“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”-Ronald Reagan
Yesterday, illegal/undocumented immigrants lined up in NYC and throughout the state to apply for a state driver’s license. ‘This Will Protect Criminals’: Homeland Security Blasts New York Law Allowing Illegal Aliens to Get Driver’s Licenses. Unfortunately, this latest law passed by the democratic-controlled legislature is allowing society to continue its downward spiral by blatantly ignoring the safeguards put in place to protect citizens and willfully ignoring their Oath of Office.
Trump, Chuck Schumer agree: They want Senate to call impeachment witnesses. (This one really shows Congressman Nadler’s chutzpah: “The Constitution prescribes a special oath for the senators when they sit as a trial in impeachment,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat. “They have to pledge to do impartial justice. And here you have the majority of the Senate, in effect the foreman of the jury, saying he’s going to work hand in glove with the defense attorney.”
Are you beginning to believe that the main stream media is obsessed with the Impeachment and FISA report that the democrats are constantly sending out press releases on? How can anyone be surprised that President Trump’s approval ratings are going up when all the democrats do is change the “name” of the “crime” President Trump allegedly committed.
From the Albany Times Union: Churchill: Store isn’t to blame for West Hill’s violence. Mr. Churchill is right; a store certainly does not encourage the violence and shouldn’t be closed because of it. But, try to explain that to the party that never sees that the people who commit crimes are responsible for their actions.
OUR DAY IN COURT; THE LATEST NEWS ON OUR SUIT AGAINST THE SPECIAL COMMISSION CREATED BY THE LEGISLATURE
On Thursday in Niagara Falls the hearing on our lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the NYS Public Finance Committee was held before NYS Supreme Court Judge Ralph A. Boniello, III.
The essence of our arguments addresses the question of the NYS Legislature having the authority to delegate its lawmaking responsibilities to an appointed nine-member commission. These nine members were given unabridged authority to rewrite New York State Election Law. In the weeks prior to the hearing our legal team, led by Bill Savino a senior partner in the Rochester/Buffalo firm of Woods Oviatt, filed with the court legal memo’s and numerous citations demonstrating the strength of our case. Internally our efforts were coordinated by Erie County Attorney and County Chairman Ralph Lorigo.
Due to a communality of interests on this one issue the Working Families Party shared the plaintiff’s table with us. They were represented by Richard Brodsky.
The Commission itself was not represented. Their attorney James McGuire failed to show. No reason was given to our side, but certainly it was noteworthy. The arguments against us focusing on process were primarily made by outside attorneys representing the State Assembly Speaker, the State Senate Majority Leader and the NYS Attorney General. It should be noted that in the days following our initial filing in July the State Attorney General indicated that her office would be seeking outside representation for the defendants. As such all of the opposing attorneys have been paid with taxpayer dollars. Our team is paid for solely with party funds. The Attorney General’s recent direct intervention raises in my mind the issue of why did she wait? If she had represented the state on day one, hundreds of thousands in legal bills to the taxpayers could have been prevented.
The Judge at the beginning of the hearing did inquire about the charge we made concerning the failure of the commissioners to file their oaths of office within the thirty-day required period. The State Senate Democratic Attorney acted as though he had no idea what the Judge was referencing. Considering that it appears in the Commission report and has been covered statewide, the attorney’s response either reflected ignorance or subterfuge. The Governor’s spokesman maintained the Commission Members were not required to file oaths swearing to uphold the Constitution and laws of the State of New York, however, they did file several months late.
We anticipate a ruling in the form of a summary Judgement within the next two weeks.
The new “Green Light Law,” voted on and passed through a State Democratic majority in the Senate and Assembly, is a reversal on policy set forth by the Pataki administration after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In an effort to stop document fraud and enhance security, anyone seeking a license was required to present a social security number. Saturday, that requirement is no more.
While lawsuits are pending throughout upstate New York to block the law, many County Clerks are concerned their offices are not prepared for the law change.
“Here we are at the 11th hour, they’ve thrown these one-hour webinar trainings at us and then these authentication machines with no real information, expecting us to be ready in less than a week for these transactions, which are very complicated,” Oswego County Clerk Michael Backus said.
With State Democrats undermining federal immigration laws and the end of cash bail effective January 1, 2020, one party rule continues to put law breakers above the hardworking citizens of this state.
