Assemblyman Will Barclay has it wrong on Empire Zones

The Empire Zone program is a good program where we the taxpayers, give our money to businesses around the State in the form of tax breaks which encourage the businesses to put on new hires and enhance their bottom line with the hope that the money paid in new salaries will spin off into the hands of everyone in the community.

The problem is that this is not what is happening. They are taking our money and not fulling the pledge they have made to us, the taxpayers. The Post Standard has exposed this scam in a number of great articles.

Assemblyman Will Barclay defends this type of corporate give away. In Oswego County there have been a number of businesses that will be dropped from the program. I ask the Assemblyman did they create new jobs and expand their business? The Post Standard clearly has exposed them as not...yes not creating jobs!!

If this is a governemnt policy that the Assemblymen supports we ask the taxpayers of Oswego County, who's side is he really on?

In our opinion

Today's Cartoon 5/30

Don't be fooled on health care; real reform is what's needed

Opinion
Saturday, May 30, 2009

By Robert Johnson

The alliance of stakeholders in the health-care industry said they will slow the rise of health-care costs by 1.5 percent per year over the next 10 years, saving $2 trillion.

That's the type of obfuscation one would expect from those desperately trying to maintain their bottom lines, at our expense. They say nothing of cutting costs. They are counting on their clever wording to disguise their mere offer to decrease the rate of increases.

At that rate, in 10 years we will be spending $2.5 trillion on health care, rather than the $1.5 trillion we spend now. Assume their estimate of a 6.2 percent rise in costs each year and do the math. It is a public-relations stunt to give cover to Congress not to interfere.

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Government double-dippers collect pensions while on the job

Margaret Orrange served 30 years as North Collins town clerk before retiring. Well, sort of retiring. She filed her retirement papers in December 2007, at 62, even though she had won re-election to another four-year term the month before.

So Orrange was in Town Hall for the January 2008 swearing-in ceremony, and back on the job the next day — never missing a day’s work although she began collecting a pension from a job she still holds today.

It’s a similar story in the town of Brant, where Joseph N. Giambrone, now 69, began collecting his government pension in 2005 after 23 years as highway superintendent — even though he continued in the job and still holds it today.

State law generally allows people elected to office to double dip— collecting a full state pension from a previous government job as well as a paycheck from a local government one.

Full Story

(Several Republican Oswego County Legislator's in the past few years have done what this article is highlighing.)

Today's Cartoon 5/30

John Cornyn Repudiates Gingrich And Limbaugh Comments About Sotomayor

One of the top Republicans in the Senate, John Cornyn, is repudiating recent comments by Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich which claimed that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a racist.

Cornyn, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told NPR's "All Things Considered":

"I think it's terrible... This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent."

Cornyn dismissed Limbaugh and Gingrich, adding: "Neither one of these men are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it's appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it's wrong."

In recent days, Limbaugh and Gingrich have made headlines and stirred up controversy, along with condemnation from the White House, with their comments.

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Senate Democrats pass bill to help revitalize the Upstate economy

The New York State Senate passed legislation yesterday that would help fund historic preservation projects through tax credits.

The legislation passed unanimously in the Senate and was sponsored by Sen. David Valesky. The Assembly version of the bill is being sponsored by Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.

"The Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit will provide real incentives to stimulate Main Street and downtown development that will create jobs, increase property values and provide a better quality of life for all Upstate New Yorkers," Sen. Valesky said. "This program has great potential to revitalize the Upstate economy and reduce the strain on urban, suburban and rural communities alike."

Post

Don't Hold Your Breath for That Paterson-Cuomo Primary

Politicians generally hate answering questions about internal party politics, so it would be easy to read Kirsten Gillibrand’s response to a questions about a prospective David Paterson-Andrew Cuomo gubernatorial primary next year as an artful dodge.

“I really think the politics will take care of themselves,” she said, adding that “because the budget is as difficult as it is, that all our delegation and our statewide leaders will be focused on solving those problems. I really do.”

Clearly, Gillibrand didn’t want to wade into the subject with much specificity, and who could blame her? Paterson is the man who single-handedly made her a U.S. senator earlier this year, while her old H.U.D. patron Cuomo is, as poll after poll continues to find, exceedingly likely to emerge from 2010 as the new governor—and the most powerful Democratic Party figure in the state.

But, even if it was intended as vacant non-speak, Gillibrand’s main point is actually spot-on: When it comes to the Paterson-Cuomo drama, the politics probably will take care of themselves, and it is very unlikely that there will be a primary in September 2010.

Not that there isn’t fierce jockeying and gamesmanship between both camps already underway. Cuomo obviously wants to be governor (and has for a long time) and knows that Paterson’s political standing has plummeted to almost unprecedented depths. At the same time, Paterson has made it clear that he wants to keep his job and is now scrambling to fortify himself against a Cuomo insurrection.

