Thursday, April 26, 2007
AM ROUNDUP
With a state trooper shot and killed.......Death penalty bill urged ........is the hot topic this week in Albany....... "Citing the shootings of three state troopers within 24 hours in Delaware County, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno urged Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Wednesday to focus on a new state death penalty law instead of pushing for campaign finance reform.
Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp said he expects the governor will sit down with legislative leaders next week to discuss a death penalty law. Spitzer, a Democrat, has favored a death penalty since his two terms as attorney general, particularly for cop killers." ............my guess it will get passed in the coming weeks............and Gov Spitzer had this to say "The state of New York suffered a tremendous loss; one of our best was fallen, another was seriously wounded.
I visited with the family of the wounded trooper a while ago at Albany Med. The anguish these family members feel is only surpassed by that of the slain trooper’s family.
These families knew that the obligations of being a state trooper created every day the risk of harm and potential tragedy. On this day, at this particular moment, I think it is best to simply reflect on the extraordinary service and sacrifice of our troopers and their families. Law enforcement is a difficult and dangerous job and our state troopers deserve our respect, gratitude and support.
I know here at the Capitol there is an ongoing debate over legislative initiatives and politics. Now is not the moment for that debate. There will be much time for that later.
Right now we should be respectful for what has happened. Our thoughts should be with the troopers, their families and personnel in the field.
Acting Superintendent Felton and other top state police officials are at the scene coordinating ongoing action. They and we will be releasing information when appropriate. Thank you very much.” Amen and Amen..........on another note..would you believe people are actually happy about school tax increases??? Newsday gives us A moderate tax hike "Long Island school districts are calling for their smallest spending-and-tax-rate hikes in eight years, a phenomenon that is drawing smiles even from some of the region's toughest tax critics.School taxes would rise an average 4.72 percent next year, compared with 6.23 percent this year, assuming voters approve budgets on May 15. As always, rate hikes vary widely from one district to another, with a handful in double digits" jump for joy......with the largest increase in state school aid for education..my question is...why are they going up at all??? and would you believe Support is growing for grandparents raising kids (Buffalo News) "At a time when grandparents should be enjoying their retirement, starting a second career or simply spending time with their grandchildren, many find themselves parents again.
Kinship care — the term for grandparents and other relatives raising the children of family members — may not yet be a household phrase, but it is a burgeoning public-policy issue demanding our collective attention. The statistics are overwhelming:
• Across the nation, according to the Census Bureau, grandparents and other relatives are raising more than 6 million children — or one in 12 children — outside the foster care system.
• In New York State, more than 400,000 children are growing up in households headed by grandparents or other family members, and more than 140,000 grandparents are solely responsible for raising a grandchild. " You need to pass a test and be licensed to drive a car...yet to be a parent...all you need is the opportunity to have sex............and the New York Post alerts us to another Pataki Mess......Spitzer is going to have to deal with GROWTH & THE CITY PAYING FOR PATAKI "NOW that JP Morgan Chase is threatening to move to Stamford, Conn., over sup posedly insufficient subsidies to keep it in Manhattan, let's all remember what got us into this pickle.
It was former Gov. George E. Pataki's bone-headed insistence on building a $1 billion tunnel under West Street - a scheme finally abandoned in April 2005 after another Wall Street power, Goldman Sachs, threatened to abandon Downtown over it........Why did Pataki want a tunnel? Ridiculously, to protect the "sanctity" of the memorial, even though the memorial will have traffic whizzing by on three other sides.
And why, come to think of it, is JP Morgan Chase considering a new tower across the street from Ground Zero, rather than in Ground Zero itself? " if you get a chance read the whole article.....Pataki really dropped the ball all around on this whole ground zero redevelopment project.............and finally...Newsday reports on Spitzer's "reform road show" on the Island yesterday.....Raising the stakes on finance reform....Spitzer comes to LI, vowing to fight Marcellino and others who block his campaign reform plans........."Gov. Eliot Spitzer promised an electoral fight yesterday for state Sen. Carl Marcellino and others who block his campaign finance proposals. At Sagamore Hill, Spitzer called on Marcellino (R-Syosset) and Senate Republicans to agree to his proposed package of campaign finance reforms. "Come November of 2008, you will be asked a simple question: Whose side were you on?" Spitzer said. "Were you on the side of Teddy Roosevelt and reform and the citizens of the state or were you on the side of those who want to perpetuate a system that values money over judgment?"Marcellino said he's ready for any challenge Spitzer and Democrats have coming, but said the time for that is next year, not now.".......I will be the house.....some kind of campaign reform legislation is passed before next year..........andy
Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp said he expects the governor will sit down with legislative leaders next week to discuss a death penalty law. Spitzer, a Democrat, has favored a death penalty since his two terms as attorney general, particularly for cop killers." ............my guess it will get passed in the coming weeks............and Gov Spitzer had this to say "The state of New York suffered a tremendous loss; one of our best was fallen, another was seriously wounded.
