Paterson Bails; Gets In Great Parting Shot At Failed Drug War

Current New York State Governor David Paterson will not seek reelection. On his way out, though, he got in a great shot at the "drug war" which is chiefly responsible for disenfranchising the youth of New York.

I am looking for a transcript of his speech - you will see this post updated with the text (and video, if appropriate) when they become available.

I hope to see something from this appear at Pete Guither's excellent site, DrugWarRant.

Update: the hits just keep on coming...now he's being pressured to resign his current campaign. Hmmm...this wouldn't be a case of damning the man before the jury is in, yes?

The Israeli MOSSAD Spy Ring

Found a great link today - Israeli MOSSAD Spy Ring.

Dear readers...the main objective of this blog is to assist in uncovering the events of September 11th, 2001; of course, that doesn't mean that other instances of scumbaggery are ignored - the current scumbaggery in Palestine/Israel is discussed here; ClimateGate is discussed here; financial malfeasance is discussed here; scumbags like Bernard Kerik, Rudolph Giuliani, etc., are discussed here.

Here's the thing...if you were able to view Carl Cameron's Orwellized report, you will notice a curious statement: "Evidence linking these Israelis to 9/11 is classified. I cannot tell you about evidence that has been gathered. It's classified information." Note the wording - the evidence is "classified"...not "non-existent", but CLASSIFIED.




Think about that...and get back to me.

The Joe Stack Letter (Please Archive Locally)

This is the document left by the individual who crashed an aircraft into the IRS offices in Austin, Texas. It seems that attempts to malign the author of the following document are failing, and the obvious next step would be to have said document removed from the internet.

So...copy this document; print out copies of this document; disseminate this document; but most of all, READ AND UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENT INHERENT IN THIS DOCUMENT.

We need to take our country back from those who would relegate us to being no more than serfs, fighting each other for mudcakes. What you see occurring in Haiti can and should be viewed as a precursor for what can and will happen here in the United States of America...unless you put down that remote control, stop drinking that beer, and TAKE BACK OUR BLOODY COUNTRY from those who would destroy the middle class and turn our country into what you saw in 2005 in New Orleans and what you are seeing now in Haiti.

If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.

While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!

How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.

How did I get here?

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on.

In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early ‘80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer... and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Note:

· "another person" is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.

· "taxpayer" is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.

· "individual", "employee", or "worker" is you.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes.

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn’t bill clients.

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.

Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.

Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the ".COM" bust and the 9/11 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ‘special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies.

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to Bill Ross, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, Ross knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.

I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution.

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.



The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.



Joe Stack (1956-2010)

02/18/2010

Just a couple of observations - I was listening to 1010WINS this morning, and they tried two methods of disinformation; the first being an attempt at discrediting the message by having a bystander comment that the letter wasn't real because the FBI shut down the website. So...let's counter this with the message from the webmaster:

This website has been taken offline due to the sensitive nature of the events that transpired in Texas. Although the customer exceeded their bandwidth limits earlier today, due to numerous requests, we have added credit to this account to keep this site live for informational purposes. To see an archived version of the original letter, please go here: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0218102stack1.html. Please visit our forum if you wish to discuss anything related to this incident: Texas crash pilot left suicide note on Web site - embeddedart.com (please don't send us emails as we can't respond to all of them). Regards, T35 Hosting - www.T35.com

Okay...so that didn't pan out...let's try a second tack - let's just lump this attack in with, oh, let's say, Ruby Ridge, Waco, Oklahoma City...that'll discredit the actual verbiage in the document.

Except, you idiots forgot...this guy was no terrorist...he was no wackjob...he was an American. You can expect that the cat has been let out of the bag.

Kerik's In The Can

Hey, Bernie - don't drop the soap!

Kerik Is Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison in Corruption Case
By SAM DOLNICK

WHITE PLAINS — Bernard B. Kerik, a former New York police commissioner who rose to national prominence, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to eight felony charges, including tax fraud and lying to White House officials.

