a stunning homophobia and a glaring disregard for basic equality." [NYT]

Paladino was on the Today Show this morning to respond to outrage generated by his Sunday comments. He told Matt Lauer during an interview that he didn't regret his remarks. Here's a clip:

My feelings on homosexuality are unequivocal. I have no problem with it whatsoever. My only reservation is marriage. That's the only reservation I have. I have a lot of homosexuals working in my organization. ...
Young children shouldn't be exposed to this at a young age. They don't understand this. It's a very difficult thing. And exposing them to homosexuality -- especially at a gay pride parade, and I don't know if you've ever been to one, but they wear these little Speedos and they grind against each other, it's just a terrible thing.

Paladino has said he's not a politician. And unlike a politician, he does seem willing to say whatever's on his mind. The problem is... that's what's on his mind.

In a chat with Capital New York today, Azi Paybarah noted that Paladino's propensity to say something stuff like this has actually led to more reporters covering him than Andrew Cuomo recently.

The FiveThirtyEight poling model is currently predicting Cuomo has a 98.9 percent chance of winning the governor's race.

Siena poll: Cuomo still has big lead on Paladino

cuomo and paladino

Sixty-one percent of respondents agreed that Paladino is "a loose cannon who doesn't have the temperament to be governor."

The Siena poll out today reports that Andrew Cuomo leads Carl Paladino 56-32 among likely voters (margin of error +/- 3.9 points). And among independents, Cuomo leads 50-39.

Siena's last poll on the governor's race, in September, reported Cuomo up 57-24 on Paladino (that poll also included the now-dropped out Rick Lazio, and it was of registered voters). So, in some sense Paladino has picked up a bit of ground. But he's bumping up against this political problem:

+ 59 percent of respondents in this new poll say they have an unfavorable opinion of Paladino

+ 61 percent agreed that he's "a loose cannon who doesn't have the temperament to be governor." (Yep, this poll was conducted after the Bolton Landing Brouhaha.)

+ Cuomo also has a wide lead when voters were asked which candidate would do better on a range of issues (except taxes).

FiveThirtyEight's prediction model currently has Cuomo with a 97.8 percent chance of winning (the model doesn't include today's Siena poll).

"Cloud Cuckooland"

The story (legend?) of Carl Paladino got even stranger this week when he told the Syracuse Post-Standard that he helped defuse a hostage situation at Syracuse University while he was a law student there in 1970. It's a great story... except for the fact that other people -- and archived press clips -- say it didn't happen (emphasis added):

(there's more)

Carl and Fred meet cute

Because, well... just because...

The Atlantic created this video to reproduce the confrontation in "a format where Paladino's and Dicker's terms are clearer and easier to understand."

Paladino vs. Dicker, the Bolton Landing brouhaha

Here's the video of that altercation between Carl Paladino and the New York Post's Fred Dicker yesterday in Bolton Landing. It was shot by YNN's Kaitlyn Ross with her mobile. [State of Politics]

Dicker was pressing Paldino for evidence to back up the allegation Paladino had made earlier, in an interview with Politico, that Andrew Cuomo had had an affair back when he was married to Kerry Kennedy. Paladino tells Dicker that he does have evidence and "you'll get it at the appropriate time." Paladino then accuses Dicker of working for Cuomo. And then he tells Dicker, "If you send another goon to my daughter's house, I'll take you out." (Paladino's campaign alleged the Post had sent photographers after Paladino's 10-year-old daughter -- the child from his affair.)

Probably the best line from the schoolyard fight came from Paladino campaign manager Michael Caputo, to Dicker: "You're off the Christmas list!" Dicker now joins Joy Behar on said list. [State of Politics]

The Cuomo campaign's response to Paladino's accusation: "We have not and will not descend into the gutter with Paladino, Caputo and [Roger] Stone. We're not going to start now because the people of New York deserve a better dialogue from their candidates and journalists." [NYDN]

There's better quality video of the spat from CBS6 embedded after the jump.

(there's more)

Lazio out

Rick Lazio announced today that he's dropping out of the race for governor. Even though he had lost the Republican primary, he still had a spot on the Conservative line. [State of Politics YouTube]

Said Lazio: "While my heart beckons me forward, my head tells me that my continued presence on the Conservative line would simply lead to the election Andrew Cuomo..."

Not that Lazio's a fan of Paladino. He went on to criticize both candidates -- and many of the shots were aimed right at Paladino.

I look at the two major party candidates and I see flawed individuals -- flawed in terms of public character, flawed in terms of commitment to ideas and principles that will restore restore growth and pride to our great state ... I 'll be watching very closely to see if either candidate can prove to me -- and to New York -- that they can rise above the empty slogans and the name calling. ...
I strongly believe that Andrew Cuomo can not bring about change. But I remain unconvinced that Carl Paladino will bring the improvement that New Yorkers need, deserve and want.
The people deserve a civil campaign and a vibrant exchange on the challenges real New Yorkers face. They deserve leaders who are good, decent, responsible people who will put citizens first. They deserve real results from public servants who are accountable for what they say, how they say it, what they don't say and what they truly deliver.

As it happens, getting Lazio off the ballot isn't as simple him saying, "Thanks, you've all been wonderful, I'm out" -- and it looks like he'll be nominated for a state Supreme Court judgeship in order to complete the maneuver. [Daily Politics]

Lazio's exit should clear up the polling picture a bit. The polls from last week that included Lazio had him at 8 and 9 percent. That's not much -- but if Cuomo and Paladino are close, it could have made a difference.

Earlier on AOA: Rick Lazio finished as just a shot glass in AOA gubernatorial beer poll

Client 9, the movie

The trailer is out for the Eliot Spitzer documentary Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. It's directed by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney.

The early word on the doc has been positive. Spitzer apparently granted Gibney access without asking for editorial control (something Ashley Dupree reportedly wouldn't do). Joe Bruno appears in the film -- he's featured in the trailer pounding a punching bag and looking like a tough guy.

Client 9 debuts in theaters November 5.

It's remarkable how, more than two years after the spitzering, Eliot Spitzer keeps popping up in the conversation. His new CNN show starts up soon. And he's been very willing to say things that grab attention -- like in this segment on CNN this week quote from this week about Andrew Cuomo, and the matchup with Carl Paladino:

Well, what he needs to do is speak to the public and, of course, the problem that Andrew has is that everybody knows that behind the scenes, he has the dirtiest, nastiest political player out there and that is his reputation from years in Washington.

To which Cuomo responded today in Rochester:

That's saying something from Eliot Spitzer. I think Eliot Spitzer's record of performance and honor speaks for itself.

By the way: NYT reports that David Paterson will appear this weekend on Saturday Night Live

[via @rmadeo]

Another day, another poll

cuomo and paladinoA Marist poll out this morning reports that Andrew Cuomo is leading Carl Paladino 52-33 in the race for governor. Rick Lazio registered at nine percent. The poll surveyed "likely voters" and the margin of error is 3.5.

So, to recap this week of conflicting polls:

Quinnipiac: Cuomo leads Paladino 49-43 (out Wednesday)
A poll of likely voters. Rick Lazio not included.

SurveyUSA: Cuomo leads Paladino 49-40 (out Wednesday)
A poll of likely voters. Rick Lazio not included.

Siena: Cuomo leads Paladino 57-24 (out Thursday)
A poll of registered voters. Rick Lazio included (8 percent).

Marist: Cuomo leads Paladino 52-33 (out Friday)
A poll of likely voters. Rick Lazio included (9 percent).

There's been a lot of talk this week about how these polls are put together -- whether Lazio should be included and whether the surveys should be of registered voters or "likely voters." Some experts have argued that it's too early to start sorting people people based on whether they're likely to vote. [FiveThirtyEight] [TU]

Election Day is now 39 days away.

By the way: AOA's completely unscientific "Who would you like to have a beer with?" poll showed Andrew Cuomo up on Carl Paladino 48-43 (Rick Lazio 9 percent). Of course, it should be noted that we didn't include a "none of the above -- please let me drink alone" option.

Gubernatorial beer poll results

gubernatorial beer poll results

Poor Rick Lazio -- his pint looks like a shot glass.

Yesterday Jeff suggested that we poll people on which of the major gubernatorial candidates they would most like to have a beer with. The utterly unscientific results are above (as of about 4:30 pm Thursday). More than 200 people voted.

It looks like a tight race to the bar. And you never know what's going to happen in a race that close. (Will one of the candidates buy? Come on, Carl! You're worth $150 million!)

This could be (probably is) coincidental, but the beer poll results actually match up pretty well with this week's Q Poll that showed Paladino trailing Cuomo, 49-43.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Siena poll: Cuomo still has a big lead
+ Cuomo vs. Paladino -- stop the landslide?

Fine print: This is a completely unscientific poll. Results have been rounded. Margin of error? Depends on how much you drink.

Siena poll: Cuomo still has a big lead

cuomo and paladinoThe Siena poll out this morning reports that Andrew Cuomo leads Carl Paladino 57-24 in the race for governor (margin of error +/- 3.5). And Rick Lazio registers at... eight.

So, that's quite a different result from yesterday's Quinnipiac poll that reported Cuomo was ahead by just six points. And a Survey USA poll also out yesterday reported Cuomo was ahead by nine points.

There are a few differences between the Siena poll and the other two. First, Siena included Rick Lazio and the others did not. And the Siena poll surveyed registered voters, while the others surveyed "likely" voters.

Polling data uber-nerd Nate Silver examined the likely voter issue after Wendnesday's surprising Q Poll result. Likely voter models tend to favor Republicans a bit. But after talking with people at Quinnipiac, Silver concluded it probably doesn't explain Paladino's surge in the poll.

So... who knows where things are at right now. There are still 40 days before Election Day, which is plenty of time for the situation to change. Let's hope for a debate or two. Or at least a more interesting exchange between the candidates than a Photoshop competition.

A few other bits from the Siena poll

+ Chuck Schumer leads Jay Townsend 64-30.

+ Kirsten Gillibrand leads Joe DioGuardi 57-31 (though, that Survey USA poll only had her up 45-44)

+ No one knows who's running for attorney general. Both candidates -- Eric Schneiderman and Dan Donovan -- have don't know/no opinion scores over 60. The same thing goes for the comptroller matchup between Tom DiNapoli and Harry Wilson.

Drinking with Andrew and Carl

pint of beer

The key to electoral success?

After today's post about the seemingly-narrowing race for governor between Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino, Jeff suggested we do our own one-question poll.

The question: which candidate would your rather have a beer with? We're pretty sure we know what Jeff is getting at here (you probably do, too -- more after the jump), so let's go with it. And just to mix it up, we'll add Rick Lazio into the mix.

Push all the stuff about parties and policies and platforms to the side -- just on the basis of personality alone -- who would you rather have a drink with?

We'll post results of this completely un-scientific poll at the end of Thursday.

(there's more)

Cuomo vs. Paladino -- stop the landslide?

cuomo and paladino

For what seems like forever now, the conventional wisdom has been that Andrew Cuomo will cruise to an easy win in the race for governor. And the poll data backed up this view.

Until now. (With a caveat.)

A Quinnipiac poll out today of likely voters reports that Cuomo leads Carl Paladino by just 6 points, 49-43 (margin of error 3.6). And Paladino leads Cuomo among independents, 49-43.

These results are quite a contrast to other poll results. A Rasmussen poll out earlier this week reported Cuomo was up 54-38. And in mid-August, the Siena poll reported that Cuomo was ahead of both Lazio and Paladino by more than 30 points in hypothetical matchups.

It's not surprising that Paladino has gotten a bump after all the attention from winning the Republican primary -- there were people who probably didn't know, or only vaguely knew, who he was before that.

But here's the caveat to today's Q poll: it doesn't include Rick Lazio (nor did the Rasmussen poll). And, so far at least, Lazio is still in the race on the Conservative Party line. And if he stays in, you gotta think he's going to draw votes that would otherwise go to Paladino.

Political stat nerd Nate Silver tweeted today that leaving Lazio out of the poll was "pretty clearly wrong." As of yesterday, Silver's model was forecasting Cuomo had an almost 97 percent chance of winning the governorship. But the model has its own caveats -- among them, it was based on the mid-August Siena poll.

So take all these numbers with a grain or two of salt. There are 41 more days until Election Day.

Cuomo photo: Cuomo campaign Facebook | Paladino photo: Paladino campaign Facebook

Siena poll: Murphy leads Gibson

murphy gibson ny20

Scott Murphy, Chris Gibson

A Siena poll out today reports that Scott Murphy leads Chris Gibson 54-37 for the 20th Congressional District (margin of error +/- 4). Among independents, Murphy's up 58-30. And in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties, he's up 58-36.

When asked which candidate would do a better job representing the district in Congress on a range of issues, Murphy led in each category. The closest was the war in Afghanistan, at 39-31 (Gibson recently retired from the Army -- he was a colonel.) Here's the full breakdown of results.

The poll found that Gibson is trailing close behind Murphy in the southern part of the district. That's not surprising -- Gibson's from Kinderhook. If you drive around Columbia County now, you'll see a bunch of his signs. And he still has about a month-and-a-half to up his name recognition in other parts of the district.

Update: The Gibson campaign sent out a press release this afternoon in an attempt to cast doubt on the Siena poll. The campaign's pollster says the Siena results are "not consistent with other polling in the district" -- and cites results from a poll conducted at the beginning of August by a conservative think tank that reported Murphy was ahead 45-40 (just outside the margin of error).

The release also takes a shot at the Siena poll, noting that its "too close to call" description of the Lazio-Paladino primary "was off by an astounding 24 points."

By the way: When people were asked which issue was most important to them right, 41 percent of respondents said jobs. No other issue was even close.

Murphy photo via campaign site
Gibson photo via campaign Facebook page

The new voting experience: how was it?

ballot scanner

Voting is now like a trip to the office copy machine.

We voted yesterday.

And it was a thoroughly unsatisfying experience.

OK, not thoroughly unsatisfying. We did get to participate in the political process and have our vote count and all that.

But something was missing.

(there's more)

Paladino wins Republican nomination for governor, and other primary results

Carl Paladino beat Rick Lazio in the Republican primary for governor -- and it wasn't even close. He was ahead by a 2-1 margin when the AP called the race last night. [AP] [NYDN]

Embedded above is a clip from Paladino's post-primary speech, posted by State of Politics (here's part two). Here's transcript clip:

They say I'm too blunt. Well I am, and I don't apologize for it.
They say I'm an angry man. And that's true! We're all angry - not just because we woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We're angry about paying the highest income taxes and property taxes in the nation and getting less and less for it. We're angry about our incompetent, dysfunctional government that pays no attention to the desires of the people. We're angry about the cesspool of corruption and conflicts of interest and self-dealing that's the Albany of today.
But here's what my critics, what they don't quite understand: I know there is a way to bring opportunity and economic growth back to new york state. And you're coming with me and we're going to do it. And I believe we can.
We're New Yorkers and we're Americans - we can do anything we set our minds to. Those who say that New York's brightest days are behind us - those who say our our state is so broken it can't be fixed - those that say nothing can be done to rebuild New York - they're dead wrong!
You see, I believe our brightest days are ahead of us.

A Siena poll from mid-August had Paladino trailing Andrew Cuomo by a wide margin in a hypothetical general election match-up for governor. That poll also reported that Lazio was leading Paladino for the nomination.

Earlier on AOA: Who is Carl Paladino?

Other notable primary results

+ State senator Eric Schneiderman edged out Kathleen Rice in the Democratic primary for attorney general. He'll face Republican Dan Donovan in the general election. [Bloomberg]

+ Former Congressman Joe DioGuardi won the Republican primary for US Senate and will face Kirsten Gillibrand. Jay Townsend won the other Republican primary for US Senate and will face Chuck Schumer. [NYT] [AP]

+ Incumbent Neil Breslin fought off a challenge from Luke Martland in the Democratic primary for the 46th state Senate seat (the district that covers Albany County). He'll face Republican Bob Domenici, and Michael Carey -- who's running on an independent line. [TU] [TU Local Politics]

+ State senate majority leader Pedro Espada was defeated by Gustavo Rivera in the Democratic primary for the 33rd state Senate seat (the Bronx). Rivera is a former Kirsten Gillibrand staffer. Though, as one voter told NYT: "The best thing about him is that his last name isn't Espada." [NYDN] [NYT]

What's the new sound of voting?

DS200 voting machineTuesday's primary election will mark an important moment for many New York voters -- the sound of democracy will no longer be "ka-CHUNK!"

Out are the old lever voting machines, and in are the new optical-scan voting machines, which work like a scantron machine (see, all those standardized tests you took are finally paying off).

There will be two different systems in use in the Capital Region. Albany and Schenectady counties are using the "DS200," which looks like a scanner perched on a garbage bin (state board of elections how-to video). Saratoga and Rensselaer counties are using the "ImageCast," which looks like a ballot-eating microfilm projector (how-to video). In both cases, you mark a paper ballot at a stand and then take the ballot (don't forget your privacy sleeve) to the scanner and feed it in. If all checks out, you hit the vote button.

Optical-scan machines are said to have a lot of advantages over the old lever machines. They provide instant feedback when a ballot's cast (including whether there's an error). And there's a paper trail to check against the electronic count. They're also supposed to be more accessible to people with disabilities.

Downside: you have to supply your own "ka-CHUNK!" when casting your ballot.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Farewell, lever voting machine
+ New life for lever voting machines?

image via NYS Board of Elections

Lazio and Paladino in "virtual dead heat"

carl paladinoRick Lazio and Carl Paladino are in "a virtual dead heat" for tomorrow's Republican primary for governor, according to a Siena poll of likely primary voters out this past weekend. Lazio leads Paladino 43-42 -- but that's within the 4 point margin of error.

The Siena poll reports that support for the two candidates is skewed geographically. Lazio, who's from Long Island, has a 55-30 lead among downstate Republicans. And Paladino, who's from Buffalo, leads 53-32 percent among upstate Republicans.

Paladino has picked up a lot of ground with Republican voters over the last month. A mid-August Siena poll had Lazio leading 43-30 among Republicans (they both were way behind in hypothetical matchups with Andrew Cuomo). It seems Paladino's angry-guy-taking-a-baseball-bat-to-the-establishment message is resonating with some people. Or maybe it's the campaign mailers that smell like garbage. [NYT] [NYT]

Paladino was in the Capital Region Sunday. He accepted separate endorsements from the Tea Party and Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian. [WTEN] [Troy Record]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Who is Carl Paladino?
+ Carl Paladino is one of those people who won't stop forwarding crap

image via Paladino campaign

Gillibrand one of Capitol Hill's "most beautiful"

Senator Kirsten GillibrandKirsten Gillibrand ranked #3 on the The Hill's 2010 list of the "50 Most Beautiful People" on Capitol Hill. That's the highest of any elected official (a staff aide and a lobbyist took the top two spots).

From the KG profile:

After adjusting to motherhood, Gillibrand seems to be back into her exercise groove. ("Most of us are not Heidi Klum and Angelina Jolie, who look great the next day" after having a baby, she said. "For me, it took a good two years.") She co-captained the female Congress members' softball team, plays tennis and squash when she can, fits in jogs here and there and is hoping to run the New York Marathon again (she's run it twice before).

[via DNAinfo]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Squash with Al Franken
+ Is Kirsten Gillibrand unstoppable?
+ Describing the candidates
+ Does she sound like a senator?

Where to eat like a state politician

dale miller exterior

The state Senate Democrats are apparently big fans.

After the Daily News mentioned that the state Senate Democratic campaign committee spent $26,000 in Albany restaurants over six months, we were curious about where these politicians were eating.

So we looked it up in the campaign finance disclosure reports. The lists -- for the campaign committees for both parties and chambers -- are after the jump.

(there's more)

Act One. Mister Fix It.

ira glass and david paterson

Ira Glass interviewing David Paterson at the Capitol in May.

This week's This American Life featured a long segment about the New York State budget. During the setup for the piece, host Ira Glass says: "For those of you who live far from New York, you need to understand a few things about just how terribly run New York State is." And then he runs through all the scandals and drama (that part runs longer than many regular radio segments).

That all leads to the appointment of Richard Ravitch, whom Glass describes as the "hero of our story." Says Ravitch at one point, when asked if he felt like he was going to into a "madhouse" after being appointed to Lt. Governor (at Peter Luger):

Yes. But I'm also... this sounds terribly pompous, forgive me... but I have a kind of romance with the whole idea of government and public service. So, at the same time I knew I was going into a madhouse, I also, it was a matter of pride that perhaps I could be helpful and there was nothing more useful I could do with my life.

Ravitch later says: "I didn't know how serious the problem was. I didn't realize the state had been faking balanced budgets for so many years."

The piece includes a bunch of people from around the Capitol, including David Paterson, state budget director Bob Megna (and his non-state-funded stress balls), Ruben Diaz, public radio correspondent Karen Dewitt, YNN's Erin Billups, the singing of Jay Gallagher and NYSNYS's Kyle Hughes.

The piece is a good overview of how the state got into so much budget trouble. It's not a hopeful picture.

The show is available as a free download this week. It's also available for streaming.

photo: Paterson admin media images

Paterson says "hand is forced," considering layoffs this year

David Paterson in profileAppearing on the Capitol Pressroom today, David Paterson said he's considering state worker layoffs this year:

... what bothers me is, it's gnawing me, I don't think I should be setting up a layoff plan for the next governor to do. I think if you're going to layoffs, you do them yourself. And so I'm really considering altering [the layoff plan for next year] and starting the layoffs sooner... [in] 2010.
We need $250 million in workforce reductions and we have not come close to that. That's why we tried to do the furloughs, the court told us we couldn't do it. That's why we tried to get five days extra lag pay in negotiation, and the workers wouldn't do it. And so I think our hand is forced here.

Paterson said his administration is "still calculating" how many layoffs might be involved -- the number of early retirees would play a role in the number.

I don't want to lay people off ... This is just the unfortunate situation that I turned up in going back to a little over two years ago when I became governor that it's the worst economic times in the state's history and I've had to do things that go against what I have felt in my heart, the same way those Republican senators had to vote against how they feel about the extenders. But what I'm doing and what I think they're doing and other are doing here at the Capitol is we're trying to adjust to a crisis.

If Paterson tries to layoff state workers, the public employee unions will almost certainly sue because of the no-layoffs agreement they have with him.

Also: The state Senate passed a bill today that would institute a "Question Time with the Prime Minister" style session between the governor and the legislature each month. We'd watch that. [TU Cap Con]

Yep, the Capitol Pressroom advertises on AOA. That's where the the governor said it.

file photo via Paterson press images

Noam Chomsky coming to Albany

noam chomskyUpdate: Props to Bill M for noticing the asterisk in the conference program that noted Chomsky would be giving the keynote "by videotape." If that's the case, here's plenty of online video -- no conference required.
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Noam Chomsky will be the keynote speaker at conference in Albany this July, according the program for the National Peace Conference -- which describes itself as "a national conference to bring the troops home" (here's the program).

The conference is scheduled for July 23-25 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Albany.

Chomsky, a professor at MIT, is famous for his his critiques (and protests) of American foreign policy. But he first gained (academic) fame as as an influential linguistic theorist.

[via @patrickdodson and @GIKate]

photo: Duncan Rawlinson

Speed reading the coverage of Andrew Cuomo's campaign announcement

andrew cuomo campaign announcement

Gubernatorial candidate.

Andrew Cuomo has publicly declared that he's running for governor (finally).

Here are a bunch of the quick scan highlights from the coverage, including bits about Cuomo's plan, his apparent cold shoulder toward Sheldon Silver, being an insider-outsider-upsidedownsider and Sandra Lee.

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Andrew Cuomo announces for governor

Andrew Cuomo officially announced that he's running for governor Saturday with a video posted on his website:

From the video message:

Our state government in Albany is disreputable and discredited.
New York State is upside down and backwards; high taxes and low performance. The New York State government was at one time a national model. Now, unfortunately, it's a national disgrace. Sometimes, the corruption in Albany could even make Boss Tweed blush.
In my opinion, politicians of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, share the blame. Both are guilty of playing partisan politics and bringing New York State to the brink.
Because I believe so deeply in the mission of government, I am so troubled by its failure. The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the people have the right to replace it. Well, New York State government has failed and the people have the right, indeed the people have the the people have the obligation, to act.

Later on in the message, he says: "We want to know how the candidates for the State legislature are going to vote on key issues and we want to know now. Let's make this a litmus test for change."

Here's a transcript of the video. The text is also embedded after the jump.

Cuomo's campaign has posted an issues agenda. Among the main points:

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"It is what it is."

New York Now has posted a condensed version of today's public state leaders meeting about the budget. (You might say it's a package of "highlights," but somehow that word doesn't seem appropriate for New York State politics.)

The meeting kind of reminded us of a really uncomfortable family dinner where a few of the people argue over some longstanding grudge while everyone else stares at their plates and contemplates the mashed potatoes.

Oh, and David Paterson would like Scottie to beam him up.

It should all be good material for Ira Glass.

Yes, usher in the golden age of semi-homemade dinner parties

sandra leeFrom a NYT profile of the relationship between Andrew Cuomo and Food Network star Sandra Lee:

In Albany, which is not known for its cuisine or its social scene, the most anticipated question about Ms. Lee is whether she will move into the governor's mansion and usher in a golden age of dinner parties and cocktail hours. (Ms. Lee creates a new drink for nearly every episode of her show. Her Christmas concoction: a Gingerbread Martini, made with ginger beer, hazelnut-flavored liqueur and butterscotch schnapps.)

As Joshua David Stern notes at Eater, Lee does enjoy a cocktail -- and, when armed with a can of Pam, could have quite the effect on Albany.

The Cuomo-Lee relationship also sets up an interesting possible situation: that the governor of New York's significant other could be both richer and more famous than he is.

By the way: Cuomo is expected to maybe/probably/oh-who-really-knows officially declare that he's running for governor next week. [Bloomberg]

Earlier on AOA: New York's next First Lady-friend?

photo: Food Network

State worker furloughs blocked

state worker furlough rallyA federal judge has granted a restraining order against the state worker furloughs.

WTEN has posted a copy of the order. Among the orders:

  • It temporarily blocks the Paterson administration from furloughing state employees
  • It also blocks the admin from including another furlough measure in upcoming budget extenders.
  • And, if we're reading it correctly (if), it also blocks the administration from holding back the four percent raises that are part of the union contracts.

A hearing on the issue is scheduled for later this month.

Also: Jack McEneny apparently led some sort of sit-in this afternoon outside Paterson's office to protest inaction on the budget. [State of Politics]

Update: The temporary restraining order is embedded after the jump.

photo from anti-furlough rally earlier this week: Rob Gierthy

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Lobbying with Rachael Ray

kirsten gillibrand and rachael ray

And afterward, they discussed how to take over the world. (Obviously.)

Kirsten Gillibrand and Rachael Ray teamed up on Capitol Hill yesterday to press the case for healthier school lunches. From a NYT article, which reports that KG "unleashed" the Ray on other lawmakers:

"How could you go to any state in the union and say you are not for an extra couple of cents to eradicate hunger, to make our kids healthier, stronger, better focused?" [Ray] said. "It doesn't make any sense that you would even have to have a long conversation about that, to me."

Specifically, Gillibrand and Ray were pushing for the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

KG has made school lunches one of her focus issues -- this week she was pushing legislation that would ban trans-fat from school meals. RR has also campaigned for healthier food in schools.

photo: gillibrand.senate.gov

State worker furlough protest

Rob sent along a handful of photos from the bit anti-furlough rally at the Capitol today. The giant inflatable rat made an appearance.

The Troy Record reports there were estimated to be about 3,500 in the crowd. Kaitlyn Ross reports Jack McEneny told the crowd that Assembly is trying to take the furlough measure out of the emergency budget extender. But Erin Billups reports that Ron Canestrari says that's not legally possible.

photo: Rob Gierthy

Speed reading the coverage of the Joe Bruno sentencing

joe bruno sentencing closeup

He still may not end up going to prison.

A federal judge sentenced Joe Bruno to two years in prison on corruption charges yesterday.

Here are a bunch of the quick scan highlights from the coverage -- including bits about the "vintage" Bruno speech, the judge, the sentence and the reaction.

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Sweeter than the soda tax?

can of cokeDespite the impassioned and persistent efforts of the state health commissioner, the soda tax has reportedly gone flat.

But New York apparently still needs the money. And it probably doesn't need the calories.

So here's a potentially sweeter idea: instead of specifically taxing sodas that contain sugar, New York should tax high-fructose corn syrup.

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Eliot Spitzer can't stay out of the spotlight

It would appear that Eliot Spitzer is intent on being talked about.

In an interview posted this weekend by NYT, Spitzer said it's unclear whether Andrew Cuomo has the guts to take on tough political fights as governor. He also said he wasn't sure if he would vote for Cuomo.

Of course,there's some history here. Spitzer and Cuomo fought over the Joe Bruno investigation (Spitzer tells NYT Cuomo's approach was a "whitewash"). And Mario Cuomo reportedly said Spitzer wasn't qualified to be governor because he was "a bad man."

The book and the doc

Also stoking the coverage of Eliot Spitzer are Rough Justice, the book by Peter Elkind and the the untitled documentary by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney.

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Eliot Spitzer's staying power

rough justice coverA soon-to-be published book about Eliot Spitzer includes some juicy details about the former governor's fall.

