the demos is the only major party with the help of thank- fully the conservs the rest can drop dead since the repubs are rich whites and english and the indeps are guys going against the men in blue so that is that

Quoted from 191

the demos is the only major party with the help of thank- fully the conservs the rest can drop dead since the repubs are rich whites and english and the indeps are guys going against the men in blue so that is that

Quick...somebody better tell the dems and the cons that they are NOT WHITE, ARE POOR AND NOT ENGLISH!   Randy? Hammi? Brian? Is this true?

Who are Randy, Hammi and Brian?

Quoted from pg13

The local Republican Party's leadership obviously does not care about their failures in local races. They continue to
run second class candidates and are happy with doing so as long as they can stay put in their positions (eg. no
show state jobs/extra paid positions). When will the Republican faithful rise up and remove the current leadership?

And how about Tedisco's inner circle? How pathetic are they for blowing such a cake walk of an election?

May I have to say more......What a bunch of idiots. What about his fellow running mates legal expenses? Probably
left him to fend for himself. And they give this clown another job. Must be because of his success over the years.
NOT!   And they wonder why the Republican Party is going down the toilet.

ALBANY ­— Schenectady County Assemblyman James Tedisco's closest staffer used more than $32,500 raised for Assembly Republican campaigns to pay his personal legal bills, according to documents obtained by the Times Union and confirmed Wednesday by newly installed Minority Leader Brian Kolb.
Kolb said he was stunned to learn that William Sherman arranged for a check for $32,536.23 to be issued from the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee housekeeping account last July, under authorization from Tedisco.

The private agreement between Tedisco and his top political advisor was unknown to Kolb or the 39 other members of the minority conference until Wednesday, Kolb said, because Tedisco never brought it up. Kolb said members learned about the highly unusual transaction Wednesday morning when they received documents similar to those obtained by the Times Union — copies of the check from the account and a note from Sherman on Assembly stationary identifying the money be for his half of the costs of a defamation lawsuit filed against him and another Schenectady County Republican who ran for the county legislature in 2005. The materials were sent anonymously and copied to the Albany County District Attorney and the state Attorney General's offices. Aides to those officials said the materials were received and under review.

The check was to Hiscock & Barclay, the law firm that employs Assemblyman Will Barclay, who is a co-chairman of the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee. Sherman's note told the recipients of the check, "as we discussed — my payment is to be held in the strictest of confidence."

Kolb called the expenses legitimate since all members of the conference are concerned with the free speech issues raised in the suit, in which the Mallozzi family charged defamation against Sherman and Joseph Suhrada for the negative materials they generated during their run for county office. In December, a state Supreme Court judge found for the defendants and ordered the Mallozzis to pay legal fees for the two Republicans, which Sherman at the time estimated above $80,000; it is unclear if that judgment has been paid.

Kolb said Barclay and Assemblyman Robert Oaks, RACC's co-chairman, were unaware of Sherman's actions. Neither member returned calls for comment.

Sherman was also unresponsive on Wednesday. Asked twice to discuss the matter, Tedisco — still a candidate for the 20th Congressional District seat — said he would need to check his schedule to find time for an interview. He stepped down as minority leader earlier this month, leading to Kolb's ascension to the post April 6.

Tedisco "made that decision on behalf of Bill," Kolb said of the payment. "It was done to defend one of our key employees. I would not have done the same thing." Kolb said he has a different management style than Tedisco, and any such expenditure from the campaign accounts of the GOP would first have to be discussed with all members.

He said members were "surprised" to learn of the expenditure.

"It was more than surprised," said one senior member of the conference, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "They went crazy. He's being diplomatic."

Some members complained that they could not get their legal bills arising from campaigns — such as petition challenges — or their personal debts to their campaigns covered by RACC, a member said.

The expense does show up on the January report of the RACC account, but it doesn't disclose that it is for Sherman's costs.

Kolb said he doesn't know if Sherman will be required to pay back the expense. He also said he is not disturbed at the $10,000 in extra pay RACC made to Sherman, even though he described Sherman as a volunteer. Sherman, whose Assembly salary was $144,590 as of July, announced he was leaving the Assembly last May but changed his mind within a few days, and stayed with Tedisco as chief of staff. He was instrumental in running campaigns last fall.

Kolb, who has kept Sherman as chief of staff, said that the extra money Sherman received is probably an underpayment for the many hours he has put in to help Republicans at election time.

The use of campaign funds for a staffer may be allowed under state campaign laws, said Robert Brehm, a spokesman for the Board of Elections. Legal fees arising from running for office can be paid from political funds, he said. It is unclear if the law requires that such fees must originate with a candidate from the committee for which the money was raised.

Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said the Sherman matter is an egregious misuse of campaign dollars that may indeed be within the law.

"I'm stunned that the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee funds can be used to settle a local political dispute," he said. "I think it is an indefensible use. It underscores the need for sweeping reform of New York's disgraceful campaign finance system."

