Via CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska’s chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010.

[snip]

“People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” Palin said at an announcement from her home in Wasilla. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.”

OK - then why?

A Republican source close to her political team told CNN’s John King that it was a “calculation” she made that “it was time to move on.” The governor’s “book deal and other issues” were “causing a lot of friction” in her home state, the source said, adding that he believes she is “mapping out a path to 2012.”

Check these 10 reasons why.

So which rising GOP star should be her running mate?

The US Senate race seems to be taking shape on the Democratic side. Incumbent appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will face at least one major candidate in the primary campaign next summer in the form of Manhattan Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

Some recent news has come out of this race that is worth noting. The first is that Maloney has made the official obligatory press announcement of her intentions to run. From the Elmira Star-Gazette:

Rep. Carolyn Maloney of Manhattan said Wednesday that she will challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary next year.

“Congresswoman Maloney has made her decision,” said Paul Blank, director of Joe Trippi and Associates, who will serve as a senior adviser to her campaign.

She may be joined by other less notable candidates such as John Tasini, who ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2006 Democratic primary and lost. Also, Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper has formed an “exploratory committee.”

On top of all this, Bill Clinton plans to attend a fundraiser for the congresswoman later this month. The AP, in its usually biased and suggestive way, claimed that this is “a slap” at President Obama:

In a slap at President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for a New York congresswoman challenging White House-backed Sen. Kristen Gillibrand in the state’s Democratic primary.

Clinton has not endorsed in the race, but his efforts to help Rep. Carolyn Maloney could be seen as a snub to Gillibrand and the Obama White House.

After definitively saying that it was a slap, the reporter then goes on to write that it could just be a snub. The Associated Press makes only a passing refence to the fact that Bill Clinton also did a fundraiser for Kirsten Gillibrand — but they don’t point out that it took place just this past March after she had already been appointed to the Senate. Also, his attendance at this upcoming fundraiser for Maloney has been in the works for a long time, whereas her intention to run for the Senate was just officially announced yesterday. The AP report is at least good for one thing: concocting and disseminating an on-the-fly inside the beltway narrative that emphasizes certain elements of the story at the expense of other important facts.

Another ironic twist in the Albany Senate circus: Remember the reforms Democrats promised to enact, changing the rules under which the Senate operates? They didn’t get enacted, and now the Democrats are laying claim to the validity of “empty seat voting” as their argument for the validity of the Tuesday session… That’s the day on which they claimed a quorum when a Republican walked through the Senate chamber to get a beverage from the lounge.

From Liz Benjamin at the Daily News:

Democrats distributed a three-page memo compiled by one of their in-house attorneys, Greg Krakower, which argues that Padavan, who is insisting he did not intend to be marked present, could have challenged the quorum at any time once he realized what the other side was up to.

Among the “empty seat” rules Democrats are now embracing: Attendance is recorded by the clerk, not by a quorum roll call; unless Senators notify the clerk they are leaving, they are considered to be in attendance, even after they leave the chamber; under “fast roll call” rules, all Senators in attendance are presumed to vote “yes” on bills unless they are present to cast a negative vote… so those who leave the chamber but are considered present, are also presumed to be voting… empty seat voting.

Per WHEC:

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was in town today to draw attention to the new state law. It’s called the Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act and it makes it easier for citizens to eliminate some of the more than ten-thousand government entities that levy taxes.

Cuomo said, “This is the first time you’ve had a citizen initiative process on the local level, meaning if the citizens want to have a consolidation or dissolution or a merger plan, the citizens can put it on the ballot.”

Cuomo says about 5,000 signatures would be needed on a petition.

We’ve talked about consolidation of local governments and services before, both pro and con.  I have a new idea.  How about we dissolve Monroe County government, at least the senior management level, since they seem to be too busy running racketeering schemes like the Water Authority and ROBUTRAD to effectively govern the county.

Cuomo’s AG site has a bunch of interesting analysis as well as the text of the law itself here.

