I was able to do what the Times Union and Casey "spellcheck" Seilor failed to do. That's right, I got to the bottom of LT's resignation and the letter to the editor sent by Cavullo, Weissman, Jacobs and Renzi (now known as the feeble four).
I sat LT down over canolis and espresso for an interview, no holds barred. And since she was in exit mode and pissed off I think I got some very important information out of her. When I was done I tracked down the feeble four at a diner down the road from the Times Union. They were in the middle of a strategy session and busy slapping each other and themselves on the back for the Wall Street Journal story that followed their letter to the editor of the Times Union.
Here are my notes from both interviews.
Me: So LT any regrets?
LT: We don't have enough canoli and espresso for me to tell you all my regrets but lets focus on the big ones.
Me: OK what is your biggest regret?
LT: I would have to say it was my dinner with the governor.
Me: Do you really think the media fallout from one chance meeting in your family's restaurant had an effect on the way people on the commission and in the media reacted to your work at JCOPE?
LT: No no no you are missing the point I regret not wearing a hotter outfit. I had the gov literally eating out of my hand and didn't close the deal
Me: Lets focus on your professional life not your love life, have you been feuding with the feeble four?
LT: Lets just say what isn't happening in my love life happens everyday to me at JCOPE. The commissioners question every decision I make, micromanage every single action I take, which I wouldn't mind since it's in my nature to do as I'm told by strong people but these idiots couldn't find JCOPE with a 10 man search party. Have you noticed how many of the commissioners actually show up at meetings?
Me: I have it's disgraceful.
LT: The way these commissioners approach the job is the biggest problem JCOPE faces. They all have an inflated opinion of themselves. Every one of them is absolutely positive they are right and the ones that are the least right are the same ones with the strongest opinions. I wish I could stay for just one more meeting to bitch slap Commissioner Roth.
Me: Why are you leaving just two days before the next meeting? Who is going to run the meeting?
LT: Who gives a fuck who runs the meeting. Dan will um his way thru it. That weasel Weissman will politely make some snarky comment about some inane technical point and then they will go into executive session to argue about who is smarter. If I had to do one more executive session I would bitch slap Commissioner Roth.
Me: Do you think the recent letter to the editor by Weissman, Cavullo, Renzi and Jacobs has merit?
LT: First of all don't kid yourself it might have been signed by the feeble four but it was all Weissman's doing. The other three are just along for Weissman's narcissism. As to the substance of the letter it is in a word horseshit. The Cuomo guy . . .
Me: What is his name?
LT: How should I know, second floor said appoint him I appoint him. Anyway he was appointed Chief of Staff which is one of the listed positions so Weissman can kiss my ass, which by the way I've caught him checking out on more than one occasion. Then they allege that "the interference continues". I should just open an investigation into the allegations and put those assclowns under oath and see how brave they are.
Me: I suggested that in my blog yesterday.
LT: I know you did I love the blog and read it religiously.
Me. So why don't you do it?
LT: I can't the second floor hasn't said to do it so you know how that works.
Me: So the second floor does interfere with JCOPE's actions
LT: You say interfere I say suggest. And by the way how do the feeble four have the audacity to allege interference and not disclose the specific actions they are referring to? Weissman is asshole buddies with Skelos I hear they talk all the time. Jacobs was Shelly's college roommate. And Renzi was the commissioner that got the call to switch his vote in the Libous case, at least that's what Biben told me.
Me: Are you looking forward to your new position at Tax.
LT: I'm looking forward to auditing the JJOKE commissioners tax returns as soon as I get there.
Me: You just called JCOPE JJOKE do you want to correct the record?
LT: No I want to bitch slap Commissioner Roth.
Me: Thank you for your time and good luck as you join the ranks of former Ethics heads that came before you
LT: Fuck them if any one of them had done their jobs I wouldn't be talking to you
I left LT and caught up with the feeble four
Me: Gentlemen would any one of you care to comment on your recent letter to the editor?
