Sunday, September 27, 2009

Czars to oversee Czars

The problem with talking about things is that sometimes you give people ideas that they may never have thought of. Like when you are talking to kids about sex, you may be afraid to tell them certain things because it may encourage them to do so.

I'm a little nervous to share this information, but think that the greater good will be served by sharing, rather than not sharing. My concern is that our County Executive who is CRAZY about creating Deputy and Asst. Deputy Executive positions to oversee everything under the sun might get some ideas.

Apparently, our President has the same problem as Mike Hein, but only with Czars. He can't get enough of them.

As the people footing the bill for all of this - we need to stand up and say NO MORE. Enough is enough with the Czars and the Deputy County Executives and the Assistant Deputy County Executives. Let's try and do more with less. I've cut back in my household - it's time for our politicians to do the same thing.

List of Obama’s Czars

List Compiled by Glenn Beck

August 14, 2009 – 12:50 ET

As of July 20, 2009:

• The Brainroom counts 32 czars in the Obama administration, based on media reports from reputable sources that have identified the official in question as a czar.
• In addition, President Obama has said that he will create the position of cyber czar, and there have been media reports that there could be a health insurance czar and a copyright czar. When and if those positions are filled, that would bring the total to 35.
• Since czar isn’t an official job title, the number is somewhat in the eye of the beholder.

NOTE: positions that also existed under previous administrations are indicated with an *.

1. Afghanistan Czar – Richard Holbrooke

2. AIDS Czar * – Jeffrey Crowley

3. Auto Recovery Czar – Ed Montgomery

4. Border Czar * – Alan Bersin

5. California Water Czar – David J. Hayes

6. Car Czar – Ron Bloom

NOTE: on July 13, 2009, Bloom took over as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, replacing Steven Rattner

7. Central Region Czar – Dennis Ross

8. Climate Czar – Todd Stern

9. Domestic Violence Czar – Lynn Rosenthal

10. Drug Czar * – Gil Kerlikowske

11. Economic Czar * – Paul Volcker

12. Energy and Environment Czar – Carol Browner

13. Faith-Based Czar * – Joshua DuBois

14. Government Performance Czar – Jeffrey Zients

15. Great Lakes Czar – Cameron Davis

16. Green Jobs Czar – Van Jones ~ Resigned, 9/5/09

17. Guantanamo Closure Czar – Daniel Fried

18. Health Czar * – Nancy-Ann DeParle

19. Information Czar – Vivek Kundra

20. Intelligence Czar * – Dennis Blair

21. Mideast Peace Czar – George Mitchell

22. Pay Czar – Kenneth R. Feinberg

23. Regulatory Czar – Cass R. Sunstein *

24. Science Czar – John Holdren

25. Stimulus Accountability Czar – Earl Devaney

26. Sudan Czar – J. Scott Gration

27. TARP Czar – Herb Allison

28. Technology Czar – Aneesh Chopra

29. Terrorism Czar – John Brennan

30. Urban Affairs Czar – Adolfo Carrion Jr.

31. Weapons Czar – Ashton Carter

32. WMD Policy Czar – Gary Samore

33. FCC Diversity Czar (Chief Diversity Officer) – Mark Lloyd

Monday, September 14, 2009

The ACORN Slimy 7

What were these people thinking?

Click HERE to see the official United States Senate vote tally

Friday, August 21, 2009

Paterson must be smoking crack

Gov. David Paterson blames calls for him to step aside on race

Friday, August 21st 2009, 11:08 AM

Hermann for News

New York Governor David Paterson

ALBANY - Gov. Paterson said Friday he knows the reason behind the "crescendo" of calls for him not to seek re-election next year: it's because he's black.

Speaking on a morning radio show hosted by Daily News columnist Errol Louis, an angry Paterson blamed the white-dominated media for pushing him to step aside next year.

"The whole idea is to get me not to run in the primary," he said. Paterson complained there are not enough "black" media outlets to counteract the push.

