New York State Governor David Paterson Authorized Criminal Deal For Westchester County Executive?

Money, jobs and contracts in exchange for the Conservative line?

Governor David Paterson can deny that a State job awaits Westchester County Conservative chair Gail Burns.  The Governor of New York can also deny that he authorized a conversation between Executive Chamber staffer Larry Schwartz and Nick Spano to deliver the Conservative Party line to three-time incumbent County Executive Andrew Spano.

The backdrop to this conspiracy theory is a repeated pattern of other Paterson staffers acting without his authorization, so it is not far-fetched that Larry Schwartz acted in behalf of the Governor of New York State.

So who is the Governor of New York State, Nick Spano?

Larry Schwartz?

Andy Spano?

Republicans and Conservatives and Democrats in Westchester County have only begun to learn of Spano's endorsement, so the pushback could take a few days. Questions are being raised whether some Republicans and Democrats in New York's most affluent suburb are willing to expose the scandal.

Time will tell.

Republican County Executive challenger Rob Astorino condemned the endorsement of the liberal Democrat.

"Andy Spano's spending policies are antithetical to those who care about responsible fiscal policy.  Mr. Spano raised property taxes almost 60% in the last seven years alone, and he doubled county spending during his 12-year tenure.  His budget is larger than the budgets of 87 nations."

Conservative leaders in attendance during the endorsement debacle characterized it as "a betrayal" and called for the resignation of Gail Burns.

Planned steps include not carrying Spano's petition, advising Conservatives not to sign his petition -- and the circulation of a write-in petition for Rob Astorino.  A write-in ballot or "opportunity-to-ballot" petition would require approximately 600 signatures countywide, though some estimates range as high as 1,200.

Conservatives and supporters of Rob Astorino were optimistic that the Republican could secure the third line -- with almost every local chair pledging to keep Spano petitions from being circulated ...

... except Yonkers.

Hezi Aris of the Yonkers Tribune had some observations on New York's second largest city, entitled "Emasculating Local Democracy" -- and I concur for the most part.

UPDATE:  Sources tell me that Nick Spano will pay people to collect signatures for Andy Spano, caused by what appears to be a dramatic amount of solidarity in Yonkers not to carry the County Executive's petitions (with the integrity of the mayor and some Conservative leaders at stake here).

Close attention should be paid to what Hezi says about "the kingpins" -- who apparently know nothing about the corruption.

"The biggest of them all is Nick Spano, former New York State Senator who presently operates throughout Westchester County within our borders and without, in Albany, NY, and Washington, DC. By his side, growing his own fiefdom of power, is the self proclaimed apolitical Phil Amicone, Mayor of the City of Yonkers. Together, Nick Spano and Phil Amicone, with the enabling acquiesence of former Mayor Angelo Martinelli, and legal eagle Al DelBello preside over a process devoid of public input."

Far-fetched?

I'm personally not sure anymore, except I suspect a few names are missing and a few others may not be part of this subversion of the democratic process in Westchester.

UPDATE: Still left to speculation is which donors to Republicans and Democrats have influenced this process, including some developers and attorneys relying on State patronage and County approval for projects (ironically, the donors and development consortiums might turn out to have more to do with this deal than the politicians).

What I do know is that it has been subverted, controlled and manipulated to a criminal extent.

Now all Governor Paterson has to do is disavow any part in the corruption, fire Larry Schwartz for acting unethically in his behalf and end Nick Spano's career as a lobbyist.

UPDATE:  To borrow a question posed by Hezi Aris of the Yonkers Tribune, how long before Mayor Amicone fires Gail Burns?

Shameless hint:  It will happen right after the last remaining candidates are endorsed by the Conservative Governing Board.

Comments

[Walter Gains]

Andy Spano is a mental weakling, who can't even keep his own son from running against him. If he has a problem running his family, how can he manage a Billion Dollar plus budget.

With a 60% increase in our taxes in 12 years, it is time for Spano to go out and get a job like the rest of us.