I am not going to talk much about the national election results simply because I don't have much to add that others aren't already saying. Suffice it to say, Democrat control of the House (and possibly the Senate) may bode well for those who want to halt the increasing and very dangerous centralization of power in the hands of one man: the president.
Granted, the Democrats did little to oppose the president's claims to imperial power when they were in the opposition: a majority of Democrats voted for the Iraq aggression and only one of 50 voted against the Patriot Act. Or at least they didn't stand up to these imperial claims when it was politically incorrect to do so.
But at the very least, the few good ones, like Sens. Patrick Leahy and Russ Feingold, will have more influence.
The last six years reminds us that gridlock is not the worst thing in the world. The Democrats don't have much of an agenda to advance but I suppose better nothing get done than finishing the president's radical agenda.
Locally, the Democrat won the race to Congress. She became the first Democrat to win election to the House in this very conservative area since 1976. There are almost twice as many registered Republicans in this district than Democrats. And the incumbent wasn't really that unpopular when the race started so the win still shocks me. I don't think the Democrat is that great and both candidates ran sleazy campaigns. But at least it proves that this area is capable of voting out a Republican incumbent.
The Democrat NY state comptroller was hit with a huge ethics scandal a few weeks before the election. He used a state driver for his wife and never reimbursed the state until his opponent revealed the scandal. He said he 'forgot' but I believe he was guilty of the same ethical 'lapse' when he was NYC comptroller. The state ethics commission receommended he be removed from office or prosecuted, not their usual slap on the wrist thing. His lead in the polls went from 50 points to within the margin of error. It was the first time in my memory when the comptroller's race was the most prominent statewide office.
But the AFL-CIO came to his rescue with attack ads on he ended up winning by 18 points, which was still the closest statewide race but much larger than most expected a few days ago. And the incumbent/winner may still be impeached by the GOP state senate. Some Dems argued he should be re-elected so he could resign and the new (Democrat) governor would pick his replacement. Even if he were impeached, his replacement would be chosen by a combined vote of the legislature, which has more Democrats.
The election was notable also because it was the first time I've ever voted for a Republican for anything above county level. I wanted to vote for the Green but I didn't know anything about her except that she wanted to use the state pension fund to divest from companies that do business with Sudan. A noble goal but not enough by itself to base my vote on. But she got more votes than any other statewide Green candidate.
The Republican was attacked by the AFL-CIO for wanting to change the fixed benefit state pension fund into 401(k)'s. Personally, I don't see this as the end of the world since I have a 401(k) myself; New York has too many state workers anyways. But NYSUT (teachers) and CSEA (other public workers) have so much power even the state senate Republicans are afraid to stand up to them.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Disgusted with the candidates? Take another look at these guys
Disgusted with the 'choice' of candidates for political office that you've heard about?
Before you vote for the 'lesser of two evils' (by definition an evil), take a look at some of the candidates you haven't heard about: here.
Make sure to vote today.
Before you vote for the 'lesser of two evils' (by definition an evil), take a look at some of the candidates you haven't heard about: here.
Make sure to vote today.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Bush league party, major league deceit
There are many aspects of New York state's electoral law which I have problems with. One of the minor points I object to is the fact that candidates can run on multiple party lines. One of the smaller parties is The Working Families Party.
I hesitate to call the WFP a party since they are really nothing more than a vehicle by which (predominantly) Democrats can pick up another ballot line, especially those who lose in the primary. The WFP is heavily linked to unions. They are different from the Green Party of New York which, though it's also sympathetic to labor values, runs its own candidates rather than cross-endorsing establishment Democrats.
Frankly, I think the sole purpose of a smaller party is to add something that the two major parties do not. I don't like to use the term third party because a) it's used for any generic smaller party and b) it implies that there can only be three parties.
In merely cross-endorsing (mostly) Democrats, the WFP does not really add anything to the debate. This is why the Greens in New York are a real party advancing a distinct agenda while the WFP is just a movement of people who want to stay close to power for no discernible purpose.
And it's really questionable to what degree they even stand for their principles. Their website explains:
The vast majority of us share progressive values and want more affordable health care, a higher minimum wage, and better schools - but real change is hard to come by.