In Rough Justice, Peter Elkind reports that former AIG chairman Hank Greenberg and investment banker Ken Langone "remain the most obvious suspects" to have hired a detective to follow Spitzer looking for dirt. From an excerpt posted by Fortune:

Greenberg had a long-standing reputation for deploying clandestine methods; he had contacts in the CIA, and he had used detectives at AIG (AIG, Fortune 500). Langone had a palpable thirst for revenge. He had hired a private investigator to find political ammunition to use against Spitzer during the run-up to his gubernatorial campaign.
In high-level Wall Street circles, there are persistent rumblings that Langone hired someone to shadow Spitzer. Some of the rumblings come from those with ties to Langone; other people claim to have heard it in social settings directly from Greenberg. On July 17, 2009, Fortune writer James Bandler, interviewing Langone for a magazine profile of Greenberg, asked, Did you hire a gumshoe? "I'd say, 'No comment,' " Langone responded.

As you might expect, the book also contains some salacious details about Spitzer's, uh, consumption habits.

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Tea Party Express

tea party express 2010-04-13

The Tea Party Express rolled through Albany today and made a stop near the Capitol. This is the series of rallies that started in Nevada with an appearance by Sarah Palin. Alas, the ex-governor of Alaska didn't show up at this stop (she's scheduled to be at the stop in Boston).

Rob's posted a photo set of the rally and counter-protest. Among the sign topics: spelling, math and sad Sarah Palin on a bus.

(Thanks, Rob)

photo: Rob Gierthy

Carl Paladino is one of those people who won't stop forwarding crap

WNY Media -- a news site in the Buffalo area -- has posted on a bunch of emails reportedly sent by Carl Paladino (the site seems to be getting slammed with traffic right now). Many of the messages are forwards. And they contain some nasty stuff: racist jokes, a woman and a horse, uh, you know. "Dramatically unsafe for work" is the way WNY Media describes them.

Paladino's campaign has released a statement responding to the emails. A snip, via Daily Politics:

Carl Paladino has forwarded close friends hundreds of email messages he received. Many of these emails he received were off color, some were politically incorrect, few represented his own opinion, and almost none of them were worth remembering.

Earlier on AOA: Who is Carl Paladino?

Clip from Rove/Dean debate at UAlbany

Via New York Now, here's a clip from last night's Karl Rove / Howard Dean debate at UAlbany -- the topic was the stimulus package. As you'll see, the pointed finger was one of the preferred moves:

There were a few protesters outside the debate. A protester was tossed from the debate itself about two minutes in.

Tweets from/about the debate. Here's a recap from the Troy Record.

"I'm as mad as hell!"

With Carl Paladino seemingly basing his campaign for governor on this clip from Network, we figured it would make for interesting viewing this morning.

It should be noted that Network is a dark satire and the Howard Beale character (the one who yells "I'm as mad as hell! I'm not going to take this anymore!") is literally crazy.

By the way: If you haven't seen Network, you should definitely watch it. It's a fantastic film. It won four Oscars.

Also: After the jump, Warren Redlich's video on why he's not qualified for higher office. The Guilderland resident has set up a long-shot bid for governor.

Earlier on AOA: Who is Carl Paladino?

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Who is Carl Paladino?

carl paladinoUpdate September 15: Paladino has won the Republican nomination for governor.
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From April 12: Carl Paladino is one of those people who won't stop forwarding crap

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Carl Paladino is expected to toss his hat in the ring for governor of New York today.

When talking about Paladino, though, "toss" is probably not the right word -- "jam" or "shove" might be more fitting.

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Is Kirsten Gillibrand unstoppable?

Senator Kirsten GillibrandIt appears the conventional wisdom (or whatever) is shifting from "Kirsten Gillibrand isn't going to make it" to "Kirsten Gillibrand is unstoppable." From a NYT story today about "What Makes Gillibrand Scary?":

... Ms. Gillibrand possesses assets most of the aspiring senators lack. She has a legitimate geographic base, having represented an Albany-area Congressional district in a part of the state where her family is prominent. She has a network of donors, especially women, who are not going to abandon her. She has a commitment to working her tail off to keep the seat, a fact that even her political enemies grudgingly acknowledge.
And, perhaps most important, she has $5.1 million in her campaign account.

Nothing like a big stack of money to scare off opponents. KG's skill/luck at clearing the field of electoral opponents for her Senate seat has prompted all sorts of theories, including one that involves Al D'Amato secretly supporting her while he publicly supports a Republican.

Earlier this week, a writer for TPM asserted (absurdly) that KG is... "the most powerful woman in American politics." (That kind of press should really help KG's relationship with Nancy Pelosi.) Not bad for someone whose favorable rating in the last Siena poll was just 32 percent -- with 38 percent of respondents saying they "prefer someone else" for the Senate.

And all this while she's, reportedly, busy "in the middle of diapers and bottles and bills and votes and markups."

If this kind of press keeps up, we'll await news of a kryptonite intolerance...

Earlier on AOA:
+ Describing the candidates
+ Does she sound like a senator?

Run for your lives! It's... Cutzilla?

This video from HANYS -- the state's big hospital lobbying group -- gets a +1 for creativity (and use of Playmobil). But we also have to mark it down for giving the legislature artillery. If there's anything legislators don't need, it's a tank.

Also: don't people always sort of root for Godzilla?

(Thanks, M!)

Reaction to the legislative assault on salt

salt shaker

All this should probably taken with a grain of... well... you know.

As you might have heard, state assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) has proposed a bill that would ban restaurants from using salt in the preparation of food.

That hasn't exactly gone over well. A quick spin around the table for reaction after the jump.

Also: a scan of Ortiz's other fun-filled legislation.

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Take a good look

paula poundstoneNew York State's problems with political corruption came up during this past weekend's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me -- and the panel ended up cracking on Albany (at the 4:10 mark):

Paula Poundstone: It must sort of smart a bit when you realize how hard your worked to get there... Before someone runs for office in New York, they should probably make them go look at Albany...
Peter Sagal: See what they think...
Poundstone: Yeah, exactly...
Sagal: It'd be like a scare-straight program for potential politicians.

Poundstone will be able to get a good look for herself in April. She's playing the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall April 24.

We're guessing it won't hurt that badly.

[via @amymengel]

photo: Paula Poundstone

Embarrassed to be New Yorkers

paterson favorability 2010-3

David Paterson's favorability ratings since becoming governor, as tracked by the Siena poll

The Siena poll out today reports that 54 percent of respondents said they agree that "What's going on in Albany makes me embarrassed to call myself a New Yorker."

SRI also reports that 55 percent of those polled said they think David Paterson should serve out his term. That reverses a recent slide for Paterson across a handful of polls:

March 2: Marist reports 66 percent say Paterson should stay stay
March 3: Quinnipiac reports 61 percent say stay
March 5: Quinnipiac reports 46 percent say stay
March 8: Siena reports 55 percent say stay

Not that people are warming back up to David Paterson. This most recent Siena poll reports that Paterson's unfavorable rating is at its highest point (67 percent).

Here's the full listing of the poll results.

Save the Parks rally

parks rally at capitol

That sign in the back puts it rather plainly.

B has posted a handful of photos from yesterday's Save the Parks rally outside the Capitol. Among them: one of Jack McEneny rocking the bullhorn.

Based on comments in reports from the rally, it sounds like legislators aren't too keen on the idea of closing down parks. Of course, who knows what's going to happen behind closed doors when/if the state budget comes together.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Thacher Park is on official closure list
+ The campaign for Thacher Park

photo: B

Reports: Ford's out of Senate race

gillibrand and fordBoth the NY Post and NYT are reporting that Harold Ford has decided to not run against Kirsten Gillibrand for the US Senate.

From a NYT op/ed by Ford that will run in Tuesday's paper:

"I've examined this race in every possible way, and I keep returning to the same fundamental conclusion: If I run, the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary -- a primary where the winner emerges weak-ened and the Republican strengthened."

A Siena poll out last week reported that KG led Ford 42-16 in a hypothetical primary matchup -- even though many voters statewide were less than certain about her overall candidacy.

So, who's up next?

The word going around of late has been that Mort Zuckerman -- the owner of the New York Daily News -- has been thinking about possibly running on the Republican line. Zuckerman has mainly been a supporter of Democrats -- but apparently he thinks a run as Republican could bypass a messy primary. [CityFile] [NYT] [OpenSecrets] [NYT]

Speed reading the coverage of David Paterson

paterson with spitzer

In retrospect, not exactly a dream team.

We've read (too) much of the reaction to David Paterson's decision to exit the race for the governor.

Here are a bunch of the quick-scan highlights -- about lame duck status, Paterson's work habits, calls for resignation, the budget, Andrew Cuomo and... yet another SNL skit.

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Paterson: I'm ending my campaign

David Paterson just officially announced that he's ending his campaign for re-election. "I'm being realistic about politics," the governor said.

Paterson touted his record after taking over for Eliot Spitzer -- on issues such as the budget and the reform of the Rockefeller drug laws. "I fought the good fight, I did what was hard and I put the people first."

The governor said he's "looking forward to a full investigation" of the allegations surrounding aide David Johnson. "I have never abused my office, not now, not ever. When the facts are revealed, the truth will prevail."

Paterson said he will serve out the "308 days" remaining in his term (you know, not that anyone is counting.)

NYT: Paterson called woman who was seeking protection from aide

The New York Times has published yet another story about David Paterson and his reportedly influential aide, David Johnson. And while the first story fell short of the hype, the one posted tonight raises significant and specific questions about Johnson -- and the governor:

Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.
In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor's personal security detail.
Then, just before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.

Paterson released a statement tonight in response to the article. In it, Paterson says Johnson has been suspended without pay. He also says asking Andrew Cuomo to investigate the matter.

The full text is after the jump.

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New York is waiting

gillibrand and ford

Voters say they're still unsure about KG -- and even more unsure about Harold Ford.

Or, so it would seem from a Siena poll out this week.

The poll reports that voters continue to want someone other than David Paterson to be governor, continue to like Andrew Cuomo, continue to be unsure about Kirsten Gillibrand, and continue to think the state is headed in the wrong direction.

A few highlights after the jump.

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Rove/Dean at UAlbany

karl rove and howard deanThe ASP reports that Karl Rove and Howard Dean will engage in a political mixed martial arts bout a debate at UAlbany as part of the school's World Within Reach Speaker Series. The event is scheduled for April 8.

Details aren't posted, yet. But if this event is like the Colin Powell speech (also part of this series), it could be a tough ticket to get for people not connected to UAlbany. We'll update as we find out more.

It looks like Rove and Dean have participated in a handful of these debates -- last fall at DePauw University and Penn State; and just a few days ago in Portland and at Colorado-Boulder. Politics Daily reports the Rove/Dean fee for Colorado was $56k.

(Thanks, Patrick!)

Rove photo via Wikipedia | Dean photo by Flickr user Mr Wright

Ford on the Colbert Report

Harold Ford was on the Colbert Report last night. As Colbert remarked: "Evidently six minutes at my interview table counts as New York State residency." Ford continued to assert that he's "always been pro-choice" -- and said that his view on a same-sex marriage is "a changed position."

Colbert also recommended that Ford make a helicopter touch-and-go visit to Schenectady.

Kirsten Gillibrand was also on TV last night -- she talked with Rachel Maddow about Don't Ask, Don't Tell (KG is pushing for the policy to be repealed). That video is embedded after the jump.

Also: A Marist poll out yesterday reports that Gillibrand leads Ford in a hypothetical primary 44-27 (25 percent were "unsure").

And get this: the Marist poll also reported that Chuck Schumer's approval rating is now below 50 percent for the first time 2001.

Earlier on AOA:
+ It's on
+ Describing the candidates
+ Does she sound like a senator?
+ The quick scan of Ford/Gillibrand

It's on

You kind of get the feeling that Kirsten Gillibrand had just about enough of all the Harold Ford stuff yesterday. After tweeting about his "parakeet" comment, she then proceeded to seek out the media in an effort to repeatedly slam Ford.

gillibrand ford badgeTo the AP: Ford was "unable to convince Tennessee voters to trust him or put their vote in him, and now he's moved to New York and thinks he should be senator."

To the TU: "I don't know who he thinks I am, but I'm certainly not going to be pushed aside by him and a few of his banker buddies." (Ford is on leave from Bank of America/Merril Lynch.)

To the NY Daily News: "He waltzed into his father's congressional seat after failing the bar. And then he comes to New York City and joins a big bank, and is now running with a few banker buddies and thinks he should be in the US Senate."

To the New York Times: "For him to say he is an outsider and an independent is laughable."

To the NY Post: "All we know about him is his record, which is abysmal for New York."

In polls people keep saying they don't know enough or have no opinion about KG. If this keeps up, you gotta think that will change -- for better or worse.

By the way: there is someone who has officially announced a challenge to Gillibrand for the Democratic nomination -- though his mom seems concerned that he's spending too much on campaign buttons.

Oh, yeah: In that clip above, Stephen Colbert named Harold Ford "Alpha Dog of the Week," in part for "Lifting your leg on New Yorkers and telling us it's just egg cream."

On parakeets

parakeetsAt the Capitol yesterday in Albany, Harold Ford said this about Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer:

"Understand that you are not elected to the United States Senate to be a parakeet, or take instructions from the Democratic leadership."

To which Kirsten Gillibrand (or whoever tweets for her) responded around noon today via Twitter:

"Parakeet?" I wouldn't allow my 6 yr old to engage in this kind of namecalling. And HF thinks he should be Senator?

Presumably she also wanted to add: "I'm rubber and you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks on you" -- but, well, you know, Twitter limits you to 140 characters.

Ford is also on Twitter. Sadly, there have been no @ responses between the two. Yet.

By the way: Ford had an op/ed piece in NYT yesterday about how the Democrats could chart a "better course."

Earlier on AOA:
+ Describing the candidates
+ Does she sound like a senator?
+ The quick scan of Ford/Gillibrand

photo: Flickr user Young in Panama

Describing the candidates

gillibrand ford badgeWe couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition in coverage of Harold Ford and Kirsten Gillibrand this past weekend.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Ford, a five-term congressman from Tennessee, has given himself until the end of February to decide whether to challenge Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in New York's Democratic primary, but in the first week of a statewide tour, he is quickly revealing what kind of candidate he would be: an effortless retail politician, equally at ease in baroque restaurants and Baptist churches, who makes instant, Clinton-like connections with voters.

And from the New York Daily News:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is turning herself into a leaner, meaner campaigning machine - showing a slimmer silhouette as a tough election battle looms.
Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) confirmed to the Daily News what observers have been noticing in recent months - she's dropped some pounds.
She declined to say how many, but outsiders are betting 15 to 20.

Let's just go on the record right now: we won't even think of voting for Harold Ford until we know how many calories he eats each day.

By the way: Ford is at the Capitol in Albany today and says he's strongly considering a challenge to Gillibrand for the Democratic nomination. [@kaitlynross1] [@WNYT]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Does she sound like a senator?
+ The quick scan of Ford/Gillibrand

Does she sound like a senator?


Gillibrand's speech after being appointed to replace Hillary Clinton


A Siena poll out this week reported that only 29 percent of respondents said they would like to vote for Kirsten Gillibrand for US Senate in November -- 45 percent said they preferred someone else. That's a trend that's pretty much held steady since KG was appointed to replace Hillary Clinton a year ago.

So why don't voters seem to warming to Gillibrand? The NYO's Reid Pillifant recently offered a theory that was new to us: it's KG's speaking voice. From his Pillifant's piece:

"Kirsten Gillibrand has what I would call a non-regional American young female's accent," wrote Dr. Bert Vaux, a sociolinguistics scholar at the University of Cambridge, who was asked by The Observer to analyze Ms. Gillibrand's public speaking. "Though I lack the phonetic expertise to put my finger on what exactly is involved in this, her voice quality is of the sort that is typically associated with pre-workforce-age white American females. Judging by the case of this woman, this speech pattern has now extended into higher age ranges."

Pillifant goes on to note that Harold Ford is an excellent public speaker. Here's Ford speaking at a MLK Day event this week (with Gillibrand in the background).

We always thought the KG/Tracy Flick comparison was cheap and wrong. But we have to admit that when we watched her "accept" the appointment last January, we thought: "It kind of sounds like she's running for student body president."

A few other bits about Gillibrand/Ford after the jump.

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A quick scan of the Paterson budget

paterson budget 2010-2011

David Paterson at today's budget presentation.

Updated at 1:44 pm

The Paterson administration officially released its proposed 2010-2011 state budget today. David Paterson called the state's financial picture "lugubrious" and said his proposal was "a budget of necessity." He also criticized past budgets: "We can no longer afford this spending addiction."

A (relatively) quick scan of the proposed budget is after the jump. It includes items about a soda tax, wine in supermarkets, speed cameras, The Egg and ultimate fighting.

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The quick scan of Ford/Gillibrand

Harold FordWe've put off writing about the potential Harold Ford challenge to Kirsten Gillibrand all week.

It's probably because whenever the story's come up, we've just thought, "Dude. Run. Don't run. Make-up your mind. All this non-campaigning campaigning is boring." (Maybe we're fatigued by Andrew Cuomo.)

So it goes. Here's the quick scan of the whole week of will-he-should-he-what-if...

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Paterson enters the octagon

Thumbnail image for ufc.jpg"Sources" tell NYDN that David Paterson will include a measure legalizing ultimate fighting in his proposed budget plan later this month.

Reps from the Ultimate Fighting Championship have been lobbying for legalization in NY the last few years -- and apparently Paterson sees this as a way to generate revenue. A Bronx assemblyman floated the same idea earlier this year.

Colonie assemblyman Bob Reilly has been one of the most outspoken critics of legalizing MMA. That prompted a UK paper to wonder if Reilly was "the most hated man in MMA."

photo: Flickr user Lee Brimelow

State of the State speed read

paterson state of state 2010You could spend half an hour listening to David Paterson's State of the State speech from today... or you could skim through this quick scan version.

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Poll: almost half of New Yorkers "disappointed" by same-sex marriage vote

Thumbnail image for NYS Capitol from ESPSo reports the Siena poll out today.

When asked if they were "pleased" or "disappointed" by the state Senate's rejection of the same-sex marriage vote, 47 percent of respondents said they were disappointed (41 percent said they were pleased).

The poll also asked people whether they would like to change the current system in which state legislators can have outside jobs (perhaps this question was prompted by the Joe Bruno trial). Sixty-three percent of respondents said they favored "changing the system" (31 percent said they favored keeping the same).

Of those people who said they wanted to change the system, 43 percent said they wanted legislators to "publicly disclose the size and source of their outside income." Twenty-six percent said they'd like to see legislators prohibited from having other jobs -- with no pay increase. And 23 percent say they'd like to see legislators prohibited from outside jobs -- but with a pay raise.

Here are the results broken down by demographic categories.

Speed reading the coverage of the Joe Bruno guilty verdict

joe_bruno.jpgWe've sifted through the coverage of Joe Bruno's conviction on federal corruption charges.

Here are a bunch of the quick-scan highlights...

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Speed reading the coverage of the state Senate same-sex marriage vote

ruth hassell-thompson

Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson speaking before yesterday's vote.

Updated Thursday at 5:30 pm

We've sifted through the coverage of yesterday state Senate vote on the same-sex marriage bill. Here are a bunch of the quick-scan highlights, including details of a protest planned for tonight...

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Inside The Capitol Press Room

LCA roomThe Editors were guests today on Susan Arbetter's new statewide public radio show, The Capitol Press Room. We talked about Upstate vs. Downstate, celebrity, the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and weltanschauung. The segment starts at the 43:00 mark.

It was great to see Susan in her radio "hut" in the press room (we'd call it cozy.) And, yes, it's been a while since the Editors were on live radio.

Election results highlights

lever voting machine

The boards of elections for Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties all have results from yesterday's election posted online.

Here's a quick scan of some of the notable results.

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Cory Booker at Union

cory bookerCory Booker will be speaking at Union Wednesday night. The Newark, New Jersey mayor has become a star in political and media circles over the last decade. From a Time mag profile this past summer:

The Booker bio is irresistible -- and familiar: he arrived in Newark fresh out of Stanford, Oxford and Yale Law, passing up riches to save a poor city. He moved into a decrepit Newark public-housing project, which has since been torn down, and was elected to the Newark city council at age 29. In 2006, at 37, he became mayor. To his supporters, who include A+ listers like Oprah Winfrey, Bon Jovi and Brad Pitt, plus an élite cadre of Wall Street and Silicon Valley scions, Booker's self-sacrificial tale is heroic. To his critics, Booker is still a publicity-loving political opportunist, a permanent outsider using the citizens of Newark to jump-start bigger things for his career.

Booker recently got into a multimedia "fight" with Conan O'Brien after the TV host cracked that the city's health plan consisted of "a bus ticket out of Newark." Booker appeared with Conan on the Tonight Show last month to set things straight.

Booker's talk at Union is titled "How to Change the World with Your Bare Hands." It starts at 6:30 pm in the Nott Memorial.

photo: City of Newark

Answers from Nathan LeBron

Nathan Lebron

Nathan LeBron

A couple of weeks ago we asked for your questions for Nathan LeBron, the Republican candidate for mayor of Albany.

We talked with LeBron at his headquarters on State Street in Albany, near what's left of the Wellington Hotel (the part about the Wellington is significant only because the thumping you'll occasionally hear in the background is the sound of it being torn down.)

After the jump you'll find the answers to your questions, and a few of ours. The video is arranged so that you can watch him answer each question individually.

Last week we posed some of your questions to Mayor Jerry Jennings. Those answers are coming soon. Earlier this year we spoke with Corey Ellis and Shawn Morris.

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The Blue State Sarah Palin

betsy mccaugheyThat's how The New Republic describes former NY lieutenant governor Betsy McCaughey (she was Pataki's LG from 1995-1998):

What kind of person drives normally staid wonks, including her own ideological teammates, to such stinging public reproof? Part of it is obviously the nature of her commentary. But beyond that, there is something about McCaughey herself that drives her critics wild--and has throughout much of her career. Friends posit it's her disconcerting blend of brains, beauty, and confidence. Detractors chalk it up to her rank dishonesty, narcissism, and lack of shame. Whatever the cause, the passion McCaughey inflames is familiar. Looking over the sweep of McCaughey's life, from her swift political rise (and fall) to her humble roots, from her straight-talking persona, fierce will, and blinding confidence to her gift for self-dramatization, head-turning looks, and embrace of the gender card, one sees precursors of a more recent conservative phenom. Replace the East Coast researcher's political-outsider, stats-wielding, pointy-head shtick with a political-outsider, gun-toting, populist one, and a striking parallel emerges: Betsy McCaughey is, in essence, the blue-state Sarah Palin.

McCaughey has been at the center of the pundit slapfest over the Obama's Administration's effort to reform healthcare. Her comments on the plan to include end-of-life counseling benefits in Medicare were tagged with a "pants on fire" designation by Politifact.

That TNR piece by Michelle Cottle includes a bunch of interesting/weird/WTF?/seriously? bits about McCaughey's time as NY LG -- including a great quote from former Pataki spokesperson Zenia Mucha: "How do you describe someone who is too bizarre to describe?"

[via]

photo: CIRD/WikiCommons

Stop us if you've heard this before

siena paterson chart

So it goes.

The latest Siena poll is like a replay of the last few months:

+ People continue to have an unfavorable view of David Paterson (29/59 favorable/unfavorable)

+ People continue to prefer someone else as governor (71 percent)

+ Andrew Cuomo continues to hold a strong lead in the hypothetical gubernatorial race (52-39 over Rudy Giuliani)

+ And people continue to say they don't know enough about Kirsten Gillibrand (47 percent)

Here's something new: the poll has started asking people whether they think the state budget gap can be closed without new taxes or fees. Eighty percent of people said they didn't think that was going to happen.

By the way: Paterson said today that it's looking like the mid-year budget gap will be $3 billion.

State's high court affirms Ravitch appointment

Ravitch and Paterson

Richard Ravitch and David Paterson back in July when the appointment was first announced.

New York State now has a lieutenant governor.

The state Court of Appeals (New York's highest court) ruled today that David Paterson did have the authority to appoint Richard Ravitch to the vacant job.

Writes Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman in the 4-3 majority decision:

The issue on this appeal is whether the Governor of the State of New York has the authority to fill a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant-Governor by appointment. We now hold that he does.

The decision goes on to argue that the post of lieutenant governor falls under "a catch-all" provision of state law that allows the governor to make appointments for positions that don't otherwise have rules laid out for their replacement (lieutenant governor being one of these jobs).

From the dissent, written by Judge Eugene Pigott:

Under the majority's rationale, the possibility exists that the citizens of this State will one day find themselves governed by a person who has never been subjected to scrutiny by the electorate, and who could in turn appoint his or her own unelected Lieutenant-Governor.

photo: ny.gov

Jennings wins Democratic mayoral primary, Joe Bruno takes a turn on the swings, plane headed for Saratoga crashes, dogs found shot

Jerry Jennings topped Corey Ellis in the Albany mayoral Democratic primary with 7,615 to 5,971 (that's 56 percent to 44 percent). At his victory party, Jennings told the crowd he "wasn't going to walk away from this city in a very challenging time." Ellis told supporters that he would "continue to fight for this city" and that "this fight is just beginning." Ellis also said problems at polling sites held down his vote total. [CBS6] [TU] [CapNews9]

In other Albany primary results: Carolyn McLaughlin beat Lenny Ricciuti for Common Council president, Kathy Sheehan won big over incumbent Betty Barnette for treasurer and Leif Engstrom holds a 225 vote lead over Darius Shahinfar for city auditor. [CapNews9] [TU]

The whole list of primary results: Albany County | Rensselaer County | Saratoga County | Schenectady County

As the jury selection process started for his federal trial, Joe Bruno took a turn on the swings at a new playground in Troy that was built with Bruno Bacon. [TU] [CapNews9]

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The primary is near. Thanks goodness.

primary mailers

Today's haul.

The way to a primary voter's heart is through... their mailbox?

It seems the candidates think so. We've been deluged by campaign mailers recently -- we got six just today. @Mrs_Misanthrope reported getting eleven. We could probably wallpaper half the house with these things.

And if the flurry of campaign mailers wasn't annoying enough, it seems the candidates have bought robocalls in bulk this year.

Just make it stop. Please.

Rudy leaning toward run for governor, attorney accused of ripping off clients, Giants could be leaving for good, Rachel Alexandra will race at Saratoga, fire truck for sale

People "close" to Rudy Giuliani say the former NYC mayor is leaning toward a run for governor. Giuliani has apparently told "associates" that he'll make up his mind within the next two months. Giuliani trails Andrew Cuomo 53-40 in a hypothetical gubernatorial matchup, according to the latest Siena poll. [NYDN] [NYT] [AOA]

The head of the state Republican Party is stepping down. Giuliani apparently was one of the people who pushed him out, which is another reason observers think Rudy is planning a run for governor. [Daily Politics] [NYT]

The federal Department of Justice says New York State's four juvenile prisons routinely use excessive force on their residents. That approach has led to an "alarming" number of injuries, according to the DOJ report. [NYT] [TU]

A Saratoga Springs attorney was arrested yesterday on charges that he ripped off more than $400k from clients. Police say he took the money as part of two real estate transactions. The attorney has pled not guilty. [TU] [Saratogian] [Fox23]

A Colonie lawyer says he was fired from his job with state Senate Democrats after decided to run for town justice on the Republican ticket. [TU]

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New Yorkers: let's start over

NYS Capitol from ESP

Where's the reboot button on this thing?

In the Siena poll release today, 54 percent of respondents said they wish they could throw out all the state legislators and start over. In fact, it sounds like New Yorker are longing for the good old days (which are apparently about the same time as Sterling Cooper's heyday).

From the poll....

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Albany mayoral race: campaign expenditures

Ellis and Jennings

Apparently they're both fans of Dale Miller.

As promised, here are the sortable lists of expenditures for the campaigns of Jerry Jennings and Corey Ellis. If you see anything interesting or notable, please share in the comments.

We posted sortable lists of campaign contributors yesterday. (JVG noticed that DiCarlo's (the strip club) had made a contribution.)

We were able to break out these lists thanks to a package of campaign finance data put together by NYPIRG. That package, which includes data for candidates from Albany County, is available for download (it's an xls file). Thanks to NYPIRG for its help.

We've also put together a few notes based on the lists. They're also after the jump.

To the data...

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Move over David Paterson

Pedro Espada close cropIt appears that New Yorkers have found something they dislike even more than David Paterson: the state Senate.

The Siena poll out today reports that 74 percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion about the state Senate. And 77 percent said that the statement "I'm angry that the Senators wasted more than a month of valuable time accomplishing nothing" best described the way they felt about the Senate mess.

Not surprisingly, Pedro Espada led the pack of disliked senators with a 46-11 unfavorable/favorable split.

The poll also asked whether people would like to see Democrats, Republicans or a coalition control the chamber -- 30 percent said Dems, 17 percent Republicans and 52 percent coalition. (Maybe there's needs to be a "none of the above" option.)

It would be interesting to a see the results of a question that asks people what they think about their individual state senator.

