The Sheepshead Bay Bites and Bensonhurst Bean’s coverage of the first case being investigated by Governor Cuomo’s recently revived Moreland Commission is entitled “Subpoenas Sent To Real Estate Developers Who Were Given Tax Breaks By Golden & Co.” and featured a brilliant portrait of “State Senator Marty Golden (Source: Senator Golden’s offices)” doing his thing as a New York State Senator in action
Along with Golden’s big picture, Willie Simpson’s report, appearing in both “Sheepshead Bay’s Only Independent News Blog” and in “Bensonhurst’s Premier News Blog” opens, as follows: “Subpoenas were issued to huge real estate firms that scored a windfall in tax breaks in legislation crafted by Republican State Senator Marty Golden and signed by Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Moreland Commission, a group set up by Cuomo to investigate public corruption, is looking into how developers of ultra-rich hotel-condo towers gained the valuable breaks.” (See “Subpoenas Sent To Real Estate Developers Who Were Given Tax Breaks By Golden & Co.” by Willie Simpson, 8/7/13, Sheepshead Bay Bites [http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/08/marty-golden-extell-scandal/]; virtually the same article appeared in “The Bensonhurst Bean” [http://www.bensonhurstbean.com/2013/08/subpoenas-sent-to-real-estate-developers-who-were-given-tax-breaks-by-golden-co/] ). Also mentioned in the Sheepshead Bay Bites’ post was this: “Golden and Assemblyman Keith Wright, the Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Assembly, may also be questioned during the investigation.”
In an article that did not mention any government officials by name, Crain’s Business gave the following background and observations about the current state of the new investigation, “Subpoenas issued by a recently formed state anti-corruption committee were sent to several high-profile Manhattan landlords to see if there are any link between their campaign donations and huge tax breaks they were granted on luxury apartment towers they are building.... The Moreland Commission... plans to examine whether campaign donations to lawmakers in the state assembly and senate could have swayed them to make the exception for the five buildings, where apartment units will sell for millions of dollars each.” (See “Big NYC developers seen getting subpoenas” by Daniel Geiger, 8/7/13, Crain’s New York/Business [http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130807/REAL_ESTATE/130809907]).
The story about the subpoenas broke in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, which is cited in almost all of the other reports of the first reported subpoenas by Moreland Commission investigators since the commission was re-established by Governor Cuomo (See “Subpoenas Sent to City's Big Landlords – New York State Corruption Commission Examines Tax Breaks” by Eliot Brown & Erica Orden, 8/6/13, WSJ/Online [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323514404578652591729608454.html?mod=WSJ_NY_News_LEADNewsCollection]).
According to the WSJ coverage of the Moreland Commission’s recent actions, “Kathleen Rice, Nassau County District Attorney and co-chairwoman of the commission, said the commission has begun issuing subpoenas, but she declined to say who received them or the topic of the inquiries. ‘We have not prejudged anyone or anything—we are going to follow whatever evidence we have, wherever it goes,’ she said.”
The Wall Street Journal’s reporters gave this background in their report : “The Moreland Commission was convened by executive order in July after lawmakers didn't enact anticorruption measures sought by Gov. Andrew Cuomo amid a stretch of high-profile arrests of state legislators. The 25-person commission has the power to subpoena records, question witnesses under oath and, if necessary, refer cases for prosecution. *** In an executive order, Mr. Cuomo directed the commission to examine the areas of state government most likely to intersect with lawmakers: the state Board of Elections, lobbying laws and practices, campaign-finance matters, including disclosure of third-party contributions, and expenditures and bribery laws.”
A Star Chamber designed to discredit the hardest working Senator who is collecting a tax free disability check because he cant work
ReplyDeleteIs Marty Golden going to be known as legislator #1?
ReplyDeleteYou do understand I am bored.
ReplyDeleteYou know I care about all of you very much
Use whatever crayons you like, but try to color inside the lines...
DeletePLEASE,
>No verbal finger painting
>No libel/slander (fair comment and truth is a defense --- but I might not see it the same way you do)
>No threatening comments
>No generally recognized hate speech
> Keep conspiracy theories to a minimum (there are plenty of other blogs that love that stuff -- here, we like our conspiracies to be small, local, easy to understand and for the most part, related to people that we know)
>Keep free association and fantasy under control (when I do it, remember, it's my blog)
>Try to stay on topic (For example, as a young Louis Armstrong once said, "...The Tiger Rag ! The Tiger Rag !..." and there were then a few notes recognizable from "The Tiger Rag" that followed ...)
I understand will do as you wish
ReplyDeleteWhats going on with Golden, it does not appear to be something illegal or am I missing something
ReplyDeleteBACKFILL: In answer to "Anonymous August 8, 2013 at 4:14 PM," above ---
DeleteTHE MORELAND COMMISSION WILL BE LOOKING INTO MORE THAN ILLEGALITY IN ITS SEARCH FOR CORRUPTION
Here’s what Commission Co-Chairperson Kathleen Rice is reported by the Daily News to have said about the Commission and its function:
“... While exposing criminal wrongdoing is part of the mandate, Rice also stressed the need to point out gaps in state law that allow improper behavior to flourish. *** ‘I think that what needs to be exposed for the public, and I think this is what the commission feels as well, is all of the other things that go on that may not rise to the level of being a crime but would make someone say “wait a minute, that’s not wrong? That’s not against the law?” ’ Rice said. *** Rice also said recent stories from the Daily News’ Ken Lovett about Board of Elections’ infractions racked up members the commission and the failure of some DA's on the panel to investigate elections violations helped expose problems in the Board of Elections and its inability to police the system. *** ‘Obviously as candidates we are subject to the same filing requirements and you have done a great job reporting some of the problems that are inherent in the Board of Elections and their enforcement,’ she said.” (See “Kathleen Rice Says Moreland Commission "Actively Engaged" -- And Issuing Subpoenas” by Glenn Blain, 8/6/13, Daily News/Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/08/kathleen-rice-says-moreland-commission-actively-engaged-in-its-mission-and-iss]).
Thank You this was helpful I think as usual I same still a little confused. )
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: Okay, maybe this will make it a little clearer.
Delete“ ZEROING IN ...”
According to the NY Daily News, “Zeroing in on how the Legislature dished out massive tax breaks to Manhattan condo projects for the ultrarich, Gov. Cuomo’s anti-corruption commission has served subpoenas on five major real estate developers. Excellent. Next up for sworn testimony is every lobbyist and legislator who midwived this abomination.” (See “Towering corruption – Commission must find the truth about Albany's tax breaks for luxury highrises,” 8/8/13, Daily News “Opinion” [http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/towering-corruption-article-1.1420626#ixzz2bS4KJwDq]).
Of particular local interest is the following language from the News' opinion piece:
“The panel must query the bill’s sponsors, Brooklyn Sen. Marty Golden and Harlem Assemblyman Keith Wright, who have so far declined to say exactly how their legislation came to include tax breaks for the wealthy. *** Also in need of interrogation is former Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who pushed the deal before quitting in a sexual harassment scandal. Investigators should speak to one of the victims of that harassment, Victoria Burhans, who says Lopez told her she could help pass the housing bill by sleeping with an unnamed Cuomo aide. *** Then, too, the commission must grill the rulers of the Legislature and their staffs. Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver both benefit from the industry’s largess, and no bill moves without their say-so. *** All conspired to do a dark-of-night favor for undeserving insiders at public expense.”
I see in other words they are all corrupt
ReplyDeleteWe have to do coffee before I move out of New York forever
ReplyDelete