But the battle will almost certainly be settled before any votes are cast in the primary or at the state party convention, which will be held around this time next spring. Realistically, there are two paths to resolution, and one is far more likely than the other.

Under the most likely scenario, the same basic dynamics that prevail today will continue to dominate into next year. That would mean Paterson’s approval rating staying in the basement, with Cuomo’s lingering in the stratosphere.

This is the most likely outcome because Paterson has so thoroughly lost the confidence of voters. He in no longer starting from scratch, as he was when he assumed office a year ago and the public was ready to believe in him. He has blown that opportunity, and voters have emphatically given up on him. Winning them back, even if the coming months are more tranquil for Paterson, will be exceedingly difficult. And, given the magnitude of the problems facing the state and his demonstrated on-the-job clumsiness, things are unlikely to get much easier for Paterson.

Full Story

Today's Cartoon 5/29

Schumer seeks federal money to fix Oswego breakwater

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer pledged Wednesday to push for $4 million in federal money to fix Oswego Harbor's deteriorating breakwater.

Speaking at the Port of Oswego Authority terminal on the harbor's east side, Schumer said the repairs cannot be delayed.

The repairs are something that can't be put off, Schumer said. "All you'd need is one of those big storms," he said.

Full Story

Oswego County to scrap voting machines

ALBANY - Mechanical-lever voting machines will be locked away in 18 counties this fall, as the state moves forward with its latest plan to comply with a federal election-modernization law.

Instead, voters will take pencil to paper and mark up their ballots before feeding them into optical scanners. People with disabilities and other voters have the option of using ballot-marking machines before scanning in their choices.

All states were supposed to implement the Help America Vote Act by January 2006. New York, which was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for multiple delays, will be the last to comply.

The date for fully implementing the federal law has been pushed back several times. Last year was supposed to be the final time voters used decades-old lever machines, but problems with testing new machines and other factors led to changing the date to fall 2010. The state Board of Elections notified the Justice Department last year that it was at risk for missing the 2009 deadline.

Full Story

(Please note in the story Oswego County is left out, but Oswego County will be one of only a handful of counties in the pilot program that will fully implement the new voting systems...all 124 elections districts.)

State ... deregulated electric market failed

ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders agreed Wednesday to temporarily extend a key energy-subsidy program for businesses, but couldn't come up with a consensus on how to permanently reform it.

The state launched its Power for Jobs program through the state Power Authority in 1997. It was intended to be a three-year bridge to continue supplying relatively low-cost power to energy-intensive industries until the newly deregulated market drove down prices across the board.

Instead, prices went up, and the program has been extended in several stages to its current expiration date of June 30.

A problem has been that originally half of the electricity for the jobs program came from the Power Authority's Fitzpatrick nuclear plant in Oswego. But in 2000 the authority sold the plant, losing a large source of relatively cheap power. Contracts with the new owner, Entergy Nuclear Northeast, to provide low-cost power that were part of the original deal expired in 2005.

Full Story

Today's Cartoon 5/28

Sen Schumer at the Oswego Port this Morning to talk to new Democratic Majority of the Oswego Port Authority

Recently it's clear the new Democrat board members of the Oswego Port Authority are hard at work and making great progress. For years under Republican rule things stood still, in fact many would say regressed. Now the funding to improve shipping by Senator Schumer and his visit toady ... it's just one more example of how a proactive new Democratic board is making great progress in turning the Oswego Port around.

The impact of this new Democratic port board membership will be jobs! Under republican leadership Oswego County has had one of highest unemployment rates in New York State over the last two decades.

Looks like again Democrats are going to put people back to work.

Today's Cartoon 5/27

Former Senior Interrogator in Iraq Dissects Cheney's Lies and Distortions

As a senior interrogator in Iraq (and a former criminal investigator), there was a lesson I learned that served me well: there's more to be learned from what someone doesn't say than from what they do say. Let me dissect former Vice President Dick Cheney's speech on National Security using this model and my interrogation skills.

First, VP Cheney said, "This recruitment-tool theory has become something of a mantra lately... it excuses the violent and blames America for the evil that others do." He further stated, "It is much closer to the truth that terrorists hate this country precisely because of the values we profess and seek to live by, not by some alleged failure to do so." That is simply untrue. Anyone who served in Iraq, and veterans on both sides of the aisle have made this argument, knows that the foreign fighters did not come to Iraq en masse until after the revelations of torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. I heard this from captured foreign fighters day in and day out when I was supervising interrogations in Iraq. What the former vice president didn't say is the fact that the dislike of our policies in the Middle East were not enough to make thousands of Muslim men pick up arms against us before these revelations. Torture and abuse became Al Qaida's number one recruiting tool and cost us American lives.