Did anyone catch this from the D&C article about Gates Supervisor Esposito having the ROBUTRAD crew working on his house?  I can’t believe I missed this:

Esposito, a former FBI agent, said he told investigators that he would be surprised if someone in the upper echelons of Monroe County government did not know what Morone was doing, if the allegations prove true. Esposito said he told investigators that there were only three possible scenarios: that county officials were too dumb to recognize the fraud; that someone in the upper ranks knew of the fraud but approved for political reasons; or that someone in the upper ranks knew but kept quiet because they were being paid.

Not surprisingly, he’s right– We now have proof that not only were people in the upper echelons of Monroe County government aware of Morone’s doings, they were deeply intertwined.  (More on that Monday.)

Maggie Brooks and her staff should probably call over to the GOP-controlled RGRTA headquarters and ask them to take all the buses off the road– Esposito’s looking for a big one to throw them under.

More video from the 6-25 HCAN rally in Washington D.C.  In this one, Senator Chuck Schumer,  our senior Senator from New York State, is shouted down in Washington at a Health Care rally  (note: I was jostled a few times, but but watch and listen).

I’ll explain after the video where Senator Schumer misses the mark or at least tries to have it both ways.

Got that?  Over the objections of an activist  shouting “we want single payer now” Senator Schumer delivers the standard pump up the audience speech and says:

We need to hold Congress’ feet to the fire.

It has been a long hard fight.

Past 100 years

Teddy Roosevelt

This is more than some guy disrupting a Senators speech - let’s look at what is missing from the Roosevelt reference.

What about Senator Schumer invoking Roosevelt?

OK - Teddy Roosevelt - a great New Yorker - pushed a national health plan way back in 1912.  A PROGRESSIVE Republican (as we all know, parties back then are not the same as the parties are now).  If you watched our 8 minute history lesson - you saw that it started with Roosevelt.  But what else was Teddy Roosevelt known for?  San Juan Hill, rough riders, conservation top the “off the top of my head list” but what else - wait for it - TRUST BUSTING.

See, our current system is based on insurance companies controlling the delivery of medicine/care by pulling the financial strings.  We have seen where they conspire and blacklist you or control rates or services.  IMHO - Insurance companies are modern day trusts -

Which is which brings me back to Senator Schumer and the rest who invoke Teddy Roosevelt.

They say we have been at it for a long time yet are willing to accept less than optimal plans.

There is all kinds of talk of co-ops, and triggers and the perceived unfairness of competition.   We have Senator Schumer watering down the undefined public option.  Discussion that a “public option” won’t be open to the public for 5 years.  Or, from the administration, if there is even a Public option at all.

There is talk of of a uniquely American solution that somehow omits the fact that Medicare is an existing uniquely American solution.  By pushing “medicare for all” plans off  of the table and out of the room they they cede control to these modern day trusts.

Ironic isn’t it - Trust buster Roosevelt used to sell reform that really isn’t reform at all.

W*W*TR*D - What Would Teddy Roosevelt Do?

If and when Republican Congressman John McHugh is confirmed by the US Senate to be Obama’s Secretary of the Army, there will be a hotly contested race to replace him as the federal representative for the Adirondacks and Northern New York. One name that is consistently mentioned as a possible candidate is moderate Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. Given her relatively liberal voting record, she is even being scouted by some to run as a Democrat.

But it appears that she is going full-speed-ahead with her candidacy as a Republican. She has hired a major fundraiser who helped Jim Tedisco raise well over a million dollars in the period of a few months.

Watertown Daily Times:

Ms. Scozzafava, a Republican state assemblywoman from Gouverneur, has told supporters she will be aggressively seeking her party’s nomination for the 23rd Congressional District seat if there is a special election. John M. McHugh, the current post holder, will resign if he’s confirmed as Army secretary this summer.

The district’s 11 Republican committee chairmen haven’t picked a candidate yet. But they know the race will take millions of dollars to win, so Mr. Decker’s role as fundraising chairman could make Ms. Scozzafava an even more attractive candidate.

If nominated, Scozzafava would be a formidable candidate. No major elected official have formally announced their candidacy due to the fact that McHugh is still in Congress, but there are many people waiting in the wings and the backroom discussions are already taking place.

The downward spiral continues. On Wednesday, Gannett announced further cutbacks. The local impact has not yet been announced.

