Stunner: Overtaxed New Yorkers Flee in Droves

Heck, I fled two decades ago and I wasn't even making much money back then. Sadly, too many of these folks export their Democratic Party registration and start dragging down the states they flee to.

Taxed-out New Yorkers are voting with their feet, with a staggering 1.6 million residents fleeing the state over the last decade.

For the second consecutive decade, New York led the nation in the percentage of residents leaving for other states, according to the report by the Empire Center for State Policy.

The population loss is "the ultimate barometer of New York's attractiveness as a place to work, live and do business," the report's co-author, E.J. McMahon, said. "It's the ultimate indication that we've been doing things wrong."

Most analysts blamed New York's high taxes and skyrocketing cost of living for the mass exodus.

The Tax Foundation ranked New York highest in the nation in the combined state and local tax burden in 2008. And as small-business lobbyist Mike Durant noted, New York has also "consistently ranked worst or in the top three worst in business climate. You can't suck every penny out of people and expect them to remain in New York."

Since 1960, New York has lost 7.3 million residents to other states -- a net loss of 2.5 million people after adding in an influx of 4.8 million new immigrants, the study found.

Union-Busting Governor Axes 400 Jobs

I can't wait to see the protest marches in Albany.

Gov. Cuomo stepped up pressure on union leaders Thursday, sending pink slips to 321 workers.

The layoff notices, including 43 at the state's top environmental watchdog agency, come barely a week after Cuomo alerted 451 workers that their jobs would be eliminated in mid-July.

Most of the workers belong to the 56,000-member Public Employees Federation, which is haggling with Cuomo over a new contract.

Just imagine the howls of outrage if a Republican governor axed 321 jobs.

Stunner: NY Outspends Every State on Education By Wide Margin With Dreadful Results

Bet you last dollar the teacher's unions will come up with a novel reaction to these abysmal results: We're not spending enough!

New York state's school systems deserve an F -- in financial accountability.

State taxpayers spend substantially more money on education than any other state in the nation but get far less in return on their investment, according to a shocking new federal study released yesterday.

New York schools on average spent $18,126 per student in the 2008-2009 school year -- tops in the nation, the Census Bureau reports.

That's nearly $2,000 more than the $16,271 spent in neighboring New Jersey and 80 percent higher than the national average of $10,499.

But the Empire State's four-year high-school graduation rate of 73.5 percent ranked a lowly 39th in the nation, two points below the national average, according to a separate analysis by the National Center for Education Statistics.

By comparison, Massachusetts -- which spends $4,000 less per student -- has an 83 percent graduation rate.

New York has doubled its per-student spending over 10 years. For five consecutive years the state has spent the most per student in the nation.

Despite its low standing, New York has seen some notable improvements. The four-year high-school graduation rate has increased from 62.5 percent in 1999 to 73.5 percent 10 years later. Much of that increase occurred in New York City under Mayor Bloomberg and then-schools boss Joel Klein.

Gov. Cuomo said the findings justified his drive to trim education spending by $1.2 billion last month to balance the state budget. During budget presentations across the state, he pointed out the disparity between school spending and performance.

"We spend too much money and we get too few results," Cuomo said at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica yesterday when asked about the Census report.

"It's not just that we spend too much money. It's that we spend too much money and the system isn't performing for the students," he said.

No kidding, Captain Obvious. But let's all just make believe how wonderful all these fat-cat teachers are and how hard they work. For the children.

That NY 26 Election Wasn't About Medicare At All

If I was the Democrats I wouldn't be doing a victory dance today over the results of the special election in the New York 26th congressional district. After looking at the results of the election one fact was abundantly clear. Republicans stayed home.

At the very beginning of this campaign there was a lot of disgust expressed by the rank and file Republican voter over the choice made by the New York political establishment of the Republicans choice to carry the banner.

Let's look at the numbers. In 2010, in the election won by the Republican Lee he received 151,449 votes. In this special election the Republican establishment candidate received only 43,836.

On the Democrat side of the ledger in 2010 their candidate got 54,307 and in the special election won by Hochul she received 48,530.

The Democrat totals were very close in both elections while the Republican turnout was only a third of that cast in 2010. If I was a member of the powers that be in the New York Republican Party I might want to start listening to what the folks in the district are saying they want for a candidate. If the Republicans had voted in this special election in the same numbers they did in 2010, the few thousand votes siphoned off by the third party candidate wouldn't have mattered.

