Saturday, November 30, 2013

Who is Deborah Lee James ?

Deborah Lee James worked at SAIC during that company's $600 million theft from New York City taxpayers, and now she's President Barack Obama's pick for Secretary of the Air Force.

But what has been her role with CityTime ? What does Rose Gill Hearn know about her ?

Deborah James Biography

Who are the corporate officers at SAIC, who are going to process the $600 million refund to New York City taxpayers ?

(Originally Posted : Thursday 07 July 2011 9:48 p.m.)

Rihanna Nude Picture Pops Up On Twitter Again - NSFW

An old photo of a nude Rihanna showed up on Broadway star David Singletary's Twitter account today. Rihanna is seated on a man's crotch. The man is said to be Young Chris, a former Roc-A-Fella rapper. The man is laying on a boat, and they are within vision of several houses along a coastal waterway. Other ladies are depicted with Rihanna and the man.

According to gossip troll Perez Hilton, the nude Rihanna photo originated from Young Chris's very own Instagram account. Meanwhile, this isn't the first set of nude photos to circulate of poor Rihanna.

The constant circulation of nude photos is the latest misfortune for the troubled singer. This week-end, Australian football (read : soccer) stars Campbell Brown and Steven May got into a fight over Rihanna's autograph, The New York Daily News. And then there's her history of being the victim of domestic violence.

The latest nude photo appears to show a youthful Rihanna, prior to all her tattooage ; nevertheless, Mr. Singletary asks Rihanna to explain herself. While this photo may have been taken as part of the singer's youthful indiscretions, Mr. Singletary seems a little indignant about Rihanna embracing des plaisirs impolis.

Friday, November 29, 2013

NSA Hacking Computer Networks To Spread Viruses, Malware

The-NSA-Probably-Has-Installed-a-Virus-On-Your-Computer-and-Everyone-Else-s photo The-NSA-Probably-Has-Installed-a-Virus-On-Your-Computer-and-Everyone-Elses_zps3ad7a6a3.jpg

The NSA Probably Has Installed a Virus on Your Computer — and Everyone Else's

From : PolicyMic

The news: According to yet another National Security Agency (NSA) slide hidden among the treasure trove of documents leaked by Edward #Snowden, the NSA has infected upwards of 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malware in an attempt to riddle the internet with hidden access points accessibly by U.S. agents.

A presentation from 2012 examined by Dutch news outlet NRC explained the backdoor method in which the NSA collects information worldwide. It uses "Computer Network Exploitation" (CNE), or in other words, massive malware attacks, to secretly infiltrate tens of thousands of networks. According to the NRC, one such scheme was unmasked in Belgium in September. Foreign intelligence agents in the British intelligence service (GCHQ) were revealed to have gained access to telecom provider Belgacom by tricking its employees into visiting a fake Linkedin page.

Translated from Dutch by CNET :

"The American intelligence service -- NSA -- infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information.

"Documents provided by former NSA employee Edward #Snowden and seen by this newspaper, prove this.

"(...) The NSA declined to comment and referred to the US Government. A government spokesperson states that any disclosure of classified material is harmful to our national security."

The background: The NSA's hacking missions are handled by a special division with over 1,000 hackers named the TAO (Tailored Access Operations). The Washington Post estimated based on secret budget reports that by 2008, the unit had successfully infiltrated over 20,000 networks. By mid-2012 that number had grown to 50,000 and presumably has continued to expand to this day.

According to the Post profile, the TAO is a "highly secret but incredibly important NSA program that collects intelligence about foreign targets by hacking into their computers, stealing data, and monitoring communications." It's also supposedly integral to the development of complex programs that could destroy or damage foreign computer systems following an order from the commander-in-chief.

These kind of cyber attacks don't just bring down computer systems — much like Jurassic Park, they can have catastrophic real-world effects by ordering hardware components and infrastructure controlled by the network to malfunction or operate against programming constraints. Stuxnet, a virus which infected Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, was designed to attack uranium enrichment centrifuges and cause serious damage to the equipment over time (even though it was capable of causing catastrophic damage at any one point).

The Post found that for all the supposed secrecy, some NSA employees were relatively cavalier on their Linkedin profiles:

"For instance, Brendan Conlon, whose page lists him as a former Deputy Chief of Integrated Cyber Operations for the NSA and former Chief of TAO in Hawaii, says that he led "a large group of joint service NSA civilians and contractors in executing Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) operations against target networks." Barbara Hunt, who is listed as a former Director of Capabilities at TAO in Fort Meade, similarly claims she was 'responsible for end-to-end development and capability delivery to build a versatile computer network exploitation effort.'

"Dean Schyvincht, who claims to currently be a TAO Senior Computer Network Operator in Texas, might reveal the most about the scope of TAO activities. He says the 14 personnel under his management have completed 'over 54,000 Global Network Exploitation (GNE) operations in support of national intelligence agency requirements.' Just imagine how productive the team in Fort Meade, rumored to have about 600 people, must be."

What does this all mean for you? Well, it means that NSA surveillance of the world-wide internet is even more sophisticated and widespread than the average observer might have concluded. For better or for worse, it looks like the NSA has infiltrated large numbers of telecom services, ISPs, financial institutions, and others worldwide that would allow it to gain access to large amounts of data for bulk collection.

The NSA isn't alone in hacking the world; in early 2013, security company Mandiant exposed a Chinese group called Advanced Persistent Threat 1 which they claimed had ben responsible for hundreds of attacks against Western targets and requiring a support staff of hundreds.