I visited with the family of the wounded trooper a while ago at Albany Med. The anguish these family members feel is only surpassed by that of the slain trooper’s family.
These families knew that the obligations of being a state trooper created every day the risk of harm and potential tragedy. On this day, at this particular moment, I think it is best to simply reflect on the extraordinary service and sacrifice of our troopers and their families. Law enforcement is a difficult and dangerous job and our state troopers deserve our respect, gratitude and support.
I know here at the Capitol there is an ongoing debate over legislative initiatives and politics. Now is not the moment for that debate. There will be much time for that later.
Right now we should be respectful for what has happened. Our thoughts should be with the troopers, their families and personnel in the field.
Acting Superintendent Felton and other top state police officials are at the scene coordinating ongoing action. They and we will be releasing information when appropriate. Thank you very much.” Amen and Amen..........on another note..would you believe people are actually happy about school tax increases??? Newsday gives us A moderate tax hike "Long Island school districts are calling for their smallest spending-and-tax-rate hikes in eight years, a phenomenon that is drawing smiles even from some of the region's toughest tax critics.School taxes would rise an average 4.72 percent next year, compared with 6.23 percent this year, assuming voters approve budgets on May 15. As always, rate hikes vary widely from one district to another, with a handful in double digits" jump for joy......with the largest increase in state school aid for education..my question is...why are they going up at all??? and would you believe Support is growing for grandparents raising kids (Buffalo News) "At a time when grandparents should be enjoying their retirement, starting a second career or simply spending time with their grandchildren, many find themselves parents again.
Kinship care — the term for grandparents and other relatives raising the children of family members — may not yet be a household phrase, but it is a burgeoning public-policy issue demanding our collective attention. The statistics are overwhelming:
• Across the nation, according to the Census Bureau, grandparents and other relatives are raising more than 6 million children — or one in 12 children — outside the foster care system.
• In New York State, more than 400,000 children are growing up in households headed by grandparents or other family members, and more than 140,000 grandparents are solely responsible for raising a grandchild. " You need to pass a test and be licensed to drive a car...yet to be a parent...all you need is the opportunity to have sex............and the New York Post alerts us to another Pataki Mess......Spitzer is going to have to deal with GROWTH & THE CITY PAYING FOR PATAKI "NOW that JP Morgan Chase is threatening to move to Stamford, Conn., over sup posedly insufficient subsidies to keep it in Manhattan, let's all remember what got us into this pickle.
It was former Gov. George E. Pataki's bone-headed insistence on building a $1 billion tunnel under West Street - a scheme finally abandoned in April 2005 after another Wall Street power, Goldman Sachs, threatened to abandon Downtown over it........Why did Pataki want a tunnel? Ridiculously, to protect the "sanctity" of the memorial, even though the memorial will have traffic whizzing by on three other sides.
And why, come to think of it, is JP Morgan Chase considering a new tower across the street from Ground Zero, rather than in Ground Zero itself? " if you get a chance read the whole article.....Pataki really dropped the ball all around on this whole ground zero redevelopment project.............and finally...Newsday reports on Spitzer's "reform road show" on the Island yesterday.....Raising the stakes on finance reform....Spitzer comes to LI, vowing to fight Marcellino and others who block his campaign reform plans........."Gov. Eliot Spitzer promised an electoral fight yesterday for state Sen. Carl Marcellino and others who block his campaign finance proposals. At Sagamore Hill, Spitzer called on Marcellino (R-Syosset) and Senate Republicans to agree to his proposed package of campaign finance reforms. "Come November of 2008, you will be asked a simple question: Whose side were you on?" Spitzer said. "Were you on the side of Teddy Roosevelt and reform and the citizens of the state or were you on the side of those who want to perpetuate a system that values money over judgment?"Marcellino said he's ready for any challenge Spitzer and Democrats have coming, but said the time for that is next year, not now.".......I will be the house.....some kind of campaign reform legislation is passed before next year..........andy
