Oct
28
Obama Backers Tied to Lobbies Raise Millions
The New York Times
October 28, 2011
Eric Lichtblau
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/us/politics/obama-bundlers-have-ties-to-lobbying.html?ref=todayspaper
Sep
06
DECISION 2011 (WKTV)- The New York State Republican Chairman says former Democrat Assemblywoman and current state Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito is violating the Governor's ethical standards by appearing in campaign mailers for the democrat seeking her assembly seat.
The ads are set in places that do business with the Office of General Services, such as SUNYIT in Marcy.
"In an advisory opinion offered by the New York State Ethics Commission with regards to state officials having involvement in political campaigns, they ruled, 'No officer or employee of a state agency...should use or attempt to use (their) official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for (themselves) or others..." said State Republican Chairman Ed Cox.
Cox and the committee are calling on the governor to enlist his Joint Commission on Ethics to investigate the matter.
Commissioner Destito is one of several members of the governor's cabinet who traveled the state earlier this year, advancing the importance of ethics and the governor's proposed ethics reform.
Late Friday night, Heather Groll from the Office of General Services released the following statement. "She has been a public figure for many years so there are many photos of her out there. She cannot control how her image is used or by whom. This photo was taken prior to her confirmation and no laws were violated. Since last week, Commissioner Destito has been singularly focused on storm preparation and response efforts. This will continue to be her top priority as the families, communities and businesses affected by Hurricane Irene work towards recovery."
Jul
21
New York Post
By ED COX
Albany - July 21, 2011...On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced a key part of his plan for his second six months in office: a $10 million ad campaign aimed at "business leaders across the world."
Sorry: That's not delivering on the governor's extensive unfinished agenda. With Cuomo's end-of-session focus on marriage, major issues crucial to New York's fiscal and economic recovery wound up receiving at best cursory treatment.
As Cuomo himself noted in demurring last week to vice-presidential speculation, "We're literally hemorrhaging people from our borders right now."
Once you factor in our higher cost of living, New York families are among America's poorest. As the state with the heaviest tax burden and the least economic freedom, New York ranks at the top in the export of jobs and productive citizens.
Yes, the governor won widespread praise for his first budget and legislative successes. But in his campaign, he pledged a fiscally responsible, job-creating government -- and key changes are yet to come.
Local government-mandate relief, reform of government pensions and benefits, job-creating tax reform and education reform are only some of the politically difficult matters requiring Albany's attention.
Driven by state and federal mandates, which can eat up 85 percent or more of a county budget, New York property taxes are double the national average.
Yes, the governor joined Senate Republicans in passing one of the country's strongest property-tax caps. But relief from state mandates addresses the major of high local property taxes.
The Medicaid mandate is by far the most onerous. Letting counties structure their own Medicaid programs or capping counties' Medicaid obligations would unite funding and program responsibilities -- reducing costs and improving services for the nation's most expensive Medicaid program.
Cuomo said last week that public-pension reform will be his top goal for next year. Given the unions' power, meaningful reforms will be difficult to enact. To set an example and end the connection between longevity in office and pension benefits, a first step could be adopting defined-contribution plans (in line with private-sector pensions) for future elected and appointed officials.
Also vital is to selectively and intelligently reduce taxes affecting businesses and job creation -- so that New York can stop being America's No. 1 exporter of jobs and people. The days of assuming that America's most productive people will come here, despite our tax and regulatory schemes, ended long ago.
Then there's school reform -- which is not just an economic imperative, but also a matter of social justice. New York spends top dollar on K-through-12 education, but gets mediocre results. That's especially true in our inner cities, where access to a good education has become the civil-rights issue of our time.
Key reforms include fostering more effective charter schools, merit pay for teachers, more aid to parochial schools and the elimination of stultifying laws such as "Last in first out" for teacher layoffs. Can Cuomo end Assembly Democrats' resistance on these fronts?
Some of New York's decay is purely physical -- with the decrepit Tappan Zee Bridge as the poster child. Albany needs to promote public-private partnerships to repair and modernize our aging infrastructure -- and breathe life into the stagnant construction industry.
New York is falling behind competitive states in the Midwest, where GOP governors and legislatures have used their political capital to improve the fiscal and business climate and attract jobs. These states not only erased large budget deficits without raising taxes, but also often went the rest of the way -- reforming government-worker pensions and benefits (and even the related labor-negotiation laws), cutting taxes for business investment and enacting far-reaching school reforms.
Albany faces a daunting political agenda of leftover matters. As the chief executive officer of this blue state, Cuomo must focus on New York's government-driven economic problems and use all his vaunted political skills and carefully preserved political capital just to keep New York competitive and stop the hemorrhaging of jobs and citizens.