Take incumbent US Sen. Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton served six years on the board of directors of Wal-Mart, one of the most infamous corporate opponents of a higher minimum wage, regulations on overtime and other issues that would benefit WORKING FAMILIES.
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
(Her Green opponent, Howie Hawkins, is actually a union member and blue-collar worker.)
Mrs. Clinton was also notoriously the architect of the byzantine health care 'reform' plan during her husband's presidency, which managed the neat trick of infuriating both supporters and opponents of decent health care for all Americans. She has done nothing in this area since being elected. Senators ensure they themselves good health care, but not the rest of us. Health care is one of the major issues of concern for WORKING FAMILIES.
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
Sen. Clinton also voted to give Pres. Bush a blank check for his aggression against Iraq and (like the president himself) still refuses to come out with any sort of coherent plan to achieve whatever course we're supposed to be staying. Iraq is an issue that most affects not the rich, but young soldiers who come predominantly from WORKING FAMILIES.
The WFP calls on voters to, "Send a message right now that you're voting Working Families to bring the troops home."
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
As someone who agrees with much of the WFP's agenda in theory, I am disappointed that they repeatedly refuse to consider progressive alternatives to non-progressive Democrats (or Republicans).
I realize that voting means making imperfect choices but what's the point of believing in principles in theory if you endorse candidates who don't share the most important ones?
For example, the WFP endorsed for re-election state Sen. Dale Volker. Volker, a Republican, was for years most associated with a single issue: bringing back the death penalty to New York. That's progressive?
The WFP also endorsed state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Silver is a the classic insider machine politician. But Silver is a close ally of New York's two most powerful labor organizations (the white collar teachers' and state bureaucrats' unions) so that makes him A-OK for the WFP. Never mind the fact that he promotes patronage, opposes transparent state government and generally epitomizes everything that's WRONG with Albany.
Apparently, the WFP is more concerned whether they receive more votes than New York's other main vehicle that passes for a political party, the Conservatives. While the WFP focuses on the petty horse race aspect, the Greens are pushing candidates who actually stand for a progressive agenda. The WFP is about making little parlor game bets with Michael Long. The Greens are about bringing the troops home.
But I am even more disappointed that the WFP engages in the same sort of outright deceit that we've come to expect from the two major parties.
Last week, the WFP sent out a mailer featuring several prominent anti-war figures like Pete Seeger, Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan. The mailer was designed to promote the WFPDemocrat statewide candidates, including Sen. Clinton and gubenatorial favorite Eliot Spitzer. There's only one problem:
Cindy Sheehan actually endorses Clinton's and Spitzer's OPPONENTS.
She endorses Howie Hawkins for Senate and Malachy McCourt for governor. The pair want the a troop withdrawal from Iraq, unlike Clinton and Spitzer. At least Sheehan's endorsements aren't at odds with her principles
I'm not one of those people who canonizes Cindy Sheehan. I agree with some of what she says but I find her shrill and annoying and not likely to persuade the undecided, just like Moore. But I find it incredibly deceitful for the WFP to use her image in support of candidates where she has explicitly come out for their opponents.
If I do decide to vote for a Democrat, it will be on the Democrats' line, not the WFP's. It seems more ingenuous.
Update: This editorial from The New York Times explains how these faux-parties are about nothing more than patronage and influence peddling.
I hesitate to call the WFP a party since they are really nothing more than a vehicle by which (predominantly) Democrats can pick up another ballot line, especially those who lose in the primary. The WFP is heavily linked to unions. They are different from the Green Party of New York which, though it's also sympathetic to labor values, runs its own candidates rather than cross-endorsing establishment Democrats.
Frankly, I think the sole purpose of a smaller party is to add something that the two major parties do not. I don't like to use the term third party because a) it's used for any generic smaller party and b) it implies that there can only be three parties.
In merely cross-endorsing (mostly) Democrats, the WFP does not really add anything to the debate. This is why the Greens in New York are a real party advancing a distinct agenda while the WFP is just a movement of people who want to stay close to power for no discernible purpose.