As far as all the pundits who have come out and proclaimed that this was a referendum of Medicare they are full of it. That is what the Democrats want to blame it on as they flounder around looking for an issue they can use as a rallying cry for the upcoming 2012 elections, since they need to get as far away from their record as possible and their culture of failure. The Republicans need to quit letting the Democrats and their myrmidons in the media continue to dictate what the terms of the issues will be and start staking out positions in line with their convictions. Already today I have heard Republicans playing into their hands and issuing comments on the role the Medicare debate played in the special election, which makes them less astute then the average American who realizes that the issues of today are jobs, economy, and energy.

Democrat Portrait of the Day

Well, not quite the quite of portrait he'd sit for and have hanging in his office, which could well have been in the governor's mansion had he not become a common criminal. You might recognize him as former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi. He's now known as Prisoner No. 1R1334.

Here’s Alan Hevesi, a disgraced, broken, jailed man — a symbol of Albany’s systemic corruption and a warning for other crooked politicians who follow in his footsteps.

This startling photo, released yesterday by the state Correctional Services Department, shows the once-dapper former state and city comptroller — known for his well-cut suits and carefully combed hair -- looking like the run-of-the-mill crook he has become.

With his newly shorn head and weary expression, he could be a Mafia rat or a career criminal instead of a once-powerful and respected official.

And, to no one's surprise, he could be any one of the dozens of state officials -- including a governor -- who in recent years have been linked to, or caught in, serious crimes.

Hevesi -- or Prisoner No. 1R1334 -- is serving a one to four years at the Ulster Correctional Facility in upstate Napanoch.

All male prisoners entering the state's prison system are required to shave their heads bald for hygiene purposes, according a Correctional spokeswoman.

Hevesi started his stint behind bars Friday. That brief time has already taken its toll on the 71-year-old former Queens College political-science professor.

In addition to losing his hair, Hevesi is battling health problems in prison.

His first day in the grim lockup was spent in the infirmary.

Officials refused to disclose why.

The sisters probably just had a welcoming party for him.

Radical Governor Threatens Government Shutdown

I can't wait to see all those union government workers marching on Albany with posters of Andrew Cuomo as Hitler.

Gov. Cuomo Wednesday took to the web to warn New Yorkers of a potential government shutdown.

With eight days to go until the April 1 budget deadline, Cuomo unveiled a web video vowing that the possibility of New York's first ever government shutdown won't force him back off his political mandate.

"If the Legislature fails to pass a budget on time, the government will not have the funds to operate and it may be forced to shut down," Cuomo says in the 2-minute, 43-second video.

Cuomo assured New Yorkers: "I will make sure we are prepared for this contingency."

"I don't want it to happen. I will do all I can do to get the budget accomplished. I'm working very hard to cooperate with the Legislature.

"But in the end I will not compromise on the important work that you elected me to do, and I will not back down from my promise to the people of this great state."

Cuomo has proposed closing a $10 billion deficit with steep cuts in education and health care, and as many as 9,800 layoffs - but no new taxes.

"My budget shakes up the Albany establishment, there's no doubt," he said. "The special interests and their lobbyists have been working overtime to stop the reforms that I have proposed."

Governor Walker in Wisconsin has a budget hole one-third the size of New York's and look how hysterical the left was. Now we don't hear a peep from the left.

Special Election for NY 26 District and A Call To Arms

A while back I posted about the upcoming special election in the New York 26th congressional district to replace the disgraced sexting lawmaker and now the date has been announced. The election will be on May 24th. Here are your choices.

Assemblywoman Jane Corwin has been selected by the county chairs from the 26th District to be the Republican Party candidate. The district voted overwhelmingly for Rep. Chris Lee in November 2010 and Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district 2 to 1.

* One of the Republican candidates who was not selected is decorated combat vet, author and activist David Bellavia. He is waiting for the conservative party-line announcement before deciding whether or not he will pursue an independent candidacy. That announcement is slated to be made March 12.

* Jack Davis is another independent contender. Davis has unsuccessfully run for office in the past as both a Democrat and as a Republican. Davis is wealthy and has poured millions of his own funds into prior campaigns.

The Democrats are as usual unable to make a decision on who they want to endorse. They can't appear to make a decision on anything.