Gannett Co. Inc. will eliminate some 1,400 more jobs in the next few weeks, several news services have reported.

Bob Dickey, head of the company’s newspaper division, informed staff of the layoffs in a letter Wednesday. Most of the layoffs will come before July 9, he said.

The move follows a 10 percent cut at Gannett last year.

After two quarters of furloughs and two rounds of layoffs, reduction of space devoted to local news and op-ed, plus the physical downsizing of its product, the effect on the paper and its readers is likely to become permanent. The newspaper chain can explain away its shrinkage and protest “I was in the pool!” However,  at a certain point, we fear it is true:  size matters.

As the State Senate enter the second month of stalemate and gridlock, the work that is being left undone by our elected officials is now starting to have a direct impact on the functionality of New York — or lack thereof. More than a dozen bills which authorize crucial local government operations such as setting a budget and raising taxes, have been left on the shelves for the time being.

New York Times:

New York City marshals can no longer enforce financial judgments. The City of Yonkers cannot send out property tax bills to homeowners. And in the Town of Deerpark, in Orange County, local officials cannot issue bonds that the town is counting on to balance its budget.

[snip]

A major concern of lawmakers - including the senators currently feuding - is the state’s Power for Jobs program, which provides rebates or low-cost power for businesses and nonprofit groups that promise to keep certain jobs in the state.

Currently, the program provides about $125 million in benefits, pegged to the retention of more than 300,000 jobs. But because that program expired on June 30, those businesses - roughly 550 - will lose rebates in the coming weeks and months, effectively increasing their power costs by thousands of dollars a month in the middle of the summer, at a time when many businesses are already struggling.

How much more harm needs to be done to New York before there is a resolution to this political crisis? It seems to me that if this group of senators cannot get the job done, then we should elect a new senate. Every member from every party should give up there seats and affectively dissolve the upper-house of the state legislature through a mass resignation. Then special elections may be held to decide whether the current senators deserve to be reelected. My guess is that many would lose their party’s primary, and many more would lose a general election.

From WXXI’s report today, Mayor Tom Reed of Corning announced his candidacy for New York’s 29th Congressional District Representative:

Reed, a Republican, made the announcement at a news conference in Pittsford Wednesday. Reed says his candidacy is not about party politics, but about what the people in the district are saying. He promises to focus on the immediate needs of the 29th congressional district.

Well, bless his little heart for thinking of us and our needs. So, how, exactly does Tom Reed define “party politics”?

City News (Moule) was at the announcement and had this to say

Speaking to the crowd, Reed said that he’s spent the last four months talking to people throughout the 29th District.

“Each time it is reconfirmed to me that our nation is on the wrong path,” he said.

Deficit spending is major concern, he said. He supports a philosophy of personal accountability and responsibility, “A philosophy where the government is not the guarantor of each individual’s success” but rather guarantees each person’s opportunity to succeed, he said.

WOW, Deficit spending is “bad”.  I wonder if that includes President Bush’s  off books deficit spending (not including Iraq, Afghanistan etc in the budget).  I’m sure there are quotes criticizing ex-Rep Kuhl for going along with those budgets.

Then there was ““A philosophy where the government is not the guarantor of each individual’s success” but rather guarantees each person’s opportunity to succeed”

What exactly does that mean? Really - what does it mean?  I’m thinking that it is GOP speak for as long as I got mine you get what is left over -

I’m also thinking that this is all about party politics.

Which is why the New York State Democratic Committee came out with a very strong statement one minute after Tom Reed made his announcement.  Via the Elmira Star Gazette:

As Reed prepared to make his announcement at 8:30 a.m., the New York State Democratic Committee sent this announcement to media outlets at 8:31 a.m.:

“Just weeks after raising taxes and fees on his constituents and days after the NRCC touted his fantasy candidacy, Corning Mayor Tom Reed now officially has his sights set on running for Congress. Reed formally announced his candidacy for Congress in New York’s 29th district this morning after being courted by Republicans in Washington who went as far to solicit funds for him as recently as last week, even though he had not declared his intention to run. Clearly his record on higher taxes generated much excitement and caught the attention of House Republicans who earlier this year uniformly rejected the largest tax cut in American history.

