Sep
02

Lazio Sends Follow-Up Letter to Andrew Cuomo Regarding Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

September 2, 2010:

Rick Lazio, the Republican and Conservative candidate for Governor, sent the following letter to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo:

The Honorable Andrew Cuomo
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341
 
Dear Attorney General Cuomo,

Several weeks ago I wrote to you with my concerns over the backers of a proposed Cordoba Mosque near the hallowed land of Ground Zero.  For weeks while I have awaited your response, and for you to do your duty as overseer of the state’s charitable organizations, many aspects about Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf have come to light.

As most New Yorkers may have seen in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Imam Rauf desires the abolishment of the Jewish state of Israel.

On November 27 1977, the Imam wrote, "In a true peace it is impossible that a purely Jewish state of Palestine can endure." Rauf continued, "In a true peace, Israel will, in our lifetimes, become one more Arab country, with a Jewish minority."
 
Andrew, how much more evidence do you need to understand that this Imam is neither a bridge-builder nor a peacemaker?  When will you put in place a system to insure transparency of the Ground Zero Mosque?  Are you really in agreement that this Imam is a peaceful person?
 
I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Rick Lazio

###

Aug
31

Will Dan Maffei Run Against His Own Record?

August 31, 2010 - From RNC:



Democrats in Disarray

DCCC Leader Van Hollen Threatens To Cut Off Failing Campaigns, Gives Dems Permission To run Against Their Own PARTY 

After Supporting The Failed Obama-Pelosi Agenda, Will Dan Maffei Take The Latest Marching Orders From Washington Democrats And Run Against His Own Record?  

From Politico: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen sent a cold-blooded message Friday to under-performing party candidates: Get your act together, or you’re on your own. Facing a perilous political environment that has left the House Democratic majority in jeopardy, Van Hollen told reporters in a briefing at the National Press Club that the party faces a series of difficult decisions about which candidates to invest in this fall — and whom to leave behind.  “At the end of the day, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will look at races we can win,” Van Hollen said.  The Maryland congressman explained that the committee would take a close read of polling and candidate fundraising “so we can make a determination about whether or not those campaigns can be successful”…He also indicated that Democratic leaders had given vulnerable members permission to distance — and in some cases outright criticize — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in campaign ads, as Indiana Rep. Joe Donnelly, Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire and North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre all have done. “I think the Democratic leaders have said the job of the members is to reflect the views of their constituents as best as they are able,” he said.

Republican Statement:

• Dan Maffei Voted With Democrats In Washington 96.3% Of The Time. (House Voting With Party Scores, The Washington Post’s Votes Database, Accessed: 8/30/10)
• Dan Maffei When The Stimulus Bill Passed: “Under a new Congress and a new President the House has now passed legislation that will improve the economy...There are parts of this bill that will provide an immediate injection into the Western and Central New York economy and create jobs, and there are provisions for our long-term economic growth.” (Press Release, 1/28/2009)

• Dan Maffei now:  “Okay, maybe the recovery bill wasn’t everything that it could have been…” (Eye On Albany Spotlight, The Citizen, 8/30/10)

Aug
27

Deadbeat Dem Pedro Espada Breaks Promise to Repay $13,500 to State Board of Elections

August 25, 2010 - From the Daily News:

Aug
27

Poll: Voters Now Trust Republicans More on All 10 Key Issues

August 27, 2010 - From Rasmussen Reports:

Voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 of the important issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.

The GOP has consistently been trusted on most issues for months now, but in July they held the lead on only nine of the key issues. 

Republicans lead Democrats 47% to 39% on the economy, which remains the most important issue to voters. Those numbers are nearly identical to those found in June. Republicans have held the advantage on the economy since May of last year.

But for the first time in months, Republicans now hold a slight edge on the issues of government ethics and corruption, 40% to 38%. Voters have been mostly undecided for the past several months on which party to trust more on this issue, but Democrats have held small leads since February. Still, more than one-in-five voters (22%) are still not sure which party to trust more on ethics issues.

To continue reading, click here...

Aug
27

Letter from Chairman Cox, Re. Rick Lazio

August 27, 2010,

THE NEW YORK REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE EDWARD F. COX CHAIRMAN

August 27, 2010

Dear Republican Leader:

With yet another disastrous budget by Albany Democrats, now more than ever we must stand together and support Rick Lazio in his campaign to be the next governor of New York State.

