Sunday Sundry Items

I haven't had much to write about specifically - scratch that - I haven't felt like writing about much specifically. The weather has been fantabulous, and I have been enjoying it. I hope you all are enjoying it too.

Lilac Festival: Anyone head out to the Lilac festival? Except for one "weather event" that canceled some things, it was another successful Lilac-a-licious year. Yay lilacs! You rock! And you smell good too!



I liked this year's "official 2010 Lilac Print" - and I liked the various birds detailed in the print - but the random creepy bunny popping out of the tulips distracts me. Instead of just enjoying the wonderful colors and the details of the birds and the lone butterfly in such a peaceful setting and imagining the wonderful smell of the lilacs....I keep going back to the rabbit. Why is he there? Why is he looking at me like he just ate the tenth bird? It's just too distracting for me and takes away from the rest of the print - for me anyways.

Governor: Surprise! Andrew Cuomo announced he is running for Governor of NYS.

I have to be honest - I like Andrew Cuomo - mostly because I liked his father, a little bit because he's aggressive and comes off like he's "tellin' it like it is", and also because he tells me what he thinks it is that I think I want to hear. That tells me that he is "in tune" with "the mood" of the people - he's doing his homework, he's a stickler for details....I'm impressed with it, even though I know he's probably just blowing smoke up my ass. I like what he's done as Attorney General though - and I liked his father as Governor.

I liked his campaign video (view it at the above link). He seemed so genuine, so concerned, so ready to reform NY back to greatness with our help. "E pluribus unum" - Out of many, one. He even 'called out' his fellow Democrats with the "Boss Tweed" reference! I sat there thinking; "Yes! If anyone can get it done, it's Andrew Cuomo!" "When Andrew says he's gonna do something, he does it!" "He's mad as hell! He looks like he's going to kick someone's ass! Wait....no....now he's changed back to "soft, gentle Andrew", so caring, so gentle. Wait! Nope! Back to ass kicking mode again." lol

I sat mesmerized for over 20 minutes watching the video. I even read the transcript after I watched the video.

I'm glad I did. It slapped reality back into my brain. Instead of being 'hypnotized' by the speaking abilities of Andrew Cuomo - I was able to rationally absorb the information by reading it. I had some concerns, of course.


Much like Spitzer busting up prostitution rings, only to be busted patronizing a prostitute himself......I found Andrew's determination to bust reckless bankers as A.G. a little ironic, considering he had a HUGE hand in the subprime loan scandals because of the decisions he made when he was H.U.D. secretary. No doubt about it, his actions (and of course, many other people's actions too) directly created this fiasco - but he made it seem like he was being a crusader for racial and social justice. I always thought it was an injustice to give loans to people who obviously can't afford a mortgage....all to help his aspiring political career, his lobbyists, his political buddies.....and that's exactly what he did as H.U.D. secretary. This 2008 Village Voice article explains it better than I can.

"Ok," I think to myself, "He was very young...perhaps a bit naive....perhaps a little corrupt too, but again, he was young. Maybe he's learned from his mistakes? He's had over a quarter of a century to reflect on poor decisions he's made."

Then I think: "We're talking 30 years of being embedded in Albany politics. THIRTY YEARS.....and just NOW he realizes the dysfunction in NY? Why wasn't he proposing these ideas...like...I dunno....10, 20 years ago?"

Again - I like Andrew - so I move on to the idea that he is going to actually achieve anything even resembling reform with state workers. Freezing salaries and benefits? That's not reform, that's procrastination. Postponement. Delaying the inevitable. He's been a very good friend to unions his whole career, and his campaigns have been a recipient of thousands of dollars from them too. I have a hard time believing that he's seriously for reform on this issue. It would anger many of his supporters.

He talks about campaign finance reform - and I laugh - as I remember the above campaign contributors....and that he just had a $15k a pop fundraiser in April.....and his "Birthday Dinner"/fundraiser in December had guests like Steve Pigeon - who is Pedro Espada Jr.'s top aide...and good ol' Shelly Silver made a cameo.....and I cringe...because....it's the same old same old. It really is. I WANT to have confidence in our Governor. I WANT to have confidence that Andrew Cuomo is going to try to enact some reform as Governor, and "right the ship" ......and there are many, many things that he believes in that I believe in too, and he has worked hard as A.G. - but the above two things cause me concern.

