Site Administrator posted on October 22, 2010 15:41
THE AQUEDUCT SCANDAL AGAIN SHOWS ANDREW CUOMO'S SILENCE ON ALBANY DEMOCRATS' WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION
In Monday's New York Gubernatorial debate at Hofstra University, Andrew Cuomo depicted himself as an Albany outsider intent on prosecuting governmental wrongdoings. The reality, of course, is the exact opposite: Cuomo has spent his entire adult life in government and politics as an Albany insider. For three years of that lifetime in politics he has been the chief prosecutor of the most corrupt state in America and a member of Governor David Paterson's cabinet.
Reality: Cuomo represents the very system he insincerely claims to want to reform. As New York Attorney General, Cuomo has routinely and severely politicized the office of the Attorney General, refusing to investigate or prosecute crimes from his fellow Democrat insiders and political friends.
Yesterday's release of a damning New York State Inspector General report on the Queens-based Aqueduct Racetrack further underscores this reality. The report, which detailed widespread corruption and probable crimes by prominent New York Democrats, again demonstrates Cuomo's ongoing practice of failing to criticize, investigate, or prosecute his Democratic friends.
Faced with a report containing hugely serious allegations, including perjury, bid rigging, illegal leaks of confidential information, and cover ups by New York's Democrat officials, Cuomo's silence on the corruption of his Democrat friends continued. Cuomo's response to the allegations: "It wouldn't be appropriate to comment."
Cuomo's silence does not alter the fact that the Aqueduct scandal is the latest example of an Albany political machine that routinely discards public trust in favor of political self-interest. Nor does it change the fact that Cuomo has received campaign contributions from individuals and companies aligned with the scandal, including Levine Builders, Turner Construction, Greenstar Services, and Floyd Flake.
According to the IG report, New York Democrats helped rig "a bidding process rife with inside dealing, secret lobbying and more than $100,000 in campaign donations from the bidders." The alleged wrongdoing goes to the highest levels of New York's Democrat Party, including John Sampson, the current Democrat Conference leader in the New York State Senate, and Malcolm Smith, the Democratic Senate President. The report also details a Paterson administration that utterly failed in its oversight responsibilities, while New York Democrats worked clandestinely behind the scenes with lobbyists to secure contracting rights for its preferred slot-machine vendor, Aqueduct Entertainment Group.
And, of course, then there's Assembly Leader Democrat Sheldon Silver.
Andrew Cuomo is prepared to condemn Albany corruption in abstract, cliche-ridden ways before political audiences. But when the rubber hits the road and that corruption is intertwined with his Democrat political friends - Andrew Cuomo is silent
Andrew Cuomo serves no higher cause than his own political self interest and he is not fit to serve as Governor of New York.
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