DraftRudy.com Newsletter #3: Celebrating in New York

Happy Birthday New York! Well, it’s not actually quite New York’s birthday and it’s not actually quite happy, but with high profile New York birthdays happening over the last few weeks (Gov. Paterson’s on May 20th and Mayor Giuliani’s on May 28th) it seems appropriate to take some time out of our day and ask just what it is we New Yorkers are or should be celebrating.

By now, we’ve all heard how Gov. Paterson celebrated. Despite that fact that this year’s budget alone – the budget the good Governor promised would be balanced – has more than a $3-billion deficit (enough to buy 150-million birthday cakes and throw the Governor a birthday bash with nearly 3-billion people in attendance), Gov. Paterson spent his birthday trying to convince the people of New York that he deserves a second term (one to which he may actually be – gasp – elected!) and solicited even more money towards those ends (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/123). The only problem is, on his birthday, he was one of very few New Yorkers celebrating.

New Yorkers aren’t happy. A recent poll found more than 20% of New Yorkers are basically ready to leave the state, more than 11% already have their bags packed, and only 16% are happy to stay. Even according to its critics, “The poll…depicts a clear frustration many have with state and local taxes that fuel a high-tax reputation across the nation.” Other troubling news, 52% (THE MAJORITY) think that the state is moving in the WRONG DIRECTION and only 33% are happy with the state of the state.  A large percentage is ready to move now and even larger percentages are thinking of leaving the state in retirement or if economic conditions do not improve. Asked specific questions about the state economy, “The poll found only 8 percent said the economy of the state is good and only 1 percent called it an excellent economy; the rest rated it either fair or poor.” Among other causes for dissatisfaction is Gov. Paterson’s radical gay marriage agenda, which has been steadily losing support among New Yorkers, with only 16% saying they will be “very disappointed” if it fails, but 39% (more than double) saying they would be “very disappointed” if it passed (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/137). 

With no one singing and no one happy you’d think this would be a great time for opposition, even in Gov. Paterson’s own Democrat party. There has been a great deal of speculation to that and thought that State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo might challenge Paterson. However, Cuomo, who had been outpolling Gov. Paterson in head-to-head matchups, has said that he will be seeking reelection as Attorney General, not challenging Paterson. So now we know it will be Paterson who we face in Fall of 2010 (lucky us!).

In addition to a sigh of relief, at the same time as Cuomo’s announcement, Gov. Paterson “unofficially” began his campaign, introducing a stump speech where he says, "I am not governor to be a caretaker…I am governor to take care of New York" (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/144). Well, I guess being referred to as the accidental Governor is taking its toll on him; but, it does beg the questions, having been in office for over a year, what has he done to take care of New York? Are we better off today than we were less than three short years ago when Gov. Pataki left office and the Republicans surrendered control of Albany to the Democrats? And, if the answers to those questions are a resounding “Nothing” and “No,” respectively, why would we give this man and his collaborators another chance? We should examine some potential reasons.

Could it be his drive and focus? Well, with New Yorkers giving Paterson only a 27% approval rating, according to recent polls, the Governor took time out of his day “solving” our problems (which may actually be a blessing) to appear on a morning sports radio show and criticize the management of the New York Mets, a team in first place at the time of his criticism (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/141). This one doesn’t need commentary because it’s clear from his own performance that Gov. Paterson couldn’t find first place if we gave him a map and a flashlight.

Could it be that Gov. Paterson is a man of personal integrity, one who is fighting, against all odds, for the people of New York? Well, if he is, it would be a departure from family tradition. Gov. Paterson’s father, Basil Paterson, is “a titan of labor law whose firm represents 40 unions, millions of government workers and dozens of special interests.” “Basil personally represents Service Employees International Union 1199, the city teachers union and the transit union -- organizations whose combined memberships total about 542,000. The three unions paid a total of $1 million to the firm in 2008 for legal representation, records show. SEIU, the UFT and Teamsters Local 237 -- also repped by Basil -- paid a total of $467,000 in lobbying fees to the firm since 2005, according to state lobbying data. SEIU 1199, the city's health-care workers union, has received $58.6 million in grants from the state Department of Labor since 2006, records show.” Does his lobbyist father, in the pocket of unions affect Gov. Paterson’s decisions and what he does to and for the people of New York? Well, According to the New York Post, ‘“The facts speak for themselves. How much have the unions sacrificed under David Paterson? So far, not at all."’ In addition to that, Basil Paterson’s firm has made millions lobbying ($4 million last year alone). And who is it that Basil Paterson is lobbying? I’m sure you guessed it. I guess, father knows best?