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Not much has changed in state Senate, Gillibrand cut off at Sotomayor hearing, judge admonished for not getting work done, pair accused of using kid to aid burglaries

Now that the state Senate leadership mess has been resolved, the chamber can move on to the really important stuff: staffing budgets. Oh, and Pedro Espada says was made majority leader because senators "trust" that "I can lead that house." [AP/Troy Record] [CapNews9]

Already bolstered by the state Senate's "extraordinary" sessions, downtown Albany restaurants are pulling for a special session. [CapNews9] [TU]

Chuck Schumer (video) and Kirsten Gillibrand (video) introduced Sonia Sotomayor at her Supreme Court nomination hearing yesterday. KG went on so long that she had to be cut off by Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (the first gavel comes at 6:25 in her video). Gillibrand does have a reputation for being loquacious. [SchumerTube] [GillibrandTube] [TU] [NYT]

Joe Bruno has already spent more than $450k on lawyers this year as part of his defense against federal corruption charges. [Daily Politics]

CSEA members showed up at last night's Albany County Legislature meeting to protest the planned five-day furloughs of county workers. The union says workers found out about the furlough via the media. Albany County exec Mike Breslin says the county is facing a $20 million budget gap. [Fox23] [CBS6]

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Everyone seems upset in Senate mess aftermath, Albany says sewer failure wasn't its fault, bar owners brought SLA with check of a box, rain leads to exploding cherries

David Paterson says the caucus switching that's been going on in the state Senate is "so blatantly quid pro quo that it borders on the boundaries of illegality." Jim Tedisco says that the recent mess has prompted him to work on introducing legislation in the Assembly that would allow elected officials to be recalled -- he singled out Pedro Espada for "selling his office." Roy McDonald says the legislature is "evolving into a branch of the New York City Council." And Neil Breslin says the recent events have him "less excited about being a senator." [AP/TU] [TU] [Fox23] [Saratogian] [AP/Troy Record]

Friday's special session of the state Senate was canceled and the body is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday. [PolitickerNY]

One thing the Senate ovethrow/unthrow didn't stop: big pay raises for a bunch of Senate staffers. [TU]

A hearing on the constitutionality of David Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch to the post of lieutenant governor has been scheduled for Wednesday. Even with the state Senate mess resolved, both Paterson and Ravitch say there's still a need for a lt governor. [AP/TU] [PolitickerNY]

Lawyers for Joe Bruno are arguing that his trial for "theft of honest services" should be delayed until the Supreme Court of the United State rules on a pair of similar cases. [TU]

They City of Albany has denied almost $300k in claims related to the flooding last August. The city says the deluge "exceeded all levels for which municipal storm sewers or municipal combined sewers are designed." [TU]

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State Senate gets back to work, Biden in Clifton Park, Salvation Army says it didn't blow the whistle, chip fab has 20 year lifespan, good year for apples

The state Senate, with Pedro Espada caucusing with the Democrats, had a real session last night -- 135 bills were passed. The session was not without drama. Republicans held things up for about two hours because they said Democrats weren't supporting agreed-upon reforms -- Dean Skelos called Democrats "a bunch of phonies." The session got back on track shortly before midnight when both sides announced they had agreed to "a framework" for reform. [Biz Review] [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [Daily Politics]

The session also included Espada's installation as majority leader, though it wasn't by a vote because apparently some of the Democrats refused to directly vote for him. [Daily Politics]

David Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch to lieutenant governor is basically on hold until the courts review it. The first hearing is today. [TU]

Joe Biden touted the Obama Administration's stimulus program yesterday during his speech to about 600 people in Clifton Park. The VP announced that New York was getting another $275 million for unemployment insurance. And he said 6,800 jobs would be coming to the state. Among Biden's comments: he would never take the job of Mayor of Albany because it's too hard. (video from the event) [Post-Star] [Troy Record] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star]

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Yep. Right. Sure.

Pedro Espada

Pedro Espada explaining things Thursday afternoon

The state Senate Democrats -- now back in power after making a deal with Pedro Espada -- got together for a press conference this afternoon to talk about everything that went down. And we gotta say, some of their comments were almost unbelievable.

So here are eight quotes that made us go "What?! Seriously?!" Just a warning -- these comments may make your head explode.

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Richard Ravitch, come on down...

paterson ravitch announcementYou're the next contestant on the bizarre reality show that is New York State government. David Paterson just announced that he's appointing Richard Ravitch to the post of lieutenant governor.

Ravitch theoretically will now be able to cast a tie-breaking vote in the frozen state Senate (if quorum ever comes together). The key word is theoretically -- because Paterson's appointment will almost surely set off a flurry of lawsuits. If Ravitch's appointment holds, it would at the very least clear up some of the questions about the gubernatorial line of succession.

So who is this Ravitch guy? A quick primer after the jump.

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State Senate break reportedly near, Biden coming to area, layoffs at the TU, mouthwash defense surfaces, liquor license denied because of Salvation Army

It's now been a month since the state Senate upheaval started. The two sides are reportedly nearing some sort of resolution. The Democrats known as "The Three Amigos" (that includes Pedro Espada, who's sided with the Republicans) are threatening to do something (it's not clear what) if there isn't a deal by Thursday. Two of the Amigos plus another senator walked out of the Dems' session yesterday -- and apparently other rank-and-file members are feeling "frisky." [Daily Politics] [PolitickerNY] [TU] [AP/Troy Record]

It does seem like something is up -- David Paterson has requested statewide TV time for 5 pm this evening. That's prompted speculation that he might try to dislodge the situation by appointing a lieutenant governor (which would, in turn, probably set off legal throwdown). [Daily Politics] [TU]

If it's any consolation, the senators' pay has been stopped. [NYDN]

Joe Biden will be in Clifton Park tomorrow to tout the federal stimulus effort. He'll be speaking at Shenendehowa High School. This will be the first Vice Presidential visit to the area since 2000. [TU] [WTEN] [Daily Gazette]

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Plotting and scheming in the state Senate, vote on landfill delayed, Lake George beaches closed, bowling-spectator cop promoted

Today's forecast includes the possibility of severe weather this afternoon and evening. The chance of rain is 80 percent and conditions could include "penny size hail or greater and wind gusts 58 mph or stronger." [NWS] [NWS]

Monday in the state Senate: lots of talking and plotting, but little action. An Assemblyman and a few good government groups are saying that David Paterson could fix the situation by simply appointing a lieutenant governor, and thus giving the Senate a tie breaker. Republicans -- and AG Andrew Cuomo -- say Paterson can't do that. [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics]

On a different front, one of the senators has sued the Assembly in an attempt to get it to accept the bills "passed" by the Senate during last week's V8 quorum -- though David Paterson has said he won't the sign the bills even if the Assembly accepts them. [Daily Politics]

Another potential solution that bubbled to the surface yesterday was the idea of co-leadership of the Senate. But it seems the Democrats can't agree with each other, nevermind the Republicans, because many now despise Pedro Espada. And speaking of Espada, he was apparently plotting with the "four amigos" yesterday over lunch at Bongiourno's. [TU] [Daily Politics] [Daily Politics]

The Albany Common Council delayed its vote on the bonds that would fund the landfill expansion. Apparently there's some question as to whether there are enough vote to approve the debt. The landfill could be full as soon as the end of this year. [TU]

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Pedro Espada's many characteristics

nymag cover espadaPedro Espada -- one of the key players in the state Senate mess -- gets the cover story treatment in the most recent New York Mag.

Espada comes off as quite the multi-faceted character. He's described -- by others, himself, events -- as: a nihilist, scrappy, a fighter, a meticulous dresser, a guy who talks about himself in the third person, Evita-like, a thief, a villain, a score settler, charismatic, a shrewd political tactician, amoral, a self-aggrandizer, an outsider, self-reliant, needy, a contradiction, an opportunist, a scofflaw, and a tool.

State comptroller says he'll stop senators' pay, officials say fatal Schenectady fire was arson, Troy's Cannon Building could be closed, WTEN going up for auction

State comptroller Tom DiNapoli says he will withhold state senators' pay because of the Senate standoff. There's some question as to whether DiNapoli can legally do that -- and a spokesman for Senate Democrats has already said they'll sue if the comptroller actually goes through with it. [NYT] [NYDN] [TU]

There didn't appear to be an significant progress toward a resolution of the state Senate mess yesterday, though the two sides did talk. David Paterson asked the public for ideas about how to fix the situation. [Daily Politics] [Capitol Tonight]

One group that's made OK in all this: lawyers. [Capitol Tonight]

With another "extraordinary" session planned for tomorrow, senators were making Fourth of July plans. Among them: conjugal visits, fireworks at the ESP, laundry and reading "computer mail." [NYDN] [NYT]

Schenectady County DA Robert Carney says the fire that killed a 10-year-old girl in Schenectady last month was intentionally set by woman who was upset with the girl's mother. The woman has been charged with murder and arson. Carney says he doesn't think the woman intended to kill the child. The girl's mother was not home at the time of the fire -- she's been charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Three firefighters were injured while trying to save the girl. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Fox23] [CBS6]

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Judge orders state Senate back to work, Paterson warns of another fiscal shortfall, trans-fat ban adjusted, police get DNA evidence from soda bottle

A state Supreme Court judge ordered the state Senate -- both caucuses -- into session today. The judge scolded senators for their behavior and said they risked appearing "rude, inconsiderate and egotistical." Democrats say they'll show up for the session (though they're promising not to take up anything controversial) and the Republicans have already filed an appeal. If the Senate doesn't take action a handful of measures will expire tonight, including sales tax extensions in many counties. [NYT] [Daily Politics] [NYDN] [TU]

If it seems like the Senate mess would put incumbents at risk of being thrown out of office... well, behold the power of pork. [TU]

At the NY Conference of Mayors meeting yesterday in Saratoga, David Paterson said that state tax revenues "may be down 35 percent this year from where they were projected." [Post-Star]

Police say two men were shot on Kent Street in Albany yesterday afternoon (map). Witness says four people jumped out of car, ran up to a porch and started shooting. [TU] [Fox23]

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State Senate still stuck, Novello to do community service at Albany clinic, political spat over playground, Miss New York crowned, angry penguin in Waterford

The state Senate is still stuck. The two caucuses repeated their parallel in-and-out sessions over the weekend. David Paterson, who's suing the Senate over the quickie sessions, met with the Democratic caucus over the weekend -- though there aren't any details about whether they decided to hug it out or to continue hating each other. Yet another "extraordinary" session is planned for today. The two sides appear no closer to working out a power-sharing deal. [CapNews9] [Daily Politics] [AP/TU]

One of the background issues to the Senate mess is the 2010 redistricting. Demographers say population shifts are pointing toward a sizable Democratic majority -- though that depends on how districts are drawn. [NYT]

The state comptroller's office has cancelled $3 million in state funding for Pedro Espada's Bronx health care company. The comptroller says Espada, the disputed Senate pro tem, neglected to report that his org owed back taxes. [TU]

Even though New York State pays some of the lowest unemployment benefits in the nation, the state's unemployment insurance fund will be $2 billion short by the end of the year. [TU]

Albany County will be furloughing employees one day per month over the next six months. County exec Mike Breslin says the plan will save $1.4 million (the county faces a $20.5 million budget gap). Breslin says he'll be taking part in the furlough. [TU] [Troy Record]

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State senators agree to hate on David Paterson, landfill expansion gets official OK from DEC, Troy dog park becomes political squabble, Dino looking for big tax breaks, rabid fox alert, gastropub opening in Saratoga

The state Senate's two caucuses held separate, brief -- and pointless -- sessions yesterday. The two sides apparently are close to working out some sort of deal to share power -- and asked for more time to negotiate. David Paterson essentially told them to stuff it and called another "extraordinary" session for today. He also directed the state treasurer to withhold senators' per diems. [Daily Politics] [NYT] [PolitickerNY]

One thing senators of both sides can apparently agree on: they're annoyed with David Paterson. Brooklyn Dem Kevin Park even called Paterson a "coke snorting, staff-banging governor" (he later retracted his comment -- at least he didn't hit the governor). Paterson said it's not him versus the legislature, but rather "governance versus chaos." [Newsday] [PolitickerNY] [NYDN] [TU]

It looks like the Senate chaos has put the same-sex marriage bill on hold indefinitely. [AP/Daily Gazette]

Former state health commissioner Antonia Novello has pleaded guilty in the case that alleged she used her state employees as personal assistants. She's getting off with no jail time, but will have to do community service, pay $22,500 in restitution and pay a small fine. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette]

A spokesman for Rick Lazio says the former Long Island congressman and US Senate candidate "fully intends" to run for Governor of New York. Lazio has called for New York to replace the Assembly and Senate with a unicameral legislature. [AP/TU] [Daily Politics]

A draft of the Albany Common Council's ghost ticket investigation report concludes that the "intent of the system itself was not bad ... it was the impropriety in how the benefit was granted that is a cause for concern." One version of the draft report also apparently includes sharp criticism of city treasurer Betty Barnette's office. [TU]

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Paterson threatens state Senate, landfill expansion needs another permit, Troy dog park controversy, another pizza person mugged, gourmet market coming to Latham

The state Senate was in session for all of five minutes yesterday -- and the Republicans weren't even there. [Daily Politics]

David Paterson has called another "extraordinary" session for today. If senators don't show, he says he'll move to withhold their pay. He's also threatening to send the State Police after missing senators. A Brooklyn senator responded to Paterson's threats by calling him a "coward" who "will not be returning as governor." Leaders of both caucuses say their memberships will be at the Capitol today. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT] [Buffalo News]

A business run by Pedro Espada, one of the senators who set this whole circus in motion, owes almost $350k in back taxes. In 2007, Espada made almost $460k at the org, which gets funding from the state. [TU]

Even if the DEC approves the Albany landfill expansion, the project will still have to get the OK from the Army Corps of Engineers (though it won't stop the landfill from being piled higher). [TU]

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Special state Senate session a disaster, landfill expansion could be approved soon, home prices holding steady, new music venue for Saratoga

Yesterday's special state Senate session was a mess. Among the absurdities: Democrats entered the chamber early in some sort of attempt to call "first!"; each side held its own concurrent session (with their own gavels) and tried to call the other out of order; no one knows if any of the voted-on bills were legally passed. [TU] [Daily Politics] [CapCon] [NYDN] [NYT]

David Paterson has called the Senate back for another session today -- with the same-sex marriage bill on the agenda. The inclusion of that bill could prompt Democrat Ruben Diaz Sr. to switch allegiance to the Republicans, giving them a majority. [Daily Politics]

Jerry Jennings' chief aide says the city's application to expand the Rapp Road landfill could be approved by the DEC as early as this week. At its current size, the landfill is projected to be full later this year -- six years ahead of schedule. Common Councilman -- and mayoral candidate -- Corey Ellis called for "a comprehensive audit of the Rapp Road landfill by a truly independent body" yesterday. [TU] [Ellis press release]

The median price for homes in the Capital Region more or less held steady last month compared to the same period last year -- though the number of transactions was down. Median prices were up in Schenectady County, flat in Albany County and down in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties. Homes priced under $200k are apparently selling well. [Daily Gazette] [GCAR/Post-Star] [TU]

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Paterson calls special Senate session, twins die in accident, lottery winner allegedly sold crack, man accused of syruping gas tanks

David Paterson is calling the state Senate into special session this afternoon. Whether anything of actual substance will happen is uncertain, though -- in large part because it's not clear who will be running the chamber. Paterson can set the agenda -- and he's putting up 90 largely uncontroversial bills for consideration (he can't make the senators vote, though). When/if the bills are voted on, Paterson says he'll keep the Senate in session for bills related to "reform, fiscal discipline and also civil rights." One of those bills is probably the same-sex marriage bill, though Paterson didn't say that exactly -- probably because Democrat, and outspoken same-sex marriage opponent, Ruben Diaz has been threatening to switch parties if the bill is brought up. [TU] [NYDN] [Buffalo News] [Daily Politics] [PolitickerNY]

While the Senate drama lurched forward yesterday, the Assembly finished its session. [AP]

Twin teenage brothers died Sunday in Rensselaer County after the ATVs they were driving collided head-on. A teen girl was also seriously injured. The teens were not wearing helmets (the TU story says state law requires helmets, the Gazette story says it does not helmets are required). [TU] [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette]

Police say a Schenectady man stabbed his adult step daughter and her friend after the man got into an argument with his wife at a Father's Day party on Sunday. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

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We're going the wrong way

wrong way sign

Turn around.

The Siena poll out today has some interesting -- if not necessarily surprising -- results.

People are still down on David Paterson (though marginally less so) -- but they've also turned against pretty much everyone else in state government (with one exception).

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Paterson says he will force Senate into session, judge snagged in DWI sweep, bristling at being New York's pay toilet, vinyl records store opens in Schenectady

David Paterson says he will call the state Senate into special session tomorrow if the body doesn't get to work today. Said Paterson yesterday of all the drama: "Over the last couple of weeks, the senators' conduct has been laughable." Paterson says Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman would preside over the special session -- a provision that some say could be unconstitutional or create a conflict of interest. The session would focus on "emergency" issues such as the sale tax extension for some counties. Not on that list: same-sex marriage, though Paterson says he intends for the Senate to vote on the bill before the summer break. [TU] [NYDN] [PolitickerNY] [Daily Politics] [NYT]

Two things that might prompt Senators to start moving: they can't hook up their cronies with patronage jobs until the situation's resolved; and all their pork is currently locked in the barrel. [TU] [TU]

A man was stabbed to death in Schenectady Saturday morning. Police say they haven't identified a motive. [TU] [Fox23]

Police say an Albany County family court judge was snagged as part of the county-wide drunk driving sweep last Thursday. Green Island police say the judge tried to evade a checkpoint at the Troy-Green Island Bridge and led police on a short chase. [TU] [Troy Record]

The Albany Police Department is reportedly trying to fire two members of the force -- the detective accused of driving drunk through Albany into Bethlehem in February; and the sergeant who's been accused of trying to cover for the detective. [TU]

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Senate is still stuck, big drug bust in Wilton, Alive at Five DWI crackdown planned, man accused of impersonating a cop, another local moose sighting

The state Senate is still borked. Local elected leaders are getting nervous because the Senate hasn't passed bills that would extend special sales taxes (this group includes Rensselaer and Columbia counties). Also held up: the new pension tier that was part of David Paterson's deal with the state worker unions. And the lid on the pork barrel is also shut. [TU] [CapNews9] [Buffalo News]

Republicans and Democrats are apparently trading ideas for power-sharing agreements. They're also starting to throw mud at each other. A sample exchange: Pork-throwing adulterer! Liar! [PolitickerNY] [NYP]

Pedro Espada, the lone Democrat in the Republican "coalition," has been reiterating his claim that his position as Senate pro tem gives him two votes -- not just in the event of a tie, but also to establish a quorum. An expert from the the Rockefeller Institute said Espada's claim "just might be correct." But the case law would seem to indicate otherwise. If Espada tries to act in this manner, the Democrats will almost certainly sue. [Daily Politics] [AP/Troy Record] [TU] [NYT]

The revised Schenectady schools budget did pass after all. A re-check of the numbers found a mistake that had resulted in almost 50 fewer "yes" votes. Had the budget not passed, the school district was going to impose an almost 16 percent tax increase as part of a contingency budget. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

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Mad as hell! About something!

march on albany

The Trump approach to government reform.

While the state Senate drama staggered on inside the Capitol yesterday, there as a sort of follow-up to the Tax Day "tea parties" going on outside.

The theme of the "March on Albany" was "We're Voting the Ins Out!" -- though it sounds like maybe the incumbents don't have much to worry about.

If anything, it seems like the protest was an expression of a generalized anger toward government.

B has posted a photo set with a bunch of pics from yesterday's protest.

photo: B

State Senate frozen with no end in sight, local orgs lack pandemic plans, abandoned high-end homes in Saratoga, DEC hoping for hot turtle action

The state Senate is basically frozen right now. Yesterday a judge dismissed the Democrats' suit seeking to void last week's takeover by the Republicans + Pedro Espada. The Republicans claimed victory and tried to go into session -- but with only 31 senators present, they couldn't form a quorum. [NYT] [Daily Politics]

David Paterson again called on the Senate to work out some sort of power sharing deal, perhaps bringing someone such as former chief judge Judith Kaye to preside over the chamber. He also said the line of succession to the governorship is in dispute. [TU]

If the state Senate ever does back into session, Espada is arguing that he should have two votes -- his regular vote plus one as acting lieutenant governor. Apparently there's no precedent for that, though. [NYP]

By the way: the Assembly has been working while all this has been going on. [Daily Politics]

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State Senate paralyzed by drama, plane plucked from Mohawk, Albany sewers maxed out, moose on the loose

As had been rumored, Hiram Monserrate switched back to the Democratic caucus yesterday and now the state Senate is split 31-31. Result: no one knows what the hell is going on. The two parties discussed a power-sharing arrangement, but couldn't come up with a deal. They're now looking to the courts to settle things> -- and it sounds like the judiciary would really rather not do that. [NYT] [NYDN] [NYT]

The situation puts the state in a "constitutional crisis" as there's no clear way for the Senate to function. Also muddled: the line of succession to the governorship. [Buffalo News]

The Republicans + Democrat Pedro Espada showed up in the Senate chamber yesterday, but couldn't do anything official because they were one short of a quorum. Democrats are now threatening to sue Espada because, they say, he violated a court-issued injunction against acting as Senate pro tem. [Daily Politics] [CapNews9]

John Sampson, the new leader of the Senate Democrats, is being credited with bringing Monserrate back into the caucus. [TU]

A crew pulled the small private plane that crashed into the Mohawk near Glenville out of the river yesterday. The victims were also identified -- one was a former Bollywood actor turned real estate developer. Officials aren't sure what caused the crash. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

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Senate drama twists again, small plane crashes into Mohawk, firefighters pull unconcisous girl from fire, Whole Foods reportedly scouting area

The state Senate drama took another twist over the weekend when Hiram Monserrate -- one of the Democratic switchers -- said he's returning to caucus with the Democrats. Apparently one of Monserrate's demands for returning to the Dems' caucus was that Malcolm Smith had to go as majority leader. Brooklyn senator John Sampson is reportedly going to take over as head of the Democratic caucus -- but Smith might stay on as leader-in-name-only so the Democrats can pursue their case arguing that the Republican takeover was illegal. [NYDN] [NYDN] [NYP] [TU]

If Monserrate really does switch back, it would leave the Senate split 31-31 -- and that could mean epic gridlock. Dean Skelos and Pedro Espada -- the (new, former?) Senate leaders -- would stay in charge of the body. Typically in a 31-31 split the lieutenant governor would cast the deciding vote -- but New York is currently without a lt governor. Republicans are apparently arguing that Espada -- who's the Senate pro tem -- should get two votes. That's not going over well with the Democrats. [Buffalo News] [NYDN]

By the way: Espada still hasn't settled his numerous campaign disclosure violations, as he promised to do. [TU]

Two people are dead and another missing after a small plane crashed into the Mohawk shortly after take-off from the Mohawk Valley Airport in Glenville yesterday afternoon. Witnesses say it appears the plane didn't get enough speed to take off. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The Troy pizza shop worker who thwarted a robbery last month was shot four times Saturday in another hit on the shop -- he's expected to live. Police say the man confronted the shooter(s) in front of the store because he thought something was up. The shop is a Domino's -- the company is offering a $5000 reward for info. [TU] [Troy Record] [CapNews9]

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Senate drama staggers forward, calls for Tuffey to be fired, APD starts rewards for tips program, it's DMB weekend in Saratoga

The state Senate -- or, at least, part of it -- went into session yesterday... for about 20 minutes. Hiram Monserrate -- one of the Democratic switchers -- walked out, bring the session to a halt. Monserrate said he's trying to bring more Democrats into the coalition -- but other suspect he's playing both sides in an attempt to the score the best deal. [TU] [NYT] [NYDN] [NYP]

Another hold up in the Senate yesterday: Democrats locked the cabinet that holds the bills.

Most of the action yesterday was in court, where Democrats tried to challenge the overthrow. The didn't win much -- and they'll be back in court today. However, they did get an order blocking Pedro Espada, who's (maybe?) the new Senate president pro tem, from becoming acting governor were something to happen to David Paterson. Apparently some are concerned that Espada could issue pardons if Paterson traveled out of state -- even a pardon to... himself. [AP/Daily Gazette] [Daily Politics] [TU]

Espada is apparently trying to pull other Democrats into the coalition by pushing for a vote on the same-sex marriage bill. [Daily Politics]

The big issue in the background of this whole struggle: redistricting. [Newsday]

Now that Albany police chief James Tuffey is back at work in an administrative role, Shawn Morris and Corey Ellis -- both mayoral candidates -- are calling for him to be fired. Tuffey said he's not going anywhere. Jerry Jennings says he still supports Tuffey: "I run this city. They don't run this city. I made this decision, I'll stand by it." [TU] [Fox23]

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Senate drama grinds on, land deal closed for chip fab, Tuffey back on the job, man tasered in burning house, winery planned near Saratoga

The state Senate stayed locked -- literally -- yesterday as the Republican led coalition tried to solidify its backing and Democrats tried to regain the upper hand (it looks like they'll be challenging the takeover in court). Pedro Espada, the possibly-new Senate president pro tem, said the chamber would open today -- and he proudly displayed the key to the locked room (though he wouldn't say how he obtained it). David Paterson scolded the Senate yesterday, urging its members to "to act like adults." [TU] [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [NYDN]

The senator-of-the-moment is Hiram Monserrate, the other Democratic switcher. It seems he might be playing both sides in a bid to get the best deal. Said one unidentified legislator: "Hiram is driving the train. God help us all." Monserrate seemed to indicate yesterday that he's sticking with the Republican-led coaltion. One apparent undercurrent to this drama is increasing friction between Latino and African American legislators (both Espada and Monserrate are Latino). [NYT] [Newsday] [Buffalo News] [Daily Politics] [NYT]

Part of yesterday's proceedings outside the Senate chamber: a clown -- who was apparently hired by the New York Post. [PolitickerNY]

GlobalFoundries closed on the land for the Luther Forest chip fab yesterday. GloFo bought 223 acres for $7.8 million. Land clearing is scheduled to start next week and construction in late July. The signed deal had Saratoga County officials celebrating what one person described as a "10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle". Others were a bit more in-your-face. Said the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce president: "To everyone who said it wouldn't happen: 'See you, suckers!'" [Daily Gazette] [Biz Review] [TU] [Post-Star] [Saratogian]

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David Paterson stands out

paterson oprah

This situation may be beyond even Oprah's abilities.

Reporting that David Paterson is "deeply unpopular" these days is a little bit like reporting "Earth revolves around sun" -- tell us something we don't know.

This new NYT/Cornell/NY1 poll just adds to the already-established story -- the short version of which is: people have very little confidence that David Paterson can lead the state in the right direction.

OK. But here's the story from a perspective we hadn't seen: how does Paterson's (un)popularity compare to that of other governors around the country?

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Where to plot your legislative overthrow


The place to rock with your conspirators

This NYT story about all the recent drama in the state Senate has some great details about the planning of the legislative overthrow -- including a few scenes "on location" around Albany.

After Tom Golisano's now infamous/absurd Blackberry-stained meeting with Malcolm Smith, he began plotting with Republicans. Where?

Mr. Golisano gave up on the Democrats and Mr. Pigeon moved quickly to set up a meeting with three top Senate Republicans. Secrecy was imperative, so they decided to meet at a small Albany rock club, Red Square, an unlikely locale for lawmakers.
"You wouldn't find anybody there that we knew," recalled Senator George D. Maziarz, a Republican from western New York who attended.

And after you've ambushed the majority and taken over the Senate, where do you party?

That night around 9, Mr. Espada, Mr. Monserrate and members of their staffs adjourned to Salsa Latina, a restaurant in Albany, to wind down. Mr. Skelos briefly stopped by to congratulate them. They quietly recounted the day, and began planning for what would happen next.

Where else would they go? Monday is $2.99 margarita day at Salsa Latina.

Drama continues in the state Senate, NYCLU sues Troy over "Virtual Jihadi," FBI raids downtown Saratoga office

The new leadership of the state Senate says it will go into session this afternoon -- whether it has access to the Senate chamber or not. Democrats have literally locked the chamber and are holding the keys. Possibly-new majority leader Dean Skelos says there's nothing that requires the Senate to meet in its chamber -- and the body could go into session in a park if need be . [TU] [NYT] [NYDN]

Democrats say Pedro Espada -- one of the two Dems who are now caucusing with the Republicans -- switched because the leadership denied him almost $2 million in pork for two new, possibly shady, non-profits. They're also focusing attention on accusations that Espada's been involved with campaign finance mishaps -- and may not live in his district. Espada says Democrats are engaging in "character assassination." [TU] [NYDN]

Republicans are reportedly trying to recruit more Democrats to their coalition, including the sponsor of the Senate's version of the same-sex marriage bill. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to get Hiram Monserrate -- one of the two switchers -- to flip back by threatening to primary him. [NYT] [Daily Politics]

When/if the Senate goes into session, Skelos says there is "going to be a new way of governing." Good government groups say the reforms already presented by the coalition are a step in the right direction. [Fox23] [CapNews9]

And in non-Senate news...