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Today's Cartoon 5/26

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country.

Memorial Day is to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Memorial Day is Monday. Some believe it shouldn't be. While millions prepare to go to the beach or take a family picnic or just spend a day at the mall, veterans groups and others fret that the meaning of Memorial Day is lost amid the hubbub of a long weekend and the unofficial marker of summer. "Memorial Day is to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice," says Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "Its meaning goes way beyond the three-day weekend." He and others fear that Memorial Day has become nothing but a vacation weekend. But it didn't use to be.

Memorial Day began in 1865 in the mind of Henry Welles, a druggist in tiny Waterloo, N.Y., who wanted to honor the memory of those who died in the Civil War. He found an ally in a friend and customer, Union Army Brig. Gen. John Murray. A year later, they led Waterloo in the first annual observance of a day honoring fallen soldiers

. Flags were lowered to half-mast, and locals joined in a parade to three local cemeteries to pay their respects. Some argue that similar traditions had already seized grieving communities across the nation, especially in the war-torn South. Why the credit today goes to Waterloo is largely because of Maj. Gen. John Logan, a friend of Murray and the founder of an organization of Union veterans. In 1868, he designated May 30 as the day to honor dead comrades—largely by scattering flower petals at their grave sites—and ordered local communities to join in Waterloo's celebration. Known as Decoration Day, the idea reached even President Ulysses S. Grant, who presided over a ceremony that year at Arlington National Cemetery.

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Mancow Waterboarded (VIDEO): Conservative Radio Host Say It's Torture

Erich "Mancow" Muller, a Chicago-based conservative radio host, recently decided to silence critics of waterboarding once and for all. He would undergo the procedure himself, and then he would be able to confidently convince others that it is not, in fact, torture.

Or so he thought. Instead, Muller came out convinced.

"It is way worse than I thought it would be, and that's no joke," Mancow said. "It is such an odd feeling to have water poured down your nose with your head back... It was instantaneous... and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture."

WATCH VIDEO

Stimulus money puts New York construction crews back to work

Warners, NY -- Slate Hill Constructors Inc. laid off 40 seasonal construction workers last year, and the company spent the winter in intense competition for the summer's road and bridge projects. Like everyone, the company, based in Warners, lowered its prices. It expanded its range to the North Country and the Southern Tier. It found itself with new competition -- companies that usually worked only private projects.

By the end of April, company President Jeff Hanlon was weighing whether he would have to skip raises for the first time in 24 years.

No more.

Full Story

Today's Cartoon 5/23

Cuomo Basks in Bipartisan Praise for Consolidation Legislation

ALBANY—Flanked by a small army of elected officials at the Long Island Association in Melville, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo presented, as promised, a bill that would make it easier to consolidate local governments, and in the process, help keep property taxes down.

"We represent, historically, the people as consumers," Cuomo said of his office. "When I became attorney general, I added a new priority, which was government reform."

This bill, Cuomo explained, arises out of the need to represent citizens "as taxpayers against government." Suburban voters will no doubt be delighted.

His proposal would not mandate consolidation, but it would allow for the dissolution of a governing body—like a town, village, or special district—after a citizen petition or referendum.

Full Story

Today's Cartoon 5/22

GOP Losses Span Nearly All Demographic Groups

PRINCETON, NJ -- The decline in Republican Party affiliation among Americans in recent years is well documented, but a Gallup analysis now shows that this movement away from the GOP has occurred among nearly every major demographic subgroup. Since the first year of George W. Bush's presidency in 2001, the Republican Party has maintained its support only among frequent churchgoers, with conservatives and senior citizens showing minimal decline.

So far in 2009, aggregated Gallup Poll data show the divide on leaned party identification is 53% Democratic and 39% Republican -- a marked change from 2001, when the parties were evenly matched, according to an average of all of that year's Gallup Polls. That represents a loss of five points for the Republicans and a gain of eight points for the Democrats.

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It’s time for accountability in county government

Letter to the Editor

Monday, May 18, 2009

To the editor:

The deaths of two small children in the year 2008 have sparked many phone calls from taxpayers of Oswego County to county legislators and to myself.

The question is how could this happen? How could this have slipped through the cracks in county government? The accused has been incarcerated in county jail. But why isn’t the commissioner of Social Services being fired? Why are the county leaders not doing their jobs? The county leaders are George Williams, GOP chairman; Barry Leemann, chairman of the Legislature; and Jack Proud, vice chairman of the Legislature. All three are not good decision makers, personally. I believe all three are just cowards and friends of Lanigan.

Leemann has made a statement that if we fire Lanigan, the Oswego County government could be sued because we have a five-year contract with her. Our county taxpayers are being fed the bull by county leadership. I believe that our county government needs better management in the Social Services Department.