The sentencing was the end of a legal saga in which federal prosecutors denounced Mr. Kerik, a former detective who rose to the upper echelons of power, as a corrupt official who sought to trade his authority for lavish perks.

Under the terms of a plea agreement reached in November on the eve of his trial, the prosecution and the defense recommended that Judge Stephen C. Robinson sentence Mr. Kerik to 27 to 33 months in prison. But the judge departed from the sentencing recommendations, giving Mr. Kerik a longer sentence.

Mr. Kerik has awaited sentencing under strict house arrest at his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Mr. Kerik’s prison sentence is set to begin immediately. It follows a fall from a rarefied perch where he wielded power with a signature mix of brash confidence and tough-guy charm.

He was a close ally of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, whom he served as a bodyguard and driver. Mr. Giuliani then tapped him for a senior position in the Correction Department, and he went on to become the agency’s commissioner. As testament to his clout, Mr. Kerik had a jail named after him in downtown Manhattan. (The name has since been changed.)

Mr. Kerik later served as police commissioner, and his performance during after 9/11 attacks turned him into a national figure, earning him the respect of President George W. Bush, who nominated him to lead the Department of Homeland Security. That bid quickly collapsed in scandal, marking the beginning of the end of Mr. Kerik’s career.

The case against Mr. Kerik centered on charges that a New Jersey construction company, the Interstate Industrial Corporation, which was suspected of ties to organized crime, had paid for renovations at Mr. Kerik’s home in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. Prosecutors said company officials had hoped Mr. Kerik would help them obtain a city license.

In addition to pleading guilty to two counts of tax fraud and one count of making a false statement on a loan application, Mr. Kerik also pleaded guilty to five counts of making false statements to the federal government while being vetted for senior posts.

Prosecutors had called for Judge Robinson to make an example out of Mr. Kerik, and to punish him for his “egotism and hubris.”

Mr. Kerik’s lawyer, Michael F. Bachner, had asked the judge for leniency, citing his years of public service, and the dozens of letters of support written by family members, former colleagues in the Police Department, and even strangers who said they admired Mr. Kerik’s bravery.

Well...so much for that schmuck.

THE VINES (# 01 – 2010) - Room Eight

THE VINES (# 01 – 2010)
posted by Rock Hackshaw
Mon, 02/15/2010 - 11:01pm

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.

David Paterson needs to pass on this upcoming primary. He is dead meat. There has been too much “stuff”’ out there even before he replaced Spitzer as governor. And by stuff, I mean “bad press”. Look; I really don’t want to join this “train” they have been pulling on his reputation for too many months now. Gatemouth correctly calls it a “gangbang”. And as much as I feel for the brother, the truth is this: he has no one to blame but himself.

If David stays in the race he will only hurt the democrats’ chances of retaining the governorship. The primary could become a pig sty, and as a democrat I would hate to see that. David Paterson needs to lay down his sling-shot on this battleground, for the good of the party. David Dinkins, Charlie Rangel and a few others from the uptown crew, need to put him in a room and put some sense into his thick skull: he is dead man walking. I don’t think he, his wife, kids and extended family, need to deal with this sideshow anymore: enough already. It’s tiring. It’s boring. It’s distasteful. It’s demeaning. You can add your own adjective or adverb, if as a reader of this column, you so choose.

David Paterson has already made history (twice), and now it is time to move on. As far as I know, he was the first black minority leader of the state senate, and also the first black governor of New York. He may also have made history by being the first legally blind governor anywhere (definitely New York). Well, if I am incorrect, Gatemouth will definitely straighten me out here/lol.

Up in Queens we can expect some fireworks this September. It is rumored that Assembly member Aubrey is getting a challenge (via Miranda?); something he hasn’t gotten for a while. And if Jose Peralta wins Hiram Monseratte’s vacant seat in a special election next month, then expect Bryan PuFolkes to tackle Francisco Moya in the fight to replace Jose in the assembly. Rumors are that Malcolm Smith won’t be long in the Senate since he has his eyes on other things -outside of politics. BTW, from Queens: another Weprin went to the Albany legislature last week; I think this makes four of them now (well, at least three). Think family-dynasty folks.