And it's really questionable to what degree they even stand for their principles. Their website explains:
The vast majority of us share progressive values and want more affordable health care, a higher minimum wage, and better schools - but real change is hard to come by.
Take incumbent US Sen. Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton served six years on the board of directors of Wal-Mart, one of the most infamous corporate opponents of a higher minimum wage, regulations on overtime and other issues that would benefit WORKING FAMILIES.
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
(Her Green opponent, Howie Hawkins, is actually a union member and blue-collar worker.)
Mrs. Clinton was also notoriously the architect of the byzantine health care 'reform' plan during her husband's presidency, which managed the neat trick of infuriating both supporters and opponents of decent health care for all Americans. She has done nothing in this area since being elected. Senators ensure they themselves good health care, but not the rest of us. Health care is one of the major issues of concern for WORKING FAMILIES.
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
Sen. Clinton also voted to give Pres. Bush a blank check for his aggression against Iraq and (like the president himself) still refuses to come out with any sort of coherent plan to achieve whatever course we're supposed to be staying. Iraq is an issue that most affects not the rich, but young soldiers who come predominantly from WORKING FAMILIES.
The WFP calls on voters to, "Send a message right now that you're voting Working Families to bring the troops home."
Yet who did the WFP cross-endorse for Senate? Mrs. Clinton.
As someone who agrees with much of the WFP's agenda in theory, I am disappointed that they repeatedly refuse to consider progressive alternatives to non-progressive Democrats (or Republicans).
I realize that voting means making imperfect choices but what's the point of believing in principles in theory if you endorse candidates who don't share the most important ones?
For example, the WFP endorsed for re-election state Sen. Dale Volker. Volker, a Republican, was for years most associated with a single issue: bringing back the death penalty to New York. That's progressive?
The WFP also endorsed state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Silver is a the classic insider machine politician. But Silver is a close ally of New York's two most powerful labor organizations (the white collar teachers' and state bureaucrats' unions) so that makes him A-OK for the WFP. Never mind the fact that he promotes patronage, opposes transparent state government and generally epitomizes everything that's WRONG with Albany.
Apparently, the WFP is more concerned whether they receive more votes than New York's other main vehicle that passes for a political party, the Conservatives. While the WFP focuses on the petty horse race aspect, the Greens are pushing candidates who actually stand for a progressive agenda. The WFP is about making little parlor game bets with Michael Long. The Greens are about bringing the troops home.
But I am even more disappointed that the WFP engages in the same sort of outright deceit that we've come to expect from the two major parties.
Last week, the WFP sent out a mailer featuring several prominent anti-war figures like Pete Seeger, Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan. The mailer was designed to promote the WFPDemocrat statewide candidates, including Sen. Clinton and gubenatorial favorite Eliot Spitzer. There's only one problem:
Cindy Sheehan actually endorses Clinton's and Spitzer's OPPONENTS.
She endorses Howie Hawkins for Senate and Malachy McCourt for governor. The pair want the a troop withdrawal from Iraq, unlike Clinton and Spitzer. At least Sheehan's endorsements aren't at odds with her principles
I'm not one of those people who canonizes Cindy Sheehan. I agree with some of what she says but I find her shrill and annoying and not likely to persuade the undecided, just like Moore. But I find it incredibly deceitful for the WFP to use her image in support of candidates where she has explicitly come out for their opponents.
If I do decide to vote for a Democrat, it will be on the Democrats' line, not the WFP's. It seems more ingenuous.
Update: This editorial from The New York Times explains how these faux-parties are about nothing more than patronage and influence peddling.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Dang, I'm good
So it's New England vs Houston for the Major League Soccer championship.
I wonder who would've predicted them as the best two teams in the league.
Ok, so playoffs aren't regular season but who cares.
Go Revolution!
I wonder who would've predicted them as the best two teams in the league.
Ok, so playoffs aren't regular season but who cares.
Go Revolution!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
The fight for freedom at home
"Anyone can handle adversity. If you want to test a man's character, give him power." -Abraham Lincoln
With the Congressional election a few days away, it's a good time to summarize some disturbing articles I've read recently. When you consider who to vote for, try to find out where the candidates stand on these issues. Remember that Congressmen swear an oath to protect the Constitution 'against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' If they've been complicit in these outrages, they've violated their oath
President Bush signed a law that would make it easier for the president to declare martial law and seize National Guard units without the consent of state governors. He can also ship them to other states.