Is this family connection affecting us, the citizens of New York State? Despite official claims that Basil and David Paterson never discussed the issues, some eerie policy coincidences exist. Gov. Paterson, over objections, passed a bill “that allows correction officers to become detectives without passing a civil-service exam.” Basil's firm has been paid $53,000 since 200 by the Suffolk County Correction Officers Association. Then Gov. Paterson – a man who loves taxing New Yorkers – dropped “an 8 percent theater-ticket tax he had proposed in his December budget plan.” His father was paid to fight the tax by Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians of Greater New York. Then Gov. Paterson dropped “a health-insurance levy from his budget proposal that would have taxed companies, municipalities and unions that self-insure.” His father was paid by five unions to lobby against the levy. And then, in April, Gov. Paterson passed a directive making “it easier for unions to organize workers at new hotels and convention centers that receive state funding or tax breaks.” Again, his father’s firm was paid by groups that supported this action (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/129). On the basis of these alone, we can see Gov. Paterson’s personal corruption, so it can’t be integrity or dedication to the public good that would cause us to elect Gov. Paterson. 

Could it be that Gov. Paterson is a man of honesty and follow-through and is the effective leader that we need in this time of crisis? Let’s see, “he announced a sweeping plan to overhaul the Public Integrity Commission -- and Albany yawned… Paterson promised an open budgeting process. It turned out to be the most secretive in modern times. Throughout 2008, [Paterson] demanded that the state tighten its belt, and he proposed a budget that increased spending by a mere 1% -- without major tax increases. But the budget he deemed acceptable hiked spending by 10% and income taxes by $4 billion, while adding $3.5 billion in other new taxes and fees. He claimed that the budget was balanced when it passed in early April. [Then,] he sheepishly announced that it was $3 billion out of whack -- admitting that he knew that revenue estimates were overstated, but that saying so then would have limited spending hikes. He promised only the best for Hillary Rodham Clinton's US Senate seat. He produced appleknocker Kirsten Gillibrand (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/145). Clearly that’s not it; Gov. Paterson has shown himself not only to be incompetent and ineffective but an old tax-and-spend liberal who lies to the people whenever it suits his political interests.

Could it be that Gov. Paterson is just off to a slow start and, being a Democrat in New York, has the political tools and allies necessary to turn the state around? Well, it’s been reported that “his cabinet and personal staff -- apart from some Spitzer-era holdovers -- is the most undistinguished in memory” (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/145). In addition to that, record waves of political corruption have besought New York, and all of it is in his backyard. The Daily News Reports, “The vast majority of Albany's crime wave can be traced to one group: New York City Democrats. Of the 18 elected officials in state government charged with crimes since 2003, no fewer than 16 have hailed from the five boroughs, and 15 carry a "D" after their names in the newspaper. Those appalling numbers get even more lopsided when you factor in the most infamous perp of all, Eliot (Love Gov) Spitzer.” Now for those of you bothered by this – good, this corrupt party now controls all three major arenas of power in New York politics, and to make it worse The Daily News also reports that the majority of these crimes are actually the result of “Albany's ridiculously lax enforcement of basic ethical rules” (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/150). The little legislative lip service that Gov. Paterson paid to this issue was called “dead on arrival” by legislative leaders. “Sources said Paterson made no attempt to get lawmakers on board with the plan before announcing it,” and consequently it went nowhere (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/138). One senate Democrat went so far as to respond “he must be smoking again” (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/134). So, not only is Gov. Paterson’s party the party of corruption, but he is unable or unwilling to do anything t fix it and even his own compatriots view him as a joke.

What is the image we are left with? Gov. Paterson is a corrupt man, of a corrupt party and corrupt associations. He is unwilling or unable to end the corruption. He has a record of incompetence and ineffectiveness, and is even viewed as a joke by his supposed allies. He is a tax-and-spend liberal, who the majority of New Yorkers agree is sending us down the wrong path. For this, he thinks he deserves to be elected Governor in 2010, and, believe it or not, others seem to agree. Just yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden said that Gov. Paterson will both win re-election in 2010 and be able to solve New York’s financial problems (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/149). The verdict is still out on whether this is the result of delusion, flush from the $1000-a-plate dinner he was attending at the time, or just one of Biden’s trademark gaffes, but it’s out there.

Fear not! We have an alternative and an answer. Rudy Giuliani for Governor in 2010. We will respond to the corruption and special interests with Rudy’s record of cutting taxes and fighting crime. We will respond to ineffectiveness with Rudy’s record of slashing bureaucracy and streamlining city operations. And, we will respond to this universally-recognized joke of a Governor with a record of proven leadership, equally comfortable standing strong against crime, bureaucracy, special interests, and international terrorism, and guiding a people in the right direction. It is for those reasons that we will support Rudy Giuliani for Governor of New York in 2010. And why, despite Mr. Biden’s prediction, he will win. Rudy’s record is one worth celebrating!

Let’s get out there! Let’s get organized!
 
And, let’s elect Rudy Giuliani Governor of New York in 2010!

Until next time,

Your Friends at DraftRudy.com