The problem is this. Since David is going to have to run as an Independent he needs to get 3,500 signatures on a petition within the next 12 days to have his name on the ballot. I am asking all you upstate New Yorkers in this district to find the petition and sign it and then send Bellavia to DC so that he can link up with and join forces with former Army alumni like Col (RET) Alan West and we can bring some leadership to congress instead of continuing to do business as usual.

BTW I don't know why the writer of the article decided to use the word activist to describe Mr Bellavia unless by activist you mean he was a tireless advocate for veterans and devoted so much time and energy to highlight the accomplishments of our men and women serving in the armed forces.

Poll: Majority of New Yorker's Say Teacher's Unions Play Negative Role in Education

Yes, folks, you read that correctly: New Yorkers. These aren't some wild-eyed "teabagging" radicals beholden to the evil Koch Brothers cartel. These are the same folks who give Andrew Cuomo overwhelming approval, for now. Now that you've digested the fact there's been a huge shift in public sentiment towards the unions, an even greater amount of the public is for allowing administrators to use merit over tenure when deciding where to apply layoffs and firings.

A staggering 85 percent of New Yorkers favor empowering school administrators to choose merit over tenure when firing teachers, bolstering Mayor Bloomberg's dogged fight to ditch the union-backed "last in, first out" protections, according to a new poll.

The statewide Quinnipiac University survey, released today, found voters prefer performance over seniority -- 85 percent to 12 percent -- as the principle measure to determine which teachers to lay off during budget cuts.

The margin was the same across gender, geographical and party lines.

"By a huge majority, voters from every group oppose LIFO," said Quinnipiac pollster Maurice Carroll.

"Voters, especially voters with kids in public school, want to keep the best teachers on the job -- and to heck with seniority."

Surprisingly, the poll found 75 percent of voters in households with union members support using merit and performance in determining layoffs of teachers rather than seniority. Only 20 percent of those voters questioned favored the seniority-based protections.

In general, New York state residents believe that it should be easier to fire public-school teachers, 62 percent to 33 percent.

At the same time, the support for rewarding "outstanding" educators with pay hikes is backed 64 percent to 33 percent.

The poll found widely divergent views on individual teachers and the powerful unions that represent their interests in the halls of government and across the bargaining table.

Some 50 percent of New Yorkers report favorable opinions about the state's public-school teachers, compared to 22 percent who had unfavorable views.

However, 51 percent say teachers unions, like the city's 164,000-member United Federation of Teachers, play a "negative" role in the state's education system. Some 39 percent believe the unions have a positive impact.

That's a dramatic shift from the last time Quinnipiac asked that question in 2004. At that time, New Yorkers said teachers unions had a positive role, 48 percent to 35 percent.

Gee, now what could have possibly caused this dramatic shift in public opinion. Could it be the increasing belligerence and militancy of the unions? Could it be the public sees they're basically an arm of the Democratic Party? Could it be we see billions poured into education with increasingly poor results? All of the above?

I've got my differences with Michael Bloomberg. This sure isn't one of them.

Meanwhile, a state senator introduced a bill Wednesday night designed to end, or at least modify, LIFO.

It'll be curious to see whether the White House unleashes their union shock troops on Michael Bloomburg any time soon. I realize they're now tied up on several fronts in the midwest and it may take time to ship the goons back east.

Rather than wage war on the public in this time of fiscal crisis, the sooner the Democrats and the union partners realize they're fighting a losing battle against public sentiment. Maybe then we can begin addressing why confiscating money from union members to support the Democratic Party is now just unfair, but downright contemptible. They'll fight this one to their last drop of blood. Once the union spigot is cut off, their party withers on the vine.

Is it any wonder why Obama has poured more effort into the Wisconsin temper tantrum than he has into monitoring developments in Libya? Or is it Lybia?

Angry Teabaggers Interrupt Andrew Cuomo Speech

Oh, it was a bunch of Democrat thugs calling for taxes on the evil rich? Never mind.

A defiant Gov. Cuomo renewed his no-tax-hike pledge last night after a former campaign foe disrupted his speech before the state Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators with chants of "Tax the Rich!"

Cuomo, speaking to reporters as participants continued pro-tax chants in the halls after his address, reiterated his call to let a 2-year-old tax hike on New Yorkers making more than $200,000 annually expire at year's end.

"I don't believe in increasing taxes," Cuomo said. "I believe it's counterproductive for the state. I believe more people will leave the state and you'll have less revenue."

The governor was seconds into his speech at the state Convention Center when City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), who had made a quixotic third-party run against Cuomo last year, led a small band up the center aisle chanting, "Tax the rich" and, "Shame on you!"

Of course Barron is too dense to realize the "rich" are fleeing New York in record numbers.

Barack Obama's buddy, the very wealthy tax cheat Al Sharpton, also joined in with the class warfare rhetoric. Ironically, Cuomo's budget calls for massive cuts in education spending, but oddly enough, Obama isn't sending in his union goons to protest, as they are in Wisconsin.

'In a Down Economy, This is a Death Spiral'

Good thing New York is run by Democrats. If this was a GOP-run state and they proposed such service cuts they'd be accused of hating children and wanting to throw old people out in the streets, left to eat cat food.

Shrieks echoed through the Capitol yesterday as Gov. Cuomo unleashed a $133 billion hack-and-slash spending plan that would subject schools, hospitals and the state workforce to some of the deepest cuts in recent memory and spare virtually no aspect of state government.

The governor's hard-times budget proposal would close a projected $10 billion gap with nearly $9 billion in cuts and no new borrowing or broad-based tax hikes. Cuts included $2.9 billion each in projected spending from Medicaid and local school aid -- among the largest on record.

"New York state is functionally bankrupt," Cuomo warned in his budget presentation to lawmakers, who will face pressure by special-interest groups to resist the cuts. "In a down economy, this is a death spiral," he said.

Cuomo ordered a 10 percent across-the-board spending cut to state agencies and threatened as many as 9,800 layoffs if public-employee unions reject a call for $450 million in annual concessions and givebacks.

Only in New York could a $133 billion budget be considered draconian.

Cuomo has suggested he would be willing to shut down state government if lawmakers fail to approve a spending plan by the April 1 start of the new fiscal year.

From colleges to libraries to prisons, few corners of state government would be left unscathed:

* The city stood to get $660 million less than last year in aid, including a $578 million reduction in school payments. However, Mayor Bloomberg -- factoring in the same assumed spending hike Cuomo criticized -- said the actual impact would be more like $2 billion.

Well, look at the upside. That probably means a lot fewer out-of-state gun stings to be run by Bloomberg.

Duh: NYS Jacks Up Cigarette Taxes, Legal Sales Fall Precipitously

File this one under the They Never Learn file. It doesn't take a genius to realize if you make cigarettes unaffordable that people are just going to find a way to get them cheaper, wherever that may be. And in New York State you've got the Native Americans selling them much, much cheaper, and you've got border states also in competition with them. So what do we get? Less tax revenue than anticipated, more bootlegging and related crime, and probably coming soon: yet another tax increase.

You can't fix stupid, and since New York is controlled by Democrats, there's no hope they'll ever figure it out.

How pathetically predictable: Albany raises taxes on cigarettes to such onerous levels that purchasing them legally becomes all but unaffordable.

So what happens?

Folks buy them illegally. (Duh.)

As reports in The Post last Friday and Saturday show, that's what's happening: underground sales of 7.3 million packs a month.

Legal sales, by contrast, plunged 27 per cent, from 41 million packs a month to 30 million, between June and July -- when Albany jacked up butt taxes to as much as $5.85 a pack in the city.

That's far more than the 8 percent to 10 percent dip that the state projected.
And it comes with a price: "We see lots of [rip-offs] and violence with drug-trafficking," ATF special agent Ron Turk told The Post. "As volume and money go up, the stakes get higher."

Sure, $14-a-pack smokes may prompt some folks to quit, as tax supporters argue.

But with tax-free cigs so ubiquitous and so much cheaper, why should smokers be expected to resist them? They buy levy-free packs in lower-tax states, on Indian reservations or at local bodegas.

State enforcement agents complain that budget cuts are curtailing their operations, which no doubt they are.

But the answer's not restoring the cuts.

The answer is bringing cigarette taxes into equilibrium with national norms -- thereby removing the chief incentive for buttleggers and Indian reservations to break the law in the first place.

No one has reliably shown that sky-high cig taxes curb tobacco use enough to justify the added crime. Nor are the tax hikes bringing in revenues anywhere close to what was projected, since legal sales have dropped.

