Results tagged “statesenate”

Whether gay marriage manages to make it to a vote in the State Senate is another question entirely, but State Senator Thomas Duane thinks the Senate will vote yes on the matter. According to WNYC, the bill's supporters say that there are "secret yes votes...Duane, the bill’s chief sponsor, says he’s had the votes locked up all along. But Duane won’t release the names of those yes votes because, he says, when it comes to gay marriage, senators have to come out of the closet on their own." Of course, Duane isn't naming names, "I’m not releasing my vote count until we’re ready to vote. What people have told me, they’ve told me in confidence. It just wouldn’t be appropriate for me to share that."

Get ready for some Albany-style bickering! Tomorrow, Governor Paterson will convene a special session of the Legislature to discussion issues like the $3 billion budget deficit and—possibly—gay marriage, but the NY Times is worried enough that it has an editorial, "Albany’s toughest and most important job right now is to make certain that New York does not become another California, running out of cash, paying bills with i.o.u.’s and watching state credit ratings deteriorate."

Well, would you look at that: Now the State Senate Democrats are going to head to Albany next week for the special session that Governor David Paterson called. The Dems had called it a "photo-op" for the Governor and the Daily Politics reports, "Insiders say not showing would have left them vulnerable to attacks that they are not taking the state's fiscal crisis seriously. Senate leadership fell in line this morning." However, a spokesman for Senate Dems said, "It was about how to make the most productive use of our time while continuing productive negotiations with the governor." So maybe Albany isn't like Bosnia or Tehran after all!

Things are not looking good for State Senator Hiram Monserrate. The NY Times reports that the Queens Democratic party is "expected to dump" him, after his misdemeanor conviction for reckless assaulting his girlfriend: "It is extremely rare for a party to seek to unseat one of its own incumbents, even those dogged by scandal."

Since Justice William Erlbaum found State Senator Hiram Monserrate guilty of reckless assault when he slashed girlfriend Karla Giraldo with a broken glass, but found him not guilty of intentionally slashing her, she wants the judge to lift the order of protection that prevents her from being with Monserrate. The Post reports that her lawyer wrote to the judge saying the couple would like to resume their "intimate relationship ... without further unnecessary interruption or delay."

With his proposed $3 billion budget and other issues to contend with, Governor Paterson has called a special session of the State Legislature next month—plus he wants a "leaders meeting" in NYC this Thursday, which seems like it would include State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. among the leaders, since he is the Senate Majority leader.

Earlier this week, Paterson announced he would put the bill in front of the Senate during next week's special session. He had proposed the bill back in April, and the Assembly passed it in in May, but the bill was placed on the back burner after the Senate coup. However, the Senate is notoriously split on the issue and Paterson doesn't have much juice to twist Senators' arms.

The panel to investigate whether State Senator Hiram Monserrate should face disciplinary action, in the wake of his misdemeanor for assaulting his girlfriend, has been set. Senate majority conference leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) said, "Violence against women is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It has no place in the world. It has no place in the Senate. As a father with daughters I am not only angry, but I'm pissed off. But as a leader I cannot let my personal feelings supercede the individual rights of each member. While there may be many calls for our colleague to resign, that is his choice and his choice alone."

There's a growing chorus of lawmakers saying that State Senator Hiram Monserrate should step down, now that he's been convicted of a misdemeanor for slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass, but one of Monserrate's Senate colleagues is standing by him. In fact, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. said that these demands are "racist."

Sure, State Senator Hiram Monserrate wants to marry his girlfriend Karla Giraldo (at least according to his lawyer)—but there is a snag: That pesky order of protection that prevents Monserrate from contacting Giraldo, since he slashed her face with a broken glass last December! Monserrate and Giraldo both said it was an accident—and Monserrate was acquitted of two felony charges related to the incident but found guilty of a misdemeanor—but the judge still needs to remove the order.