In investigating this problem, I have observed that our commissioner of Social Services’ personal work schedule is 35 hours per week; seven hours per day. But when you back out vacation time, sick time and personal leave days, she is working closer to 20 hours per week.

Being a small business owner and manager of about 90 employees for 32 years, I averaged about 60-80 hours per week. I have questions on how our Social Services commissioner can manage 272 employees and know everything that’s going on in the Social Services Department. It took me as a county legislator and Health Committee member from Feb. 15 to March 30, to get an appointment with a payroll clerk at the Social Services Department. On March 30, I had questions. On April 30, I still had not received answers to my questions. How could this happen? Our Social Services director is not accountable to the committee members. She has denied issuance of pass cards to committee members for access to the Social Services building in Mexico. Isn’t it time the county leadership made Lanigan accountable to the committee?

On March 27, 2006, bad conditions were reported to Social Services at the Maxwell residence. On May 17, 2006, Social Services visited the Maxwell home to find it was still bad. On May 18, 2006, Oswego County Social Services closed the case regarding the Maxwell home. Lanigan has made many statements that the Social Services Department has done nothing wrong. Once the case is closed, state law prohibits Social Services from checking on the Maxwell home.

My question is, should Social Services be closing their case this fast? Should the caseworker, the supervisor, the director of Social Services be fired? Should these three people be allowed to retired with pensions and health benefits? Should the three county leaders be asked to resign their posts?

If your county legislator is a member of the Majority Caucus, they could vote to give the leadership the boot. All 25 county legislators are up for vote this fall, as well as county clerk positions. The three county leaders are experts when it comes to the “blame game.” Isn’t it time we have checks and balances at Social Services and our county legislators be more accountable and professional to the taxpayers of Oswego County?

Arthur P. Gearsbeck
County legislator

West Monroe

Guest Opinion "crybaby Tom"

Just read crybaby Tom's article in the NY Post where he tells us that he will save over $13,000 PER DAY by moving to Forida...puleeeezzzeeee...give me a da**n break...that's more than my income PER YEAR! Obama wants to start "punishing" corporations that leave the country for greener pastures. I think NY should get together some kind of legislation so that this guy and others like him can no longer rip us off in the form of "corporate welfare". I wonder how many families I could feed and house on $13,000 a day?

LGW

Today's Cartoon 5/21

Democrat Senate approves tougher credit card rules in 90-5 vote

The Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to impose tough new restrictions on the credit card industry, which had spent years successfully avoiding regulations.

The 90-5 vote was a turnaround from the last session of Congress, when a similar bill that passed the House languished in the Senate without a companion measure.

This year, with the White House taking up the call for greater regulation, the industry found itself facing a barrage of criticism that it could not overcome.

The bill heads back to the House for a vote this week to finalize differences and will likely head to President Obama's desk by the weekend.

Full Story

Democrats Support Gun Rights

Last week, 27 Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass an amendment that allows concealed weapons in national parks.

This week, the Senate could take the first step toward overturning a gun control bill passed by their own Democratic brethren more than a decade ago.

After a soul-searching exile, the Democratic Party that regained control of both Congress

and the White House in the past two election cycles is proving in many ways to be a distinctly different breed than the one that last ruled the capital.

Nowhere has that transformation become more evident than on the issue of gun control, which was promoted by Democrats in 1992 to attract suburban voters and abandoned by Democrats in 2008 to gain support among rural voters.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is expected on Thursday to advance the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which is being co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

Full Story

Why Spending Cuts Aren't the Answer

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that President Obama’s recently proposed budget will cause the national debt to double over the next ten years. Deficits aren’t an immediate problem, since the economy is in the midst of the deepest downturn since the Great Depression. In fact, most economists argue that we should be running even bigger deficits in the short run. But most economists also agree that we need to bring deficits under control in the long run.

There are only two ways to do that—by cutting government spending and by raising taxes. Cutting wasteful spending would obviously be a good thing. Every president promises to do this. Yet federal spending has continued to grow in every administration, and there are good reasons for believing that spending cuts won’t be the answer this time, either.

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Dear Tom Golisano:

May 19, 2009 by Buffalopundit

Filed under: News

I read this in the Buffalo News yesterday:

“I wish there were 100,000 people standing behind me feeling the same way and acting the same way, but they’re not,” Golisano told reporters at the state Capitol. But, he added, he still feels a sense of responsibility to stay engaged in trying to change the ways of Albany — even if he has moved his legal residence to Naples, Fla.

There are a million people, probably more, who feel the same way as you about reforming New York, its taxation structure, its spending, and the general way it does business. We can’t all “act the same way” because we’re not billionaires. But many of us try, and still more have tried, to effect some change, with varying degrees of success.