The provision was attacked by Sen. Patrick Leahy, one of the few true voices of conscience in Washington, though by almost no one else. The provision obviously passed Congress. It was part of a larger defense spending bill. Maybe Sen. Leahy is the only person who knew what he was voting on. Rubber stamps: they're not just for Republicans anymore! (Vote Green or 'third party')
Or maybe his colleagues knew exactly what they were voting on. Such dereliction of duty is hardly surprising when you have lawmakers who who believe that the "pursuit of happiness is harming America."
This is consistent with the massive centralization of power occurring in this country. This explains why the US respects the privacy rights of its citizens LESS than any other western country except Britain.
If ordinary, law-abiding citizens are arbitrarily spied on, then it's no surprise that the harassment of the watchdog press has skyrocketed in recent years. That's why the US now ranks a mere 53rd in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index compiled by the independent press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Press freedom in the US ranked behind countries like Ghana, Mali, Panama, Benin and the 'surrender monkeys' in France. The US also ranks behind countries that were recently either police states or in the midst of hideous civil wars such as El Salvador, Chile, South Africa, Mozambique, the three countries that fought the savage Balkans wars of the 90s (actually we're tied with Croatia) and former Soviet-satellite states like Bulgaria and the three Baltic republics.
It wasn't always like this. The first RSF index back in 2002 ranked the US 17th while Mozambique was 70th.
But at least our press is (just barely) more free than those in Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic and Turkish occupied Northern Cyprus!
Clearly, the government loves to watch its citizens but it hates when citizens watch them back!
If they keep 'protecting my freedoms' like this, I'm not sure how much longer I'll have any left.
With the Congressional election a few days away, it's a good time to summarize some disturbing articles I've read recently. When you consider who to vote for, try to find out where the candidates stand on these issues. Remember that Congressmen swear an oath to protect the Constitution 'against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' If they've been complicit in these outrages, they've violated their oath
President Bush signed a law that would make it easier for the president to declare martial law and seize National Guard units without the consent of state governors. He can also ship them to other states.
The provision was attacked by Sen. Patrick Leahy, one of the few true voices of conscience in Washington, though by almost no one else. The provision obviously passed Congress. It was part of a larger defense spending bill. Maybe Sen. Leahy is the only person who knew what he was voting on. Rubber stamps: they're not just for Republicans anymore! (Vote Green or 'third party')
Or maybe his colleagues knew exactly what they were voting on. Such dereliction of duty is hardly surprising when you have lawmakers who who believe that the "pursuit of happiness is harming America."
This is consistent with the massive centralization of power occurring in this country. This explains why the US respects the privacy rights of its citizens LESS than any other western country except Britain.
If ordinary, law-abiding citizens are arbitrarily spied on, then it's no surprise that the harassment of the watchdog press has skyrocketed in recent years. That's why the US now ranks a mere 53rd in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index compiled by the independent press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Press freedom in the US ranked behind countries like Ghana, Mali, Panama, Benin and the 'surrender monkeys' in France. The US also ranks behind countries that were recently either police states or in the midst of hideous civil wars such as El Salvador, Chile, South Africa, Mozambique, the three countries that fought the savage Balkans wars of the 90s (actually we're tied with Croatia) and former Soviet-satellite states like Bulgaria and the three Baltic republics.
It wasn't always like this. The first RSF index back in 2002 ranked the US 17th while Mozambique was 70th.
But at least our press is (just barely) more free than those in Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic and Turkish occupied Northern Cyprus!
Clearly, the government loves to watch its citizens but it hates when citizens watch them back!
If they keep 'protecting my freedoms' like this, I'm not sure how much longer I'll have any left.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Regional news and notes
THE CORRECT CORRECTION
One of my pet peeves is that publications run big gaudy headlines or dramatic articles on the front page but when they make an error, the corrections are almost inevitably buried in small print, often in the middle of the newspaper, no matter how big the headline.
