(Ladkiddo here - in light of recent events, this seems trivial, but the news must go on.)

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, don’t you know that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law?  It’s on all the cop shows.  I think it’s part of the Miranda Rights, right?  Anyway, it very likely will show up in court as the Robutrad investigation continues.

A County Court judge refused today to suppress statements that former Deputy County Executive James Smith made to investigators during the Robutrad Corp. investigation.

Smith is accused of six misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, stemming from what authorities allege was his failure to respond properly to accusations that Robutrad trades workers were possibly ripping off taxpayers.

Let’s hope that Smith’s statements direct this investigation to the top, before Maggie is seated in congress.

Remember when Ron Stack snapped and, after setting his house on fire with his wife and child inside, decided to fly a plane into an Austin Federal Building that housed IRS   offices?  I started writing a post about the mainstreaming of hatred and violence because I found some of the reactions downright frightening.  Not unexpectedly Stack is some kind of hero in extreme circles.  That is to be expected - because right up there with Tim McVey,  the Weather Underground, Puerto Rican nati0nalists, murder  for political causes should be extreme fringe positions at best.

But the problem comes in when folks not on the society’s fringe  start mainstreaming the event.  Like say newly minted Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown misses the point and says Gee Golly,  People don’t like paying taxes and this type of anger help get him elected.   Or Human Events editor Jed Babbin introduced Grover Norquist

“And let me just say, I’m really happy to see Grover today,” said Babbin. “He was getting a little testy in the past couple of weeks. And I was just really, really glad that it was not him identified as flying that airplane into the IRS building.”

Just a couple of examples of downplaying events and elevating them to “normal.” Which brings me to NYT columnist Frank Rich who writes

Such violent imagery and invective, once largely confined to blogs and talk radio, is now spreading among Republicans in public office or aspiring to it. Last year Michele Bachmann, the redoubtable Tea Party hero and Minnesota congresswoman, set the pace by announcing that she wanted “people in Minnesota armed and dangerous” to oppose Obama administration climate change initiatives. In Texas, the Tea Party favorite for governor, Debra Medina, is positioning herself to the right of the incumbent, Rick Perry — no mean feat given that Perry has suggested that Texas could secede from the union. A state sovereignty zealot, Medina reminded those at a rally that “the tree of freedom is occasionally watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.”

He makes the case that no good comes from this mainstreaming violent rhetoric - a good solid and scary read.

Click over and read the piece -

I think to no one’s surprise - Doug Hoffman is planning on running in the NY-23rd.  Recall he lost what was a three-way race to Democrat Bill Owens after Republican Dede Scozzafava dropped out.  Anyway, Hoffman is planning on running on the GOP line because as he said (via TPM)

“I’m the only candidate that can unite the Republican party, the conservative party, the tea party, the 9/12ers and the grassroots of the 23rd district,” he said.

I’m kinda thinking that one of the reasons he lost is he scared away some Republicans and for him to accomplish this the GOP needs to move further to the right.  Anyway watch the video.

What is interesting is that this conservative candidate says we should not cut Medicare and Social Security spending.  Listen to the question at the 1:45 mark and his comment.   The question is do you believe him?

Anyway here is the video

Ex-County Legislature President Zyra is enroute to get a job at the Monroe County Water Authority.  Gee,  as a member of the County Legislature he appointed (participated in the process) the Water Authority board members.

At its monthly meeting today, the board is expected to appoint Zyra as a management analyst whose primary duty would be to ensure the authority complies with sweeping new state oversight provisions for public authorities. The position pays $51,106 a year.

…

Authority Executive Director Edward Marianetti said Zyra had submitted his résumé to the authority “months ago,” and that the authority interviewed two people whose résumés were on file.

Anyone know the details of the job?

The duality of Republicanism in this country is just amazing.  It’s painfully present within our own county legislature.  Complain about the president’s stimulus plan as wasteful spending that is adding to our national debt at the same time complaining that we’re not getting enough of it.  It’s like the joke about the two little old ladies in the dining area of the nursing home, where they live. The first lady says, “Don’t you think the food here is terrible?” and the second lady says, “Yes, and such small portions!”

Counties received millions in Medicaid reimbursement funds through the federal stimulus package that was passed in February 2009, and they could be used for nearly any purpose.”Medicaid is such a burden on counties in New York state,” said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks.

“It’s certainly welcome news.”

