How to steal an election - NY Daily News editorial, 7/20/08Political insiders are hijacking a pair of city elections, and Gov. Paterson, sad to say, is aiding the conspiracy.
Assemblymen Ivan Lafayette of Queens and Luis Diaz of the Bronx are vacating their seats for jobs in the Paterson administration. Each is exploiting election law to give voters as little say as possible about who next represents them in Albany.
It works like this: They collected petitions to get onto this fall's ballot. Then, at the last minute, they "declined" the Democratic nomination - leaving the choice of replacement candidates to party insiders.
Those insiders anointed a couple of their fellow party honchos - Michael Den Dekker for Lafayette's seat and Hector Ramirez for Diaz's. Both have the inside track because it's too late for additional challengers to enter the fray.
Such underhanded tactics are a big part of what makes Albany so dysfunctional. Pols treat their offices as personal property to be deeded to pals, so why should they give two figs about what the people want?
Paterson greased the way by awarding Lafayette and Diaz patronage jobs. It all amounts to grand theft democracy.
5 comments:
GOVERNMEN WELFARE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS
The unelected governor also hired John Sabini to steal our democracy. Paterson gave John a fake OTB job spending our tax money instead of letting the public to choose in a competitive election between Sabini and Hiram Monserrate.
Today’s New York Post reports that the governor wants to hire Joseph Bruno as a special assistant.
Be a crook and when the FBI is ready to put you in jail get appointed by he governor for a no show job.
What a good role model for the other politicians to do the right thing in office
Lets have a field day on how the inevitable dodging of this travesty by the the Queens weeklies.
I am particularly keen on their resume building of Lafayette's replacement.
2 million people and you get a handful of comments.
Queens is pathetic.
But the food is good.
Story about Bruno being asked to be special assistant doesn't seem to be true. Denied by all this evening.
Using my own common sense it didn't make sense. Post reported that Paterson wanted to do this to get Republican votes. Might get a couple but would lose all Democrat votes. That's really bad math.
Den Dekker is a joke candidate. This appointment will come to haunt Joe Crowley.
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