Wednesday, November 27, 2013

It's who you know and who you...

From Crain's:

On his governmental website, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, who has represented a Queens district since 2011, calls himself a "full-time legislator." In fact, Mr. Simanowitz has in recent months been picking up quite a bit of outside work in the legal field, with some of his assignments coming via a connection cozy even by the standard of clubby Queens politics.

Since March, Mr. Simanowitz, who is not an attorney, has been appointed as "court evaluator" in nine Queens state Supreme Court cases. For the six that have yielded payments so far, he has received $11,225 in compensation, records show.

The assemblyman is among 936 individuals on a list of people eligible for such appointments in Queens. Though Mr. Simanowitz is new to the field, he has some helpful connections: Four of his nine cases have come from Judge Lee Mayersohn, who is the son of Mr. Simanowitz's mentor and Assembly predecessor, Nettie Mayersohn.

A staffer for Mr. Simanowitz told Crain's that Mr. Simanowitz was doing the work as a public service, and that it was not especially lucrative compared to other types of work doled out by judges, such as guardianship appointments. But the assemblyman is not eligible to do much of that lucrative work because he is not an attorney.

Mr. Simanowitz is also the treasurer of the Queens Democratic organization. Judges in Queens are almost always elected because they are nominated with the political support of the Queens Democratic machine.

Queens Councilman-elect Paul Vallone has landed 14 court evaluator appointments over the past year. But during his hard-fought Democratic primary for the northeast Queens council seat, Mr. Vallone said that he would be a full-time legislator. A spokesman said that Mr. Vallone would indeed be taking his name off the list of those seeking appointments in 2014. Paul Vallone is the brother of term-limited Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. and son of former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr.

17 comments:

The Flushing Phantom said...

My, my, my...one hand washes the other in clubby Queensland Dem circles.

In this case it's the dumb voters who elected to wipe the asses of these two asses!

So who are the real assess here?

It was only a rhetorical question.
We already know full well who they are.

YOU!

Anonymous said...

I still say that he looks like one of Saturday Night Live's, "Cone Heads".

Was ol' projectile dome ever shot out of a circus cannon?

Does cultist Adam Lombardi get the honor of simonizing his revered leader's pate?

Anonymous said...

Why not? there is so little to do for Assemblymembers, so much free time at hand...

Anonymous said...

A spokesman said that Mr. Vallone would indeed be taking his name off the list of those seeking appointments in 2014.

And if you believe that, I'd like to sell you the naming rights of the Ed Koch Bridge...

georgetheatheist said...

Does Simanowitz have a hard-on standing next to Baldy?

Anonymous said...

I told everyone, DON'T VOTE FOR STINKY. But no one listened.

They were too busy drinking his kool-aid and kissing his ass.

Adam's brain said...

Does cultist Adam Lombardi get the honor of simonizing his revered leader's pate?

Just so you know, I use Turtle Wax, a step ladder, and a Sham-Wow...

Anonymous said...

How unfortunate that a position paid for by taxpayers is inaccessible to taxpayers. In a just situation, this job opening would appear on the city's website as well as popular job sites.

Instead, like most public sector jobs, it's known only to those with personal connections.

Anonymous said...

Who wouldn't, George?

Anonymous said...

A spokesman said that Mr. Vallone would indeed be taking his name off the list of those seeking appointments in 2014.

Let's see him get his name off the list of registered lobbyists first.

Anonymous said...

Here we have an opportunity thanks to Crain's and the Crapper to discuss cronyism, the reasons our lawmakers' jobs were designed as part-time, the perversion of our constitutional limited government into what it has become today, and so many other things, and what do we get?

Making fun of one guy because he's bald and another one because he's short.

Pathetic.

Hawkeye said...

This photo is more obscene than that "Bear Eats Man" porno at Socrates. You can even see Simanowitz's "member".

Dick said...

Winter is a-coming. Time to change into the heavy-weight trousers.

Lefty said...

Just what is Chrome-Dome's non-visible hand doing?

Hebrew National and Uncle Sam said...

Send a salami to your boy in the army.

georgetheatheist said...

Jesuz Crapper. It ain't even Friday and they're already doing your "let's put a caption on this photo" shtick.

Anonymous said...

Somebody please buy Simanowitz a manzier - he needs a little support.