House Judiciary Committee Votes to Impeach President Trump
In a move that surprised no one Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve two articles of impeachment against the President. The committee adopted the articles on a party line vote of 23-17
Democrats have been working tirelessly to undermine this administration well before President Trump was even sworn into office on January 20, 2017. This latest stunt is a clear indicator that they do not believe any of their candidates has what it takes to beat the President in an election.
Further seeking attention, Rep. Nadler (D-NY), Chair of the Judiciary Committee, abruptly called an end to the hearing late Thursday night in favor of a Friday morning vote so that news cameras would be present.
Ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA), objected immediately calling Nadler’s move “the most bush-league stunt” he has ever seen.
“Mr. Chairman, there was no consulting with the ranking member on your schedule for tomorrow, you just blew up schedules for everyone?” Collins asked. “You chose not to consult the ranking member on a scheduling issue of this magnitude? This is the kangaroo court we’re talking about. Not even Consult? 10 a.m. tomorrow?” he continued.
Democrats clearly do not feel comfortable with their game plan heading into November 2020. Recent polls show President Trump gaining approval as Democrats on the Hill continue with their partisan game to remove a dually elected President.
Michael Bloomberg, is obviously a great businessman. Not everyone can build a business that makes one a billionaire; Michael Bloomberg did. This ability has him believing that he is the smartest person, not only in the room, but in the United States of America; and therefore, he knows what is best for every single person who lives here. Mr. Bloomberg: You don’t know what is best for me! I think; I examine each side of an issue and, and once I reach a conclusion, unlike you, I stick to it. I wouldn’t be flip-flopping on issues just to be elected, nor would I try to buy the Presidential Office by making huge donations to organizations that would be beholden to me. The more we read about where you are making campaign stops, the more it seems like you are collecting votes for your donations.
Jim Jordan Lists the ‘Scary Stuff’ Dems Have Said and Done to Remove Trump from Office.
William Z. Nard, writes in National Review that Jails Exist for a Reason. While the article is based on the problems at Rikers, it also makes the case that public safety must be considered. “Surely tailoring jail-population estimates to appease prison abolitionists will not reduce the number of dangerous criminals. ‘In 35 of the city’s 75 precincts, shootings are up. Many of the city’s most serious crimes are already committed by criminals on probation, parole, or who have pending cases,’ Manhattan Institute scholar Rafael Mangual argued recently.”
How will public safety be protected if the recommendations in this report that calls on new NYPD top cop Dermot Shea to abolish gang database?
Criminal Justice Reform is an issue that Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic controlled Legislature must reexamine in the up-coming legislative session.
The time is now to seriously slow down government spending; Feds Collect Record Taxes Through November; But Still Run $343.3 Billion Deficit With Second-Highest Spending in Nation’s History.
File this under: An employer who respects his employees. Kudos to Edward St. John for being a truly good person; displaying generosity, without looking for anything in return.
What a surprise, the Democrats have announced the Articles of Impeachment. House Democrats Announce Two Articles of Impeachment against President Trump. “A third charge based on information in the Mueller report, obstruction of justice, was not included over concerns that it would backfire among some moderate House Democrats, who see it as a politically motivated overreach,” reported the National Review. No doubt it is politically motivated, but those blinded by their intense dislike of President Trump fail to acknowledge that fact. The Democrats who are driving the Impeachment are so deep in the swamp that they fail to see they are the obstructers of truth, the values of our Founding Fathers, and the will of the 63 million voters who elected President Donald J. Trump. Congressman Jerry Nadler said Trump “constitutes a continuing threat to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic system of government.” Congressman Jerry Nadler fails to see that he is the real threat to the integrity of our elections and our Republic.
Fox News links to the Articles of Impeachment here. The NY Post is reporting the abuse of power was “the president exercising the “powers of his public office to obtain an improper personal benefit while ignoring or injuring the national interest. That is exactly what President Trump did when he solicited and pressured Ukraine to interfere in our 2020 presidential election.” That may be what Congressman Nadler assumes, however, many reasonable thinking people believe that no pressure was placed on the new administration of Ukraine to interfere in the upcoming elections, but that reassurances were needed to be certain the corruption that had permeated in the old administration was truly eliminated. Katie Pavich, reporting for Townhall.com, writes this: Democrats Officially File Articles of Impeachment, Here are the Charges.