After an extensive grassroots screening process, Rick Lazio was the sole candidate chosen by your wide-open Republican State Convention to run for governor on the Republican line.

Rick is a credible and experienced candidate. He is a strong advocate for our Republican values and has the ability and experience to run an effective state-wide campaign and to govern New York in accordance with those values.

New York is being crushed by the taxing, spending and borrowing of the Democrats who control all of Albany. Their corruption, dysfunction and mismanagement have discouraged investment and driven businesses and jobs from our borders. That is why we must unite to defeat Andrew Cuomo who has been a part of New York’s Democratic establishment for more than thirty years.

A recent Associated Press article’s headline, "Lazio Rising," says it all about Rick’s ability to lead our ticket. In just the past several weeks, Rick’s campaign has girded itself for the general election with new staff and renewed intensity. His fundraising is up, and he is on the airwaves across the state. Rick’s leadership focused national attention on Andrew Cuomo’s failure to investigate funding for the Mosque at Ground Zero, and last Sunday he effectively addressed the issue on NBC’s Meet the Press. Rick is a credible candidate who can lead our ticket to the most significant and important Republican victories in New York since 1994.

This Election Day presents great opportunities for our party. New Yorkers of all political stripes are looking to our fiscally conservative principles to lift the burden on our forgotten taxpayers and the State’s economy and end our fiscal crisis. We can win state-wide offices, take back the Senate majority, make substantial Assembly gains and contribute more to winning the U.S. House of Representatives than any other state in the union.

To do this we must come together to fight against the corruption, dysfunction and failed policies of the Democrats in Albany. We are on our way to great victories in November, but uniting behind our designated candidate at the top of the ticket is essential to that success.

Sincerely,

Edward F. Cox Chairman, New York Republican State Committee

Aug
23

Buerkle Giving Incumbent Dem Maffei a Run for His Money!

Voters in the northeast suburbs might experience a real race for Congress.

Republican Ann Marie Buerkle has had some unexpected boosts in her race to replace Rep. Dan Maffei, a freshman Democrat.

An endorsement from Sarah Palin could draw new contributions — she desperately needs some if she's going to get her message out — and an extra place on the ballot, courtesy of an endorsement from the Independence Party, could help attract votes.

Competitive races in New York can be hard to come by as the state Legislature has drawn congressional districts for the maximum political benefit of one party.

To continue reading, click here...

Aug
20

Welcome to the Economic Recovery?

August 20, 2010 - From The RNC:

"The Obama Economic Recovery Continues To Lumber Forward With All The Momentum Of A Blind, Three-Legged Elephant." (Editorial, "The Obama Recovery," Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/8/10)

DISMAL STATE JOBS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS DREADFUL EMPLOYMENT SITUATION

"It Was 'Dumb' For President Obama And His Aides To Promise That Unemployment Would Not Surpass Eight Percent If The Stimulus Act Passed, [Rep. Barney Frank] Said Tuesday. . . 'That Was A Dumb Thing To Do.'" (Michael O'Brien, "Frank: Obama Admin 'Dumb' To Predict No Higher Than 8% Unemployment," The Hill, 8/19/10)

BLS Reported Today That 14 States Saw Rate Increases In July, And 18 States Had No Change. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary," Press Release, 8/20/10)

•  The Unemployment Rate In Several States Has Remained Painfully High. "Nevada again reported the highest unemployment rate among the states, 14.3 percent in July. The rate in Nevada also set a new series high. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) The states with the next highest rates were Michigan, 13.1 percent, and California, 12.3 percent." (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary," Press Release, 8/20/10)

According To BLS, 13 States Lost Jobs In July.  (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary," Press Release, 8/20/10)

ECONOMISTS NOW WARNING THAT ECONOMY WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE

CBO Projects Sluggish Growth Through 2011. "All of those forces, along with the waning of federal fiscal support, will tend to restrain spending by individuals and businesses--and, therefore, economic growth--during the recovery. CBO projects that the economy will grow by only 2.0 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011; even with faster growth in subsequent years, the unemployment rate will not fall to around 5 percent until the end of 2014." ("The Budget And Economic Outlook: Update," Congressional Budget Office, 8/19/10)

