tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post1356464286695229061..comments2024-03-29T01:18:48.058-04:00Comments on The Brooklyn & Staten Island Independent GOP Fountainhead: Republican State Senator Maziarz’ Retirement Puts New Spotlight on Golden’s ProblemsGalewyn Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09210379476512207622noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-42779310952002589262014-07-20T14:40:59.694-04:002014-07-20T14:40:59.694-04:00UPDATE: THE “POSTER CHILD FOR TERM LIMITS” EDITION...UPDATE: THE “POSTER CHILD FOR TERM LIMITS” EDITION<br /><br />FORMER GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE CARL PALADINO SLAMS RETIRING GOP STATE SENATOR GEORGE MAZIARZ<br /><br /><br />According to an article that appeared in New York State of Politics “Several Western New York Republicans have come to the defense of retiring New York State Senator George Maziarz in recent days; former GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino is not one of them....” (See “Paladino Calls Maziarz ‘Poster Child For Term Limits’” by Casey Bortnick, 7/19/14, New York State of Politics [http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/07/paladino-calls-maziarz-poster-child-for-term-limits/]). <br /><br />That report by Casey Bortnick goes on to state the following: “ What started as a Moreland Commission report that showed $140,000 in unspecified campaign expenditures continues to expand. The Albany Times Union reported Friday Federal investigators are now examining unitemized checks that were made out to cash, but never reported to the state board of elections. *** The latest questions center on funds from the Maziarz campaign account that were reportedly given to a youth softball team and thousands of dollars in purchases from a WNY business. Maziarz Campaign Treasurer, Laureen Jacobs, has been asked to turn over documents but her attorney wouldn’t provide any further details....”<br /><br />Even though charges have not been filed, Carl Paladino isn’t giving retiring Republican State Senator Maziarz any “benefit of the doubt.” New York’s last candidate for governor believes the investigation into Maziarz campaign spending would be nothing compared to what State Senator Maziarz didn’t do to benefit his Western New York constituency. That criticism has to do with what Paladino describes as more than $1 Billion from the New York State Power Authority’s budget, which according to Paladino, was generated through the sale of unused allocated power. That money Paladino insists should have been spent on the development of Western New York<br /><br />It may take some time before all that Maziarz did or didn’t do is made clear. But, even if the jury is still out in the court of public opinion, Paladino made up his mind long ago. The ultimate Paladino statement quoted in the Bortnick article is this: “George [Maziarz] is going to walk away with a million, one hundred thousand dollars in his campaign account and Western New York is no further ahead today than it was when George originally took office.”Galewyn Masseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210379476512207622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-86591728409463923062014-07-18T00:41:11.276-04:002014-07-18T00:41:11.276-04:00UPDATE: THE “MARTY GOLDEN TEAM FEELS THE HEAT OVER...UPDATE: THE “MARTY GOLDEN TEAM FEELS THE HEAT OVER PROBLEMATIC PETITIONS” EDITION<br /><br />LOOKS LIKE GOLDEN TEAM DIDN’T FILE SIGNATURES OBTAINED AT FREE FOOD AND DRINK EVENT AT THE BAY RIDGE MANOR ON JUNE 3RD<br /><br />SOME ON OPPONENT’S LEGAL TEAM MIGHT STILL TRY TO KEEP THE ISSUE ALIVE<br /><br />On June 11th, this blog put Marty Golden’s campaign on notice that witnesses had observed “...GOP petition signatures [being] taken near the front door of [the Bay Ridge] Manor not far from the entrance to the main banquet hall” where a Marty Golden sponsored event was going on where Golden had put on “the full buff” (See 6/11/14 post, “Witnesses put validity of Golden signatures into question — dire consequences if true” posted below on this blog). That post and several of the comments following it clearly established that Golden sponsored the event, Golden was at the event, Golden’s State Senate Chief of Staff Jerry Kassar was at the event, signatures were obtained at the entrance to the event and free food and drink was given away inside.<br /><br />As a result of the brouhaha created by all of the above, it now looks like the Golden team in a rare display of sound discretion decided not to file the petition for Marty Golden’s 2014 run for the New York State Senate with any of the signatures obtained at the June 3rd event contained in it. <br /><br />Golden still might not be in the clear, though. The same Baker Street Irregular, who perused Golden’s petition and in essence concluded that none of the June 3rd signatures were submitted to the Board of Elections discussed another possibility to raise those signatures as an issue. An election lawyer that spoke to my BSI maintains that among the particulars asserted in an Election Proceeding in State Supreme Court could be an allegation there were signatures gathered in violation of the Election Law as part of the whole petition effort — and that fraudulent act of gathering violated the Election Law, whether or not the signatures were subsequently filed at the BOE.<br /><br />The same Baker Street Irregular also noted that a substantial portion of the Golden petition signatures were gathered by Notaries or Commissioners of Deeds. His estimate was between 25% and 33% of the whole petition were “notary signatures.”Galewyn Masseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210379476512207622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-19914725719303269202014-07-16T21:11:04.012-04:002014-07-16T21:11:04.012-04:00They don't need to remember his name. As long ...They don't need to remember his name. As long as he's not Marty, he's in. Plus, the Board of Elections is kind enough to list his name right next to Marty's, in case someone forgets it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-78767511616267809732014-07-16T18:17:44.836-04:002014-07-16T18:17:44.836-04:00if none of us can remember the name of Martys oppo...if none of us can remember the name of Martys opponent than you think the voters will?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-11987510657283832242014-07-16T17:17:10.013-04:002014-07-16T17:17:10.013-04:00What does the reference to chin wag mean? What does the reference to chin wag mean? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-68877356929125149652014-07-16T17:15:11.247-04:002014-07-16T17:15:11.247-04:00Vielkind and the Baker Street Irregular finally di...Vielkind and the Baker Street Irregular finally did have a bit of a chin wag. JV thought the material was very interesting, but not really where his research was targeted. He did tell my BSI that he'd hand it all off to a downstate reporter, who could better deal with all aspects of any possible investigations involving Golden and others with other than Albany connections.Galewyn Masseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210379476512207622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872239785607728837.post-49181028564057547002014-07-16T15:49:05.166-04:002014-07-16T15:49:05.166-04:00I think it's more fun for Marty to lose to a r...I think it's more fun for Marty to lose to a relative unknown.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com