Results tagged “nystatelegislature”

After leaving the State Senate, claiming he wanted to spend time with family and then taking a job with a company with many state contracts, former Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno has officially registered as a lobbyist. Bruno, now CEO of CMA Consulting, said that his registration with the NY State Commission on Public Integrity was to "guarantee maximum transparency." He's unable to lobby lawmakers for two years, but NYPIRG's Blair Horner says Governor Paterson should make sure "former-Sen. Bruno is not to be dealt with in any manner different than any other lobbyist."

The NY State Legislature has long been considered the most dysfunctional state government in the country, and NY Sun has a great article giving weight to that statement: "The Empire State's Legislature employs more people than any other state legislature in the nation." Well, all that dysfunction has to be enabled from someone - or many someones!

The City Council voted 40-3 to end the tax breaks Madison Square Garden has enjoyed since 1982. It's estimated that the city has lost almost $300 million in potential revenue in subsidies to the "World's Most Famous Arena."

Air Traffic Control 2: "Jeez."

State Ethics Commission, long time no see! It's been about eight months since you found State Comptroller Alan Hevesi had violated state law, and now you're back on the radar with an investigation into Governor Spitzer's administration's conduct regarding use of the state police to track State Senate Majority Joseph Bruno.

Yesterday, City Council members Robert Jackson, Larry Seabrook and John Liu introduced a resolution to formally apologize for NYC's role in slavery. According to the Empire Zone, Jackson hoped the resolution would "spur dialogue and interest among the new generation of New Yorkers who will lead us in the future" while Liu stated, "New York is the greatest city in the world, but let’s face it: The early foundation of this city was built on the backs of slaves." (The NY State Legislature is working on a formal apology, too.)

Hours ago, former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi was fined $5,000 and sentenced to probation for "unlawful use of a state vehicle and driver" when he used his employees to drive his ill wife. The Times Union has an 18-minute video of the sentencing; reporter Rick Karlin noted that Albany County Court Judge Stephen Herrick said to the Queens Democrat, "Your fall from grace has been total and from a very great height…You are now the symbol, the icon, used by local and state reformers... Hopefully, your failure will serve as a deterrent." (See mugshot here)

The news is grim for many gay rights supporters after the NY State Court of Appeals upheld the gay marriage ban - ceding a decision to the NY State Legislature (one of the most dysfunctional in the country!). The NY Times' news analysis calls this a "key setback" as other states deciding on gay marriage will look at this ruling:

For now, at least, so-called marriage equality is the fight that both sides want to wage, and opponents are predicting that New York will be remembered as the beginning of the end of gay marriage.

Continue reading "Fallout Expected After NY State's Gay Marriage Rejection"

- WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!"Gothamist wonders if the children of the various legislative members lobbied their parents to put this bill into action. Anyway, Napoleon Dynamite is on DVD. Jon Heder, aka Napoleon (unrecognizable in real life with his fashionably shaggy haircut), was Punk'd - can no one stop Ashton? And while Idaho is great, NYC was voted the best city for indie filmmaking.