Mel Gibson's next apology: To veterans

I just saw Mel Gibson's latest film, "Edge of Darkness." I'll leave the full-blown film critique to someone better equipped.

But there is one infuriating moment in the movie that deserves a quick, firm and unambiguous apology from Mr. Gibson

In the middle of an otherwise fairly inoccuous whodunit, Gibson's character suddenly begins scoffing at soldiers who suffer from post-tramautic stress disorder.

I can't give the exact quote, but the gist goes something like this:

I didn't come home changed from the war. Whatever people say about PTSD, in my opinion soldiers come out of combat pretty much the same as when they went into combat.

I know, I know: This is a character talking, not Gibson.

But this is one of Hollywood's most powerful actors, in a major studio film, parroting the tough-guy skepticism that the US military has spent years trying to overcome.

This portion of dialogue is entirely superfluous: It's a sudden detour into the most appallingly ignorant nonsense.

For the record, here's what we know about Americans suffering from PTSD, from an Associated Press article in 2008:

Records show roughly 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with the illness, also known as PTSD, since 2003. Officials believe that many more are likely keeping their illness a secret.

“I don’t think right now we … have good numbers,” Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker said Tuesday.

Defense officials had not previously disclosed the number of PTSD cases from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army statistics showed there were nearly 14,000 newly diagnosed cases across the services in 2007 compared with more than 9,500 new cases the previous year and 1,632 in 2003.

Gibson has walked on thin ice before, with a drunk driving incident and an anti-semitic rant that nearly derailed his career.

This bit of disrespect was buried in a largely forgettable film, so maybe it will overlooked.

I hope that doesn't happen. I hope Mr. Gibson will acknowledge publicly that soldiers suffering from PTSD deserve and should receive adequate help.

What's certain is that next time Mr. Gibson want to establish his macho credibility, he shouldn't do so by calling out soldiers injured while defending the United States.

Crown Point ferry begins service Monday morning at 5 am

This release just came from New York's Department of Transportation:

As promised in our last message dated January 28, 2010, we are pleased to inform you that the new temporary ferry, which has been operating in test runs over the weekend, will officially open to the public on Monday February 1, 2010, beginning in Chimney Point, VT at 5:00 a.m.

The ferry will operate year-round between Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT, every day - 24 hours a day, 7 days per week - at no charge to the public. Currently, the ferry is scheduled to depart from Chimney Point on the hour and half hour and depart from New York at 15 and 45 after each hour. Initially there is a 15 ton 2-axel weight restriction per vehicle.

This should come as a huge relief to hundreds of commuters in the mid Champlain Valley, cutting hours from their daily commute.

Update: State police release more details on Dannemora double-murder

The State Police released the following information a short time ago about the murder investigation in Dannemora:

On January 31, 2010, at approximately 3:54 a.m., the New York State Police in Plattsburgh received a trespass complaint at 2032 State Route 374 in the Town of Dannemora.

Upon arrival, the responding Troopers located two deceased subjects; a male and a female, inside the residence.

Troop “B” Major Crimes Unit, Troop “B” BCI and the Troop “B” Forensic Identification Unit are currently on the scene.

The New York State Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 2001 GMC Sierra pick-up truck, black in color, New York registration EAK 3536.

The New York State Police are also attempting to locate the registered owner of the vehicle; Anthony “Tony” V. Pavone, age 52, of Morrisonville, New York.

Anyone with information on the vehicle or subject in question should call New
York State Police at Plattsburgh at (518) 563-3761 or contact 911 immediately.

This homicide remains under investigation by the New York State Police, Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie and Clinton County Coroner David F. Donah.

The Plattsburgh City Police Department and Clinton County Sheriff’s Office are also assisting in this investigation.

Breaking: State police seek black pick-up after double-murder in Dannemora

Here's the press release issued just before 1 pm on Sunday afternoon:

The New York State Police in Plattsburgh are investigating an apparent double homicide that occurred during the early morning hours of January 31, 2010, at a residence in the Town of Dannemora.

The State Police are currently looking for a 2001 GMC Sierra pick-up truck, black in color, New York registration EAK 3536, relative to this investigation.

If the vehicle is located, contact 911 immediately.

In an interview with the Plattsburgh Press-Republican, state police urged the public not to try to approach the vehicle.

Was Barack Obama's first political gaffe the one that still haunts him the most?

When Barack Obama was elected back in 2008, he had already laid the foundation for a brutal first year and put his own agenda in peril.

How? By picking Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate and stripping his party of an easy "hold" in the 2010 Senate race.

As a sitting US Senator himself, Obama's own election had already put one Democratic seat in play. He can hardly be faulted for that.

But the president-elect wasn't done.

Before his cabinet was locked in, Mr. Obama would also "pick off" Ken Salazar and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In all, four of the most powerful and confident Democratic Senators had been taken out of play.

Imagine how the health care debate might have fared differently, with Senators Biden and Clinton championing the Democratic reform effort?

(Imagine, too, if Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's Chief of staff, had remained in the House, serving as one of the Democrats' ranking leaders.)

Before the dust settles, Republicans could well pick up all four of these Senate seats: Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, and New York.

Was it smart for the President to weaken his own party's congressional majority just as he was launching one of the most ambitious legislative agenda's of the last quarter century?

Mr. Obama may have been convinced that these were the only possible choices to round out his cabinet.

But in hindsight, it may also prove to have been an incredible act of hubris.

The Olympics, women's ski jumping, sexism and hypocrisy

For years, the International Olympic Committee has banned women from long-distance jumping in the Olympic games.

In 2005, IOC member and head of the International Ski Federation, Gian-Franco Kaspar, told me point blank during an interview that it's just not safe for women's bodies:

"Don't forget, it's like jumping down from, let's say, about two meters on the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view."

That seems a little fusty, even for old world European athletic officials.

But the rank hypocrisy of the IOC's stance was illuminated when Olympic organizers allowed the new sport of "ski cross" into the Vancouver games.

Ski cross has been described as a crash-up derby on skies, with multiple athletes crashing and careening down the same moguls course. Hear ATC host Melissa Block's story here.

Just last weekend, a male skier from France was paralyzed from the waist down during a ski cross competition in Lake Placid.

Yet women skiers will be duking it out on the ski-cross course in Vancouver.

So why are "the ladies" allowed to ski cross, but not ski jump?

In an interview with ESPN, Bill Marolt, head of the US Ski and Snowboard Association put it this way:

"It's the IOC looking for opportunities to make the Olympics more relevant to a younger demographic, and they see that in skicross."

Nice. When money and marketing are on the line, women's bodies and their lives are fair game.

But for women ski jumpers -- some of them so accomplished that they can compete on par with the men -- it's another year on the sidelines.

Last year, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that failing to allow women jumpers to compete in Vancouver is discrimination.