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Scanning the coverage of the Senate switch

coup in progressIt looks like Republican have taken back control of the state Senate by getting two Democrats to caucus with them. Dean Skelos was voted majority leader (again) and Bronx Democrat Pedro Espada -- one of the two switchers -- becomes Senate president pro tem (he's also now the person who becomes governor if something happens to David Paterson). [TU] [NYDN] [AOA]

Here's a quick read of the coverage of yesterday's big switch...

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State Senate control back to Republicans

coup in progressIt appears the state Senate Republicans are in the process of taking control of the chamber again by getting two Democrats to switch parties. Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate appear to be the Dems who flipped, giving the Republicans a 32-30 majority. Dean Skelos will be majority leader again and Espada will become the Senate pro tem.

Republicans sent out a press release this afternoon telling the media to show up for "a historic change in leadership." Then as this was apparently all going down, the video feed from the Senate chamber was cut.

The move apparently caught Democrats -- including now-former majority leader Malcolm Smith -- by surprise.

As of 4:20 this afternoon, there was no mention of the switch on the Senate's web site or Twitter feed.

One of the immediate political consequences of the switch: the same-sex marriage bill now has probably no shot of passage this year.

Update: Malcolm Smith says the flip was "an illegal and unlawful attempt" -- and asserts that he's still majority leader.

Sources cited, in order: Capitol Confidential, Daily Politics, WNYT, Capitol Confidential, NYT

Poll respondents: when does Cuomo start?

siena paterson 2009-05

Fair to say his public opinion ratings are, uh, less bad?

The Siena poll out today reports that the public's perception of David Paterson hasn't gotten any worse -- but it's not really any better, either.

Seventy-one percent of people polled said they still preferred "someone else" as governor in 2010. And people say they still prefer Eliot Spitzer to Paterson (21/11).

In hypothetical 2010 matchups, people say they prefer Andrew Cuomo to David Paterson 70-19 -- and Cuomo over Rudy Giuliani 53-41

A few more tidbits -- about same-sex marriage, Kirsten Gillibrand and tax caps -- after the jump.

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Capitol nutrition facts

capitol nutrition facts smallAfter we heard that David Paterson was proposing that restaurants add calorie counts to restaurant menus, we started thinking about other places this sort of information could help.

And, really, what better place to start than the Capitol itself?

(That link will take you to a bigger version.)

School budgets pass with a few notable exceptions, state budget might have to be cut again, state driving while texting ban proposed, SPAC tax might help Saratoga close gap

Most school budgets in the Capital Region passed yesterday -- but the budgets for Schenectady and Troy did not. Schenectady's schools superintendent blamed recent negative media coverage (Raucci, suicides) for the defeat. Troy's budget was narrowly defeated and its schools superintendent says he thinks the budget would pass on a second attempt. County round-ups: Albany, Schenectady, Rennselaer, Saratoga. [TU] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogian]

State revenues are falling significantly behind last year's pace and it looks like this year's budget will have to be cut again, according to a report from the state comptroller. [NYT]

It doesn't look like caps on state spending or property tax increases currently have any chance in the state legislature, but municipal consolidation is getting attention. Also (sort of) surfacing again: the soda tax. [TU] [Daily Politics]

A state Assemblyman from the Bronx has proposed a bill that would ban texting while driving. The bill is currently being blocked by a Rochester legislator, but it apparently has some support from Sheldon Silver. [CapNews9] [Buffalo News]

The bottled water industry has filed suit in federal court arguing that the new bottle deposit bill is unconstitutional because it violates the commerce clause and the equal protection clause. [TU]

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The Capital Region pork report

NYS Capitol

Oink.

The New York State Assembly recently published its list of member items for this budget year. If the phrase "member item" doesn't ring a bell, you might know them by their more common name: pork.

But, really, one person's pork is another's bacon. Thanks to a big help from NYPIRG (see note), a breakdown of the Capital Region's bacon haul -- names, organizations, totals -- is after the jump.

All counted, the Capital Region scored a little more than $1.46 million in Assembly member items this year. The Assembly gave out $85 million total.

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State ethics panel slammed for being unethical and ineffective, UAlbany gets new president, Saratoga Springs mayor running for re-election, giant sinkhole opens in street

After a report from the state inspector general blasted the state Commission on Public Integrity -- an ethics panel -- for leaking info about its investigation of the Spitzer Administration, David Paterson called on all of the commission members to quit. The commission's response: no. Leaks or no leaks, there no indications the commission might not have exactly been doing a great job. [NYT] [TU] [NYDN] [NYDN]

UAlbany has a new president: George Philip, who's been serving as the school's interim president. The university's presidential search took three years and cost $300,000. The selection of Philip -- who had been there all along -- had at least a few students scratching their heads. [TU] [ASP]

GlobalFoundries says the EU's fine of Intel for anti-competitive practices will help the Luther Forest chip fab project -- because Intel's main rival, AMD, is currently GloFo's only customer. An Intel spokesperson says the ruling won't be sorted out for years and probably won't have any impact on the Luther Forest project. (some broader perspective) [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [TU] [Post-Star]

The week in murders and shootings: Two brothers have been charged with the murder outside a former night club in Schenectady last month. A man was indicted for the stabbing murder on Bradford Street last week in Albany. And federal marshals in Georgia picked up the guy accused of shooting a woman outside the Playdium in March. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [TU]

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Local Assembly same-sex marriages votes

NYS Capitol from ESPWe know a bunch of people who read AOA are following the same-sex marriage issue, so we looked up how local Assembly members voted yesterday (the Assembly as a whole passed a bill allowing for same-sex marriage 89-52).

The list -- with a comparison to votes on the 2007 version of the bill -- is after the jump.

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Assembly passes same-sex marriage bill, GE battery plant coming to Capital Region, NY's top court says no police GPS without warrant, condo slump in Saratoga, the $500 wedding

The state Assembly passed a bill that would allow same-sex marriage. The vote was 89-52 -- that's four more "yes" votes than in 2007. Five members who had voted "no" two year ago voted "yes" this time around. The lobbying focus now shifts to the state Senate, where there's currently no vote scheduled on the bill. The Senate sponsor of the bill said last night the he thinks he has enough votes to pass the measure. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT] [Planet Albany]

GE announced that it will build a plant to manufacture special rechargeable batteries somewhere in the Capital Region. The plant will employ 350 people and will cost $100 million -- $15 million of which the state is chipping in. The exact location of the plant has yet to be determined. Saratoga County officials are hoping the plant will land at the Luther Forest tech campus or NYSERDA's Saratoga Technology & Energy Park. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

Former state health commissioner Antonia Novello was arraigned yesterday in Albany County Court on 20 count indictment that alleges she took advantage of her staffers while she headed up the health department. She could get as many 12 years in prison. An earlier state inspector general report concluded that Novello had run up almost $50k in staff overtime for things such as driving her to the mall, watering her plants and arranging her furniture. Novello's case is being compared to former state comptroller Alan Hevesi, who resigned after it came out he had been using state employees to chauffeur his wife. Novello's lawyer she's being targeted for political reasons. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [NYP] [NYDN]

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The state Senate goes social

nys senate site grab

Malcolm in the middle.

The New York Senate's web site gets the social media makeover today. "We like to think of this as returning government to the people ... They paid for it. This is citizens first," says the guy who built it.

In theory, this sounds great. We're all for opening up the governmental process to the public. And stuff like RSS feeds for individual Senators (Neil Breslin, for example) and a "plain language initiative" for public data are all encouraging. Thank you. Yes. This is good. More, please.

But, like with Kirsten Gillibrand's new site, we're also a little wary of this technology just becoming gloss on an otherwise old and broken system. As Bob at Planet Albany posted today:

"No doubt it will be an improvement, but the preview I saw contained photos of public meetings that might leave the unwary with the impression that the Senate is a model of democratic discourse. In fact, on every contentious issue from the budget to the MTA to gay marriage, it is operating under standard Albany rules of closed government."

In the end, the technology is just a tool. Let's hope it's put to good use.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Where's our CongressTube?
+ Schenectady mugshots on Twitter
+ The Albany crime map: keep trying

GillibrandTube

gillibrand video grabIn what looks like a step in her 2010 election campaign, Kirsten Gillibrand has launched a site called Conversations with Kirsten. From a post by (for) KG announcing the site on the Albany Project:

I have already traveled to many corners of New York State to introduce myself and to hear your concerns and answer questions directly. Now I want to continue that conversation on-line and open up the dialogue using the web as a way to reach the online community.

So, today I'm announcing the launch of ConversationswithKirsten.com, a web site that will help further our conversation.

The site offers the opportunity for New Yorkers to easily submit questions and comments, sign up to receive updates, and allow me to respond via emails, live blogs, conference calls and postings on the site.

It looks like you can upload your video questions and -- presumably -- she'll answer them. But it's hard to say. As far we can tell, there's nothing that explicitly says that's how it works. We're tempted to upload a video that essentially asks "Is this thing on?"

If that is how the site works -- and it's really an open exchange -- it could be interesting. Otherwise, it kind of sounds like some "Web 2.0" gloss painted on the old-school campaign "town meeting."

Earlier on AOA: Where's our CongressTube?

screengrab: ConversationsWithKirsten.com

New Yorkers: we'd rather have Spitzer back

paterson_with_spitzer.jpgFifty-one percent of New Yorkers would rather have Eliot Spitzer as governor right now than David Paterson, according to Marist poll out today.

In fact, a plurality of voters in every demographic category preferred the Steamroller. Only two categories were even close: NYC suburbs (44/43 Spitzer) and 18-29 (49/46 Spitzer).

Possible backhanded compliment by the populace: 66 percent of respondents in the Marist poll said they thought David Paterson was working hard at his job. But 77 percent said his performance in that job was only fair or poor.

Earlier on AOA: It's all downhill for David Paterson

photo: ny.gov

Congressman Murphy

Tedisco-MurphyScott Murphy was sworn in this afternoon as the Representative from New York's 20th Congressional District today.

How about Jim Tedisco? Bob Conner reports that Tedisco was at the (NY) Capitol this afternoon taking responsibility for his loss, sounding upbeat and eating jelly beans.

Is Jim Tedisco ready to concede? Tedisco's out

Tedisco-MurphyUpdate at 3:55: Tedisco's officially out.
_________

Let's ask the special election magic 8 ball. Answer: the signs point to yes:

+ CapNews9 reported last night that "sources" told it that a concession could come as soon as this afternoon.

+ Liz Benjamin reports that she was told by "a source close to Tedisco" that the candidate was looking to get a hold of Scott Murphy's personal phone number. Presumably he wouldn't be calling to set up a man date.

+ PolitickerNY's Jimmy Vielkind reports that Tedisco's inner circle has been discussing concession -- and may be looking to bury it in the Friday afternoon news cycle.

The unofficial count has Murphy up 401 votes on Tedisco with about 900 absentee ballots still to be counted.

Jennings vs. Bloomberg

Just in case you ever wondered what would happen if Mike Bloomberg ran for mayor of Albany.

This video is from this past weekend's Legislative Correspondents Association show. The show also provided our esteemed governor with the opportunity do a cartwheel.

It's all downhill for David Paterson

siena poll graph

November was the high point.

Just when you thought that David Paterson couldn't get any more unpopular -- he has. According to a Siena poll out today, Paterson's favorable/unfavorable numbers hit 27/63. That's the lowest point so far.

A few more notes -- including one about New Yorkers' support of same-sex marriage -- after the jump.

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Answers from Corey Ellis

Corey Ellis

He's currently a member of the Common Council.

As promised, here are the video answers from our conversation with Albany mayoral candidate Corey Ellis. Answers from Shawn Morris, who's also running for mayor, were posted last week. We hope to get time with other candidates at some point, too.

We asked Ellis a bunch of questions -- including many that you suggested. The video is posted after the jump. It's arranged so that you can watch him answer each question individually.

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Paterson introduces same-sex marriage bill, two shooting deaths in Schenectady, high-speed rail gets Presidential attention, Troy might bring in The Pothole Killer

David Paterson officially introduced a bill yesterday that would make same-sex marriage legal in New York State. Paterson framed the measure as a civil rights issue: "We have a duty to make sure equality exists for everyone." This same bill passed the Assembly in 2007, but failed in the state Senate. Majority leader Malcolm Smith wasn't at yesterday's announcement, though he says he's "fully committed to the process of securing the votes" necessary to pass the bill. State Senator Ruben Diaz -- a Democrat who's against the measure -- called the bill "a challenge the governor is sending to every religious person in New York." [NYT] [AP/TU] [Daily Politics] [NYP]

The state Department of Labor reported that the Capital Region's unemployment rate was 7.3 percent in March -- that's down from 7.6 percent in February, but up from 5 percent a year ago. A labor department analyst says the numbers may indicate that unemployment has hit a bottom -- maybe. [NYS DoL] [TU]

Authorities say two shooting deaths in Schenectady last night may have been a murder-suicide -- though the Schenectady County DA says "there's still a lot of legwork to be done." The first shooting was on Union St, about a block from the Union College campus (map). The Schenectady PD reported the incident on Twitter. [Daily Gazette] [TU] (Earlier on AOA: Schenectady mugshots on Twitter)

Absentee ballot counting in the NY20 special election has slowed over the way disputed ballots are to be counted. It also probably didn't help that some elections officials in Dutchess County decided to go to the Yankees game yesterday. The unofficial count at the end of yesterday from the New York State Board of Elections has Scott Murphy up 178 votes on Jim Tedisco. [TU] [PolitickerNY] [NYS BoE]

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Howard Dean at Union Monday

howard deanThe former presidential candidate and governor of Vermont will be speaking at Union's Memorial Chapel Monday evening. Dean just finished up a term as head of the Democratic National Committee.

We saw Dean when he was at the Egg after the 2004 election. He was an engaging speaker -- informal and funny. (Alas, there was no screaming.)

Monday's event is free and open to the public. The press release says seating is limited and priority will be given to members of the campus community -- so you might want to show up a little early if you want to make sure you get a seat. Doors open at 6 pm and the doctor is in at 7.

photo: Flickr user Liberal Democrats

Call it a comeback

Spitzer on Today

He likes to use the word "egregious."

It's official: Eliot Spitzer is back.

After making a few steps into the public spotlight over the last six months, the former Guv is now making the rounds to apologize -- and comment on Wall Street's turmoil.

Could a return to public service be in his future?

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Dalai Lama visit cancelled, Sweeney picked up for DWI again, Tuffey's niece had bull's eye sticker, another Schenectady HS suicide, school district ordered to pay for not preventing beating, Albany Freenet expanding

A representative for the Dalai Lama tells the TU that the Buddhist spiritual leader will not be coming to Albany as planned. It seems concerns surrounding the sponsor organization's ties to NXIVM, the controversial "personal growth" training org, caused the Dalai Lama's people to reconsider. [TU]

The state Senate finished passing the budget bills Friday night. Assessments of the budget differed greatly between the two parties. Even with passage in both houses, the contents of the budget aren't entirely clear -- and it may have to be revised later this year. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT]

At the least for the moment, the vote totals for Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy are exactly tied. That number is almost sure to change as five counties have yet to finish re-checking the numbers on their voting machines. Tedisco announced Friday that he was stepping down as Assembly minority leader to "focus on his transition to Congress" -- though he also said he's not declaring victory. It seems Assembly Republicans were also keen to push him out of the position. The Saratoga Springs regional office for the 20th Congressional District has temporarily re-opened with its old staff while the election is sorted out. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [NYT] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star]

Former Congressman John Sweeney was arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly driving drunk on Route 9 in Clifton Park. This is Sweeney's second DWI arrest, which bumped the charge up to a felony. Earlier in Sweeney's career he served as Rensselaer County's STOP-DWI coordinator. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Troy Record]

Among those who had a bull's eye sticker: the niece of police chief James Tuffey (another one of her uncles was also police chief for a time). An unidentified source tells the TU that Tuffey's niece didn't get a ticket for a 2007 crash because of the sticker. [TU]

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Special election vote totals shifting, Morris says Albany treasurer lied, arrest in Barnes assault, Shen coach suspended after old accusations come to light, state budget leading to Saratoga paid parking?

The vote totals for the 20th Congressional District special election keep shifting as voting machines and emergency ballots are "re-canvassed." What appears to be the latest tally has Jim Tedisco now ahead of Scott Murphy by 12 votes. The election will ultimately be decided by the count of the absentee ballots -- which won't start until Monday at the earliest. Both campaigns continue to express confidence that they'll come out ahead. [Troy Record] [PolitickerNY] [TU]

The Saratogian reports that Jim Tedisco will be stepping down as state Assembly minority leader on Monday so he "can focus on this congressional district." The TU reports that Tedisco is facing a no-confidence vote on Monday because members of his caucus are annoyed that he's spent so much time on his Congressional campaign during the state budget process. [Saratogian] [TU]

The state Senate has continued its debate of the budget bills, though a vote could be coming soon. The Senate voted to allow Democratic Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, who's been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia, to vote "yes" on all the budget bills ahead of time. The majority Dems didn't have enough votes to pass the bills without Hassell-Thompson. [TU]

Albany Common Council president Shawn Morris says she thinks city treasurer Betty Barnette "flat-out lied" when Barnette testified earlier this week that her office doesn't "fix" parking tickets. The Common Council is now seeking copies of every parking ticket dismissed in 2008. [TU]

Guilderland police have arrested a mixed-martial arts fighter for the assault of the TU's Steve Barnes and a friend last year in the parking lot outside Creo. According to the TU, the police are investigating "connections" between the fighter and an unnamed Albany restaurant that Barnes wrote about. [TU]

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Special election not over yet, state budget hits snags, doubts about Tuffey's ghost ticket testimony, CDTA fare hike takes effect, milk spilled in Troy

The special election in the 20th Congressional District isn't over. Initial tallies indicate that Scott Murphy leads Jim Tedisco by as few as 59 votes and as many as 65 votes. Here's a county-by-county breakdown of the totals. There are about 6000 absentee ballots that need to be counted -- they've been impounded and won't be counted until Monday at the earliest. As you might expect, both campaigns think they'll come out ahead in the final count. There are some indications the parties are already gearing up for a Coleman-Franken-like recount. [TU] [Daily Politics] [WNYT] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star] [Saratogian] [Daily Politics]

Voters told reporters the top issue in the race was, surprise: the economy (great quote about Tedisco: "He's like a little bulldog."). There was a little bit of drama for voters on the Skidmore campus. And apparently some people in Schenectady showed up at the polls looking to vote -- except that Schenectady's not in the 20th (for what it's worth, Tedisco wasn't able to vote either). Many voters said they're just happy the TV ads, polling and robocalls are over. [Post-Star] [TU] [TU] [Saratogian]

The state budget isn't wrapped up yet (the official deadline was midnight last night) -- in part because Republican Senators, upset about the budget, stalled for a while yesterday and a Democratic Senator had to be taken to the hospital. [TU] [Daily Politics]

Three state Senators, including Neil Breslin, have asked David Paterson to meet with the state worker unions about the layoffs Paterson says are on the way. [Biz Review]

Still stung by the cut to Saratoga County's VLT aid, political leaders there seem to be missing Joe Bruno. [TU]

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Scanning reaction to the state budget

nys capitol

One person described this year's budget process as having "Kremlin-like secrecy."

This year's almost $132 billion state budget has provoked quite a few, uh, passionate reactions.

Here's the condensed version of what people are saying...

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The best mud from Tedisco-Murphy

Tedisco-MurphyThe polls haven't even closed yet for the 20th Congressional District special election, but we're ready to move on. Heck, we've been ready to move on for what seems like weeks now.

If anything, we just want to be able to watch live TV without being deluged by attack ads -- and now web ads, too. (We know, we also see them on AOA -- blame Google.)

To help send this election into the past, we've picked our two favorite ads from the race. Of course, by "favorite" we mean awful or unintentionally funny. Alas, neither of the campaigns chose to use the scripts suggested by @KevinMarshall:

"Eating babies. Scott Murphy just doesn't get it."

"Jim Tedisco devours infants. That's an Albany politician for you."

If only. Our picks are after the jump. If you have a favorite, post it in the comments.

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Scanning Tedisco-Murphy, yet again

Tedisco-MurphyUpdated at 2:38 pm

Make it stop. Just make it stop. For whatever reason (probably the non stop ads) this shortened special election seems to be going on forever. As @AmyMengel recently joked: "Maybe they will let us just text our votes to 1-866-Congress01 or 1-866-Congress02." Then we could all move on.

Here's the latest scan of the coverage.

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Scanning Tedisco-Murphy, take 5

Tedisco-MurphyElection day is just a week away in the race to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat. We've been reading the coverage so you don't have to. (The last scan.)

The big news this week: two debates!

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Paterson fans can now be counted on one hand

paterson favorability chart

It's just been one long slide. (Numbers from Siena Research Institute)

OK, that's exaggerating... a little.

A new Siena poll out today reports that David Paterson's favorable/unfavorable numbers are now at 29/58. And when people were asked whether they'd prefer Paterson or "someone else" in 2010, people picked "somone else" 67-14.

Of course, that "someone else" is increasingly looking like Andrew Cuomo (AKA "the hottest thing in politics," according to the Washington Post) . The Siena poll asked about a hypothetical primary between Cuomo and Paterson. The result: Cuomo 67-17 over Paterson. Paterson also loses big to Rudy Giuliani in a hypothetical general election 56-36.

And how about Cuomo vs Guiliani? AC on top 51-41.

By the way, Eliot Spitzer in a Slate piece from Friday: "There has never been a tougher time to be a governor." Heh. Maybe he really has ended up a winner.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Piling on Paterson
+ Everybody hates David Paterson
+ Speculate about 2010? Sure, why not.

Eliot Spitzer surfaces

spitzer on cnnThe former Guv will be talking about Wall Street regulation and his own uh, downturn, this Sunday on CNN at 1pm.

In the interview, which was conducted by Fareed Zakaria, Spitzer reportedly says:

"I have flaws as we all do, arguably. I failed in a very important way in my personal life. And I have paid a price for that."


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Scanning Tedisco-Murphy, take 4

Tedisco-MurphyWe've been reading the cover of the special election for the 20th Congressional District so you don't have to. (The scan from last time.)

In the last few days "bonus" has become a dirty word. Let's get to it...

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Special election candidates fight over what's pork, SPAC director's salary in spotlight, man accused of threatening garbagmen with cleaver, new job for McNulty

The two major party candidates for the 20th Congressional District, Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy, went back and forth at each other yesterday over the federal stimulus bill. The super condensed version -- Tedisco: it's pork; Murphy: no, it's not. Tedisco, who said this week that he would not have voted for the stimulus bill, also said he would have voted for it -- if he could have amended it. [CapNews9] [Troy Record]

Schenectady mayor Brian Stratton says he wants to fire five of the city's cops. The city hasn't successfully fired a cop since 1982. [Daily Gazette]

Organizers of the Dalai Lama's visit to Albany say the event will "change the face of Albany if the population of Albany embraces it and gets excited about and really understands the fortitude of something like this coming to this city..." The organizers of the visit are connected to a Clifton Park management training program that's been accused of being a cult. [TU]

Steven Raucci, the Schenectady School District employee accused of arson and terrorism, has filed an application for retirement. He's currently on suspension without pay. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The salary for Marcia White, SPAC's executive director, is catching criticism after a survey revealed that the leaders of other local arts organization make much less. White was paid $244,865 in 2006. [Daily Gazette]

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Scanning Tedisco-Murphy, take III

Tedisco-MurphyUpdated at 3 pm Tuesday

There are only two more weeks until the special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat.

We've been reading the coverage of the race between Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy so you don't have to. This time around, Tedisco takes a stand, Congress members write checks and apparently Republicans are "self-suppressing."

Here we go...

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Another quick scan of Tedisco-Murphy

Tedisco-MurphyWhat, you haven't been closely following every exciting turn in the special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat?

Worry not. We've been paying attention so you don't have to.

Here's the quick rundown on where things are at in the race between Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy for the 20th Congressional District.

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The spitzering: one year later

paterson_with_spitzer.jpg

No one's clapping now.

The news that Eliot Spitzer had been caught in a prostitution sting went public a year ago today.

It almost seems like it's been even longer than that -- so much has happened since then. After a year, who's up? Who's down? We've put together a scorecard.

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New life for the lever voting machine?

lever voting machine

A lever machine at an Albany polling place last November.

Last November was supposed to be the final "ka-chunk" for New York State's lever voting machines. But NYT's City Room reports there's a movement to keep people pulling the lever:

In the last several weeks, three counties -- Dutchess, Ulster and Columbia -- and the Association of Towns have passed resolutions urging the New York State government to enact laws allowing the lever machines to stay. In addition, the city's Board of Elections held a hearing last week to hear lever supporters make their case for keeping the machines in New York.

"We're where lever machines were born, and if I have my way, it's not where they are going to die," said Andrea Novick, founder of the Election Transparency Coalition, who has been litigating on this issue.

We admit that the gzrrr-CHTHUNK of democracy is a satisfying sound -- but it's not like these machines aren't without their problems. They don't provide verification of whether a vote was actually cast -- and there's some evidence the machines have had trouble counting.

Earlier on AOA: Farewell, lever voting machine

Winter storm will mostly miss us, Ellis to run for Albany mayor, Porco's lawyers appealing conviction, alternate side parking grace period proposed, Saratoga Rec Center saga continues, Siro's for sale

It looks like the storm moving up the East Coast today will mostly miss us here in the Capital Region. Snow accumulation is projected to top out at around 4 inches, but it will be cold -- with temps around 20. Noted: March is still winter. [NWS] [TU]

The Saratoga County DA says terrorism charges are being prepared in Schenectady County against Steven Raucci, the Schenectady School District employee accused of arson. [Daily Gazette]

Albany Common Councilman Corey Ellis is expected to announce today that he's running for mayor. Council president Shawn Morris is also expected to announce soon that she's officially in the running. [Facebook event page] [TU]

Scott Murphy will be on the Independence Party line for the upcoming special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat -- the first time a Democrat has been on the line in the district. In other Murphy news: he says he's good at simple arithmetic. And in case you hadn't heard: his wife has a bid family. [Daily Politics] [Post-Star] [Post-Star]

Jim Tedisco, Murphy's opponent in the special election, says it shouldn't matter that he doesn't actually live in the Congressional district that he wants to represent. [AP/TU]

The man who police say threatened them with a knife at the scene of the murder in Troy last week has previously served time on assault and unlawful imprisonment charges -- as of Friday he still wasn't officially tagged as a suspect, though. Troy police have called in the State Police to help out with forensics at the "gruesome" murder scene. [TU] [Troy Record]

Christopher Porco's attorneys have filed an appeal seeking to overturn his conviction. The appeal focuses on the nod that police say his mother gave when asked if he had been involved in the attack. Porco is currently serving 46 years to life in prison. [TU]

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She's a talker

Kirsten GillibrandNYT wrote a whole story about how Kirsten Gillibrand never stops talking. One person at an event said she was told by staffers to interrupt KG:

"They said, 'She's great, but she's a talker, so we're going to give you a sign if she's getting out of control,' " Ms. Gil recalled.

Sure enough, Ms. Gil said, during the meeting Ms. Gillibrand's aides quietly passed a handwritten note to the principal asking her to interrupt their boss and move on to the next question. Twice.

Our new senator also apparently likes to inflict interminable vacation slide shows on people.

In KG's defense, she does tend to give detailed explanations of her policy positions. You can't say that about all politicians -- even if they never shut up.

A quick scan of Tedisco-Murphy

Tedisco-MurphyUpdated Monday at 11:15 pm

What, you haven't been closely following every exciting turn in the special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat?

Worry not. We've sort of been paying attention so you don't have to.

Here's the quick rundown on where things are at in the race between Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy for the 20th Congressional District.

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Planning for stimulus funds, River Rats bus flips on Mass Turnpike, restaurants cutting prices, no Whitney Gala this year

Dr Strangelove war room

Sadly, the state's war room doesn't look like this. Remember: you can't fight in the war room.

