It is about adding value, isn’t it?

I’ll come back to that in a moment. The D&C continues coverage of Cheryl Dinolfo and her office posting Social Security numbers on the internet for all to see.

Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo acknowledged Wednesday that the Social Security numbers of untold numbers of Monroe County residents can be found on her office’s Web site…

[snip]

Dinolfo said her staff members have spent weeks searching some 15 million pages of such public documents for the numbers and redacting them. But she could not say when the process would be completed or how many pages contain Social Security numbers.

Aides said the search began in mid-July when the clerk’s office launched an updated version of its Web site and implemented new software to facilitate the redacting of sensitive information.

First off, look at the time frame. Cheryl Dinolfo started the search in Mid July. Look at a calendar. Mid July was 3 weeks ago when her office started searching through 15 million pages of documents.

Second - we can’t predict when the process will be completed? It is a simple math problem. Can’t we do math - the County Clerk who collects our fees?

Take the number of documents that can be processed by People or an automated s/w routine in a single work day. Divide the total number of documents (15 million pages) by the number of documents that can processed in a single day and you have the length of time required to clean up this mess.

But there is more now, Cheryl Dinolfo accuses her opponent of playing politics and practices blame shifting

Dinolfo accused Hasman of playing politics, but at the same time took pains in interviews with reporters to chronicle her own efforts to crack down on identity theft.

And this is rich -

She noted that signs have been posted in the clerk’s office since February 2006 reminding people that Social Security numbers on deeds, mortgages and court judgments should be deleted. If filers decline, she said, their refusal is documented.

Which goes back to adding value.

What is wrong with a county employee visibly scanning the documents someone gives him, noticing the social security number, telling the customer and offering to legally blot it out (marker, tape or some other means) when the document is scanned in?

Or, how about having the forethought to purchase scanning s/w that when correctly programmed, automatically blots out the section where the social security numbers are contained?

But that would require forethought and knowledge of how to protect your privacy.

Are you ready to give up your privacy? Do you expect your government employees to add value?

They have to want to first and that requires forethought and vision. Something apparently missing in our County Clerk’s office.

Randy Kuhl, as quoted in today’s Messenger-Post:

“My opponent (Massa) is saying, ‘save the oil for our children,’” Kuhl said. “There won’t be any children, there won’t be any United States if we don’t figure out our energy problems real quick.”

What? He really thinks we’re on the verge of extinction as a nation?

Rotten has more about the back-and-forth over energy.

Regardless of whether one favors drilling in ANWR or not, Kuhl’s pattern of absurd statements on the subject of energy does little for the Congressman’s credibility.

Off-shore drilling and ANWR drilling have become the darlings of the Republican candidate’s energy/economic platforms and now, some of the Democrats are buying into it. This is, somehow, going to solve our energy woes and decrease prices at the pump because everyone knows that, if it’s produced locally (North America) we pay less for it because it doesn’t have to be shipped across the seas. But, hold on here a minute…..

United Refinery, Warren, PA

Meet United Refinery, Warren, Pennsylvania. Two hours away from us, you can buy their product at Kwick Fill (I’ve always hated that cute “K” usage - Kwick Fill, Kozey Kitchen, Kitty Kat) but do you see a lower price r/t shipping cost (their crude oil comes from Canada), or local production? I don’t pretend to understand the economics involved here, but some of this seems like common sense-lower shipping costs= lower pump prices-why is there no cause and effect here? And, big surprise, their net income has increased by 16 million from the prior year.

Oil Gains Weight, Concerns Mount - Refiners are having difficulties: they need to increase output, but the way to do that is often by acquiring heavier crude oil, which requires more energy to refine and can lead to more pollution. The EPA and numerous environmental groups are concerned about the trend toward heavier crude, which refiners insist must be a part of the solution to meet expected demand increases for gasoline and other refined products.

From this excerpt, it would appear that we already have the capacity to acquire more local crude, therefore, new drilling in uncharted waters does not seem to make sense either. So, offshore and ANWR drilling are just more talking points for those candidates appealing to the uneducated masses.