But the justices also ruled that the Canadian courts were powerless to intervene.

I can't help but think that this unfairness is the first (hopefully the only) serious black mark on these Games.

One thing is clear. Before 2014, someone needs to sort out this nonsense.

And the women whose careers in sport have been cheated deserve a formal apology from the IOC.

A comment on comments

The In Box blog is a place where, for better or worse, you can post your comments without registering or signing in, where you can post anonymously or under a pseudonym, and where comments appear prior to being reviewed by an editor. This is a debatable policy, and one that is frequently debated both inside NCPR, and among the people who comment here. Personally, I feel that the open speech policy is a good one, because the conversation flows freely and frequently, and any roadblocks we have imposed in the past on people who want to speak their mind have proven to slow that conversation to a trickle.

A number of problems result from this policy--lapses in civility, difficulty in sorting out the various threads of anonymous conversation, occasional obscenity and spam, etc. But the alternative, silence, is worse. In the end, few comments wind up being removed from the conversation. People in general behave pretty well on the In Box, and the many thoughtful comments add to our understanding and are appreciated.

But we do remove some comments, which has caused some readers to complain about censorship--in particular, complaining that NCPR censors views that don't correspond with the author's or editor's views.

What we do remove are comments that use obscene language and/or racial slurs, make libelous or other legally actionable statements (as near as a non-lawyer can determine). And we will sometimes remove comments of a somewhat fuzzier category--those that consist primarily of attacks on individuals as individuals, rather than attacks on their stated opinions or public actions.

Some may regard this as an intrusion on their free speech rights. But there is a difference between the right of an individual to speak freely, and the right of a media organization to disseminate the speech of others in a public arena. We are accountable not only for what we say, but for what you say.

Below is an example of a comment that was removed from the Brian Mann post:
More questions about the LeRoy Douglas story in Black Brook from 1/27/10. The quoted comment from the pseudonymous writer "youknow" has the name of an individual redacted:

Brian, did you file FOIL for these letters? Also you failed to mention this is 1 small piece of property Mr. Douglas owns. This has nothing to do with the enforcement case. Also was their a verbal rescinding of the offer. If it went through [name redacted], who seems to be incapable of telling the truth, then we will never know. [name redacted] lied under oath in Federal Court, also in affidavits and in DEC court proceedings.
Brian I know you are attempting to protect your friends. But this property has nothing to do with the case against the AC and you know it. Your friend that gave you these documents in a "release" for some reason may end up putting egg on your face.

It would be easy to suppose that the comment was deleted because it said that the author, Brian Mann, would use his job as an NCPR journalist to protect his friends at the expense of the public. I did find that annoying; I know Brian and respect his integrity. I don't know who Brian's friends are and I suspect the commenter doesn't either. But I would have let the comment stand, except that the commenter states, as an unsupported fact, that a named individual is guilty of a specific federal crime, perjury.

In the past, I have deleted comments from posts in a way that removes them entirely and invisibly. In the interests of transparency, from now on, I will remove them in a way that leaves behind the message "This comment was removed by the blog administrator." That way readers will at least know when and how often we intervene in the conversation.

Let us know how you feel about our moderation policy and any suggestions you have to improve the quality of the conversation at the In Box.

Some thoughts about paying for the Adirondack Park

Here are two basic questions that no one has ever answered to my satisfaction:

1. What does it cost communities to be surrounded by the Adirondack Park?

2. What does the state do to compensate those communities?

Let me wrestle with both of these questions one at a time.

Critics of the Park, the state's land purchases, and the Adirondack Park Agency say the first is a no-brainer: It costs a lot.

Communities lose the ability to develop, grow, and expand their economies. Investors and entrepreneurs are driven off by heavy regulation and APA bureaucracy.

Maybe so.

But when I compare communities inside the Park with rural towns outside the blue line, I'm not sure I can see a distinction.

Is Malone measurably more successful at attracting new investors and new citizens, when compared with Saranac Lake?

Is Tupper Lake doing better or worse than Lowville? And is the Park with all its rules the difference?

And how do you factor in the apparent economic benefits?

During the real estate boom, land values rose far more dramatically inside the Blue Line, at least in part because zoning rules made private land there more attractive.

There is also an arguable tourism and marketing advantage in being part of a gorgeous, protected area.

The bottom line? Yes, a lot of communities are struggling inside the Park.

But I'd like to see a really thorough study that quantifies how much of that is the Park's fault.

Which leads us to question two:

2. What does the state do to compensate Adirondack communities?

Obviously, the Adirondack Park's communities already get a certain amount of goodies for being inside the blue line.

The state pays full property taxes -- roughly $70 million a year -- on all its forest land, even though it demands almost no services.

(Most large private landowners receive tax breaks and don't pay as much.)

This money amounts to a payment of roughly $466 annually for every man, woman and child in the Park.

Taxpayers from across the state have also paid hundreds of millions of dollars developing tourism attractions in Johnsburg, Lake Placid, Newcomb, Paul Smiths, Wilmington, and elsewhere.

It's also arguable that the state chose to locate half a dozen prisons in the Park as a way to shore up employment.

The problem with all this "compensation" is that it has never been measured, or tied rationally to the state's social contract with Park residents.

As a consequence, when the state begins closing prisons, or threatens to withhold property tax payments, Park residents feel cheated.

But they can't point to a distinct breach of trust.

So here's my (entirely presumptuous) suggestion:

As a follow-up to their compelling APRAP study, the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages should wrestle with these questions.

What are the pros and cons of being inside the Park and what is the net cost?

And what is the fairest way to compensate communities that are shouldering the main burden of protecting this gorgeous resource?

The goal should be more honest, equitable and reliable social contract between the handful of New Yorkers who live within the Park and the 19 million New Yorkers who live outside.

Fred Monroe wants changes, not abolition, at Adirondack Park Agency

Fred Monroe, head of the Local Government Review Board and the Warren County Board of Supervisors, has emerged as one of the more nuanced critics of the APA.

He's convinced that the APA has overstepped its legal authority in key cases, and he wants a review of the state's land acquisition policy in the Park.

But in an essay written for Denton Publications, Monroe begins by saying:

"The Local Government Review Board does not believe that the APA should be abolished. We do believe that the APA needs to be reined in and its governing Act revised."

Read his full argument here and check out our reporting on this question -- has the APA overstepped its authority? -- here.

North Country officer withddraws bid for Army National Guard chief

Major General Joseph Taluto, who lives in Washington County, has withdrawn his name from consideration to serve as chief of the Army National Guard.

He was nominated by President Barack Obama last May.

Here's his announcement issued on Thursday.

ALBANY, NY (01/28/2010)-- Governor David Paterson today announced that the Adjutant General of New York, Major General Joseph Taluto, will retire after a 44-year career with the National Guard in which he rose from private to two-star general.