“Leave it to the NRCC to tout a candidate who’s best known for raising taxes and fees during his brief tenure as Mayor,” said New York State Democratic Chair June O’Neill. “The GOP needs to stop trying to sell their empty rhetoric on lower taxes because their record, just like Mayor Reed’s, tells an entirely different story.”

Wonder what else is lurking in the closet.

I caught up with Adrian Campbell at the the HCAN Health Care rally on 6-25-09.

Adrian was featured in the movie Sicko (that clip is below the fold).  She is a cancer survivor. She battled cancer twice. I suppose one always battles cancer - anyway once she had Insurance and once she did not - both times she was left financially ruined.

What does she want - Medicare for all - everybody in, nobody out.

I also found this clip from an interview last year with with Laura Flanders interesting as well.

Below the fold is her segment from Sicko

Read the rest of this entry »

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has officially annulled the county’s public works contract with ROBUTRAD, whose owner, Robert Marone, is being investigated for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. The deal is to expire on August 1st in exactly one month. She made the announcement with the Republican majority leader of the County Leg, Dan Quatro, standing next to her.

RNews:

Brooks and Republican county legislators also sponsored a bill so that no future county administration can enter into this kind of agreement without legislature support. Brooks said a future agreement of this kind would need bulletproof oversight. When asked why this was not provided this time around she said something fell through the cracks and hindsight is 20-20.

Brooks says, “If we were trying to hide anything we wouldn’t have had the sheriff’s office in to investigate. We asked for the investigation.”

And Democrats have been, as usual, kept out of the loop on this one:

Democratic legislators were not invited to this announcement. They say they did not know about ending the deal with ROBUTRAD. The Democrats have asked for the state comptroller’s office to come in and do the investigation. They question whether Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn should be part of it when the Republican is running for re-election.

I caught up to Laim at the 6-25-09 HCAN rally.  Have a listen. Especially after the 50 second mark.

She makes three points

1.  The lack of a profit motive in Germany means that no one is  rejected for being too sick for health care
2.  Obama needs to be pushed to the left.
3.  Medical Insurance doesn’t allow the patient to heal as they shuffle patient care based on money not medical need.

Point number three resonates with me .  I mean who do we want making medical decisions Doctors or MBAs?   Her friend is in Hospital and is shuttled around based on insurance funding rather than needed care.  So, she needs three weeks of therapy and is funded for only two weeks - her condition NEVER stabilizes because someone  is chasing the bottom line.

I mean who takes the Hippocratic Oath?  Insurance companies or Doctors?

Speaking of which via the Hippocratic Oath

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

PDA’s website tells us of a Rally, today, heading down to the federal building to deliver all those signatures from this past weekend’s efforts on HR676 to the Honorable Louise Slaughter.

Washington Square Park
181 South Clinton Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604

Health care activists will gather at Washington Square Park to demand that our federal representatives support Medicare For All. We will gather petition signatures and hear from speakers at Washington Square Park; then, at 4:00 PM, rally participants will march to the Federal Building to present the petition signatures to our federal representatives demanding that the “public option” in the pending health care reform legislation be nothing less than Medicare For All.

If Stlo7 can make his way to Washington, DC to support this, we can take time out of our busy lives to head down to the city of  Rochester.

Please join in.  Strength in numbers and all that.

Corning Mayor Tom Reed will run against Congressman Eric Massa in 2010.  Reed is expected to announce his candidacy today in Pittsford.

The D&C has a little more

Corning Mayor Tom Reed, a Republican, is expected to announce his candidacy today in Pittsford, 16 months before the 2010 election.

[snip]

Rochester businessman Arnold Rothschild said Reed will talk about his congressional plans today.

Rothschild’s Normal Communications put out a news release indicating Reed will appear in Pittsford, Corning and Olean today to talk about his plans.

Interesting choice of Normal Communications - as a PR focal point - best I can tell they are an outdoor marketing firm  - I don’t see political campaigns as one of their core business activities.

There is some good analysis/opinion over at the Fighting 29th with the puts and takes leading up to Reed’s announcement.