Pedro Espada jnr. made an ass of himself at the Black and Hispanic Caucus events held in Albany last weekend. He tried to lead a walkout during Harold Ford’s speech, citing Ford’s evolving positions on immigration reform. He got one or two followers: that’s it. There was definitely no mass exodus as he anticipated. Espada is getting a primary challenge folks. Are you surprised?

BTW, reports from Albany indicate that Harold Ford did himself well with his keynote speech to the caucus. I viewed and listened on a blog clip and I wasn’t overly impressed. It was a’ight (as they say on the streets): meaning mediocre at best. Harold has a very slim chance of pulling off a victory here, but I must admit that he will bring a little excitement to the race.

I hope Mort Zuckerman (Daily News) stays away from this race. The last thing we need is to have one of Bloomberg’s co-conspirators in the term limits hijack, running for anything. Go away little man: and stay gone.

As much as I suspect Hiram Monseratte’s banishment from the Senate will be a long drawn out legal battle, I am really more concerned that this precedent will be racially applied like most things political and legal. As I predicted recently, survival in the Senate -by those who are convicted of misdemeanors- will eventually come down to clout, connections, and stature. I should have added race, nationality and ethnicity to the mix. I wonder if Howie Gatemouth really understands where I am coming from on this one. We shall see.

Relative to Senator Kevin Parker, it was disappointing to see that he was once again involved in another fracas before the vote was even taken last week. If you think he hasn’t gone after females -like he did with Diane Saverino- before, then you are sadly mistaken. I am starting to conclude that this guy is beyond redemption, and has serious mental-health issues. If he goes down for the count, then expect the race for his seat to be hotly contested. Right now there are five solid candidates ready to replace him. Two are ready to challenge him right away, even if he survives all his contemporary trials and tribulations. These two are: businessman/activist Wellington Sharpe, and educator/activist Rudy Daly.

The other potential candidates for this seat are Terry Hinds (attorney), Dr. Dexter McKenzie, and former city council member Dr. Kendall Stewart (YES). Let me further state that Kevin’s actual demise will only add one or two others to the mix. For now, these are the five people who have expressed real interest in such a race.

At the Black and Hispanic Caucus weekend, three of the candidates here were seen making the rounds (McKenzie, Sharpe and Stewart). Word is that Stewart has really taken his loss to Jumanee Williams to heart. It is said that he has dropped more weight than a Jenny Craig graduate. Doc Stewart needs to exit on the right, and leave politics for less stressful pastures. Meanwhile Williams was sighted making the rounds in Albany also. This young man is a rising star in Brooklyn’s politics. He was courageous enough to get on the city council floor, in order to publicly express his belief that Charles Barron was a good chairman, when he headed up the Higher Education Committee (2001 thru-2010). At some point during this tenure Williams was a student at Brooklyn College- where he obtained both BA and MA degrees. Although he didn’t vote to reinstate Barron, he paid him a fine compliment.

Despite all this, Barron immediately went after the Black, Latino and Asian members of this caucus at the next meeting, as he had done many times over the years. Barron berated them for allowing Quinn to get away with stripping him from his committee and for not supporting his reform effort, etc. Melissa Veverito was one of very few to stand up to Barron’s bullying and intimidating tactics. He is becoming a bully right before our eyes folks: all because he is impotent and ineffective in the council. By now he must have lost any support he may have tried to garner. What a friggin waste!!!

If you had a hundred dollars for every time Barron has called the caucus members “Uncle Toms”, then you will would be a rich man. Over the years, the name-calling, verbal abuse, loud admonishments and ill-treatment has happened many times -especially when he couldn’t get his way. I wonder if any of the other members have the moral courage to come out publicly and back me up on this. We shall see. Again, I stand by what I write here. And if he ever wants to challenge me to meet me in a dark alley, I will still stand by my column, as I walk into the alley all by myself. You see folks; the truth will always set you free. Charles Barron is the biggest disappointment in Brooklyn’s politics. Many electeds tell me this all the time, but they also refuse to go public with it.