Why does former Vice-President Joe Biden react so defensively when questioned about his son’s role as a member of the board of Burisma? Julie Kelly, writing in American Greatness, may have some answers in her article Obama and Biden: Three Scandals, One Day.
Does anyone believe that Speaker Pelosi, announcing an agreement on USMCA, about 2 hours after the Articles of Impeachment were announced, really thinks the Democrats have a “winning hand” with the Articles of Impeachment? If you do believe Speaker Pelosi is suddenly (two years after being proposed) taking an active role in the ratification of USMCA for the right reasons — good for Americans — (not purely political reasons, what a great job we did in changing it) we will sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.
The Labor Virtues of Growth; A bad jobs report for the anti-capitalists on the left and right. “As Friday’s blowout jobs report for November showed, the best way to lift Americans from the bottom up is a growing economy that produces a robust labor market.”
Lawmakers Map Out Conservative Solutions to End Poverty “All the agencies and programs that government tries to offer can’t replace instilling the American ideal in those who have been caught in a cycle of poverty,” said Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) addressing Heritage’s 2019 Antipoverty Forum, an annual gathering of researchers, educators, and government staffers and officials organized by the leading think tank.
The Progressive Left condemns billionaires and wants to tax their earnings so they can spend their money the way the Progressives want. To his credit, Mayor Bloomberg, freely gave to the causes he cared about, which is certainly his prerogative. Now, Mayor Bloomberg, is looking to collect on his largess.
Pelosi, Schiff full steam towards articles of impeachment
It is clear Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff do not have confidence in their party or any of its candidates to win in November 2020 as evident by their continued efforts to impeach President Trump out of pure hatred. Something Democrats charged Republicans with during the 1998 President Clinton impeachment hearings.
Pelosi announced Thursday that House Democrats would indeed proceed with articles of impeachment a day after the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from four respected legal scholars.
“I suggested that Democrats drop the arbitrary schedule of a vote by the end of December and complete their case and this record before voting on any articles of impeachment,” said Constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley. He added “in my view, they have not proven abuse of power in this incomplete record.”
This stunt held in a kangaroo court by House Democrats is no surprise, they have been actively working to overturn the results of the 2016 election while putting off the real work they were sent to Washington D.C. to do.
The American voter is smart and I suspect they aren’t too thrilled with the House’s effort to impeach a dually elected President on no merit.
Hold on to your wallets
State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) announced this week the State Legislator will look into raising taxes to offset the $6.1 billion state budget deficit.
“This is gonna be a tough budget year, unless money’s gonna fall from the sky,” Heastie said to reporters.
The Speaker conveniently had nothing to say about a cut in spending, but was very quick to talk about the need to raise your taxes.
In 2009 when Democrats controlled both the State Assembly and Senate they increased spending by 1.1% or $1.3 billion. With one party control again in New York State, there’s no telling how much they will spend next.
Three Senators and Two Assembly Members Have Perfect Score
As per tradition, the party released their ratings for the past legislative season this week in an effort to keep New York voters informed and knowledgeable on how their state representative voted on the 25 key bills passed in the 2019 session.
“We believe that it is necessary to keep the public informed of key votes and let the taxpayers be aware of how elected officials spend our hard-earned money,” Chairman Kassar said. “Every bill is considered, and then we narrow the number to give voters a fair assessment of what transpires in Albany,” he added.
Those who received a perfect rating from the Conservative Party in the Senate were Daphne Jordan (43rd SD), Senator Thomas F. O’Mara (58th SD), Senator Robert G. Ortt (62nd SD). In the Assembly David J. DiPietro (147th AD) and Kieran Michael Lalor (105th AD) joined their Senate colleagues with a perfect score of 100%.
The overall Senate ratings dropped 15% from the 2018 session average of 55% to a new low of 40%. The Senate, now under full democratic control, explains the dramatic drop.