I did a post last week that highlighted the fact that it’s no big surprise, and in no way unique for you to move to Florida. People move to Florida from western New York every day. It just so happens that you’re a politically connected billionaire, so there’s more at stake when it’s a guy like you leaving.

But back to your “wish” of having 100,000 people standing behind you - when exactly did you invite them? Responsible New York was never a grassroots organization. It never tried to organize people to take action - or really do anything whatsoever.

All you did was throw some money at some people whom you liked better than other people. You apparently helped to fund a vicious and likely illegal effort to obliterate Sam Hoyt and his reputation. Your political organization was a top-down affair run by one of the most divisive political figures western New York has ever seen. By selecting that person to run Responsible New York, it lost pretty much all of its credibility as a change agent, and guaranteed that its successes would be accidents.

Throwing money at races is fine, but money doesn’t always win the race. I’m quite sure that a well-organized, well-funded effort to organize average people to effect change in New York State government(s) would find a warm reception in every corner of the state. Imagine if there was a group representing average taxpayers that could rival the lobbying prowess and spending ability of the big special interests and unions that run the show in Albany.

You never set that up, though. Instead, you just wrote some checks and put up a totally non-transparent website that didn’t even have any sort of social media aspect to it - except a seldom-updated blog - so that the people you pretended to be representing in that effort could communicate with you, and with each other, and get involved.

I guess the upshot of it all is, don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining. Responsible New York was never about change and reform. It’s about kingmaking and backscratching.

As for your grandstanding on taxes, I only wish that the unfriendly business climate in New York could someday enable my taxes to go up by $5 million per year when the rate is raised by 2.12%. Hope you enjoy Florida. I hear Naples is really gorgeous.

Love,

BP

Today's Cartoon 5/20

County Legislators ask for Further Review of Maxwell Case

After watching the Channel 3 News Report on the Maxwell case and citizens requesting the NY AG to review the case we again would like to remind Oswego residents the Democratic Caucus requested this in March. We support their recent efforts.


March 30, 2009

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341

Dear Attorney General Cuomo,

Re: Erin Maxwell Case

As County Legislators of the Oswego County Legislature we have profound concerns over the latest news release by Dr. Dennis Mullaney, [1] a former ER physician at A.L. Lee Memorial over the released report by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services.

Clearly as a result of this newspaper report we are gravely troubled by the allegation that the Department of Social Services may not have acted in an acceptable manner and the state report may not have been as complete and extensive enough in its review of this case.

We therefore request a review from the New York State Attorney General’s Office over the latest allegations to insure the report from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services was done in a comprehensive enough manner to insure public confidence.

The safety of those children which do not have a voice must be our only priory. The public can not accept that we have done our job until they feel that we have completely and thoroughly reviewed this case.

Again, we ask for the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General to review the findings and report.

Mike Kunzwiler
Doug Malone
Lee Walker
Phillip Vasho
Arthur Gearsbeck


State releases report on Erin Maxwell case
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Social services commissioner Frances Lanigan was front and center Wednesday, facing a litany of questions from the media and county legislators during a special meeting with the county's health and human services committee.

At issue, a report about her department's handling of the Erin Maxwell case. The report is somewhat critical of the department, saying it could have gathered additional information from teachers, pediatricians and others who dealt with Erin on a daily basis. The report also states social services didn't correctly identify the relationship of Lynn Maxwell and Alan Jones to Erin during their first visit and allowed too much time to pass between home visits in 2006. The state agency suggests going forward that the department makes necessary changes in these areas.

Link to State Report

Poll: Most New Yorkers Prefer Democrats Continue in Senate Majority

Following a period in which Democrats were forced to make tough, practical decisions to resolve the state's $18 billion deficit, save the mass transit system and generally repair damage left after four decades of GOP Senate control, a recent poll shows that voters are approving of the Senate's new Majority, with most wanting Democrats to continue to control the state's upper legislative house.

A Quinnipiac University poll released this week shows that statewide, 56 percent of voters prefer that Democrats continue their newly-acquired status in the Senate Majority. More independent voters support the continuation of the Democratic State Senate (46 percent to 37) instead of returning to the old Republican Senate, and even 10 percent of Republican voters would like to see Democrats remain in the Majority. Continued Democratic control of the Senate is also supported by upstaters, suburban residents, men, women, whites, blacks and Hispanics according to Quinnipiac.

A March 2008 poll by the Siena Research Institute found that a small plurality of voters at that time believed the State Senate should remain in Republican control, with 47 percent in favor. One year later, after the Senate Democrats have been able to demonstrate their ability to address complex problems and Senate Republicans have shown themselves to be little more than the "Party of No," the tables have turned.

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee sees the poll results as proof that most voters recognize that Senate Democrats are doing the best job possible given the dire situation left to them after 43 years of GOP control.