And some experts warn that mass NSA infiltration of other networks comes with a price. The Electronic Frontier Foundation writes that by secretly introducing vulnerabilities into the world's internet infrastructure, the NSA risks allowing anyone who discovers those vulnerabilities to obtain immense power to bypass the security restrictions which keep the internet safe and reliable."

Tom McKay
26 November 2013

Image:
NSA Slide :
Driver1 : Worldwide SIGINT/Defense Cryptologic Platform - jpg

Hunger Games : Wal-Mart Thanksgiving 2013 Fight for TV

Hunger Games : Poor People Fight To Save $10, Protest For Living Wages

"Videos of Black Friday chaos have also emerged online, with one showing shoppers at an unidentified Walmart getting violent over discount items, according to Mediate," reported The New York Post. (Cop shoots ‘thief’ as Black Friday violence erupts across country)

Police had to respond to a physical fight amongst customers over TV sets that had been put on sale for the Thanksgiving "war zone" at Wal-Mart. A Wal-Mart associate also tried to distract a customer, who was recording the altercation with his smart phone. (Wal-mart On PR Offensive As Thanksgiving Fights Go Public, With Protests Scheduled For Black Friday)

In another Wal-mart Thanksgiving incident involving a TV, a man had to be subdued by police with pepper-sprayed before he could be arrested after the shopper started an argument with a store manager in New Jersey. (Huge crowds turned out to get an early start on Black Friday shopping in New Jersey)

In still yet another incidence of Walmart shoppers becoming violent, again the sale of TV sets was the main reason for inciting the conflict depicted in this next video :

Coincidentally, the #walmartfights are breaking out during the holiday release week-end of the blockbuster sequel, Hunger Games : Catching Fire, a series of films based on a trilogy of books about poor people having to fight one another for survival. In an eerie similarity, the Thanksgiving and Black Friday fights are being uploaded to YouTube and being shared over social media, reminiscent of how the Hunger Games fights were televised. Is this a form of social conditioning ?

There are an endless number of videos showing up on YouTube, showing Wal-mart shoppers using threats of physical violence, shoving each other, and fighting over sale items. Here's another video, posted on the Web site of The Dallas Morning News, showing a shopper being injured as a result of a melée over DVD players. Police could only restore order temporarily. "All over a $38 Blu-ray player," The Dallas Morning New reported.

Meanwhile, The Huffington Post published an article entitled, "Wal-mart's Black Friday Going About As Badly As You'd Expect."

What kind of irresponsible and violent messages are Wal-mart sending, when shoppers go wild, when stores are described as "war zones," and fights break out ?

Is this the season for giving (black eyes, stabbings, gun shots, and other bodily injuries) over TV sets and toasters on sale ? (It's Black-eye Friday! Man stabbed in row over parking space and shopper shot for his new TV as violent bargain-hunters come to blows)

Protesting For Living Wages, Better Work Conditions

Let's pray for the safety and well-being of the Wal-mart employees, who are put in harm's way, under irresponsible, dangerous, and inhumane working conditions such as these. No wonder activists plan to stage Black Friday protests against the greedy big box retailing corporations.

photo 2013-11-29-Santa-Claus-Arrested-Wal-mart-Protest-Black-Friday_zps446446c5.jpg

About 150 protesters gathered outside a Wal-mart in Ontario to demand fair wages and better working conditions. (Protest at Wal-Mart in Ontario on Black Friday draws dozens of workers)

Here is the video of some of the activism outside of the Wal-mart in Ontario.

Other injury reports, trend in violence

At one Wal-mart, an ambulance had to respond with a stretcher to help the injured.

Violence at Wal-mart is part of a long, growing trend. On Thanksgiving Day in 2011, shoving, screams, and hustling over sale items also took place at a Wal-mart store in Brownsville, Texas, as documented in this video :

Remembering the Wal-mart worker killed in a stampede on Long Island on Black Friday 2008.

What does it say when Wal-mart needs to use police officers to provide security, in order for them to put items up for sale on Thanksgiving and Black Friday ?

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Melissa Mark-Viverito, The Advance Group May Have Violated City Ethics Rules

Will The Conflict of Interest Board Investigate Mark-Viverito's Acceptance Of Unpaid Assistance From The Advance Group ?

Scott Levenson and Melissa Mark-Viverito photo Scott-Levenson-Melissa-Mark-Viverito_zps79ef0787.jpg

New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito may have violated city ethics rules by accepting unpaid assistance from the Advance Group, a lobbing firm, to further her candidacy for Council speaker, The New York Daily News reports (City Council Speaker candidate Melissa Mark-Viverito and her lobbying firm, The Advance Group, may have violated city ethics rules) .

"The Conflicts of Interest Board must investigate, and the Council must disqualify Mark-Viverito from consideration for so blatantly violating the rules. Elevating her to speaker would send the message that the Council is up for sale," wrote the Editorial Board of The New York Daily News. (No To Melissa Mark-Viverito)

But so far, nobody's asked whether The Parkside Group is working for free to provide any support to the pro-Big Business candidate, Mark Weprin, or whether Alison Hirsh, the 32BJ union lobbyist that was hired by Progressive Caucus of Councilmembers to promote Ms. Mark-Viverito, is being paid, or if Ms. Hirsh is working for free, too. Ms. Mark-Viverito is also receiving help from two other consultant-lobbyist firms, Bishop Pitta Del Giorno and the Mirram Group, Crains Insider reported. Indeed, Ms. Mark-Viverito opened a new campaign committee called "Viverito NY" on Election Day. Who is funding that campaign committee ? Who is receiving payments from that campaign committee ? (Friday wrap-up examines consultants in the speaker race, and more * Crains Insider)

Besides investigating possible violations of campaign finance law or conflicts of interest, this is a great time to update campaign finance laws.

