Here is the Bill that was passed late last night.I can assure you it hasn’t even dented the actual debt and or deficit we face at the hands of these incompetent boobs.

Bills
Extraordinary Session S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y
August 19, 2008 ___________
IN SENATE —

A BUDGET BILL, submitted by the Governor pursuant to arti- cle seven of the Constitution — read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance IN ASSEMBLY — A BUDGET BILL, submitted by the Governor pursuant to article seven of the Constitution — read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means AN ACT to amend chapter 50 of the laws of 2008, enacting the public protection and general government budget; to amend chapter 51 of the laws of 2008, enacting the legislature and judiciary budget; to amend chapter 53 of the laws of 2008, enacting the education, labor and family assistance budget; to amend chapter 54 of the laws of 2008, enacting the health and mental hygiene budget; and to amend chapter 55 of the laws of 2008, enacting the transportation, economic development and environmental conservation budget, in relation to the support of state government

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 50 of the laws of 2008, enacting the 2 public protection and general government budget, as amended by section 3 3 of chapter 53 of the laws of 2008, is amended by repealing the items 4 hereinbelow set forth in brackets and by adding to such section the 5 other items underscored in this section. 6

DEPARTMENT OF AUDIT AND CONTROL 7 STATE OPERATIONS AND AID TO LOCALITIES 2008-09 8 STATE OPERATIONS PROGRAM 9 General Fund / Aid to Localities 10 Local Assistance Account - 001 EXPLANATION–Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets { } is old law to be omitted.

Read the rest here at source….

For immediate release:

For directions or additional information regarding the event, go DiPietroforSenate.com and click on ‘Event Calendar.’

Two years ago when I was running against Hoyt people were calling me and emailing me about this same information. Rumors were sent to me about a love child, his affairs with interns and other things I will not discuss. I was urged to publicize all of this and chose not to. If you can’t run a campaign based on issues then simply don’t run. That is one thing about politics, each has their own rumor mill with sources coming out of the wood work, it is the person or the campaign that takes the high road that should be considered the winner.

I wrote the Bill with Senator Maziarz and gave them all an out and an easy way to do it. Just pass the frikin Bill Sam and people will re-elect you. Do something instead of just talking about doing something, people are getting sick to death of your talk and empty promises.

Capitol confidential » Sam Hoyt admits “difficult time” in marriage, says no rules broken

Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo released a statement in response to inquiries about an alleged affair with one or more interns.

Recently, accusations and slurs have been made online about my personal life; and like a lot of things on the Internet, much of it is false.

Here’s what is true. Several years ago, my wife and I had a difficult time in our marriage. Since that time, my wife Connie and I have worked hard to put this behind us, and believe the episode to be a painful but private matter best left in the past.

While my past actions were unfortunate, and for which I have expressed to my family my sincere apology, one blogger has alleged that official rules or laws were broken. That simply is not true.

It’s sad that my political opponents have chosen to resort to the lowest tactics by dredging up a private matter from years ago just 21 days before an election. The timing is no accident. They would rather wallow in this type of politics than debate the challenges that face our community.

I am disappointed, but frankly, not all that surprised given the players involved. I leave this in the voters’ hands. It’s my view that the people of Buffalo and Grand Island face more pressing issues than this. My family, who are more important to me than anything, has gone through a great deal to put this in the past where it belongs.

We ask only for the privacy that any other family would be granted under these circumstances — nothing more, nothing less.

The allegations were made on a Western New York politics blog, PoliticsNY.net, which has previously made allegations about Hoyt that have fueled the Capitol rumor mill, but ultimately were never proven. This week, the blog has called for Hoyt’s resignation, and published emails that it claims were exchanges between Hoyt and an intern, dated November 2003 and June 2004. Hoyt neither confirms or denies the validity of the emails published on the blog.

In his statement, Hoyt says that no official rules or laws were broken. In May 2004, the Assembly adopted new rules to prevent fraternization between interns and lawmakers, as well as between staffers and interns.

Chris Collins is exactly right. How can a budget increase 11 billion in one year? How? Does that make any sense to you at all? From Pataki to Spitzer in one year.Why we are here raises all kinds of questions and how to get out of it raises many other points. Why we are here is the continued excessive spending and most of all the health care and pension for the retired government workers. The pension system is starting to drive states and counties into bankruptcy across the country.

Still we look at a one year increase of 11 Billion…… Deficit 6.4 with the expected deficit to hit 25 Billion in 3 years? This state is out of control and it must be reigned in or file bankruptcy and get it over with.

WBEN 930 : Collins: State Can Cut More From Budget

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Chris Collins says trimming $600 million dollars from the budget is a joke, saying the state could easily cut upwards of $10 billion. He expects whatever happens in Albany to trickle down to local governments, so he’s telling department heads to not push for more spending in their spending plans.

Collins says lawmakers can trim by $10 billion by cutting spending rather than shifting the burden to lcoal governments like Erie County.

He believes, however, there is no political will in Albany to get that done.