"Despite the best efforts of Republican senators to obstruct legislation, mislead the public and walk away from the problems they cultivated over the last 43 years, voters are saying that they see through the GOP smokescreen and that the state is better served with Democrats controlling the Senate," said DSCC spokesman Shams Tarek. "Like a mother to a toddler throwing a tantrum, this is voters giving a firm 'NO' to the cynical inaction and hyperbole of Senate Republicans."

Below are the results from the Quinnipiac poll:

Sen. Chuck Schumer Clearing the way for winter shipping in Oswego Port

Shipping on Lake Ontario during winter months may become easier, as Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, announced Monday support for legislation that would provide the U.S. Coast Guard with funding to purchase new icebreaking machinery.

The funding would allow the Coast Guard to acquire a newly constructed combination icebreaker-buoy tender, which would assist in keeping vital shipping lanes open in the winter.

“Keeping these critical shipping lanes free and clear of ice is vitally important, not just to the ships that travel through the Great Lakes, but to the industries that depend on the wide variety of goods that are delivered,” Schumer said.

The new icebreaking equipment will also benefit communities along Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River. According to Schumer, during winter, Great Lakes vessels carry 20 percent of the iron ore that is used in the country’s manufacturing heartland.

Full Story

Must Read from Jefferson Leaning Left ... Great Article on Golisano Leaving NY

To the delight of teabaggers everywhere, Tom Golisano is making big noise about quitting economically troubled New York and joining other tax refugees who have moved to the even more economically troubled state of Florida.

The reason Tom gives for his new found tax refuge is that New York State is about to ask him to pay a percentage point or two on his New York State Taxes which indeed looks like a hefty sum compared to the annual income of your average conservative teabagger. But yet, teabaggers all across the State will now anoint poor old Tom as their new found patriotic hero and scream, "See, I told you so! First Rush leaves us and now this!"

Please Read Post

Today's Cartoon 5/19

Please Vote Today....School Boards Election Today

Oswego County residents will vote Tuesday on their school district budgets for 2009-2010.

Here is a recap of the budgets and propositions:

Click Here for Full Listing

Graham continues to bolster Pelosi's case

Former Sen. Bob Graham is quickly becoming Nancy Pelosi's best ally against the CIA.

Graham (D-Fla.), who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee during torture memo-gate, told MSNBC this morning that he backs Pelosi's version of the story, saying he was not specifically briefed on the use of waterboarding in Sept. 2002.

"I was briefed, which was about three weeks after the Speaker, the subject of waterboarding did not come up," Graham told MSNBC. "Nor did the treatment of Abu Zubaydah or any other specific detainee."

Graham also has one fairly solid paper trail - his somewhat notorious daily diaries where he documented every single moment of his day.

"And I went back to my spiral notebooks and a daily schedule that I keep and found and the CIA concurred that in three of those four dates, there was no briefing held," Graham said. "That raises some questions about the bookkeeping of the CIA."

Obama administration proposes spending $475 million to clean up the Great Lakes

The Obama administration proposes spending $475 million to clean up the Great Lakes.

The amount represents the first step in a multiyear cleanup that also would try to prevent foreign species of plants, fish and other animals from entering the Great Lakes system.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency reports at least 25 nonnative species of fish have entered the Great Lakes since the 1800s.

Numerous aquatic plants also have made their way into the lakes. The invading plants replace native vegetation that provide food for wildlife and erosion control.

Here's a sampling of some of the invasive species found in Lake Ontario.

Zebra mussels:Introduced in 1988, zebra mussels have spread throughout the five great Lakes and into tributaries. The mussels have caused problems at power plants and municipal water supplies, clogging intake screens, pipes and cooling systems. They have also nearly eliminated the native clam population in the ecosystem.

Full Story

Today's Cartoon 5/18

Republican Health Care Plan

Paterson wants NY to go solar

To help New York meet energy needs and foster solar development technologies, Gov. David Paterson on Friday shared plans for a 100-megawatt photovoltaic project, geared toward helping implement his clean-energy agenda.

The project would become the largest like it in the state and include roof and ground-mounted solar arrays at multiple locations throughout New York. These projects, combined with a 50 megawatt solar voltaic project led by Long Island Power Authority, would total 150 megawatts of power. The governor also envisions the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

Full Story

Today"s Cartoon 5/17

Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine - $50 Million Available for Organic Farming

Aubertine: Interested New York farmers must apply by May 29 for funding and assistance

WATERTOWN (May 14, 2009)—As Chair of the New York State Senate’s Agriculture Committee, Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine announced today that New York farmers are eligible for funding and assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) to help tap into the growing market for organic agriculture products.

“Organic agriculture is a growing and profitable industry,” said Sen. Aubertine, who is also Chair of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources. “Certainly, there are quite a few farmers throughout the state already involved in organic produce and many more are considering it. This fund will give farmers the funding they need and technical assistance for farmers looking to make the switch and those who have already entered the organic foods market. I want our farmers to know the funding is available if they are interested.”

