All Entries Tagged With: "20090609"
Metro Justice Heads to Albany
R News Rochester, NY http://www.rnews.com/content/latest_headlines/474222/metro-justice-heads-to-albany/?RegionCookie=2004 Members of Rochester social activism group ‘Metro Justice’ boarded a bus to voice their displeasure about what’s happening in Albany. The original mission of their trip to the State Capitol was to urge the Senate Elections Committee to pass legislation enabling public funding of elections. Metro Justice members now say [...]
Metro Justice goes to Albany with Citizen Action – No Mas, Senators Espada and Montserrate, No Mas
Rochester Turning Rochester, NY http://rochesterturning.com/2009/06/09/metro-justice-goes-to-albany-with-citizen-action-no-mas-senators-espada-and-montserrate-no-mas/ You may have seen coverage on Rnews earlier, but Metro Justice was one of many organizations to head to Albany and protest the coup d’etat. Originally, they were heading to Albany to lobby for Clean Money, Clean Elections. As Florida resident Tom Golisano’s role in this becomes clearer, I pulled [...]
How Tom Golisano flipped control of the New York State Senate
Syracuse Post-Standard Albany, NY http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/how_tom_golisano_flipped_contr.html Billionaire Tom Golisano created a political group to bring transparency to Albany. But for more than a month, he conducted closed-door meetings to plot a Republican takeover of the state Senate. He has been a strident advocate for campaign finance reform. Yet the three-time gubernatorial candidate courted a Democratic senator [...]
Senate stuck in gridlock after coup
Elmira Star-Gazette Albany, NY http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090610/NEWS01/906100385 ALBANY – Business in the state Senate ground to a halt Tuesday after a leadership coup this week by Senate Republicans and dissident Democrats, putting political factions at a standoff and leaving uncertain who controls the chamber. A day after Senate Republicans and two Democrats voted to dump the Democratic [...]
Golisano Denies Ties to Espada, Monserrate
Politics on the Hudson http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/06/09/golisano-denies-ties-to-espada-monserrate/ Rochester-area billionaire Tom Golisano is taking both heat and credit today for the Republican coup yesterday. Senate Democrats are saying he used money to influence Sens. Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate to join Senate Republicans, even suggesting that he may be helping the senators with their legal woes. But Golisano [...]
Billionaire businessman helped GOP take back Senate
Newsday Long Island, NY http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stgoli1012861099jun09,0,3152684.story ALBANY – In the end, it was Malcolm Smith’s BlackBerry that did him in. Businessman Thomas Golisano, upset over tax and spending increases in the state budget, had journeyed to the Capitol in April to share with the Senate majority leader what he says were $1 billion worth of ideas [...]
Albany Out of Order
Gotham Gazette New York, NY http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/06/09/albany-out-of-order/ “Voters, not donors!” chanted a swarm of activists who gathered at the fourth-floor capitol office of Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. The sound echoed throughout the grand capitol staircase as activists grew louder and more agitated. The man who helped orchestrate Espada’s and Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s defection from the Democratic [...]
Blocking Action
FOX23 News – WXXA Albany, NY http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Blocking-Action/WPPdXNqy7UW5gGafgbdRNQ.cspx With just two weeks left in the legislative session, many issues were still waiting to be resolved. Some of those issues include healthcare, housing reform and same sex marriage, just to name a few. But now, with all these changes, some New Yorkers and the Governor are afraid [...]
Senate switch leaves business unfinished
WNYT NBC 13 Albany, NY http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S970539.shtml?cat=300 ALBANY – A slew of legislative bills will not be acted on now in the state Senate, especially if the leadership change is taken up by the courts. So people who were counting on the Legislature to act may be disappointed. No one knows for sure how all of [...]
Citizen Action protests Senate change
Legislative Gazette Albany, NY http://www.legislativegazette.com/day_item.php?item=972 Approximately one hundred protesters affiliated with Citizens Action New York gathered outside the office of Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., who decided yesterday, along with Sen. Hiram Monserrate, to vote and caucus with Republican senators, taking control away, at least temporarily, from Democrats. “We will not let our agenda be [...]
