WHO SHOULD STAY AND WHO SHOULD GO

Today’s Times Union had a very interesting article by Jim Odato for all you conspiracy theorists out there.

You can read it here

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Integrity-panel-s-farewell-1431239.php

Just why were they having a meeting before the governor signs the bill? It’s pretty clear from the comments of the outgoing commissioner’s that they wanted one last shot at those high profile investigations they have routinely flubbed. These guys have turned more routine outs into errors than the New York Mets (I’d have said Yankees but with the commission’s ties to that team and the Patterson case it was too easy).
And on that subject you got to wonder who was providing the information to Odato? Walter “GOT SCOTCH” Ayres? Or perhaps one of the commissioners? There has been quite a bit of speculation around town that the Spitzer era commissioner’s are not fans of the gov or the legislature and are leaking like sieves. Or could it be Barry Ginsberg the soon to be outgoing ED? A word to the wise Barry if you want help on your transition to ex ed status don’t bite the hand that feeds you. The fact that Walter is still employed lends credence to the rumor that the Got Scotch comment was yours not his.
In addition the agenda showed an executive session pursuant to section 105 (1) (d) and (f) of the Public Officers Law. Sub (d) is what they use to discuss pending cases nothing new there but sub (f)? That’s personnel decisions. You have to wonder was the Spitzer crowd going to try and pull a fast one? Or was the commission going to take the appropriate business step of downsizing in light of the bills effect? Either way whoever pulled the plug on this meeting did the right thing. At this point let’s get the bill signed and take the patient off life support. I’d hate to see what would happen if Barry Walter et al get another chance at the governor or legislature now. The scotch would just be the beginning.
Here’s what should happen. The governor signs the bill, the commission staff that is not needed to fulfill the function of form intake processing and disclosure is laid off, a new commission is quickly appointed and a new staff and ED are hired. Start to finish it should take less than a month not the 6 months to a year the commission is claiming it will take (although it did take them longer than that and they still don’t work) And none of the existing investigations, to the extent they are valid, would be endangered.
Since all you would need is caretaker staffing during the interim you could lay off the following departments and individuals and still fulfill the requirements of the new legislation, Trust me no one would miss them.


EXECUTIVE

BARRY GINSBERG
DEBORAH L. NOVAK
Barry is at the heart of the problem just read the IG report page 154

PUBLIC INFORMATION

WALTER C. AYRES — Public Information Officer
TONI L. DIEHL — Confidential Stenographer
Got scotch? Need I say more

COUNSEL'S OFFICE

THERESA A. SCHILLACI — Special Counsel
RALPH P. MICCIO — Special Counsel & Audit Supervisor
SHARI CALNERO — Associate Counsel
BRIDGET E. HOLOHAN — Associate Counsel
BARBARA H. O'NEILL — Associate Counsel
MELINDA E. FUNK — Confidential Assistant
JENNIFER W. SABADAY-SNOW — Confidential Stenographer
No investigations no opinions no enforcement NO LAWYERS

INVESTIGATIONS

ROBERT J. SHEA — Confidential Investigator
LAWRENCE J. MURELLO — Confidential Investigator
SCOTT A. CLARK — Confidential Investigator
LORI DONADIO — Confidential Legal Assistant
No investigations NO INVESTIGATORS You should replace these folks with retired FBI agents there are plenty in town and available and they come with their own benefits so you save money

TRAINING

RICHARD H. A. WASHBURN — Manager of Training
HOWARD W. GRIEVES — Training Associate
BETHNEY A. DENNO — Training Associate
MARLENA C. DIAZ — Training Assistant
We need charter schools for ethics training Time for some new teachers and new classes

AUDIT UNIT

MICHAEL T. FURNARI — Compliance Auditor
MARIA E. GUEVARA — Compliance Auditor
AMY HOSLER — Compliance Auditor
No investigations no audits NO AUDITORS Let the new investigators perform this function

ADMINISTRATION

JEANNINE M. CLEMENTE — Administrative Director
Not much work to be done after bill signing and it’s dangerous to let these folks make decisions that affect who stays and who goes.

HEARING OFFICER

CHRISTINE C. KOPEC
This one is funny but no one could keep a straight face and say you need a hearing officer ever again.

With what would be left and the quick hiring of those retired FBI agents you could be up and running in short order and rebuild the new agency into something to be proud of. Of course it all depends on who gets appointed to the commission BECAUSE IT’S THE PEOPLE NOT THE LAW THAT REALLY MATTERS.

HEY WALTER YOU CAN NOW RETIRE THE NAME THAT DOPE AWARD

Walter Ayers the former (oops I might have jumped the gun on that but not by much) spokesperson for the PIC just provided the Times Union the following quote related to the soon to be passed ethics bill

“While many New Yorkers are struggling to put gas in their cars, it appears many of our political leaders will not have to worry about putting Scotch in their bellies.”

Are you kidding me Walter? After all these years of saying the politically correct thing you decide now to call the governor and the legislators liquor swilling pigs. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Bad judgement. (say that with a Russian accent and you could be the next Teddy KGB)

Do you think it’s because the new bill does not provide for a transfer of employees? Or is it because soon to be former Executive Director Barry Ginsberg is allegedly packing his parachute and hoping to land at the controller’s office? And by the way guys Barry is only packing one parachute and no guarantee now that it even opens since Walter just sewed it shut.
If it helps here’s a list of the rest of the insane clown posse I’d get rid of if anyone asked.

In no particular order:

Ralph Miccio lawyer

Terry Schellaci lawyer

Bridget Hoolihan lawyer

All the investigators Bob, Larry and Scott (aka Curly, Moe and Larry)

The education unit – it hasn’t helped


I could go on and on but it does bring up a serious point. The bill correctly stops PIC from taking any action after it becomes law for a very good reason. No one trusts Barry Walter et al from being vindictive, and judging from Walter’s quote that’s probably a smart move. By the way I got a couple of Barry letters last week after the bill was announced threatening my clients on trivial matters. I decided not to blog about them or tell Barry to go f himself because I know how stressful this time in his life must be (right Walter?) so I’m going to ignore him like the rest of the lobbying community now will.

But the key to ethics enforcement in Albany now is to clean out the mess Spitzer left in the PIC and bury the garbage so it doesn’t pollute the new agency which will need to built quickly and with some forethought. Let me know if I can help I still got that shovel.