If the race for the 21st Senatorial District (minus Parker) were to get crowded with too many blacks (and Caribbean-Americans), I wouldn’t be surprised if female district leader (44AD) Lori Knipel jumps in. Objectively speaking, I think she should. Why not? After all, she ran for the seat in 2002.

Of the first five contenders I have mentioned before, all are Caribbean-Americans. Three are Jamaican-born (Daly, McKenzie and Sharpe). And trust me when I tell you there are about four or five more Caribs looking at these unfolding developments. Until I speak to some of them I will keep their names out of this column. To be clear: I am not one of them. I have no intention of running to replace KP; none whatsoever.

Look; I also expect a Haitian-American candidate to jump in this race. Someone like Rev. Sam Nicolas would make a strong candidate here. My good friend Wellington Sharpe has already approached me for an endorsement and my support. Once the field is rounded out, I will facilitate him; but it is still early for all that. Wellington has paid serious dues with his community activism. He has a long track record of political involvement going back to the seventies. He deserves one more shot at elected office.

Don’t be surprised if Una and Yvette Clarke become key players in determining who wins this seat. I think Assemblyman Nick Perry will probably try to flex his political muscle here, but word is that Nick is finally getting a challenge after 12 years without facing a primary opponent. Who the rookie council member (Jumanee Williams) supports here, will interest many of those who still eye the 45th council district seat. He will be wise to thread lightly in this race.

In another development, Senator John Sampson was said to be getting a challenge from Kenneth Evans (again), but then the word on the street changed: and now I am hearing that Evans will tackle Inez Barron instead. The Sampson race would have developed into a grudge re-match, since in the eyes of Ken Evans, Sampson was one of about half a dozen people, responsible for him not holding elected office today. BTW, there is grumbling about the way John handled the Hiram Monseratte imbroglio. And this is coming from electeds. I really sympathize with John on this one: it was a no-win situation for him from Jump Street.

Also getting challenges come September are assembly member Junior Boyland (via Tony Herbert), and his district leader wife (via Darlene Mealy) in the 55th AD. Tony has begun interviewing prospective campaign mangers for this effort. In the past he has had some trouble putting together meaningful campaign structures, but this time he promises to do it right. I do wish him luck. One of those being interviewed is a former campaign manager of mine (Joeann Brusche), who was quite instrumental in helping to get Inez Barron elected to the state assembly.

Word out of the 40th AD suggests Kevin McCall will run for male district leader and challenge Earl Williams. State senator Velmanette Montgomery (via Mark Pollard) is also set to be challenged; while Rev. Camera (43rdAD) is getting a freebee; so too is Hakeem Jeffries. There is someone considering a primary challenge to Helene Weinstein (41AD). I am not at liberty to disclose the name right now. Ms. Weinstein hasn’t had a challenge in 16 years; meanwhile the 41st AD has seen many demographic changes since then. That could be rather interesting, won’t it?

In the 11th congressional, rumors have been swirling for some time that Yvette Clarke will be primaried; however even at this late stage, I have failed to uncover who that challenger could be. I am starting to suspect it’s all bullshit. Yvette has maintained a good profile since she came to office in 2006. She might be an intimidating candidate right now: plus it will take loads of cash to even have a chance of winning. She may not be the greatest fundraiser, but she has a base of voters here. She will be tough to beat; especially by a late starter.

It looks as though congressman Ed Towns is going to get a “freebee” this time around, since word is that neither Tish James nor Hakeem Jeffries will demonstrate the testicular fortitude to challenge him. Charles Barron (“Chucky Bee”) isn’t doing it either since he cannot raise the requisite funds for a meaningful challenge. And I suspect that Kevin Powell is a non-starter. Many people want Hakeem to run, but he is a very reluctant runner. Hey dude: “faint heart never won a fair lady”/lol.

