A New Chair For Hiram Monserrate

Hiram Monserrate, a first term New York State Senator from Northwestern Queens, may be finding himself a bit nostalgic next time he sits in his Senate seat... when he finds it in his personal office, rather than the large chamber in Albany he has grown accustomed to.

The New York State Senate voted Tuesday night to expel one of its own in a rare and controversial move. Hiram Monserrate of the 13th Senate District in Northwestern Queens was expelled from the Senate by his colleagues Tuesday night in 53-8 vote. 8 votes you ask? Doesn't that ring a bell with Mr. Monserrate's name? It should, because he was one of the 8 Democratic Senators who voted against same-sex marriage.

In fact, that is far from one of Mr. Monserrate's only missteps during his time in the Senate. Mr. Monserrate's real 5 minutes of fame came over the summer when he joined Pedro Espada Jr. in the coup that would leave the State Senate in a month-long impassé. Perhaps this would be the reason why there weren't too many friendly faces in the chamber Tuesday to support Mr. Monserrate.

Or perhaps the lack of empathy in the chamber stemmed from a desire to rid an establishment (that has been rocked by a few too many scandals as is) of one more embarrassment, criminal and most importantly wife beater. Mr. Monserrate was convicted in December of Assault in the 3rd degree, a misdemeanor. This is where it get sticky.

There is a clear lack of sympathy for Mr. Monserrate's actions, but the problem with his expulsion is a constitutional one. There is no clause in the New York State constitution permitting the Senate to vote upon expulsion, though state law necessitates the immediate removal if a Senator is convicted of a felony. Since Mr. Monserrate was not convicted of a felony, he has vowed to appeal his expulsion in the state's court of last resort, the New York State Appellate Court.

I think this begs the question... Should the Senate have expelled Mr. Monserrate? Lets look at the facts. No matter how you slice it, Monserrate has probably done something to piss you off. Though the only real grounds for his expulsion is his assault conviction, we have to remember the larger issue that he not only dragged his girlfriend through the lobby of his apartment building, but did this post-slashing her face open with a broken bottle and pre-driving her miles away to a hospital where no one would recognize him when many hospitals were closer. Aside from Monserrate's great track record with women he has abused his position of power to improve his standing in the senate through a coup that resulted in his receiving a committee chairmanship... and a $12,500 stipend. And if that's not enough to make you feel a little stronger for his expulsion, I'm sure a brief glimpse at his voting record will top you off.

So what have we learned from Mr. Monserrate? We've learned what crimes you can and cannot get away with in the New York State Senate. We've learned how much money it takes to buy back a dissident Democrat. ($12,500) And most of all, we've learned just how low a State Senator can sink.

Frankly, Mr. Monserrate, no matter what part of the State Constitution has been violated, you deserve every bit of your expulsion... and then some. What you have done is quite possibly one of the biggest embarrassments ever suffered by the New York State Senate... and that's saying something. You should have resigned while you had the chance and done the first decent deed of your tenure in the senate.

And it may interest everyone to know that Mr. Monserrate's former esteemed colleague, Senator Espada... who held out long enough in the coup to gain a leadership position in the Democratic party... has introduced legislation allowing for the immediate removal of a Senator convicted of a Class A misdemeanor. This way we can make sure there is no legal battle next time a scumbag and a joke need removed from our legislature. Enjoy that big leather chair in your new office, it's a steal for $25... but you should know all about a steal.

The Governor has declared there will be a special election for Mr. Monserrate's seat on March 16th. Lets see a Republican take the seat and return the Senate back to responsible hands and end the madness in Albany!

2010: A Gubernatorial Odyssey

As we hope for Rudy Giuliani to run for Governor of New York in 2010, we must look at his record and ask ourselves if he is really the right man for the job. Well first we must ask, what is the job?

New York State is currently suffering at the hands of the current leadership in Albany. We have a dysfunctional legislature. The State Senate spent over a month this past summer in an impassé while both the Republicans and Democrats battled over who had control of the senate, with the only clear fact being that Governor David Patterson certainly did not. The current leadership has done more wasteful spending than one could dream of, giving raises and bonuses in a time of financial crisis. We have bailed out the MTA, leaving New York City and seven surrounding counties with huge financial burdens to support, while the MTA continues to spend money unchecked, with no forensic audit having been done. Governor Patterson was not only unable to broker the deal, he has given the Chairman of the MTA a contract that awards him a half million dollars upon resignation. Taxes have been increased. The wealthy have received a host of new taxes, prompting them to pick up and leave New York, along with many jobs. New smaller taxes have been implemented to nickel-and-dime taxpayers. And we have instituted, for the first time ever, a tax on tax-exempt institutions in the twelve counties comprising the “Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District.” Unemployment is at the worst it has been since the early ‘90’s. Private sector jobs have dropped nearly 4 percent in the past year, that’s over 200,000 jobs across the state. New York State has reached a level of 8.6 percent rate of unemployment, and New York City has a 9.6 percent rate of unemployment. And under the current leadership we have hit a projected deficit of 8.6 billion dollars. Now ask yourself, could Rudy do a better job?

In 1993 when Rudy Giuliani took office as the Mayor of New York City he inherited a 2.3 billion dollar deficit. By responsible fiscal action in cutting spending and reducing the municipal payroll, Rudy was able to turn that deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus, all while he lowered taxes. In fact, during his tenure as Mayor, Rudy enacted over 2.5 billion dollars in tax reductions. As Mayor, Rudy created over 450,000 jobs in the private sector as a result of his fiscal policies. Rudy dealt endlessly with the MTA’s many problems, having helped broker deals with employees to prevent strikes and helping to manage their never-ending fiscal problems, all while doing his best to prevent fare increases and service cuts. New York City is now one of the cleanest, safest and most prosperous cities in America, thanks to Rudy.

Rudolph W. Giuliani has demonstrated the experience, the knowledge, and the ability to lead New York State. We need a Governor who will take control of our state. Who will reign in wasteful spending. Who won’t increase taxes. Who will create jobs. Who will create functionality in our government. And who will stand up for the rights of our citizens. We need Rudolph W. Giuliani for Governor in 2010.