Ed Cox is New York State GOP Chairman.
Jul
19
ICYMI - DAVID WEPRIN SUPPORTS MEDICARE-GUTTING OBAMA CARE; POINTS FINGER
CITIZEN TURNER CHALLENGES CAREER POL TO SUPPORT OVERTURN OF ANTI-NEW YORK OBAMA OVER-REACH
Businessman and fed up New Yorker Bob Turner (R), a reform candidate for the congressional seat vacated by Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner (NY-9, (Brooklyn, Queens) today called on Party machine candidate and career-politician David Weprin (D) to join him in supporting the overturn of Obamacare – the Medicare-gutting health care takeover that will cost New York taxpayers billions and reduce the level of care nationwide.
Mayor Bloomberg and Democratic Governor David Paterson passionately opposed Obamacare because of its damaging effects on health care in New York, especially in New York City. In all, Obamacare will cut $500 billion from the Medicare program. Mr. Weprin did nothing to oppose it as an Albany politician, despite its clear detrimental effects on New York State.
“David Weprin has been a politician so long that he seems to have forgotten what real people care about,” Mr. Turner said. “Hint: they want to choose their own doctors and they don’t want Washington bureaucrats in the examining room with them. As a member of Congress, I will fight to preserve Medicare as we know it by overturning Obamacare. Will Mr. Weprin make the same pledge?”
Jul
07
|
Obama Senior Adviser David Plouffe: “The average American does not view the economy through the prism of GDP or unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers.” (Julianna Goldman, “Unemployment Rate Won’t Hobble Obama’s Re-Election, White House Aide Says,” Bloomberg, 7/7/11) The Obama Economy That Obama’s Top Advisers Say Doesn’t Matter: The Current Unemployment Rate Is 9.1 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/6/11)
57 Percent Of Americans Say An Economic Recovery Has Not Begun.(ABC News/The Washington Post, 1002 A, MoE 3.5%, 6/2-5/11) 58 Percent Of Voters Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Economy.(McClatchy-Marist Poll, 801 RV, MoE 3.5%, 6/15-23/11) 60 Percent Of Independent Voters Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Economy. (McClatchy-Marist Poll, 801 RV, MoE 3.5%, 6/15-23/11) |
Jul
06
Democrats' Message Guru Strikingly Silent On Effort To Raise Taxes On New York Job Creators
Albany - As the camera-loving Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer has become well known for his Sunday press conferences where he holds court on issues ranging from caffeinated malt beverages to new legislation prohibiting sex offenders from working at carnivals.
But as both parties continue to debate hiking the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by an additional $2 trillion, Senate Democrat leaders, including Schumer, continue to dig in and insist on at least $400 billion in new tax increases to offset any spending cuts. And the normally voluble Schumer is suddenly silent and circumspect in commenting on how several of these new tax hike proposals would land disproportionately on job creators in New York City.
As the Wall Street Journal reports today:
· Another administration proposal would change the tax treatment of earnings for many investment-fund managers, ending a practice critics regard as unfair. Fund managers often receive an interest in the future profits of partnerships, in return for managing the investments. Under current rules, that share is taxed at capital gains rates, usually 15%, rather than the higher rate for wages. Supporters of the current system say fund managers' partnership interest, known as "carried interest," is really an investment, not wages, and ought to be taxed as such. A similar proposal failed to pass the Senate last year despite lengthy negotiations. Mr. Obama's February budget proposal called for ending capital-gains treatment of carried interest for a range of "investment-services partnerships," not just hedge funds. The administration's latest proposal would raise about $20 billion.
"As the Democrats' message guru, Senator Schumer has positioned himself at the heart of the Democrats' fight to raise taxes. Yet, instead of standing up for his constituents in New York, he's helping to lead the charge in making them pay for his reckless spending record in Washington. While we're sure there are some in New York who may appreciate their Senator's courageous stand on caffeinated malt beverages, why is Chuck Schumer suddenly silent when it comes increasing taxes on job creators in New York City?" National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh said today.
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01
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Jun
14
While President Obama publicly pushes Congressman Weiner to resign, New York Senators Schumer and Gillibrand continue to evade the issue.
"This national distraction has gone on long enough," Cox stated. "Even President Obama realizes how difficult it is to focus on important national issues while media and public attention are focused on the problems of one congressman."
"But Senators Schumer and Gillibrand remain silent as do most of New York's Democratic congressmen. They should ask their colleague, Weiner, to resign and end this media circus."