No secret ballots is how the union thugs intimidate people into voting for them and the continued abuse of the system that they want until they suck the taxpayers dry. We need to protect union workers seeing that their own unions could care less about them and us. We vote in the voting booth in secret, union members need to have the same privacy.

Figures Obama, Clinton and the rest of the congressional and this states Democrats are controlled by the unions like puppets on a string using union dues. Dues to get them re-elected to buy them off and to continue to screw us to the wall. It’s time this madness stopped.

Not-So-Special Interests Hold Parties Hostage

We take it for granted that a vote means a secret ballot, but it was not always that way. Moreover, it will not remain that way for workers who vote on whether or not they want a labor union, if legislation sponsored by congressional Democrats and endorsed by Sen. Barack Obama becomes law.

Before there were secret ballots, voters dared not express their true preferences if those who watched them vote could retaliate — whether by firing them, beating them up or in other ways.

Anyone who is serious about people being free to express themselves with their votes wants a secret ballot.

The problem for labor unions is that workers in the private sector increasingly vote against being represented by unions. The proportion of workers in the private sector who are represented by unions has fallen below 10%.

Since unions are losing the game under the current rules, their obvious answer is to change the rules. Specifically, they want to do away with secret ballots when the government conducts elections to determine whether the workers in a particular company or industry want to be represented by a union.

With labor unions being major supporters of the Democratic Party — spending hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s election campaign — it is hardly surprising that congressional Democrats have lined up solidly behind legislation to let union organizers simply collect signed cards from a majority of workers, in order to be certified as the officially recognized union for those workers.

(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com …

Leonard Roberto Campaign Update
Republican Candidate for New York State Assembly 142nd District

In your service
Leonard A. Roberto

Linking campaign contributions to future government actions is illegal under New York law. Will he get away with it? Most likely, they act as if they are untouchable. He should be prosecuted. So tell me now, who gets represented in Albany? Apparently it’s the highest bidder and not the people. What a racket, the modern day mafia is what it is.

ALBANY $QUEEZE PLAY - New York Post

SENATE Minority Leader Malcolm Smith told a conclave of lobbyists in Kingston last week that their clients would be shut out of a Democrat-controlled Senate in January if they didn’t pony up large contributions now, a “shocked” longtime lobbyist has told The Post.

The Queens-based Smith, whose party is given a good chance by political experts of winning control of the Senate in the November elections, also made what the lobbyist called “an inappropriate and offensive” sexual joke about marital infidelity.

“It was a shocking set of remarks and people were looking around the room in disbelief,” said the well-known lobbyist, who has strong Republican and Democratic ties.

“It was far more blatant a threat than anything we’re used to hearing from many of the leaders,” the lobbyist continued.

“The whole thing was incredible. Malcolm got up there and thanked everyone for coming and told them we should think of his fund-raising event as being like an IPO, an initial public offering.

“He said we should get in early because then it doesn’t cost as much. The longer you wait to get in, he said, the more it will cost you and if you don’t get in at all, then it will be painful after November, after the Democrats win the majority,” the lobbyist continued.

“Then he referred to [Bronx state Sen.] Jeff Klein about four times as his ‘enforcer,’ who is going to be brutal, aggressive, about collecting the contributions, and that he was the one managing the IPO.”

Linking campaign contributions to future government actions is illegal under New York law, legal experts told The Post.

The lobbyist, meanwhile, also said Smith, the married father of two who fathered an out-of-wedlock child with a woman other than his wife three years ago, made “an inappropriate and unprofessional” sexual innuendo at the event, a Senate Democratic golf outing at the private Wiltwyck Golf Club, attended by about 75 lobbyists who paid up to $75,000 each.

Sign the petition here… Thanks!

No Grand Island Tolls requests your help!

The Assembly Toll Bill A10003 has stalled in the Ways and Means Committee. Our WNY Delegation has failed us in making any forward movement there. I can pretty much guarantee that it is due to pressure from the Thruway Authority and Sheldon Silver’s influence over our Assembly members. Once again, how is this possible in a Representative form of government? Sheldon Silver and the Governor act as if they run the state alone. Separation of powers in the form of the Executive and Legislative branches guarantees us fair representation. But when the governor can step in and stop this bill on his own, he has overstepped the bounds of representative democracy.

CC:
Governor Paterson, Senators Maziarz, Rath, Volker, Thompson, Stachowski
Assemblymen Hoyt, Schimminger, Schroeder, DelMonte, Gabryszak, Quinn, Cole, Hayes, Peoples

A lot of us work in jobs that require decision making, quick responses and lots of common sense. Obama could never make it in our jobs. What a poor candidate the Dems have chosen.

McCain is whitebread. Obama is toast.

