Well it's that time of year again
Everyone waiting for this years version of Twas the night.
I'll be posting the full version next week for Casey Seilor's grammer and spell checking but for now enjoy a sneak peak
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all
through the JOKE
Not a lawyer was available, they are all very busy folk;
The top ten lists were written by Milgram with great care,
He hoped that no one noticed how many mistakes were in there;
The prarie doggers were nestled all snug in their cubes,
With visions of retirement they all acted like they were on ludes;
And Biben in her 'kerchief, and DeFiore in her county owned cap,
Had just resigned after taking a long ethics nap,
When on the 2nd floor there arose such a clatter,
Larry Schwartz peeked his head out of Andy’s ass to see what was the matter.
Away to the phone he flew like a flash,
and dialed Horwitz number, Andy's ethics once again the media had put in the trash.
can you tell the difference between Rob Cohen and Cosmo Kramer?
monkeeys
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Nice guys have different rules
The recent media uproar over this public official in Lake George who looked like he was being targeted by the Cuomo hit men got me thinking.
The fellows name is David Wick and according to media accounts he is the Mother Theresa of the North Country.
I've never met Mr. Wick, know absolutely nothing about him and have no connection to Lake George other than I get up there several times a year to visit my college roommate who lives in the village. And I purposely did not call my old roommate to see what he knew about Wick because I wanted to remain blissfully ignorant.
From what I can tell from reading news accounts, the Times Union's editorial and my good friend Fred LeBruns recent column the Cuomo camp is upset at Mr. Wick for not giving the Governor proper credit and deference when it comes to taking credit for washing boats before they are allowed in the lake. Upset enough for a Cuomo minion to travel north to deliver orders to Mr. Wick's employers to fire him. And here is where it gets interesting. The orders were delivered and reported but the media could not nail down the why for several days. First no one knew the answer then it was for a small spill of gas in the lake and then after huge public outcry it is announced that the IG had investigated and discovered a gift violation. AHA thats something I know about and understand.
Mr. Wick solicited a gift from an organization under his jurisdiction. Thats a violation of the Public Officers Law, doesn't matter why he did it and it doesn't matter that he might be Mother Theresa IT"S A VIOLATION.
Now the media should be careful stating that it is trivial because of all the good Mr. Wick has done. Who gets to decide if Mr. Wick is a good guy or a bad guy? And on that point if Mr. Wick was such a stand up guy why didn't he tell the media that he was under investigation for soliciting this gift? He knew about it and could have put a lot of the confusion and unrest to bed by being honest and upfront about it.
Same goes for the commissioners themselves that he reports to. Some of them were involved in the solicitation and use of the gift yet they stood by mute when it came to explaining what was going on.
Ditto for the Cuomo hit man. Why not announce why you want Wick fired?
Instead this is what ethics in New York has come to.
A clear gift ban violation is excused by the media because the wrongdoer is a "good guy".
The Cuomo machine is seen as so corrupt that even when they use a clear violation of the gift ban as a rationale no one believes them and everyone starts looking for the shooter on the grassy knoll.
And we are left with JJOKE to sort it out.
Please JJOKE do not take forever to investigate Mr. Wick AND the commissioners that assisted him.
If the IG facts are accurate the punishment should be the same if Mr. Wick is a good or a bad guy, don't pull another Lopez and throw the book at him because he is a loathsome individual any more than let him off the hook because he is the governor. The statute says the penalty is equal to up to 5 times the value of the gift. Make it 5 times each, for all involved, Wick, the commissioners and the Steamboat Company and then take the opportunity to investigate why the Cuomo hitman traveled north to deliver the message to fire Wick prior to the IG reports public release. What did he know, who told him and why. And if the facts show the Cuomo camp used Wick's transgression as a stalking horse for an ulterior motive take a look at the IG investigation and everything associated with it.
AND DO IT ALL IN PUBLIC and while you are at it explain why a boat ride on Lake George is different than the private jet trip David Boies gave NYAAG David Ellenhorn. (Did you let Ellenhorn skate because he is a "good guy" or because Boies cut a deal?)
That would go a long way to changing the perspective that JCOPE is the wholly owned JJOKE of the Governor.
Here is a list of other Public Officer Law violations you could stop ignoring:
Cuomo's use of state offices to promote his book
The State Democratic Party's failure to register as a lobbyist
Complaints against Schneiderman and DiNapoli
Artists against Fracking failure to register
Susan Lerner's source of funding disclosure's accuracy
Duffy's revolving door and house purchase
DeRosa's advance knowledge of your decisions
I could go on and on
Now I've been hearing from those inside JJOKE that no matter what they do I will criticize them. Maybe yes maybe no but you certainly have made it easier to criticize than compliment. Do something meaningful in the open so it can be evaluated and watch my reaction.
