In my last Vines column (see # 10-09), I told you that I had inside info, which stated that upon finding out Eliot Spitzer’s team had tagged him for the Lieutenant-governor slot, David Paterson said: “they surely haven’t vetted me for this job”. And now Paterson goes up on a local radio station and directly corroborates said info. This had been a news item on the blogs (see Elizabeth Benjamin’s blog) last week. I hereby reiterate what I wrote in a column recently, calling for mainstream media (and alternative mediums too) to do a better job vetting candidates before elections are held; this is a responsibility placed squarely on the shoulders of the fourth and fifth estates (non-identical twins). And by fifth estate, I refer to all the alternative mediums that have sprung up with all the technological advancements in communications, since the founding fathers ratified the constitution (and the fourth estate). For example: the internet, twittering, blogging, texting and the like, can now be considered the fifth estate.  read more »

Believe me when I say I didn’t want to touch Kevin Parker -as the subject of one of my columns- again. I have taken enough flack over the years for writing the truths about him and his anger-management issues. So I was quite happy as time went by, to see my columns vindicated time after time, by Mr. Parker’s own public behavior(s); while continuing to sit on information I have been privy to about his private bad behaviors for some time now. Information I have chosen not to release, since no matter what others may think, this isn’t personal on my part. I just strongly believe that electeds should be held to a higher standard of behavior (both private and public), given that they are role models for our youth; and also given that we have chosen them to represent the best in all of us, at one of the highest levels of government: the legislature.  read more »

In response to my previous article on the pros and cons of expelling Hiram Monserrate from the State Senate due to his misdemeanor conviction for reckless assault (basically abusing his girlfriend on camera), I got a response from someone closely associated with the State Senate which contradicts what I presented State Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblywoman Joan Millman as believing. Adams, Montgomery and Millman basically argued variations on three themes. 1.) the State Senate rules allows expulsion for felonies but is silent on misdemeanors, and thus it sets a possibly unwelcome precedent to expel Monserrate 2.) the voters should decide whether Monserrate should represent them in the senate or not, and 3.) if Monserrate is thrown out, the Republicans will likely re-paralyze the legislature and prevent anything from getting done.

In response to this, someone well-connected to the State Senate, but who wishes to stay anonymous, wrote the following in response: (altered slightly to mask style)  read more »

Liz Benjamin's blog has a piece saying that Assemblymember and candidate for state Senate José Peralta is accusing Hiram Monserrate of being a "liar and an abuser."

Here's the problem -- Peralta may be as corrupt as Monserrate. According to a Daily News article, Peralta has received half a million bucks in state and federal member items for a nonprofit that, for all practical purposes, doesn't exist.

It appears that before we throw the rascals out we need to take a good, hard look at the new rascals who are coming in.

On a side note, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) requires that an artistic entity be around for three years, and prove their activities are worthy, before they can even be considered for a grant; perhaps all state money given to nonprofits should have similar requirements.

"Democratic" State Senator Hiram Monserrate (and one illustration of what is wrong with Democrats in NYC) is on trial for domestic violence. Basically he slashed his girlfriend's face. He claims it was an accident. Abusive people usually either claim it was an accident or blame the victim.

Here is video of Monserrate dragging his girlfriend outside after the slashing he claims was accidental. Is this how you would treat YOUR loved one after accidentally slashing her? From Albany Project: