Assembly Colleagues Shake-up the Process to Help Achieve Progress BY MIKE SPANO

 “Yesterday, several of my Assembly colleagues and I stormed the governor’s office and demanded that he speak to us about the lateness of the state budget. The governor hasn’t spoken to Assembly Speaker Silver in over a week. The governor’s silence, when so much is hanging in the balance, is unacceptable and as Yonkers’ representative, I feel that we need answers now. 

“Pilfering from the pockets of state employees with furloughs and passing weekly budget extenders is not a long-term, workable solution, and my colleagues and I wanted to make this clear to him. We’re going through the same motions every week, for 43 days now, and still no budget, no progress in closing a $9.2 billion deficit. The governor is still the leader of this state and in order to make real progress we need him fully engaged in the process making responsible and productive decisions. We felt it was necessary to shake up the process and speak with him face-to-face.  

“Only the future will determine the success of our meeting with him, but I believe we made progress in that the Governor has agreed to begin public leaders meetings and has also offered to join his budget staff with the Assembly’s staff to help reach a joint budget agreement – something that has never been done in the past. 

“The hard decisions must be made – the same hard decisions that Yonkers families are making every day to cut their own budgets in this tough economy. I understand that the solution will not be easy but I continue my call to remain in Albany until the job is done.”  

Assemblyman Mike Spano represents the People of Yonkers (A.D. 93). Direct email spanom@assembly.state.ny.us, or call (914) 779-8805 for further information.

Comments

[nor'easter]

Mike,

You're kidding right? Six weeks late with a budget and the best you can come up with is a silly photo op and an equally silly press release. I'm no fan of David Patterson but he actually proposed a budget when he was supposed to and has made a number of good proposals since including furloughs. Meantime you and your rudderless cohorts hang out doing nothing Monday to Wednesday and then head home for the "weekend" by Thursday. Mike, that sound you hear is the bell tolling and we all know for whom!

[JIM JONES]

HEY POST 235 YOU ARE RIPPING SPANO? YOU THINK FURLOUGHS ARE A GOOD THING ?. HOW ABOUT WE FURLOUGH WELFARE OR ARE YOU A REICPIENT OF IT ?. GIVE ME A BRAKE LETS HURT THE WORKING MAN OR WOMEN AND LET THE DEAD BEAT CRACK ADDICTS WHO LEACH OFF OF SOCIETY CONTINUE TO GET FREE RIDES. YOUR A RETARD.

[be cool bro]

GOOD IDEA JIM. CUT BACK ON THE WELFARE GIVE AWAYS. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY PEOPLE FOR DOING NOTHING. AND THEN RAISE THE KIDS FOR THEM. OUR WELFARE SYSTEM ATTRACTED SOME OF THESE DEAD-BEATS FROM THE SOUTH, THE ISLANDS AND NEW ORLEANS. THEY WON'T GO BACK. WE PAY THEM TOO MUCH. CUT THE WELFARE AND MEDICAID. SCHOOL LUNCHES.

[too taxed]

Don't try to tell us that the illegals are not on welfare and medicaid. They are smothering us in costs. We are educating and feeding their kids. We are paying for their health care. When will it stop???

[Dandy]

I was about to praise the Assemblyman for doing something that apparently 150 other legislators didn't have the courage to do but I was reading your comments first and the only thing that could come to my mind was DUH and ignorance.

[Miller]

Finally some action in Albany (that doesn't include senators beating women or coups). Bringing politics back to its roots is what we need for positive change up there, I for one find it refreshing.

[Miller]

And JIM JONES, I guess the phrase "takes one to know one" fits here. You used the incorrect form of "your and you're." So I guess YOU'RE A RETARD. Haha. Go read something.

[JIM JONES]

TRUTH HURTS POST 445, GUESS YOU ARE AN UNEMPLOYED RETARD, SUCKING THE SYSTEM DRY. GO HAVE SOME MORE KIDS SO YOU CAN GET A RAISE EVERY MONTH FROM THE SYSTEM. DONT WORRY I WILL WORK AN EXTRA COUPLE OF HOURS THIS WEEK SO YOU CAN GET A LITTLE EXTRA FREE CHEESE. HAHAHA

[sick of morons]

goood job mike...shake up the system!!! we need you. jim jones and miller- why not find anothe rphrase the use. many families have mentally retarded children. it is insensitive.

[how could we?]

Mike. you are doing the bidding of your master, Shelly, the shell game, Silver. You have never shown much integrity or courage, but Silver is the worst of the worst. A real putz.

[vote out incumbents]

We will shake-up the process and make progress when we get rid of you and your ilk.

[.]