After unveiling his $3 billion in budget cuts for this year (not to mention another $2 billion next) on Thursday, Governor Paterson is on the offensive, appearing on numerous radio and TV stations. Why the media blitz? Because some state lawmakers have complained about the cuts, leaving Paterson to fire back, "They can find all kinds of ways to spend money but never seem to be able to meet obligations."

Yesterday found State Senator Hiram Monserrate not guilty of felony assault charges but guilty of a misdemeanor—"recklessly causing physical injury" to his girlfriend Karla Giraldo during a December incident where Monserrate slashed her in the face with a broken glass. Today, Monserrate's lawyer Joseph Tacopina said on Good Day New York, "She loves him, as she testified in court. As he said yesterday, he loves her...And they're looking to get back together and resume their marriage...uh, relationship." To which GDNY anchor Rosanna Scotto said, "Will they get married?" and Tacopina replied, "Maybe I said marriage, maybe I let the cat out of the bag, but that's where it's heading."

The assault trial of State Senator Hiram Monserrate has adjourned for the weekend after yesterday's dramatic testimony from his girlfriend Karla Giraldo. The victim explained inconsistencies with her initial accusations that she was attacked by Monserrate to her current version that a glass broke on her face by saying that she was so drunk that night that "my mind was in another planet." Despite her previous grand jury testimony saying she only had a couple glasses of wine, Giraldo said that she was so drunk that she could not remember banging on a neighbor's door looking for help or telling a doctor that Monserrate attacked her while being treated for the cuts that would leave her with 40 stitches.

[Updated Below] Karla Giraldo has taken the stand today in the trial against her boyfriend, State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who is accused of cutting her face with a broken glass in a jealous rage that required Giraldo to receive 40 stitches. After initial fears that prosecutors who subpoenaed Giraldo may have to treat her as a hostile witness, it appears she has been cooperative in her testimony. She admitted to being drunk when she arrived at Monserrate's apartment, contradicting of her grand jury testimony. And Girlado claims that the state senator was "jealous but not angry" upon finding another cop's PBA card on her.

During State Senator Hiram Monserrate's assault trial, a nurse testified that his girlfriend Karla Giraldo begged that he not be allowed into the room where doctors were examining the cuts on her face, saying, "He's crazy! He's crazy!" And an ER doctor testified that Giraldo yelled, "I can’t believe he did this to me! My face! My face! I can’t believe my face!"

Yesterday, Hiram Monserrate's lawyer discounted the testimony of Emergency Room nurse Dawn Kort in the senator's girlfriend-slash trial, citing a language barrier. Apparently, Monserrate's girlfriend Karla Giraldo speaks Spanglish, especially when she's drunk. But this is New York City, remember, the capital of the world. It turns out that Kort speaks Spanglish too. In fact, the Post reports that her father was from Panama, her mother from Puerto Rico, and she studied in Spain to boot. So much for that defense.

[UPDATE BELOW, with video] State Senator Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend told hospital workers he had beaten her and slashed her face only because she was drunk, Monserrate's lawyer said yesterday. "Were not blaming her for anything," said famed defense lawyer Joe Tacopina. "But intoxication impairs one's ability to perceive." The Post also notes that Tacopina blamed a "language barrier."

Mayor Bloomberg thinks that he could strong-arm local Republican state senators into voting for a gay marriage bill, but he doesn't seem to believe that the Democrats have the cajones to bring Governor Paterson's same-sex marriage legislation to the floor. Asked why he thought he could change the minds of some pretty staunch GOP gay marriage opponents, Bloomberg said, “I’m the main funder. You know, you can’t dictate every piece of legislation, and I don’t want to say that they’re bribable. But they know where I stand, and they want me to be a supporter.”

Today in Kew Gardens opening arguments were heard in the bench trial of State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who faces three counts of felony assault against his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo. The Daily News reports that the prosecutor accused Monserrate of flying into a jealous rage at finding another man's business card in his girlfriend's purse, and attacked her with a glass of water, saying, "You want the water? You want the water? Here's your water!", slashing her face with the broken glass.