"Not Since The Government Began To Measure The Ups And Downs Of The Business Cycle Has Such A Deep Recession Been Followed By Such Anemic Job Growth." "Jobs came back at a faster pace even in March 1933 after the economy started to "recover" from the depths of the Great Depression. Of course, that job growth didn't last long. That recovery wasn't really a recovery at all. The Great Depression continued. And that's exactly my point. The Great Recession continues." (Robert Reich, "Forget a Double-Dip, We're Still in One Long Big Dipper," The Huffington Post, 8/14/10)

David Rosenberg, Chief Economist At Gluskin, Sheff & Associates, Believes That There Is A "Significant Chance" The Economy Could Begin Retracting By The End Of The Year. "I don't see what the underpinnings are for the economy are. When I take right now a look at the numbers, we're looking at third quarter growth close to zero. It looks like second quarter is going to get revised from 2.4 down to as low as one or 1.5. I'm thinking flat for the third quarter -- I mean there's no growth in consumer spending and that's 70 percent of GDP ... This will be the big surprise: I think there is a significant chance in the fourth quarter that the economy could be contracting again." (The Wall Street Journal, "The Big Interview," 8/13/10)

•  "I'd Say That If You Don't Believe There Is Going To Be A Double Dip Maybe That's Because The First Recession Never Ended. . . If There Is Gonna Be A Double-Dip The Odds Are Actually Very High." (The Wall Street Journal, "The Big Interview," 8/13/10)

AND THE PUBLIC HAS LOST FAITH IN OBAMA AND HIS POLICIES

AP-Gfk Poll: President Obama's Approval Rating On Economy Have Sunk To New Lows. "President Barack Obama earned his lowest marks ever on his handling of the economy in a new Associated Press-GfK poll, which also found that an overwhelming majority of Americans now describe the nation's financial outlook as poor. A frustrated electorate could take it out on the party in power -- Obama's Democrats -- in the November elections." (Liz Sidoti, "Poll: Obama Gets Lowest Grade So Far On Economy," The Associated Press, 8/18/10 

56 Percent Of Voters Disapprove Of President Obama's Performance On The Economy Including 41 Percent Who Strongly Disapprove. (Poll, "The AP-Gfk Poll," The Associated Press, 1007 Adults, +/- 4.5% MOE, 8/11-8/16/10)

•  65 Percent Of Voters Know Someone Personally That Has Lost Their Job. (Poll, "The AP-Gfk Poll," The Associated Press, 1007 Adults, +/- 4.5% MOE, 8/11-8/16/10)
• 61 Percent Of Voters Disapprove Of The Way That The Democrats In Congress Are Handling Their Jobs. (Poll, "The AP-Gfk Poll," The Associated Press, 1007 Adults, +/- 4.5% MOE, 8/11-8/16/10)

"WELCOME TO THE RECOVERY": 64 Percent Of Respondents Say That In The Next Year The Economy Will Stay About The Same Or Get Worse, Only 34 Percent Believe That It Will Improve. (Hart/McInturff Poll, "NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey," 1000 Adults, MOE +/- 3.1%, 8/5-8/9/10)

40 Percent Of Respondents Say That The Country Is In Worse Shape Or About The Same Since Obama Took Office. (Hart/McInturff Poll, "NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey," 1000 Adults, MOE +/- 3.1%, 8/5-8/9/10)

A Plurality Of Respondents, 38 Percent, "Not At All Confident" Obama Has "The Right Set Of Goals And Policies In Order To Be President." (Hart/McInturff Poll, "NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey," 1000 Adults, MOE +/- 3.1%, 8/5-8/9/10)

And A Plurality, 39 Percent, Say That They Are "Not At All Confident" That President Obama Has "The Right Set Of Goals And Policies To Improve The Economy." (Hart/McInturff Poll, "NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey," 1000 Adults, MOE +/- 3.1%, 8/5-8/9/10)

Aug
20

ANDREW CUOMO IS NOT A FISCAL REFORMER IF HE ACCEPTS WORKING FAMILIES PARTY LINE: NYFG

Working Families Party is "Anathema to Reform"

Aug 20, 2010 - From New Yorker's for Growth:

New York, NY-Aug. 20...New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) cannot accept the Working Families Party (WFP) line and claim to be a fiscal reformer, fiscal reform group New Yorkers for Growth today said. 