Given that the violations involving the provision of free campaign services to elected officials is being referred to the Conflicts of Interest Board instead of to the Campaign Finance Board shows that campaign finance laws are not keeping up with the times. To roll back some of the worst impacts that Citizens United is having on the selection of the Council Speaker and on the rest of our municipal elections, we can begin by updating campaign finance laws by : (i) reforming the do-nothing Campaign Finance Board ; (ii) pressuring progressives to enforce transparency ; (iii) improving Speakership electioneering reporting ; (iv) ending subcontractor loopholes ; and (v) ending the provision of free campaign services, including for the Speakership.

If making reforms is seen as not enough, others, like Howie Hawkins, have suggested a fully-public campaign system.

The Growing Influence Of Lobbyists In Determining The Council Speaker, Other Investigations Against Scott Levenson

New York City’s county bosses face challenges from lobbyists over the election of the Council Speaker. (Despite Denials, De Blasio Team Met With Weprin and Mark Viverito About Speakership * City & State)

The flood of money into politics from Citizens United is creating a "clash of the titans" between the County Political Bosses and Big Business, on one side, and Lobbyists and Special Interest Money, on the other. With campaign finance law failing to keep up with the changes in money in politics, the voters are being kept in the dark about the true way that the speaker is selected. (NYC Council Speaker Race Campaign Finance Controversies * YouTube)

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Change.org Petition Asks Bill de Blasio To Boycott NYCLASS Fundraiser Over Scott Levenson Anti-Gay Attack Ads

The Advance Group, providing political consulting services for "free" to Melissa Mark-Viverito, was paid to defeat LGBT City Council Candidates

Sign our Change.org Petition : Bill de Blasio : Do not attend NYCLASS fundraiser to benefit Scott Levenson

WATCH : Will LGBT Groups Protest Scott Levenson for Anti-Gay Attack Ads ? (YouTube)

The Advance Group, which is providing unpaid consultants to Mark-Viverito, worked for the City Action Coalition PAC, which lists 'traditional marriage' as its platform and supported opponents of gay City Council candidates. (The New York Daily News) Did Scott Levenson sabotage LGBT civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland's political campaign ? (Scott Levenson : Biggest Loser Of The Week * NY Pop Culture & Politics)

E-mail me if you would like to plan a protest against Scott Levenson : louisflores (at) louisflores (dot) com

… the Advance Group's work on behalf of City Action Coalition-backed candidates conflicted with its work for two of its own council clients. And the outside work for the teachers union raises another potential conflict: the Advance Group not only produced mailers promoting Manhattan council candidate Yetta Kurland for the NYCLASS independent expenditure, but Strategic Consultants produced mailers touting her opponent, Corey Johnson, that were paid for by the teachers union. Mr. Johnson won the primary. (Teachers union paid $370K to fake consultant * Crain's Insider)

Why aren't the LGBT civil rights activists protesting against Scott Levenson and his "anti-gay agenda" ? And how can LGBT civil rights activists stay quiet while Ms. Mark-Viverito uses a political consulting operation that hires itself out to work against candidates specifically based on their identity ? This is discrimination and prejudice. How can Mr. Levenson and Ms. Mark-Viverito call themselves "progressives," yet enable bigotry ?

The Advance Group's anti-LGBT attack ad against Ritchie Torres

Scott Levenson - The Advance Group - Attack Ad Against Gay Bronx Councilmember Elect Ritchie Torres (043-04... by Connaissable

Donate Your Twitter Account to : Progress Queens

Levenson, Advance Group Face CFB Investigation, But No Criminal Probe, Yet


SPECIAL NEWS UPDATE: FRI, 25 APR 2014, 09:50 AM
Scott Levenson NY-CLASS Christine Quinn Bill de Blasio FBI Investigation into Campaign Corruption photo 2014-04-25TheNewYorkDailyNewsFBIReport_zps189d95ac.png

In the past few weeks, FBI agents have been asking questions about the campaign by the animal rights group NY-CLASS to strong arm former Council Speaker Christine Quinn (center) to support a ban on the iconic horse-drawn carriages, two sources familiar with the matter told The New York Daily News. The horse lobbyists in question include Scott Levenson, and they are linked to Mayor Bill de Blasio (inset). (FBI investigating claim that Christine Quinn was threatened by Scott Levenson for refusing to support carriage horse ban during the mayoral race * The New York Daily News)


PUBLISHED : TUES, 26 NOV 2013, 12:44 PM
UPDATED : FRI, 25 APR 2014, 11:17 AM


Scott Levenson Super PAC LGBT marriage equality City Council gay candidates photo ScottLevensonSuperPACLGBTmarriageequalityCityCouncilgaycandidates_zps0598bfb3.jpg

Scott Levenson And The Advance Group Are Being Investigated By The Campaign Finance Board For Possible Violations Resulting From Coordinating Super PAC Money With Public Matching Dollars, But No Mention Is Being Made Of Allegations Of Undue Influence And Other Possible Violations Of Campaign Finance Law, Nor Any Criminal Investigation

"… New York City saw a spasm of unregulated campaign money, most of it unleashed by wealthy Democrats and unions. And no one channeled those rivulets of cash more aggressively than Scott Levenson and the Advance Group, the strategic consulting firm he heads," writes Michael Powell in The New York Times, adding, "The United Federation of Teachers dropped millions of dollars and Mr. Levenson took at least a $370,000 cut. A group putatively devoted to carriage horses but focused intently on defeating the speaker of the City Council, Christine C. Quinn, spent a golden lode, and again Mr. Levenson took a cut," and noting that, "Now the Campaign Finance Board is investigating the Advance Group’s role." (In Campaign, Cash Flowed Circuitously)

“The board takes very seriously any allegation that campaigns have benefited from spending by an outside group where spending is coordinated,” the CFB spokesman Eric Friedman told the NYTimes, adding, “It gives a big advantage.”