In Monroe County, however, the anticipated Medicaid funds won’t close even half of a projected deficit in 2011, thus leaving open the possibility of the sale of county assets.

The county is in line for $17.6 million next year; the deficit is projected to be about $46 million.

“One-shots aren’t out of the picture with $17 million,” said county Finance Director Scott Adair.

The $66 million in stimulus funds that Monroe County received bridged deficits in 2009 and 2010, but the imbalance between expenses and revenues remains, and is projected at $109 million when gaps from 2011 and 2012 are combined.

“It’s almost impossible to reduce that gap without mandate relief and structural reform in Albany,” Brooks said.

So, our deficit is Albany’s fault?  One wonders how much of the budget gap could be bridged by reining in our COMIDA program and actually collecting tax revenue from the companies who build here?  Albany is trying to shore up it’s Empire Zone program.  Maybe Monroe County needs to take a lesson from that.

Just when you thought that it was safe to go back in the water…,

you may get hit with another teabag. A life long Resident of Buffalo and CEO of Ellicott Development, Carl Paladino, is thinking about answering that bugle call.  From Swing State Project:

• NY-Gov: I can’t see this being of any interest unless something goes seriously wrong and we somehow wind up with a David Paterson/Rick Lazio matchup and we need to shunt off some right-wing votes to get Paterson over the hump. But now there’s a teabagger-linked rich guy, Buffalo real estate developer Carl Paladino, saying that he’s considering a gubernatorial run, and that he “would go in as a pure independent.”

I had thought the Tea Party would have been long over by now.  Come-on, haven’t they burst your pretty balloon and taken the moon away, already?!

My only response to this is (and this is coming from a long time Paterson supporter.): Run, Andrew, run!

Last week President Obama continued to reach out for bipartisan support.  Now we discover that AL Sen Selby has put a hold on all of Obama’s nominees requiring Senate confirmation.  A blanket hold - because he wants earmarks for Alabama.

This is a blanket hold on all nominees - nominees that actually help run the government.

Via TPM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has put an extraordinary “blanket hold” on at least 70 nominations President Obama has sent to the Senate, according to multiple reports this evening. The hold means no nominations can move forward unless Senate Democrats can secure a 60-member cloture vote to break it, or until Shelby lifts the hold.

A blanket hold is unusual so let’s see if the Administration will fight for their nominees especially after the remarks the President said to the the GOP caucus.  Words to the effect, disagree on policy but you have to help govern too.

What do you think will happen?

Geez,  Where has the State GOP been and to what end will this committee serve? via the D&C

ALBANY — Senate Republicans announced this week the formation of a task force to look into ways to crack down on Medicaid fraud.

The Senate Republican Task Force on Medicaid Fraud will issue recommendations before the April 1 budget deadline.

“There is no excuse for tolerating any fraud in a program that is the fastest-growing and largest single component of state and county budgets,” Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said in a statement.

…

Gov. David Paterson’s 2010-11 budget proposal estimated the state could collect $1.17 billion, an increase of $300 million over estimates for the current fiscal year. But Skelos said he thinks there is more to recover.”We can do much better than recovering just $300 million more in fraud,” Skelos said. “New York’s Medicaid fraud recovery is far short of what it could be and still lags behind many other states.”

As I said before the Anti-fraud office increased auditors from 400 to 575 and their budget increased from $4.8 million to $100 million and the results were a recovered of $551 million dollars in 2008.  How exactly will a  GOP only commission help?  Oh, and budgeted to double collections from 2008?

Is Dean Skelos and his cohorts suddenly going to work part time for the medicaid fraud department?  Man the phones? Data mine?  Audit? investigate?  No they are going to do what they do best which is work hyperpartisan and attempt to make a political issue of this new committee.

How about investigating State Senate fraud?  Is this new committee getting per diem?  Are the Senators getting extra pay for being on a committee?  If they are how about using the per diem to fund additional investigators.

As democraticwedgie pointed out in the comments from my last post, the race in Massachusetts is way too close for comfort.  The opponant to Martha Coakley, Scott Brown is supported by the “Baggers”  and Townhall.com is all over it, soliciting donations for this race which they report has turned, “negative”.  Interesting what the “Dark Side” believes is negative.  Things like:

_Democrat Martha Coakley, who had been heavily favored, unleashed a TV ad attacking her GOP opponent, Scott Brown, as “in lockstep with Washington Republicans.”

Ooh, say not so!