Major General Taluto was appointed as Adjutant General in 2006 after serving as the commander of a combat division in Iraq in 2005.

"During his tenure as Adjutant General, Major General Taluto worked tirelessly to bring the New York Army and Air National Guard to full strength, improve the Guard's capabilities to respond to domestic emergencies, and ensure that our Citizen Soldiers and Airmen and their families are cared for � both during and after their service," Governor Paterson said. "Under his direction, the Air National Guard has undertaken new missions with new aircraft, the Army National Guard has deployed more than 2,500 soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the New York National Guard's ability to respond to domestic terrorist attacks and disasters has been tested and refined.

"Major General Taluto has had a long and distinguished career during which he has served our State and nation with distinction. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him and wish him and his wife Susan well in a well-earned and much deserved retirement," Governor Paterson added.

Major General Taluto was nominated by President Barack Obama to become a three-star Lieutenant General and director of the Army National Guard in May 2009. After a delay in the confirmation process he has asked that his nomination be withdrawn so that he can go forward with his long-deferred retirement.

"While lengthy delays in confirmations are not unusual, I believe this prolonged confirmation process has become a distraction to the New York National Guard and the National Guard overall. While I appreciate all the urging and support I have had to stay the course, this is a crucial time for our National Guard. I feel that withdrawing is the right thing to do because the Army National Guard needs a director as soon as possible," Major General Taluto said. "I believe as I did last year, while contemplating retirement, that we have accomplished what we set out to do four years ago. It is the right time for the Governor to select a new Adjutant General."

Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise O'Donnell said: "New York is losing a devoted leader and a true patriot with the retirement of Major General Joseph Taluto. His vision to make the New York National Guard the preeminent National Guard in the counrty will live on for decades and will remain a lasting legacy of his strong and effective leadership."

As Adjutant General, Major General Taluto led the effort to grow the strength of the Army National Guard by 2,000 members, resulting in the eighth largest Army National Guard in the country and a force that is at assigned strength of 10,400 soldiers.

The New York Air National Guard has also maintained its strength and status as the largest Air National Guard in the country, and two of the five air wings have taken on different missions. The 107th Airlift Wing in Niagara Falls has gone from flying air refueling tankers to flying C-130 cargo aircraft in partnership with the Air Force Reserve and the 174th Fighter Wing has transitioned from flying F-16C fighters to remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper attack aircraft.

Major General Taluto pushed for the successful creation of a second National Guard team designed to detect the use of chemical and biological weapons known as a Civil Support Team (CST) in New York. This team, based at Fort Hamilton, is focused on operations in the New York City area. He also made the organization of a special 350-member National Guard unit that is trained to extract, decontaminate, and treat victims of a terrorist attack on a building a priority. Under his tenure, this team, known as a CERFP for chemical, biological, radiological, high-yield explosives, Enhance Reaction Force Package, became the second of 17 in the nation to be certified as ready.

Major General Taluto oversaw the recreation of the task force of New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on duty in New York City into a more flexible force focused on planning for many missions in the metropolitan area and not just pulling guard duty at train stations and airports. Under his direction, the New York National Guard conducted several internal domestic response exercises and hosted Vigilant Guard 2009, a national-level exercise held in western New York.

Major General Taluto enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 1965 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant through the Officer Candidate School program in 1968. He began his career as an officer assigned to a Nike-Hercules missile battery whose mission was to protect New York City from attack by Russian bombers during the Cold War, and then became an armor officer, commanding a tank company and working as a staff officer in a tank battalion.

He has served as chief of staff of the New York Army National Guard's 53rd Troop Command, the 27th Brigade, and the 42nd Infantry Division, as well as in positions at the State headquarters during his career. In 2000, he was named deputy commander of the 42nd Infantry Division and promoted to brigadier general. In that role he assumed command of the New York National Guard's response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. He directed almost 2,500 members of the National Guard, New York Naval Militia and New York Guard in assisting the New York City Office of Emergency Management.

In 2002, he was named commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, responsible for Army National Guard units in New York and surrounding northeastern states. He was promoted to two-star, Major General, in March 2004.

Shortly after that the 42nd Infantry Division was tapped to deploy to Iraq to assume command of forces in the region just north of Baghdad, known as Multi-National Division North Central. Major General Taluto went on active duty for 20 months, leading the soldiers of the division through the process of training and deploying into combat. Almost 3,500 New York Army National Guard Soldiers were deployed to Iraq in 2004/2005.

In Iraq, Major General Taluto commanded 23,000 Active, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in four ground maneuver brigades responsible for operations in an area the size of West Virginia. The division received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its efforts in securing critical power transmission systems and oil pipelines in the region, ensuring that the Iraq Constitutional Referendum was conducted successfully, training an Iraqi Army Division, working with local police, and rebuilding local governments and businesses.

Major General Taluto's individual awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the several awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Ribbon, the Iraqi Campaign Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, several awards of the Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

He and his wife Susan live in Fort Ann, Washington County.

General Taluto's nomination was complicated by accusations leveled by Siobban Esposito, who claimed that her husband was murdered by a fellow American soldier in part becasue of lax discipline.

Here's her statement issued yesterday.

Alexandria, VA—Siobhan Esposito, the widow of Army Captain Phillip Esposito who was murdered alongside 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen in Iraq in 2005 applauds Major General Joseph Taluto's decision yesterday to withdraw his nomination to be appointed Director of the National Guard and retire from military service. Taluto's withdrawal is due to an investigation Mrs. Esposito instigated examining Taluto's failed leadership as commander of the 42nd Infantry Division of the New York National Guard—a failure Esposito believes directly contributed to the murder of her late husband and the acquittal of his killer.

"Gen. Taluto's withdrawal and retirement," says Esposito, "made before the special Army report investigating his role in my late husband's death was publicly released is vindication of my call for the Army to properly address the unforgivable lack of military discipline that led to my husband's murder."

"Two American heroes like my husband and Louis Allen cannot be murdered in cold blood without those responsible being held to account for it," says Esposito. "I believe Alberto Martinez murdered my husband, but it was the Army's lax standards that gave him license to do it and then get away with his crime."

"The Army must learn from these needless and preventable deaths, punish those responsible them and reform its standards or there will be more deaths like my husband's and Lt. Allen's in the future," says Esposito. "Had the Army learned from its mistakes surrounding my husband's murder, I hold that its leaders could have prevented further tragedies such as the horrific massacre of soldiers at Fort Hood."

"I am deeply indebted to Senator Jim Webb for his leadership in support of my quest," says Esposito. "His willingness to support my call for an investigation of General Taluto's conduct helped me and my young daughter secure the first iota of accountability since my husband was murdered in 2005."