Scott Levenson Keeps Changing His Story

To The New York Daily News, Mr. Levenson told one story about why he agreed to be paid to run several anti-gay attack ads :

The firm admitted its work for City Action Coalition PAC was problematic. “We did a favor for a political operative that we have a longstanding relationship with by sending his mailer to a printer,” an Advance Group spokeswoman said. “It was a mistake that we regret and is completely inconsistent with our history.” (EXCLUSIVE: Melissa Mark-Viverito's consulting firm choice may be hurting her Council Speaker bid)

But to the NYTimes, Mr. Levenson told a different story :

“It was in the heat of the moment,” he said. “I didn’t do my due diligence.” (In Campaign, Cash Flowed Circuitously)

The Panic Of Backroom Deals To Select The Next City Council Speaker

New York City Council Speaker Race : Clash of the Titans (NY Pop Culture & Politics)

Big player in her corner : The Advance Group is pushing Melissa Mark-Viverito's speaker candidacy. (Politicker) Who is paying Advance Group for helping Melissa Mark-Viverito ?
(Bill de Blasio Sold Out)
Union power play in council speaker race
(The New York Post)
In race for City Council speaker, Labor's influence is on the rise. (Crains)
Examining the role of consultants in the speaker race, and more (Crains) Political consultants, who work to elect lawmakers, are turning around and lobbying them on behalf of private clients.
(The New York Daily News)

Will There Be A Criminal Investigation Of Scott Levenson ?

A super PAC formed by the powerful city teachers' union paid more than $370,000 to an apparently fictitious political consulting firm, which was actually the well-known New York firm the Advance Group, records and interviews show. (Teachers union paid $370K to fake consultant * Crains Insider)

An open records request that came back on Tuesday from the City Campaign Finance Board (and is embedded below) offers fresh and somewhat amusing evidence of the connection between the two: Many of the invoices the agency received from Strategic Consultants have the Advance Group logo on them. (Crains Insider)

Will good government groups ask that the Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Scott Levenson and The Advance Group ?

Even Though Levenson And Advance Identify As "Progressive," They Represented An Anti-Gay Attack Super PAC

Will LGBT Groups Protest Scott Levenson Over Anti-Gay Attack Ads ? (NY Pop Culture & Politics)

Sign our Change.org Petition : Bill de Blasio : Do not attend NYCLASS fundraiser to benefit Scott Levenson

And Still No Word From The Media About How The Farcical Speaker Candidate Forums Are Hogwash, Because The Next Council Speaker Will Be Picked By Backroom Deals

The flood of money into politics from Citizens United is creating a "clash of the titans" between the County Political Bosses and Big Business, on one side, and Lobbyists and Special Interest Money, on the other. With campaign finance law failing to keep up with the changes in money in politics, the voters are being kept in the dark about the true way that the speaker is selected. NYC Council Speaker Race Campaign Finance Controversies (2013) (YouTube)

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Lobbyists Plan to Fix the 2013 Election For New York City Council Speaker

The Shifting Balance of Power in the NYC Council Speaker Race ; On One Side Are County Party Bosses and Big Business, On Other Side Are Lobbyists And Special Interests

The issues discussed at the docile City Council Speaker candidate forums have nothing to do with the backroom deals and the lobbyists jockeying to pick the next Council Speaker. The flood of money into politics from Citizens United is creating a "clash of the titans" between the County Political Bosses and Big Business, on one side, and Lobbyists and Special Interest Money, on the other. With campaign finance law failing to keep up with the changes in money in politics, the voters are being kept in the dark about the true way that the speaker is selected.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Will LGBT Groups Protest Scott Levenson Over Anti-Gay Attack Ads ?

The Advance Group, providing political consulting services for "free" to Melissa Mark-Viverito, was paid to defeat LGBT City Council Candidates

Sign our Change.org Petition : Bill de Blasio : Do not attend NYCLASS fundraiser to benefit Scott Levenson

WATCH : Will LGBT Groups Protest Scott Levenson for Anti-Gay Attack Ads ? (YouTube)

The Advance Group, which is providing unpaid consultants to Mark-Viverito, worked for the City Action Coalition PAC, which lists 'traditional marriage' as its platform and supported opponents of gay City Council candidates. (The New York Daily News) Did Scott Levenson sabotage LGBT civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland's political campaign ? (Scott Levenson : Biggest Loser Of The Week * NY Pop Culture & Politics)

E-mail me if you would like to plan a protest against Scott Levenson : louisflores (at) louisflores (dot) com

… the Advance Group's work on behalf of City Action Coalition-backed candidates conflicted with its work for two of its own council clients. And the outside work for the teachers union raises another potential conflict: the Advance Group not only produced mailers promoting Manhattan council candidate Yetta Kurland for the NYCLASS independent expenditure, but Strategic Consultants produced mailers touting her opponent, Corey Johnson, that were paid for by the teachers union. Mr. Johnson won the primary. (Teachers union paid $370K to fake consultant * Crain's Insider)

Why aren't the LGBT civil rights activists protesting against Scott Levenson and his "anti-gay agenda" ? And how can LGBT civil rights activists stay quiet while Ms. Mark-Viverito uses a political consulting operation that hires itself out to work against candidates specifically based on their identity ? This is discrimination and prejudice. How can Mr. Levenson and Ms. Mark-Viverito call themselves "progressives," yet enable bigotry ?