And then there’s this ugly, negative tactic:

_The national committee charged with electing Senate Democrats rolled out an ad claiming Massachusetts voters know little about Brown and imploring them not to let him “take them for a ride.”

Ouch!  How can the Democrats of Massachusetts stoop so low?  Maybe they had better clean up their act and follow the lead of the Republicans.  Their campaign practices are so much kinder and gentler like, umm, I don’t know, how about swift boating John Kerry, or attacking Max (triple amputee) Cleland’s military record, or push polling against one of their own, John McCain?  Remember:

“Would you support John McCain if you knew that he had an illegitimate black child?”

So, in lieu of letting a conservative tea-bagger occupy the seat of the late Senator Kennedy, check out the opportunity to help Martha Coakley in our Turning Points column.  Get involved.  Make a difference.

Oh boy, a non-profit going bankrupt.  But wait, there is more.  The former ESL Centre, now Monroe County Sports Centre is going bankrupt and its largest share holder, who bought his stake really cheap, is looking to make out like a bandit.  Oh, I like the way there was a $10,000 campaign contribution in 2007 to a County Legislature Race.  I also like the way we will create another non-profit to replace the failed one.  We are talking about a non-profit, so I’m sure their tax contribution was low.

Via the D&C

Monroe County Sports Centre Corp., the county-created nonprofit corporation that oversees the financially troubled Sports Centre at MCC, is contemplating a “structured bankruptcy” to resolve mounting debt that tops $10 million, corporation and facility management officials have acknowledged.

In the process, the officials said, another nonprofit corporation would be created to replace the Sports Centre Corp., the majority of whose seven board members are appointed by county government.

The acknowledgment comes after corporation President Jack Driscoll suggested in November that the corporation would be able to avoid bankruptcy, even as auditors expressed “substantial doubt” about the corporation’s ability to continue operations. In two recent interviews, however, Driscoll said that bankruptcy was a possibility.

Yes that is the same Jack Driscoll who retired from the County Legislature.  So, The Centre is $10 million behind in payments which grows at almost a million per year and per the article defaulted “years ago.”  How long is “years?”   The thing was built in 1998 (12 years ago).

Here is the kicker,

Despite having an estimated 1.3 million patrons a year, the facility remains operational at the mercy of the majority bondholder, Empire Ice LLC, which bought its stake for less than half the original value of the bonds. The company also happens to have a $200,000-a-year contract to manage the facility for the corporation.

Empire Ice is owned by local developer David Christa, who built the 170,000-square-foot facility, and Illinois businessman Leon Lekai, who is chairman of a company that runs a series of popular youth hockey tournaments out of the Sports Centre and whose subsidiaries gave $10,000 to Driscoll’s campaign committee within a span of two weeks in 2007.

Questions remain -

It was unclear whether the new nonprofit would comprise the same board members as Sports Centre Corp. and what affiliation, if any, it would have with county government.

Because I’m sure they have done a spectacular job of avoiding bankruptcy

The corporation’s lawyer, Michael Townsend, did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Ah, Michael Townsend - of COMIDA fame, I believe something to do with Navitech.  I also think he was setting up a corporation to purchase tax liens from Monroe County.

Have at it in the comments.

The county executive reflects on 2009 in an interview with Leah George of YNN News.  This is called Review Part 1, so I anticipate, at least, a part 2.  In part 1, everything was rosy in Maggieland during intense 2009.  (my take):

• Robutrad is being handled.  We now have safeguards in place to assure us that nothing like this can ever happen again.  With our new fangled computers we can now keep track of inventory and hours.  Amazing! (Nagging voice in my head saying, “We weren’t keeping track before?  Maggie was once our county clerk.  Isn’t that what clerks do, count things and add things?”  Oh, and I think she implied that Robert Marone is ugly.)

• Former Deputy County Executive Jim Smith is Maggie’s dear friend and almost family and he only made an eensy-weensy mistake and besides, he’s not ugly, just a teeny-tiny bit bad. (see previous topic).
• Steve Minarick was a powerful personality  “he was a mentor to myself and almost every other elected official that is currently in office right now”  I’m intrigued by this statement of Maggie’s for several reasons, the most obvious being that is was Minarick’s diabolical scheming that helped to keep Republicans in power, not his mentoring skills.  The other reasons are grammatical - a mentor to myself?  Was himself a mentor to herself?  Who talks like this?  And then, of course, the “also, too-ness” of  “every other elected official that is currently in office right now”  Correct me if I’m wrong, but currently implies now.  Ugh, get this woman a grammar teacher.