You'll never see them lower taxes. The unquenchable thirst for tax revenue--especially in a state that's broke--can never be sated. In the highly unlikely event they do slash cigarette taxes, they'll simply move on to gouge someone else.

Cut spending? Hah! As if.

Oof: Paladino Within Six Points of Cuomo

As the impending GOP tide threatens to consume the Democrats come November 2, we always figured one sure Democrat winner would be Andrew Cuomo in the New York gubernatorial contest. His victory, of course, would be trumpeted loudly on CNN and MSNBC on election night as a sign of a Democrat wave or something, before they got back to crying on national television.

Well, I might have to pull back on that forecast. If Cuomo can't beat Carl Paladino, is any Democrat safe?

Flame-throwing Republican Carl Paladino is within striking distance of overtaking longtime gubernatorial frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, a shocking new poll finds.

Among likely voters, the Democrat Cuomo has a paltry 49% to 43% lead over Paladino, the blowhard Buffalo businessman who won a shocking and decisive victory last week in the GOP primary, the Quinnipiac University poll finds.

Quinnipiac's findings are in stark contrast to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday that showed Cuomo with a more robust 54% to 38% lead.

Cuomo "might be a victim of his own excess," Quinnipiac pollster Maurice Carroll said. "Politicians and polls have depicted him so relentlessly as a sure thing that he might be a victim of the 'throw the bums out' attitude that hits incumbents in this angry year."

Neither the Quinnipiac nor the Rasmussen polls included Rick Lazio, who Paladino beat in the Republican primary, but who won a spot on the Conservative line.

Lazio, who many experts believe would draw more votes from Paladino than Cuomo, is deciding whether to remain on the ballot.

In the two-way race between Cuomo and Paladino, Quinnipiac found that Cuomo has strong leads among Democrats and women.

Paladino not only crushes Cuomo among Republicans and those who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement, but he also leads by a 49% to 43% margin among independents - a key voting bloc.

The tough-talking Paladino also leads among men by a 49-46% margin, Quinnipiac found.

Nearly 80% of voters say their minds are made up.

"The question was whether Carl Paladino would get a bounce from his big Republican primary victory," Carroll said. "The answer is yes. He's within shouting distance and - you can count on it - he will be shouting."

While Paladino has flown under the national radar as opposed to Congressional and Senate races involving declared Tea Partiers, his often eccentric and belligerent behavior has begun to attract notice of the drive-by media. As their obsession with Christine O'Donnell wanes, they'll likely move on to the bomb-throwing Paladino and make him the template representative of all things Tea Party. It won't work, but they'll give it their best as ordered by their Democrat bosses.

Oh, and memo to Rick Lazio: Get out now and throw your support to Paladino. At this point it doesn't mean much, but man up and do the right thing.

Consider also that the overwhelmingly Democrat New York State has both senators facing the voters November 2, albeit against token opposition. Yet still Kirsten Gillibrand leads by only 10 points against a virtual unknown. Is it possible a surge for Paladino could endanger Gillibrand?

It's a shame no Republicans of any note stepped up to challenge Chuckie Schumer. Now there would be a nice scalp for the GOP to claim on election night.

One more thing working in favor of Paladino: The douchebag Mayor of New York City will likely be endorsing Cuomo.

Thanks to Instapundit and Hot Air for the links.

Historic First: Schumer Unavailable for Comment

For a guy who would hold a press conference to announce a can opening, it's rather telling that the ubiquitous Chuckie Schumer is mum on whether he plans to slither into the scandal-plagued Charlie Rangel's birthday bash.

Two of New York's top statewide Democratic office holders dodged questions yesterday on whether they would attend the 80th-birthday fund-raiser for Rep. Charles Rangel, who is facing ethics charges.

Both Sen. Charles Schumer and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo declined to say whether they would show up for the bash at The Plaza hotel -- even though they're listed as members of the event's host committee.

Schumer repeatedly refused to answer when asked by The Post to give a "yes" or "no" answer about whether he's going on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Cuomo -- who has made a commitment to the highest ethics a centerpiece of his campaign for governor -- gave The Post an eyebrow-raising statement that insisted no decision has yet been made on whether he'll show.

"The attorney general hasn't figured out his schedule that far in advance," said the spokesman -- even though the event is just six days away.