I've also been hearing the tired old argument that "Grandeau thinks he can do a better job than us" Well DUH of course I do. In fact I did for 12 years. My guess is I could do LT's job in about 2 hours a day the rest of the time I'd be leaking stuff to the media to improve my reputation, I'd be destabilizing my commissioners so I had no opposition, I'd be scaring the bejeezus out of those in power and I'd be keeping my head on a swivel to feed my paranoia. Any working hours left over I'd go curling . . . if the media thinks you are a good guy you can get away with that kind of thing.
CORRECTION to my previous blog stating " LT followed the advice that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt." It appears many including LT interpreted this to be my saying LT is stupid. Not the case in fact for the record I think LT is the smartest executive director since . . . yup me. LT's issue isn't intelligence it's confidence. I know she's smart because I have had conversations and arguments in private with her. I think she needs to show that intelligence in public, start getting involved in the public debates about ethics, we deserve that much from you. Don't defer to your Chairman you know more about this issue than he does, I guarantee it. One easy way to do it other than regular interaction with the press would be the simple remedy of allowing a Q and A at the commission meetings, I guarantee if you do 'llI ask a question that provides you an opportunity to show everyone how smart you are. Don't be afraid just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The fellows name is David Wick and according to media accounts he is the Mother Theresa of the North Country.
I've never met Mr. Wick, know absolutely nothing about him and have no connection to Lake George other than I get up there several times a year to visit my college roommate who lives in the village. And I purposely did not call my old roommate to see what he knew about Wick because I wanted to remain blissfully ignorant.
From what I can tell from reading news accounts, the Times Union's editorial and my good friend Fred LeBruns recent column the Cuomo camp is upset at Mr. Wick for not giving the Governor proper credit and deference when it comes to taking credit for washing boats before they are allowed in the lake. Upset enough for a Cuomo minion to travel north to deliver orders to Mr. Wick's employers to fire him. And here is where it gets interesting. The orders were delivered and reported but the media could not nail down the why for several days. First no one knew the answer then it was for a small spill of gas in the lake and then after huge public outcry it is announced that the IG had investigated and discovered a gift violation. AHA thats something I know about and understand.
Mr. Wick solicited a gift from an organization under his jurisdiction. Thats a violation of the Public Officers Law, doesn't matter why he did it and it doesn't matter that he might be Mother Theresa IT"S A VIOLATION.
Now the media should be careful stating that it is trivial because of all the good Mr. Wick has done. Who gets to decide if Mr. Wick is a good guy or a bad guy? And on that point if Mr. Wick was such a stand up guy why didn't he tell the media that he was under investigation for soliciting this gift? He knew about it and could have put a lot of the confusion and unrest to bed by being honest and upfront about it.
Same goes for the commissioners themselves that he reports to. Some of them were involved in the solicitation and use of the gift yet they stood by mute when it came to explaining what was going on.
Ditto for the Cuomo hit man. Why not announce why you want Wick fired?
Instead this is what ethics in New York has come to.
A clear gift ban violation is excused by the media because the wrongdoer is a "good guy".
The Cuomo machine is seen as so corrupt that even when they use a clear violation of the gift ban as a rationale no one believes them and everyone starts looking for the shooter on the grassy knoll.
And we are left with JJOKE to sort it out.
Please JJOKE do not take forever to investigate Mr. Wick AND the commissioners that assisted him.
If the IG facts are accurate the punishment should be the same if Mr. Wick is a good or a bad guy, don't pull another Lopez and throw the book at him because he is a loathsome individual any more than let him off the hook because he is the governor. The statute says the penalty is equal to up to 5 times the value of the gift. Make it 5 times each, for all involved, Wick, the commissioners and the Steamboat Company and then take the opportunity to investigate why the Cuomo hitman traveled north to deliver the message to fire Wick prior to the IG reports public release. What did he know, who told him and why. And if the facts show the Cuomo camp used Wick's transgression as a stalking horse for an ulterior motive take a look at the IG investigation and everything associated with it.
AND DO IT ALL IN PUBLIC and while you are at it explain why a boat ride on Lake George is different than the private jet trip David Boies gave NYAAG David Ellenhorn. (Did you let Ellenhorn skate because he is a "good guy" or because Boies cut a deal?)
