Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Totally Non-Political
As candidate, District Attorney-elect Sandra Doorley promised to "keep politics out of the DA's Office" and remain "independent."
A trusted source on the Democratic side tells us she will announce appointment of Adam Bello to a high ranking, high paying post in the DA's office.
Bello has never prosecuted a homicide. Or anything else for that matter. He's not even a lawyer. Doesn't even play one on TV.
But he was, until this appointment, Executive Director of the Monroe County Democratic Party.
He now becomes Party Godfather Joe Morelle's capo in the DA's office.
Apparently our new District Attorney is on a very short leash.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Succession Planning
Monroe County Democrats plan to put up County Legislator Vincent Esposito to run for the State Senate Seat held by incumbent Jim Alesi.
Chairman Joe Morelle expects his protege Esposito to win. It's reported that Morelle recently approached Dr. Joe Carbone, Esposito's Republican challenger in last month's election, with a deal: switch parties, to become a Democrat, and you can have Vinnie's legislative seat when he goes to the Senate. Dr. Carbone is reported to have refused.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas!
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Friday, December 23, 2011
Compendium of Corruption
The DA Files
Time to collect at one reference point our pieces on Monroe County's corrupt and politicized District Attorney's office under DA Mike Green.
From the most recent piece to the earliest, you'll find this index under "Features" near the top of the sidebar column as "The DA Files." We'll update it as we do more postings on the subject.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Newt Morelle
Check out Aaron Wicks' piece in Smugtown Beacon, talking about Joe Morelle's mailings to help his pal Vinnie Esposito's reelection to County Legislature. The mailings accused Republican candidate Dr. Joe Carbone of being "liberal" and "pro-union" candidate. From Morelle and Esposito, whose campaign money comes from unions!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
"Further Issues"
• The only way a U.S. Senator, on his own, can block a nominee for federal judge is if the nominee comes from the Senator's state.
There was no Senatorial "block" on Mike Green's nomination.
But the Democratic Senate sent it back anyway.
And the President said immediately, "No renomination."
All the other District Court nominees sent back to the White House were blocked by their own Senators. But not Mike Green. So that didn't stop his nomination.
• The Republican Senate minority can keep a nomination from a vote by filibustering.
No filibuster was attempted, or threatened, to stop Mike Green's nomination.
But the Democratic Senate sent back his nomination anyway. And the President said immediately, "No renomination."
All the other nominees sent back to the White House, for both District and Appeals Courts, were either blocked by their Senators, or filibustered. But not Mike Green. So filibuster didn't stop his nomination.
Eight judicial nominations were sent back. Five were blocked by home-state senators. That left three. Of the three, two lost floor votes to stop a filibuster. That left one -- Mike Green.
Not blocked by home-state Senators. Not blocked by a filibuster. No procedural reason to not go forward. Yet sent back anyway, by the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate.
That's the same Democratic leadership that brought to the floor those nominations it wanted to, even when they expected a filibuster. It brought Appeals Court nominee Caitlin Halligan up for a vote. She was filibustered, and lost a vote to stop the filibuster.
She, like others nominees sent back, might be renominated. But not Green. The President said immediately he wouldn't nominate Mike Green again.
Renominations happen a lot. The President renominated 32 District Court nominees who were sent back to him a year ago, in December 2010. It's on the Senate Judiciary Committee's website. But the President won't renominate Mike Green.
As we asked the other day, W-H-Y-?
Specifically, what are the "further issues" that have "come to light," according to a Republican Senate staffer quoted in today's Democrat and Chronicle, that caused the return of Green's nomination to the White House?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
City Bans Menorah
A donor offered City Hall to pay for a menorah to stand in the building's atrium, next to the Christmas tree.
City Hall says: No Menorah.
Mayor Richards: either take down the tree, or put up the menorah.
What kind of mentality is it that would turn this down?
A disgrace.
Reilich Almighty
So it appears that County GOP Chairman Bill Reilich has so much power on a national level that he can stop a federal court nomination in the U.S. Senate!
Who knew?
Monday, December 19, 2011
It Wasn't Republicans Who Stopped the Green Nomination
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
And if you're a corrupt District Attorney who falsely prosecuted two people you knew to be innocent and wrecked their lives in exchange for a federal judgeship ... then, apparently, you can lose your own soul in exchange for nothing.
Sometimes there is justice in this life.
But the real story of why the U.S. Senate and the White House scuttled Mike Green's judicial nomination has nothing to do with partisan games on Capitol Hill, or action by Republicans. Quite the opposite.
What do Senate leaders and the President know about Mike Green, that the people of Monroe County do not?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Obama Won't Re-Nominate Green
The White House has announced that the President will not re-nominate District Attorney Mike Green for federal judge. Story.