The Paterson Administration has set up a "war room" to coordinate the state's administration of the roughly $25 billion in federal stimulus money headed this way. [TU]

Buried among the list of new taxes and fees in the Paterson budget proposal: a $10 fee for filing your state tax return on paper. More than 40 percent of state tax returns in New York State were filed on paper last year. [TU]

The Capital District Transportation Committee has put together a list of local infrastructure projects that should qualify for stimulus funding -- a group that totals about $87 million. Among the projects on the list: the reconstruction of Delaware Ave in Albany and the replacement of the Bridge Street bridge in Cohoes. [TU]

Three people from the Albany River Rats were seriously injured this morning after the team bus rolled over on the Mass Turnpike. The team was returning from a game in Lowell. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

From the very special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat... Republicans are criticizing Scott Murphy for not voting in eight primary and general elections between 2000 and 2003. And Jim Tedisco participated in a "tele town hall meeting" yesterday -- basically, the campaign robo-called 30,000 people and told them if they held on, Tedisco would speak and answer questions live. The campaign says it had as many as 6,000 people on the line at one point. [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette] [CapNews9]

Top Schenectady city officials are demanding to know how the cop accused of serially spending hours in an apartment when he was supposed to be on patrol could have gotten away with it. This latest scandal is just the latest in a long list of Schenectady Police Department screw-ups. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

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Here comes the stimulus money, APD says Bailey case isn't cold, jailhouse marriages, TV station's parent company files for bankruptcy, the flamingos are back

New York State is in line to get almost $25 billion in federal stimulus money, according to an analysis by the state. Among the many projects that could get funding in the state: high speed rail service from Buffalo to NYC. Local municipalities have also been getting their wish lists together. [AP/TU] [Troy Record]

The two candidates in the race for Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat are in a race to see who can smear the other guy first. The mud boiled down: Jim Tedisco's campaign says Scott Murphy is a light-weight and tax dodger, Murphy's campaign says Tedisco is a career politician who's milked taxpayers for car costs. In a more positive direction, Murphy is hoping to get his wife's large extended family -- many of them Republicans -- to vote for him. And Tedisco is picks up his dogs' poop. Also: Kirsten Gillibrand and Paul Tonko were in Albany over the weekend to endorse Murphy (no, Albany is not in the 20th Congressional district). [TU] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

The Albany Police Department says the murder of UAlbany student Richard Bailey "is absolutely not a cold case." Bailey's father, a retired NYC cop, says he has faith in the APD's ability to find the murderer. [TU] [TU]

The vast majority of restaurants in Albany County did OK on county health inspections in 2008, according to a Times Union analysis. Among the few that didn't: Tandoor Palace on Lark Street, the Corner Food Court at the corner of Lark and Washington, and the Metro 20 Diner on Western. [TU]

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It's good to be the majority

nys_capital_from_ESP.jpg

Some of the stuff that goes on here will make your head explode.

There's a NYT story today about all the perks Republicans apparently enjoyed as the state Senate majority for the last 40something years.

There are lots of juicy tidbits in it. Some of them will just make you do a double- or triple-take as a taxpayer, whatever party you're aligned with:

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Where's our CongressTube?

Check out this video Liz Benjamin took of Kirsten Gillibrand talking about her position on same-sex marriage. (KG was responding to a story in the NYT that Malcolm Smith said same-sex marriage didn't have the votes to become law in NY this year.)


Gillibrand 'Disappointed' About Gay Marriage Delay from Elizabeth Benjamin on Vimeo.

Two things:

1) We can't help it, but the phrase "Dicker interview" makes us laugh a little bit too much.

2) At the risk of outing ourselves as C-SPAN watchers, it's interesting to see a politician's full answer to a question like this.

Speaking of that: YouTube has created "hubs" for both the Senate and House. Chuck Schumer already has his own channel (um, no surprise), but our other reps aren't set up, yet.

Gillibrand! Tonko! Whoever's the next KG! We want our CongressTube!

Earlier on AOA:
+ Jimmy Tedisco does bad things to Frank on YouTube

Local governments line up stimulus projects, sniping in the Governor's office, DA says 40-year-old case will be hard to prosecute, group trying to raise money for cat's heart surgery

Local governments have quite the wish list lined up for the federal stimulus money that could be on they way. The cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy combined have more than $600 million of proposed projects. On the list: a new city hall for Troy, money for the Albany convention center, and a new rail line connecting Schenectady and Albany. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

As Kirsten Gillibrand becomes more of a "Democratic team player" in the Senate, constituents around Saratoga say they feel betrayed. [Newsday] [NYT]

The state worker unions have been meeting with the Department of Civil Service to discuss procedures for layoffs. There has been no official word that mass layoffs are in the works. [TU]

The chatter around the Capitol: David Paterson's staff is incompetent, fighting with itself over stuff like office space.

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Deal closes this year's state budget gap, Waterford site "a significant threat," quadriplegic bookie going to prison, ducks love french fries

A deal to close the $1.6 billion gap in the state's budget for this fiscal year passed both houses of the Legislature last night. The plan makes up the money by trimming a number of items, "sweeping" money from various accounts and raising a tax on health insurers. The current Three Men in a Room (Paterson, Silver, Smith) put the deal together behind closed doors -- and it was voted on by legislators before they had much of a chance to read it. Republican Senate minority leader Dean Skelos criticized the process, "Don't just push us out the door, shut the door and have three Democrats in a room from New York City make a determination on the economic policy of the state." The state still faces a $13 billion gap in next year's budget. [TU] [NYT] [CapNews9] [NYDN]

Both national Republican and Democratic parties are expected to focus on the special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's former seat in the House. Jim Tedisco officially began his campaign yesterday with a flurry of basketball metaphors. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently told Waterford that a site in the town "presents a significant threat to the environment and public health." The site, on which an old barrel cleaning business once operated, had been identified as dangerous years ago -- but a miscommunication between the federal EPA and the state DEC led to an 8-year delay in further testing. [Troy Record]

An anonymous source tells the TU there may have been an accomplice involved with the that 40-year-old murder case -- but the statute of limitations on the crime have expired. State police arrested a 62-year-old man last week after a tip re-opened the case last year. As the Saratoga County DA's office prepares for the case, it's been studying old cases because the man would have to be prosecuted under the laws in place four decades ago. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

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Right back at you

Kirsten GillibrandThere are a bunch of interesting tidbits in a NYT piece today about Kirsten Gillibrand. Among them is Jim Tedisco's apparent admiration for her ability to, well, tell people what they want to hear:

On Sunday, Ms. Gillibrand said she no longer favored branding immigrant-friendly cities such as New York as "sanctuary cities" and denying them federal tax benefits. On Monday, she no longer favored deputizing police officers as immigration officers.

"It's not so much of changing my view as broadening," Ms. Gillibrand said.

Perhaps, although James Tedisco, a Republican assemblyman who is running for her old congressional seat, complimented her: "She's very good at listening and regurgitating it back at you intelligently," he said.

Admiration swells in his voice. "That's the mark of a good politician and a fine public servant," he said.

In other KG news: she let reporters take a look at her tax returns from the past three years yesterday. The short story: she made a lot more money as an attorney.

Scott Murphy

scott murphyThe Democrats picked have picked Scott Murphy to take on Jim Tedisco in the special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand in the House. So, who is this guy?

Here's a really quick backgrounder.

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Dems pick candidate for Gillibrand replacement race, stabbing in downtown Saratoga, RPI involved with Africa education intiative, local sales of YakTrax up

The Democrats have picked Glens Falls venture capitalist Scott Murphy to run in the special election for Kirsten Gillibrand's seat. Murphy emerged as the choice after former TV anchor Tracy Egan and AFL-CIO official Suzy Ballantyne dropped out. The 10 Democratic county chairman made their pick yesterday at the Gateway Diner in Albany (no, that's not in the district) while, apparently, wearing lots of Gillibrand flair. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [TU] [@pattigibbons]

Murphy will face Jim Tedisco in the special election -- and people are already lining up to replace Tedisco should he win. [Saratogian]

Police say a man was stabbed multiple times early Sunday morning at Club 388 on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. The victim was airlifted to Albany Med. Police arrested two men shortly after the incident -- the cops had been on patrol in the area. [CapNews9] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

Saratoga Springs mayor Scott Johnson says the city's council "has already embraced the concept, but not the details" of paid parking downtown. That's not going over well with downtown business owners. [TU]

As David Paterson's public profile has taken a hit (or, hits) over the last few weeks, it appears that Sheldon Silver is controlling the agenda at the Capitol. [AP/Saratogian] [TU]

Joe Bruno, who's under federal indictment, in a recent memo to employees at the consulting firm he now heads: "If there was ever a time to be righteously indignant, that time is now." [TU]

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Ice and freezing rain on the way, budget process again focus of Capitol, Bruno calls indictment "garbage," texting gets UAlbany teams in trouble, don't be a spigot pig

The storm that's moving the through the area today has already glazed large portions of the South and Midwest. Ice and freezing rain are expected here this afternoon. [AP]

With the Senate selection circus over, things returned to normal at the Capitol -- which is to say, gridlock and complaining about the budget. [AP/Troy Record] [TU]

New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says year-end bonuses on Wall Street were down 44 percent this year -- and that will cost the state $1 billion in tax revenue. [Biz Review]

David Paterson says he won't pursue the source(s) of the leaks about Caroline Kennedy from his administration. That's created a weird situation where many members of the press know who the leaker (or leakers) is -- and the governor's telling them not to tell anyone. [AP/Troy Record] [NY Post]

Kirsten Gillibrand officially became a US Senator yesterday (99th on the seniority list), as she continued to take heat over her views on guns and immigration. [NYDN] [Daily Gazette] [NYT]

After officially being tapped as the Republican candidate in the upcoming special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand, Jim Tedisco said his focus will be "jobs, jobs, jobs." Tedisco doesn't actually live in the Congressional district (he's not required to), but says he'll move there. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

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Speculate about 2010? Sure, why not.

gov primary polling chart

Cuomo's been gaining on Paterson for 2010. (Numbers from Siena poll)

It seems that "playing against type" is working for Andrew Cuomo. Or, at least, it's working for the public.

A Siena poll reports that Cuomo and David Paterson are pretty much even in a hypothetical 2010 Democratic primary for governor (35-33 in favor of Paterson). And Cuomo's favorable rating is actually higher now than Paterson's (64-60).

And when you throw Rudy Giuliani into the mix, things get even more interesting.

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Speed reading the coverage of Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten GillibrandWe read all the coverage about Kirsten Gillibrand's appointment to the Senate so you don't have to.

And there certainly has been plenty of it.

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Everybody into the pool for Gillibrand's seat, first homicide of the year in Schenectady, apartments planned for downtown Albany, chicken wing prices up

Kirsten Gillibrand's now-former seat in the House is attracting the interest of, well, everyone. All sorts of candidates are either already in the race or are having their names floated. Among them: Betty Little, Jim Tedisco, John Faso, Sandy Treadwell, Tracey Brooks, former TV anchor Tracy Egan and former NY Rangers goalie Mike Richter. [TU] [Saratogian] [CapNews9] [TU]

A Schenectady man died this weekend after being shot in the head Saturday night at a party. A woman was also shot -- her injuries aren't considered life-threatening. Schenectady police say they don't have many leads -- and they say witnesses are not cooperating. This was the city's first homicide of the year. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

CDTA's planned route cuts and consolidations began Sunday. The transit org is paring back service as part of its plan to cover a multi-million dollar budget gap. [TU]

Saratoga Springs mayor Scott Johnson delivered his state of the city address yesterday. He called for "fiscal conservatism" and pushed for paid public parking. (By the way: how many people were there? The TU reports 75, the Gazette 100 and the Saratogian 200.) [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

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Is Joe Bruno going to prison?

joe brunoToday has become Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Halloween, Purim, St. Patrick's Day, Fourth of July and Boxing Day all rolled into one for the political junkies and media in New York State.

Not only has Kirsten Gillibrand been appointed to the Senate, but Joe Bruno has been indicted.

The eight count indictment alleges that Bruno used his influence as state Senate majority leader to score $3.2 million in consulting fees from private clients. (The TU has posted a copy of the indictment.)

Uncle Joe was arraigned this afternoon -- he pleaded not guilty -- and was defiant, saying he's been "a target of a get Joe Bruno campaign."

If convicted, Bruno could get 20 years in prison.

In other news, officials from nearby federal penitentiaries said they're excited about their chances of landing a multi-billion dollar chip fab facility.

Gillibrand is the Top Senator winner

Kirsten GillibrandIt's official. David Paterson has publicly announced that he is appointing Kirsten Gillibrand to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.

And we're now reminded of the line uttered by Alec Baldwin's character in State and Main after he flips the station wagon he's driving: "So, that happened."

Paterson to appoint Gillibrand to Clinton's seat, unemployment rate jumps, state employee accused of loan sharking, woman profits from lucky mistake

An aide to David Paterson has confirmed that the governor will appoint Kirsten Gillibrand to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Paterson's office has been contacting local elected leaders to assemble them for a press conference this afternoon. And Gillibrand returned to the Capital Region last night. [AP] [TU] [CBS6]

Names are already surfacing of people looking to take over Gillibrand's seat in the House. Sandy Treadwell says he'll run again. State senator Betty Little is apparently interested, as are Jim Tedisco and John Faso. Former Saratoga Springs mayor Val Keehn and current city public safety commissioner Ron Kim also say they're interested. [CapNews9] [NCPR] [TU] [Saratogian]

The Capital Region's unemployment rate in December hit 5.9 percent, that's up almost two points from the same period a year ago. It's now at its highest point since 1991. An analyst with the state Labor Department says the region's unemployment rate could surpass 7 percent by the end of this year. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The Albany County Sheriff's Department busted a handful of prostitution operations around the area yesterday. Four of the people arrested were 19-years-old or younger. One of the operations was based in Colonie right near the Crossings park -- cue the "we never thought it would happen here" soundbite from the neighbors. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Fox23]

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Toward the exciting Top Senator finale

Thumbnail image for Top Senator compositeUpdated at 9:15 pm: This TU article contains the best evidence we've seen that Paterson will name Gillibrand on Friday.
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After supposed front-runner Caroline Kennedy dropped out last night because of (a tax problem?, a nanny problem?, a public speaking problem?, a who-knows-what problem?), the media has picked a new front runner. And it's Kirsten Gillibrand.

As you can probably imagine, that has people scrambling.

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Caroline's officially out, unemployment rate projected to climb, group calls public health students' confession "tainted," geese block traffic

Caroline Kennedy released a statement early this morning announcing the she has dropped out of the contention for Hillary Clinton's (now former) Senate seat for "personal reasons". Kennedy withdrawal from the process seemed a little haphazard -- and media reports about her intentions were all mixed up last night. [NYT] [AP/TU] [NYDN] [AOA]

With Kennedy out of the race, the attention is turning primarily to Andrew Cuomo and Kirsten Gillibrand. News crews were reportedly seen setting up outside Gillibrand's house in DC last night. [Politico]

An economics consultancy is projecting that unemployment in the Capital Region will hit 7.2 percent this year. [Biz Review]

According to APD dispatch records, the detective accused of driving drunk through south Albany into Bethlehem two weeks ago was observed along the way by an off-duty Schenectady cop. But police never caught up to the detective's truck until after he arrived home. And by the time they got there, officials from the police officers' union were already there. [TU]

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Caroline is out?

Top Senator composite

Are Gillibrand's chances better now?

Update Thursday morning: Kennedy officially announced early this morning that's she's out.

That's the word going around Wednesday evening. So, what happened?

Well, the depends on who you're reading. The New York Times says Kennedy bowed out of the non-race to replace Hillary Clinton because she's concerned about the health of her uncle, Ted Kennedy (he had a seizure yesterday during the inaugural festivities.) NYT also reports that Kennedy believed the seat to be hers if she wanted it.

But the New York Post is reporting that Caroline found out she was not going to get the seat and then decided to drop out.

The New York Daily News? It's reporting there's confusion over what exactly has happened.

And NBC (David Gregory, specifically) is reporting that Caroline has NOT dropped out.

By the way, Hillary Clinton was confirmed by the full Senate today for Secretary of State. She resigned her Senate seat right after -- which now clears the way for David Paterson to name her replacement. He's said the choice should be public this weekend.

People gather to watch inauguration, Paterson keeps everyone guessing, Alaei brothers sentenced, hot fudge business is sweet

People got together in places all over the Capital Region yesterday to watch the inauguration, including living rooms, restaurants, senior citizen homes, Proctors Theater, fraternal organizations, a think tank and a lot of schools. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [Saratogian] [Troy Record] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

There were also a bunch of local people at the actual event, some with better spots to view the ceremony than others. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogian] [Fox23]

Hillary Clinton was not confirmed by the full Senate yesterday as Secretary of State. The vote on her confirmation was held up by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who expressed concerns about donors to the Clinton Global Initiative. [NYT]

David Paterson told reporters yesterday morning that he had a "good idea" about who he's going to pick to replace Hillary Clinton. Then he told Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer later that he's "not totally sure who I'm going to appoint yet." (video) He also told Couric and Schieffer that Andrew Cuomo is among the people he's considering. [Daily Politics] [CBSNews] [Buffalo News]

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Around the virtual office water cooler

obama inauguration

A lot of people were watching today.

People all over the Capital Region watched the inauguration today. And thanks to Twitter, we can (sort of) hear what they were saying/thinking.

So, here are a few things heard around the virtual office water cooler...

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New York's next senator is...

paterson on larry king

Well, OK, because I'm a fan...

David Paterson was on Larry King last night and apparently he decided to pull Larry's chain a little bit:

Larry King: I know you're not going to tell me, but are you leaning any way?

Paterson: Well, Larry, I think I'll surprise you. When I was growing up and I didn't have much access to information, I used to listen to your radio show. [snip] So in tribute to you, the next Senator from New York for the United States Senate will be... announced in a few days.

Paterson told King the actual answer would come "two or three days" after Hillary Clinton is confirmed by the full Senate.

By the way, Paterson felt light-headed this morning and had to skip out on an interview with CapNews9's Brian Taffe.

Update at 2:55 pm
Liz Benjamin reports that Paterson said he was feeling bad after eating some bad raw seafood. Hmm. Maybe he ate the Ethiopian place Bourdain hits on tonight's No Reservations.

Top Senator final prediction: murky

caroline kennedy

What are her chances? It depends on who's guessing.

The full US Senate is expected to confirm Hillary Clinton next week for Secretary of State, which means David Paterson will probably announce her replacement shortly thereafter.

So who's the best bet to get the job? Well, it appears the (conventional) wisdom of crowds points toward... well, it points a couple of directions.

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Soda tax losing its fizz?

can of cokeAccording to a Quinnipiac poll out today, public opinion has shifted a little more against David Paterson's proposed tax on sugared soda.

The Q Poll reports that respondents now oppose the tax 64 - 32 percent -- that's up from 60 - 37 almost a month ago. Or, as the Q Poll's Maurice Carroll put it: "One month after Gov. David Paterson rolled out his 'Fat Tax' proposal, and one week after he gave it a big push in his State of the State message, opposition is growing weightier instead of slimmer." (Those pollsters never miss a chance.)

There also seems to be a bit of split on the tax according to level of education. People with a college degree oppose the soda 57 - 40, while people without a degree oppose it 68 - 28.

A few other tidbits about New York State from this poll after the jump.

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More details about I-90 shootout, Paterson criticized for Clinton replacement process, federal money could stop new taxes, elderly clerk staves off robbery with phone

Updated at 11:50 am

State police released more details about the I-90 shootout yesterday. They say the gunman yelled at police, urging them to kill him -- though they're still not sure what prompted the incident. They also released video from the police car that made the original traffic stop -- the video shows the man firing through the back window of the taxi. State police say the man, who was eventually taken out by a police sharpshooter, is not expected to survive his injuries died Monday night. [TU] [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette] [CapNews9]

Jermayne Timmons, the teen accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, took the stand at his trial yesterday. He testified that he did fire a shot that day, but not with the type of gun police say he used. [TU]

Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing for Secretary of State is this morning. [USA Today]

David Paterson is being criticized for keeping secret the selection process for Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Paterson says he's interviewed 15 people for the job -- including Caroline Kennedy, of whom Paterson said he was "impressed." [AP/Daily Gazette] [NYDN]

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What you can do about the phone book menace

phonebook in snow

Ick.

So, news of the coming onslaught of phone books got us wondering what exactly happened to Albany's effort to keep them off our doorsteps. City councilman Joe Igoe got some national press when he championed the effort last spring, but we haven't heard much about it since.

Well, it turns out his proposal is still out there. Igoe says there's a committee meeting on the issue next Thursday at 5:30 at Albany city hall. The meeting is open to the public, so if you've had enough, show up and let 'em know. Meanwhile, if you don't want a book next year, Igoe says you can sign the Do Not Deliver registry at ypdnd.com.

photo: Flickr user Wallula Junction

Top Senator rolls on

Thumbnail image for Top Senator compositeOn the latest episode of Top Senator: David Paterson refrains from getting his gut involved, Maureen Dowd says "thank God," and candidates answer questions about their kids' Facebook accounts.

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Reaction to State of the State, rally in downtown Albany, more weird twists in Kathina trial, sewage might have ended up in vegetable compost, pet deer attacks man

Elected state leaders praised David Paterson for being direct about the state's situation in yesterday's State of the State speech. (They also apparently envy his memory.) But some said the speech was short on specifics. (The Record has put together an extensive compilation of reaction from interest groups and local elected leaders.) [Fox23] [Troy Record] [CapNews9] [Troy Record]

About 4,000 people got together in downtown Albany before the speech for a protest organized by the civil service unions. They turned out to oppose Paterson's proposed budget -- to the sounds of Twisted Sister. [Troy Record] [NYT]

After control of the state Senate passed to the Democrats yesterday, Dean Skelos' name was scratched off the door of the majority's office space. [Daily Politics] [TU]

Paterson's proposals for more research into renewable energy and efficiency could benefit the Capital Region. [Daily Gazette]

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All hail the great State of Long Island

long island flagThe action at the capitol Wednesday included not just David Paterson's State of the State speech, but also the start of the new legislative session.

And that means a bunch of new bills. Among them: A01189, sponsored by Assemblyman Fred Thiele. Here's the description (emphasis added):

Establishes a bi-county commission in the counties of Nassau and Suffolk to study the feasibility of establishing the state of Long Island.

Our only question about this: can they take Staten Island with them?

Hey, this is a time for courage, action and hope.

(Thanks, Peter!)

A quick read of Paterson's State of the State

Paterson State of the State 2009

The state of our state: perilous.

Sure, David Paterson spent 60 hours memorizing today's State of the State speech. But who else has that kind of time? Here's a quick paraphrase/recap of Paterson's speech...

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State of the State today, Democrats organize control of state Senate, unemployment claim system crashes, two-year-old found wandering snowy streets

David Paterson will deliver the state of the state speech today at 1 pm. A group of labor unions representing state, local and healthcare workers is planning a march through downtown Albany before the speech -- traffic is being re-routed as thousands are expected to take part. Paterson has largely been out of sight the last few weeks because he's needed the time -- some 60 hours -- to memorize his speech. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [CBS6] [Daily Politics] [ABCNews]

It appears the Democrats have worked out an arrangement to take control of the state Senate. The deal may -- or may not -- have included an agreement to block a vote on same-sex marriage. Malcolm Smith will become the state's first African-American Senate majority leader. And with the change of party control, there are a bunch of new committee chairs -- including the guy who was recently charged with felony assault. [NYT] [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics] [NYT]

On the first day of testimony in the trial of the teen accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, a prosecution witness admitted he had lied during his testimony. The girl's mother also testified yesterday and her account of the incident was heartbreaking. During opening arguments, the attorney for the accused teen said his client did fire a shot that day -- but not with the type of gun police say killed Thomas. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette]

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The ongoing scramble to replace Hillary

Top Senator compositeUpdated Wednesday at 11 am

While you were opening presents and downing egg nog, the contestants on Top Senator were angling to set themselves up for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.

Here's where things are at...

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Trial begins for teen accused of killing Kathina Thomas, state Senate Dems still haven't worked things out, father-son duo accused of stealing tombstones, pot eater tasered by police

The trial of the teenager accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas last May starts today. Albany County DA David Soares has asked local media outlets to not identify witnesses in the trial because of worries about witness intimidation. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Our famously dysfunctional state legislature opens its new session tomorrow. Will the Democrats be able to organize control of the state Senate? Maybe. Maybe not. [TU] [NYDN] [NYT]

The SUNY Research Foundation is reviewing the resume of Susan Bruno -- Joe Bruno's daughter -- after the TU reported it may have included questionable claims about her education and credentials. Susan Bruno currently holds an $84k/year job with the foundation. [TU]

A company-funded study reports that the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena is the second largest emitter of mercury in the state. The reported levels are half of what they were two years ago, but one prominent expert says it's still "a heck of a lot of mercury." [TU]

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Where Caroline stands

Caroline Kennedy speakingOne of the criticisms about Caroline Kennedy's bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat has been that she doesn't have a record of votes or public statements on a number of issues for people to examine.

Well, that changed a bit over the weekend. In a weird arrangement, Kennedy's staff answered written questions from Politico and NYT. Her -- or their -- answers were relatively short -- and we've boiled them down even more.

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Top Senator

top senator

All the buzz and speculation about who will get Hillary Clinton's Senate seat seems to be getting to David Paterson. The Gov said yesterday, "[F]rankly, this is a serious issue, which I think is starting to be treated as some sort of reality TV show. No, this is reality of life."

Hey, wait a minute. Turning this into a reality TV show might not be such a bad idea...

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Sweet Senator Caroline?

caroline kennedy with obama

Caroline Kennedy earlier this year with Barack Obama, to whom she was an advisor

The big buzz right now is that Caroline Kennedy could be in line to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

David Paterson says the daughter of JFK has talked to him about the seat, but he called the conversation "informational" and said Kennedy didn't outright express an interest in the job -- though he did indicate she's "thinking about it." (He also used the situation for some humor at a dinner this past weekend.)

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Democrats strike deal for control of state Senate, Schumer touting Gillibrand, longtime Saratoga sheriff gets challenger, wrong way driver causes four accidents, students organize for french fries

Note: the TU's site wasn't loading this morning.

Democrats in the state Senate have worked out a deal with the "Gang of Three" senators who were threatening to side with Republicans in the upcoming leadership vote. As part of the deal, Malcolm Smith will become head of the state Senate (president pro tem), but Pedro Espada will become majority leader (no, it usually doesn't get split like that). Also apparently part of the deal: the chamber won't bring up a vote on gay marriage, which one of the Gang of Three opposes. [NYT] [NYDN] [NYP]

Chuck Schumer is reportedly encouraging David Paterson to pick Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton. [NYP]

The solider from Rensselaer County accused of killing two superiors in Iraq was found not guilty by a military jury yesterday at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. The judge had to clear the courtroom after the verdict prompted yelling from the victims' families. [AP/Daily Gazette]

Police say bystanders flocked to the aid of the family hit by a pickup truck on State Street in Schenectady Wednesday. An SPD spokesperson says the accident scene was one of the worst he's ever seen, with little kids "lying in the street screaming for their mother." [Daily Gazette]

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Joe Bruno is all about sunshine now

joe_bruno.jpgNo, really, it's true. He says so in today's New York Times.

OK, what he actually said was:

"I feel like technology is a place that governments at all levels are going to have to look at for relief, to create efficiencies that they want and need, to create the service that people demand these days, to be responsive and to do it in a cost-effective way."

"[The press] can have some fun with that, but I've always really been kind of on the leading edge of being open."

Of course, this is the guy who fought to keep member items (you know, pork) secret. Now that he's pitching computer systems for Latham-based CMA Consulting -- hey, open databases for everyone!

A few other tidbits about what else Bruno's up to these days, after the jump.

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Who will be NY's next senator?

hillary clinton portraitBarack Obama officially announced today that he's nominating Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State. So, New York's going to need a new senator.

David Paterson gets to pick Clinton's replacement. The Gov's said to be leaning toward picking someone who's some combination of 1) a minority, preferably a Latino 2) from upstate 3) a woman. Here's a breakdown of the people who seem to be the front runners. We've also included a few names that are notable, but not necessarily likely:

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State leaders meet and get nothing done, Troy needs a fire truck, UAlbany students charged with rape, truck hits overpass

David Paterson, Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos met up on Sunday to discuss possible budget cuts ahead of tomorrow's special legislative session. And the result: nothing. [TU]

Saratoga Springs city officials say they'll be lobbying state leaders this week in an attempt to keep all of the VLT money originally allotted to the city. David Paterson's proposed budget cuts would cut $1.9 million from the city's share of VLT revenue -- that's five percent of the city budget. [Daily Gazette]

Seemingly half of New York's Congressional delegation -- not to mention a handful of other state officials -- could be in the running for an appointment to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat in the event she takes a post with the Obama Administration. Oh, and about that -- Clinton's not talking. [TU] [TU]

Troy's deputy mayor says the city's fire chief sent him a letter last week reporting that the city is in emergency need of a new fire truck after two of the trucks were recently taken out of service. [Troy Record]

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Paterson says budget cuts will involve "a big knife," state economy in recession, recycling urged in effort to save money, proposed Saratoga horse park would be pricey

At a town hall-style meeting yesterday Syracuse, David Paterson said of making cuts to the state budget: "We'll be using a big knife but trying to operate it like a scalpel." The Gov will unveil his plans for cutting $2 billion from the current state budget this morning. Reportedly among the proposals: across-the-board cuts for health programs, big cuts to public universities, a repeal of the gasoline tax cap and increase in fees for health plans. [NYT] [TU]

The leadership situation in the state Senate is still unsettled. One of the three Democrats who have not pledged their support to Malcolm Smith says he'd prefer to see a Latino Democrat be majority leader. [NYT]

An analysis from a University at Buffalo center has concluded that New York State has been in a recession since the second quarter of this year. [Biz Review]

Local retail stores are hiring extra help for the holidays shopping season -- and this year they have their pick of employees. [AP/TU]

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Why there wasn't a line to vote

Obama and Kerry.jpg

Obama had to have done better than Kerry here, right? Yes and no.

Despite all the talk about huge voter turnout across the country on Tuesday, we didn't notice especially long lines (or any lines, really) here in the Capital Region. Well, after taking a look at vote totals from this year and four years ago, it starts to make some sense.

In fact, the way the Capital Region voted this time around was kind of weird compared to the rest of the country. Let's take a look at the totals...