According to a recent profile in the Times, Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. enjoys "cultlike devotion" from a band of fervent supporters, who made a hagiographic short film titled The Espada Odyssey: A Profile of Courage, Compassion, Perseverance and Leadership, which is set in part to the theme from Superman and includes a shot of Espada superimposed against a lone wolf howling at the moon. (Watch here!) But the infamous Senate coup leader seems to see himself less as a wolfman and more as a catastrophic weather pattern. While visiting a farm accused of exploiting migrant workers, Espada has a confrontation with the owner, who says, "I know you. The traitor, right?" According to the Times, "Espada’s smile faded and his face reddened. 'We need to have a little coup in here... You think I did something to the Senate? Wait till I get through with you.' He threw his hands toward the sky, where thunderclouds gathered. 'Hurricane Espada is going to turn this place upside down!'" Later, the Hurricane explains that the Democrats have lost their identity, and he's "going to help them find their soul." Something tells us they're gonna need some FEMA trailers up in Albany.

After Governor Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor was struck down again recently in a state appeals court, it appeared to be curtains for one of Paterson's most popular moves in an attempt to combat the state senate takeover this spring. But yesterday the state's top court gave the governor and Ravitch a glimmer of hope after they were unexpectedly tough on the state senator who took the appointment to court, Republican Minority Leader Dean Skelos.

Governor Paterson may have spent his summer struggling through a legislative mess brought on by the Senate coup and continually sagging poll numbers that threaten the possibility of his 2010 bid, but he wants to make it clear that he hasn't forgotten his pledge to bring gay marriage to New York. Paterson told that he intends to put his same sex marriage bill on the floor when senators convene for a special session he expects to call later this month. Lawmakers are not required to vote on legislation brought up by the governor, but there may be more of a chance for that now that John Sampson is Democratic Conference Leader. Former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith had a deal with the Three Amigos not to bring same sex legislation to the floor. But the most vocal opponent of gay marriage, Senator Ruben Diaz Jr., told the News, "I tell you - as a man, before God - if that issue comes to the floor, there's going to be chaos in the Democratic conference. You can take that to the bank." However Diaz also said, "(But) I'm not going to join the Republicans. Never. Never."

You know you must be pretty sleazy when your behavior makes State Senate scofflaw Pedro Espada, Jr. blush. Yesterday the esteemed Senator from Bronxchester abruptly fired his deputy chief of staff, Onix A. Sosa, after the Times confronted him about Sosa's past work managing 35 buildings in upper Manhattan and the Bronx with close to 7,400 unresolved violations, including 1,100 deemed immediately hazardous. That kind of thing doesn't fly in Espada's office, at least not once the press catches wind of it. In a statement, Espada said, "I was shocked and, quite frankly, blindsided by this revelation."

Today's not so shocking poll numbers: Quinnipiac says that 77% of NY State voters say that the NY State government is "dysfunctional" while 58% say it's "the worst" or "among the worst" in the nation. Oddly enough, 2% of respondents say that it's the "best" in the country, while 28% think it's "among the best"—maybe those people are from Illinois or California. Some more stats: "Voters disapprove 72 - 18 percent of the way the State Legislature is handling its job, the legislature's lowest overall score ever. Forty-nine percent of New York State voters say that almost everyone in the State Senate - including their own." Quinnipiac's Maurice Carroll said, "Dysfunctional is practically a synonym for the New York State Legislature and voters want a change. While voters tend to like their own legislators, almost half of New Yorkers are ready to throw out their own state senator in a general house-cleaning." Take heart, challengers.

