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Photograph of Tom Golisano speaking with reporters yesterday by Tim Roske/AP
Billionaire Tom Golisano, who made a big show of moving to Florida because NY State had raised taxes for the wealthy, is credited as the (really rich) man who helped 30 Republicans and two Democrats recapture the State Senate majority and oust the Democrats from power. And Golisano, who had supported a number of Democrats last election, was happy to tell reporters how former Democratic majority leader Malcolm Smith's Blackberry obsession during a meeting was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back:
Of course I was upset, I thought it was very rude. When I travel 250 miles to make the case on how to save the state a lot of money and increase the quality of life for residents with developmental disabilities and a guy comes into his office and starts playing with his BlackBerry, I was miffed. It's not so much that he was rude, he just wasn't paying any attention to what we had to say.The Daily Politics' Liz Benjamin points out, "You would think that when one meets with a billionaire who has run three times for governor and demonstrated his willingness to spend millions of dollars on legislative races - including several that were key to the Democrats' effort to flip the Senate - one might might remember to mind one's manners." The NY Times describes how Golisano and his aide Steve Pigeon planned the coup: "Secrecy was imperative, so they decided to meet at a small Albany rock club, Red Square, an unlikely locale for lawmakers."
PolitickerNY reports that when asked about defected Democrats Hiram Monserrate's and Pedro Espada Jr.'s ethical backgrounds (Monserrate is indicted for slashing his girlfriend; Epada is under investigation for campaign fund misuse and not living in the district he represents), the billionaire retorted with, "Don't talk to me about ethical background in Albany, New York. We have a governor that stood on a podium on national television and said he had extramarital affairs and used cocaine. So, you know, these guys have got some personal issues? I don't think I want--that's just part of the picture."
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Ugghhhh look at that shirt, the underside of this guys's manboobs produce a ton of sweat... Perhaps the heat and pressure produced by this odious man's saggy pecs could turn some coal into diamonds, solving our fiscal crisis?
Vomit. Thought we got rid of this guy, did Florida reject his ass?
Great. So the pols in Albany can spend more time playing the blame game. And getting nothing accomplished.
All on our dime.
Golisano and Seles - I wonder who sucks whose boobs.
Just wondering: Are affairs and drug use similar to an assault indictment and possible corruption?
Apparently he thinks so.
Equating outright fraud and physical assault to personal matters is way overboard but par for the course with Mr. Golisano.
Must be nice to be able to buy politicians...
what a butt nugget.
I thought this fat phuk wanted nothing to do with NY?
why is he still here?
exactly.
It is way past time we had a house-cleaning in Albany. I can't remember when Albany functioned well. We need to throw them all out and start over, but it's not going to happen until there's a real crisis, like California's.
So we have a billionaire bastard ruling over NYC and also a billionaire bastard in the capital? Terrific!!!
The majority of politicians in this country are millionaires, if not billionaires.
They were better off meeting at the Fuze Box so T-Gos could dance those wine bladders off.
Thank God for Golisano. Just as Bloomberg and Giuliani have been cleaning up NYC for close to 16 years already with fantastic results, so will the Golisano crew hopefully start cleaning up Albany.
We need to overturn rent regulation and privatize all the housing projects if NYC is to be saved from the current meltdown (the city is pretty close to turning into another Detroit - with Wall Street following the way of the automakers).
Hopefully, they'll get started soon. Fight the third-worldization of New York!
are you drunk?
Maybe just sarcasm?
Golisano is one open-face Reuben away from heart attack and death...and he's upset about taxes?
I think it's a safe bet that Golisano isn't going to join the Bill Gates/Warren Buffet club of Billionaires who give all their money away. Anybody else think he gets heartburn over spending his money to help anyone other than himself?
Forget about Golisano moving. I think it's time for the rest of us to move.
This discussion is going no where this discussion needs some attention.
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John Assam
real estate