And if we did increase drilling, is anyone so ignorant as to believe that the cost for this drilling would not be passed onto the consumer in higher petroleum prices and tax subsidies for big oil?

This isn’t about the need for new oil sources-this is about greed.

Yikes! Anyone, who, like me, has done business with the county (like bought a house or registered a business for example), should be really nervous right about now:

Hundreds of social security numbers found on County Clerk’s website

Hundreds of social security numbers were found on the County Clerk’s website there for anyone to see.

News 10NBC found the social security numbers on documents filed in the Clerk’s office from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. It appears as if the problem exists in the years 2000 through 2003.

This is huge, and bad. Talk about risk of identity theft. Oh, and this would be funny if it weren’t so serious:

The clerk, Cheryl Dinolfo, has taken steps to remove the social security numbers, but the state kept her hands tied for years.

So in other words, she can be all big and brave and stand up to the state while she’s grandstanding against Spitzer’s licensing plan (which was DOA anyway), but when it comes to securing our social security numbers? In that case, the state has “kept her hands tied”.

It seems to me like Dinolfo’s more focused in protecting her political career than us Monroe Countians.

UPDATE: Dinolfo has still not taken the site down. Height of irresponsibility. Oh, and there’s no state requirement to post this data online, anyway. Wayne County, for example, doesn’t post this information. So she’s either ill-informed on the laws, or she’s lying.

UPDATE 2: Tom Hasman, Dem challenger for the Clerk’s office (and information security expert, incidentally), has publicly asked Dinolfo to take the data down:

Hasman is expected to call on his oppononent, Republican incumbent Cheryl Dinolfo, to remove the public documents from the Web site.

I don’t know why it takes someone else to explain to her that that should’ve been the very first thing she should’ve done. Although, taking it down would be an admission of her guilt in this, so given the reluctance of GOP leadership to admit mistakes, from Bush on down, she might just be showing her true colors.

I’m not not sure how many of our readers can get radio stations from Buffalo, but since I can generally get Buffalo AM stations when I’m in western Monroe County, I’m guessing some can, so I’m passing on this info (from TAP):

Just saw that Jon Powers will be taking questions on Scott Leffler’s radio show on WLVL from 11:15-11:45 today next Tuesday.This one should be interesting…

Here’s the text of the announcement:

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Just booked: Jon Powers
NY-26 Congressional Candidate Jon Powers will be in studio at WLVL on Tuesday from 11:15 until 11:45 a.m., taking questions from yours truly … and calls from listeners.

Freedom’s Watch, a pro-war Republican 527 501(c)(4) group co-founded by George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, is up on the air with ads in NY-29 and elsewhere (via the Politicker):

Freedom’s Watch, the conservative advocacy organization heavily funded by Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson, is hitting the airwaves with a television and radio ad buy targeting Democratic House candidates across the country.

It is Freedom Watch’s single largest advertising purchase since the organization aired ads earlier this year in a Mississippi special election, according to a source familiar with the buy. The size of the buy is in the mid-six figures.

[....]

Radio ads, meanwhile are targeting 7th Congressional District candidate Mark Schauer, Ohio 15th Congressional District candidate Mary Jo Kilroy, Idaho 1st Congressional District Candidate Walt Minnick, Missouri 6th Congressional District candidate Kay Barnes, New York 29th Congressional District candidate Eric Massa, New Mexico 1st Congressional District candidate Martin Heinrich, Ohio 16th Congressional District candidate John Boccieri, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), U.S. Rep. Chris Carney (D-Penn.) and U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.).”

“Mid six figures” ain’t a lot of scratch when it’s divided ten ways. But this bears watching.

Let me start by saying I believe taxes are an investment in the future. They fund infrastructure, they pay into accounts (like Social Security), and can be a huge lever that everyone helps with to do things we just can’t do on our own.