Kudos to the Glens Falls weekly The Chronicle for bucking that trend.
Last week, the paper ran an article based on the premise that the city of Glens Falls taxpayers could save $142 million if the city's two school districts merged. It turns out that in crunching the numbers, the reporter used a premise that was incorrect. The amount saved would be only $26 million.
This isn't a minor error like misspelling someone's name. It's a significant error that dramatically affects (though doesn't negate completely) the entire premise of the article.
But rather than burying the admission inside, The Chronicle ran a correction as one of its main front page articles, giving it roughly the same prominence as the original article.
I tip my cap to News Editor Gordon Woodworth (who wrote the article) and Editor Mark Frost for having the integrity to handle this error the right way.
***
IMMIGRATION ISSUES: IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE SOUTHWEST
North Country Public Radio is running a series on a topic that might fly under the radar: Hispanic immigrants working on farms in northern New York.
This piece points out the quandry faced by many farmers.
***
SMALLMART
NCPR also has an interview with the author of The Smallmart Revolution, which calls on local economic developers to look beyond transitory big box stores and foster locally-based small business that are more likely to develop roots in the community.
***
SLOWING DOWN
Winter is on the way. And while many upstate New York residents bemoan the fourth season which seems to occupy well more than a quarter of the year, NYCO blog takes a moment post an essay in praise of winter.
This time of year allows us to settle down a little bit. The cold air and snow reduces the running around, and gives us more time at home. After the clocks turn back to standard time, night falls pretty early, and affords some time to spend with our loved ones in the evening, the essay observes.
One of my pet peeves is that publications run big gaudy headlines or dramatic articles on the front page but when they make an error, the corrections are almost inevitably buried in small print, often in the middle of the newspaper, no matter how big the headline.
Kudos to the Glens Falls weekly The Chronicle for bucking that trend.
Last week, the paper ran an article based on the premise that the city of Glens Falls taxpayers could save $142 million if the city's two school districts merged. It turns out that in crunching the numbers, the reporter used a premise that was incorrect. The amount saved would be only $26 million.
This isn't a minor error like misspelling someone's name. It's a significant error that dramatically affects (though doesn't negate completely) the entire premise of the article.
But rather than burying the admission inside, The Chronicle ran a correction as one of its main front page articles, giving it roughly the same prominence as the original article.
I tip my cap to News Editor Gordon Woodworth (who wrote the article) and Editor Mark Frost for having the integrity to handle this error the right way.
***
IMMIGRATION ISSUES: IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE SOUTHWEST
North Country Public Radio is running a series on a topic that might fly under the radar: Hispanic immigrants working on farms in northern New York.
This piece points out the quandry faced by many farmers.
***
SMALLMART
NCPR also has an interview with the author of The Smallmart Revolution, which calls on local economic developers to look beyond transitory big box stores and foster locally-based small business that are more likely to develop roots in the community.
***
SLOWING DOWN
Winter is on the way. And while many upstate New York residents bemoan the fourth season which seems to occupy well more than a quarter of the year, NYCO blog takes a moment post an essay in praise of winter.
This time of year allows us to settle down a little bit. The cold air and snow reduces the running around, and gives us more time at home. After the clocks turn back to standard time, night falls pretty early, and affords some time to spend with our loved ones in the evening, the essay observes.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
No wonder many good people stay out of politics
New York's 20th Congressional district race got even nastier and less issue-related as it was rocked by allegations that incumbent Rep. John Sweeney was involved in a domestic violence incident late last year.
The Albany Times-Union reported that emergency call to a police dispatcher triggered a visit to the couple's residence by a state trooper from Clifton Park, who filed a domestic incident report after noting that the congressman had scratches on his face, according to a purported State Police document obtained by the paper.
The Sweeney campaign's spokeswoman attacked the document as "a piece of campaign propaganda" without commenting on whether police were called to the Congressman's residence. Nor would Sweeney himself discuss details of the evening.
Some have attacked the paper for running the story less than a week before Election Day. But the daily explained:
In the past 10 months, at least three news organizations, including the Times Union, have filed formal requests seeking disclosure of police records about the incident. State Police denied those requests and, according to agency sources, ordered that all inquiries about the matter be directed to headquarters, where officials have declined comment.