This governor is starting to get real, but he should announce a pay cut for himself, and that would be a good start. Their is no leadership in America anymore they are all clones, with no balls.

Amicone is the same in Yonkers hiding behind City Haul's skirt.

[KARMA]

YOU CAN LOVE OR HATE MIKE SPANO BUT EITHER SCENARIO, YOU REALISE, HE MAKES YOU THINK OF HIM. MIGHTY DAFT OF YOU, AY?

[lll]

SpaNO, NO MORE SpaNO's

[NO ROMANDELI TAXES]

KEEP UP THE GOOS WORK MIKE!!!!!

[Mayor Spano]

HOW MANY DAY TILL PHIL IS GONE???

AND MAYOR SPANO BEGINS???

F*CK YOU PHIL. DIRTY RAT BASTARD!

[anon]

"stormed the governor’s office"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

What a pandering jerk.

Nothing has happenned for weeks, the legislature, including spano works a three day week, and during an election year he 'storms the Bastile?"

Please

I do not like Paterson either, would never vote for him, but as stated above, at least he has proposed SOMETHING. The legislature sits on their fat behinds and issues press releases and does photo opps.

Spano "storms" the Govenors office, and Counsins "storms" Lord & Taylors scarf department. Neither one does a damn thing.

I think he should be compared with Nick and see how he stacks up:

Nick Spano - Panders -> Bags of $$$ for Yonkers

Mike Spano - Panders -> SQUAT

Cousins - Panders - Goes shopping.

Verdict: Losers

[anon]

For the record, this is the "storming" that took place; more like lying to a police officer, and poor Mikey isn't even mentioned. Boo-Hoo..

Capital Confidential

Sit in? Tour? Stunt? Conversation starter?

I noted this in today’s story about furloughs, but Assemblyman Jack McEneny was able to get into the Red Room of the Capitol — located in a secured location in the Executive Chamber — by telling a Trooper at the guard’s desk that he was leading a tour.

McEneny, a former Albany County historian often gives unofficial tours of the building — he gave me one when I first started working in the Capitol, and has lead around dignitaries from foreign countries. I was standing next to him as he lead over a dozen Assembly colleagues into the chamber to stage a sit in at the Red Room, and overheard snippets of his exchange with the Trooper. (Full disclosure: I wasn’t taking notes and was focusing on photographing the exchange. See right.)

He later said this was the case, but said he didn’t lie to the Trooper.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said. “I think you heard me describe the paintings on the way in, and the carvings – Leopold Eidlitz, and the largest gargoyle. There was a tour – it ended in the Red Room. They got a tour out of it, it was a short one, but a tour.”
McEneny also said as much last night to Liz Benjamin, and prompted a call from Steve McLaughlin, a Republican candidate running against Assemblyman Tim Gordon.

“You’re lying to a police officer for the purpose of getting around him? That’s unbelievable,” McLaughlin said. “I thought it was a juvenile stunt. They’re trying to distract attention away from the fact that they’re not even holding committee meetings on this budget which violates the law that they wrote. It’s pathetic to me that they’ve gone to this level.”

McEneny said it produced worthwhile results.

“The original idea has produced the governor to be in our conference, with staff, on Monday, and public meetings to come up in the near future,” McEneny said. “It was worthwhile, and it wouldn’t have happened any other way.”

[Stuck on Stupid]

Mikey, where is your beanie with the propeller on top? I thought it look so cute on you. Did you lose it when you stormed the Bastille?

[tired of the low class]

Did you see the news pictures of the c.s.e.a. protest? How many of them are out there and still on the payroll where they "work"? Was this vacation time or a sick out. I bet none were docked a days pay. This is the problem with c.s.e.a. When they are not at work no one misses them. Cut the csea in half. Fire anyone at the protest who was on the payroll for that time. Goof offs all the time.

[Jack Treacy]

9.2 billion state deficit and the democratic controlled Assembly makes no proposals.9.2 billion dollar deficit and the democratic controlled Senate makes no proposals.I have a proposal change the state name from New York to New Greece.The only good Democrat is a defeated Democrat.

[yo bro]

STORMED THE CAPITAL!! HA! HA! DID YOU GET TO SEE HIM? NO. WHAT DID YOU ACCOMPLISH? THERE IS STILL NO BUDGET. THANKS FOR NOTHING.

[Anti-Incumbent Voter]

"but I continue my call to remain in Albany until the job is done.”
Was that your CAR I saw in the parking lot of
"Grassy Sprain Road" parking lot today ????
So I guess you not in Albany as you preach
You have some line of BS

[Signed John Doe]

This guy puts out more press releases than Chuck Lesnick.

[heather]

ignore the negatives mike- i am glad you are standing up for us