The spokesman also noted, "The attorney general never said he was going." However, Cuomo is listed as one of the chief sponsors of the fund-raising event.

A Rangel campaign source said neither Schumer nor Cuomo have told the Harlem congressman they were backing out of the fund-raiser.

While Cuomo has made ethics reform a key platform in his campaign, he has angered some black leaders for not having a minority as his running mate or elsewhere on the slate of statewide candidates.

Some analysts said Rangel's alleged misdeeds have put Democrats in a bind.

"Schumer and Cuomo are probably embarrassed and offended by Rangel's offenses," said University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato.

"It's really hard to defend going to the fund-raiser. You're just going to give your opponent a club to hit you over the head with."

That would be all well and good if these two actually had some competiton running against them. Why should they worry when they're both likely to get 70% of the New York numbskull vote against virtually invisible token opposition from the GOP?

'This is Something That is Troubling and Something We Plan To Look At'

What "this" is most people call business as usual in Democrat circles. But nothing will happen because the race card will be whipped out before you can say corruption.

Gov. Paterson's administration awarded a $297 million federal contract without competitive bidding or public notice to GHI, the health-care provider whose parent company employs his wife, The Post has learned.

Legislative investigators are now looking into the huge, 3½-year contract that subsidizes insurance for uninsured individuals with pre-existing health problems -- part of President Obama's health-care reform act, state officials concede.

It could yield up to $30 million in "administrative costs" for Emblem Health, GHI's (Group Health Inc.'s) parent company.

"Selecting a company for which the governor's wife works without bidding or public notice raises serious disturbing questions," one of the Legislature's top Democrats told The Post.

"This is something that is troubling and something we plan to look at," the official continued.

Also disturbing, the official said, is that New York chose to have GHI administer the program when it could have joined at least 21 other states in having the federal government assume the responsibility.

First Lady Michelle Paterson is director of integrative wellness for the outfit.

Seems like First Ladies named Michelle always help get those sweetheart deals.

AQ Leader Charged in NYC Bomb Plot

This monster has been involved in seemingly every plot targeting New York the past couple decades so it's not as if this is shocking news. It does mean he's still out there in need of vaporizing.

Federal authorities are expected to announce criminal charges Wednesday against a senior al Qaeda leader in connection with a plot to bomb the New York City subway system last year, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, who remains at large, is expected to be named in a superseding indictment brought in federal court in Brooklyn in connection with the criminal case against Najibullah Zazi, the person said. The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to announce the charges out of Washington later Wednesday, the person said.

Zazi, an Afghan native who worked as an airport shuttle driver in Colorado, admitted in February that he drove to New York last September with explosives and other bomb-making materials, intending to carry out an attack on Manhattan subway lines. While in New York, Zazi said he realized he was being investigated by law enforcement and threw away the explosives. He was arrested a few days later after returning to Colorado.

As part of his plea, Zazi said he traveled to Pakistan in 2008 with the intention of joining the Taliban to fight the U.S. in Afghanistan. While in Pakistan, Zazi said he was recruited by al Qaeda and received weapons and other training there, including explosives training.

Two other men allegedly traveled with Zazi to Pakistan at the time. One of those men, Zarein Ahmedzay, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda in April.

More on Shukrijumah here.

According to the new indictment, court filings and plea proceedings in the case, the plot involving Mr. Zazi was organized by Saleh al-Somali, Rashid Rauf, and Mr. Shukrijumah, who were then leaders of Qaeda’s “external operations” program dedicated to terrorist attacks in the United States and other Western countries.

The State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million several years ago for information leading directly to the capture of Mr. Shukrijumah, but he has managed to elude the authorities since the F.B.I. issued an alert for him in 2003.

He was identified as a senior terrorism figure by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed during his intensive interrogation, and officials have said that concern about him as a threat grew with the discovery that he had received flight training in the United States about the same time as the 9/11 hijackers. A bulletin warning that he might try to cross American borders with a Saudi, Canadian or Trinidadian passport was issued in 2003.

Because Mr. Shukrijumah spent so much time in the United States, his familiarity with the language and culture, and thus his ability to move freely, made him the focus of intense concern.

His time in Brooklyn in the late 1980s and early ’90s put him close to the heart of radical Islamic extremism in the United States. At the time, his father, Gulshair el-Shukrijumah, reportedly did translation work for Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind cleric who was linked to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Related.