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Local voter turnout down, hundreds of Senate staffers looking for work, Gillibrand's national star rising, burned man set himself on fire

It looks like voter turnout in the Capital Region actually declined this past Tuesday, in part because of Republicans who stayed home. One hot spot for increased turnout: Schenectady. [Daily Gazette]

Local Republican state reps warn that downstate, Democratic control of the state legislature and governorship will be bad for the Capital Region. First casualty: Hugh Farley's sleep. [Daily Gazette]

With the Democrats probably taking over leadership of the state Senate, hundreds of staffers will be out of a job. [TU]

The Saratoga Springs City Court judge election won't be decided to until at least next week. Democrat Jeffrey Wait leads Republican Matt Dorsey by 242 votes, with more than a 1,000 absentee ballots still to be counted. If Wait holds on to win, it will be in large part because of overwhelming support in Skidmore's precinct. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

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How the Capital Region voted for president

Here's a quick breakdown of votes for president from Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties:

Barack Obama in profileAlbany
Obama: 86,096 - 63.2%
McCain: 47,629 - 35%
Other: 2,407 - 1.8%

Schenectady
Obama: 35,529 - 54.7%
McCain: 28,172 - 43.3%
Other: 1,274 - 2%

Saratoga
Obama: 51,932 - 50.2%
McCain: 49,734 - 48.1%
Other: 1,728 - 1.7%

Rensselaer
Obama: 36,550 - 53.1%
McCain: 31,126 - 45.2%
Other: 1,150 - 1.7%

Totals:
Obama: 210,107 - 56.3%
McCain: 156,661 - 42%
Other: 6,559 - 1.8%

total votes: 373,327

Percentages have been rounded. Numbers were pulled from the NYT county election map totals.

photo: Flickr user BohPhoto

Election results digest, Democrats have tentative majority in state Senate, burned body found in street, express train plan stopped

Here's a rundown of noteworthy election results:

+ Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand won re-election over Republican Sandy Treadwell in the 20th Congressional District. In one of the nation's most expensive House races, Gillibrand was outspent by Treadwell -- she credited her campaign's outreach efforts for overcoming the difference. Treadwell said he felt good about the campaign he ran. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

+ Democrat Paul Tonko easily topped Republican Republican Jim Buhrmaster in the 21st Congressional District. The seat has been held by Democrats for the past 50 years, the last 20 of which by Mike McNulty. Tonko says his focus in Congress will be on health care, energy and withdrawing troops from Iraq. Buhrmaster said he's disappointed that the district will be getting a "career politician" representing it in Washington. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

+ Republican Roy McDonald beat Democrat Mike Russo in the race to replace Joe Bruno in the state Senate. McDonald spent more than three times as much as Russo. [TU]

+ Republican Tony Jordan beat Democrat Ian McGaughey in the 112th Assembly race -- the seat McDonald had been in. [Daily Gazette]

+ Republican George Amedore topped Democrat Mark Blanchfield for the 105th Assembly district (Tonko's old seat -- Amedore first won it in a special election in July 2007). Amedore attributed his win in part to what he described as a positive campaign "based on the issues and my record." Blanchfield, a Schenectady city councilman, called the campaign a learning experience. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

+ Albany County DA David Soares easily won relection over Republican/Integrity candidate Roger Cusick. Soares racked up almost three times as many votes as Cusick. [TU]

+ The race for Saratoga Springs City Court judge isn't over. Democrat Jeffrey Wait led Republican Matt Dorsey by about 108 votes, but more than a 1000 absentee ballots still needed to be counted. [Daily Gazette]

+ Democrat Patrick McGrath topped Republican incumbent Anthony Carpinello for the state Supreme Court. The position has a 14 year term. Carpinello said he was "a victim of the Obama landslide." [Troy Record]

+ The Troy charter proposal pushed by Mayor Harry Tutunjian failed to pass by a wide margin. A Tutunjian spokesman attributed the failure to rival Democrats "spreading complete lies" about the proposal. [Troy Record]

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Paterson looking to DC for budget help, it snowed, Gillibrand and Treadwell debate, "madhouse" on election day, romance lives in Troy

David Paterson is in DC today looking to turn up federal aid for New York State. The Gov says the state needs federal assistance because it's "the epicenter" of the financial meltdown. Paterson announced yesterday that the state is facing a $12.5 billion budget gap next year. [NYDN] [NYT]

How'd the state end up facing such a gaping hole in its budget? A loss of revenue from Wall Street is part of it. But the state has also been increasing spending much faster than inflation. [NYT]

Yep, it snowed yesterday. The Catskills and the Albany County hill towns saw some significant accumulation. The snow didn't stick in most other places. [Fox23] [Daily Gazette]

Albany police chief says the city will provide "the same police service in 2009 that we do in 2008" -- even though the city's budget includes money for 10 fewer officers. [TU]

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State facing huge budget gap, Gillibrand-Treadwell race one of nation's most expensive, cop dragged by truck, Schenectady OK with "arcane" reference

David Paterson will be presenting a mid-year budget plan for the state today -- the projected budget gap for 2009-2010 is expected to be a record $12.5 billion. [NYDN]

The candidates for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat), Paul Tonko and Jim Buhrmaster, met for another debate last night. Here's the full video. [WNYT]

The Congressional race between Kirsten Gillibrand and Sandy Treadwell is the nation's second most expensive, according to FEC data. The two campaigns have spent a total of $9.2 million so far. [Daily Gazette]

This year's campaigns for the state Senate are shaping up to collectively be the most expensive ever, according to an analysis by NYPIRG. Campaigns have already spent $40 million and are on pace to surpass the $43.6 million spent in 2006. [NYT]

AMD is looking to get an exemption for the sales taxes it would have to pay on construction materials for the Luther Forest chip fab. If the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency approves the exemption, it could save AMD almost $28 million. The exemption is expected to be approved. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

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Search continues for UAlbany student's killer, number of local foreclosures jumps, push to register organ donors, ready for NANOvember?

Police say there are still no leads in the murder of UAlbany student Richard Bailey. But another person has said he saw two people on bikes hurrying away from the scene. "Those guys were in a hurry to get somewhere," the neighbor told the TU. A woman driving by the scene said earlier this week she believed the two bikers were somehow involved. The APD says it's looking for the pair, but also says they're not suspects. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [CBS6]

A lawyer for Charles O'Byrne, David Paterson's chief of staff, says his client suffers from "late-filing syndrome." Yes, he really did say that. No, it's not a recognized psychological condition. O'Byrne owed almost $300,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest after not filing a return between 2001 and 2005. Paterson aides attribute O'Byrne's filing problems to bouts of clinical depression. [NYT] [TU]

The number of home foreclosures in the Capital Region more than doubled last quarter from the same period a year before. Even so, the region has one of the nation's lowest foreclosure rates. [TU]

A former Saratoga Springs employee is suing the city for racial discrimination. The man says he was passed over for promotion because he's an African-American. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled in 2007 that the city had discriminated against the man. [Daily Gazette]

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No leads in UAlbany student shooting, probable safety violations at site of ditch death, Paterson dials wrong number, spellcheck blamed for Obama/Osama mixup

Richard Bailey, the UAlbany student shot in the head Monday night, died yesterday afternoon. He was from Long Island and planned to become a cop. The APD hasn't identified a motive for the shooting. It says it's looking for two people who were riding bikes past the intersection of South Lake and Yates at the time of the shooting. Police say the two bike riders aren't considered suspects, but a woman who was driving past the same point that night says she thinks the they were involved. [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Gazette] [CBS6]

Kirsten Gillibrand and Sandy Treadwell met for their first debate / candidate forum last night in Poughkeepsie. The main exchange between the seems to have been of the "Yes, you did/No, I didn't" variety on tax increases. [TU] [Fox23]

OSHA says the death of a construction worker after a ditch collapse in Clifton Park this week was "preventable." An official says a complete investigation could take several weeks. An attorney representing the contruction contractor says it appears the man who died did not follow instructions on how to properly dig the ditch. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

Leaders of the state worker unions met yesterday with David Paterson to talk about ways the state could cut costs. Layoffs did not come up in the discussion, though the Gov reportedly did say "there are no sacred cows." [TU]

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New York's money is colored blue

Barack Obama in profileAccording to a roundup of FEC data by the Center for Responsive Politics, Barack Obama has raised almost three times as much in New York as John McCain ($30.4 million vs. $11.6 million.)

But get this: he's not the presidential candidate who raised the most money from the Capital Region.

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Governor Rudy?

Rudy GiulianiNYT reports that many New York Republicans are hoping Rudy Giuliani will run for governor in 2010. Said one of Guiliani's "longtime advisers":

"He's got to see the challenge in running. There has to be a reason for him to run, and a lot of it depends on his wife, and whether she's up for another go. But I think that Rudy has always resigned himself to a love of public service."

OK, but about what the governorship in 2010 specifically? Of Rudy and the idea of a 2010 run, the chairman of the state Republican party said, "He certainly didn't seem disinterested." (We have to start using that construction: Would you like cake? I'm not disinterested.)

What do the Dems think about this? Said one assemblyman: "It would be Luke Skywalker against Darth Vader, and the force would be with our governor."

Interesting fact: Giuliani's presidential campaign is still $3 million in debt.

photo: Jason Bedrick

Top Paterson aide didn't pay taxes, Barnes believes he was targeted, chip fab company to get new name, Little League bleachers stolen

David Paterson's top advisor, chief of staff Charle O'Byrne, admitted this weekend to not paying his federal or state taxes from 2001-2005 after the TU reported there were warrants out for his back taxes. O'Byrne says he neglected to pay because he was clinically depressed. O'Byrne was $200,000 behind his taxes. The Gov has said O'Byrne did disclose the problem, though it's unclear to what to extent. The conventional wisdom seems to be that O'Byrne won't lose his job over this. [AP] [TU] [TU] [NYT] [Newsday]

Albany County DA David Soares says he'll meet with Steve Barnes to talk about the attack on the food writer and his friend Friday night. According to the TU, Barnes believes he was specifically targeted. [TU]

Rensselaer County's proposed 2009 budget does not include a tax increase. County executive Kathleen Jimino says the county's expanding tax base made an increase unnecessary. [TU]

As many as 7,500 absentee ballots in Albany County did not correctly list David Soares as a candidate on the Independence Line in the district attorney race. The board of elections says it was a simple oversight and new ballots will be ready this week. [TU]

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Local Congressional debate video

Here are a few clips from the last night's Buhrmaster-Tonko debate for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) on WMHT.

In this clip, Paul Tonko reacts to Jim Buhrmaster's characterization of Tonko as a "career politician" who's part of a dysfunctional system:

Two more clips -- about Buhrmaster's support of George W. Bush and Congressional term limits -- after the jump...

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Local unemployment rate hits 13-year high, candidates debate energy issues, pharmacy college changes its name, yet another new hotel

The Capital Region unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in September -- that's up from 3.8 percent a year ago. It's the highest unemployment rate for the area in 13 years. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Jim Buhrmaster and Paul Tonko, the two candidates for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat), talked a lot about energy during their debate last night. Both have experience on the topic -- Buhrmaster's family owns a heating oil company and Tonko was head of NYSERDA. Buhrmaster said new drilling for oil should one of the first priorities in a national energy plan and Tonko said it should be one of the last. [TU]

Still to come in the race between Kirsten Gillibrand and Sandy Treadwell for the 20th Congressional District: a lot of TV ads. [Daily Gazette]

A former deli worker at the Sam's Club in Latham is suing Walmart (Sam's parent company) for $1 million. The man says he was fired because he's a Catholic who wanted Sundays off to go to church. He says Walmart told him he was being fired for misconduct. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Local economy OK... for now, Gillibrand talks about tobacco industry work, bridges described as "structurally deficient," neighbors fight over tree

How's the local economy? Not so bad, say business owners and other experts. But the future may be another thing. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Kirsten Gillibrand addressed her time as a lawyer representing tobacco company Philip Morris yesterday. Campaign finance records indicate she's received at least $16,700 from executives connected to the company (which is now called Altria) -- Gillibrand says she wasn't aware the company had contributed. Gillibrand's history with the company has been publicized recently by a former Pataki aide on a blog and in comments on other blogs (including here on AOA). Gillibrand's opponent in this year's election is Sandy Treadwell, who served as NY secretary of state during the Pataki administration. [TU] [OpenSecrets]

Those 4-foot by 8-foot Treadwell campaign signs are OK as long as they're on private property, according to Clifton Park's director of building and zoning. Democrats there had complained the signs violated zoning rules. [Daily Gazette]

A memo released by federal prosecutors alleges that former state assemblyman Chris Ortloff said "... honestly I don't have a moral problem with this ... " about his desire to have sex with tween girls. The now former member of the state parole board was arrested in Colonie this week after a sting operation. [TU]

(there's more)

Former state assemblyman nabbed in Colonie in sex sting, new steroid rules for horse racing, campaign signs too big?, hiring freeze at RPI

State police say former state assemblyman Chris Ortloff tried to set up a sexual encounter with two tween girls at a motel in Colonie on Monday (there were no girls -- it was a sting). The police say Ortloff was "buck naked" when they nabbed him. Ortloff had been serving on the state parole board. [TU] [AP/DG]

Police say two men robbed a bank in Schaghticoke yesterday afternoon. The pair then led a high-speed car chase through Clifton Park, which ended in a five car wreck. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogian]

The proposed 2009 budget for Cohoes includes an almost 4 percent tax increase. Water and sewer fees would increase 8 percent. [TU]

New York is tightening the rules for steroid use in race horses. "Steroids are no better for four-legged athletes than they are for two," said the chairman of the state's racing and wagering board. [Saratogian] [AP]

(there's more)

Local gas prices drop, dog saves elderly couple from fire, Schenectady cops to be re-organized, local company develops fungus insulation

Gasoline prices have dropped below the $3 mark in some parts of the Capital Region -- though there's still wide variation between different neighborhoods. And gas here is still more expensive than it was last year at this time. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogia]

The two candidates running for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) debated last night. Paul Tonko, a Democrat, called himself "a problem solver by profession" (he was an engineer). Jim Buhrmaster, a Republican, touted his "real world experience" and the fact that he's a parent (Tonko doesn't have children). Top issue, according to each candidate -- Tonko: energy; Buhrmaster: the size of government. [CapNews9] [Fox23]

The executive committee of SUNY's Student Assembly is a supporting a resolution that calls for modest annual tuition increases. Tuition hasn't gone up since 2003. The system is facing a budget gap of as much as $210 million. [TU]

Firefighters say an elderly couple in Malta were able to escape their burning house early this morning after their dog alerted them to fire. The dog didn't make it out. [CBS6] [TU]

(there's more)

David Paterson is aiming, not shooting

Paterson NY Mag coverNext week's NY Mag has a long article about David Paterson (that's him, really close up, on the cover.) There are a lots of juicy tidbits in the piece: about his favorite Albany hangout, his dance moves, his dating life and why, as a kid, he hit another kid in the face with a lunchbox.

Here are some of the highlights:

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Another potential snag for AMD, Treadwell says he'll donate salary, psychologist throws herself on the mercy of the court, museum officials say they're not prudes

Another potential snag in the deal behind the Luther Forest chip fab project: AMD has a technology sharing agreement with rival Intel that prohibits sharing the technology with a third party. So, does AMD's spin-off corporation count as a third party? AMD says it's not concerned. [TU]

Sandy Treadwell has announced that, if elected to Congress, he'll donate his salary to charity (roughly $165,000). Treadwell is, as they say, independently wealthy. He's already donated $2.5 million to his campaign. [TU]

Sheldon Silver apparently loves the frequent flyer miles. He's recently been criticized for booking flights from NYC to Albany through DC so he can rack up miles. Silver's people say the Assembly speaker will now be taking cheaper direct flights. [AP/TU]

Schenectady police say a woman was carjacked Wednesday night after the perp faked being run over as the woman backed out of a parking spot. The woman got out to see if the man was OK and that's when he made his move. [Daily Gazette]

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Blue Dogs

Kirsten GillibrandWe noticed this week that Kirsten Gillibrand was described as a "Blue Dog" Democrat in a story about her vote on the Wall Street bailout bill.

Wait a second... a what?

The Blue Dogs are a coalition of House Democrats who describe themselves as "moderate and conservative" and "particularly active on fiscal issues, relentlessly pursuing a balanced budget and then protecting that achievement from politically popular "raids" on the budget." There are currently 37 members of the coalition.

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Father to be charged with murder of child, Rensselaer DA watching money evaporate, neighborhood wants to go after negative news coverage, where's Beboy?

A four-month-old baby, who was beaten by his father in Troy, has died. Authorities said yesterday they would charge the father with murder if the child died. [TU]

A replica of a WWII plane crashed yesterday afternoon at the Schenectady County Airport during a test flight. The test pilot, who's from Saratoga, is in critical condition. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The New York State comptroller's office has extended its OpenBook New York database to local governments. [Biz Review]

George Amedore, the Republican incumbent in the 105th state Assembly district (Tonko's old seat), says his opponent, Democrat Mark Blanchfield, has unfairly taken his words about how he views his Assembly job out of context in a radio spot. Blanchfield's sticking by the ad. [WNYT]

The Rensselaer County District Attorney's office is watching almost half of its budget disappear as grants it's relied on run out. The $1 million in grants fund the salaries of five ADAs and four investigators. [Troy Record]

(there's more)

State finances hit by Wall Street meltdown, health plan accuses competitor of stealing, early SPUI construction starts, the luckiest place in the Capital Region

David Paterson says the recent investment bank meltdown on Wall Street will cost the state $1 billion in tax revenue, more or less wiping out the gains made by last month's budget-cutting special legislative session. The Gov says further budget cuts -- possibly into aid for hospitals and schools -- may be necessary. [Newsday]

Yesterday's debate between Paul Tonko and Jim Buhrmaster for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) was something less than friendly. The issues covered ranged from energy to universal health care to spending. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Albany police say an officer shot a suspect last night in West Hill after the suspect pointed a gun at the officer. [TU]

CDPHP has filed a lawsuit against MVP alleging that a former employee, who now works for MVP, illegally took sensitive company information with him to his new job. CDPHP is suing for $10 million in damages. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Wind knocks out power, Schenectady relatively bad at solving crimes, Assembly candidate pledges to term limit himself, local wait for a Prius, stickball champions

Last night's strong winds knocked out power for 15,000 people in the Capital Region. [TU]

It looks like Saratoga Springs might be getting a new public safety building after all. In a surprise, the city council approved a $3 million portion of the city's capital budget for the construction of a new building. That's only about half of the total expected cost. The city is now looking for ways to "creatively" finance the rest of the project. [TU]

According to city records and the federal Department of Justice, Schenectady solves relatively few burglaries, muggings and rapes. A councilman called the stats "an embarrassment." The city does do well solving murders, though. [Daily Gazette]

Jerry Jennings and Albany police chief James Tuffey met with school superintendent Eva Joseph Friday about last week's fighting. [WNYT] [CBS6]

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Primary election results, state police show off a bunch of weed, SUNY officials get swank stays for cheap, another horse sculpture vandalized in Saratoga

Paul Tonko won the Democratic primary yesterday for NY's 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). He'll face James Buhrmaster, who won the Republican primary, in November. Tracey Brooks was the runner-up to Tonko by about 3,000 votes -- she said "The glass ceiling got a little bit thinner today but not quite thin enough this time." Phil Steck finished third among Democrats and Darius Shahinfar fourth. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

Roy McDonald won the Republic primary for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. He'll face Mike Russo, who beat out Brian Premo in the Democratic primary. [Daily Gazette]

Incumbent Neil Breslin easily won the Democratic primary for the state Senate's 46th District. There are no Republicans up for that spot. [Daily Gazette]

Elections officials said local voter turnout yesterday was moderate. [TU]

Kaz, a company that makes vaporizers, says it will be closing its plant in Hudson and letting 300 people go. The company is outsourcing its manufacturing to another company with plants in Mexico. [TU]

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It's primary day

voting machine lever arm

Bonus reason for voting today in some places: an extra turn on the soon-to-be-gone lever machines.

And you should vote. Really, you should, because today is the de facto election day for a handful of local races.

The winner of today's Democratic primary for the NY 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) will almost surely win the election in November. And in the race for the 46th State Senate district (Neil Breslin's seat), there aren't any Republicans running.

And even in races that will ultimately be decided in November, voting today lets you have some say about who gets a shot at the job -- especially since fewer people vote in primaries.

That said, if you're not registered to a party you're pretty much out of luck because NY doesn't have open primaries.

Polls are open today from noon to 9 pm. Here's how you can find out where to vote.

photo: Flickr user Joe Schlabotnik

Candidates stretch for primaries, Albany High schedules still not totally fixed, new details in UAlbany roof stabbing, parking fees at airport might be going up, train runs over man

The Democratic candidates vying to replace Mike McNulty in Congress are stretching toward the de facto finish line -- tomorrow's primary. Phil Steck took out a home equity loan worth almost $100,000 to fund his campaign and Tracey Brooks has loaned her campaign $50,000. [Daily Gazette]

Waterford and Halfmoon are fighting with the EPA over how and when they should get water during the Hudson PCB clean-up. The federal agency is now threatening the towns with $32,500 a day in fines if they don't allow access for the construction of a back up water pipeline. The towns say they have no problem with the pipeline -- they just want a guarantee the pipeline will be ready when dredging starts. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

No one seems to know which way heating prices are headed this winter. That hasn't stopped state politicians from making them an issue. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Albany High is scheduled to start its school year, again, today. It still hasn't completely fixed its scheduling problems, though. [TU]

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Local counties won't get flood money from feds, fingers already pointed in DA race, pit bull ordred put down and another banished, horse betting on the Blackberry

It looks like local counties will not be getting money from FEMA for recovery after the flooding late last month. Apparently area wasn't damaged quite enough -- the region's tally of $18.2 million fell about $5 million short of FEMA's cut-off. The mayor Rensselaer, which suffered $3.5 million of damage, says he's "heart-sickened" over the situation. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

One of the workers overcome by toxic fumes earlier this week in Schenectady has died. His co-worker's condition has been upgraded to good. [Daily Gazette]

The almost-race for Albany Count DA has already descended into finger pointing and cries about conflicts of interest. [TU]

Funding for the much argued about new Saratoga Springs police station was taken out of the city's capital budget during a closed-door meeting yesterday. [Daily Gazette]

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Colonel John wins Travers, Democratic candidates for McNulty's nod heads, local sewer systems need help, California produce shipments to start soon, Round Lake protects its organ

Colonel John won the Travers this past weekend, beating out Mambo in Seattle by a nose. The canoe in the infield pond has already been painted the colors of Colonel John's silks, green and white. Almost 41,000 people showed up for the Travers this year, and bet almost $8.3 million (the total with off-track betting $37 million). [TU] [Saratogian] [CBS6]

The Saratoga PD had double the normal number of cops on the street Saturday night to handle the post-Travers crowd, in fine form after 12 hours of drinking. One guy pushed a police horse several times before being arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. [Daily Gazette]

The Democratic candidates for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) agreed on many topics last night at a debate: opposition to off-shore drilling, investment in renewable energy, sign stealing is bad. They disagreed on: a carbon tax, whether Tonko supported energy deregulation, whether Tracey Brooks was a lobbyist. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The US Olympic synchronized swimming team, co-captained by Troy's Kim Probst, finished fifth in Beijing. [Troy Record]

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Troy prostitution sting, local synchro swimmer competing today at the Olympics, on the trail of a campaign sign thief, Mr. Subb goes upscale

The Troy police busted 16 men this week during what they've described as an undercover prostitution "reverse-sting." As you might expect, there were some complaints from the busted. One guy says he didn't actually ask the undercover policewoman for, um, service (police say the same guy was arrested on the same charges last year). And another says he had a stick stuck up his nose during the arrest. [TU] [Troy Record]

After having their Schenectady store broken into eight times over three years, the owners of Funn Electronics and Keys World say they're moving back to Brooklyn, where they didn't have any trouble. They say they might stay if the city would allow them to install a metal gate that could be pulled down over the business while it's closed -- but the city doesn't allow them. [Daily Gazette]

Troy native Kim Probst is competing in synchronized swimming today at the Olympics. She's co-captain of the US team. [Troy Record]

(there's more)

Fall election picture coming into focus, Schenectady hopes to turn gas into savings, Saratoga cops take on hulk, Walgreen's not getting a warm welcome, million dollar horses

It looks like Albany County DA might face opposition in the November election, after all. County Republicans are working to have attorney Roger Cusick -- who ran against Soares in 2004 -- run on the Integrity Party line. The what? Republicans waited too long to put someone on their own line, so they had to create a new one, thus Integrity. [TU]

The field of Republican candidates for the 20th Congressional District (Kirsten Gillibrand's seat) has thinned. The petitions for Mike Rocque and John Wallace were tossed, leaving Sandy Treadwell as the sole Republican. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady is looking to generate power from methane at its sewage treatment plant. It figures the generator could cover 30 percent of the plant's power needs and save the city $282,000 on its yearly electricity bill. The city's also looking to build a $20 million dollar Department of Services (plowing, etc.) building -- the old one is literally falling down. [Daily Gazette]

ALB says a decline in flights and passengers has put the airport more than a million dollars in the hole so far this year. [TU]

Three men from downstate have been charged with ripping off 45 catalytic converters from an auto dealership in Colonie. The converters contain expensive metals such as platinum. [TU]

It took eight Saratoga cops and a tasering to subdue a guy on Caroline Street early Sunday morning. An officer's hand was broken during the scuffle. [TU]

Walgreen's is looking to expand in the Capital Region, but it's facing some opposition. Its plan for a new store at Brandywine and State in Schenectady has been criticized as too "suburban" by city officials. And after hearing about the pharmacy giant's plan to open a new store in Lansigburgh, one resident there said "Tell Walgreens to shove it." [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

Boscov's has filed for Chapter 11 -- it doesn't look like either of the two local stores will be closing. [TU]

Two horses went for more than a million dollars last night at the Fasig Tiption Selected Yearling Sale. [Saratogian]

Albany's sixth homicide of the year, July historically rainy, Tiffany's of horse sales starts tonight, Funny Cide stable looking for investors

Police say they don't have a suspect or motive for Albany's sixth homicide of the year. Nathan Walcott was shot and killed Sunday morning in West Hill. [TU]

Saratoga supervisor Joanne Yepsen has come up 32 signatures short of the 1,000 she needs to get on the ballot to replace Joe Bruno. Yepsen says she thinks the signatures will ultimately be approved and blames fellow Democrat Mike Russo for challenging the signatures, which she called "a less than admirable tactic." [TU]

Joe Jennings, the brother of Albany major Jerry Jennings, died Sunday from cancer. He was 61. [TU]

July was the 10th rainiest ever recorded in the Capital Region. The month's 6.94 inches was almost double the average for July. [Daily Gazette]

The Fasig Tipton "select yearling sale" starts tonight in Saratoga -- it's described as the Tiffany's of horse sales. [Saratogian]

Sackatoga Stable, the owner of Funny Cide, is looking for investors so it can buy another group of horses. [Biz Review]

If you've ever wanted to see Marylou Whitney ride in a rickshaw with Susan Lucci -- and we know you do -- here's your chance. [Daily Gazette]

Spitzer aides accused of breaking ethics laws, gun buyback in Troy, Colonie EMTs upset about being grounded, lower gas prices if you pay cash

A report from the State Commission on Public Integrity says four former Eliot Spitzer aides violated state ethics laws while taking part in the "Let's get Joe Bruno by using the State Police to track his travel on state aircraft" plot. The report left the former governor off the hook, a move that some are calling a "whitewash." [NYT] [TU]

Dean Skelos, the new State Senate leader, was at The Track yesterday and said he gives his "commitment" that he would continue Joe Bruno's upstate economic development projects, including the proposed AMD chip fab at Luther Forest. [Daily Gazette]

The Albany gun buyback program is being expanded to Troy. (Earlier on AOA: The Albany gun buyback: buyer's remorse?) [TU]

The Troy police chief is in the running to head up the police force in Marco Island, Florida. [TU]

Colonie EMTs are protesting the town's decision to discontinue the medics' participation with State Police rescue flights around the region. Paula Mahan, the town supervisor, says Colonie needs the resources focused on the town. [WNYT]

Gas stations around the region are starting to offer lower prices to people who pay with cash. The stations says credit card transaction fees are taking a big bite out of their revenue. [Daily Gazette]

The head of the Metroplex Development Authority in Schenectady says the Big House night club project is back on track. [Daily Gazette]

Flooding from all the recent rain damaged the wood floor at the HVCC sports complex, probably closing the facility for the rest of the summer. HVCC is hoping it can save the floor -- a replacement would cost about $200,000. [Troy Record]

Troy City Hall to be knocked down, Bruno says Spitzer was "nuts," something may be rotten at Colonie's dump, local unemployment rate up

A $6 million slab of Bruno bacon, probably the last of his pork, will be put towards a project that includes the demolition of Troy City Hall. A riverfront park and underground parking garage are slated for its place. There doesn't appear to be a solid plan for where the new city hall will go, but Harry Tutunjian and the city council -- who have been fighting over this for months -- are vowing to work together on the relocation. [TU] [Troy Record]

Joe Bruno will officially resign from his state Senate seat at midnight tonight. In an exit interview of sorts with the Troy Record, Bruno says he'll miss the power that comes with being one of the The Three Men in the Room. He also says that he "knew there was something wrong with" Eliot Spitzer after their first meeting, describing the former gov as "certifiably nuts." [Troy Record]

The Town of Colonie, the state DEC and the AG's office are investigating whether a trash hauler defrauded the town landfill of $15 million in revenue. The company has been accused of working with landfill employees to systematically underreport the amount of garbage it's been dumping. In May, a former employee reportedly complained that they had been fired for not going along with the alleged scheme. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

The candidates for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) got together last night to talk about their positions on a range of topics. "Change" was apparently a popular topic. [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]

The head of AMD, the company talking about building a massive chip fab plant at Luther Forest, stepped down yesterday. Hector Ruiz had been under pressure after the company reported losing more than $1 billion last quarter. The new CEO is reportedly a star engineer who's respected on Wall Street. AMD has still not officially committed to the Luther Forest project. [TU] [NYT]

The Capital Region unemployment rate hit 4.9 percent last month, that's a full point higher than the same period last year. [TU]

Don't you just hate it when your star artist neighbor won't quit bugging you about that 90 acre parcel of land in Rensselaerville until you sell it to him? [TU]

Campaign cash totals, cat abuse investigation, Thruway traffic down, Saratoga convention center expansion

The campaign fundraising filings are in for the last quarter. In the 21st Congressional District race (to replace Mike McNulty), Democrat Tracey Brooks was way out in front with more than $200,000 raised -- that's about $75k more than fellow Dem Paul Tonko's second-place total (though Tonko only recently officially jumped in the pool). In the race for the 20th (Kirsten Gillibrand's seat), Republican Sandy Treadwell raised $1 million -- about $900k of which he donated to his own campaign -- far outpacing the other Republicans running for the nomination. Gillibrand already has $2.8 million in the bank. [TU] [TU]

Troy police are looking into whether two grisly cat killings over the last month are connected. In the most recent incident, it appears that someone shot the cat with a nail gun. [CBS6] [Troy Record]

The Thruway Authority reports that traffic levels have taken historic drops over the first half of this year. The resulting drop in revenue could affect maintenance projects. [TU]

A $6 million slice of Bruno bacon will be put towards expanding the Saratoga Springs City Center. The expansion plan includes moving the front wall of the convention center closer to Broadway and then using the new space for conference rooms that will overlook the street. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

The Albany County legislature is considering a voluntary four-day work week for non-essential county employees. [TU]

The guy who ran across the stage in a penis costume at the Saratoga Springs High School graduation has been sentenced to offering three apologies: to the students, to the principal, and to the public in the Saratogian. The paper's editor says she's willing to print the letter. [TU] [Saratogian]

Joe Bruno's next job?

joe brunoIn making his "I'm outta here" announcement, Joe Bruno reportedly said he's not looking to kick back and "play with horses." So what's his plan? According to the TU, Bruno is considering a job with CMA Consulting Services, a firm based in Latham.