According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the NRCS has created a special $50 million pool of funding for a new Organic Initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Initiative will provide payments and technical assistance to transitioning and existing organic farmers who adopt NRCS conservation practices used in organic production systems.

Eligible Farmers:
• Farmers just beginning or in the process of transitioning to organic production;
• Existing certified organic farmers who want to transition additional acres or animals;
• Existing certified organic farmers who need to adopt additional conservation measures;
• Producers who sell less than $5,000 in agricultural products and are thus exempt from formal certification are still eligible for Organic Initiative payments.

The program is open to farmers in every county in New York and sign up for this special pool of funds continues through May 29th. Organic or transitioning farmers who have already applied for EQIP funding may choose to move their application into the special organic pool which will have higher payment rates for some practices than the regular EQIP program and a $20,000 per year ($80,000 over 6 years) payment limit. Costs of technical assistance provided by NRCS will not count against the payment limitation.

“This is a substantial pool of money and any farmer in New York who is interested should get in line for funding as soon as possible,” Sen. Aubertine said. “Organic farming may not be for every farmer, but it has proven to be a profitable opportunity for many of our farmers as more and more consumers look for organic products.”

Transitioning farmers are also being offered an opportunity to develop a “conservation activity plan” as part of their EQIP Organic Initiative contract. A conservation activity plan will be needed to meet National Organic Program certification requirements and is an important step toward certification.

All applications received during this sign up period will be ranked using national and in some cases state level criteria related to how well the proposed contract contributes to conserving soil, water quality and other resource concerns. Farmers who are awarded a contract will then be eligible for technical assistance to assist with implementation of the practices. NRCS has set aside an additional $5 million for technical assistance for this initiative.

A number of NSAC Member organizations are available to answer producer questions about the Organic Initiative. Visit their websites for more information: Organic Farming Research Foundation, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Center for Rural Affairs, Agriculture and Land Based Training Association.

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Today's Cartoon 5/16

First dog Beanie Babies sell out

Beanie Baby company Ty had to scrap its Sasha and Malia dolls after objections from Michelle Obama -- but that hasn’t ...

... discouraged the toy company from rolling out a new line of Bo dolls.

For $4.99 you can buy your own soft, shaggy, black-and-white Bo in Beanie Baby form— that is, if you act fast. The AP reports the first dog dolls are selling out in suburban Chicago, and they’ve even hit the eBay market, where one Bo goes for a steep “Buy It Now” price of $139.95.

Arlen Specter Now 67% Democrat

I can't say we didn't see this coming, because we did. But Arlen Specter is starting to make good use of that 'D' beside his name and behave like an actual Democrat, indicating that he's open to a compromise on the Employee Free Choice Act and a public option on the Democratic health care plan.

Specter's record in the Senate since changing parties on April 28th has been somewhat more mixed, however. The Senate has held 22 roll call votes since Specter's party switch; Specter has taken the position of the majority of the Democratic caucus on 17 of these (77%).

Full Post

Cuomo Unveils Code of Conduct, Gets Carlyle to Sign On

ALBANY—As attorney general, he can't directly legislate, but Andrew Cuomo has created a code of conduct for investment firms doing business with public pension funds and announced that a major firm, The Carlyle Group, has signed on.

Carlyle will also pay a $20 million settlement for allegedly improper business deals with the state pension fund under former comptroller Alan Hevesi and two aides, Hank Morris and David Loglisci.

"We've now, we've spent enough time doing the cases where we've identified a series of problems. We believe that this code solves those problems," Cuomo said to reporters on a conference call. "Our ultimate goal is to get that code enacted, meaning, by either state law, state regulation, or in this case, federal law, federal regulation."

Full Story

State orders utilities to cut costs

The state has ordered the electric and gas utility companies serving the Capital Region, among others, to cut costs and create savings for customers.

The state Public Service Commission issued its order on Thursday, which applies to National Grid and New York State Electric & Gas, which together cover the Capital Region.

“When utility customers are experiencing the extraordinary economic realities we see today, these customers look to their utility service providers to demonstrate the same frugality,” said commission chairman Garry Brown.

Full Story

(Energy Deregulation in New York brought to us by the Republicans and Gov. George Pataki has not worked, in fact it has raised electric costs.)

Today's Cartoon 5/15

Patterson Announces $175 Million in HEAL NY Grants

"Governor David A. Paterson today announced the availability of $175 million in grants under the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law of New York State (HEAL NY) to further reforms to New York’s health care system. This funding will support projects that provide an appropriate level of long-term care services in settings that are viable alternatives to nursing homes, such as assisted living programs and assisted living residences. . . .