"No soldier should ever fear his comrades—least of all when there are clear warning signs that demand action," says Esposito. "My act of justice to the memory of my husband will be to fight for reform until the mistakes that lead to the deaths of our soldiers are corrected."

Is it morning in America?

A year ago, things looked pretty bleak in the US. There was a lot of dire talk from the right and the left.

America has seen its best days. Decline and fall.

But in the last 24 hours, we've seen Apple unveil what may be a game-changing new electronic device, the latest in a series of cool products.

(Okay, I admit it, I just got an Ipod and I'm completely hooked...)

We've watched Ford roll out huge profit numbers, while Toyota struggles with recalls and lackluster sales.

Eastman Kodak and Proctor & Gamble are also posting surprising profits.

Meanwhile, a visionary American film, Avatar, is the cultural event of the winter around the globe.

What do you think? Blips of good news on a bleak landscape, or a sign that there's some fresh energy out there in the USA?

A death in farming

Late last week the Associated Press reported the suicide of a Columbia County farmer, who had shot and killed his 51 milking Holsteins before shooting himself next to them in his dairy barn. He left over 50 young cows that don't require the grind of twice-daily milking.

The Albany Times Union reports on Dean Pierson's burial in today's edition. A big John Deere tractor led the procession to the grave-site in what reporter Paul Grondahl calls "a cortege of a vanishing slice of Americana."

It's a sad, sad story, particularly in dairy country, and there's really no certainty offered about what was in this man's mind. He left no note of explanation, just a warning on the barn door not to go inside, just call to call 911.
Grondahl's report raises the inevitable questions about the pressures dairy farmers have been under this year: a crash in milk prices, with rising costs. Talk about underwater. He quotes the vet for Pierson and his father before him, Dr. George Beneke:

"Dean grew up being taught if you got up at 5, took good care of your cows and worked hard, you'd be successful," Beneke said. The current situation, he said, is more akin to laboring at a grinding toil and being told after a 12-hour day to open your wallet and pay out $100 for the aggravation.

The large-animal country vet has witnessed several peaks and valleys in farming across four decades. "But none as long or as low as this," he said.

Dean Pierson was 59. He was the son of a first generation Swedish immigrant and took over the farm after his father died at 92. He's survived by his wife and four children.

The coolest hunting video I've ever seen

This Youtube clip comes originally from a BB2 documentary. The concentration, the awareness of a hidden world under the snow, the grace of the attack.

Very cool.

The lamest promise in President Obama's SOTU speech? Bipartisanship.

I've never been a huge fan of bipartisanship. We already have too few political parties in the US.

With only two big, clunky parties left -- the Republican and the Democratic -- we need them to offer clear choices, stark debate, a range of policy choices.

President Barack Obama keeps trying to close the gap, suggesting that the tone of Washington is too rancorous, too vitriolic.

Nonsense. There was a time when lawmakers in the Capital beat each other with cudgels and fought duels.

If the current crop of Democrats and Republicans can't handle a little feistiness, they should go home.

Mr. Obama already has an unwieldy range of opinions within his own party. He should herd his crew together as best he can and get as much done as he can.

To that end, he should encourage Democrats in the Senate to set aside the filibuster rules that are stifling even the most basic policy debates and decisions.

Republicans, too, should make it clear that the filibuster, requiring a 60-vote majority, has no place in the Senate or in any representative body.

Voters don't need Mr. Obama to straddle the fence.

If we don't like the Democratic agenda, or their record of progress, Americans will have a clear choice in 2010 and again in 2012.

On this score, I think the GOP has been much more straightforward and much more honest.

They've said bluntly and unequivocally that they reject the President's plans for the country and hope to offer a new path. They have shown exactly zero interest in bipartisanship.

In this, if in nothing else, the President should follow their lead.

Iraq, torture and the media's next abject failure

In his new book, former CIA operative John Kiriakou admits that his widely touted claims about the effectiveness of waterboarding -- first broadcast by ABC in 2007 -- were simply untrue.

He famously claimed that a top Al Quaeda organizer was "broken" by waterboarding in less than a minute.

"Now we know," Kiriakou writes in his new book, "that Zubaydah was waterboarded eighty-three times in a single month, raising questions about how much useful information he actually supplied."

The story of this bleak, sordid chapter in American foreign policy is still being sorted out, though Jane Mayer's book "The Dark Side" is a good first effort.

What's increasingly clear is that American journalists -- even years after 9/11 -- were cozily cooperating with government disinformation and Orwellian double-speak.

They were carried along by a "24"-ish excitement about rough-and-ready world of spies that were keeping America safe.

Here's Foreign Policy magazine's withering treatment of ABC's coverage of the Kiroakou story:

As Brian Stelter, a New York Times media reporter, wrote last April, Kiriakou "was not actually in the secret prison in Thailand where Mr. Zubaydah had been interrogated but in the C.I.A. headquarters in Northern Virginia. He learned about it only by reading accounts from the field."

ABC's Ross had glossed over the glaring fact in its broadcast, saying only that Kiriakou himself "never carried out any of the waterboarding" -- which got lost in the telling, in light of the main story line picked up by the rest of the media.

ABC has now removed the video of its Kiriakou interview from its site. But the headline, large photo of the CIA man, and story remain, with its opening paragraph, "A leader of the CIA team that captured the first major al Qaeda figure, Abu Zubaydah, says subjecting him to waterboarding was torture but necessary." You have to dig deep to find that none of it is true.

There's the key phrase: None of it is true.

As we learned in the build-up to the Iraq war, journalists are never being patriotic when we parrot government propaganda unquestioningly.

Our job -- perhaps the only real justification for our profession -- is relentless skepticism.

That adversarial role is more, not less, important when the nation is frightened or angry.

Here's the tough set of questions that should be taped to the desk of every editor and reporter in the country:

What are we getting wrong this time? What story are we accepting unquestioningly? What "scoop" or "exclusive" is really just another spin job?

What are we telling our audiences -- on radio, on television, in print -- that simply isn't true?

Is David Paterson a better orator than Barack Obama?

I've been in the room for a dozen or so appearances by Governor David Paterson, and for one appearance by President Barack Obama.

On this day, when the Governor was in Crown Point and the President is prepping for his SOTU address, I can't help playing with a comparison.

The first-blush answer to the question in the headline of this post is, obviously, Mr. Obama.

His speeches during the 2008 campaign are some of the most compelling and rousing examples of political oratory since Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

But I'll be honest: The teleprompter thing is getting to me. As a professional news reader, I can't help but notice that Mr. Obama is performing.

He's reading well, but he's still reading. He rarely seems to really embody what he's saying. It's not just a lack of passion.

I often have the sense that he has two more speeches to deliver after this one -- and he'll probably deliver those pretty well, too.

But is he feeling it? Is his attention really focused? I'm not feeling it.

Compare that to David Paterson: Because of his visual impairment, New York's governor performs almost entirely from memory.