Early Tuesday, copies of the document obtained by this newspaper were provided to State Police headquarters and to Sweeney's offices in Washington, D.C., and Clifton Park.
It is not clear how The Times-Union obtained the document, since release of domestic incident reports are generally exempt from Freedom of Information requests.
The Glens Falls Post-Star reported that Sweeney's wife authorized the State Police to release what she calls 'the real report,' though a State Police official noted that they cannot release the report without a notarized waiver from the Sweeneys.
(The paper also ran complete statements from the Sweeney's and Democrat opponent Kirsten Gillibrand)
Many Democrats jumped on the incident as further proof that Sweeney is unfit for public office. Presumably, many of them also attacked Republicans for making then-President Bill Clinton's private life a public issue. Granted, there's an important difference between consensual sex between two adults and alleged assault and battery. But it seems that if charges weren't pressed, then the matter should remain private.
As much as I am not fond of Sweeney as a politician, I think it's sad that politicians are no longer allowed to have a private life. No one is allowed to have a family dispute. No one is allowed to have kids doing stupid stuff. Nothing is off limits any more, not even family. Public scrunity is 24/7... and not just for the candidate but for everyone related to or associated with the candidate.
We wonder why the calibre of politicians continues to decline. Maybe it's because the most able leaders are way too smart to subject themselves to this masochism.
Update: Though in that spirit, I have to tip my cap to Warren Redlich, the Republican challenger to Albany-area Congressman Michael McNulty. If you think all races for public offices need to be sickening slimefests like Sweeney-Gillibrand, then check this out.
The Albany Times-Union reported that emergency call to a police dispatcher triggered a visit to the couple's residence by a state trooper from Clifton Park, who filed a domestic incident report after noting that the congressman had scratches on his face, according to a purported State Police document obtained by the paper.
The Sweeney campaign's spokeswoman attacked the document as "a piece of campaign propaganda" without commenting on whether police were called to the Congressman's residence. Nor would Sweeney himself discuss details of the evening.
Some have attacked the paper for running the story less than a week before Election Day. But the daily explained:
In the past 10 months, at least three news organizations, including the Times Union, have filed formal requests seeking disclosure of police records about the incident. State Police denied those requests and, according to agency sources, ordered that all inquiries about the matter be directed to headquarters, where officials have declined comment.
Early Tuesday, copies of the document obtained by this newspaper were provided to State Police headquarters and to Sweeney's offices in Washington, D.C., and Clifton Park.
It is not clear how The Times-Union obtained the document, since release of domestic incident reports are generally exempt from Freedom of Information requests.
The Glens Falls Post-Star reported that Sweeney's wife authorized the State Police to release what she calls 'the real report,' though a State Police official noted that they cannot release the report without a notarized waiver from the Sweeneys.
(The paper also ran complete statements from the Sweeney's and Democrat opponent Kirsten Gillibrand)
Many Democrats jumped on the incident as further proof that Sweeney is unfit for public office. Presumably, many of them also attacked Republicans for making then-President Bill Clinton's private life a public issue. Granted, there's an important difference between consensual sex between two adults and alleged assault and battery. But it seems that if charges weren't pressed, then the matter should remain private.
As much as I am not fond of Sweeney as a politician, I think it's sad that politicians are no longer allowed to have a private life. No one is allowed to have a family dispute. No one is allowed to have kids doing stupid stuff. Nothing is off limits any more, not even family. Public scrunity is 24/7... and not just for the candidate but for everyone related to or associated with the candidate.
We wonder why the calibre of politicians continues to decline. Maybe it's because the most able leaders are way too smart to subject themselves to this masochism.
Update: Though in that spirit, I have to tip my cap to Warren Redlich, the Republican challenger to Albany-area Congressman Michael McNulty. If you think all races for public offices need to be sickening slimefests like Sweeney-Gillibrand, then check this out.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Economic development or legalized theft?
The Post-Standard is arguably the best paper in New York in investigating corruption, lack of transparency and other issues in state government. A few years ago, they did a series on the secret, unaccountable slush funds known as state public authorities.