And he suggested that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the country's only other African-American governor, also is under fire because of his race.

"We're not in the post-racial period," Paterson said.

"The reality is the next victim on the list, and you can see it coming, is President Barack Obama, who did nothing more than trying to reform a health care system."

"My feeling is it's being orchestrated, it's a game, and people who pay attention know that," he said.

"We have a media that doesn't report the news. We have a media that wants to make the news."

Paterson insisted he's made tough decisions to deal with the state's budget ballooning budget deficits while at the same time increasing welfare benefits and softening the harsh Rockefeller drug laws.

He noted the state, despite its fiscal crisis, has not had to write IOUs or have its bond ratings drastically reduced like California and is not in as bad straits as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Massachusetts.

Paterson has been heavily criticized by key Democrat allies in the Legislature, labor community and elsewhere in recent months.

"What did I do that I should not run for reelection?" he asked.

Despite enjoying high approval ratings in his first several months in office last year, his popularity plummeted to as low as 18% after a series of mishaps in the late spring.

The latest polls show about 30% approving of the job Paterson is doing.

He also seemed to take a shot at Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a possible primary competitor, Polls show Cuomo would trounce the governor in a match-up.

"If I run in the primary, the same people who are sitting in beach chairs while I'm in the oceans with the sharks will have to come in to the ocean - and they will be eaten alive."

He said there would be no shame in running for a full term and losing. "It will be my highest honor to have served as governor of this state, to make the tough decisions," he said.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Judge Issues Restraining Order Blocking Ravitch from Serving as Lietuenant Governor

MINEOLA — A judge has issued a restraining order blocking Richard Ravitch from serving as New York Gov. David Paterson's lieutenant governor

State Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca issued his ruling in Nassau County late Tuesday afternoon.

Paterson appointed Ravitch, a former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, earlier this month as a way of breaking a monthlong leadership deadlock in the state Senate — a deadlock that was resolved anyway when a Democratic senator who had defected to the Republican caucus switched back.

Attorneys for the state Senate argued the state Constitution does not allow for the appointment of a lieutenant governor when a vacancy occurs.

The governor's attorney says a state law allows him to fill some vacant posts until the next election.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Petition Signing Season is Over

Petition signing season is over. The Board of Elections gives EVERYONE 6 weeks to get this done. Like everything in life, there are those who get up and out early and get their work done and others procrastinate and wait until the last minute.

Hey procrastinator candidates: Did you file your acceptance for parties other than your own? Those petitions won't be any good without your acceptance.

The next season is a short season: Petition Challenge Season.

It's always interesting to see who understands the rules and follows them on their petitions, and who doesn't and gets their petitions challenged. Also who carried the petitions? FOIL FOIL FOIL FOIL FOIL FOIL FOIL FOIL

All of this will starting dripping out in dribs and drabs from the Board of Elections.

Feel free to post your Petition Challenge Season and Other Petition News here.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

If he's gay, we're cool with that

If he's gay, we're cool with that. There are some other blogs and comments out there that are alleging that Andy Zweben is the person who originally found the Craigslist Man to Man personal of Mike Madsen and that Zweben himself is gay. Who else looks at Man to Man ads, but gay men? If Mr. Zweben is gay, we are OK with that and so should everyone else. You can say whatever you want about him, but to attack him because he is gay is every bit as wrong as attacking Mike Madsen because he is gay.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Zatz and Bartels are in


Carl Zatz (D) and Tracey Bartels (D) are in. Both have announced that they will be running for Ulster County Legislator in District 8.

Zatz has previously beaten the Conservative Party candidate Jack Hayes in the race for Supervisor.

The Republican Party has backed Hayes (C), Ken Rock (R-incumbent) and Cathy Terrizzi (R-incumbent).

Republicans did not back Republican Minority Leader Glenn Noonan at their convention. Noonan is carrying petitions and will force a primary in September in his bid to try and reclaim his spot on the Republican ballot line in November.