Sunday, November 17, 2013

New York City Council Speaker Race : Clash of the Titans

The Shifting Balance of Power in NYC Municipal Politics ; On One Side Are County Party Bosses and Big Business, On Other Side Are Lobbyists And Special Interests

The issues discussed at the docile City Council Speaker candidate forums have nothing to do with the closed-door interviews, back room deals, and the lobbyists jockeying to pick the next Council Speaker. The flood of money into politics from Citizens United is creating a "clash of the titans" between the County Political Bosses and Big Business, on one side, and Lobbyists and Special Interest Money, on the other. With campaign finance law failing to keep up with the changes in money in politics, the voters are being kept in the dark about the true way that the speaker is selected. (NYC Council Speaker 2013 - Citizens United and Lobbyists * YouTube)

New York City Council Speaker Race : Clash of the Titans photo ReleasetheKraken_zpsb2696635.jpg

Both Sides Play By The Same Playbook Of The Broken Political System : Flouting or Even Breaking The Rules : Both Sides Exploit Citizens United ; The Kraken Bears Down On Democracy

Who is going to slay the Kraken and end the role of money in politics ?

A veritable ''Clash Of The Titans'' is playing itself out in this year's race to become City Council speaker.

Big business groups and labor unions are exploiting a loophole in New York City campaign finance regulations to pour money and influence into the determining who will replace Christine Quinn as the next City Council speaker.

Big Business Interests/County Party Bosses. For example, because the preferred candidate, Christine Quinn, who was supported by Partnership For New York City, failed in the Democratic primary, big business interests are in a panic. Since they lost the mayoralty, they are now trying to influence the Council speakership. (Pro-Business Group Tried to Push Ferreras Into Speaker’s Race * Politicker)(Election Big Loser Kathy Wylde * NY Pop Culture & Politics) Other entrenched political operatives and lobbyists are trying to form a coalition with some of the county party bosses, to hold off the insurgency being waged by the Working Families Party and labor unions. (The Parkside Group's Citizen's United Invisible Campaign Consultant/Lobbyist Operates in Dark Pools * NY Pop Culture & Politics)

WFP/Unions. Challenging the big business interests are the Working Families Party and labor unions. Bill Lipton, Bill de Blasio, and Scott Levenson anchor the opposition to big business interests and the permanent government, but the problem is that the WFP and labor union coalition is playing by the same playbook of the broken political system, which activists say needs to be reformed. (Big player in her corner : The Advance Group is pushing Melissa Mark-Viverito's speaker candidacy * Politicker)(1199 Leads Effort Boosting Mark-Viverito * Politicker)

Both groups are pushing their own candidates, spending their own money, coordinating their campaign efforts, and exploiting loopholes in reporting their activities, disbursements, and fundraising.

When contacted about the loophole in oversight, reporting, and regulations in post-Election Day political campaigning for City Council leadership posts, representatives of the Campaign Finance Board have been accommodating of the flow of money and the use of lobbyists.

Meanwhile, in the press, a few journalists have been reporting bits and pieces of the post-Election Day politicking, and the analysis that is emerging of the City Council speakership race points to a new era of political bossism in New York City : where campaign consultants have been able to overcome the traditional political party county bosses as power brokers.

Where are all the "good government groups," the "get money out of politics groups," the "reform activists," and "investigative journalists" ?

Read also : ''A Possible Changing of the Guard On Who Picks the Council Speaker, Sunday Update'' (True News From Change NYC)

  • For the First Time, There is A Real Fight to Influence the Press, Public and Councilmembers in the Speaker's Race
  • On One Side, You Progressives, Unions, and the Working Families Party ; On the Other Side, You Have County Party Bosses, Big Business Groups Like The Partnership For New York City, and Lobbyists and Operatives From the Permanent Government
  • The Death of the Party Machine ?

The Progressive Caucus Distraction

Some press reports indicate that some of the County Bosses, for example Brooklyn's Frank Seddio, are losing power to the Progressive Caucus of Councilmembers, but that is an incomplete portraiture of what is behind the growing influence of the Progressive Caucus in this year's Council speaker race. Another press report shows that the Queens County Political Boss, Rep. Joe Crowley, is "warming to the idea of backing Mark-Viverito." Is the power of County Bosses collapsing ?

In City & State, Seth Barron again repeats that the Progressive Caucus is responsible for undermining the County Boss system.

Historically, the election of the Speaker, arguably the second most powerful political office in the city, has been even less democratic than it might appear, because more than half of the members of the Council essentially do not have free will over their votes. The county political organizations of the Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx Democratic parties have traditionally directed the votes of its members, and thus the Speaker and the key committee chairmanships have been divvied up through a series of negotiations and compromises among the party bosses.

With the advent of the council’s Progressive Caucus, some have argued that the heyday of the bosses is over and that a new bloc of reform-minded Council members will dominate the legislature of the city. The members of the caucus have vowed to vote as a unit in order to leverage the votes of their roughly 20 members into a powerful counterforce to the dominance of the county organizations. (Council Watch : Twilight Of The Bosses ? * City & State)

But this narrative doesn't tell the whole story of the Progressive Caucus.