Speaking of “Chucky Bee” himself, it appears that my article (“Don Quixote”) on him may just cost me my part time job with council member Darlene Mealy (Communications Director). I have been handed a letter outlining the council’s guidelines on “blogging”, from the Office of the General Counsel. I am studying the document and may have to get legal advice in order to continue blogging. The letter specifically cited the “Don Quixote” column. If you haven’t read that column, then go up to my archives here and do so. You can click on my name under “Bloggers” to get there. Tell me what you think about it. All I know is this: I do have first amendment rights via the US constitution. ‘Nuff said.

In fairness to Ms. Mealy, let me state unequivocally, that she and her two advisors who hired me, have never attempted to place restrictions on my writings, at any point over the last 3 months. If it is true that Barron protested my column -which is what has caused this letter to be issued- then he is nothing but a wimp. For years I have challenged him to publicly debate me whenever issues were hot (like “Ebonics”), but he always refused. In the past -whenever I openly critiqued him- I have challenged him to refute my truths, by writing columns on Room Eight New York Politics and other blogs; again, he has always refused. I was told by a highly reputable source that he is mad at me: so what. I write nothing but the truth from where I see it. His wife has been mad at me for years. Both Inez and Charles don’t get it, and that’s a shame. They may be well-meant, but they have one-tracked minds; close-minded in areas where they should be objective.

If this letter becomes a big issue and I have to give the council-woman notice, then c’est la vie. I am going to stand up for my first amendments rights to write my political columns as I see fit; to hell with “DON QUIXOTE” CHARLES BARRON (if he is the cause of all this). I have always survived the hits. This too shall pass. If I am fired over my writings then ditto.

I must say that working for an elected has been quite informative. Seeing things from another angle has given me fresher outlooks on city government. My perspective has surely been broadened. Some constituents swear that electeds can make miracles; but they cannot.

On another plain, it is pleasing to announce that John O’Hara has been reinstated as a lawyer. John lost his license to practice law when he was convicted of voting from the wrong address (even though he actually lived there also). Many people felt that DA Hynes was both vindictive and hypocritical in pursuing the case, which I will write more about in time. Welcome back John: we sure missed you in the insurgent trenches bro’.

John was one of the architects in the challenge to D.A. Charles Hynes (by attorney Sandra Roper) many moons ago. Some say this is where all his legal woes started. As for the Ropers, Sandra’s sister (Ms. Casilda Roper Simpson) will be running for public office again in the near future. When, where and for what office is yet to be announced. This dynamic young woman is a good candidate for any office she chooses. I hope you all will support her when the time comes.

In Harlem, word is that Adam Clayton Powell is running for Congress (again). He is said to be challenging Charlie Rangel again. There is another candidate already in the race, so I am sure old Charlie is smiling. Truth is this: Charlie needs to ride off into the sunset: like yesterday. You gotta make way (room) for the young folks Charles.

Word is that of the three “minority” congressional seats in Brooklyn (Clarke, Towns and Velasquez), after reapportionment (post-census) one will be gone. Yvette Clarke has the least seniority so she might be the most vulnerable. Remember, New York State has been steadily losing population (compared to many other states) over the past half century. Let’s hope the black delegation of electeds in NY fight to save the 11th congressional district. It’s about inclusion folks. It’s about inclusion.

When I speak to blacks all over the world lately, I am starting to get a familiar refrain. It appears that most are viewing the Republican attacks on Barack Obama as nothing but a racist backlash. They see Republican obstructionism as racially motivated. I keep reminding them that most of the voters who gave Barack his record victory (highest raw number for a president ever) were white. This doesn’t deter their view though. This isn’t good folks. Someone in the Republican Party has to step forward and do damage control. They are losing minorities in droves, and they never had a lot to start with.

I will leave you with this teaser: I won’t be surprised if a woman enters the race for Hiram’s vacant seat. The issue of domestic violence (DV) can aid a female candidate here. So far only men have shown interest in this seat, but I expect that to change before the September primary. There is a small rumor floating around that Hiram’s county-selected replacement has skeletons in his closet too; for his sake I hope it isn’t true.