Eligible applicants for HEAL NY Phase 12 grants include nursing homes, certified home health agencies, assisted living programs, assisted living residences, adult homes, enriched housing programs, local municipal governments, continuing care retirement communities, not-for-profit senior housing corporations, not-for-profit consortia comprised of any of the above, or a corporation or entity specifically established to develop alternative long-term care initiatives.

DOH Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. said: “Many of today’s older adults and individuals with disabilities don’t require the medically-intensive services of a nursing home but prefer services in a more home-like, community-based setting. This funding will support services provided in these alternative settings, along with better coordinated care and better integration of primary and acute care services.”

http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0513091.html

Today's Cartoon 5/14

Jesse Ventura: Coleman A "Hypocrite," I Would Waterboard Cheney (VIDEO)

Former Minnesota Governor and one-time professional wrestler Jesse Ventura went public on Larry King Live yesterday with some harsh criticisms of the Bush administration, as well as Senator Norm Coleman.

...Coleman's always been a hypocrite. He never does what he says. He said election night, when he won, that [Al] Franken should drop out, and he should be the senator. Well, then the same should hold true after the recount.

Ventura, who beat out Coleman in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial race, said that any federal appeal by the senator should be thrown out.

Full Story

Former Pataki appointee to appear in court for abuse of staff

ALBANY Former New York health commissioner and U.S. surgeon general Antonia Novello is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Albany County court for alleged criminal acts during her state service, according to people familiar with an investigation that drew testimony from several state officials in recent weeks.

She served in the office under Gov. George Pataki from 1999 to 2006 following her service as surgeon general under President George H.W. Bush from 1990 to 1993. She would be the latest of a series of state officials investigated and prosecuted for the way they conducted themselves as a public servant.

In a strongly worded report in January, Inspector General Joseph Fisch said Novello shamelessly and blatantly exploited and abused her staff by requiring guards to chauffeur her to malls and stores and required staffers to rack up 2,540 hours of overtime at a cost of $50,000 in taxpayer dollars.

Full Story

Senate Dems seek further changes to Empire Zone program

Democrats in the Senate said Monday that they want to alter the changes that were made to the Empire Zone tax incentive program in the state budget.

Democrats, who are the majority party in the Senate, also want to create a 29-person panel that will develop a replacement economic development program to take effect when Empire Zones expire in June 2010.

Business groups praised the panel.

“The advisory council created by this legislation will provide an intelligent and thoughtful pathway for creating a new program,” said Brian McMahon, executive director of the New York State Economic Development Council. The Albany-based group represents local economic development officials around the state.

Full Story

I Support The Public Option

Last Tuesday, I stopped by to announce my new website, ConversationsWithKirsten.com. We've already received hundreds of questions through the website, and I was excited to see that my post spurred a lot of discussion. We're still sorting through the questions to find the most asked questions, and I have posted some of my initial answers today.

During this process, it became clear that one topic was far and away the most discussed in this community and among the questions that I received through my website, and so I wanted to post here to make my views as clear as possible:

A not-for-profit public plan option must be included in any discussion about comprehensive health reform.

http://www.conversationswithkirsten.com/

Today's Cartoon 5/12

Aubertine Named Chair of Energy Committee

For Immediate Release

ALBANY (May 11, 2009)—State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine today was selected by Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith to serve as acting Chair of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications.

“Certainly, this assignment fits well with my background, interests and experience,” said Sen. Aubertine, who is also Chair of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Agriculture. “Energy issues are central to the interests of the 48^th District, whether we are talking about the three nuclear reactors at Nine Mile Point and other generating facilities in Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, or the development of alternative sources, including biofuels. Like agriculture, energy is a critical component of our region’s economy and statewide and with the future of renewable energy sources, the two are intertwined.”

Sen. Aubertine, who served in the Assembly from 2003-2008 on the Energy Committee, had been a member of the Senate Energy Committee working closely with the former Chair.

“Senator Aubertine has shown great leadership within our conference,” Majority Leader Smith said. “Drawing on the skills and expertise he has demonstrated, I am confident he will handle these additional responsibilities thoroughly.”

Environmental Advocates of New York weighed in on the announcement with a statement commending Senator Aubertine’s record on energy and the environment.

“As an Assemblyman, Darrel Aubertine has a record of supporting measures designed to move the state to a sustainable energy future while reducing New York’s share of global warming pollution, including legislation that would ensure revenue from the auction of pollution permits under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative supports energy efficiency and clean energy projects,” said Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York. “Last year, State Senator Aubertine voted to reform New York’s net metering law so that more state residents could sell the clean energy they generate themselves back to utilities; he also supported tax credits for solar power and grants to build green. Based on his voting record, Senator Aubertine is likely to help restore New York State’s leadership in the fields of renewable energy and climate change.”

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