The Progressive Caucus has also hired its own lobbyist, to hold closed-door meetings and to broker backroom deals in an effort to rival the County Bosses. Look at how Crains Insider has described some of the tensions causes by the competing forces to hold closed-door meetings :

A recent negotiating snafu demonstrates the conflict between the city's old and new political forces. About three weeks ago, council members from Queens who are part of the Progressive Caucus scheduled a meeting at the Queens office of law firm Sweeney Gallo Reich & Bolz. The firm's partners run the day-to-day operations of the borough's Democratic Party, and the progressives hoped to persuade them to partner in lining up the 26 votes needed to elect a speaker.

Just hours before the meeting, the leaders of the Queens Democratic machine learned that Ms. Hirsh of 32BJ would attend in her capacity as lead negotiator, according to multiple sources. The Democratic leadership, whose executive director declined to comment, demanded that only elected officials be allowed in the room.

The Progressive Caucus refused, and the meeting was canceled, sparking tensions between the two most powerful forces in this year's speaker race. A flurry of phone calls seeking to mend the rift has ensued, according to sources.

Indeed, even some "progressives" are critical of the Progressive Caucus's use of a lobbyist to lobby for the next year's Council speaker. "Ms. Hirsh is a well-connected operative who helped hammer out the deal to elect Ms. Quinn in 2005 on behalf of then-Brooklyn Democratic leader Vito Lopez. Still, her role this time as lead negotiator struck a number of lawmakers as highly unusual because of her dual role as a powerful lobbyist," Capital New York reported.

If there was ever an anti-labor speaker, it was Christine Quinn, who watered down two important labor-backed bills : the living wage bill and the paid sick leave bill. How could the Progressive Caucus turn to a Quinn-supporter to pick the next supposedly-"progressive" speaker ?

Other progressives have other criticism of the Progressive Caucus. City Councilmember Rosie Mendez has "declined to join the Progressive Caucus, the growing group of left-leaning Council members who are hoping to sway the speaker's race, because she said she found the process 'not to be transparent or inclusive,' " reported Sally Goldenberg for Capital New York.

The media's fear of confronting lobbyists

"Council speakers have historically been selected by leaders of borough political machines lining up votes and getting patronage jobs and plum committee chairmanships for friends and allies. But as their power to elect or unelect council members has waned, unions have filled the vacuum, with the labor-backed Working Families Party playing a part in electing much of the council," reported Chris Bragg for Crains Insider.

But few dare to confront the army of lobbyists working for the Working Families Party, the Progressive Caucus, and other special interests in the recent past municipal elections. And few are daring to look at the corruptive role of money these lobbyists are having on democracy.

Big player in her corner : The Advance Group is pushing Melissa Mark-Viverito's speaker candidacy. (Politicker) Who is paying Advance Group for helping Melissa Mark-Viverito ?
(Bill de Blasio Sold Out)
Union power play in council speaker race
(The New York Post)
In race for City Council speaker, Labor's influence is on the rise. (Crains)
Examining the role of consultants in the speaker race, and more (Crains) Political consultants, who work to elect lawmakers, are turning around and lobbying them on behalf of private clients.
(The New York Daily News)

There's no enforcement of Campaign Finance Board Regulations

Bonny Tsang, a public affairs officer with the CFB, responding to my inquiries by stating that, "The Council speaker race is not considered a separate election that needs to be reported to the CFB. If a candidate makes political expenditures, or accepts in-kind contributions, they should be reported in a future filing," adding, "We would have to review all facts or documentation regarding any candidate’s expenditures before we may make any kind of determination."

Separately, Matthew Sollars, the press secretary for the CFB, shared a link to the agency's November 2013 "Tip of the Month," which is a very relaxed form of "guidance." The note on post-election spending stated, "If your campaign received public funds, you are permitted to make only very limited post-election expenditures for nominal costs associated with the winding down of a campaign and responding to the Campaign Finance Board’s post-election audit. The longer it takes to wind down your campaign, the longer you continue to make expenditures, or the more you spend post-election, the more scrutiny those expenditures will receive."

Ms. Tsang says that there is basically no oversight of post-Election Day spending, whilst guidance provided by Mr. Sollars states that campaigning that benefitted from matching funds must wind down. There is no consistency in regulations, and thus this begets a gaping loophole that allows campaign consultants, unions, big business interests, and lobbyists to exploit the lack of supervision and regulation. Indeed, in his e-mail to me, Mr. Sollars wrote, "Disclosure of candidate campaign committee activities for the 2017 cycle through the CFB will begin in July 2014. However, committees making political expenditures should disclose that spending through the state Board of Elections by January 15, 2014," adding that, "The city’s independent spending disclosure rules require groups or individuals to disclose when they pay for public communications with voters."

Another possible loophole in the post-Election Day loophole in Council speaker campaigning is that the new incoming speaker oversees appointments with the next mayor over the CFB. How rigorous will the CFB be in investigating their next supervisors ?

2013-November-XX New York City Campaign Finance Board - Post Election Spending Guidance

Even though there are questions about double-dipping, possible two-timing on the part of The Advance Group, what we get from the mainstream media are essentially stories about the rise of the next Camelot : a fictitious narrative of the ascendancy of "progressives," who made the upward climb exploiting the same broken rules that reform activists claim need to be fixed ?

Political Insider Corruption In a Different Media World

According to True News From Change NYC, the City Source-Parking Violations scandal led to the imposition of real reforms, namely, the drafting and enactment of campaign finance laws and public money matching system. Perhaps by letting big business interests, lobbyists, and unions fully exploit every rule and flout every law in desperation, voters will again be able to benefit from the coming political scandals from this year's election cycle ? Let's wait and see how desperate the political campaign consultants and lobbyists become ....

