Two quick reactions as we enjoy the beautiful weekend weather and watch the political world turn:


AN ALBANY DISGRACE

There is a simple debate going on in Albany as our State Legislature continues to demonstrate that it is self-serving first and somewhere way down on the list is providing residents of the State with the best government possible.

This columnist has written several times about the need to provide our State judges with much deserved raises. It has been more than eight years – 1999 — since they have received a raise and it is essential to attract and keep the State’s talented jurists on the bench. It also is clearly the right thing to do.

New York State’s Chief Judge, Judith Kaye said recently: ‘’It is nothing short of disgraceful that we have been brought to this point, that for more than eight years, longer than any other judges in America — likely longer than any workers in any field — New York State judges, for no reason other than Albany politics, have been denied even a cost-of-living adjustment to their salaries,’’

Governor Spitzer in his original budget this year, included a $111 million proposal to provide retroactive raises to State Judges.

The Legislature wants a raise of its own and has held the judges’ raise hostage in order to enrich its members.

Now that sounded impersonal. Every legislator – your Assembly member and Senator – who is not willing to break with leadership and vote for a pay increase for state judges, unless they get a raise themselves, deserves to be drawn and quartered.

We support Gov. Spitzer’s position refusing to link judges’ pay to legislators’ pay.

The process of continuing to put money in their pockets or in their control is merely a continuation of the vile and ugly actions that have made our State’s Legislature the worst in the nation. Whether or not they deserve raises cannot influence their performance as representatives of the people.

Shame on them!



THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE

If you watched or read about the first GOP Presidential debate at the Reagan Library, the difference between the parties became clear.

No, the major issue of difference is not the war in Iraq. The Dems are quicker to follow the will of the people as expressed in the last Congressional election and begin to plan a turnover of the war effort to the Iraqi army so that our troops may come home as soon as possible, while Republicans, with some exceptions, are slower to withdraw and cling to their President’s hopes. The tide here is turning and this writer believes a withdrawal will begin this year – with all of the Democratic and most of the Republican Presidential candidates supporting an end to American involvement in an on-the-ground armed Iraqi conflict.

So you ask, where is the major difference?

In a single word: “Choice!”

Watching the gang of ten, it was a race to see who could deprive women of the right of abortion (save Rudy Giuliani) and appear to stand with god and religion.

Democrats don’t debate god. It is taken for granted that each individual has the right to worship or not worship as they see fit. They are not judged by it and their choice of religion (or non choice) influences nothing else.

As far as abortion, the Dems have no debate; they believe in a women’s right to choose. The Republican Presidential candidates with the exception of Rudy Giuliani are cheerleaders for an overturning of Roe v. Wade – Rudy hedged as the debate moved to the right.

The times have changed.

I was raised by mom and dad, active Democrats, who explained the Dems were a party of the working class and the Republicans a party of big business. Today those distinctions, although relevant, have been significantly blurred.

Party ideology is no longer defined by labor vs. management. In some cases it is labor management that has grown so powerful and fat that they have crossed the line making deals with the Republicans. Dennis Rivera’s NYS Health and Hospital Workers allied themselves with GOP Pataki in exchange for a sweetheart deal and now continue to back Joe Bruno’s GOP control of the State Senate.

But in careful listening to the GOP Presidential candidates, the Republican ideology can by defined by “Pro Life.” Each and every GOP Presidential candidate wanted to erode or ban the women’s right to choose. Only Rudy Giuliani – no friend of this writer – would allow New York to continue a woman’s right to choose.

Sure stem cell research, the rights of gays and other issues the Republicans frame as those of “conscience” seem to separate the parties. Certainly the thread of the Iraqi discussion indicates a difference between the parties. But if you’re looking for the single difference, look to abortion.

Dems will permit a woman to choose. The Republicans won’t.

Although I’ve occasionally voted otherwise, I’ve been a Democrat all my life and nothing reinforced my belief in my party like listening to the Republican Presidential candidates.

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.