So, what do they do? We poked around a bit to find out.

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McDonald officially in, Lyme disease settling in here, financial trouble ahead for SPAC?, here she is -- Mrs. New York America

Republican Roy McDonald, currently an state assemblyman from Wilton, has officially jumped into the pool for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat -- with Bruno's support. And it looks like Tony Jordan, an attorney from Washington County, will be the Republican candidate for the seat McDonald's vacating. That race already has a Democrat -- Wilton councilman Ian McGaughey. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A federal court rejected an appeal by Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, the two members of an Albany mosque caught in the federal sting involving a fake plot to buy a shoulder-fired missile. [TU]

A state review of the Albany Police Department has concluded that there is "no evidence of systemic abuse of citizens' rights" by department. The review had come at the request of six Common Council members. [TU]

Lyme disease appears to be establishing itself in the Capital Region and north. [Daily Gazette]

SPAC officials are worried that financial troubles for Live Nation, the company that produces all the pop music concerts there, will end up hurting the venue. SPAC currently gets $1 million a year from Live Nation, but that contract is up next year and officials seem to think renewing the deal for the same amount will be tough. [Saratogian]

The Peerless Pool at Spa State Park still isn't ready to open. Wet weather has kept the pool's new surface from curing properly. Officials hope the pool will be able to open in a week or so. [Daily Gazette]

The new Troy Orchestra debuts tonight with a concert behind city hall. [Troy Record]

The new Mrs. New York America is Kerry Lyn Boettcher, a teacher from Schenectady. She'll go on to compete for Mrs. America in September. [Daily Gazette]

Field for Bruno's seat coming together, Pataki snubbed, local bankruptcies up, dude - where's her car?

Mike Russo, who works for Kirsten Gillibrand, has officially announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination in the race for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. He joins Brian Premo and Saratoga Springs supervisor Joanne Yepsen. The Republicans still don't have any official candidates, but that should change tomorrow when Wilton assemblyman Roy McDonald is expected to officially announce. Ray Seney, a councilman from the town of Nassau, is also circulating petitions in a bid to run. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

George Pataki will not be a delegate at the Republican National Convention later this year, even though the former governor was on John McCain's list of preferred delegates. The dis is apparently payback from state Republican committee chair Joseph Mondello after Pataki pushed to replace him. [AP] [NYDN]

Bankruptcy filings in the Capital Region are up from the same period last year and local bankruptcy lawyers report they're swamped with cases. [TU]

Three weeks ago, Kerri-Ann Vincent drove a stabbing victim to the hospital in Troy. And she hasn't seen her car since. Troy police are holding the vehicle as evidence. Vincent says she can't get to work without her car. The TPD has basically told her to deal. [CBS6]

Two apparently popular Guilderland High School teachers have been relegated to the middle school after a "culture climate inquiry" inquiry. The two teachers, one of whom is out on maternity leave, are accused of contributing to a "locker room" and "boys' club" atmosphere within the school's social studies department. [TU]

The stock of Feldman Mall Properties, one of the co-owners of Colonie Center, has been delisted from the NYSE. The company lost $17 million last year. [Daily Gazette]

Keehn not running for Bruno's seat, whither all the Bruno pork?, new high school has leaky roof, live grenade found

Val Keehn is now saying that she will not run for the Democratic nomination in the race for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. The former mayor of Saratoga Springs will instead support Joanne Yepsen, who's currently Saratoga Springs town supervisor. Keehn says she decided not to run after hearing that Mike Russo, who currently works for Kirsten Gillibrand, is considering a run. Russo has not officially declared yet. There's already one Democrat who has -- Brian Premo. [TU] [Saratogian]

Now that Bruno's no longer leader of the state Senate, will the Capital Region go back to getting pretzels (Joe Bruno's word) from the state. Dean Skelos, the new majority leader, says no. Others aren't so sure. What is certain: Joe Bruno brought home a lot of pork -- and his name is on a bunch of stuff. So many things bear his name that his staff has lost track. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Sixteen hours after a community anti-violence meeting in the neighborhood, two men were shot on the north end of Lark Street in Albany. [TU]

The new Rensselaer High School, just six months old, already has a leaking roof. And it smells weird. [Troy Record]

A construction worker found a live grenade while sifting top soil at a construction site in Milton Friday afternoon. The bomb squad destroyed it. Officials aren't sure where the grenade came from. [Daily Gazette]

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (the big church at Madison and Eagle in Albany), will soon be closing for 18 months of renovations. [WNYT]

Get your hands in the air, Duanesburg. Snoop Dog is coming to town. [Daily Gazette]

Campaign sign do's and don'ts

campaign sign.jpg

Ooops. (And you KNOW he's not the only offender)

A couple of days ago on Capital Confidential we read about the flap going on around campaign signs in Albany. It seems overzealous Phil Steck supporters put up campaign signs a little early this year. Yeah, we didn't realize there were rules about these things either. What are they? Well, it turns out they vary from city to city. Albany City Clerk John Marsolais cleared up the rules for A-Town. And they're kind of surprising.

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Keehn says she's in the running, Jimino says she's not, Timmons case criticized, gun buyback expanding, when is a massage more than a massage?

Valerie Keehn, the former Democratic mayor of Saratoga Springs, has confirmed that she is collecting signatures in order to run for Joe Bruno's seat. Kathy Jimino, the Republican Rensselaer County executive, says she will not be getting into the race. [Saratogian] [Troy Record]

An advocacy group says the case of Jermayne Timmons, the 15-year-old who allegedly fired the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, was mishandled by police and prosecutors. It says Timmons waived his Miranda rights without a lawyer. [Daily Gazette]

The organizer of the Albany gun buyback says the program will be expanding to Schenectady. (Earlier on AOA: The Albany gun buyback: buyer's remorse?) [WTEN]

Believe it or not, people advertise "massages" and other similar services on Craigslist that are actually a bit more than that. And as local law enforcement found out, sometimes you to have experience it firsthand to confirm that. [TU] [Troy Record]

A Dubai firm has bought the Fasig-Tipton riding stable, auction house and other land in Saratoga for $5.7 million. [Business Review]

Legislative session ends with whimper after fireworks, Keehn to run for Bruno's seat?, American to stop flight to ALB, Peerless Pool opening delayed

All the drama aside, this state legislative ended this week with most of the big issues -- including the state's ballooning budget deficit -- unresolved. [NYT]

One bill that did make it through: a measure that would have the state pay the City of Albany $5.5 million dollars this year as a sort of tax payment on the Harriman office campus (the technical term is payment in lieu of taxes). The city could use the money -- it's facing an $8 million budget gap. David Paterson is expected to sign the bill. [TU]

One of the issues lost, or whacked, in the legislative shuffle: Colonie's special mid-year deficit reduction tax. Town officials say they can't figure out why it failed in the Senate. Sen. Neil Breslin, a Democrat, says it died because town Republicans asked party members in the Senate to block it. [TU]

Former Saratoga Springs mayor Valerie Keehn says she's "considering the possibilities" of a run for Joe Bruno's soon-to-be-former state Senate seat. The Saratoga County Democratic Chair says Keehn has already decided to run. [Saratogian] [WNYT]

American Eagle, the regional carrier for American Airlines, will stop service to ALB on November 1. American and its predecessors had been serving the airport since 1929. American Eagle carries only three percent of the passengers in and out of ALB. [Daily Gazette]

The Troy Housing Authority is moving to kick out six tenants who haven't performed the required eight hours of community service. [TU]

The Fort Orange Club plan to demolish two buildings along Washington Ave in downtown Albany continues to draw criticism from neighbors and preservationists. The plan is now in front of the city's Board of Zoning and Appeals. [TU]

The pipe organ at the Round Lake Auditorium could be named a national landmark by the feds. [Daily Gazette]

The Peerless Pool at Spa State Park will not be opening this weekend as planned. Rain has kept a sealant from setting up. Victoira Pool will open, though. [TU]

The Siena men's basketball team will be playing at Kansas this coming season. The Jayhawks are the defending national champion. [Daily Gazette]

Speed reading more coverage of Joe Bruno

joe brunoWe've sifted, sorted and relentlessly refreshed Google News so you don't have to. It's like knowing what's up with the Joe Bruno story without even trying. Another round of bite-sized facts, bits of analysis, and quotes after the jump.

(Earlier on AOA: Speed reading the coverage of Joe Bruno)

(there's more)

Skelos takes over, Bruno endorses McDonald, AMD CEO stops by but still no word, Colonie tax put on hold, Ethan Allen settlement

State Senate Republicans "formally elected Dean Skelos to replace Joe Bruno as majority leader. Skelos, who's from Long Island, says his top three priorities are reducing property taxes. [TU]

Bruno has endorsed Wilton Assemblyman Roy McDonald as his successor in the 43rd Senate district. [Daily Gazette]

The CEO of AMD, the company with tentative plans to build a chip fab plant in Luther Forest, was at the Capitol yesterday to make the rounds. The company says its leader was not here to ask for more money. AMD still has definitively committed to the project. [TU]

At least for the moment, it looks Colonie will not be able to levy its special mid-year deficit reduction tax. The town needs the permission of the state to collect the money, but the measure died in the Senate yesterday (it had already been approved in the Assembly). The tax would have collected about $7 million toward the town's estimated $18 million deficit. [TU]

A confidential settlement has been reached with some of the defendants in the Ethan Allen case (the foliage tour boat the tipped over on Lake George). [Daily Gazette]

The plan to create a downtown Troy business improvement district is encountering friction from people worried about the tax needed to fund the BID. [Business Review]

The owners of the Saratoga Polo grounds are hoping to build an $80 million luxury time-share (er, um, "fractional ownership) resort there. Their waiting on the state AG's office to approve the ownership arrangements. [Daily Gazette]

A teenager recently stole a car in Waterford, but only made it as far as Troy in the ride -- because that's where he ran out of gas. Police nabbed him at a Stewart's. [TU]

Speed reading the coverage of Joe Bruno

joe_bruno.jpgupdated 3:21 pm

We've read the Joe Bruno coverage, so you don't you have to. Many bite-sized facts, bits of analysis, and quotes after the jump.

(there's more)

Joe Bruno leaving state Senate, adult bookstore owner says roundabout is plot to get him, new food at The Track, Travers chases Big Brown

Joe Bruno has announced he's not running for re-election. His decision is being described as "unexpected and stunning." In a statement, Bruno said it was "time to move on." It looks like Assemblyman Roy McDonald, who represents an area around Wilton, is the leading Republican choice for Bruno's seat (Brian Premo, a Democrat, is already in the race). Capital Region leaders are already mourning the loss of all the pork Bruno sent in this direction. [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics] [Daily Politics] [AOA] [TU]

The Albany County Board of Elections is cutting the number of polling places from 72 to 49. An elections commissioner says the consolidation will reduce the cost of new federally-mandated voting machines. Critics say the reduction will make it harder for elderly and people without cars to vote. [TU]

The owner of the Dewitt Clinton (the building just across from the capitol at State and Eagle) is continuing its push to evict tenants so that it can redevelop the building into a hotel. One of the tenants is the State Room, a banquet hall, which has been getting calls from worried couples who have made wedding plans there. [TU]

The owner of an adult bookstore in Schenectady says the plan for roundabout on Erie Boulevard is just an attempt to get rid of his store. His building would have to be demolished in order to contstruct the traffic circle. [Daily Gazette]

Five Saratoga restaurants will be selling food at The Track this summer: Hattie's, Brindisi's, Grey Gelding, Panza's, and 1 Caroline Street/Mouzon House. [Saratogian]

NYRA is trying to convince the owners of Big Brown, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, to run in the Travers. [Daily Gazette]

Big rigs roll at capitol, gun buyback to expand, stop that bat, Schenectady decides downtown is electrifying

More than 100 big rigs made a loop around the capitol as part of a protest against high taxes, tolls and diesel prices yesterday. And this being Albany, the event featured its fair share of political name calling and finger pointing. And Joe Bruno drove a big rig. [TU] [Saratogian]

The church running the Albany gun buyback says it's collected 17 guns. And now it looks like Albany County DA's office will start a similar program. [CapNews9] (Earlier on AOA: The Albany gun buyback: buyer's remorse?)

The state Department of Health is urging people to capture any bats that may have come in contact with people or pets. There's a nationwide shortage of human rabies vaccines and public health officials want to make sure it's only used for people who have come in contact with a rabid animal. [Daily Gazette]

The CEO of NYRA says the racing association will be profitable by 2010. It lost $34.4 million last year. And its franchise agreement with the state still isn't finalized. [Saratogian]

Troy has approved an installment plan for Rensselaer to pay off the rest of its $2.1 million water debt. [TU]

Schenectady leaders have decided to call the city's downtown entertainment and arts district around State and Jay ElectriCity. [Business Review]

There won't be a bobblehead giveaway this year at The Track. [Saratogian]

One more about Russert's time in Albany

tim russertFrom a Washington Post story about his memorial service yesterday:

Russert's onetime boss, former New York governor Mario Cuomo, offered the day's only example of Russert blatantly lying. After Cuomo pushed through the nation's first seat-belt law in 1985, the two men were in a Buffalo motorcade when their car was struck from behind and Cuomo -- having forgotten to buckle up -- hit the dashboard. As reporters rushed over, Russert blurted out: "Thank God for the seat belt!"

Earlier on AOA:
+ Tim Russert and Albany

photo: Flickr user hyku, used under a CC license

Tim Russert and Albany

tim russert

RIP.

His from-out-of-nowhere death has a lot of people recalling memories of him. Quite a few of those memories are from Albany, which played a big role in his early career.

(there's more)

Gun buy back program, New Yorkers support tax cap, Schenectady cops say they're well trained but fat, how to improve Spa Park, pluck while you wait

A church in Albany is offering to ""buy back" guns from people in the community in exchange for a $150 mall gift certificate. The program was prompted by the "community gun" that allegedly was used to fire the shot that killed Kathina Thomas. [TU]

A Siena poll reports that 74 percent of New Yorkers support a 4 percent annual cap on school property taxes. David Paterson has said he supports the idea, but the other Two Men in the Room don't appear to be on board. [AP/Troy Record]

All complaints about the APD will now go to the Citizens' Police Review Board -- whether the person filing the complaint wants it to or not. The department has been accused of holding back complaints by persuading people to withold their grievances from the board. [TU]

A Schenectady city councilwoman has blasted the SPD's plan to use $41,000 to hire a wellness coach to help officers lose weight. Denise Brucker says the money should be used for training, for which it was originally budgeted. The police seem to think that's not necessary, though. "I think our department is one of the most well-trained," an assistant chief told the Gazette. [Daily Gazette]

Among the more popular ideas to come up at a public meeting about how to improve Spa State Park: a fenced-in dog park, and an extended season for the Victoria and Peerless pools. [Daily Gazette]

Wilton is the hot spot for new home construction in the Capital Region. [TU]

An archaelogical survey has started at the site of the proposed Albany Convention Center. The overall plan is still on hold because it needs an additional $190 million from the state. [Daily Gazette]

A Guyanese immigrant is hoping to open a live butcher shop in Schenectady by the end of the summer. When open, the shop would allow you to walk in, pick your chicken (as it still clucks), and have it butchered immediately. [Daily Gazette]

Soares wants to hunt for guns, New Yorkers say state is on wrong track, St. Clare's officially gone, last Hall of Fame game.

Albany County DA David Soares wants the landlords of vacant buildings to give law enforcement the OK to search their properties for stashed guns. Soares' plan was prompted by the claim that the stray bullet that killed Kathina Thomas came from a "community gun." The alleged shooter, a 15-year-old, was indicted Friday. He could get 15 years to life. [TU] [TU]

A New York Times poll reports that 60 percent of respondents think New York State is on the wrong track. Even so, people seemed to have a generally favorably view of David Paterson (if they have an opinion on him... a third didn't). And Barack Obama is heavily favored against John McCain. [NYT]

National Grid says it's finished its investigation into what caused the explosions that sent manhole covers shooting into the air in Troy. But the final report won't be ready until July. [TU]

St. Clare's Hospital has been officially merged into Ellis Hospital. Its new name: Ellis Hospital McClellan Campus. [Daily Gazette]

Based on the quadrupling of calls to the state smokers' quit line, it seems that New York's now highest-in-the-nation cigarette taxes are prompting people to think about quitting. [AP]

It appears that more people are looking to carpool in the Capital Region. CDTA says it's working on a new web site that will make it easier to find people headed your way. [Saratogian]

Today is the last Hall of Fame game involving major leaguers in Cooperstown. MLB says the travel involved in getting two teams to the middle of upstate New York during the season is too much trouble. [TU]

Brian Premo: Joe Bruno is like the guy who sunk the Titanic

New York State Capitol

This has been Joe's house for a long time.

Joe Bruno actually has a challenger this year for his state Senate seat. His name is Brian Premo. He's a defense attorney from Lansingburgh with a wife and four boys. And he's been endorsed by the Saratoga and Rensselaer County Democratic committees.

But Joe Bruno has been in the Senate for 32 years, he's been majority leader for 14 of those years. He's the most powerful Republican in New York State. Heck, seemingly half the buildings and parks in Rensselaer County are named after him. So why would a person do this to themselves?

AOA called Premo to ask: "What are you thinking?"

(there's more)

Teen says he used community gun, big drug bust, Sweeney under investigation, Albany addicted to garbage money, black bear sighting

In a statement to police, the teenager accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas said he did use a gun that "everyone in the neigbhorood uses" the night Thomas died. Police haven't found the weapon. Why Jermayne Timmons fired the shot isn't clear, though there are suspicions it might have had something to do with some kind of gang issue. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Law enforcement officials announced that they've busted another big drug operation that had been moving cocaine and pot from downstate. The total haul in seized drugs is worth an estimated $1.7 million. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Federal investigators are looking into whether John Sweeney was funneling campaign cash into his personal accounts by paying it to his then wife for her work as a "fundraising consultant." There's also some question about whether Gayle Sweeney's job at a lobbying firm was connected to the former Congressman steering money toward the firm's clients, a list that included Siena College and the Shaker Museum. [TU]

The City of Albany's dump has filled up faster than expected because the city was taking in as much garbage as it could in order to generate cash, according to a former commissioner. The dump in its current configuation will fill up by the end of next year. [TU]

A four-story building with 17 residential units is planned for the spot across from the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga. [Saratogian]

A black bear was sighted on the campus of Holy Names yesterday in Albany. [TU]

Bobble, bobble, bobble

When people from out of town ask us what the Capital Region's like, we sometimes have a little trouble. "Oh, you know, it's... well... the state's a big presence... and... umm... the summers are usually nice... " and so we continue mumbling. It's not that there aren't interesting things to mention. We just have a little trouble capturing the essence of the place in a sentence.

A quote in today's Daily Gazette might have given us just the line to use when people ask the next time. In a story about a ValleyCats promotion that involves bobbleheads of Jerry Jennings, Harry Tutunjian and Brian Stratton, the minor league baseball team's general manager noted how well a Joe Bruno bobblehead (insert your own joke here) night did two years ago. "Politicans do better than athletes around here," Rick Murphy told the Gazette.

And after we read that quote, we thought, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Secret gambling clubs that may not be so secret, no challenge from Clyne, guy robbed for bag of clothes, Woodlawn Preserve not actually off-limits, extreme road rage

We're shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in this town! Gambling? No, no, no, it's just a Roman Empire history club. [TU] [TU]

Former Albany County DA Paul Clyne says he won't be challenging current DA David Soares this time around. The race between between the two got pretty nasty four years ago when Soares beat Clyne -- his former boss -- in the Democratic primary, and there had been speculation Clyne was looking to make a comeback. [TU]

Jimmy Tedisco is one of five state lawmakers who have sued David Paterson over his directive to state agencies that they recognize same sex-marriages from other states. The suit is being back by an organization from Arizona that works to oppose same sex-marriages around the country. [NYT]

A guy got robbed -- and shot in the chest -- this week near Lincoln Park in Albany for the bag of clothes he was carrying and $200. [Daily Gazette]

St. Clare's Hospital will stop taking on many types of cases next week as it prepares to merge with Ellis and Bellevue. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady's Woodlawn Preserve nature area has been closed to the public for the last six years. Or, at least, that's what everyone thought. It turns out that those "No Trespassing" signs probably should have said something else. [Daily Gazette]

After being cut off in traffic, who hasn't yelled a pointed phrase or gestured emphatically at the offending driver. Nothing wrong with that. But pointing an assault rifle at your fellow commuters on I-90 is probably over the line. [CBS6]

Kathina Thomas reward increases, Schenectady cops have a lot of arresting to do, Paterson supports tax cap, Bruno gets a challenger, testy judge rebuked

The reward for information on the shooter in the Kathina Thomas case is now $17,000. The APD says it's made the case a top priority, but there's nothing to report so far. [TU]

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, whom should the Schenectady police arrest today? It turns out they have a lot of options -- about 1000, in fact. That's how many unexecuted arrest warrants -- 200 of them for felonies -- have piled up with the SPD. Part of the problem: your email program has better sorting functions than the department's warrants database. [Daily Gazette]

David Paterson says he'll push for the four percent school property tax cap proposed this week by a state commission. [Daily Gazette]

Brian Premo has officially announced that he will challenge Joe Bruno for his state Senate seat. Premo, running as a Democrat, says the state has to stop being run by "three men in a room." The Bruno people had talking points at the ready, calling Premo "inexperienced" and a "flip-flopper." [Troy Record] [TU]

Joseph Sullivan has announced he's running for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). Sullivan will be running as a Democrat -- he ran for Albany mayor as a Republican two years ago. (AOA's Local Congressional Race Scorecard) [Daily Gazette]

The new public safety building proposed for Saratoga Springs could cost as much as $11.7 million. [Saratogian]

You know how judges on TV shows are always scolding people and holding them in contempt of court? Apparently that doesn't go over so well in real life. [TU]

And so it begins

Glenn_4_Darius.jpg

Knock-knock.

OK, knock knock. Who's there? Campaign petitioners for one of the 11 yes,(count them, 11) candidates for the 21st district seat.

The first one showed up at AOA's downtown headquarters today. Armed with petitions, campaign lit and a positive attitude, they're heading for your doorstep in search of signatures to get their candidates on the ballot for the primary. Look for them through the first week in July. Have your questions ready. And don't say we didn't warn you.

Albany is hell?

photo illustration of the ESP with flames

You know what else is hell? Bad photoshopping.

In a New York Mag piece about Hillary Clinton, John Heileman takes up the supposed rumor that Hillary might consider running for governor of New York if Barack Obama ends up in the White House (emphasis added):

One rumor going around New York is that she'll run for governor -- an eventuality only marginally more likely than my pursuing that office. HRC cares not a whit about state government. She loves Washington, thinks of it as home, and of Albany as hell (smart gal!). Consider further that becoming governor would require taking on the incumbent, David Paterson, who has indicated no intention to be a temporary fill-in. Hillary challenging another African-American in a Democratic primary? Fat chance.