He's talking the talk - we will see if he walks the walk when (if?) he becomes Governor of NY.
I can only hope so. I can't say for sure yet whether he has my vote. On the one hand, I want to believe him - and the other choices for Governor aren't that "unique" either - but on the other hand I've been burned before too many times to believe that a career politician is going to even try to seriously enact reform. I'm tired of the talk. I'm tired of the promises. I'm tired of the same old same old. I have a hard time reconciling my "affection" for Cuomo and his ideas for rescuing NY vs. the past decisions he's made in leadership roles (HUD Secretary for example) and the connections and friendships through playing politics that he's been involved in for three decades ......which does concern me. Oh, Andrew....you do put me in a quandary! I have to stop voting with my heart and vote with my head. My heart screams "YES" - but the many voices in my head are screaming "NO" - in unison. They are so noisy!

Cuomo has detailed his plan for the New New York in a 252 page pdf. I will devour that later tonight. I look forward to it.

Mayoral Control: The Draft Legislation for Mayoral Con.....err....I mean the "City of Rochester School District Governance Reform Act" was released earlier this month. Giving it a new title does little to help me embrace it more - it just makes me say unnecessary words. :(

Mayoral Control Draft Legislation

It seems to address issues that the NYC plan was lax in addressing....but I still have some reservations about "Mayoral Control".

First - the recent David Andreatta article in the D&C regarding the Rochester Housing Authority and the controversy surrounding it. The Mayor (whoever they may be at the time) appoints 5 of the 7 commissioners of the board. If he can't "control" things on that majority Mayor appointed commission board - then how is he going to control things on a majority Mayor controlled School "commission" board? That requires a lot of involvement and oversight BY THE MAYOR as much as the R.H.A. does. The Mayor has a lot on his plate as it is - obviously oversight was lacking with the R.H.A. - how can I be confident that the same mistake won't happen with the R.C.S.D.?

Don't even get me started on David Gantt's involvement in all of this either - if he doesn't define hypocrite - I don't know what does. Remember the Public Defender debacle a couple of years ago? He got himself arrested over what he saw as an attempt to remove the community from the process - he bleated about politics being involved in the selection process and that if politicians pick the PD then that means political favors would have to be returned. Remember?

Tell me - what has the process been so far for Mayoral Control? What's the process going to be if the Mayor (whoever they may be at the time) gets to hand pick a majority of the "commission" he institutes to run the SD?

Pretty much the same thing. I find it absolutely HILARIOUS that he sees no problem with pushing through and drafting legislation for Mayoral Control. It takes the very people he crusaded for in 2008 OUT OF THE PROCESS of electing their school board.

Bravo, David. Bravo. Hypocrite of the year? No...I would say decade. Definitely decade.

Sometimes.....I really hate politics.

Fun Distractions: NHL playoff hockey. The Conference Finals are almost over. In the East it's a battle between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens. Philly leads the best of 7 series 3-1 so far....if the Flyers win tomorrow (in their own house in front of their home fans!) the season is over for Montreal, and Philly will move on to the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't care for either team honestly (I despise the Habs and their 24 Stanley Cups! The Flyers weren't called the Broad Street Bullies for nothing ya know! Sorry, I'm a bitter Sabres fan.) but I do respect many players from both teams and will be happy with whoever wins in the East. I'm paying more attention to the Western Conference - but I was SOOOOO conflicted over who to root for. Chicago Blackhawks haven't won a Stanley Cup since the 1960's - so I'm rooting for them for that reason alone. I mean it's been almost 50 years since they've won a cup...c'mon...plus...they have a former Sabre on their team, Brian Campbell (he's mmm mmm good) and I've always liked him. But, San Jose Sharks beat the Detroit Red Wings - which is the team my hubby roots for - so there was a definite "nyah nyah" factor working for me there if I rooted for the Sharks.

The game is on right now - and it looks like Chicago is going to win the series - they lead the series 3-0, and the way they are playing right now it looks like by the time I finish this blog they will have won the game, and in turn the series...and move on to the S.C.F.

Wait a second.....Obama was involved in Chicago Politics.....Chicago is (more than likely) going to the Finals.......hmmmmm. I wonder if all the foreign players have birth certificates and visas and naturalization papers?

Dammit! No matter how hard I try to distract myself from the dirty world of politics....it always creeps in!

;)


TB Meeting: The May 18th Town Board meeting seemed to go well once again. There was a particular issue brought to the attention of the board regarding ADA access to houses along the Bay that have no way for emergency personnel to get to the houses...and no way for any elderly or disabled people to get a wheelchair to/from their own houses. I support the Town constructing a "path" that is ADA accessible for those residents. I also want to commend Stephanie for pointing out that Passero has done a survey/study on that particular area in the past, and perhaps some cost savings could be recognized by referring to that survey/study. She also supports this, and I agree with her.

Thanks for another good, interesting, friendly meeting - which has been a nice change imo.

Last but not least: Congel still owes the Town of Irondequoit $500,000. At least some things never change.......