Friday, December 16, 2011
New Domestic Violence Bureau Chief
We've learned that Pittsford lawyer Mary Randall will be returning to the DA's office to head the Domestic Violence bureau. A former Assistant DA, Randall is highly regarded in the legal community, where this is seen as an appointment of merit.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Green Going to DA Appeals Bureau
When his term as Monroe County District Attorney ends at the end of the month, Mike Green will be going back to the DA's office. This time in the Appeals Bureau, likely as its head. That's his parking spot as he waits for action on the federal judicial nomination, or bides his time to run for something else, maybe a state Supreme Court judgship.
Privately, Democratic insiders now don't think the federal judgship will come through. Senator Schumer's comment in last week's D&C article on Green's future certainly sounded tepid.
In other DA news, Kelly Wolford, who signed the notice of appeal of the trial judge's dismissal of all charges in the false prosecution of Andrew Moore, is going in as First Assistant District Attorney.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
What's Ours is Ours, What's Yours is Up for Grabs -- This Month's Edition
The trustees of Monroe Community College have chosen the downtown High Falls site as venue for a new City campus. This follows years of deliberation and study. In any ordinary situation, that would be the end of the decision phase.
But the community college is sponsored by the County government, which is run by Republicans. So the trustees' decision is merely the point where dialogue begins, according to James Lawrence and the rest of the Democrat and Chronicle's editorial board.
We've noted before the attitude of the local Democratic-Media Complex, that it's OK for public bodies run by Democrats to make their own decisions. But public bodies run by or affiliated with Republican branches of government are supposed to share decision-making with Democratic institutions. "What's ours is ours. What's yours is up for grabs."
Monday, December 12, 2011
Leadership of County Legislature
Leadership of the Monroe County Legislature for 2012-13:
Anthony Daniele - Majority Leader (new to this position)
Jeff McCann - Deputy Majority Leader
Steve Tucciarello - Deputy Majority Leader
Rick Antelli - Deputy Majority Leader (new to this position)
Jeff Adair - President
Mike Barker - Vice President
Dick Yolevich - Ways and Means Chairman (new to this position)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
MCC Picks High Falls Site
Excellent comment to City Newspaper's report on the Trustees' decision this weekend:
What will be interesting is to see whether City and the D&C, both of whom would be calling for investigations in a heartbeat if it were Republican officials making calls and pushing for a property owned by a major GOP contributor with millions in back taxes due, will sit on the sidelines or start calling it the way it is.And if Democrats kill the plan, either in the County Legislature or by Lt. Gov. Duffy interceding with SUNY in Albany, then just end the college's downtown experiment and consolidate all students at the main campus.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Our Politically Compromised DA's Office
Good discussion on this subject in the many comments on our post of last Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Fair Election Practices Committee Should Call it a Day
It Drives Negative Campaign Advertising
Democrats would control the Monroe County Legislature today, were it not for the Fair Election Practices Committee.
Got your attention?
Democrats would have held the legislative majority for the past four years, would have controlled the 2011 redistricting, and might have been able to make governing so impossible for Maggie Brooks that maybe a Democratic candidate could have won this year.
The last link in our colleague Lucy's comment to yesterday's posting brought this to mind.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Daniele to Lead County Legislature
Monroe County Legislator Anthony Daniele (R - Pittsford, East Rochester, Brighton) has been elected Majority Leader of the Monroe County Legislature.
He replaces outgoing Majority Leader Dan Quatro, who stepped down as leader after four years.
MCC: Close the Downtown Campus
Bob Lonsberry has a spot-on column today, illustrating the unsuitability of the old Sibley Building as a choice for a new downtown campus for Monroe Community College.
[N]oteworthy for being one of those unique places where you can see a cop and smell marijuana at the same time. ... Put another way, it’s a great place to get stabbed and pee in the street.Scarcely conducive to learning or safety, but it's where Mayor Richards and County Legislature Democrats, who can block the choice of any alternative, insist a new campus be located.
Of course their insistence has nothing at all to do with the fact that the Sibley Building, one of the most commercially unmarketable sites downtown, is owned by major Democratic contributor Tom Wilmot. Wilmot's company owes more than $20 million in unpaid taxes on the building.
Time for the community college to pull the plug on this farce. Phase out the downtown campus and provide additional transportation to bring students from the City to the main campus in Brighton.
Students in far reaches of Monroe County travel 15 miles or more to get to MCC each day. City residents can make the 4-mile trek to Brighton, especially if MCC lays on more buses.
Be sure to read Lonsberry's insightful and amusing column on the subject.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Leadership Change in County Legislature?
Had first word last night ... change may be imminent ... Republicans ... developing.
