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Posted on 10/30/2006 12:44:10 AM PST by neverdem
Off the Trail
As the state comptroller, Alan G. Hevesi, twisted in the wind like a political piñata last week over using a state employee as his wife’s driver, other New York leaders seemed a touch defensive about their own driving habits.
When asked, Gov. George E. Pataki, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and both the State Senate majority leader, Joseph. L. Bruno, and minority leader, David A. Paterson, strongly denied ever — ever! — using state vehicles for personal errands without quickly reimbursing the state.
Senator Bruno, in particular, bristled when he was asked if his driver ever drove his wife, or if his Senate employees ever performed personal work.
“This is an inappropriate question to ask a guy like me, O.K.,” the usually unflappable Mr. Bruno said, looking perturbed for once. “I can’t remember, you know? I — why would you ask me that right now? Huh?”
Perhaps the sensitivity stems from a sense of history. New York politicians and their vehicles, or chauffeurs, have been driving into scandal ever since the man who chauffeured Mayor George B. McClellan of New York City was arrested in 1904 for speeding to pick up his boss from a fancy Italian dinner.
More recently — this month — Assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin of Queens was indicted on federal racketeering charges that included allegations that street-lighting contractors gave him three cars. In 2000, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani was criticized for spending at least $3,000 a day on police details and vehicles to visit the Southampton condominium of Judith Nathan, his current wife who was then his “very good friend.”
“When you’re in government for a very long time and you’ve given your all in public service, I guess the thinking is, this is one small thing that I could get away with,” said...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Every last one of them are crooks that should be in Attica, not Albany. Spitzer is a thug, Bruno is a putz, Silver is a felon and Hevisi just got caught. Vote them ALL OUT! Faso for Gov!!!
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