Thursday, January 25, 2007
Silver's Motives
Azi Paybarah The Politicker
Azi is thinking out loud about what motivated Silver to basically assert himself............"What's going on with Shelly Silver and the independent comptroller screening panel?
In the Buffalo News, Silver said:
"They can give me whatever they want," Silver said of the three-member panel. "We don't have to listen to them, either."
Asked if that meant the Legislature could deviate from the list the panel recommends, he said, "I'm just saying there's no statute here, and if they don't want to follow the rules, nobody has to follow the rules."
Spitzer's office declined to comment on Silver's remark, and I'm waiting on a call back from Silver's office to get some clarification. But it seems a little weird to pre-emptively declare that the screening process that he and Eliot Spitzer agreed to be, in essence, pointless.
Silver may be putting himself out there to shield members from the criticism they're sure to face if they do, in fact, select a colleague instead of a financial expert. Or he could be sending a stern message to the panel about how displeased he'd be if the group they recommend includes no legislators at all.
But there's another factor in play. Money.
Spitzer's first budget is due out next month, and numbers are being crunched now. Mike Bloomberg just presented a budget which is relying on billions of dollars in state aid for city schools. And Spitzer also has to live up to his 'no new taxes' campaign promise.
So he needs Silver. And Silver, perhaps, is simply using this occasion to remind him of that fact." or maybe Silver was in a bad mood and was tired of all the nagging questions about the comptroller's job.....etc etc etc......my sense is..this is a done deal already.....the compromise candidate has already been agreed upon..in order for Silver to maintain his leadership in the Assembly..the final choice has to come out of the Assembly.....and that someone has to pass the "squeaky clean" Spitzer Muster.....and I would not be a bit surprised if Tom DiNapoli was the final choice.....he fits the bill perfectly..for both sides.......case closed.........andy
Azi is thinking out loud about what motivated Silver to basically assert himself............"What's going on with Shelly Silver and the independent comptroller screening panel?
In the Buffalo News, Silver said:
"They can give me whatever they want," Silver said of the three-member panel. "We don't have to listen to them, either."
Asked if that meant the Legislature could deviate from the list the panel recommends, he said, "I'm just saying there's no statute here, and if they don't want to follow the rules, nobody has to follow the rules."
Spitzer's office declined to comment on Silver's remark, and I'm waiting on a call back from Silver's office to get some clarification. But it seems a little weird to pre-emptively declare that the screening process that he and Eliot Spitzer agreed to be, in essence, pointless.
Silver may be putting himself out there to shield members from the criticism they're sure to face if they do, in fact, select a colleague instead of a financial expert. Or he could be sending a stern message to the panel about how displeased he'd be if the group they recommend includes no legislators at all.
But there's another factor in play. Money.
Spitzer's first budget is due out next month, and numbers are being crunched now. Mike Bloomberg just presented a budget which is relying on billions of dollars in state aid for city schools. And Spitzer also has to live up to his 'no new taxes' campaign promise.
So he needs Silver. And Silver, perhaps, is simply using this occasion to remind him of that fact." or maybe Silver was in a bad mood and was tired of all the nagging questions about the comptroller's job.....etc etc etc......my sense is..this is a done deal already.....the compromise candidate has already been agreed upon..in order for Silver to maintain his leadership in the Assembly..the final choice has to come out of the Assembly.....and that someone has to pass the "squeaky clean" Spitzer Muster.....and I would not be a bit surprised if Tom DiNapoli was the final choice.....he fits the bill perfectly..for both sides.......case closed.........andy