That would go a long way to changing the perspective that JCOPE is the wholly owned JJOKE of the Governor.
Here is a list of other Public Officer Law violations you could stop ignoring:
Cuomo's use of state offices to promote his book
The State Democratic Party's failure to register as a lobbyist
Complaints against Schneiderman and DiNapoli
Artists against Fracking failure to register
Susan Lerner's source of funding disclosure's accuracy
Duffy's revolving door and house purchase
DeRosa's advance knowledge of your decisions
I could go on and on
Now I've been hearing from those inside JJOKE that no matter what they do I will criticize them. Maybe yes maybe no but you certainly have made it easier to criticize than compliment. Do something meaningful in the open so it can be evaluated and watch my reaction.
I've also been hearing the tired old argument that "Grandeau thinks he can do a better job than us" Well DUH of course I do. In fact I did for 12 years. My guess is I could do LT's job in about 2 hours a day the rest of the time I'd be leaking stuff to the media to improve my reputation, I'd be destabilizing my commissioners so I had no opposition, I'd be scaring the bejeezus out of those in power and I'd be keeping my head on a swivel to feed my paranoia. Any working hours left over I'd go curling . . . if the media thinks you are a good guy you can get away with that kind of thing.
CORRECTION to my previous blog stating " LT followed the advice that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt." It appears many including LT interpreted this to be my saying LT is stupid. Not the case in fact for the record I think LT is the smartest executive director since . . . yup me. LT's issue isn't intelligence it's confidence. I know she's smart because I have had conversations and arguments in private with her. I think she needs to show that intelligence in public, start getting involved in the public debates about ethics, we deserve that much from you. Don't defer to your Chairman you know more about this issue than he does, I guarantee it. One easy way to do it other than regular interaction with the press would be the simple remedy of allowing a Q and A at the commission meetings, I guarantee if you do 'llI ask a question that provides you an opportunity to show everyone how smart you are. Don't be afraid just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Rob Cohens revolving door
Just a quick synopsis from today's JJOKE meeting, the same meeting cancelled several weeks ago that resulted in Milgram releasing an inaccurate top ten list not once but twice.
And on the subject of Milgrams failure to count I dropped off a 1st grade coloring book for math at Milgram's seat at the meeting, he came in and looked at it then tried to hide it under his papers (when they replay the meeting watch the start lower right hand corner). Don't worry Milgram I don't think the second floor will fire you for using a non common core text book but better safe than sorry just ask that guy on the Lake George Commission.
But I digress, Milgram's termination is coming I'm reliably informed.
Back to the meeting.
As usual nothing of substance in the public portion until they start a discussion on a proposed opinion regarding the 2 year revolving door ban. Now I congratulate JJOKE for doing this in public, I'm not terribly interested in the 2 year revolving door since I've been out for way over 2 years but then lo and behold a couple of commissioners were actually very well informed and knowledgeable about the issue and started asking Rob Cohen, who wrote the opinion, some cogent questions that made it abundantly apparent that Rob was not knowledgeable nor particularly astute on the issue. Soon Monica had to try to jump in to save Rob but only managed to establish that her ability to analyze statutory construction needs improvement as well. Mercifully the Chair stopped the fight and adjourned any decisions to a later day. LT followed the advice that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.
Both republican commissioners George Weisman and Judge Cavulla quickly exposed the flaw in Rob's analysis and in the end I thought I was watching a first year law student trying to support a failing argument.
It's clear Rob and the rest of the JJOKE staff lawyers think they know best who a client should hire but have never actually thought about why the revolving door ban exists to begin with.
It's also clear now what LT's biggest fault is. She allows staff to embarrass her without penalty. Milgram and Cohen are everyday reminders of this flaw. And remember Cohen is the same staffer that failed to take his continuing legal education and timely file his attorney certification for over a year, until I blogged about it, is he really the best staffer to be writing ethics opinions about lawyers and revolving doors. Should he even be working at an ethics agency?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Just trying to help you get better at math Milgram.
#firemilgram
And on the subject of Milgrams failure to count I dropped off a 1st grade coloring book for math at Milgram's seat at the meeting, he came in and looked at it then tried to hide it under his papers (when they replay the meeting watch the start lower right hand corner). Don't worry Milgram I don't think the second floor will fire you for using a non common core text book but better safe than sorry just ask that guy on the Lake George Commission.
But I digress, Milgram's termination is coming I'm reliably informed.
Back to the meeting.