The Advance Group, providing political consulting services for "free" to Melissa Mark-Viverito, was paid to defeat LGBT City Council Candidates

Will LGBT Groups Protest Scott Levenson for Anti-Gay Attack Ads ? (YouTube)

The Advance Group, which is providing unpaid consultants to Mark-Viverito, worked for the City Action Coalition PAC, which lists 'traditional marriage' as its platform and supported opponents of gay City Council candidates. (The New York Daily News) Did Scott Levenson sabotage LGBT civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland's political campaign ? (Scott Levenson : Biggest Loser Of The Week * NY Pop Culture & Politics)
Scott Levenson Super PAC LGBT marriage equality City Council gay candidates photo ScottLevensonSuperPACLGBTmarriageequalityCityCouncilgaycandidates_zps0598bfb3.jpg

Sign our Change.org Petition : Bill de Blasio : Do not attend NYCLASS fundraiser to benefit Scott Levenson

… the Advance Group's work on behalf of City Action Coalition-backed candidates conflicted with its work for two of its own council clients. And the outside work for the teachers union raises another potential conflict: the Advance Group not only produced mailers promoting Manhattan council candidate Yetta Kurland for the NYCLASS independent expenditure, but Strategic Consultants produced mailers touting her opponent, Corey Johnson, that were paid for by the teachers union. Mr. Johnson won the primary. (Teachers union paid $370K to fake consultant * Crain's Insider)

Why aren't the LGBT civil rights activists protesting against Scott Levenson and his "anti-gay agenda" ? And how can LGBT civil rights activists stay quiet while Ms. Mark-Viverito uses a political consulting operation that hires itself out to work against candidates specifically based on their identity ? This is discrimination and prejudice. How can Mr. Levenson and Ms. Mark-Viverito call themselves "progressives," yet enable bigotry ?

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Who is Paying the Advance Group to Lobby For Melissa Mark-Viverito ?

''If you can find a loophole, then the law is not doing what the law is supposed to be doing.'' -- Peter F. Vallone, former City Council speaker

Isn't it against Campaign Finance Board rules for politicians to receive political consulting services that are neither declared nor paid for ?

The Advance Group, one of the city’s leading political consulting firms, has been laboring behind-the-scenes for almost a month to assist Ms. Mark-Viverito.
(Advance Group Helping Melissa Mark-Viverito in Speaker’s Race * Politicker)
SEIU 1199, the city’s powerful healthcare workers union says they are lobbying for one City Council speaker hopeful, Melissa Mark-Viverito.
(1199 Leads Effort Boosting Mark-Viverito * Politicker)

The Advance Group has been laboring behind-the-scenes for almost a month to assist Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito in her quest to become the next speaker of the City Council, Ross Barkan is reporting on Politicker, adding, "When reached by Politicker earlier today, the firm’s president, Scott Levenson, confirmed he had been assisting Ms. Mark-Viverito, but declined to discuss any additional details. 'We’re just helping,' he said."

In 2001, The New York Times reported that it was against Campaign Finance Board rules for Alan Hevesi to receive free consulting services from Hank Morris.

 photo hank-morris_zpsdc283853.jpg

As part of the deal, Mr. Hevesi offered to pay his chief political consultant, Hank Morris, an extra $240,000 for work leading up to the Democratic primary on Sept. 11. Mr. Hevesi's opponents had charged that he was circumventing the campaign finance spending cap by allowing Mr. Morris, a longtime friend, to work for free or provide his firm's help at a steep discount. (Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi struck a compromise with the Campaign Finance Board * The New York Times)

Peter F. Vallone, the City Council speaker in 2001 and an author of New York City's campaign finance law, told The New York Times, ''The whole point of the law was to make it a level playing field so that money doesn't determine the outcome. So if you can find a loophole, then the law is not doing what the law is supposed to be doing.'' (What's a Campaign Debt Between Friends ? * The New York Times)

Political consultants, who work to elect lawmakers, are turning around and lobbying them on behalf of private clients.

Dark Pool Politics - Lobbyists, Meetings, and Backroom Deals are Hidden - Bill de Blasio photo DarkRoomPoliticsSlideExport_zps8f346168.jpg

"A growing trend in the state capital is raising alarms for ethics watchdogs: political consultants who work to elect lawmakers, then turn around and lobby them on behalf of private clients. At least two dozen political consulting firms are also registered lobbyists with the state, according to an analysis done for the Daily News by the New York Public Interest Research Group," Kenneth Lovett reported in The New York Daily News, adding, "The Advance Group was paid $756,907 in political consulting fees the past two years while also lobbying. Firm president Scott Levenson said he doesn’t get special favors from pols his firm helped elect, but he doesn’t deny that his firm emphasizes its access to lawmakers when drumming up business."

“We’re a lobbying organization,” Mr. Levenson told Mr. Lovett. “One of the things we do is talk about our ability to have access.” Mr. Lovett concluded his report by stating that, "Levenson also noted that straight lobbying firms often bundle money from clients for candidates."

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Who is Richard Socarides ?

Neoliberal openly-gay attorney helped to enable "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy under Clinton administration

Richard Socarides is an LGBT political operative, who worked for the Clinton administration, authoring talking points to help defend President Clinton's discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. He is also a trustee of the State University of New York (SUNY), being one of the trustees that have enabled Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Wall Street banker Stephen Berger to close Long Island College Hospital.

