Comments on: New York State of Mind

By: winteridge

winteridge — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:35:37 +0000

Thank you, Guv, for listening to my suggestion and appointing “Whodat?” as Lt Governor. If the senate won’t/can’t do it’s job, maybe they need a disinterested party to guide them. NOW we will see some meaningful laws passed! Right!

By: winteridge

winteridge — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:38:13 +0000

Thanks, Appauled, for clearing those points up. In other words, even if New Yorkers cared about what is/is not going on, there is nothing we can do until the elections of 2010, and by then it will all be forgotten and elections as usual. How does an incumbent get voted out of office when he runs unopposed?

By: appauled

appauled — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:54:31 +0000

Governor Paterson, in accepting the position of executive last year, vacated the role of Lt. Governor. Unfortunately, there is no provision in the state’s constitution allowing for an election for a Lt. Gov before the expiration of the current term or an appointment of a Lt. Gov by the executive or the legislature. New York does not have clear guidelines. Currently, if Sen. Pedro Espada is the legal senate president, he would be in line to fill the role of governor should Paterson be unable to do so. Also, Only one, senator, Hiram Monserrate is under indictment. Ethics laws only allow for the removal of a convicted felon. So far, nobody in the Senate has been removed because if it, at least in recent years. In the Assembly, that’s another story altogether. IT’s frustrating, though, right? So much not getting done.

By: winteridge

winteridge — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:01:31 +0000

From what I understand, the problem in the senate is an equal number of democrats and republicans, and no one can decide who is in charge. I offer up 2 possible solutions:
1. Remove all senators who have been convicted of or indicted for felonies, and there are a number of them, then do a head count and see if we have a majority.
2. It has been some years since I left high school, but it seems I recall that the state’s Lt Governor can cast a deciding vote in case of ties, gridlocks, deadlocks, whatever. Isn’t Governor Patterson still Lt Governor? Did he resign that job? Did we elect a replacement? Did he appoint a replacement? Did someone decide we didn’t need a replacement? Come on!