“Vote for me and I’ll go to Albany to clean up the mess,” said by every New York state politician since Teddy Roosevelt. Are we really that gullible or naive? Stupid maybe the best description.
Ever hear of state Sen. Kevin Parker? How about senators John Sampson or Shirley Huntley? Try Pedro Espada Jr., Nicholas Spano or Carl Kruger.
We recently sent all of these bums to our state capital, each promising to clean up the corruption, and what did we get?
Now, instead of taxpayers paying their New York state Senate salaries, health care and pensions, we are paying for their room and board at a New York state prison! Of course they will still get their pensions after they serve their time. Doesn’t that infuriate you?
Sampson was even the Senate minority leader and Espada was the Senate Majority Leader. Amazing, isn’t it? Both parties. All ages, every ethnicity, men or women, it makes no difference. Move over Chicago. Watch out New Jersey. New York is closing in on being number one (some say we are already there).
Just in case you have been out of town for the past 50 years, Albany politics hasn’t really changed that much at all. In fact, it’s actually gotten worse if that’s at all possible.
You would think that these geniuses would have learned their lesson, no way. And by the way, you better stay tuned because another round of corruption trials are set to begin in a few months with a whole new set of characters.
Are we shocked by all of this? Not at all.
Are we used to it? I guess so. Are we embarrassed? You bet ya. Are our newly elected officials finally going to do something about it? When pigs fly.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is certainly trying his best. Ethics in Albany? The ultimate oxymoron. Remember last year, when he proposed the Public Trust Act? Lawmakers were a bit confused.
How were they going to get out of a proposed law that made it easier to charge them with bribery and actually created stiffer penalties for defrauding the government.
Of course the plan died a silent legislative death. But one obvious penalty did get through. From now on, any public official convicted of a serious crime will have their state pensions removed.
Only in Albany could a bill like this even be debated. But give our governor credit. He is certainly relentless and refuses to give up. He convened the Moreland Commission, which theoretically is independent of any of those political shenanigans.
Good try Cuomo. So far that effort also went the way of the Edsel.
Well, he is trying again. Beginning last month the Cuomo administration, with the endorsement of every DA on the planet, proposed an ethic’s package combining all of the previously tried bills.
Just as an aside, doesn’t it seem rather strange that all these New York state politicians seem so prosperous living on that meager $79,500 salary. Wait till you hear about the Moreland Commission’s latest proposal.
From now on, every elected official will have to make public all of their outside income over $20,000. What are the chances of our “honorable” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver ever agreeing to that one?
I think it’s only fair that we first give Shelly a chance to consult with his law partners at Weitz and Luxenberg. After all, last year he did earn $450,000 at the firm.
Did you hear that one? Our liberal, “I always represent the common working man,” assembly speaker made $450,000 big ones at his second, part-time job. Only in Albany can this go on.
But first, I want to bring you up to date about the latest Albany shenanigans. Then I’ll finish telling you what happened there last week.
Did you ever hear of Judy and William Rapfogel? Probably not, but the DA certainly has and Sheldon Silver definitely has.
This Albany power couple has really made quite a name for themselves.
Judy Rapfogel is Silver’s long time chief of staff. Her hubby Bill is the CEO of The Metropolitan Council of Jewish Poverty (whatever that is).
By the way, helping the Jewish poor has resulted in anything but poverty for the Rapfogel family.
Bill is trying to scrape by on a modest salary of $500,000. A funny thing happened when cops raided their home. How in the world did $400,000 dollars in cash suddenly appear hidden in their bedroom closest? What a shock. There must be an explanation, right? Everyone has to have a little cash on hand. What happens if you run out of milk on Sunday? Doesn’t it sound more like a Sopranos’ episode?
William Rapfogel has been charged with a five million dollar kickback scheme, when records show that millions of dollars were steered to city and state officials. One of those illustrious star assemblymen who received these payments was none other than Sheldon Silver himself. I’m sure Mrs. Rapfogel also has a good explanation for that one.
Judy Hapfogel and her boss Silver, “had no idea that this 20-year scheme was going on.”
She never knew about the stashed 10s and 20s either. They were just as surprised as the DA. Give me a break.
Just another day in the life of our hard working men and women in Albany, all just trying to eek out a decent living.
Remember when I told you about Cuomo’s new “mandatory” disclosure of any $20,000 of income beyond their salary? Last week, that same Moreland Commission:
1 – Subpoenaed every state lawmaker who has an outside income of more than $20,000.
2 – They asked for the financial records of all the state’s political parties, both Republican and Democrats.
3 – They demanded the records of both the Republican and the Democratic campaign committees.
Now, knowing what you do about Shelly and his Albany cohorts, what are the chances of those “saints” in Albany actually complying with these requests? Please take your time, but choose only one:
1 – They will gladly comply, but are waiting until Obama gets to the bottom of the Benghazzi tragedy.
2 – They will definitely comply only when Obama finds out the extent of the eavesdropping into everyone’s e-mails, texts and phone calls.
3 – They will provide the records when Obama lets us know who at his IRS is auditing the Tea Party and other Conservative groups.
4 – They will do it when Obama finds out who at the CIA was listening into Angela Merkel’s phone calls.
5 – They will happily do it, but only after our huge property tax increases results in more businesses and people moving back to Long Island.
6 – They will do it, but only when NYC’s crime rate is actually reduced without stop-and-frisk.
7 – They want to immediately comply, but will wait until all our school budgets come in below the 2 percent tax cap.
8 – They are leaning towards doing it but only after the Obama administration respects the constitutional rights of all Americans.
9 – They will do it after Obama’s healthcare website works properly.
10 – They will comply when Obama finds out who was responsible for the “fast and furious” murders.
11 – They will comply when President Obama takes personal responsibility for anything that goes wrong during his entire eight years in office.
12 – They will definitely comply but only when the Affordable Care Act results in lower health care costs, lower insurance premiums, comes in under budget, and all of us can keep our original plan and doctor.
“We refuse to hand over these documents. They are beyond the scope of the Moreland Commission,” – New York State Republican Campaign Committee, Oct. 30. We are anxiously waiting for the Democratic response.
See you in court!
Stephen Morris
North Hills
