Mediaboss Marketing

Florida Democrat calls Texas #39;crazy #39; Daily Mail Online

By: Shazzy Mazzy MA2

Continue reading here:
Florida Democrat calls Texas 'crazy' Daily Mail Online - Video

OTTAWA Dozens of New Democrat MPs, including Leader Tom Mulcair, have been ordered to reimburse taxpayers $2.75 million in salaries paid to aides who worked in satellite party offices.

The secretive, multi-party Board of Internal Economy, which polices House of Commons spending, has sent bills to 68 MPs, including several who no longer sit as New Democrats, ordering them to personally repay the money.

The board ruled last August that the MPs had inappropriately used their House of Commons budgets to pay for 28 employees in satellite party offices in Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto.

On average, sources say the MPs are being asked to pay back about $30,000.

But for some MPs the tab is more than $100,000; sources say the leaders office is being asked to reimburse about $400,000.

The NDP is challenging the boards ruling on the satellite offices in Federal Court, as well as an earlier ruling that found New Democrat MPs had wrongly used $1.17 million worth of free parliamentary mailing privileges to paper 26 ridings with almost 2 million partisan missives.

In the case of the mailings, the board ordered the MPs to repay $36,000 to the Commons and urged Canada Post to recover the rest.

It emerged Tuesday that lawyers for the board and the NDP have been discussing the possibility of an out-of-court settlement of both matters and jointly asked the court last November to suspend proceedings pending further negotiations.

Those negotiations are still in progress.

The NDP maintains its MPs have done nothing wrong and that both decisions are the result of a partisan gang-up by Conservatives and Liberals on the board.

See the rest here:
NDP MPs on hook for $2.75m paid to employees in satellite party offices

The new leader of the New York state Assembly promised to focus on ethics and integrity after colleagues elected him Tuesday as the first African-American speaker, replacing a lawmaker whose two-decade reign ended with federal corruption charges.

Democrat Carl Heastie vowed to create a new office of ethics compliance and take other steps to clean up Albany's tradition of corruption and backroom dealing.

"We will change the cynicism into trust," Heastie said. "Our state deserves a government as good as its people."

Sheldon Silver, who held the speakership for 21 years, is charged with taking nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks. The Manhattan Democrat has said he expects to be exonerated and intends to keep his seat in the Assembly. Silver attended Tuesday's session, casting a vote for Heastie from his new desk in the Assembly's back row.

Democrats hold a more than two-thirds majority in the chamber, and Heastie easily won the post over Republican Minority Leader Brian Kolb.

The Assembly's only other business Tuesday was passage of a resolution honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Heastie noted the coincidence.

"Thank you, Dr. King, for making this day possible," said Heastie, also the first speaker from the Bronx.

The speaker is one of the most important positions in state government. Heastie will direct the flow of legislation, set committee assignments and direct budget negotiations with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Four other lawmakers initially sought the speakership but quickly backed out as Heastie locked up support.

The 47-year-old Heastie was first elected in 2000 and has led the Assembly's Labor Committee for the past two years. He is a former budget analyst in the New York City Comptroller's Office. He also leads the Bronx Democratic County Committee, a post he has said he will leave now that he is speaker.

View original post here:
Democrat Carl Heastie Elected Speaker of New York Assembly

Carl Heastie

Assemblyman Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, walks to a meeting, Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, in Albany, N.Y. He was elected to as the New York State Assembly speaker on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

ALBANY, N.Y. --Carl Heastie was elected speaker of the New York State Assembly on Tuesday, making him the first African-American to hold the powerful position.

Heastie is a Democrat from the Bronx. He succeeds Sheldon Silver, who resigned after being charged with taking nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks.

"I am proud of the vigorous debate and discussion among all of my colleagues that brought us to today,"Heastiesaid in a statement released after he won unanimous support in the Democratic conference Monday evening.

The speaker is considered one of the most important positions in state government.Heastie will direct the flow of legislation, set committee assignments and direct budget negotiations with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Four other lawmakers initially sought the speakership but quickly backed out asHeastie locked up support. One of them, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, saidHeastie "is one of the most honorable people I've met" in Albany.

The 47-year-oldHeastie was first elected in 2000 and has led the Assembly's Labor Committee for the past two years. He is a former budget analyst in the New York City Comptroller's Office. He also leads the Bronx Democratic County Committee, a post he has said he will leave now that he is speaker.

Silver led the Assembly for 21 years before his resignation. The Manhattan Democrat has said he expects to be exonerated and intends to keep his seat in the Assembly.

Ethics reforms will be a priority,Heastie said Monday. He called for a new Office of Ethics and Compliance led by a non-legislator, new limits on how much outside income lawmakers can earn, and greater reporting of outside income and legislative stipends. Outside pay is a central issue in the case against Silver.

Visit link:
Democrat Carl Heastie elected speaker of New York State Assembly

Published: Tuesday, 2/3/2015 QUINNIPIAC POLL

BY TOM TROY BLADE POLITICS WRITER

In Ohio, Democrat Hillary Clinton statistically ties Gov. John Kasich as the preferred candidate for president, according to a poll released today by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

But that is seen as an early home state advantage in a poll that has her easily trouncing the active Republican candidates.

Mrs. Clinton got 44 percent to Mr. Kasichs 43 percent of likely Ohio voters.

The former U.S. Secretary of State, former U.S. Senator, and former First Lady is in an identical statistical tie with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in Florida.

Mr. Kasich has not announced interest in running for president.

In Ohio, Ms. Clinton leads Mr. Bush, who has launched a campaign for the presidency, by 47 percent to 36 in the same poll.

Quinnipiac polled three notable swing states, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, for trends in the 2016 presidential election.

Peter Brown, associate director of the Connecticut-based poll, noted that Ms. Clinton holds double-digit leads over all her potential GOP opponents in the three biggest swing states, except for Mr. Bush in Florida and Mr. Kasich in Ohio.

Read the rest here:
Poll: Clinton, Kasich tied among Ohio voters