No teleprompters and at least when he's on the road, no earbuds.

At Crown Point today, he was able to name state and local officials from Vermont and New York, practically down to the dogcatcher level.

A gimmick? A mnemonic trick? I don't think so.

He was also able to talk with nuance about the economic impacts of the bridge closure on these regional communities -- and about the complex programs that have been implemented to solve the problem.

Asked about the Moriah Shock prison closure, Mr. Paterson talked knowledgeably about that particular facility, about corrections policy, about the changing prison industry.

Whatever he's talking about, he seems to actually be in that moment, thinking about that thing. Not about his next speech in Buffalo, or wherever.

A final observation: Paterson is often funny and unpredictable. Not always great qualities in a politician, but interesting in an orator.

Obviously, both men's communications skills will be tested in the coming months.

Mr. Obama will need every bit of that bully pulpit to salvage his agenda from a lackluster first year.

And Mr. Paterson will have to step up his game several notches to win a first full term.

His best laugh-line today?

He promised to be back in Crown Point next year, as governor, when the new Lake Champlain bridge is opened for traffic.

More questions about the LeRoy Douglas story in Black Brook

LeRoy Douglas, in the Clinton County town of Black Brook, has emerged as a prominent figure in the Adirondack property rights movement.

Last year, Douglas sued the Adirondack Council environmental group for its involvement in an Adirondack Park Agency enforcement case on his land.

He also told the Glens Falls Post Star that he had experienced "nothing but trouble from environmental groups trying to buy his land..."

"I think I have been picked upon by the state of new York, the Adirondack Park Agency, the DEC, now the Adirondack Council is involved," Douglas says, in a video posted on the Post-Star's website.

"Because they're targeting my land on Silver Lake to be turned over to the state of New York."

Douglas describes state land acquisitions as part of an effort to purge local property owners.

"All they want to do is come in here and change everything over and take everything away, the lands and the rights away from the Adirondackers."

In a post on this blog, Post-Star reporter Will Doolittle wrote that he was told by Douglas that he never had any interest in selling his land to the state and didn't want his property included on a list for future land acquisitions.

But documents provided to NCPR by the Department of Environmental Conservation indicate that Douglas himself approached the state of New York in an effort to sell part of his land -- specifically for inclusion in the Adirondack forest preserve.

In a letter written to New York's Department of Environmental Conservation in 2000, Douglas writes, "This letter is to serve as a formal notice of intent to sell a portion of my property at Silver Lake, Black Brook, New York, to the state of New York."

Douglas points out that the "Bainbridge Parcel" lies between chunks of forest preserve land and property owned at the time by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

In the letter, Douglas notes that his realtor had already met and toured the property with officials from the DEC and with the Nature Conservancy's Mike Carr.

Before signing "very truly yours," Douglas asks the state to clarify whether or not they are interested in acquiring his land.

In a response letter, sent to Douglas in July 2000, a DEC official thanked him for his interest and asked for more information.

"I expect the state may very well be interested in acquiring your property," wrote DEC regional forester Tom Martin. "But please be aware that this is not a quick process."

Martin advised Douglas that the state can only pay fair market value and adds, "We will move forward as soon as we hear from you."

More reporting needs to be done on this story, but the letters released today by the DEC raise questions about Douglas's portrayal of himself as someone hounded by the state and by green groups.

It also appears to clarify why his property was included on the state's Open Space Plan -- apparently at his own request.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, Douglas has never asked them to remove his property from the list of land under consideration for purchase by the state.

Read the original letters in this .pdf document.

Governor in Crown Point today

Governor David Paterson is in solid pre-campaign mode and that journey takes him to Crown Point today.

No, the ferry's not ready to open service across Lake Champlain. According to state officials, he plans to tell people from the area that it soon will be.

The Governor is scheduled to speak at 1:30 pm. It should be an interesting moment. He's not exactly the most popular man in the central Champlain Valley at the moment.

Last week, Paterson announced plans to close the Moriah Shock correctional facility, one of the top employers in the area.

A protest is planned for tomorrow.

Conservation hearing underway in Albany

Lawmakers, activists and state officials are debating cuts to the state's conservation programs today in Albany.

This has a huge bearing on the Adirondack-North Country, everything from historic sites to campgrounds to open space and farm protection/

You can watch the proceedings by going here and clicking on the panel that looks like a computer screen.

Baffled by Harold Ford Jr.

I'm completely confused by Harold Ford Jr.'s quest to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in New York.

The former lawmaker from Tennessee -- with no ties in New York state -- has been bashing Gillibrand for her ties to the Democratic Party.

And, even more weirdly, for her strong connection to Se4n. Chuck Schumer.

I know that some downstate Dems dislike Gillibrand. They view her as too conservative, too Upstate.

But Ford isn't "state" at all. And many of his views, on abortion rights and same-sex marriage, are more conservative than Gillibrand's.

By dragging Schumer into this fight, it's hard to see how Ford will win much support outside of a few disgruntled enclaves in the City.

For the full knock-down drag-out, go to Politico.

I'll say again: A lot of politicians have underestimated Gillibrand at their own peril.

When Ford describes her as "a parakeet," it suggests that he hasn't yet sorted out the lay of the land.

It's also worth noting that Gillibrand has followed almost exactly the same political path pioneered by former Senator Hillary Clinton.

After her election, Clinton laid low for a full term, playing the good soldier and the party water-carrier.

Suggesting that Gillibrand -- who has yet to win an election in her own right as New York Senator -- should be mavericking around in Washington is far-fetched.

The bottom line? All the squabbling is mildly entertaining. But I've yet to see how this primary race turns into much of a race at all.

Scozzafava defends Moriah Shock in Times-Union

The Albany Times-Union published an impassioned plea today by Moriah town supervisor Tom Scozzafava to save the Moriah Shock prison camp.

We have suffered enough. Stop this unfair treatment of the Adirondack people and look at this region from the perspective of the people who call it home.

Scozzafava has organized a rally planned to take place in Port Henry Thursday afternoon at 4:30 pm.

Melissa Block's first Lake Placid story: skicross "carnage" at Whiteface

The All Things Considered host is in Lake Placid this week, previewing the Vancouver Olympics. Her first story aired last night on ATC, describing the skicross competition.

Sounds brutal and riveting.

If you missed it, Melissa's story will re-air next week as part of our big Vancouver warm-up week on NCPR.

New York's plan for open space purchases in the Adirondacks

Governor David Paterson is proposing an open-ended moratorium on new land purchases of state land in the Adirondack Park.

It's part of his massive budget-cutting plan and not a response to the simmering feud over conservation efforts inside the blue line.

But the moratorium idea has played into the North Country debate. A growing number of lawmakers say the time-out should be used to develop a plan for land acquisitions.

