Democrats Seize State Sentate

[danefan]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...category=REGION

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this means that Ken Lavalle will be removed as Chair of the Higher Ed committee right?

[Clickclack]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...category=REGION

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this means that Ken Lavalle will be removed as Chair of the Higher Ed committee right?

 

I'm registered independent but I am a bit concerned now that one party has gained the majority pretty much in all levels of government. The executive of the federal government, the legislative branch at the federal level, and executive and legislative branches of state government.

[ATL_DANE]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...category=REGION

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this means that Ken Lavalle will be removed as Chair of the Higher Ed committee right?

 

I'll be happy to see Ken LaValle lose that Chairmanship. SBU did very nicely under his power. Albany is tradionally Democratic so maybe we'll get priority over Long Island? I wasn't happy to see Obama win but I think UA may have a better chance in a Democratic controlled NY senate... presuming there is money available and a senator cares about UA. In a good economy it may have made a difference but in this environment it probably doesn't matter.

[uofalbany]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...category=REGION

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this means that Ken Lavalle will be removed as Chair of the Higher Ed committee right?

 

 

"The majority leader determines committee chairmanships. Presuming Malcolm Smith or another Democrat assumes the Majority Leader post in January, committee chairmanships will likely got to Democrats." IJL

 

What we really need is a REAL champion in the Senate that will fight like hell for the University.

 

Who's going to step up to the plate?

[danefan]

I tried to look at the Higher Ed committee membership bios to see who, if any, of the members were SUNY grads or even Albany guys, but I got busy at work and couldn't get to it.

 

I would imagine some Dem from the Higher Ed Committee would take over as Chair of that committee.

 

We need to get Ron Cannestrari in our corner aslo. He's the majority leader of the Assembly and a Cohoes guy, although he went to Fordham I think.

[uofalbany]

Committe on higher education members

 

http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/STATDOC/COMS16.HTML

 

We really need BRESLIN to step up and hit a home run for the university.

 

Ron Canestari really was diligently working and supporting the stadium initiative last year.

[ATL_DANE]

We have a few NYS Senators with UA affiliations, right? Maybe Farley would get a chairmanship, if he's senior enough.

 

We may do better with athletic funding under the NYS Dems if we can find a champion but I'm a bit concerned about academics. The Dems have always had this idea that the state university should be open to even the dumbest and poorest people in the state. The Dem elite send their kids to private schools and expect SUNY to take the morons. Academic standards need to remain high at the SUNY Centers. I hope they don't turn us into a diploma mill. If applicants need to get their skills up, they should go to a community college.

[MRSGDG]

Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (bio: http://www.nyssenate16.com/16/Biography.aspx )is the ranking minority (will be majority) member on the Higher Ed committee. That doesn't mean she automatically will be given the Chair spot, but it could be likely.

 

Here is a list of the other minority members on the committee:

Oppenheimer

Diaz

Parker

Krueger

Serrano

Valesky

Huntley

 

A higher seniority democrat Senator could be offered the Chair over a current democrat member on the committe because of seniority.

[danefan]

interesting article about a possible Dem defection:

 

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...5/NEWS/81105038

 

A group of 4 Dem senators apparently approached the Republicans today in an attempt to broker a power arrangement and allow the Rep. to keep their majority.

[uofalbany]

Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (bio: http://www.nyssenate16.com/16/Biography.aspx )is the ranking minority (will be majority) member on the Higher Ed committee. That doesn't mean she automatically will be given the Chair spot, but it could be likely.

 

Here is a list of the other minority members on the committee:

Oppenheimer

Diaz

Parker

Krueger

Serrano

Valesky

Huntley

 

A higher seniority democrat Senator could be offered the Chair over a current democrat member on the committe because of seniority.

 

 

Are any of the current members of the entire committee, rep and dem, UAlbany grads?

Does Breslin sit on any committees now?

[MRSGDG]

Are any of the current members of the entire committee, rep and dem, UAlbany grads?

Does Breslin sit on any committees now?

 

NYS Senators & Bios: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepa...nators?OpenForm

NYS Senate Committee Membership: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/statdoc/scomlist.html

 

 

Breslin:

Standing Committee Assignments 2008- Insurance (Ranking Minority); Agriculture; Banks; Codes; Judiciary; Labor.