As usual nothing of substance in the public portion until they start a discussion on a proposed opinion regarding the 2 year revolving door ban. Now I congratulate JJOKE for doing this in public, I'm not terribly interested in the 2 year revolving door since I've been out for way over 2 years but then lo and behold a couple of commissioners were actually very well informed and knowledgeable about the issue and started asking Rob Cohen, who wrote the opinion, some cogent questions that made it abundantly apparent that Rob was not knowledgeable nor particularly astute on the issue. Soon Monica had to try to jump in to save Rob but only managed to establish that her ability to analyze statutory construction needs improvement as well. Mercifully the Chair stopped the fight and adjourned any decisions to a later day. LT followed the advice that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.
Both republican commissioners George Weisman and Judge Cavulla quickly exposed the flaw in Rob's analysis and in the end I thought I was watching a first year law student trying to support a failing argument.
It's clear Rob and the rest of the JJOKE staff lawyers think they know best who a client should hire but have never actually thought about why the revolving door ban exists to begin with.
It's also clear now what LT's biggest fault is. She allows staff to embarrass her without penalty. Milgram and Cohen are everyday reminders of this flaw. And remember Cohen is the same staffer that failed to take his continuing legal education and timely file his attorney certification for over a year, until I blogged about it, is he really the best staffer to be writing ethics opinions about lawyers and revolving doors. Should he even be working at an ethics agency?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Just trying to help you get better at math Milgram.
#firemilgram
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
JJOKE top ten list aka why Milgrim should be fired
JJOKE today cancelled their commission meeting but sent out a press release listing the top ten lobbyists for the first half of 2014.
I guess you have to give them credit for doing something more than the old lobby commission did. We used to release the figures at the end of the year in an annual report and hold a press conference to answer any questions.
Releasing the information at the half way point is probably a smart way to get a days worth of news coverage BUT
When you deal with numbers and top ten lists those numbers better be accurate AND THEY ARE NOT
Number 10 on the list is Robert Unger. Now I'm sure Mr. Ungar has a nice little lobbying business but top ten? I DON'T THINK SO.
And sure enough Mr. Unger had a $1.6 million typo on his bimonthly report for his client Intermedix.
End result Mr. Ungar makes the top ten when he didn't belong there which means someone who really was number ten is not on the list. OOOOPS
Lies, damn lies and statistics.
Or in JJOKE's case incompetance , lack of attention to detail and Milgrim
On my top one list of JJOKE employees to get the ax . . . John Milgrim with a bullet.
But it gives me an idea anyone that wants to make the top ten list for 2014 give me a call I'll show you how to have a typo in your Nov/Dec report putting you in the top ten and then in April next year we can fix it after the list comes out.
I guess you have to give them credit for doing something more than the old lobby commission did. We used to release the figures at the end of the year in an annual report and hold a press conference to answer any questions.
Releasing the information at the half way point is probably a smart way to get a days worth of news coverage BUT
When you deal with numbers and top ten lists those numbers better be accurate AND THEY ARE NOT
Number 10 on the list is Robert Unger. Now I'm sure Mr. Ungar has a nice little lobbying business but top ten? I DON'T THINK SO.
And sure enough Mr. Unger had a $1.6 million typo on his bimonthly report for his client Intermedix.
End result Mr. Ungar makes the top ten when he didn't belong there which means someone who really was number ten is not on the list. OOOOPS
Lies, damn lies and statistics.
Or in JJOKE's case incompetance , lack of attention to detail and Milgrim
On my top one list of JJOKE employees to get the ax . . . John Milgrim with a bullet.
But it gives me an idea anyone that wants to make the top ten list for 2014 give me a call I'll show you how to have a typo in your Nov/Dec report putting you in the top ten and then in April next year we can fix it after the list comes out.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Schneiderman's Snow Solution
Fred Dicker did a column in which noted drug expert Randy Credico alleged that he was an eye witness to now Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's use of a controlled substance (cocaine).
WOW that is amazing!!!!
Not that Schneiderman used coke after all he is a spoiled rich Jewish kid from Manhattan I'm sure coke is just the tip of his moral dalliances. No what's amazing is that Dicker actually named a source for the earth shattering accusation. And not just a source but noted drug expert Randy Credico (and amateur comedian or do I have that reversed?) did anyone else catch a wiff of the stoner oops Stone as in Roger Stone stench on this one?