In fact, such a plan already exists:

The New York State Open Space Conservation Plan is updated every three years, based on a lot of public comment and input.

Interestingly, the 2009 revision hinted at a pull-back on new land acquisitions and made it clear that budget constraints would reshape the state's land-purchase agenda.

The document also shifts attention to environmental goals -- dealing with water quality and climate change, for example -- rather than simply acquiring big parcels.

There is a lot in this document already about promoting sustainable communities inside the Adirondack Park.

And there's a lot of detail about which parcels in the Park the state is still interested in buying. (Scroll down to pg. 90 for those details.)

Whether those purchases should go forward is open for debate, especially now that the state is mired in debt, with few resources available for stewardship.

But one thing is certain: The state has made its intentions clear. A plan exists, formed with tons of inputs from locals. (The document includes a list of all the participants.)

Getting excited about Vancouver

I've been looking at old Olympic highlight reels from Nagano, Salt Lake City and Torino.

Pretty awesome. A lot of familiar faces from the North Country will be back this winter, but I found myself shedding backyard fever.

Didn't matter where the athletes hailed from.

It was the awesome power of the jumps, the raw power of the mogul skiers, the incredible risk-taking that made me catch my breath, even on old, grainy VCR recordings.

We live in a world where the media culture is largely summer-oriented.

This is a time when snow and ice are celebrated as more than the stuff you scrape off your car.

A time when California and Florida are nudged aside briefly by the North Latitudes.

NCPR's coverage will kick off in a big way next week with a five-day series of pre-Vancouver specials.

We'll also have celebrated sports photographer Nancie Battaglia reporting for us on the ground there.

And we'll be checking in with other journalists including Peter Crowley from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

It's going to be fun and exciting -- global as well as down-home.

We'll also be blogging regularly about the competition here on the In Box, so be ready to join in with your handicapping and your reactions.

Why Republicans have to do better

It's clear from this month's election in Massachusetts that Americans want options other than the Democratic Party.

Which is why it's so frustrating that the Republicans continue to make bone-headed plays like this one.

South Carolina's lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer, was caught on tape comparing poor people to stray animals.

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman," Bauer says. "But she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why?"

A woman in the audience interrupts, saying, "Because they'll never leave you?"

But Bauer's point is far more distasteful:

"Because they breed!" he says. "You are facilitating the problem. If you give an animal or person ample food supply, they will reproduce. Especially ones that don't think too much further than that."

His point seems to be that by denying adequate nutrition to poor families you will convince them to have fewer babies.

He actually argues that school lunch programs are bad because schools with the highest percentage of kids receiving free lunches have low test scores.

As I've written here before, Americans -- including myself -- are interested in and open-minded about conservative ideas.

Free market solutions to endemic poverty are clearly an important part of the overall strategy.

But this kind of thinking is, bluntly, barbaric.

Bauer suggests in his speech that anyone condemning this kind of talk is blinded by political correctness.

He's wrong. Making sure America's children have at least one decent meal every day isn't politically correct, it's morally correct.

From New York state to the halls of Congress, voters want a revitalized GOP, with fresh ideas for tackling our problems.

A good next step is for national Republican leaders to repudiate Bauer's ugliness.

Haitian relief summit in Montreal

The latest big gathering to strategize global Haiti relief is taking place just north of us in Montreal. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be there, and the Haitian PM has already arrived.

For details of the gathering, go here.

A repeat of NY-23 in Virginia?

The Washington Post lays out an interesting story today about a House race in Virginia that has overtones of the Scozzafava-Hoffman debacle here in the North Country.

As in New York, Republican leaders in Virginia are backing a moderate state lawmaker, Sen. Robert Hurt, whose record enrages many conservatives, including a disparate band of Tea Party activists.

To them, Hurt is not a real conservative because of his past support for tax increases, and they're promising a third-party challenge if he wins the nomination.

Meanwhile, Doug Hoffman's camp has released polling data suggesting that he's the best candidate for the Republicans to back in 2010.

Not against Rep. Scott Murphy, who represents the district where Hoffman lives, but in a rematch against Rep. Bill Owens.

The scariest thing in the North Country economy? Your house.

The Watertown Daily Times is running a story today about home sales in St. Lawerence County, where median prices have dropped 14% and total sales have plummeted by nearly a quarter.

Conversations with realtors across the North Country suggest similar numbers, though the texture of the real estate meltdown differs from town to town.

So far, the property tax assessments for much of the region haven't caught up.

Counties and school districts are still taxing our homes as if it's early 2008, rather than early 2010.

But when re-evaluations are done, I'm guessing that local governments across the region are going to find that their taxable property has shriveled in overall value dramatically.

Second-home markets may prove to be the most volatile. Waterfront homes may (or may not) hold some of their ludicrously inflated value.

But the last few years before the bust, many back-lot homes were selling at premium prices to vacation-home buyers.

Are those houses still worth $200-400,000? It's hard to imagine.

Which means that as communities prepare for far fewer dollars flowing from Albany, they'll also have to adjust their tax collection locally.

If waterfront McMansions are no longer the cash cow, everyone else will have to get milked a little more when local governments work to balance their budgets.

Or there will have to be deep cuts. Either way, it's a painful reality.

Of course, there are other side-effects of a lackluster real estate economy.

A lot of our people were earning their livings as home-builders, remodelers or care-takers. The demand for those services is far less bullish.

The slow turnover of houses also raises serious questions about big, next-generation projects, including the condo development in North Creek and the luxury home development proposed for Big Tupper.

What do you think? Is your house worth what it was a few years ago? Looking for bargains? Comment below.

Lake Placid on NPR's Olympics radar

Next week, National Public Radio will air stories from Lake Placid reported by Melissa Block, co-host of All Things Considered.

Her stories will look forward toward the Vancouver Winter Games just a few weeks away, and look back at the history of our Olympic Village.

With nearly a dozen local and regional athletes expected to compete, it's fun to see the Adirondacks holding their own in the mythology of the Olympics.

Tune in for my interview with Melissa on Monday morning during the 8 O'clock Hour, followed by her All Things Considered reports Monday afternoon.

Paul Harvey, the first member of the conservative media elite

There has been a running thread on this blog -- and throughout American culture the last couple of decades -- about 'liberal media elites.'

The narrative goes something like this:

A semi-coordinated network exists of Hollywood types, news executives, celebrities, writers and musicians.

This network pushes a broad progressive agenda that is at odds with the silent majority of Americans, who tend to be more traditionalist, more conservative.

This outline of the culture war doesn't make any sense any more. The most powerful -- and best coordinated -- part of our media culture is conservative.

At a time when Air America is going under and big newspapers like the New York Times are imploding, Fox News and Rush have emerged as the elite megaphones of our age.

But I'm skeptical that our media culture ever worked in the way that conservatives claim.

