I wouldn't need any outside income so I could be an honest legislator. And my Assembly person, Amy Paulin couldn't work fast enough to support Carl Heastie to be the new Assembly Speaker. I used to think Ms. Paulin was an honest legislator. Now I am not so sure. She doesn't seem to care about clean government and has been there for 15 years now. If she were honest, she would not have run so fast to support Mr. Heastie.
Speaker Heastie's unsavoriness is now coming out in more detail. There's only smoke, but when it comes to the New York State Assembly, where there is smoke, there is usually a fire.
This is how corruption is so endemic in the New York Assembly. Budgets are passed at the last minute so no watch dog organization or legislator can look at the details. Now we find out that Speaker Heastie funneled money to a non-profit that (i) went bankrupt, (ii) paid money to undisclosed people in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, while (iii) Mr. Heastie sponsored "discretionary funding" for the organization worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, Mr Heastie is disclosing little outside income and credit card debt north of $50,000; all while living on a salary of $70,000 in NYC. Something stinks to high heaven in that picture as the numbers don't add up and who would want such an irresponsible person managing the NY State budget? Who would want them to be Speaker of the Assembley or even a member of the legislature?
I need to get through my current endeavor (3/25 is the make or break date for success) and start exploring whether it is a fool's errand to run for the NY State Assembly.
Our dinner partner last night, who has work experience with the NY State Government, said I would go nuts there as I would be dealing with idiots with power and he cannot imagine anything more frustrating. But I am already going nuts watching those idiots fail to improve NY State and if good people don't run, then the idiots have no one to challenge them.
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