And if that was you Roger, much respect, you hit the right issue with such a short time to the election. If you can't find a live boy, dead girl or a whore to put in bed with a public official drugs are a pretty good substitute. Of course some Marion Barry video would have helped but marching out some more experts like Randy (not creditable) Credico to claim first hand knowledge will help. It's not like Schneiderman will bring a liable suit, what between discovery and truth being a perfect defense (and by the way even I am hearing the rumors that there are more Randy Credico's out there).
On the other hand Schneiderman really has nothing to worry about this is the New York State republican party when it comes to losing winnable elections these guys are the coke whores at the debutant ball. Fun to watch but uncomfortable for those that came to dance.
But it did give me a couple of ideas.
First why doesn't Cahill take a drug test and release the results and call on Schneiderman and every other New York Public official to do the same, with the exception of Steve Katz (spark up dude).
I know a reputable test will take longer than the 2 weeks we have left before the election but this is about more than proving Schneiderman's alleged drug usage its about integrity and ethics reform.
Think about it. We can call it ethics reform, we can put JJOKE in charge of it and then we can move on to the next scandal.
And what is it we will do? Why require drug usage disclosure. A form with a lot of definitions and loopholes that elected officials fill out once a year, that JJOKE collects and puts on line at some point and never audits and the media for the most part will ignore, just like the financial disclosure forms we have now.
Problem solved, except for you Mr. Katz.
Or we could legislate random drug tests for our elected officials. Crazy you say? they do it for professional athletes, why is Schneiderman less regulated when it comes to drugs than the backup tight end on the Jets?
Think about it . . . we can find out which politician is smoking weed (Katz) doing bumps of coke (Schneiderman if you believe Credico), dropping acid (the majority in the senate if you can figure out what that means) or popping amyl nitrite (which will open up a whole new type of allegation for JJOKE to investigate).
Speaking of JJOKE investigations or lack thereof the hits continue. I always liked this time of year because the media (who should also be drug tested to explain how lax they have become on ethics scandals) will write meaningless stories on public officials that have kernals of ethics gold in them that JJOKE will completely miss.
For example the DMV commissioner getting a speeding ticket. Who cares I speed all the time. I just got a new 2014 Caddy CTS-V wagon, my own drug of choice (in majestic plum no less) 556 horsepower and a six speed manual box, 0 to 60 in 4 seconds a top speed of 176 and I am doing my best to see how much of an asshole I can be driving it, in fact I did Albany to Rochester this weekend in under 3 hours with a full load of stuff to bring my son at college, but I digress. It's not the speeding ticket that offended me (take the ticket pay the fine) it was the fact that the DMV commissioner used her state paid employee to act as a spokesperson with the media. WTF you got the ticket in your private car on your private time tell the media to fuck off yourself don't use state resources to do it. JJOKE? any interest?
If not how about the state employee that is running a private business out of his state office during working hours? I guarantee if a DMV employee was selling used cars out of his/her state office JJOKE would be all over it but when the governor does an interview to promote his book and uses his state office with the seal of New York on the wall not a peep from JJOKE. Book promotion for a state employee is a tricky thing don't believe me ask Regina Calcaterra. I have a funny feeling though that JJOKE will come up with an exception for this governor.
So until further notice I'll anxiously await those drug tests and hope state employees don't piss on their taxpayer owned desks.
WOW that is amazing!!!!
Not that Schneiderman used coke after all he is a spoiled rich Jewish kid from Manhattan I'm sure coke is just the tip of his moral dalliances. No what's amazing is that Dicker actually named a source for the earth shattering accusation. And not just a source but noted drug expert Randy Credico (and amateur comedian or do I have that reversed?) did anyone else catch a wiff of the stoner oops Stone as in Roger Stone stench on this one?
And if that was you Roger, much respect, you hit the right issue with such a short time to the election. If you can't find a live boy, dead girl or a whore to put in bed with a public official drugs are a pretty good substitute. Of course some Marion Barry video would have helped but marching out some more experts like Randy (not creditable) Credico to claim first hand knowledge will help. It's not like Schneiderman will bring a liable suit, what between discovery and truth being a perfect defense (and by the way even I am hearing the rumors that there are more Randy Credico's out there).
On the other hand Schneiderman really has nothing to worry about this is the New York State republican party when it comes to losing winnable elections these guys are the coke whores at the debutant ball. Fun to watch but uncomfortable for those that came to dance.
But it did give me a couple of ideas.
First why doesn't Cahill take a drug test and release the results and call on Schneiderman and every other New York Public official to do the same, with the exception of Steve Katz (spark up dude).