Finally; let me say this: folks come up to me all the time and accuse me of writing this, or that, or the other; ready to step to me with bellicose intent; I always tell them the same friggin thing: read my columns before you step to me. And make sure you understand what you are reading. I stand behind what I write: always. I am sending this comment to not only elected officials, but also to their sycophants and ass-kissers. ‘Nuff said.

Stay tuned-in folks; things will be warming up soon.

Phil Jones Eats It!

Wow! What a difference a weekend makes!

Climategate U-turn as scientist at centre of row admits: There has been no global warming since 1995

By Jonathan Petre
Last updated at 5:12 PM on 14th February 2010

* Data for vital 'hockey stick graph' has gone missing
* There has been no global warming since 1995
* Warming periods have happened before - but NOT due to man-made changes

Data: Professor Phil Jones admitted his record keeping is 'not as good as it should be'

The academic at the centre of the ‘Climategate’ affair, whose raw data is crucial to the theory of climate change, has admitted that he has trouble ‘keeping track’ of the information.

Colleagues say that the reason Professor Phil Jones has refused Freedom of Information requests is that he may have actually lost the relevant papers.

Professor Jones told the BBC yesterday there was truth in the observations of colleagues that he lacked organizational skills, that his office was swamped with piles of paper and that his record keeping is ‘not as good as it should be’.

The data is crucial to the famous ‘hockey stick graph’ used by climate change advocates to support the theory.

Professor Jones also conceded the possibility that the world was warmer in medieval times than now – suggesting global warming may not be a man-made phenomenon.

And he said that for the past 15 years there has been no ‘statistically significant’ warming.

The admissions will be seized on by skeptics as fresh evidence that there are serious flaws at the heart of the science of climate change and the orthodoxy that recent rises in temperature are largely man-made.

Professor Jones has been in the spotlight since he stepped down as director of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit after the leaking of emails that skeptics claim show scientists were manipulating data.

The raw data, collected from hundreds of weather stations around the world and analyzed by his unit, has been used for years to bolster efforts by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to press governments to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Following the leak of the emails, Professor Jones has been accused of ‘scientific fraud’ for allegedly deliberately suppressing information and refusing to share vital data with critics.

Discussing the interview, the BBC’s environmental analyst Roger Harrabin said he had spoken to colleagues of Professor Jones who had told him that his strengths included integrity and doggedness but not record-keeping and office tidying.

Mr. Harrabin, who conducted the interview for the BBC’s website, said the professor had been collating tens of thousands of pieces of data from around the world to produce a coherent record of temperature change.

That material has been used to produce the ‘hockey stick graph’ which is relatively flat for centuries before rising steeply in recent decades.

According to Mr. Harrabin, colleagues of Professor Jones said ‘his office is piled high with paper, fragments from over the years, tens of thousands of pieces of paper, and they suspect what happened was he took in the raw data to a central database and then let the pieces of paper go because he never realized that 20 years later he would be held to account over them’.

Asked by Mr. Harrabin about these issues, Professor Jones admitted the lack of organization in the system had contributed to his reluctance to share data with critics, which he regretted.

But he denied he had cheated over the data or unfairly influenced the scientific process, and said he still believed recent temperature rises were predominantly man-made.

Asked about whether he lost track of data, Professor Jones said: ‘There is some truth in that. We do have a trail of where the weather stations have come from but it’s probably not as good as it should be.

‘There’s a continual updating of the dataset. Keeping track of everything is difficult. Some countries will do lots of checking on their data then issue improved data, so it can be very difficult. We have improved but we have to improve more.’

He also agreed that there had been two periods which experienced similar warming, from 1910 to 1940 and from 1975 to 1998, but said these could be explained by natural phenomena whereas more recent warming could not.

He further admitted that in the last 15 years there had been no ‘statistically significant’ warming, although he argued this was a blip rather than the long-term trend.

And he said that the debate over whether the world could have been even warmer than now during the medieval period, when there is evidence of high temperatures in northern countries, was far from settled.