411mania.com: Politics - At Saddleback Church, Obama Fails to Get Back in the Saddle

McCain Shines While Obama’s Magic Appears to Have Been Left on Vacation

On Saturday night, Senator Barack Obama and his rival for the presidency, Senator John McCain, both appeared at Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church to discuss the intersection of government and policy with faith and values. Before a nationally televised audience, Pastor Warren quizzed Obama and McCain (separately) about personal failings and the failings of America; abortion; the definition of marriage; social policy; and the relationship of faith-based charitable organizations vis-à-vis the government.

This was Obama’s first high-profile public appearance after his weeklong Hawaiian vacation. He appeared first and though apparently in good spirits and rested, Obama was curiously listless, uninspiring, and in some cases simply boring with his legalistic, impersonal responses to deeply personal, profound – and fair – questions from Pastor Warren. McCain, in contrast, was crisp, funny, relaxed, focused, and seemingly genuine. At 71, McCain’s energy onstage easily eclipsed the sleepy, professorial manner of Obama. McCain was specific and personal in discussing ideas and himself; Obama droned on in generalized, boilerplate banalities that shed no light on the nature of the man speaking. McCain could barely wait for Warren to finish his questions before pouncing and demonstrating an ease in wrapping his mind around any topic; Obama stuttered haltingly through his hour, his detachment making him appear more like a merely above-average law professor. A clear moral center and a clear set of governing principles seemed to emerge organically from McCain, whereas one got the sense that Obama is more comfortable with spirituality and morality as an abstract, intellectual zone where there is no wrong or right, merely a variety of interesting arguments.

Democrats should be concerned, and Republicans encouraged, as Senator Obama has looked smaller and distracted ever since his highly successful trip to the Middle East and Europe. Obama had little gravitas tonight when the moment required it. McCain looked not only like a president, but a man whom you can admire even if you don’t agree with him on everything. It is increasingly difficult to tell what Obama’s campaign is about, besides itself and oh, yeah, some basic boilerplate Democratic stuff.

The Obama who showed up tonight is going to lose to the McCain that showed up tonight if Obama doesn’t shake off his ennui and wake back up. Summer vacation is over for Obama, and for most Americans soon as well. The American public generally starts to pay closer attention to presidential elections after Labor Day, which means Obama’s campaign has some time to recalibrate. The Obama campaign should be glad most people were watching the Olympics on Saturday night. It was one of Obama’s worst nights and John McCain’s best of the campaign.

Who ever this person is in this forum, they get it, why doesn’t everyone else?

StankyC wrote:

I suggest publicly tracking the names of GOOD DECENT politicians who vote for the budget cuts & support them actively. They need our help. Also track the names of those who REFUSE to make the cuts in wasteful government. For example, Senators Volker and Thompson would rather tax the Indian reservations than make budget cuts. Therefore, why not get 20 to 30 people and protest outside of their offices? Be creative, ask your friends to participate. Use your rights while you still have them. In case you haven’t noticed, NYS citizens have literally been subjected to “taxation without representation” for decades. When the steel & automotive industries left in the 80s, the NYS government should have downsized. EVEN AFTER LOSING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN CITIES LIKE BUFFALO, ROCHESTER & SYRACUSE MANY NYS POLITICIANS WANT TO TAX YOU MORE RATHER THAN DOWNSIZE. The corrupt NYS politicians use your hard earned incomes to wastefully hand out welfare to control the masses and to keep welfare recipient’s votes in their districts. They give favors to special interests to keep them in their pockets. Meanwhile, they tax the life out of the Johns and Marys working honestly every day to support their families. Stand up and be counted Buffalo. Politicians and lawyers in government are YOUR servants, NOT the other way around. There’s only one way to teach them that lesson, PUBLICLY.

State Lawmakers Get Set To Head Back To Work

A few weeks ago, New York State Governor David Paterson told us of the state budget crisis and that lawmakers have been ordered back in Albany August 19th to make some tough budget cuts. But, as the hours click down to that meeting, what are local reps thinking can be accomplished?

State lawmakers are being called back to work in Albany during the summer. The governor says he wants them to make $600 million in cuts for the current budget year. Now the question is, what will they cut?

“Medicaid, hospital cuts to Medicaid, I’m willing to work through the difficulty that will cause,” says Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples (D-NY).

However, Peoples doesn’t think it can all happen on Tuesday. “You need to have more time,” says Peoples. Despite being told about the cuts last month, Peoples says she only received the cut package two days ago.

Republican Congressman Jack Quinn, Jr. is trying to be optimistic. “It is in the best interest of us to do something on Tuesday,” he says. “I have to tell you right now that I am hopeful. I’m not 100% sure. I wish I could tell you right now that we’re going to go down there and do this.”

Quinn says he’s for equitable cuts where everyone feels the pain because, there’s a $6.4 billion projected deficit. “It could be upwards of $24 billion over these next few years that we’re going to be out,” says Quinn.

Peoples says she will fight any cuts to education, especially cuts at UB.

As for the Senate Majority, they are opposed to any healthcare cuts that impact hospitals. One lawmaker told 2 On Your Side’s Claudine Ewing to “expect a lot of debate and possibly little action when the day ends on Tuesday.”