Now, the paper has a series focusing on dubious practices within the state's Empire Zone program.
Empire Zones were designed to provide incentives to businesses as a way to spur job creation. Supposedly, they were to be a boon to small businesses. However in many cases, they have degenerated into little more than patronage. They are merely tax givebacks to large corporations in exchange for nothing, reports the Syracuse daily. In other words, legalized theft.
Take this report on Pyramid, which also runs the Aviation Mall in Queensbury.
The Pyramid Cos. warned Syracuse politicians in 2001 that without Empire Zone tax breaks it would not transform the Carousel Center mall into Destiny USA, a $1.7 billion resort.
In the five years since, not a single beam, block or 2-by-4 has been erected for Destiny USA.
Yet Pyramid founder Robert Congel and his partners are already claiming Empire Zone tax breaks worth $7 million per year.
The 40,000 new Destiny jobs Pyramid predicted don’t exist. But New York taxpayers reimbursed Pyramid for its Carousel Center property taxes in 2004 and 2005.
And it can continue to claim these tax breaks through 2015.
Not surprisingly, Gov. George Pataki defends the program, claiming it has created thousands of new jobs. The paper notes that in many cases, this is nothing but a fiction, a shell game.
Pataki's numbers are inflated, however, to include thousands of jobs that already existed in New York state, a Post-Standard analysis has found.
The governor counts 1,700 jobs at Endicott Interconnect Technologies as new jobs. That company was formed in 2002, when local investors bought a division of IBM. The new owners inherited about 2,000 workers.
The governor counts the Buffalo Sabres' workers as new employees, although the team has been playing since 1970.
The governor counts 477 jobs at Harden Holdings as new jobs. That's the new name for Harden Furniture, which reincorporated in 2002 and claimed all of the old employees as new.
How could this happen?
The Department of Economic Development calculates job creation by simply adding up the numbers the companies provide every year on a document, notes a spokeswoman. But we have no independent way of verifying what is reported by the business," she said.
If this is the state's idea of rigorous accountability procedures, no wonder the program operates like it does.
Now, the paper has a series focusing on dubious practices within the state's Empire Zone program.
Empire Zones were designed to provide incentives to businesses as a way to spur job creation. Supposedly, they were to be a boon to small businesses. However in many cases, they have degenerated into little more than patronage. They are merely tax givebacks to large corporations in exchange for nothing, reports the Syracuse daily. In other words, legalized theft.
Take this report on Pyramid, which also runs the Aviation Mall in Queensbury.
The Pyramid Cos. warned Syracuse politicians in 2001 that without Empire Zone tax breaks it would not transform the Carousel Center mall into Destiny USA, a $1.7 billion resort.
In the five years since, not a single beam, block or 2-by-4 has been erected for Destiny USA.
Yet Pyramid founder Robert Congel and his partners are already claiming Empire Zone tax breaks worth $7 million per year.
The 40,000 new Destiny jobs Pyramid predicted don’t exist. But New York taxpayers reimbursed Pyramid for its Carousel Center property taxes in 2004 and 2005.
And it can continue to claim these tax breaks through 2015.
Not surprisingly, Gov. George Pataki defends the program, claiming it has created thousands of new jobs. The paper notes that in many cases, this is nothing but a fiction, a shell game.
Pataki's numbers are inflated, however, to include thousands of jobs that already existed in New York state, a Post-Standard analysis has found.
The governor counts 1,700 jobs at Endicott Interconnect Technologies as new jobs. That company was formed in 2002, when local investors bought a division of IBM. The new owners inherited about 2,000 workers.
The governor counts the Buffalo Sabres' workers as new employees, although the team has been playing since 1970.
The governor counts 477 jobs at Harden Holdings as new jobs. That's the new name for Harden Furniture, which reincorporated in 2002 and claimed all of the old employees as new.
How could this happen?
The Department of Economic Development calculates job creation by simply adding up the numbers the companies provide every year on a document, notes a spokeswoman. But we have no independent way of verifying what is reported by the business," she said.
If this is the state's idea of rigorous accountability procedures, no wonder the program operates like it does.
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