Saturday, September 8, 2012

New York State of Mind - Police Blotter Edition

Let's see, where do I begin? It's been a tough couple of weeks for our local, state, and federal elected officials in New York. Investigations, indictments, arrests, and just plain old stupidity.

Local: Following up on my report on New York City's controversial "Stop and Frisk" policy. As I have reported in the past, Ray Kelly, our beloved Police Commissioner, has been spending much time defending his department. For a few years, the police have been showing a heavy presence in high crime areas by stopping and frisking people they observe may be carrying guns. Of course, the ACLU got their panties in a twist because as it turns out, most of the people the police stop and frisk are minorities - Black and Hispanic. And as you can well imagine the accusations of racism have been loud and proud. But recent reports shed some light on why Kelly and his police force are targeting certain neighborhoods and "minorities".

As reported in the the NY Post on September 6:

"Blacks and Hispanics account for 96 percent of city shooting victims...while comprising 86 percent of murder suspects and 94 percent of robbery suspects.

Just in case one may think that these statistics are skewed by the conservative Post, the NY Daily News went a step further and published colorful pie charts and graphs to support these findings which strangely do not appear in their online version for easy access...

Overall Population
33.3% White
28.6% Hispanic
22.8% Black

Victims - Murder Robbery Rape
Black - 64% - 33% - 41%
Hisp - 25% - 36% - 38%
White - 7% - 18% - 18%

Suspects - Murder Robbery Rape
Black - 55% - 70% - 54%
Hisp - 31% - 24% - 32%
White - 10% - 5% - 11%

Draw your own conclusions. I must point out that even though we have a large Asian population, once again they are not included in the statistics. I can only conclude that the incidences of crime among Asians is insignificant. They are not included as "minorities" in graduation and reading/math score statistics either...

Now moving on to crimes against the taxpayers -

State: It's been quite the month for our state legislators and not in a good way. For the past few years, New Yorkers have had a slew of our elected officials under investigation, indicted, or currently serving sentences for on various charges. But August 27, 2012 was a big banner day. On this day, the NY Post reported a "three-fer" on one page. Yes, we had three of our elected officials caught in one day (four if you count the alleged cover up):

1. Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D/Brooklyn), has been doing double duty as an Assemblyman for a valuable Brooklyn district since 1986 AND as the Assembly's Chief Serial Sexual Harasser. Who knew? Well, Sheldon Silver did. Sheldon "Shelly" Silver (D/Manhattan), head of the Assembly for years now, and THE most powerful man in Albany after Gov. Cuomo, paid secret taxpayer-funded hush money ($103,000) to a woman to cover up for his good buddy Lopez. It appears the the esteemed Assemblyman Lopez (I stress the "ass") has a long history of roaming hands and other parts. At first Ol' Shelly supported his friend, then he tried to urge him to resign, then he begged, conjoled, pleaded, and threatened him with official sanctions and rebukes. Shelly was doing anything to keep the heat (and local MSM) off of him during the DNC Convention for which he was to play a central role. Up until yesterday, our Attorney General went along with the powerful Shelly Silver and declined to investigate his involvement. The State Ethics panel also declined. However, a state court judge in the very red Staten Island didn't declined and decided that an investigation was in needed and ordered a Special Prosecutor to investigate.

2. State Senator Shirley Huntley (D/Queens) - As reported by the local news outlets - Sen. Huntley has been indicted for "conspiring in a scheme to use state grants to benefit associates in a nonprofit group she founded....Huntley had secured a $30,000 grant in 2006 for the group, which was formed to help parents work effectively with the New York City school system." Problem is that her group never actually used the money to "help" one parent.

3. State Assembly-member Naomi Rivera (D/Bronx)- Our State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) "is looking into claims that the Bronx assemblywoman put two lovers on the public payroll and used her nonprofit as a personal piggy bank". Her publicly funded non-profit - the Bronx Council for Economic Development - has been allotted about $1.2 million taxpayer dollars to presumable fund activities for her non-profit However it looks like she was using the funds to pay, wine, and dine her boy toys. Now, if the two lovers were qualified to administer or develop programs then she chooses her lovers wisely. However from all accounts, her lovers are her "personal trainer" and a gym teacher already on a very lucrative payroll as a NY City school teacher. So the best she could have hoped for were better developed glutes. But, she comes by her alleged graft and nepotism honestly. Her father Jose Rivera was ousted as Bronx Dem leader in 2008 for doing pretty much the same thing minus the boy toys.

You see, our Legislators get what I call a "slush funds" - taxpayer dollars to pass out to worthy organizations that they wish to support. Unfortunately, the worthy organizations they wish to support are turning out to be non-profits that our Legislators set up to better the lives of their families and friends, and not to help better the lives of their constituents on bit.