Skeptics believe there is strong evidence that the world was warmer between about 800 and 1300 AD than now because of evidence of high temperatures in northern countries.

But climate change advocates have dismissed this as false or only applying to the northern part of the world.

Professor Jones departed from this consensus when he said: ‘There is much debate over whether the Medieval Warm Period was global in extent or not. The MWP is most clearly expressed in parts of North America, the North Atlantic and Europe and parts of Asia.

‘For it to be global in extent, the MWP would need to be seen clearly in more records from the tropical regions and the Southern hemisphere. There are very few paleoclimatic records for these latter two regions.

‘Of course, if the MWP was shown to be global in extent and as warm or warmer than today, then obviously the late 20th Century warmth would not be unprecedented. On the other hand, if the MWP was global, but was less warm than today, then the current warmth would be unprecedented.’

Skeptics said this was the first time a senior scientist working with the IPCC had admitted to the possibility that the Medieval Warming Period could have been global, and therefore the world could have been hotter then than now.

Professor Jones criticized those who complained he had not shared his data with them, saying they could always collate their own from publicly available material in the US. And he said the climate had not cooled ‘until recently – and then barely at all. The trend is a warming trend’.

Mr. Harrabin told Radio 4’s Today programme that, despite the controversies, there still appeared to be no fundamental flaws in the majority scientific view that climate change was largely man-made.

But Dr. Benny Peiser, director of the skeptical Global Warming Policy Foundation, said Professor Jones’s ‘excuses’ for his failure to share data were hollow as he had shared it with colleagues and ‘mates’.

He said that until all the data was released, skeptics could not test it to see if it supported the conclusions claimed by climate change advocates.

He added that the professor’s concessions over medieval warming were ‘significant’ because they were his first public admission that the science was not settled.

Okay...are you getting this, dear readers? Here's what we call a "limited hangout". Release a mea culpa in regards to some compromised portion of your platform, but insist that the foundation of your claims are still sound.

Read the comments at the page - it is incredible to see the outrage from people who now realize that the global warming proponents simply gamed the system - they controlled the "peer-review" process, rendering it to act as their "good ol' boys club", where they promoted articles in their favor and shunning articles disproving their ideology and actually threatening journals that did not conform to said ideology with boycotts and ostracism.

Time for some high sticking, boys.

John P. Costella's blog is taking off - please visit and add your commentary to the mix. Don't miss this link to Watts Up With That - Phil Jones' momentous Q&A with BBC reopens the “science is settled” issues.

ClimateGate - Down But Not Out

So...the scumbaggery continues.

"Hey, it looks like anthropogenic global warming is being realized for the farce that it is...I know - let's just repackage the whole shebang, and we can reap benefits for our non-issue!"

Fuck you, scumbags...not while more and more people bring out their collective knowledge on the issue. I've been extolling the virtues of John P. Costella's excellent analysis of the Climategate situation. I actually read it daily on the subway to and from work.

An announcement from John:

PRESS RELEASE: Australian Senate—The Climate Sceptics Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Melbourne, Australia—3 February 2010—Following yesterday’s disappointing announcement by the Australian Opposition of their climate policy, I have today offered to run as a potential candidate of The Climate Sceptics Party for the state of Victoria for the Senate of the Parliament of Australia at the next general election due on or before 16 April 2011.

When boiled down to its overall effects, the Opposition’s climate policy is essentially no different from that currently proposed by the Rudd Government. Australians concerned about the billions of dollars of carbon taxes that both major parties wish to inflict upon them—whether direct or indirect—deserve a genuine choice in the upcoming federal election, not just “more of the same”.

The Climate Sceptics Party is committed to protecting ordinary Australians from rash, alarmist, unwanted policies, relying on scientific objectivity and caution rather than ideological fanaticism, and striving to provide a final “safety switch” on a federal Parliament that is increasingly out of touch with the average Australian.

That is also my goal.

If selected by the Party as a candidate, and if elected by the people of Victoria as a Senator, I will work tirelessly to bring rationality and common sense back to the Australian Senate.