Kolb said the use of the funds in this way was a unique situation. "I think this is a once-in-a-blue-moon expenditure," he said. "I don't believe it has happened before and will never happen again."

Schenectady County resident Edward Lurie, who served for 18 years through 2007 as executive director of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, said such an expense for a staffer never occurred on his watch. But he said he understood using campaign funds from the legislative accounts for local races in the district of the leader.

"Charity begins at home," he said.

Just go back and read this entire message board. Reps, dems, cons, libs.........they are all nuts! From the federal level all the way down to the local level. Our government is out of control. They are ALL corrupt!

It is some dirty business. And we wonder why there are no new faces in the political arena.

I see that Jimmy's boys are in deep.  How long before the entire repub ticket in rotterdam       either bails or gets clobbered in Nov.  Wait for the state comptroller report and the potential    FBI investagation .  How you like playing footyball Tom and Jerry. He He

Disgusting abuse of position and misuse of public funds.  Tedisco is finished in politics.  Is there any criminality in what has occurred here for which someone will ultimately be held accountable?

As for the State Comptroller's report and the FBI investigation to which you refer PDQ, is there any evidence or record that a review has been or is being done regarding the actions of those in Rotterdam town government?

It appears that all elected officials have their hands in the till.  From the head of the NYS Liberal party and his pay to play
arrangements to Diane Feinstein in California with her husband's contracts with the federal government, to Obama's cabinet members some of whom are said to have profited from their positions at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and financial institutions.  

Though I have no evidence, I suspect that there may be impropriety in the actions and affairs of some in Schenectady County government and the Metroplex Authority.  But, until and unless our State Comptroller decides to release his report and Attorney General Cuomo reviews the information, we, the taxpayers will never know.

On a separate, but perhaps related topic, does anyone believe that the 41 year old Chief Financial Officer of Freddie Mac who was found dead yesterday committed suicide?  He had been appointed to the position only last August.  I may be a conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if he didn't meet his fate because he knew too much and was preparing to reveal damaging information.  Was he "Vince Foster-ized"?

Is there anyone left in government who has integrity and honesty and is working to represent his/her constituents' interests?  

Our democracy is in peril.  

Obama will save us all.

I'm just thankful that he didn't do a murder/suicide and take out his entire family with him, like so many others seem to be doing these days.

Unfortunately, unless the reps change their leadership, they will clearly implode on themselves. They appear to just keep spinning the same old candidates and (non) vision. They had their chance to put some fresh new faces with a vision into the ring but took an unfortunate pass. Buchannan should have been gone long ago and Parisi should have never been put into the decision making position he is in now. How Buchannan keeps getting voted in is beyond me. But it is what it is.

It is unfortunate that in this democracy of a two party system ..... it has become almost non existent. It is not good at any level of government to be controlled by one party. No matter who the party is. There needs to be checks and balances where ALL ideologies can be represented.

Couple this with political parties that are motivated by greed, revenge and political and personal positioning, no one will have equal representation.

Quoted Text

Kolb said the note was not written to keep members in the dark but involved the dynamics between Sherman and the co-defendant in the case, Joseph Suhrada. Sherman and Suhrada were sued for critical remarks targeting the Mallozzi family of Schenectady County in their campaign materials.

Well, I guess that answers my question. Shafting his fellow running mate and party member. Nice!

I think they should give him another raise for the great job he does. He and his candidates consistantly lose and
no one respects the guy at all. Why not another raise?  

This guy Kolb is a real peach also, no "leader" Kolb, he didn't attempt to keep it from the other members. Of course not, he just took it from another account so they did not have to say where the money was going.   Right! Boy, is this going to get interesting.

I really didn't think this was such an uncommon practice. I would think that if anyone who represents a political party is brought up on defensive charges....the party would help pay for their legal costs.

Maybe this isn't the standard policy, but if I were ever stupid enough to jump into the political, mud hole arena, I would hope and expect the party to back me.

Is this actually illegal or against any laws?

this has to go to da Carney for the investigation so it can put those repubs into jail like Surhad and the other slandering one there

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=793482&category=STATE&TextPage=1

After reading this article and IMHO, I would say that the rep party is being compromised from the inside.

It is my understanding that the funds were paid from Tedisco's campaign account(s).  There are regulations re: the accounting of the contributions and how this money can be spent.  I don't know that this payment to Sherman qualifies as a legitimate campaign expense.

As a donor to Tedisco's campaign, I am displeased that my solicited contribution that was represented as being imperative if Jim was to win the election was spent to pay a staffer's legal expenses.

I am now glad that Tedisco lost.  He is finished in politics.  And, I'm out some of my hard-earned (after tax) money.

They got sloppy and got caught....IF this is in fact a fact. I hope there is a follow up to all of this.

I always said that I would give to the candidate I supported and not the party....but now I even have to second guess that decision.