They all look at Weissman
Weissman: We can't comment because of the secrecy that surrounds our work.
Me: But you have made an allegation of activity that would violate the Public Officers Law that you enforce.
Jacobs: What's the Public Officers Law?
Renzi: Did we really do that George?
Cavullo: Can I get another doughnut?
Weissman: It's not our job to bring an action against the governor it's LT's job.
Me: Well actually it is your job if you are making the allegation. You are all attorneys you have an affirmative obligation to report the type of activity you allege.
Jacobs: I'm a retired attorney.
Renzi: I'm from Watertown and my wife is smoking hot.
Cavullo: Can I get another doughnut for Christ's sake!!
Weissman: The secrecy provisions at JCOPE prevent us from disclosing that information even to ourselves.
Me: But if you made a complaint you could disclose the complaint itself. Any party that makes a complaint can do that just ask Trump.
Jacobs: How do you spell complaint?
Renzi: My wife complains that I don't satisfy her.
Cavullo: You want a complaint? Where's my fucking doughnut?
Weissman: This interview is over I have to provide Dean an update on the letter to the editor.
Jacobs: Should I call Shelly?
Renzi: I once got a call from Biben on Libous
Cavullo: Shut up Renzi and bring me a doughnut bitch.
Me: Thank you for your time that cleared a lot up.
can you tell the difference between Rob Cohen and Cosmo Kramer?
monkeeys
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
We interupt the novel for reaction to the latest JJOKE scandal
I know I know I'm really not interrupting anything since I haven't posted since mid June.
And for those wondering what is going to happen to your favorite characters in the novel . . . I don't have a clue. I hate all of them and had to take a break to cleanse my soul.
I wasn't blogging about JJOKE for several reasons. First they bore me. Second I've been busy with another surge in my business. I'm getting to the point where I turn down as much work as I accept. It might be time to expand and split the consulting practice into compliance filing and ethics strategy. Stay tuned on that one. Third I've been giving JJOKE the silent treatment because for the most part they've been pretty good from my point of view. They listen to advice and have been behaving themselves for the most part. Granted there are still some weak employees left but Martin and LT seem to have a handle on them. I'm overjoyed that Milgram is gone ditto for that clown Rob Cohen and Uncle Vinny's niece even flew the coop, Shari Calnero is gone.. But there is one employee that retired and came back to collect her one day a week overpayment from the state taxpayers. I let LT know how wrong I thought it was that she would allow this retired staffer to make more for one day of unneeded work (assuming she actually works) than many staffers make for a full week of unneeded work. But I digress.
Why am I blogging today when I should be floating in my pool figuring out how to split my business, and bring in more money? Because 4 JJOKE commissioners wrote a letter to the editor claiming recent actions at JJOKE were illegal. That was too good not to comment on.
Lets start with the allegation that the hiring of a former Cuomo AG staffer was illegal because the job title doesn't exist. The claim is factually in error and intellectually dishonest. The 4 commissioners (Cavullo, Weissman, Jacobs and Renzi - more on them later) completely omit the fact that this Cuomo apparatchik was also appointed as Chief of Staff a title that DOES exist. End of argument.
But that's not what this letter to the editor was really about. It was about the process to appoint the next executive director. They don't want another Cuomo person. Too bad but that is what you are going to get Cuomo has the votes and the 4 commissioners don't. Weissman and Cavullo were appointed by currently under federal indictment Dean Skelos, but Skelos's third appointee Mary Lou Rath did not sign on. Jacobs was appointed by currently under federal indictment Shelly Silver but the other two assembly democratic appointees did not sign on. Add Renzi and you have 4 commissioners out of 14 that approve of the sentiment that the next executive director should be a non Cuomo person. That's 10 to 4 Cuomo wins again. Weissman Cavullo Jacobs and Renzi need a math for dummies tutorial but that's not what has me blogging.
