More NYS politicians get arrested

Brooklynian » Forum » Brooklyn and Beyond »

More NYS politicians get arrested

Share this!

whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

In this thread, I will link articles that show that NYS just might have a pretty damn huge corruption problem, especially as it comes to representatives awarding contracts and member funds to non-profits that exist largely on paper. I'll also cover non-profit executives who get arrested by the NYS Attorney General's Office for bribing said politicians for the award of said funds.

Warning: The thread could go on forever, and it takes me a really long time to get tired of discussing this topic.

without further a due...

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/huntley_set_to_be_busted_5zeHaa2w6oDhCWLJlUA4vK

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 9 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 403

I hope you go back at least 30 years. When I worked for the local Democratic club back in the 70s one of our and the state's leaders, Speaker of the Assembly Stanley Steingut was involved in major corruption with nursing home owner, Bernard Bergman. Then of course there was Queens borough president, Donald Manes, who ended up killing himself. I knew a guy who ended up in the witness protection program because he ratted out a judge for case fixing and his ex-mom-in-law for having a "no show" job. Corruption is nothing new. Oh, and let's not forget Boss Tweed and Tamminy Hall.

# Posted 9 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

A sense of perspective is valuable.

But I think I will just fill this thread with scandals as they occur going forward. So far, it looks like it is going to be a good year for scandals. I had a pretty good viewpoint to watch the Medisys scandal unfold, and enjoyed writing about it.

http://brooklynian.com/forum/brooklyn-and-beyond/without-bribes-the-state-money-stops

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 9 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 403

Unfortunately you may be correct when you state that it's going to be a good year for scandals. Apparently ethics has nothing to do with politics.

# Posted 9 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

As far as I can tell, ethics is also unrelated to religion, or any other social or biological construct.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 9 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 403

Maybe that's the problem. If ethics was more related to religion then people might be more inclined to be more ethical. But then, that's what the separation of church and state is all about.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

In Business grad school, ethics is completely separate.

While many find it disturbing, I admire the honesty of the approach.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
PragmaticGuy
above average
Joined: Apr '11
Posts: 403

I don't think one can be a politician and be 100% ethical. It's just the nature of the job. I think it comes down to how much or one's ethics and morals they want to disregard at any given moment and what the risk/reward ratio is.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

Yes, BF Skinner was really onto something when he wrote about Behaviorism.

In general, Humans are not as complex as we like to think we are.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

September 12, 2012 - New York Voters Want Cuomo To Clean Up Corruption, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not legislative leaders, should take the lead in cleaning up legislative corruption in New York State, voters say 54 - 32 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Corruption is a "very serious" or "somewhat serious problem, 79 percent of voters say.

Gov. Cuomo is doing an excellent or good job cleaning up legislative corruption, 56 percent of voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll. A total of 29 percent of voters rate Cuomo's clean-up efforts as "not so good" or "poor."

Clean-up efforts by legislative leaders are "not so good" or "poor," 63 percent of voters say, while 24 percent say "excellent" or "good."

New York State voters oppose 76 - 17 percent a pay raise for legislators, with overwhelming opposition among every group. Higher pay will not attract better candidates, voters say 81 - 14 percent. Voters also oppose 48 - 41 percent public financing of campaigns for governor, other statewide office and the Legislature.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-and-centers/polling-institute/new-york-state/release-detail?ReleaseID=1795

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
homeowner
mod
Joined: Jan '06
Posts: 3,018

There is a fundamental problem with the design of our legislative system. When this country was first developing legislators were wealthy (and sucessful) businessmen that would take one to two months off from work each year, travel to the state capital, make important decisions that would allow their businesses to grow and compete locally and with other states and who then promptly returned home to make sure their subordinates had not run their businesses into the ground.

With the shift in the last thirty years from part-time to full-time legislators, you now have a group of people that depend on getting re-elected for their livelihood. They need money to get re-elected and those most willing to give are people with business interests that want to see those interests advanced. In addition they are imbedded in the capital with these lobbyists and spend minimal amounts of time in their local districts. So there is a huge incentive for corruption which never existed historically. Add to that the fact that machine politics in NY has turned into nepotistic politics with seats being passed from mother to daughter and father to son and you have a situation where there is very little incentive to not take bribes, engage in chicanery, or pad the budget with useless family hires so they have enough "experience" to take over the family seat.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

I can't imagine that I I would ever hire a former politician for anything.

I'm glad "politician" it not a protected statue like race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,113

Scandals don't result in politicians not getting re-elected, or even voter turn out: http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/state/1452-scandal-fails-to-muster-turnout-for-primary-election

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 8 mos ago

RSS feed for this topic

Welcome! Please log in to post, or register a new account!

Brooklynian

Brooklynian » Forum » Brooklyn and Beyond »

More NYS politicians get arrested

Brooklynian » Neighborhood Message Boards » Brooklyn and Beyond

Brooklinks

Members Online