Well, hell seems a bit strong. But, come to think of it, the state budget process has always kind of struck us as resembling purgatory...

flames in photo illustration: Flickr user Crystl, used under a CC license

Reward for identity of West Hill shooter, teen saves baby, a challenger for Amedore, homecoming queen election intrigue

An Albany church is offering $1000 to anyone who can identifiy the person who shot and killed 10-year-old Kathina Thomas in West Hill Thursday night. Police think Thomas was hit by a stray bullet. [Daily Gazette]

An 18-year-old was shot twice in the head near Schenectady's Central Park Saturday. The teenager, who was visiting from Maryland, is Schenectady's third homicide this year and the seventh for the Capital Region. [Daily Gazette]

An Albany teenager saved a baby from being run over by a bus Friday afternoon. Tyler Purvis-Mitchell, who's 14, spotted the five-day-old baby after it had fallen out of its carriage while being loaded onto the bus. [TU]

Police say a guy robbed a bank at Stuyvesant Plaza the Town Center Plaza in Guilderland (the plaza at Johnston Rd across from the mall), was then chased through Colonie and Menands, and then nabbed in the parking lot of the VA hospital on Holland Ave. in Albany. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady city councilman and Democrat Mark Blanchfield announced he'll challenge Republican George Amedore for the 105th Assembly District seat (that's Paul Tonko's old seat). Amedore was elected in a special election last year after Tonko left to head up NYSERDA. [Daily Gazette]

RPI will knock down 13 buildings in the neighborhood surrounding EMPAC. [TU]

Benita Johnson won her third consecutive Freihofer's Run for Women Saturday -- and then found out her dad had just died. [TU]

Was an openly gay student elected homecoming queen at Hudson High? Students say yes, the administration says no. [TU]

A fifth-grader in Saratoga has raised $650 to buy mosquito nets for people in Africa. She decided to raise the money -- she's aiming for $1000 -- after seeing a segment about malaria on an "Idol Gives Back" episode of "American Idol." [Saratogian]

10-year-old shot and killed, Skidmore students busted for drugs, Bruno is running again, money for hybrid buses

A 10-year-old girl was killed last night in Albany by what looks like a stray bullet. A ward leader from the neighbhorhood (the area around Bleecker Stadium) says she hears about shots being fired "every night." [TU]

Police busted a Saratoga Springs drug operation that they say included eight current or former Skidmore students. The college has a bit of a rep as stoner school -- it was 14th in the Princeton Review's "Reefer Madness" rankings and the Saratoga DA says his office had been receiving phone calls from parents concerned about drugs on campus. [Daily Gazette]

It sounds like state Republicans are preparing for a fight with David Paterson over his directive that state agencies recognize same-sex marriages from other states. [NYT]

All but official: Joe Bruno is running for re-election. When asked about it directly, though, Bruno responded with his usual charm. Brian Premo, a Democrat who's been saying he would run against Bruno, is apparently now ready to officially announce next week. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

If you had been waiting for the coveted Ron Paul endorsement before picking your guy in the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's current seat) Republican nomination, wait no longer. The Ron Paul Revolution has gotten behind Steven Vazquez. [TU]

Bethlehem police arrested a man yesterday on charges that he attempted to pay two teenage girls for the chance to smell their feet. [CBS6]

CDTA scored $2 million from the feds to put toward buying diesel-electric hybrid buses. [Business Review]

Rensselaer Iron Works coming down, Paterson up for another surgery, McNulty says he's replaceable, Central Ave reconstruction to begin, elm trees coming back

The Rennselaer Iron Works building in south Troy is being demolished after a massive fire there over the weekend. Fire officials say it was arson. [Troy Record] [TU]

After have surgery to relieve pressure in his left eye early last week, David Paterson had the same procedure performed on his other eye Friday. And it looks like he'll be in more surgery later this summer. (Earlier on AOA: what happens if something happens to David Paterson.) [NYT]

Mike McNulty says he's just an average guy who made into Congress because he worked hard. The soon-to-be-former Congressman, who describes himself as replaceable, says he'll be looking for a job outside of Washington come next year. Presumably his slate will continue to include announcing Green Island Little League games. [TU]

Albany city attorneys are urging the common council to hold up plans to borrow almost $7 million dollars to expand the city dump (which will soon be full). The attorneys say the city should wait until the state finishes its environmental review of the plan. [TU]

The high price of oil -- and thus asphalt -- is leading to fewer road construction projects around the region this summer. [Daily Gazette]

Not being held back: the big Central Avenue reconstruction. It's scheduled to begin this week. [TU]

Another 84 units are being added to the Paddocks of Saratoga luxury apartment complex. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady is looking to plant elm trees again now that disease-resistant strains are available. All of the city's elm trees were wiped out 70 years agao by Dutch elm disease. [Daily Gazette]

Congressional race drama for Albany Dems, Troy mayor says Rensselaer's all wet, something's rotten in Clifton Park, the neighborhood where you gotta pick up your own pizza

The race for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) has Albany County Democrats divided. The party committee endorsed Phil Steck last night, but only after about half of the members walked out of the meeting. The walk-outs, most of them from the City of Albany, didn't want to endorse anyone ahead of the primary. There are eight Democrats running for the nomination. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The mayor of Rensselaer is offering to settle the city's water deb with Troy by sending a check $1.59 million and $150,000 each year for the next seven years. Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian says Rensselaer owes a lot more than that and called the neighboring city "deadbeats." [TU]

It seems that a composting facility in Clifton Park really stinks -- in more ways than the obvious (though the obvious seems pretty bad). [TU]

Sections of Spa State Park will be allowed to grow wild in an effort to reduce costs and "improve sustainability." A member of a park advocacy group called the plan "ridiculous," though a park naturalist contends the wild areas will be pretty. [Saratogian] [TU]

The Mont Pleasant neighborhood in Schenectady is apparently the Bermuda Triangle of pizza deliveries. Many pizzerias have stopped delivering there after multiple robberies and weirdness. Just this week a delivery guy was robbed at taser-point (taser-prong?). [Fox23]

Thumbelina, the world's smallest horse, and her Thumbymobile visited the Children's Hospital at AMC yesterday. [Daily Gazette]

Paterson in hospital, Albany to expand dump, Tonko officially in, knockoff handbags busted, TU cuts staff

David Paterson was taken to the hospital this morning with a severe migraine and is reportedly now doing fine. It's also his birthday -- he's 54. [Capitol Confidential] [Newsday]

The Albany Common Council has approved a plan to borrow almost $7 million to expand the city's Rapp Rd. landfill. The facility as currently configured will be full by next year. The city makes $13 million a year -- 10 percent of its budget -- taking trash from other municipalities. [TU]

Paul Tonko says he's now officially in the race for the 21st Congressional District. He will formally announce today. Tonko becomes the 10th person to jump in the pool, which includes eight Democrats and two Republicans.[CapNews9]

Stop the count, we may a winner for Creep of the Year and it's only May. Police have accused a Latham man of drugging an eleven-year-old girl, taking explicit picutres of her and then sending the pictures to other people. And get this: this same guy has been fighting lymphoma -- and people in the community have been raising money to help pay for his treatment. [TU]

Wait, keep the contest open: in something like an outtake from the Jerry Springer show, two adult women -- a mother and an aunt -- in Mechanicville have been accused of egging on their teenage daughter/niece in a fight against another teenager. The whole scene was apparently caught on video and posted on the web. [Daily Gazette]

State police have nabbed a Troy couple for trying to sell $50,000-worth of counterfeit handbags and jewelry, including knockoffs of Louis Vitton, Kate Spade, Burberry and Prada. The bust also snagged a trio of "Pocketbook Party" planners. [Daily Gazette]

The TU is looking to cut 30 people from its staff. It will try a round off buyouts first, but enough people don't bite it might have to resort to layoffs. [TU] [Business Review]

Local congressional candidates talk and point, suggestions for downtown Saratoga, big expectations for AMD plant, who needs trays?

The eight Democratic candidates running for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) showed they could wait their turn Wednesday night. It seems they can also point fingers. [TU] [CBS6]

A group that represents businesses along Broadway has suggested a bunch of improvements for downtown Saratoga. Among them: more trees, more parking, public bathrooms, heated sidewalk, and pocket parks. [TU]

Expectations for the proposed AMD chip fab plant in Malta are becoming, let's say, exuberant. The latest claim: the project could spur the area's population to grow by 400,000 over the next 10-15 years. [Saratogian]

The Troy fire deparment has called off its overtime boycott of RPI's commencement after the school agreed to talk about the department's concerns. [TU]

Two brothers are opening a Vespa dealership in Schenectady. (Yes, someone did that in Saratoga awhile back. No, it didn't make it.) [Daily Gazette]

Among the local measures taken in the struggle against rising food costs: "Trayless Tuesday" at the RPI dining halls. That doesn't seem to have worked out very well.

Tonko's in, state lawyer accused of getting paid without working, Troy-Sanctuary dispute continues, tulip forecast looking good

Paul Tonko said Thursday that he is running for the 21st Congressional District (Mike McNulty's seat), though he hasn't officially declared, yet. The longtime state legislator has a lot of support within the Democratic party and immediately jumps toward the head of the race's pack of candidates. [Daily Gazette]

The state inspector general says a lawyer with the Department of Correctional Services has been getting paid for time he wasn't actually working. According to the report, some of the charged time was spent at a country club. [TU]

The squabble between the City of Troy and the Sanctuary for Indpendent Media over code enforcement has prompted the New York Civil Liberties Union to file the preliminary paperwork needed for a suit against the city. The arts space claims the city temporarily shut it down for public gatherings because it exhibited Wafaa Bilal's "Virtual Jihadi." Troy mayor Harrty Tutunjian said Thursday, "The city of Troy has nothing to apologize for." [Troy Record]

A barn collapsed yesterday at the Track. Six people suffered injuries, the worst of which was a broken arm. No horses were in the barn when it fell down. [Daily Gazette]

Next weekend's tulip forecast: plentiful. [TU]

A guy who stole more than $4500 last year from Mrs. London's plead guilty yesterday. He was nabbed after repeatedly calling police -- anonymously -- to ask if there was an arrest warrant out for his name. [Saratogian]

Mike McNulty's free ride

mercury mariner

This is the 2008 model, but you get the idea.

Apparently one of the perks of being a member of Congress is that you have the option of having tax payers pay the tab on a car for you. In a NYT look at what New York's Congressional delegation is driving, we find out that Mike McNulty rocks a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybird SUV, which he (or, really, we) leases for $816 a month.

McNulty's the only member of the Empire State delegation to use the perk on a hybrid. He says it gets a little better than 25 mpg, and according to the Times that makes McNulty's ride the most fuel-efficient among New York's Congresspeople. Not that he's one of those hybrid snobs, though. "I'm not going to judge another member's decision ... Mine was utility," McNulty told NYT.

So now we're wondering what kind of car the people aiming to replace McNulty will pick.

photo: Mercury

New research center for Troy, vendettas in Schenectady, McNulty's regret, make that McDonald's a double

The state is putting up $10 million to help build a Hudson River research station in Troy. The project is part of a larger effort to monitor, model and forecast changes in the river. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady's public safety commissioner says "personal vendettas" are behind the recent surge in gun violence there. He also said that recent reinforcements from the state police seem to be helping to calm the situation. [Daily Gazette] [CBS6]

Mike McNulty said yesterday that his vote in favor of authorizing the war in Iraq is one of his biggest regrets from his 20 years in Congress. He added that continuing the US's current policy in Iraq is "morally indefensible." [Daily Gazette]

People in Waterford are upset about a plan to have the town continue to draw its drinking water from the Hudson during the early stages of the dredging project. The town's supervisor says if the EPA doesn't listen, residents may have to "shut down" the agency's office in Hudson Falls for a few days. [TU]

Parents in Albany waited overnight in a park so they could be assured of getting a spot in the district's foreign language immersion program. [TU]

The Saratoga Springs planning board has told the owner of the McDonald's on South Broadway that the restaurant's new building should look more like a Big Mac than a regular cheeseburger. [TU]

Local Congressional race starts to focus, Troy has a concrete plan, rabid fisher prompts fear phobia, documenting Fountain Day

The Albany County Democratic Party has picked three front-runners in the race for the 21st Congressional District (Mike McNulty's seat): Tracey Brooks, Phil Steck and Paul Tonko. And what about Tonko, is he in or out? Well, he quit his job at NYSERDA on Friday, so it looks like he'll probably be jumping in. [TU] [TU]

Speaking of Congresspeople... Kirsten Gillibrand is nearing her due date and says she'll be back at work "as soon as I am physically able." Gillibrand will be just the sixth House member to give birth while in office. [TU]

Famous medical examiner Michael Baden will conduct a second autopsy of Joshua Szostak's body, which was found floating in the Hudson near Coxsackie. The original autopsy conducted at St. Peter's ruled that Szostak's death was an accident. [TU]

Troy is looking at repaving roads with concrete because of the rising cost of asphalt, which is made from oil. [Saratogian]

A Glenville woman says she can barely bring herself to pet a dog (because of the fur) after being attacked by a rabid fisher last year in her garage. [TU]

UAlbany held its annual Fountain Day yesterday and local media outlets made sure they were there to document the wet, half-naked college students. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [CapNews9] [Fox23] [Troy Record] [CBS6]

Reinforcements for Schenectady police, local reps sticking with Hillary, better security for Hannaford, sort-of expensive air fare

Reinforcements from the state police are being called in to help Schenectady get a handle on gun violence. Shots have been fired there almost every day for a month. One official says "a handful of people in this city are out of control." [Daily Gazette]

Congressional reps -- and presidential super delegates -- Mike McNulty and Kirsten Gillibrand say they're sticking with Hillary Clinton. [Daily Gazette]

Hannaford says it's spent millions of dollars to upgrade the security of its credit card processing system after last month's breach. The supermarket is now encrypting credit numbers from the moment cards are swiped at registers. [Boston Globe]

The average fare out of the Albany International Airport was $330.83 last year, that's up almost three percent from the year before. Albany's average fare ranks as the 34th most-expensive in the nation. [Business Review]

The leaseholders of the long-promised pizza place on Broadway in Saratoga have been evicted. Apparently they had stopped paying both their rent and their contractor. [Daily Gazette]

A greyhound that had been missing for a month was found and returned to its family. "Prince" had lost more than half his body weight during his time away from home. [TU]


State cuts back on hiring, post carrier catches baby, big deal for small things, new paint job for "fagbug"

David Paterson has told state agencies to stop hiring for all but essential positions. The governor says if agencies don't meet cost-saving targets, he will institute a freeze on all hiring. [TU]

A postal carrier caught a baby falling from from a second-story window in Albany yesterday morning. As you might expect, the carrier says it's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to her on the job -- she's never even been bitten by a dog. [TU] [Troy Record]

Gary Mittelman has dropped out of the race for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). The former Plug Power CEO says he has no interest in "horse-trading" his way into office. He'll spend his money setting up a foundation, instead. (AOA's Congressional Race Scorecard) [Business Review]

UAlbany's NanoCollege will be working with the feds to develop measurement standards for really, really small things. [TU]

Erin Davies unveiled her newly repainted "fagbug." The VW-funded paint job is a rainbow that wraps around the Beetle. Davies' documentary about her national tour against intolerance will debut in June. [Saratogian]

Wildfires, convention center cost questions, yet another Congressional candidate, are you ashamed of Eliot Spitzer?

State helicopters were used to dump water on a brush fire that burned almost 50 acres in western Albany County yesterday. Rennselaer County has also been dealing with grass fires and it's banned outdoor fires until next week. [TU]

Now that the price tag for the Albany Convention Center has doubled, the state has hired consultants to re-assess whether the project makes economic sense. [TU]

Yet another candidate has entered the race for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). Craig Burridge, the head of the Pharmacist Society of the State of New York, makes it eight Democrats and two Republicans. (AOA's Congressional Race Scorecard) [Daily Gazette]

A Quinnipiac poll reports that 59 percent of New Yorkers are "ashamed" that Eliot Spitzer was their governor. Almost 70 percent say David Paterson was right to spill about his past affairs and drug use -- and even more say the media should stop asking him about it. [QPoll]

The Albany Airport is getting a Honda Jet dealership (yep, that's Honda like the cars). It's expected to open in 2010 when the small jets are expected to be approved by the FAA. [TU]

Candidates use own cash, Troy City Hall still standing, traffic circle skepticism, no more hot dogs in Congress Park

Many of the local Congressional candidates are spending their own money to run for office. Republican Sandy Treadwell, who's running for the chance to take on Kirsten Gillibrand, has put up almost a million bucks of his own money. [TU]

This just in: Troy's City Hall probably won't fall down. As for its parking garage, well, we'll see. [Troy Record]

The developer looking to build on Broadway near Quackenbush Square in Albany has changed plans. The proposal now includes a 12-story apartment building, seven-story hotel and a four-story retail/office building. [TU]

It sounds like people are still skeptical about the plan to build a roundabout west of downtown Saratoga (map). [Daily Gazette]

The hot dog vendor has been bumped from Saratoga's Congress Park. And that means no knishes, either. [Saratogian]

Parts of Schenectady's Central Park will be no-smoking this summer. [Fox23]

The Great Escape has added an attraction called Wiggles World. (Yes, those Wiggles.) [Saratogian]

Rachael Ray, senior director for recipe policy

rachael_ray_big_smileSo, it looks like a bunch of "family" recipes posted on John McCain's campaign web site were actually ripped off -- verbatim -- from the Food Network. The campaign is now blaming an intern (maybe the kid confused Cindy McCain and Sandra Lee, they do kind of look alike). A McCain aide explained further:

"Apparently a web intern of ours appointed an unknowing Rachel Ray to be our Senior Director for recipe policy ... The intern was dealt with swiftly and the site has been taken down for revision. Our humble apologies to Food Network."

We're wondering if "senior director for recipe policy" is a cabinet level position. And if it's not, maybe it should be. We've heard the situation room could use better snacks.

photo: CBS / King World

Dopp kicked

eliot spitzerNY Mag has a story this week about how Eliot Spitzer let Darren Dopp, one of his former top aides, get thrown under the bus -- and then watch as the bus stopped, backed up, and ran over Dopp a few more times. Among the juicy details:

+ After agreeing to take the fall for "Troopergate" -- the plan to "get" Joe Bruno by leaking records of his state aircraft use -- Dopp learned about his suspension not from Spitzer or adminstration officials, but from blogs.

+ When Dopp told Spitzer that Bruno would be "torqued" if the records of his aircraft use were released, Spitzered reportedly told Dopp to "Shove it up [Bruno's] ass with a red-hot poker."

+ During his investigation of Troopergate, Albany County DA David Soares reportedly told Dopp that he'd met murderers with more honor than some of the people on Spitzer's staff.

+ Spitzer, who apparently is famously anti-therapy, is now seeing a therapist.

photo: ny.gov

Kindergarten lessons for legislators

New York State capitol building

It's actually a very large playground.

After watching our esteemed state legislature squabble and whine itself toward another year's budget, we couldn't help thinking that perhaps our leaders had forgotten some fundamental life lessons. You know, nothing especially profound -- just the kind of stuff that any five-year-old would know.

So, here are a few kindergarten lessons that legislators and other elected officials might want to review before their next ride on the budget merry-go-round:

(there's more)

Budget looking like its done, ethics commission not following rules, mobile police station, surfing in Waterford

It looks like the state budget will be wrapped up today. The last hang-up was a measure pushed by NYSUT that prevents teachers from being denied tenure because of their students' performance on standardized tests. The final version also includes $53 million for the planned AMD chip fab project in Malta. Money for a new UAlbany football stadium didn't make the cut. [AP/Newsday] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The state commission set up to reform ethics in the legislature is -- surprise -- not doing what it's supposed to. [TU]

A plan to shut down the New York City OTB this summer would hit Saratoga County and the city of Saratoga Springs, which both share in money from the betting operation. [Saratogian]

South Broadway in Saratoga is getting a face lift, which officials hope will smooth the transition from the park into downtown. [Saratogian]

The Albany Police Department unveiled its new mobile police station in Arbor Hill. Local reaction seems to be something along the lines of: "Oh, great... you've parked a trailer here." [CapNews9]

The Doane Stewart School has a deal to buy the Van Rensselaer school building (the one right off I-90) in Rensselaer and hopes to move in a year. [Troy Record]

Apparently you can surf in Waterford. Sort of. [TU]

A Shenendehowa 9th-grader is mathmaticious and now everyone knows it. [Fox23]

Name calling over the state budget, APD's super-secret chase policy, developers plan for Harriman campus, Bibleman on his way

The state budget is still not done. Senate Democrats temporarily boycotted the proceedings yesterday, claiming the Republican majority wasn't allowing them to see the budget bills before votes. Joe Bruno called the Democrats "childish" and "very Spitzer like." But with NYC congestion pricing now dead in the Assembly, it looks like things might start moving forward again on the last handful of budget bills. [AP/Newsday] [NYT] [NYDN]

The Albany Police Department says that it has to keep criminals -- and the public -- in the dark about its high-speed chase policy. [TU]

A trio of development teams are in the running to build at the Harriman state office campus. One of the teams includes a major national homebuilder, suggesting its plan will include residential space. [TU]

Chip-maker AMD says it will cut 10 percent of its workforce this year because of lower sales forecasts. So what? AMD is the company looking to build the chip fab plant in Malta. [San Jose Mercury News]

Bibleman is coming to the Capital Region and he's bringing his breastplate of righteousness. [TU]

Bringing home the federal bacon

a closeup of a pig

Piggie!

According to the 2008 Congressional Pig Book, here are the "pork" totals for local members of Congress:

Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-20th): $23.8 million (#182 in the House)

Rep. Mike McNulty (D-21st): $17.2 million (#250 in the House)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D): $298.3 million (#12 in the Senate)

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D): $296.2 million (#13 in the Senate)

Overall, New York ranks 50th in federal pork per capita.

photo: Flickr user Laurel Fan, used under a CC license

State budget still stuck, extreme fighting in NY?, potato gun cop, Saratoga seating lottery

The state budget is still not finished and it looks like today's legislative action (or lack thereof) will center around congestion pricing for New York City. [TU]

Extreme fighting -- or mixed martial arts -- has been banned in New York since 1997, but now there's a push at the capitol to repeal the ban. Said one legislator to the NY Post, "Initially, I thought it was gross. But I've learned that they are regulating themselves, so perhaps it's not as barbaric as it had been." Among the new safety regulations: no groin kicks. [NYP]

A Glenville cop has been charged with using a potato gun to shoot out a streetlight at department headquarters. He's also accused of setting a box of road flares on fire in the parking lot. [TU]

NYRA is opening applications today for the Saratoga seating lottery. [Daily Gazette]

A few of UAlbany's graduate programs ranked in the top 10 of their respective categories in U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings. [Business Review]

Inside the sausage factory

Putting sausage into packages at Bilinski's

Workers arranging chicken sausage into packages at the Bilinski's factory.

You know that old joke about how there are two things you don't want to see made: laws and sausage? Well, it seems that even if we wanted to see how the state budget bills are coming together, we wouldn't be able to. Watchdogs say this year's budgetpalooza is the most secretive in years and a thowback to "three men in a room."

OK, fine. If we can't see how the budget comes together, we decided to find out how sausage is made. And lucky for us, the folks at Bilinski's were nice enough to give us a tour of their sausage factory in Cohoes.

(there's more)

Call for Albany PD investigation, state budget still stuck, annoying football players, Troy farmer's market moving

Six members of the Albany Common Council have called on the state to investigate the Albany Police Department. The group says a string of incidents involving the department require investigation from outside. [TU]

The state budget is still not done, still not open. But it seems legislators are keeping themselves busy with other bills. [CapNews9] [NYT]

An official at the state Department of Health has billed the agency for more than $3000 in cab rides that she never actually took, according to the state's Inspector General Office. Apparently the official been driving herself to the train station and then filing an expense report for a taxi. [TU]

Chuck Schumer and Mike McNulty have seemingly gotten the Secretary of the Army on board with their plan to build a tech park at the Watervliet Arsenal. [Troy Record]

The state is after the former owner of the Big House for $44,000 in unpaid sales tax. The mix-up apparently involved confusion over what counts as a rooftop garden. [Business Review]

Law or no law, neighbors say the Union football team makes an annoying neighbor. A wide receiver attributes the sentiment to jealosy. Also noted: beer pong is a violation of Union's code of conduct. [Daily Gazette]

The Troy Farmer's Market will be moving its summer location because of a hotel construction project. Where? That's still TBD. [TU]

Budget will be late, cigarette taxes probably going up, crashing the Palace, big ethanol plant planned for port

Today was the deadline for the state budget, but it looks like it won't be ready until Thursday (maybe). In the meantime, an interim $332 million budget extension will carry the state until then. [TU]

Whenever the new budget is ready, there's a good chance it will include a provision that will double the state tax on cigarettes to three dollars a pack. An average pack of cigarettes would then cost about seven dollars in New York. That state could raise as much as $325 million from the tax increase. [AP/Newsday] [TU]

A car crashed through the front doors of the Palace Theater yesterday. [TU]

The question is not who is running for the 21st Congressional seat (McNulty's current spot), but who is not. The latest to jump in: John Aretakis. The attorney made his name suing the Catholic Church over clergy abuse accusations. There are now nine people who have declared they're in this race, including seven Democrats. [Daily Gazette] [AOA Congressional Who's In, Who's Out Scorecard]

A plan to build a big ethanol plant at the Port of Albany is in the works. The port's commission voted to approve the lease for the plant and the developer is trying to raise $240 million to make it happen. [Daily Gazette]

New York's top judge, Judith Kaye, made another appeal Monday for a pay raise for state judges. They haven't had a pay raise in 10 years. [Business Review]

Governor Hillary?

Hillary Clinton

Can you imagine her sparring with Joe Bruno over the budget?

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter reports that there's some talk within the Democrat Party that Hillary Clinton could drop out of the presidential race to become... Governor of New York:

In the event that Paterson had to resign, the New York State Constitution calls for a gubernatorial election this November. Clinton would be the favorite in that contest if she were interested. Were a politically wounded Paterson to serve out Spitzer's term, which ends in 2010, Clinton would no doubt be a strong potential candidate to succeed him.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Governor Hillary?

(there's more)

Spitzer "not truthful", the Penguin busted, return of the bottle bill, no styrofoam for Schenectady?, Albany's trees showing age

In a report released late on Friday, Albany DA David Soares reported that Eliot Spitzer basically lied about not being directly involved in the effort to stick to it to Joe Bruno over the state senator's use of state aircraft. Spitzer's "not truthful" statements won't lead to charges, though. [NYT]

Cops busted a local gambling ring that reportedly processed more than $50 million in bets during the last year and a half. The ring seems to have been run out of a club behind the Latham 76 diner. The arrested included guys with nicknames such as Waldo, Penguin and Bindy. [TU]

Talk of the "bigger, better bottle bill" is back after it was included in the budget proposals of both the governor and Assembly. Not on board with the plan to extend the 5 cent deposit to non-carbonated beverages and return unclaimed deposits to the state: Joe Bruno. Environmentalists say Bruno has been swayed by many, many nickels thrown his way by the bottle industry. [TU]

A Schenectady city councilwoman is talking about banning stryofoam cups in the city. If the ban comes about, Dunkin' Donuts would have to find new cups. [Daily Gazette]

It seems that Malta's request that town residents be first in line for jobs at the planned AMD chip plant was met with a "Ha, good one. No, really?" from the company. [Business Review]

According to a state DEC report, many of the city of Albany's maple trees will probably have to come down during the next few years because of old age. You can buy a new tree for in front of your house for about $60 -- if you get your request (pdf) in today.

The local women who connected via Craigslist for a kidney donation seem to be doing OK. The donated kidney is holding up "wonderfully" and the donor is still drinking Cosmos. [TU]

A rough plan for the state budget, unemployment rate up, APD to publish crime map, Lebrun into semi-retirement

Governor Paterson and legislative leaders announced that they have a rough outline for a state budget. The plan would increase state spending about 4.5 percent to about $124 billion and restores about $500 million in cuts that Paterson had recently proposed. It does not include the new tax on million dollar incomes that Sheldon Silver has been pushing. The completed budget is due April 1. [NYT]

Officials in Saratoga Springs are happy about the state budget plan because it looks like it will preserve the city's cut of VLT money, which makes up about 10 percent of the city's budget. Spitzer's plan would have taken much of that money away. [Saratogian]

Paterson says he doesn't think the state budget can include pay raises for legislators. But no worry, they can always just use campaign cash for seemingly whatever they choose. Falling under "whatever": Bills tickets, dinner at Jack's, a trip to Ireland. [AP/TU]

Kirsten Gillibrand made appearances through the area yesterday to talk about infrastructure, taxes and alternative energy. Not talked about: her pregnancy, though a constituent thinks the Congresswoman is going to have a boy. [TU]

The Capital Region's unemployment rate hit 5.1 percent (up from 4.4 a year ago), which was actually higher than that of the statewide rate (5 percent). That hasn't happened in a long time. [TU]

A state appeals court ruled that the town of Ballston was within its rights to change its zoning rules in order to keep a new Wal-Mart from being built. [Daily Gazette]

The Albany PD unveiled a system that will plot recent crimes on an online map. The system will also include the ability for the department to take tips via... email. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Roundabout fever is spreading! The latest to catch it? Scotia. [Daily Gazette]

Fred Lebrun is heading into semi-retirement. [TU]

Thousands of new cards because of Hannaford, Paterson says no more, libraries are popular places, dog story a fish story, Mangia closing

Local banks say they're in the process of replacing tens of thousands of debit and credit cards because of the Hannaford security breach. [Daily Gazette] (AOA item from yesterday about this)

David Paterson bristled yesterday when reporters continued to ask him about his private life. "I think that more than any elected official on this planet, and probably in outer space, I have discussed my personal situation over the last week," Paterson said. [AP/Troy Record]

Yet another Democrat has tossed his hat into the ring for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). This time it's Arthur Welser, a real estate broker from Latham. There are now eight candidates for that seat, six Democrats and two Republicans. [Daily Gazette] (AOA's Local Congressional Race Scorecard)

Local libraries report that circulation numbers are up and librarians attribute the higher volume to people seeking cheaper entertainment as the economy slows. [TU]

That story about the dog left in the trash seems like it might be garbage. But the dog is still actually up for adoption and people are lining up for her. [TU]

The leader of the Northway Church says attendance keeps rising and it might already be outgrowing its newly opened third location. The minister, Buddy Cremeans, is described as having "awesome administrative abilities and a clear plan for growth." [Daily Gazette] (AOA item about the church's direct mail)

The Mangia in Clifton Park has closed and its parent company is planning to close the Stuyvesant Plaza location, too. The company says it will knock down the Stuyvesant building in order to build a new restaurant based on a different theme. An executive attributes the Stuyvesant location's failure partly to the opening of the Cheesecake Factory. [Business Review]

Albany after dark

nys_capital_from_ESP

So a lot has been said about the goings-on at our state capitol in the last two weeks, and we too have been moved to ask the question posed by John Hancock in the film "1776" "What in hell goes on in New York!" But former Daily News gossip columnist and New York Magazine contributor Lloyd Grove may have gone a little too far. On CNN's, "Reliable Sources" this week, Grove referred to an Albany culture of, "sexual libertinism in which not only lobbyists and legislators and interns, but also reporters participate." Then he added, " What else are you going to do in Albany late at night?" Hey Lloyd, we have movie theaters you know! So here it is, AOA's five things to do at night in Albany instead of running around like it's upstate's answer to Sodom and Gomorrah.

(there's more)

Appeal for Albany mosque members, more about Paterson's past, lawsuit over Great Escape illness, house prices up, a big bag of cash

The lawyers for Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain argued in federal appeals court yesterday that their clients were convicted with "prejudicial evidence." They're also pushing to have a secret court order from the case made public. They allege that order will show that the NSA illegally spied on the two members of an Albany mosque. [TU] [NYT]

David Paterson past-filter: he may have used state funds on a trip to South Carolina with his former lady friend to work for Hillary Clinton. And he says he used cocaine and marijuana decades ago. Oh, and he's apparently a fan of the 74 State hotel. [TU] [Newsday]

The body pulled from the Hudson near Troy over the weekend was apparently weighed down by concrete blocks and a lawn mower. [Troy Record]

The Great Escape reported illness count is up to 388. The norovirus has been confirmed as the culrpit. And now four of the people who got sick have filed suit. Their lawyer says the suit is "about keeping kids safe." [Saratogian]

The median sale price for homes in many parts of the Capital Region rose compared to the same period last year. But the number of houses sold was down. [TU]

A state supreme court has ruled that a bag with hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash does in fact belong to the owner of the house in which it was found. Despite all the money involved, the five-year case seems to have left a lot of people poorer. [TU]

The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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