• The R-word, Ren Square: People see this as a failure of the 2 county leaders to work together, but we really do like each other and work well together. One project should not be the barometer of the administration.  (I think of it more as a failed legacy)

• Maggie’s Great Success: The flat tax rate.  6 balanced budgets in a row.  It’s a miracle, a miracle, I tell you!  (So, why do my county taxes keep going up?)

So, there’s the first installment of the Maggie Brooks interview.  Not a word about Navitech and it’s LDC, but I’ll wait to pass judgment on that until I see the next part of the interview.

Waiting with bated breath…

This was easy to see coming down the pike.  Sarah has signed on with FOX News.  (What!? You mean CNN didn’t want her?)

Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, will return to her broadcast roots and take her conservative message to Fox News as a regular commentator, the cable channel announced Monday.

“I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News,” Palin said in a statement posted on the network’s Web site. “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news.”

Stlo7 suggested this would be her MO:

I can easily see her as taking audiences from the likes of Limbaugh and Beck.  In the end, the ability to spew words without any accountability serves them well and Ms Palin would be a fresh voice on that circuit.

Still, being a conservative media celebrity is easy.  All you have to do is reinforce the beliefs of your followers through cute, folksy soundbytes.  You get to live in a protected bubble away from accountability for your words and deeds.

Limbaugh and Beck had better watch their butts, but Katie Couric certainly doesn’t have anything to worry about.  I don’t think Palin will be getting any offers from CBS.

Update:  Well, looks like Ladkiddo and I stepped on each others post idea - s0 I’ll focus on another part of the article.

More from the D&C

Look at how open the LDC is.

LDCs are private, nonprofit corporations and can perform public functions in the shadows. County Executive Maggie Brooks, who championed the creation of MS3LDC, has ordered county-created LDCs to follow open meetings and public records laws, as well as state purchasing laws that apply to public authorities.

Got that?  Public functions in the shadows as opposed to governments who perfiorm public functions in the open.

Though the LDC meets in public, Navitech will be carrying out the work of the LDC, and as a private company, Navitech’s business dealings are not public. The county’s public safety director will maintain operational control of the new system, which county officials say is in need of an overhaul.

So again, I’m guessing we won’t be hearing a lot of disclosure on the ins and outs of Navitech.

And doesn’t that just instill confidence in the taxpayers of Monroe County?

You remember Navitech being rammed through the legislature with it’s typical party line vote and no input from the minority party?

The big push to get Navitech approved so quickly and with as few questions asked as possible was to meet a Dec 31st deadline to close on the bonds by the LDC.

Well, big surprise, that deadline was not met and Jill Terreri writes about it today in the D&C:

A local development corporation set up by Monroe County has not yet borrowed money, though a Dec. 31, 2009, deadline was the reason the county said it needed to rush the creation of the LDC through the legislature.

In promoting the creation of the LDC in August, the Brooks administration said Monroe Security and Safety Systems Local Development Corp., or M3SLDC, would be able to borrow at a lower interest rate through a federal stimulus program for small borrowers, but that the first of two bond deals had to be done by Dec. 31.

{snip}

Legislature Democrats, who voted against the deal, sent a letter to the LDC president, Charles H. Stuart, saying they were told by the administration that it was “critical” that the LDC be created in time for a bond closing on Dec. 31. Minority Leader Harry Bronson, D-Rochester, who wrote the letter, asks Stuart for answers by today.

I applaud Mr Bronson for attempting to get answers from Mr Stuart, but it is my understanding that the LDCs answer to no one.

Massa follows up his appearance on the Ed Show with a post at HuffPo.

Here is a teaser

Last night, I was invited to appear on MSNBC’s Ed Show to discuss, amongst other things, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s dishonest, unpatriotic, hypocritical and highly personal continuing attacks on President Obama. I also discussed South Carolina Republican Senator Jim DeMint’s record of putting his personal hatred of Labor Unions and his devotion to ideology above making sure we have all of the tools possible to protect the security of our Nation.

Frankly, I want to see more Democrats fight back - this would be a good place to start.

Bear in mind among all the back and forth that Sen Jim DeMint has personally prevented the TSA administrator from being appointed.  He doesn’t want TSA employees to become part of a union.

G-NO-P - Ideology over national interest