[UAlbany09]

screw the Republicans. They don't deserve a power sharing arrangement. I actually feel proud to be an American again after Obama's victory. He represents true democracy. I'm in Europe right now and I stayed up with my local friends all night to watch the election and it was just incredible. The people did the right thing. I believe in America again. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

[ATL_DANE]

screw the Republicans. They don't deserve a power sharing arrangement. I actually feel proud to be an American again after Obama's victory. He represents true democracy. I'm in Europe right now and I stayed up with my local friends all night to watch the election and it was just incredible. The people did the right thing. I believe in America again. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

 

Voted for the "popular" guy, huh? Did the "cool" thing and voted for the black guy? Wow, your so progressive. Good for you. You don't even know what Obama's proposed policies are. Why don't you read his books and ask your socialist friends how they like their socialist systems. Where do people go for medical treatment, education etc? Capitalist America. Not Socialist Europe. Europe will miss strong America when Russia decides it wants it's lands back and they know the US will do nothing to stop them. Dictators, you have a green light for action.

 

Back on point, this is a UA website and politics matter only in so far as we need those guys to provide funding to our university. That's the only reason it matters on this board. UA needs the money and I don't care if it comes from the Dems, Republicans or Socialists. UA needs the money. I want UA to be competitive with our peers.

[Dane96]

screw the Republicans. They don't deserve a power sharing arrangement. I actually feel proud to be an American again after Obama's victory. He represents true democracy. I'm in Europe right now and I stayed up with my local friends all night to watch the election and it was just incredible. The people did the right thing. I believe in America again. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

 

 

While I am not a Republican, your statement is based less in fact than many I have seen. Live a little long and you will see the cyclical nature of poltics. Arguably, neither the DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY REPRESENT THE IDEALS OF OUR FOUNDERS. Most argue for the rise of a third-party that does, in fact, more closely resemble that intent.

 

Remember, the Demcratic and Republican parties were once one party. The current neo-con shift of the Republican party is certainly further away from the traditional views that are not religious centric, however you will see a shift back towards the center after this election.

 

Remember that Lincoln, Johnson, Eisenhower, Ford, and Reagan were all Republicans. Finally, understand that Obama's policies closely resemble many of those that one of his most admired hero's holds: RONALD REAGAN.

 

As for your EURO FRIENDS, take heed: 1- Europeans are more socialist than they are democratic (true democratic principles). 2- I was just in Italy where people told me WE HAVE TO PICK OBAMA BECAUSE THE WORLD WAS WATCHING. This is coming from people who have had corrupt leadership for the past 50 years. Take it with a grain of salt. If you are SO PROGRESSIVE...and FINALLY FEEL YOU CAN LIVE THE WORDS OF JOHN LENNON...why dont you ask your Euro friends how they felt when we carpet bombed Sarajevo, Mostar, and Belgrade? OH YEAH...it was a DEMOCRAT WHO UNILATERALLY TOLD NATO THIS HAD TO BE DONE. The President? BILL CLINTON...a person I voted for. Still, is that closer to democracy? The EUROPEANS WERE NONE TO HAPPY WITH US!

 

That being said, I think Obama could be a fine leader at the right time. IMHO, to say he is more democratic (or the party is more democratic) than the Republican candidate shows a TRUE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL STRUCTURE and, most importantly, the definition of DEMOCRACTIC GOVERNANCE.

[Clickclack]

You can almost bank on it....every 10-15 years the pendulum swings from left to right and back again. We started on the rightward swing with Newt Gingrich (sp?) what, some 16 years ago? Right now we are on a leftward swing and I'm not sure we are ready to swing back to the right just yet but I don't think the gap between republicans and dems will get much bigger. The democrats and republicans are different sides of the same coin, you trust none of them. It's deeply disturbing to me that one party holds virtually a filibuster proof majority in the senate (I know we aren't quite there just yet with a couple of races still to be decided). I was born and grew up in the Soviet Union where one party - the socialist communist party held complete control over government. The results were every bit as bad as your history books taught you. The pure genius of this country is the checks and balances that are in place to prevent one party from running a mock, as of today we do not have that at the federal or state levels. The Herry Ried's and Nancy Palosis are licking their chops.....if that doesn't scare you as much as Newt Gingrich licking his chops in '94 then I don't know what to say. In '94 Gingrich had to contend with Clinton who wielded the veto pen, in today's US politics there is no such threat (of a veto) as the executive and legislative branches will work hand in hand virtually unchallenged.

 

While I voted for Obama (not because he was the popular choice, but through allot of personal soul searching and reflection), today..... I am deeply concerned! Not just for our country but our state.