That said, I have a problem with the county GOP proclaiming they “held the line on taxes”, etc., while meanwhile raising taxes fees at the DMV. It’s just plain sneaky, and the hypocrisy really bugs me. Tom Hasman, Dem running for Monroe County Clerk, made this interesting observation at a recent press conference, about the DMV fee hike that was one of the key parts of the now discredited (and apparently, illegal) FAIR plan:

This fee will cost Monroe county taxpayers $3.5 million a year. I know that the legislature and the county executive are scrambling to figure out how to solve our county’s budget problems in the wake of the failed FAIR plan. By now, we have all heard that the County lost its court battle and will have to repay the $29 million wrongfully taken from the schools. The vehicle fee that was passed without discussion as part of the FAIR plan now appears hidden on the vehicle registration renewal as a “2 Year Use Tax.” The $29 million owed to the schools must come from somewhere and my fear is that the Clerk’s office will once again be used to help the county with their financial problems.

That the county GOP is using sneaky, creative accounting to balance their books (sort of), is annoying enough. That the current county clerk was a willing participant in it is really disappointing.

Since they can’t pass their financial mismanagement off to the schools, I guess they’re going to rely on us. But the Maggie Brooks household will still be making big bucks, and don’t forget about the county cars!

You may recall the story the Buffalo News broke a few weeks ago on Jack Davis’s attempts to buy his way onto the Independence Party line. The Jon Powers campaign has a video up slamming Davis for this and the Buffalo News has picked up on this as well:

“Consulting” fees paid to the wives of the most influential Independence Party leaders in Western New York are becoming an issue in the primary contest for the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence.

Jonathan P. Powers, one of three candidates seeking the party’s nod, released a new online video Friday questioning the contention by Jack Davis, one of his opponents, that he is not “trying to buy a congressional seat.” After showing the wealthy industrialist making that denial during his candidacy announcement April 15, an announcer asks, “Really?”

“The party leader who uncovered the scandal said: ‘It’s all about what we call the bribe money from Jack Davis,’ ” the video says. “Davis’ reaction? His campaign manager said they were payments and that they would continue.”

John Gerken, Powers’ campaign manager, also asked how Davis could claim he is not buying the election when he is “paying off officials.”

“This district has had enough of the corruption that is polluting Washington,

Update: Here’s the Powers video I referred to.

During the past twenty months, the Republican minority in the House of Representatives has shown time and time again how petty and childish they can be.

They did it again just yesterday when the Republican Minority Leader John Boehner offered a resolution to censure the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, New York Congressman Charlie Rangel, based on an article in the New York Times. It was such a sad attempt that over 60 Republicans either voted “present,” for the motion to kill the resolution, or didn’t show up to vote at all. The three Republicans from Monroe County- Walsh, Kuhl, and Reynolds- all voted against the motion to kill the resolution (in other words, they voted to censure Charlie Rangel).

Of course, the Republicans didn’t want to hold their own people accountable by censuring any of the dozens of congressional Republicans who are under investigation, indicted, or in the case of one Idaho senator, actually plead guilty to soliciting sex from an undercover officer. Instead, they tried to slime the reputation and end the political career of Congressman Rangel based on a newspaper article.

And while yesterday the Republican minority was intent on showing us how pitiful they are, today they were committed to telling us just how pathetically weak they have become. The House adjourned today for its usual summer recess, but Republicans decided to stick around for a few hours because they were upset that the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi didn’t hold a vote on releasing more land for Big Oil to drill on. Without getting into the debate of more drilling, here is what happened:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House, turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.

Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) called it a “new Boston Tea Party!”

Indeed, they are the new Floundering Fathers.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said he was “not leaving until we call this Congress back into session and vote for energy independence.”

He left at about five o’clock with everyone else. They barely made it six hours, let along five weeks. And as we all know, drilling does nothing to make us energy independent.

Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the dimly lit chamber is a “vision of the future by the Democrat Party: The lights are out, there’s no power, and the air conditioning is gonna go off soon.”

Hilarious. This coming from the same guy who lost three solidly Republican seats, including Speaker Hastert’s old district, in only the last few months. The National Republican Campaign Committee, for the first time in recent history, is far behind their Democratic counterparts in fund-raising. Tom Cole is such a horrible campaign chairman that it looks almost impossible for him to avoid the unprecedented this November: lose even more Republican districts after the “wave election” of 2006. In the truest sense of the word, Tom Cole is a loser.