It's their allegation that the "incessant interference continues" at JCOPE. OK guys who is interfering? Name names, explain your allegation, throw back the curtain and show us who the wizard of JJOKE really is. And by the way I believe you that the incessant interference continues and it is a violation of the Public Officers Law that you enforce. Don't write a bullshit letter to the editor and to the Times Union no less, grow a pair and insist that JCOPE investigate your allegation.
Or if you don't have the balls to do that at least have the courtesy when your appointing authority is indicted to resign, you're presence on JCOPE is unseemly and laughable. And what's worse Cavullo and Weissman were two of the best JJOKE had. Granted that's a low bar but I'm having dejavu all over again. When will Teitelbaum Ginsberg Chercasky and Feerick be returning?
Oh one more thing how is it possible those top notch reporters at the Times Useless like Casey "spellcheck" Seilor missed the real story? Come on Casey at least ask the 4 commissioners who is interfering and how.
And for those wondering what is going to happen to your favorite characters in the novel . . . I don't have a clue. I hate all of them and had to take a break to cleanse my soul.
I wasn't blogging about JJOKE for several reasons. First they bore me. Second I've been busy with another surge in my business. I'm getting to the point where I turn down as much work as I accept. It might be time to expand and split the consulting practice into compliance filing and ethics strategy. Stay tuned on that one. Third I've been giving JJOKE the silent treatment because for the most part they've been pretty good from my point of view. They listen to advice and have been behaving themselves for the most part. Granted there are still some weak employees left but Martin and LT seem to have a handle on them. I'm overjoyed that Milgram is gone ditto for that clown Rob Cohen and Uncle Vinny's niece even flew the coop, Shari Calnero is gone.. But there is one employee that retired and came back to collect her one day a week overpayment from the state taxpayers. I let LT know how wrong I thought it was that she would allow this retired staffer to make more for one day of unneeded work (assuming she actually works) than many staffers make for a full week of unneeded work. But I digress.
Why am I blogging today when I should be floating in my pool figuring out how to split my business, and bring in more money? Because 4 JJOKE commissioners wrote a letter to the editor claiming recent actions at JJOKE were illegal. That was too good not to comment on.
Lets start with the allegation that the hiring of a former Cuomo AG staffer was illegal because the job title doesn't exist. The claim is factually in error and intellectually dishonest. The 4 commissioners (Cavullo, Weissman, Jacobs and Renzi - more on them later) completely omit the fact that this Cuomo apparatchik was also appointed as Chief of Staff a title that DOES exist. End of argument.
But that's not what this letter to the editor was really about. It was about the process to appoint the next executive director. They don't want another Cuomo person. Too bad but that is what you are going to get Cuomo has the votes and the 4 commissioners don't. Weissman and Cavullo were appointed by currently under federal indictment Dean Skelos, but Skelos's third appointee Mary Lou Rath did not sign on. Jacobs was appointed by currently under federal indictment Shelly Silver but the other two assembly democratic appointees did not sign on. Add Renzi and you have 4 commissioners out of 14 that approve of the sentiment that the next executive director should be a non Cuomo person. That's 10 to 4 Cuomo wins again. Weissman Cavullo Jacobs and Renzi need a math for dummies tutorial but that's not what has me blogging.
It's their allegation that the "incessant interference continues" at JCOPE. OK guys who is interfering? Name names, explain your allegation, throw back the curtain and show us who the wizard of JJOKE really is. And by the way I believe you that the incessant interference continues and it is a violation of the Public Officers Law that you enforce. Don't write a bullshit letter to the editor and to the Times Union no less, grow a pair and insist that JCOPE investigate your allegation.
Or if you don't have the balls to do that at least have the courtesy when your appointing authority is indicted to resign, you're presence on JCOPE is unseemly and laughable. And what's worse Cavullo and Weissman were two of the best JJOKE had. Granted that's a low bar but I'm having dejavu all over again. When will Teitelbaum Ginsberg Chercasky and Feerick be returning?
Oh one more thing how is it possible those top notch reporters at the Times Useless like Casey "spellcheck" Seilor missed the real story? Come on Casey at least ask the 4 commissioners who is interfering and how.
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