John P. Costella

B.E.(Elec.)(Hons.) B.Sc.(Hons.) Ph.D.(Physics) Grad.Dip.Ed.

John - best of luck to you - you are a real hero, in my eyes.

John also has a blog - you can be sure you'll see me there!

Here is another individual's take on the issue, and it only cements my read on the issue. The so-called climatologists willfully attempted to game the system, hiding behind the corrupted process known as "peer-review" to ban articles that countered their ideology, and to produce articles without a shred of science or research that touted their views - the best example of this being the infamous "hockey stick" graph which, at its face, displayed what was referred to as "unprecendented global warmth"; but in truth, was missing pertinent data that, if included, would have shown the cycles of warmth and cold that are normal occurrences in our ecosystem.

Don't Let The Senate Chamber Door Hit You On The Ass, Monserrate!

Despite the fact that New York City wakes up to a blizzard, I woke up quite exuberant today...can you guess as to why?

I'll bet that you have some idea.

ALBANY – A state senator, convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, was expelled from the State Senate, late Tuesday night.

The vote was 53 to 8, to kick out Sen. Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat.

Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault, following a trial last fall. He had been accused of assaulting Karla Giraldo, then dragging her through the lobby of their apartment building, in December 2008.

The senate had the option of censure. A felony conviction would have meant mandatory expulsion.

In a statement, Monserrate claims the expulsion disenfranchises the voters who elected him.

“There is no question those of us fortunate enough to hold a position of public trust must be held to a higher standard befitting the privilege of representing the people of New York”, said Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson. “Today, the Senate acted to protect the best interests of the people we serve and preserve the dignity of our body.”

Marcia Pappas, President of NOW-NYS stated, "For over a year The National Organization for Women-New York State has repeatedly sent the message that anything less than expulsion was not acceptable. Any form of violence against women is not acceptable. We hope that this serves as a wakeup call to all law makers. Whether you are a candidate or a sitting elected official, if you are violent towards another person, you are not fit to hold office."

I want the thank the members of the Senate who finally did the right thing and removed this sub-human piece of garbage from his position of power.

His arrogance in continuing to maintain that he was performing the will of the people would have continued to delegitimize the Senate, had he been allowed to retain his seat. Let's examine his conduct:

The committee criticized Monserrate for refusing to cooperate with its investigation. Its report noted that he was convicted of dragging his girlfriend in a domestic incident and told a judge he took full responsibility for his actions. But in later media interviews, he didn't acknowledge that, the report said.

If you'll recall, Monserrate was reportedly "enraged" at finding a PBA card in the possession of his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo. He reportedly was "bringing her a glass of water" when the glass somehow came to cut her face. He then insisted on dragging her to the hospital, which was caught on surveillance video (courtesy of Huffington Post) - click link to go to page.

He absolutely lied in regards to his accountability in this incident, and refused to take any responsibility. Add to this the shenanigans that he and fellow senator Pedro Espada engaged in last year which brought the Senate to a halt for over a month, and I think you'll agree with me that Monserrate had to go.

See ya!

In other news...I am interested in knowing if the New York Post is engaging in a smear campaign to induce current New York Governor David Paterson not to seek a full, elected term of office. Considering former governor Eliot Spitzer's untimely fall from grace, and the hard decisions Paterson has been forced to enact, he deserves the chance to see if New Yorkers will allow him to run for a full term. I believe that challenger Andrew Cuomo has a great chance; he is working to curb the daily malfeasance that occurs behind the scenes daily in New York, and I think the last thing New York needs now is yet another financial Ponzi scheme on the order of the Madoff scandal. The New York Times has not yet put out their story, and they are playing the old "follow the leader" game, stating that they're only following the story as the Post has reported. The one thing that really hit hard was the quote used on the cover of the Post yesterday: "I did NOT have sex with that woman". Don't you all remember where and from whom you heard that quote previously? That's right - it was our former whoremaster president, William Jefferson Clinton. You've been placed in great company, Paterson.


Let's see...and, if there isn't any merit at all to this story, let's see how large the apology to Paterson will be.