First, the free spending democratic controlled Assembly spends money lavishly and helps creates a $6B budget deficit, then Speaker Heastie wants to raise your taxes to close what they created. Now Speaker Heastie says there’s no appetite to delay NY criminal justice laws amid cost concerns. So the democrats in the Legislature spend our money without concern, will raise our taxes to pay for their spending, and then say our safety, which is in jeopardy, doesn’t matter despite the fact that the majority of law enforcement and the courts don’t have enough revenues to hire the people needed to comply with the new demands made by criminal justice reforms. How much longer will NYS voters put up with this nonsense? You have 333 days until November 3, 2020.
I really think Speaker Pelosi has lost her mind: Pelosi lashes out at reporter: ‘Don’t mess with me’. “I don’t hate anybody. I was raised in a Catholic house; we don’t hate anybody — not anybody in the world.” Being a self-proclaimed catholic, you may not “hate” anybody, Ms. Pelosi, but you certainly do not show any love or compassion for unborn children. #retireNancyPelosi
As we noted in yesterday’s blog, the criminal justice reformers want more. Today’s NY Post editorial, Why New York needs to pause criminal-justice reform, also believes that “… New Yorkers should get to see the impact of the changes already baked into the cake before lawmakers drop yet more wholesale ‘reform.’”
Zack Fink reports that NY lawmakers face calls to reject vote on system of publicly-financed campaigns. We staunchly believe that your tax dollars should not be used for the campaigns of candidates you do not necessarily support. As Chairman Kassar noted in his statement issued yesterday; “Of all the insults heaped upon New York taxpayers, this one may be the cruelest. Governor Cuomo is forcing New Yorkers to pay for other people’s careers, with money they need themselves. And he did it without the required consent of our duly-elected state legislature.”
9 of the 10 Richest People in the World Are Self-Made Entrepreneurs; and 7 of the 9 are Americans that have created an untold number of jobs that make it possible for families to live a better life. Yet they are vilified by those who believe government should take the majority of their profits in taxes.
Blinded by extreme dislike of what President Trump is accomplishing, Democrats release Trump impeachment report, blast scheme to ‘solicit foreign interference’ in 2020 race.
Here is Katie Pavlich’s take on the Adam Schiff submission regarding impeachment.
We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the company of family and friends while keeping the economy going when shopping on Black Friday. Today is a catch-up day on our blog; short notations for some of the items you have may have missed over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Kudos to President Trump (and every preceding president) who visits our deployed troops on holidays. Trump surprises U.S. troops in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving, announces new talks with Taliban.
The progressive arm of the democratic party pushing for a “wealth tax” is promoting an agenda that will ultimately harm all Americans.
From Bloomberg News: Give Thanks, Americans. You’re Back to Work. Perhaps the former NYC Mayor and current presidential candidate should note the headline from the news organization he formed and still plays a major role in how it operates. (Alas, true to form, it takes an un-necessary poke at President Trump, Mr. Bloomberg’s current nemesis.)
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) in their editorial Bloomberg No News; His reporters won’t investigate Democrats—but Trump is fair game points out the problems that could/will probably occur with Bloomberg’s news organization and Mike Bloomberg’s run for president.
Governor Cuomo, reading some out of state editorials may help you get back on the right track for all New Yorkers.
Trump’s impeachment hinges on ‘national interest,’ legal scholars say, writes S.A. Miller in the Washington Times. The ‘national interest’, as far as most people believe, is that our tax dollars should not be going to a corrupt government, which Ukraine was when Hunter Biden was employed. Most people, if questioned directly, would believe that President Trump had a moral obligation to protect the tax payers and establish that he knew about the corruption, and wanted them to know he knew, and to be certain it would never happen under his watch.
I don’t remember seeing this in any New York papers. Obviously, this is part of the reason we have a huge budget deficit. I think New Mexico has the right idea when it comes to pay for legislators; New York should take their lead, but, alas, they followed California’s lead.
Justice Reform Coalition Launching ‘Seven Figure’ Educational Campaign About Cash Bail, Discovery Laws. “The group plans to spend more than a million dollars to get its message directly to citizens. It’s launching a public education campaign that will include video, digital advertisements, direct mail and phone efforts.” In other words, citizens are too dumb and callous to understand that criminals belong behind bars. If you don’t want to be in prison, don’t do the crimes that put you there. Their money would be better spent in helping to prevent the crimes that put people in prison. As, The Beat notes, the dangers are real! Even state attorney general Letitia James, a noted progressive, has expressed concerns.