Richard Socarides, DADT, SUNY, Trustee Closing LICH, Medicaid Redesign Team, Neoliberalism photo Richard_Socarides_ABC_TOPLINE_ONE_101229_wg_zpsbe36446d.jpg

Socarides Same Sex Marriage Talking Points by Paul Schindler

Man Nails Ball Sack To Red Square Cobblestones To Protest Government's Political Crackdown

The Russian artist Pyotr Pavlensky was hospitalised Sunday after stripping naked and nailing his ball sack to the crevice between cobblestones in Moscow's Red Square in protest against the Kremlin's crackdown on political rights. The following video shows Mr. Pavlensky sitting naked outside Lenin's Mausoleum when police officers arrive and take Mr. Pavlensky into custody.

"The state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Pavlensky was taken to a police station after being treated in a central Moscow clinic," The Huffington Post is reporting.

See also : Naked artist nails his scrotum to square in anti-Putin protest

If Mylène Farmer was a real gay icon, she would denounce the Russian government's violent crackdown against LGBT community

Mylène Farmer is one of the most successful French singers in recording history. She's a widely followed "gay icon" amongst the LGBT community around the world. Yet, she took her most recent tour to Russia, and, whilst there, she never denounced the Russian government's crackdown on LGBT civil rights.

One of her Russian fan clubs has expressed ambivalence about whether Mylène has any responsibility to her Russian LGBT fans, describing the plea by activists to hold the Russian government accountable for the violence and discrimination as "squabbles" of Mylène's LGBT fans.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Contrasting "Narratives" on Medicaid, Hospital Budget Cuts Under Obamacare

#Gov1%, Hospital Budget Cuts, Medicaid Redesign Team, Stephen Berger, and GOP-Controlled States Take Toll on Life-Saving Emergency Care

Dr. Herbert Pardes, former CEO and President of New York Hospital-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital

Dr. Herbert Pardes, who used to lead New York-Presbyterian Hospital as president and CEO, earned $4.3 million in 2010, boosted by a $339,101 SERP payment. That came on top of a $6.8 million SERP payment that vested in 2008. (SERPs up! Hospital execs win big : Deferred plans boost chiefs' 'longevity pay' by millions of dollars * Crain's)

Dr. Pardes gave an interview on Channel 13 today, where he sounded pretty desperate to spin a win-win situation for patients under Obamacare. But there was a competing article published in The New York Times on the same day as his interview. The article showed that cuts to hospital budgets, caps on Medicaid, and refusals to expand Medicaid, and hospital closings was leading to serious life-threatening healthcare emergencies. Yet, Dr. Pardes remained ignorant of public health disaster caused by the wave of hospital closings instigated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo under Stephen Berger's Medicaid Redesign Team.

HERBERT PARDES: … I think to his credit, the Governor in New York did a good job in terms of putting a cap on the Medicaid budget. And he worked collaboratively with the providers and brought the cost down substantially.

So, the whole story isn’t beautiful, but there are parts which are.

RICHARD HEFFNER: But you’re saying, I gather … and that’s a beautiful point, if, if I understand correctly … that service is not going down, costs are not leveling because people are being less well served.

PARDES: Well, that’s exactly the kind of combined focus that people should undertake. Which is to say, bring costs down, but not at the expense of a clinical care of the patients. And we feel very strongly about that. So wherever we’ve taken out costs and there’s another part to this story, which is New York Presbyterian simply taking out costs … we’ve done it, but protected the clinical care aspect of our hospital. So … (More about the Dim Future of American Medicine * Thirteen.org)

If uninsured or underinsured patients have no insurance under Obamacare because Republican-led states opted out of expanding out of Medicaid, how do Obamacare supporters explain the draconian, scorched-earth campaign by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Wall Street banker Stephen Berger's efforts to close hospitals, which are used as safety net care by the poor, before primary care is set up as a replacement ? Conveniently, it always goes unsaid how the closing of emergency rooms, full-service hospitals, and trauma centers will impact patients' likelihood of survivals (their healthcare outcomes) in life-threatening medical emergencies, when the next nearest full-service hospital or trauma center is further away ?

… A government subsidy, little known outside health policy circles but critical to the hospitals’ survival, is being sharply reduced under the new [Obamacare] health law.

The subsidy, which for years has helped defray the cost of uncompensated and undercompensated care, was cut substantially on the assumption that the hospitals would replace much of the lost income with payments for patients newly covered by Medicaid or private insurance. But now the hospitals in states like Georgia [, which like other Republican-led states, refused to broaden Medicaid after the Supreme Court in 2012 gave states the right to opt out, ] will get neither the new Medicaid patients nor most of the old subsidies, which many say are crucial to the mission of care for the poor. ...

… The cuts in subsidies for safety-net hospitals like Memorial [in Georgia] — those that deliver a significant amount of care to poor, uninsured or otherwise vulnerable patients — are set to total at least $18 billion through 2020. The government has projected that as much as $22 billion more in Medicare subsidies could be cut by 2019, depending partly on the change in the numbers of uninsured nationally.

The cuts are just one of the reductions in government reimbursements that are squeezing hospitals across the country. Some have already announced layoffs. In Georgia, three rural hospitals have closed this year. … (Cuts in Hospital Subsidies Threaten Safety-Net Care * The New York Times)

New York’s Ongoing Blackout: Hospitals in Lower Manhattan (Pro Publica) * St. Vincent’s Is the Lehman Brothers of Hospitals (New York magazine) * Governor Cuomo’s Medicaid cuts may kill 10 city hospitals (The New York Post)