State Senate control has a lot of twists and turns — Newsday.com

Hiram Monserrate’s conscience is real key to resolving Albany mess — nydailynews.com

But Aponte has a two year appointment…..

Espada: We’ll have a Senate session outside if we have to, that is if they don’t unlock the doors tommorrow – New York Politics Capitol Confidential – Albany Times Union – timesunion.com.

What an interesting day to say the least. Both parties show the worst of Albany politics.

Democrat Leader Malcolm Smith held a (very bad) news conference, he claimed nothing really happened today because Democrats had already called a time out…I mean that the Senate was adjourned before the leadership vote. He called the vote illegal while his support appeared increasingly shaky, 6 Democrat Senators did not attend the press conference. He said that the Senate will not be in session until he says.

Meanwhile, there are only two people that hold the keys to the Senate chamber, yes this is true according to Capitol Confidential, Senate Majority Democrat Secretary Angelo Aponte and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms William Martin, who says that he still reports to Aponte. Isn’t this great?

So to sum up, the Senate is now under control of a Republican/Democrat coalition in a coup but ousted Democrats have the keys and apparently control the lights. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

You know? A few days of a locked and dark Senate may not be that bad, at least they can’t waste any of our money, or take more of it.

“Real progress was made today. It took these two factions to come together, quite frankly, Responsible New York’s role in this was, we were very disappointed with what happened during the first three months of Malcolm’s administration in the state senate. They made commitments to us about reform, the budgetary process, the election process and none of them were happening,”said Tom Golisano.

I enjoy the political theater as much as anyone but these are serious times that require serious leadership and sacrifice to make the tough decisions, not ego-based political games. Time will tell what just happened today and the result, but I stand strongly on the side of reform, at every level of government, and no matter the political party.

Why do we not learn our lessons? I am not talking about politically, I am talking about character. People can be too ambitious, too hard charging in our personal lives, if you stop and think about it. But somehow these are the people that our society is attracted to politically. In our personal lives we are put off by those that would run over anyone to achieve their goals. Yet we repeatedly reward these character traits with the power and responsibility to lead us, and are shocked and dismayed when they act as though they are even above the law. But is it really a surprise?

In the case of the governor, we knew his style, he did not hide his condescension, but we cheered because it was against big, bad, rich Wall Street types. There is a difference between a person’s manufactured accomplishments and the pure makeup of ones character. Why are we so mesmerized by the manufactured and contrived, while left making excuses for character?

Is this a weakness of our times? Or of all time?

7.25% tax increase, National Grid Delivery Fees, Thruway Tolls, Water, Sewer Fees…

And to think I thought it was CHANGE the people voted for.