I know a reputable test will take longer than the 2 weeks we have left before the election but this is about more than proving Schneiderman's alleged drug usage its about integrity and ethics reform.
Think about it. We can call it ethics reform, we can put JJOKE in charge of it and then we can move on to the next scandal.
And what is it we will do? Why require drug usage disclosure. A form with a lot of definitions and loopholes that elected officials fill out once a year, that JJOKE collects and puts on line at some point and never audits and the media for the most part will ignore, just like the financial disclosure forms we have now.
Problem solved, except for you Mr. Katz.
Or we could legislate random drug tests for our elected officials. Crazy you say? they do it for professional athletes, why is Schneiderman less regulated when it comes to drugs than the backup tight end on the Jets?
Think about it . . . we can find out which politician is smoking weed (Katz) doing bumps of coke (Schneiderman if you believe Credico), dropping acid (the majority in the senate if you can figure out what that means) or popping amyl nitrite (which will open up a whole new type of allegation for JJOKE to investigate).
Speaking of JJOKE investigations or lack thereof the hits continue. I always liked this time of year because the media (who should also be drug tested to explain how lax they have become on ethics scandals) will write meaningless stories on public officials that have kernals of ethics gold in them that JJOKE will completely miss.
For example the DMV commissioner getting a speeding ticket. Who cares I speed all the time. I just got a new 2014 Caddy CTS-V wagon, my own drug of choice (in majestic plum no less) 556 horsepower and a six speed manual box, 0 to 60 in 4 seconds a top speed of 176 and I am doing my best to see how much of an asshole I can be driving it, in fact I did Albany to Rochester this weekend in under 3 hours with a full load of stuff to bring my son at college, but I digress. It's not the speeding ticket that offended me (take the ticket pay the fine) it was the fact that the DMV commissioner used her state paid employee to act as a spokesperson with the media. WTF you got the ticket in your private car on your private time tell the media to fuck off yourself don't use state resources to do it. JJOKE? any interest?
If not how about the state employee that is running a private business out of his state office during working hours? I guarantee if a DMV employee was selling used cars out of his/her state office JJOKE would be all over it but when the governor does an interview to promote his book and uses his state office with the seal of New York on the wall not a peep from JJOKE. Book promotion for a state employee is a tricky thing don't believe me ask Regina Calcaterra. I have a funny feeling though that JJOKE will come up with an exception for this governor.
So until further notice I'll anxiously await those drug tests and hope state employees don't piss on their taxpayer owned desks.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Looks like I was right again
Back in November I ran a blog, reproduced below, asserting that Cuomo press person Melissa Derosa violated the public officers law when she was quoted as saying JCOPE had confirmed that political parties were exempt from the lobby act.
Now I thought Melissa possibly had gotten confidential information from JJOKE or she was being untruthful. Turns out Melissa had a time machine because 6 months after being quoted that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties . . . this was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies" that exactly what JJOKE did.
Now here's what LT said to Horner in her letter of May 2014 "This commission and its predecessors have never interpreted the Lobbying Act to require that political parties register as lobbyists"
WOW did Melissa tell LT what to do in November or did LT tell Melissa what they were going to do in May. Either way its pretty clear that JJOKE and the 2nd floor talk as much as the independent elections enforcement counsel does and the Moreland Commission and the 2nd floor did.
And by the way both Melissa and LT are wrong. And I'd be happy to debate either one or both publicly about the Lobby Act and its application to political parties.
Anyway here was what I said in November It is even more appropriate now.
When will the media wake up there is gambling in this establishment don't be shocked
And as to that predecessor nonsense the following is 8 years old http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/1505/are-campaigners-lobbyists/
I think I've been pretty consistent political parties are NOT exempt from the statute the question is are they lobbying
Now I thought Melissa possibly had gotten confidential information from JJOKE or she was being untruthful. Turns out Melissa had a time machine because 6 months after being quoted that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties . . . this was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies" that exactly what JJOKE did.
Now here's what LT said to Horner in her letter of May 2014 "This commission and its predecessors have never interpreted the Lobbying Act to require that political parties register as lobbyists"
WOW did Melissa tell LT what to do in November or did LT tell Melissa what they were going to do in May. Either way its pretty clear that JJOKE and the 2nd floor talk as much as the independent elections enforcement counsel does and the Moreland Commission and the 2nd floor did.
And by the way both Melissa and LT are wrong. And I'd be happy to debate either one or both publicly about the Lobby Act and its application to political parties.
Anyway here was what I said in November It is even more appropriate now.