From Ronald Reagan to John Wayne to writers like H.L. Mencken, we've always had powerful right-of-center voices in our media.

Our media have also been controlled by fiercely conservative corporate interests, from GE to Newscorp.

Another sign of the conservative media elite's long history emerged this week with the New York Times' expose of Paul Harvey's longstanding government ties.

The article details how Harvey coordinated his conservative views -- and his massive broadcasting power -- with the interests of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI.

Harvey also offered his services to Republican Senator Joe McCarthy. The entire effort was kept secret, from the public and Harvey's audiences, according to the Times.

A senior FBI official added a handwritten notation to ensure that Harvey's letter would not be distributed outside the bureau's top brass: "No dissemination since identity of Harvey cannot be revealed."

Harvey is hardly alone in mingling his media power with conservative politics. Diane Sawyer, ABC's news anchor, was a close confidante of Richard Nixon and helped write his memoirs.

(Actually, the list of media potentates with ties to the Nixon administration is remarkable, also including William Safire and Patrick Buchanan.)

By any measure, these figures have wielded colossal media power, earning fortunes and often putting their voices in service of the big government that many conservatives distrust.

And that, as they say, is the rest of the story.

My checklist? The backcountry. Neighbors. A bottle of wine.

It's been a stellar couple of days in the Adirondacks. All the dire news out of Albany has been leavened by sun, snow and solitude.

On Thursday, we skied the great, twisting loop around John Brown's farm, with Sara the dog pounding through deep powder.

Today, we climbed back in to Avalanche Lake, eating pastrami sandwiches under the big cliffs and watching chickadees snoop around for leftovers.

Snow conditions? Impeccable. Sun? Check.

I'm not saying the outdoors is an easy antidote to all that ails us. If you can't pay the mortgage, it's hard to enjoy a day on snowshoes.

But it is important to remind ourselves why we make the North Country home.

Cool neighbors, quiet, brittle-cold air, and the hiss of snow under your skies. That's my checklist.

What's on your list? What makes this place worth the struggle? Comments welcome below.

A quiet revolution of GOP progressives?

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for the Republican Party.

First, the GOP elects Scott Brown to the US Senate, a guy with some serious conservative credibility, but also some serious culture war ambiguity in his background.

This is a politician who posed nude in Cosmo, whose wife appeared in a bikini in a rock-and-roll MTV video, and whose daughter appeared on American Idol.

Brown is generally pro-choice, though he opposes late-term procedures; and he voted in favor of Massachusetts' universal healthcare plan.

Meanwhile, two of the GOP's most visible figures -- Meghan and Cindy McCain -- have embraced same-sex marriage.

Then, one of the most prominent Republican mayors in the country, San Diego's Jerry Sanders, broadcast his own support for gay marriage, after discovering that his daughter is a lesbian in a committed relationship.

"I could not tell a whole segment of our community they were less deserving of marriage than anyone else simply due to their sexual orientation," said Sanders. "I do believe times have changed and opinions change. The concept of a separate but equal institution is not something I can support."

Throw into this mix the weird energy of Ron Paul's libertarian anti-war activism and you have a picture of a party with a deep contrarian streak.

No doubt this is a time of outsized tea party activism, with conservatives still dominating the Republican agenda.

But that fact may reflect the media's agenda -- Fox News, Rush, etc. -- more than the complex debate going on at the grassroots.

What's clear is that a vivid undercurrent exists among GOP leaders -- many from urban areas, and from blue states -- who are wrestling in interesting ways with modern American life.

What about the Finch, Pruyn land deal?

As we report today, the state's decision to halt all new land purchases in the Adirondack Park leaves local green groups holding some pretty big bags.

The Adirondack Nature Conservancy is sitting on nearly 70,000 acres of the Finch, Pruyn lands, not to mention $80 million in debt.

Annual carrying costs for all that acreage: roughly $3 million.

Some of that is offset by timber harvesting and other revenues, but it's still a massive and unexpected drain.

Critics of these deals say the moratorium is a common sense decision given a budget deficit that totals more than $60 billion over the next five years.

State Senator Betty Little says it also offers a chance to re-evaluate whether the state needs more forest preserve land, especially at a time when Governor David Paterson is slashing stewardship money and staff.

Supporters say one of the landmark conservation deals in the Northeast in the last half-century is at risk of slipping away.

One fascinating wrinkle here is the extraordinary, back-of-the-napkin way that these deals get done.

The Nature Conservancy bought these lands -- 161,000 acres -- without a contract with New York state, with little more than a handshake.

Here's Joe Martens, head of the Open Space Institute, which helped finance the Finch deal, speaking to the Associated Press.

"It leaves a lot of us high and dry," Joe Martens of the Open Space Institute said. The group has spent $11 million on some 4,000 acres in 20 parcels bought from 2005 to 2008 with approvals by the DEC to take them.

"We did not sign contracts. Until September of '08, we felt we didn't need contracts," Martens said.

So what do you think? Is the state right to divert its dedicated Environmental Protection Fund to help pay for things like healthcare and education?

Or should Governor Paterson and the legislature pay up for deals that were begun on the basis of a gentleman's agreement?

Opinions welcome below.

Is it time to pull the plug on the current healthcare bill?

When the Democrats stormed back to power beginning in 2006, progressives crowed about a victory by the "reality-based" community.

They promised an era of good governance, transparency, and common sense that would wash away the worst excesses of the Bush era.

Their first grand effort is the healthcare reform package, now circling the drain following the election of Sen. Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) this week.

His upset victory puts the legislation in dire political peril.

But there's also a growing amount of evidence that it's just not a very good effort at solving a big problem.

It's too expensive, too bureaucratic, and too many of the benefits are deferred for too long.

Unlike many critics, I think there's a reasonable argument to be made that the worst aspects of the bill emerged as a result not of partisanship, but misguided conciliation.

If you want to reform a massive chunk of our economy -- much of it subsidized by taxpayers -- you need a vision, a plan, a coherent set of guiding principles.

Instead, the White House left it to the sausage factory of Congress to sort out.

Not a wretched idea, given the fate of the Clinton health effort, but it just didn't work.

Lawmakers got lost in the deal-making and the fine-print.

Democrats deserve a ton of blame for this dead-end, but so do Republicans, who have taken to simply denying that the healthcare industry is in crisis.

They're wrong.

The cost of the current system is spiraling out of control and so far the private sector hasn't come up with real solutions, leaving tens of millions of Americans unprotected.

But Democrats own this. The next logical step is for them to admit defeat, regroup and begin again.

Democratic leaders should go back and negotiate in good faith with moderates in their own party to determine how far reform legislation can go this year.

Then they should unify and tell that story to the American people.

I'm guessing that broad consensus can be reached eliminating the worst insurance industry excesses, allowing governments to negotiate prescription drug prices more aggressively, and expanding coverage to the uninsured significantly.

