Gun Control?

I'm a New Yorker, the state, not the city, and I'm not a big fan of Andrew Cuomo (The Governor). He's too conservative for my tastes. but yesterday the son-of-a-bitch signed the BEST damn gun control laws in the nation. To the rest of you yahoos out there who want to shoot everything in front of you with the biggest, baddest gun you can get your hands on? Stay the fuck out of our state with your canons. Thank you very much. We value life over your right to shoot shit.

Gun control? You're damn right we want some gun controls. Just check this out...900 people have been killed by guns in the U.S. just since the Newtown, Conn. massacre. Source.

And this...

Property Tax Cap - will New York become the next California?

Trouble In Gov. Paterson's Home

From the Daily News via Gawker

Gov. David Paterson's 1415-year-old son was arrested taken into custody for possession of a stolen credit card after cops caught him shooting dice near his Upper West Side school, law enforcement sources confirm.

The governor’s son, a student at Beacon High School on W. 61st St., was arrested at about 3 p.m. and taken to the 20th Precinct.

Cops spotted the teen shooting dice on the sidewalk near his school. When officers searched his belongings, they found a credit card in someone else’s name, traced it and determined it had been stolen, the source said.

Paterson's press office has not yet returned a call seeking comment.

The DN's Rocco Parascandola and Bill Hutchinson are working on this developing story.

UPDATE: Paterson spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein released the following statement:

"Earlier today, Governor Paterson's son was taken into the 20th precinct and subsequently released to his parents. The Governor and the First Lady ask that their privacy is respected during this personal time."

UPDATE2: An aide to the governor called in to say: "The governor's son was not arrested. No criminal charges were filed." (Hence, the change in headline).

Governor Paterson Adrift

I was hopeful when David Paterson stepped in to fill the shoes of Elliot Spitzer as Governor of New York, but lately he seems to be faltering - badly.

From the New York Times...

Almost a year into his governorship, Mr. Paterson still seems adrift, many who interact with him say, and even some in his own party are privately questioning whether he has the capacity to lead the state.

His poll numbers have tumbled in recent weeks, emboldening Republicans who are eager to win back the governor’s office next year.

In recent days, he has acknowledged he had a role in unleashing his aides to challenge Caroline Kennedy’s account of why she withdrew from consideration for a Senate appointment. And he has announced that he would bring back Charles J. O’Byrne, his former chief aide who resigned amid a tax scandal, to serve as a top political adviser.

Caroline Kennedy - Why Did She Bail?

Caroline Kennedy's request to be appointed as US Senator from New York after Hillary Clinton was appointed as Secretary of State was out of place - in my opinion. She really had no right to the position - she hadn't paid her dues to the Democratic Party, she was a strong supporter of Michael Bloomberg for Mayor of New York City (he was/is a Republican, self-proclaimed independent), and Caroline just didn't seem to have the personality for the job. Now, if she wants to campaign and run for the job in 2010, that's great - then we'll find out what she's made of.

In the meantime, there is a lot of speculation as to why she dropped out of the running. Gawker did a great job of summarizing the possibilities...

1. She was incompetent, and pulled out to avoid the embarrassment of not being picked

2. She had tax and nanny issues

3. Her marriage is a sham

4. She had an affair with Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.

And you can read more about all of these over on Gawker's web site.
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