When will the media wake up there is gambling in this establishment don't be shocked
And as to that predecessor nonsense the following is 8 years old http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/1505/are-campaigners-lobbyists/
I think I've been pretty consistent political parties are NOT exempt from the statute the question is are they lobbying
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Did Melissa DeRosa violate the Public Officers Law? Or you just got Dopped Melissa
Melissa DeRosa is employed by the State of New York as the press secretary to Governor Andrew Cuomo. This is an important point because as an employee of the executive branch she is subject to Public Officers Law section 74 (3) (c) and (d). Which means she should not disclose confidential information and/or use her position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for another.
I'm pretty sure she has done one or the other or maybe both.
How can I make that statement?
Read below Melissa's statement to the AP's Mike Gormley about the NYPIRG allegation that political parties should be required to register if they lobby.
"It has been well settled that the lobbying law does not apply to political parties," said Cuomo spokeswoman Melissa DeRosa. "This was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies, and every credible expert on the topic knows it," she added, referring to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics."
Now lets analyze it.
"It has been well settled that the lobbying law does not apply to political parties" Nothing wrong with this statement. It's not accurate or truthful but that is what pr flacks like Melissa do for a living.
"This was confirmed by JCOPE" UH OH Now Melissa has a big problem. When and how did JCOPE confirm it? I study this stuff and read everything JCOPE releases publicly, and plenty of stuff they keep secret, and I know for a fact that JCOPE has never confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties" publicly.
Which leads to only two possible conclusions.
One that JCOPE secretly confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties". In which case Melissa just disclosed confidential information a violation of section 74 (3)(c). Why JCOPE would have confirmed this statement confidentially is another violation for another day.
Or
Two that JCOPE never confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties". In which case Melissa just used her official position to lie and try to secure an unwarranted privilege or exclusion for another, a violation of section 74 (3)(d).
Either way Melissa has a big problem except for the fact that it is JJOKE that would be prosecuting this case and "It has been well settled that JJOKE doesn't apply the Public Officers Law to the top staff on the 2nd floor ," and "This was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies, and every credible expert on the topic knows it,".
And I apologize for plagiarizing Ms. DeRosa but I could not have said it better myself.
And speaking of plagiarism maybe Blair Horner should turn this blog entry into a complaint he can file at JJOKE . . . again.
I'm pretty sure she has done one or the other or maybe both.
How can I make that statement?
Read below Melissa's statement to the AP's Mike Gormley about the NYPIRG allegation that political parties should be required to register if they lobby.
"It has been well settled that the lobbying law does not apply to political parties," said Cuomo spokeswoman Melissa DeRosa. "This was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies, and every credible expert on the topic knows it," she added, referring to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics."
Now lets analyze it.
"It has been well settled that the lobbying law does not apply to political parties" Nothing wrong with this statement. It's not accurate or truthful but that is what pr flacks like Melissa do for a living.
"This was confirmed by JCOPE" UH OH Now Melissa has a big problem. When and how did JCOPE confirm it? I study this stuff and read everything JCOPE releases publicly, and plenty of stuff they keep secret, and I know for a fact that JCOPE has never confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties" publicly.
Which leads to only two possible conclusions.
One that JCOPE secretly confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties". In which case Melissa just disclosed confidential information a violation of section 74 (3)(c). Why JCOPE would have confirmed this statement confidentially is another violation for another day.
Or
Two that JCOPE never confirmed that "the lobbying law does not apply to political parties". In which case Melissa just used her official position to lie and try to secure an unwarranted privilege or exclusion for another, a violation of section 74 (3)(d).
Either way Melissa has a big problem except for the fact that it is JJOKE that would be prosecuting this case and "It has been well settled that JJOKE doesn't apply the Public Officers Law to the top staff on the 2nd floor ," and "This was confirmed by JCOPE and its predecessor agencies, and every credible expert on the topic knows it,".
And I apologize for plagiarizing Ms. DeRosa but I could not have said it better myself.
And speaking of plagiarism maybe Blair Horner should turn this blog entry into a complaint he can file at JJOKE . . . again.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
I told you so I told you so
Okay so this blog ran almost 3 years ago
In light of the recent indictment of Assemblyman Scarborough do you think JJOKE will wake up and start to act like a watch dog and not just Cuomo's lap dog?
Whatever happened to the NYPIRG complaint about Cuomo's State Democratic Party unregistered lobbyist ads?