'If I Were Running Today, I Would Be Kissing Their Butts'

Memo to New York Democrats and Republicans alike. Alienate tea partiers at your own peril.

Much of America sees New York City as the epicenter of bleeding heart liberaldom, a tolerant, immigrant-friendly, tax-and-spend kind of place.

What America doesn't know is that one in five New Yorkers supports the Tea Party - the right-leaning, close-the-borders, anti-government movement of Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.

Here in this city of labor rights, gay pride and lefty havens, Tea Partyers lead double lives as foot soldiers in a quiet war to reverse the direction of America.

A statewide Marist Poll of 686 New Yorkers commissioned last month by the Daily News highlighted the phenomenon: One in four registered voters statewide considers himself a Tea Party supporter. That translates to 21% in the city, and 25% in Long Island and Westchester County - enough to make politicians tremble.

"Want to know how big a deal they are?" asked former Staten Island Borough President and longtime GOP powerhouse Guy Molinari, 81. "If I were running today, I would be kissing their butts."

Obviously in New York City there are districts where Democrats run unopposed or with token opposition and will never go GOP. But when it comes to statewide elections, in particular for the Senate this year, tea partiers and independents could prove decisive, in particular with the Kirsten Gillibrand race.

Thanks to Hot Air for the link.

I See White People

These Democrats really ought to try a little diversity in their party. So many pasty-faced white people may not help get the votes from people of color. Of course a little payola to Democratic Party leader Al Sharpton will soften any hurt feelings.

New York's lineup of all-white candidates on the Democratic ballot this fall is already raising red flags.

"The problem is going to be one of getting enthusiasm in the black community, so they will want to come out and be supportive," said City Councilman Al Vann (D-Brooklyn).

The Dems' gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Cuomo and his running mate Robert Duffy are white, as are the party's candidates for U.S. Senate, attorney general and controller.

As one minority operative quipped of the new Democratic ticket, "Cuomo, DiNapoli & Duffy - it sounds like a Long Island law firm," adding the name of newly nominated state controller candidate Thomas DiNapoli to the mix.

So it was no accident that Cuomo made a quick, unsolicited call yesterday to the Rev. Al Sharpton, during which he sought to assure the civil rights activist that his administration would be diverse.

"Having a diverse administration is very important to me. It will be a top priority for me," Cuomo told reporters.

"You want to have an administration that reflects the diversity of New York. We will."

Oh sure, it'll be diverse. Every single member of his adminsitration will be a Democrat hack, just with a little extra color sprinkled in here and there for diversity purposes.

Heh: Corrupt WFP Wants Alec Baldwin to Run for Governor of NY

Staring at the prospect of losing their spot on future ballots, the scandal-ridden, ACORN-tied Working Families Party in New York is so desperate they're actually considering asking kook actor Alec Baldwin to run for Governor of New York.

The Working Families Party is so panicked a federal probe might keep Andrew Cuomo from accepting its ballot line in November, leaders are quietly mulling replacement candidates - even floating "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin.

The labor-backed party will seek a "superstar" liberal to head its ticket if Cuomo declines its support, according to sources with knowledge of its plans.

The stakes are high: The party, which was flush with success only last year, needs to get 50,000 votes or else it loses its place on the ballot in the future.

Baldwin would fit the bill. He's not only a celebrity with a lefty ideology, he has also has been politically active as a founder of the Creative Coalition, a social and political advocacy organization for the Hollywood set. He grew up on Long Island and even has upstate cred - his mother and sister live in the Syracuse area.

Baldwin has expressed an interest in running for office and was mentioned as a potential primary challenger to Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman in 2009.

In 2006, the Manhattan resident told The New York Times: "If I ever run for anything, the thing I would like to be is governor of New York."

As if the state's not enough of a mess already.

The Working Families Party has been under investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney since last winter for work done by its for-profit arm, Data and Field Services, in the 2009 elections.

Cuomo, all but guaranteed to get the Democratic line at the state party's convention this week, has yet to decide whether he will accept the Working Families line. Yesterday, Cuomo said it's too "premature" to say if he would accept the support of the Working Families Party. "We'll address that situation down the road," he said.

