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MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by RonInBayside on Sun Jul 6 03:26:39 2008 Why?Dean Skelos, from Long Island, is the new Senate Majority Leader. Both chambers are now led by downstaters... Link |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 04:47:55 2008, in response to MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by RonInBayside on Sun Jul 6 03:26:39 2008. Skelos has already said that he wants money for LIRR, but when asked by one of our local reporters about the subways and MNRR, he made it rather clear that any improvements for LIRR "in this economic environment" might of necessity be done at the expense of cuts to subways and MNRR. He's been rather antagonistic over recent years about having to give NJT money for Rockland when the trains don't go to NYP. So something for republicans in other counties to consider. |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by Newkirk Plaza David on Sun Jul 6 08:01:24 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 04:47:55 2008. Actually, the NY Times article Ron linked to, mentions 100 percent about NY State Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos, and ZERO percent about the improved funding prospects to the MTA. |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 08:20:31 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by Newkirk Plaza David on Sun Jul 6 08:01:24 2008. Heh. I'm not going to argue that, but since the SUBJECT LINE appeared, then went and read, figured I'd just add my OWN commentary and political experience, and HEARING him in the chamber ante room saying what he's said in my face. Skelos WANTS to be a major, he's gotten there now, and I've dealt with him for nearly 20 years now. He's sorta OK, but like most porcine politicians, HIS district is the only one that exists. :(I've spent many years here speaking on the evils of Joe Bruno ransacking money to feed his (former mostly) "trailer park" district with "noblesse oblige" fitting of a MAJOR population center in dollars. Now it's Skelos' turn, and he seems to be more personally greedy than Bruno for HIS. And city-folk KNOW how much the state senate can relieve them of cash and STILL piss money away for nothing. He HAS said that his priority is "lowering taxes for LONG ISLAND and to hell with everybody else" ... when one achieves a STATEWIDE office, one would hope they could be a WEE bit more gracious towards places outside their district. Only GOOD thing about this is that we have Governor DAVE ... Dave has lived amongst us farmers, AND grew up in Harlem. If there was ANYONE who had a "broad view of their job," for the FIRST time in a long time, we GOTS! :) And as to the "Doctor Ron (et al) pissing matches," sorry ... too well to play. Hope all is well with ya anyway! :) |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by trainsarefun on Sun Jul 6 10:53:53 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 04:47:55 2008. If you look at the history of GOP LIers in the NYS Senate, you see that they 'hoard', often in a selfish manner. Consider, e.g., the LI school funding formula. At the same time, the state GOP is allegedly interested in keeping the budget down, but if Skelos thinks that he can ignore the powerful upstate contingent, then he is mistaken.Rest assured, I doubt that Skelos will make that mistake. He played important roles in GOP kingmaking in the State Senate, by aiding the elevation of Ralph Marino, who was from Oyster Bay, and then in deposing Marino by offering much aid to Joe Bruno. It will certainly be possible that Skelos would continue to curry favor with upstate, but at the cost of reducing funding for all of MTA territory except for LI. Skelos could opt for that route, which would preserve both his interest in allegedly keeping expenditures down, while appeasing upstaters. But while Skelos could do that, he would also be dealing a blow to his chances as remaining in power as a result of overall GOP returns across the state. So Skelos could instead opt for continuation of the status quo, while increasing funding formulas for LI, and then criticizing the Governor for the budget increases. At least in the short-term, I expect that will be Skelos' approach, since he first has to retain the narrow GOP majority or else he will be in the minority, and out of power. |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 11:07:50 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by trainsarefun on Sun Jul 6 10:53:53 2008. First off, wnt to THANK YOU for your detailed analysis of reality ... your studies clearly indicate that you truly GET all the angles! Strangely, old "Montauk Oil Ralph" did FAR more damage then anyone else. I was kinda more proud of Warren Anderson although, in the end, he built himself I-88, otherwise known as the "Warren Anderson Porkway" ... Marino went down as a "Maroon" up in here who only screwd his constituents deeper than you can say "Al D'Amato." :(But no ... if Skelos "pigs out" then he's done right now. It's ONE thing to spread the cheese when you're rich, QUITE another robbing one place to feather another nest ... he's TOLD his constituents