Welcome to the Party, Malcolm Smith

Friday, Oct 12, 2007

For the last 3 months while Troopergate raged around him, Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith has laid very low at the State Capitol. In fact, the last time I saw him was the day the Senate Democrats didn't do much with Congestion Pricing. That was July.

Now he's entered the fray, but from the wrong door. He's apparently apologized to Senator Bruno for participating in an on-going conversation about whether to alert the IRS to Bruno's tax debts from private plane use. Smith says his staff was in on the talks, along with the Governor's staff.

This has Bruno furious, and saying the word "despicable" a lot.

The Spitzer administration says it's done nothing wrong.

By Susan Arbetter

Oct 18, 2007 - Susan Arbetter says:

Hello BERNIE! Email me at sarbetter@wmht.org so I can get your e-mail address.

love,
Susan

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Resurrection on State Street

We all thought the budget was completed and put to rest back in April.

But like Jason in A Nightmare on Elm Street, it was resurrected, slashed, reduced, and re-examined. Pushed and pulled and tweaked to within an inch of its life.

I'm exaggerating.

The dramedy unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, during a special session of the Legislature called by Governor Paterson. The usually-quiet-in-August-Capitol was thrown into a tizzy reminiscent of a aristocratic Victorian family expecting royalty at the last minute.

Hundreds of lobbyists stalked the corridors of the Capitol; protesters of all stripes chanted outside the door to the Governor's office; and the press were ubiquitous. As the always eloquent Denise Murphy McGraw observed outside the packed Assembly chamber, "It's just another day in Albany."

On the next New York Now, we will detail the cuts that the legislature agreed upon. Plus, one of the key architects of these cuts, Dean Skelos, the new Majority Leader of the State Senate, joins us in the studio to talk about pork, taxes and property tax reform.

Both James Madore of Newsday and Karen DeWitt of New York State Public Radio will join us with analysis at the big table.

It's all coming up on the next New York Now. Friday August 22nd, Saturday August 23rd and Sunday August 24th, on your local PBS station:

WNET, New York City
Saturday at 11am

WMHT Capital Region
Friday at 7:30pm
Sunday at 11am
Sunday at 11pm

WNED, Buffalo & Toronto
Sunday at 9:30am

WXXI, Rochester
Sunday at 6:30pm

WCNY, Syracuse
Sunday at 11am

WPBS, Watertown
Sunday at 7:30am

WSKG, Binghamton
Sunday at 6:30pm

WLIW, Long Island
Sunday at 6:30am

Mountain Lake Public Broadcasting, Plattsburgh
Sunday at 10:30am

Think Bright
Friday at 8pm
Sunday at 12:30am

Your Host

Join Susan Arbetter as we hear from politicians, civil servants, journalists and men and women at popular spots statewide as they examine the news of the week coming from the State Capital.