The truth is, Republicans are still suffering withdrawal from their addiction to absolute power. They had better get used to it, because they are destined to be in the minority for a long time to come.

Check out this news report from WENY-TV.

Talking head, no voices of the people who actually endorsed Massa and finally an interview with Eric Massa.

Seems weird.

I should think that the station should have had some audio of the people actually endorsing Massa.

It is late and I’m actually away from my computer but I’ll have Audio of MG Batiste up tomorrow.

Rochesterturning had boots on the ground down in Corning at an event where Eric Massa earned additional endorsements of Major General General John Batiste (ret) and Sherman Moreland. We hope to have video up soon of the remarks.

In the meanwhile check out this quote from former Horseheads Republican Committee Chairman Sherman Moreland. Ouch

From a Massa Press release

“I want a man, like Eric Massa, who has the qualities to improve this country - he’s a man of unique dignity,” said former Horseheads Republican Committee Chairman and Korean era veteran, Sherman Moreland. “These are matters very close to my Republican heart. Randy Kuhl has failed to maintain the dignity of his predecessor, Amo Houghton.”

More later

The Albany Project has a good video interview with Jon Powers.

From The Albany Project:

When two time loser Jack Davis began making noise about a third run at the NY-26 seat, he made all sorts of promises to the local Democrats he was trying to woo. He told them that this time he really meant it. This time he was not only going to commit a substantial sum of his personal financial resources, but this time he was actually going to, ya know, get out and actually campaign. This was, of course, yet more BS. So far we have seen not much more than tons of truly awful direct mail, his ridiculous “gasroots” stunt where he literally bought gas for folks, his rich guy condescension towards his opponents and a truly awful faux country jingle that simply defies description though does lend itself to vicious mockery.

Now crazy Jack is at it again, throwing money at his race, only this time he’s crossed a line, a legal as well moral one, and one would hope he gets smacked for it. Instead of actually dragging himself out from his well appointed cave to actually engage voters, he’s bought himself a site that “spoofs” that of his primary opponent, a man who actually has been out in the district engaging voters and building a real people powered campaign, Jon Powers.

The Rothenberg Political Report is out with its latest race ratings for the US House of Representatives.

The run through of the competitive races in New York:

• 13th District (Staten Island): Moved from “Toss-up/Tilt Democratic” to “Democrat Favored”
• 20th District (around Saratoga Springs): Moved from “Lean Democratic” to “Democrat Favored”
• 25th District (eastern Monroe County): Moved from “Lean Democratic” to “Democrat Favored”
• 26th District (western Monroe County): Moved from “Pure Toss-up” to “Toss-up/Tilt Republican”
• 29th District (southern Monroe County): Stayed at “Toss-up/Tilt Republican”

The color lettering denotes which party currently controls which seats. All of the other congressional districts in New York are considered safe. Three of the competitive races moved towards the Democrats, one moved towards the Republicans, and one remained unchanged. There were no reasons given for the specific changes.

Hey D&C editorial staff and all you McCain apologists might want to take note of Frank Rich’s Op-ed in the New York Times.

There was this paragraph

The growing Obama clout derives not from national polls, where his lead is modest. Nor is it a gift from the press, which still gives free passes to its old bus mate John McCain. It was laughable to watch journalists stamp their feet last week to try to push Mr. Obama into saying he was “wrong” about the surge. More than five years and 4,100 American fatalities later, they’re still not demanding that Mr. McCain admit he was wrong when he assured us that our adventure in Iraq would be fast, produce little American “bloodletting” and “be paid for by the Iraqis.”

[snip]

This election remains about the present and the future, where Iraq’s $10 billion a month drain on American pocketbooks and military readiness is just one moving part in a matrix of national crises stretching from the gas pump to Pakistan.

The time line of events, Bush and McCain’s about faces on several issues in response to Obama - is priceless

Please read the entire editorial you won’t regret it.