that they're rich by starving NYCT ... if he acgtually DOES it, particuarly as he promises to rip *US* off upstate for it, then he becomes "James Tedisco" in the greater scheme of things ... can't WAIT to see how this turns out. =) |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by trainsarefun on Sun Jul 6 11:28:57 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 11:07:50 2008. Marino's big mistake was to underestimate D'Amato's foresight in seeing that Pataki was going to be Governor. The coup against Marino was actually endorsed by Pataki, and I assume, since D'Amato is the major GOP boss and was basically Pataki's seneschal, had to be known, or even possibly OKed by him too.Don't know too much about Anderson, other than how he was deposed, so I'll just leave that dog alone. Got to give credit to Marino for the ballsy move, though, in being the downstater to move against the upstater. Even though the GOP machine on LI was then in full operation, none of them had ever been senate majority leader until Marino did it. As for Skelos, he's got to be praying and raising money. All bets are off unless he can deliver victory in the autumn. On that front, notice the very interesting NYT profile of Skelos in which it's revealed with some detail how Skelos didn't care a wit about the very important Bruno ally and big wallet donor with lots of big wallet friends....Michael Bloomberg....in the following way: Mr. Bruno, a businessman at heart, was himself a tough negotiator yet always seemed reluctant to leave the bargaining table without some kind of a deal, even when negotiating with Mr. Spitzer, with whom he had a toxic relationship. Mr. Skelos, some lawmakers say, may be more inclined to take no deal than a bad deal. “Over the years, there was a little friction,” said one Republican lobbyist, who insisted on anonymity for fear of angering Mr. Skelos. “He worked with Bruno, but he wasn’t like, ‘Whatever Joe Bruno wants.’ ” That was evident in June 2007, when Mr. Skelos helped sink a major compromise that might otherwise have given Mr. Spitzer a successful conclusion to a contentious legislative session. At the time, Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Bruno had been discussing a deal that would have imposed some form of new limits on campaign contributions, which was important to Mr. Spitzer. In return, Mr. Spitzer was to help pass a congestion pricing plan to ease traffic in New York City, a top priority for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a key Bruno ally, and provide state money for capital projects, a priority for Mr. Bruno and many upstate senators. But when Mr. Bruno presented the outline of the deal to his conference, several Republican senators said, Mr. Skelos quickly rose to condemn it. Any deal with Mr. Spitzer, he told them, especially on campaign finance, would merely give ammunition to a governor determined to destroy their hold on the Senate majority. Other senators came around to Mr. Skelos’s point of view, including his longtime rival, Senator Thomas W. Libous, a Binghamton Republican. Mr. Bruno listened and left the meeting with a new feistiness, telling reporters in the hallway that Mr. Spitzer’s “obsession” with campaign finance reform had scuttled any chance of a deal. Mr. Skelos, whose wife, Gail, is a senior Senate aide — the senator has a grown son from a previous marriage — acknowledged that he was not known to most New Yorkers. On Wednesday, in Buffalo, he began a tour to introduce himself around the state. My guess is that Skelos is busy mending relationships with Bloomberg and his wallet and his connections. (On the Democratic side, this is something that Charles Schumer is very good at -- raising oodles of money, and doling it out in return for loyalty). But if he does end up holding on to power, I basically foresee mostly a continuation of Bruno's regime. After all, Bruno never lost power to internal forces, and Skelos would sell his soul to the devil if he could still wield power at Bruno's age. So ultimately, I would expect more of the same, perhaps with some more 'feistiness', and definitely with an extra helping for LI, and LIRR too of course. |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by RonInBayside on Sun Jul 6 13:05:42 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 08:20:31 2008. You see what happens when an "aspie" reads? :0) David is a trip...Skelos may favor the LIRR over the subway, but that's FAR BETTER than Joe Bruno, who favored upstate highways over any transit at all. The way I see it, Skelos will fund LIRR, Silver will fund the subway...problem solved... |
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Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Jul 7 14:29:59 2008, in response to Re: MTA state funding opportunities improve, posted by trainsarefun on Sun Jul 6 11:28:57 2008. And again, kudos for your insights ... the one thing I see though is that with Bloomberg on his way out, he has no need to smooch Skelos butt, and Skelos having no real "base" is unlikely to wield the kind of power Bruno did. But his desire to screw the city will continue. |
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