Just so you do not think these are isolated events, here's a sampling going back to 2004:

Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D & R/Sing Sing) - 2 years for misappropriation of campaign funds
Sen. Carl Kruger (D/Sing Sing) - 7 years for bribery
Sen. Pedro Espada (D/Sing Sing) - convicted of stealing thousands of dollars
Sen. Larry Seabrook (D/soon to be Sing Sing)- recently found guilty of fraud and conspiracy; awaiting sentencing.
Sen. Joe Bruno (R/Sing Sing) convicted of bribery
and since the list is going way too long - Sen. Guy Velella, Ass. Clarence Norman, Ass. Diane Gordon, Ass. Brian McLoughlin, Ass. Anthony Seminerio - all found guilty of crimes against the tax payers of NY.

It has gotten so bad that I suggest that we just move the state capital from Albany to Sing Sing Prison in Ossining [see photo above] just to save the taxpayers time and money.

And finally, this is just a crime against humanity...

Federal: There is a saying (that I am making up now) that says "If you are a really stupid politician and have no sense of humor do NOT go on Stephen Colbert's Show!" This segment is an "interview" with Rep. Yvette Clarke (D/Brooklyn). I will assume that the "D" in this case stands for "dumb". Well judge for yourself starting at 01.40m...



Okay by now you are thinking to yourself "Wah???? This woman is voting on legislation that will effect my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? How can this be?" Stop shuttering uncontrollably and remember that she will probably be re-elected! Okay, you can start shuttering again...

FYI - I am travelling today and will jump in as I can...

22 comments:

BevfromNYC said...

THis was supposed to post at 2pm, but didn't. Here is now. As I indicated, I will be in and out for the rest of the day, but I will read and respond as best I can. I am computer challenged right now.

Tam said...

Travelling, huh? Are you travelling in time? If so, do you know what you know now? Will you try to end slavery in NY in 1898? While you're at it, in 1898, could you maybe suggest to the colonists that they declare independence from the british empire?

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, New York is beginning to sound like RICO activity rather than a state?


Tam, Shhhh... we don't tell people about the Commentarama Time Travel Machine.

DUQ said...

Andrew, Can you indict an entire state?

Unknown said...

Bev: New York is way ahead of us in California in indictments, but we're still way ahead of you in debt and plain damned foolishness.

Patriot said...

Pikers.......thousands of dollars.....?!?! In DC we are talkin BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars.

Just remember what state FDR came from......the original grifter from NY and the KING of all federal largesse.

NY got a long way to go Bev.....but they're trying hard!

T-Rav said...

Help the New Yorkers, Staten Island. You're their only hope.

T-Rav said...

Wait, what? There's a Commentarama Time Travel Machine? Er, excuse me for a few hours--and to reassure everyone, I totally don't have stolen blueprints of Commentarama headquarters or a copied master key or anything.

Individualist said...

Pol: So ... if back intme do know everything I do now?

Colbert: Do you think there as slavery in Brookyn in 1989?

POL: Yes

Indi: Does it matter - you don't seem to know anything now?

BevfromNYC said...

Tam, I did indeed go back in time in the CTTM. That is why there is no slavery in Brooklyn anymore...

darski said...

Ok, I am old and all of that but what is "shuttering"?

Aside from the Finger Lakes region there is no part of NY -state or city- that I want to see.

President Chevy Chase said...

Commentarama posters, I must ask you to stop this habit of going back in time. Think of the greater good. The consequences could be disastrous.

BevfromNYC said...

EEK! What have I done?? Sorry, I promise to go back and correct my mistake...at the very least it should have been President Dennis Miller...I'll try again. Any suggestions?

BevfromNYC said...

BTW, I apologize for not being able to follow along with your comments. I was actually in the only place on Earth where there was I couldn't get a wireless connection. It was very scary...

BevfromNYC said...

Darski - "shuttering"...you know the phrase "I shutter to think" - uncontrollable shaking in fear".

BTW - Upstate NY is beautiful, but New York City isn't so bad. Hey, I live here, don't I? So you know there is at least ONE nice person! ;-)

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, There's nowhere in the world where you can't get a wireless connection! ;)

Actually, I used to live in a spot where all the wireless signals stopped 20 feet from the highway. Very strange.

AndrewPrice said...

DUQ, I wish you could indict an entire state!

BevfromNYC said...

Andrew - I don't know why not. Haven't Holder and Obama indicted the entire state of Arizona because of their illegal immigration laws?

AndrewPrice said...

Good point, Bev. They've certainly treated Arizona like a collection of criminals.

K said...

Ever notice how these giant hives AKA "Cities" tend to produce more corruption, less true human interaction/responsibility and more leftist policies? Also notice that once these hives get big enough they drive the politics for the entire state? Remove LA and SF from California and place them in Cloud Coo Coo land where they belong and California goes red over night. I assume the same for NY and other points east.

Not surprising, then, that the left has been actively trying to force the creation of larger and more crowded population centers (to SAVE THE EARTH - of course). While the forces of pro-liberty are just trying to "hold the fort" (wait, can I still say that?)

darski said...

Oh... ok you mean shuddering. never thought of that one. I used to visit NY state often so I expect 'interesting' words from NY'ers.

rlaWTX said...

yet more reasons to avoid high density population areas...

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