The WFP, which is closely associated with the radical group ACORN, is a collection of unions and special interest organizations that oppose virtually all efforts of fiscal reform in state and local government.  The WFP advocates higher state spending, dramatically higher taxes, borrowing, and more expensive union contracts, despite New York's deteriorating fiscal picture. 

"Andrew Cuomo is saying a lot of the right things about fiscal reform, but if he accepts the WFP line it will be a clear indication that he is not serious about it," said New Yorkers for Growth spokesman, former Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld. "It's decision time for Mr. Cuomo:Is he going to be a reformer if we elect him, or is he going to be just another Albany politician? What he does with the WFP will tell all."

To learn more about New Yorkers for Growth, please visit www.newyorkersforgrowth.com.

                                                                 ###

Aug
19

Owens, Maffei, Murphy Duck Mosque Issue to Avoid Breaking with Party

August 19, 2010, From the NRCC:

It’s no surprise to voters across New York State, but once again Bill Owens, Dan Maffei and Scott Murphy are proving just how loyal they are to party leaders in Washington.  Instead of taking a stand against their party, these “vulnerable Democrats” are ducking and dodging an important issue to the American people, especially New Yorkers and the families who lost loved ones on 9/11.

“A few vulnerable Democrats have chosen to stay silent on the matter, including Syracuse-area Rep. Dan Maffei, Rep. Bill Owens in northern New York and Albany-area Rep. Scott Murphy.” (Beth Fouhy, “Mosque Debate Divides Democrats, Especially in NY,” Associated Press, 8/19/2010)

If Owens, Maffei and Murphy refuse to stand up against their leadership after such an insensitive decision by the President relating to the Ground Zero mosque, will they ever put politics aside and do what’s right for their constituents?  Do they agree with Speaker Pelosi that we should investigate the “attacks aimed at thwarting the project”?

-30-

Aug
16

Harry Wilson Shares Pension Concerns

August, 16, 2010 - From News Channel 34 Binghampton:

Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, Harry Wilson says some Southern Tier residents are going to be socked with what he calls the DiNapoli tax.  Wilson, who most recently served on the auto industry crisis federal task force team, was recently in Binghamton outlining his concerns.

Wilson says over the next six years the pension contributions of state and local governments will roughly triple and as a result the average New York household will see its share of pension contribution costs skyrocket by $1,300.  Currently, the average is $500 and Wilson says they will increase to $1,800 per household.  He says the reason is due to a secretive pension borrowing scheme to mask an under-performing pension fund, which state comptroller Tom DiNapoli is in charge of.

Wilson says the scheme would let the state borrow money from the state pension fund to make constitutionally required payments to the same fund, but with interest.  Wilson also says borrowing equals not paying the state pension fund what it's owed and that while borrowing can give municipalities some immediate relief in the short-term to delay payments, he says it makes things worse in the long-run because municipalities will have to make up for what they don't pay now with interest.

"What I really want to alert New Yorkers to, what we're spending all of our time focused on, is explaining New York State is in the early stages of a massive fiscal crisis. That's really horrible news because I know New Yorkers across the state are hurting right now, but if you look at how bad the numbers are over the next two years, the state budget, our pension problems all get dramatically worse. And, that's going to result in higher taxes for a state that's already paying the highest tax burden in the country. The only way we can fix that is if we bring in new leaders who are honest with people about the size of our problems, not just hide them so they can get past another election and keep their jobs. We need people who are more interested in saving the state than their jobs. And, secondly we need people who are tough enough to be able to deal with them. There are going to be some really tough choices. There are no free lunches out there."

Wilson says if elected one of the things he would do is lower the 8 percent pension fund return assumption to a rate of 5% or 6%.  He says the return rate hasn't reached 5% in the past decade.  He also says making lower risk investments would be wise and the idea of having 401k's instead of pensions for new workers should at least be looked at.

A spokesman for DiNapoli says Wilson's claims are inaccurate and misleading.  He says, for one, the proposed borrowing option has been in the legislature for the past year and has not been secretive.  Robert Whalen also says lowering the assumption rate would boost combined contributions from employers from $3.5 billion to about $10 billion, which taxpayers would have to make up.  He says Wilson's plan takes the hammer to taxpayers.  Wilson responds by saying any gap shouldn't be filled with increasing taxes.

Instead the legislature would have to look at cutting spending more.  Wilson says the state needs to apply private sector standards to the problem and deal with it.