Maybe the Independent elections enforcement Counsel Risa Sugerman ought to investigate or at least ask the Cuomo press shop what to do.
Enjoy I love saying I told you so.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Odds on Integrity
This is going to be another one of those posts that upsets some people.
Legislators will think I’m being unfair. The administration will think I’m taking a shot at the Governor. And other observers will say my critique is too harsh.
To each I say: Too bad. Take a step back. I’m trying to be helpful here.
At issue is William Boyland, Jr. I just read the new indictment of the young Assemblyman. It’s truly fascinating. It turns out that the feds ran a sting operation against him. They posed as businessmen and offered sizeable campaign contributions in return for assistance with a development project. And guess what? Boyland and his staff were only too eager to help.
Is anyone surprised by this scenario?
Now comes the part that will offend the lawmakers: If the same sting operation had been run against all 211 New York state lawmakers (and who is to say that it’s not), what do you think the results would be? How many lawmakers would take the bait? Be honest now.
Do you think a quarter of the lawmakers would do it. Half? More, perhaps?
I actually believe the majority of lawmakers could easily fallen prey to this sting. No, I’m not saying that they are all evil people. What I am saying is that there is a culture in Albany that perpetuates this sort of thing. And I’m also saying that the failure of state leaders to set up an aggressive independent ethics panel only worsens the problem.
Why? Because when Andrew Cuomo was elected, ethical transgressions did not suddenly cease. In fact, violations of varying severity are occurring every single day and no one, except the Feds, seems to care.
Once again, I make the point that not having a functioning ethics panel is an outrage. And it’s the state legislature itself that should be most upset about this situation. The feds are only filling the ethical vacuum. By failing to constitute a proper investigatory panel in New York, lawmakers have invited this level of federal scrutiny.
In fact, I’ll bet the Feds are salivating. They read the papers. Boyland is just one type of problem; there are many more categories of abuse.
For example, lawmakers are also abusing the “per diem” system. Does anybody doubt that? (BTW, where is DiNapoli or Schneiderman on per diem abuse. Either one could investigate.)
Another abuse involves “bundling.” John Liu is the current poster child for this problem, but it also has been linked to City Council member (and former top Cuomo operative) Bill DiBlasio.
Do the mental exercise again. What if all 211 lawmakers were scrutinized for their per diem claims and bundling practices? How many of the lawmakers would have issues?
It’s not often you can bet on a sure thing
Legislators will think I’m being unfair. The administration will think I’m taking a shot at the Governor. And other observers will say my critique is too harsh.
To each I say: Too bad. Take a step back. I’m trying to be helpful here.
At issue is William Boyland, Jr. I just read the new indictment of the young Assemblyman. It’s truly fascinating. It turns out that the feds ran a sting operation against him. They posed as businessmen and offered sizeable campaign contributions in return for assistance with a development project. And guess what? Boyland and his staff were only too eager to help.
Is anyone surprised by this scenario?
Now comes the part that will offend the lawmakers: If the same sting operation had been run against all 211 New York state lawmakers (and who is to say that it’s not), what do you think the results would be? How many lawmakers would take the bait? Be honest now.
Do you think a quarter of the lawmakers would do it. Half? More, perhaps?
I actually believe the majority of lawmakers could easily fallen prey to this sting. No, I’m not saying that they are all evil people. What I am saying is that there is a culture in Albany that perpetuates this sort of thing. And I’m also saying that the failure of state leaders to set up an aggressive independent ethics panel only worsens the problem.
Why? Because when Andrew Cuomo was elected, ethical transgressions did not suddenly cease. In fact, violations of varying severity are occurring every single day and no one, except the Feds, seems to care.
Once again, I make the point that not having a functioning ethics panel is an outrage. And it’s the state legislature itself that should be most upset about this situation. The feds are only filling the ethical vacuum. By failing to constitute a proper investigatory panel in New York, lawmakers have invited this level of federal scrutiny.
In fact, I’ll bet the Feds are salivating. They read the papers. Boyland is just one type of problem; there are many more categories of abuse.
For example, lawmakers are also abusing the “per diem” system. Does anybody doubt that? (BTW, where is DiNapoli or Schneiderman on per diem abuse. Either one could investigate.)
Another abuse involves “bundling.” John Liu is the current poster child for this problem, but it also has been linked to City Council member (and former top Cuomo operative) Bill DiBlasio.
Do the mental exercise again. What if all 211 lawmakers were scrutinized for their per diem claims and bundling practices? How many of the lawmakers would have issues?
It’s not often you can bet on a sure thing
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