Besides offering affordable health care for constituents in the Bronx, the non-profit community health care center run by State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. also provides lots of jobs for the community... of people related to Espada. The Post's Isabel Vincent has donned her Hazmat suit to take a closer look at Espada's Soundview HealthCare Network, which stays afloat thanks to millions of taxpayer dollars. What she found may not surprise you. (It even comes with a handy graphic charting the family money tree.) For instance, two employees previously convicted of fraud for using Soundview money to promote Espada's political campaign are back on staff, and the charity still owes some $347,000 in income tax withheld from employees. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has been investigating the shady shenanigans, but the Post has already found plenty of questionable conduct, such as Espada paying himself over than $450,000 a year, some $80,000 more than the standard for a charity its size. Then there's Soundview's not-illegal-but-still-sleazy employment of all Espada's sons with near six-figure jobs. Oh, and the charity's board is packed with Espada's friends and relatives, including his grandfather Victor, who's over 90 years old, lives in Puerto Rico, and "votes" via conference call!

Now that Pedro G. Espada has resigned from his $120,000/year specially-created job (don't worry—he won't be paid for his few days of "work"), the spotlight has turned on some other expensive hires. The Post goes critical, reporting that "Amid the most severe fiscal crisis in recent memory and a state hiring freeze...Scratch-master Christopher Sealey was given a $120,000 salary by Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) in February to head up a five-member team dedicated to 'rebranding' the newly Democratic-controlled Senate." (The Daily News puts Sealey's salary at $100,760/year.)

After the son of Bronxchester scofflaw Senator Pedro Espada Jr. resigned from his specially-created $120,000 senate job yesterday, a source close to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo tells the Post the AG is satisfied with the resignation and will not pursue a probe into alleged violations of the state's nepotism laws. Funny how the son of three-term governor Mario Cuomo is reluctant to accuse anyone of nepotism. Meanwhile, Espada "amigo" Ruben Diaz Sr. called on Cuomo to investigate the entire Senate for nepotism and not single out poor misunderstood Espada.

Sure, Pedro G. Espada, son of Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., may have just quit his job as the deputy director of intergovernmental relations for the State Senate, but after four-five days on the job, isn't that enough time for a computer log-in? The Post's "Nada Espada" story today suggests Pedro G. never actually worked at Senate offices in Manhattan—though he was on state payroll since last Thursday—and notices he actually went to his old job at the Soundview Health Clinic (started by his dad) yesterday. Pops Espada said, "His official date of resignation is when... I really don't know. He's cleaning out his personal stuff." Later, the Senate Democrats allowed to Post to visit their office: "[Pedro G.] Espada -- who arrived at the building only after being told that The Post was on the scene -- seemed unfamiliar with the layout of the office suite. At one point, he appeared to take direction to his office from a Senate spokesman... The room was dark when Espada arrived, with nothing on the desk appeared nervous and fiddled with his BlackBerry when asked to recount activities of the day. He was unable to log on to the computer or point to a single item in the room that could confirm the office had belonged to him." Classic photo here.

Hey, if the State Inspector General said that you're "ill-suited," "immature," and "irresponsible" while working for the governor, you'd think your chances for another state job are screwed. Lucky for Khari Edwards—who was fired and blasted for his improper conduct with the State Liquor Authority in this mess—Albany is like bizarro world! The State Senate Democrats have hired him to a $75,204/year job as special assistant to Democratic conference leader John Sampson, in spite of the Inspector General's assessment from the SLA probe, "The Inspector General finds that Edwards is ill-suited to serve as a representative of the Governor's office, and recommends that his employment be terminated," pointing out that he lied under oath and "devoid of any appreciation of the seriousness of the Inspector General's proceedings." This new $75K gig also pays $5,000 more than his old one in the governor's office—it's so win-win! Sampson's spokeswoman told the Times Union, "Khari Edwards was hired on the merits. He has learned from experience, and will make the most of the opportunity to again serve the people of New York."

Pedro G. Espada's short reign as the new "deputy director of intergovernmental affairs" came to an end yesterday, when his dad, Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. said his son would resign the $120,000 position. The senior Espada told the Daily News, "We don't want to get off to this kind of start and certainly my son does not want it for himself... To remove any suggestion that this was a result of my influence, rather than him earning his way on to the position, he will withdraw. It's a new day in the Senate, new leadership, reforms are in place. My son never sought this. He had a better paying job, but he wanted to come back into public service."