It would be difficult for Cuomo to run on his reform and ethics platform and also accept the Working Families line if the investigation is ongoing this fall.

The WFP, of course, is joined at the hip with ACORN and assorted far-left unions. Cuomo should take some advice and steer clear of that odious crew.

Another New York Politician With Too Much Time On His Hands

What is it with the New York politicians that they want to go off chasing unicorns in what amounts to little more then a masked attempt to strike at conservatives?

Now Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), having solved all of the big issues of the day like the national debt, out-of-control spending, security of the borders, eradication of Islamic terrorism and the burgeoning unemployment has now set his sights on one of the sponsors of the Glenn Beck radio show, Goldline. This is nothing more then an attempt to scare away sponsorship from one of the most successful personalities on radio and television.

Talk show host Glenn Beck and Goldline International, a California-based gold retailer, have colluded to use fear mongering tactics to bilk investors, according to a stinging report issued Tuesday by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).

The report alleges that Goldline grossly overcharges for the gold coins that constitute the bulk of its business, uses misleading sales techniques and takes advantage of fears about President Barack Obama’s stewardship of the economy – which are stoked by its paid stable of paid conservative endorsers including Beck, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham and Fred Thompson – “to cheat consumers.”

This is nothing but something for the progressives to salivate over as it is another attempt to silence conservative voices. They can't compete in the market so the only option is for them to try and eliminate the competition altogether. Really pretty pathetic, just like the boycott that I guess is still going on from the former Obama appointee Van Jones's front group against advertisers on the Glenn Beck TV show.

A member of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, Weiner said he plans to introduce legislation to require Goldline and other precious metal retailers to fully disclose all their fees, how much the price of gold would need to rise in order for their customers’ investments to yield a profit, and the purchase price, melt value and resale value of the metal that constitutes their products. And he called on the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the Federal Trade Commission to investigate “the shady business practices conducted by Goldline International.”

Anthony, I can answer one part of that sermon. How much the price of gold would need to rise in order for their customers investments to yield a profit? 1¢. If you knew anything about how investments actually works you might understand that and not be so gullible to all the crap Fannie and Freddie feed you.

Weiner, you are a wiener.

Democrat Culture of Corruption: NY State Senate Edition

For shame, Pedro, for shame. Looting all that money that was to go to the poor residents in your district? Of course this is business as usual for New York Democrats.

Embattled Bronx politico Pedro Espada Jr. looted a whopping $14 million over the past five years from a non-profit that he runs -- including giving himself a $9 million severance package, paying for family vacations to Puerto Rico and hefty bills at sushi restaurants, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office revealed today.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Cuomo claims Espada diverted charitable assets connected to the Bronx-based Soundview HealthCare Network and used the money for himself, his family and his political operation.

Cuomo said Soundview, which relies heavily on Medicaid dollars with the aim of providing healthcare to poor Bronx residents, was Espada's personal and political piggy bank.

“Taxpayer money was given to this not-for-profit to provide healthcare services to underprivileged patients, but our investigation has found the funds flowed into the pockets of Senator Espada and his supporters,” he said.

Over the past five years, Espada, who currently serves as the State Senate's Majority Leader, allegedly siphoned more than $14 million out of Soundview -- including giving himself a severance package worth an estimated $9 million which was put into a contract signed in 2005.

Last year, The Post reported that Espada used a luxury car paid for with his charity's money and allowed the use of other cars by top employees, including his daughter-in-law and a woman convicted of committing fraud for one of his campaigns.

At Soundview headquarters on White Plains Road, Espada, who collects nearly $460,000 a year in salary and benefits as the charity's CEO, was seen by a Post reporter last August getting into a 2008 Chrysler 300C sedan driven by someone who picked him up. The car is registered to the charity.

Living in the lap of luxury on the taxpayer's dime was only part of it. The Soundview Board -- packed with Espada’s family, friends, and Senate employees -- rubber stamped many of the transactions outlined in Cuomo's suit.

As a result, Cuomo is seeking to permanently remove Espada and current Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Brennan as officers of the charity, along with the organization's entire board of directors.

“Siphoning money from a charity would be egregious under any circumstances, but the fact that this was orchestrated by the State Senate Majority Leader makes it especially reprehensible," Cuomo said. "In New York, no one is above the law, and this suit should finally make that clear to Senator Espada.”

Just think how many needy children could have been fed with all that money.