Democrats should also include good conservative ideas, including reasonable tort reform and interstate competition for insurance companies.

Frankly, I think it's a mistake to begin the process by courting Republicans.

Develop a good bill, using bipartisan ideas, then win over the American people. Do that and reasonable members of the GOP will join the process.

But the first step is developing a coherent, workable bill.

If this is, indeed, a reality-based moment for American government, the Democrats should prove that now by scrapping this mess and starting fresh.

Did we do enough to prepare for the prison industry's implosion?

I've been prowling through NCPR's story archives looking for prison-industry related stories and I stumbled across this headline from August 2001:

NY Prison Population Shrinks for First Year Since 1972

The Federal Bureau of Prisons says New York's inmate population fell nearly four percent last year.

And then I stumbled across this from March 2002:

North Country Prison Industry Faces Recession

This year, New York state's prisons cut more than six hundred corrections officers. With inmate populations shrinking, corrections commissioner Glenn Goord says another five hundred prison guards will go this year. As Brian Mann reports, the loss of high paying jobs is being felt in prison towns across the North Country.

Long before Governor George Pataki left office, the state Department of Correctional Services was making it clear that prisons were heading toward the chopping block.

Long before the Spitzer-Paterson era, Pataki embraced Rockefeller drug law reform, which was certain to drop inmate populations even further.

Inmate populations have continued to shrink rapidly, dropping by roughly 20% in the last decade.

Another big warning shot came when Camp Gabriels closed in 2009.

So here's the question: Should state and local leaders have done more to prepare communities for the contraction of the correctional industry?

What -- if anything -- could have been done to begin transitioning towns like Lyon Mountain, Moria, and Ogdensburg away from prison-guard work?

Your opinions welcome.

A North Country challenger for Scott Murphy?

The Glens Falls Post Star is reporting that Queensbury supervisor Dan Stec may challenge Democrat Scott Murphy in this year's House race.

Stec, a Republican, said he will spend the month of February meeting with county chairmen and other prominent Republicans in the 20th Congressional District to discuss the race.

He said he already has met with one county chairman, a former county chairman and a state Republican committee member.

Murphy's seat was expected to be hotly contested this year, but so far no challengers have formally stepped forward.

The Brown victory in Massachusetts could inspire more GOP contestants to enter races in some of these purple districts.

Saranac Lake's Frenette confirmed to Olympic ski jumping team

Here's the announcement issued this afternoon that 19-year-old Peter Frenette will go to Vancouver, jumping for the US:

A Lake Placid native, Frenette jumps out of the New York Ski Educational Foundation. He has been a regular on the Continental Cup with three point-scoring finishes this season highlighted by a top-20 on the final weekend of selection in Sapporo, Japan. Johnson, who made the 2006 Olympic Team at the age of 16, suffered a knee injury in July but has made a comeback, breaking into the points twice in the Sapporo Continental Cup.

PS: In the press release, ski team officials are identifying Frenette as a Lake Placid guy, a nod to the Olympic village's international fame.

Is the Governor's budget a step toward Depression for the North Country?

The vast majority of economists -- even many conservatives -- agree that in a deep recession the government's best response is to boost spending.

In the short term, or so goes the conventional wisdom, stimulating economic activity outweighs other considerations, including tax- and deficit-cutting.

Governor David Paterson has clearly decided that New York state must follow a different path.

He wants to balance the budget quickly, with a bare minimum of tax increases.

Some lawmakers want to go even further. In an interview yesterday, state Senator Betty Little suggested cutting taxes in an effort to stimulate private sector growth.

But any tax cuts would have to be offset by even more draconian cuts to state agencies, to school districts, and to local governments.

All of these approaches are worth debating.

But in the short term, the budget plan proposed by Governor Paterson run a serious risk of pushing the North Country into a full-scale Depression.

Unemployment in much of the region already tops 10%. In recent months, we've seen a brutal cycle of lay-offs and plant-closings in the private sector.

This spending plan would close three prisons in the region, and two Adirondack Park VICs.

It would also trigger teacher and local-government layoffs, likely of some magnitude.

In a region that has long been far too addicted to taxpayer money for our jobs and and pet projects, the Governor is asking us to go cold turkey.

The question is simple: Can already hard-pressed communities like Newcomb, Lyon Mountain, Moriah and Ogdensburg survive?

Can they hold on until the private sector bounces back? Or will these cuts push them beyond a tipping point?

Consider the town of Moriah, already battered by the loss of heavy industry. Without those prison jobs, the already dwindling school population will take a massive hit.

If the school were to close, and merge with a nearby district, the community might have reached a point of no return.

As Governor Paterson describes it, we have few options: There simply is no more money to spend.

But perhaps this is a time when the sacrifices should be targeted more carefully, or spread more evenly over the entire state.

Lacking that, the Governor's team needs to build a credible program for helping communities battered by sudden public-sector downsizing.

Here's one idea:

The Governor's budget says the closure of the three North Country prisons would save the state roughly $45 million over the next two years.

If the prisons do close, why not roll that savings into a permanent capital investment fund for the region?

The fund would be controlled entirely by locals, with oversight from the state Comptroller, but would be targeted specifically to help entrepreneurs and new start-ups.

The state would still realize all the savings into the future, but we would be left with some seed money, something we could use as we see fit as we begin to rebuild our private sector.

A fund like this would acknowledge two basic truths: First, that we've become too reliant on taxpayer funded jobs; and second that we need a little time to wean ourselves from Albany and Washington.

Without this kind of serious thinking and planning -- without leaving some grounds for hope -- Governor Paterson's budget could cripple the North Country for years to come.

While the rest of New York state recovers, we may emerge as something worse than a permanent rust belt.

We could be a depopulated backwater, abandoned first by industry and then by government.

What Brown's Mass. victory means for NY

Here are my two big takeaways from last night's big Republican win in Massachusetts.

First, it's a reminder to Democrats that this is a democracy. You don't crown new US Senators, you elect them.

We've seen the Democratic Party in New York state devolve into a kind of bickering and dysfunction that suggests they may feel untouchable.

The message from Boston: What happens in Albany doesn't stay in Albany. If you don't create a meaningful message and a pragmatic platform, voters will find someone else to vote for.

There is also a growing discomfort with the size of government and the overhang of debt, especially among independents. Healthcare is the flash point of that fear.

If Democrats learn this lesson, refocusing their passion on jobs and economic security, the loss in Massachusetts might be worth the pain.

The second big lesson here is for conservatives. There has been a lot of nonsense spluttered over the last year about various conspiracies and the loss of democracy.

Republicans have even muttered about secession and batted around ridiculous talk about President Obama's legitimacy.

This election proves one thing, once and for all: In America, change happens at the ballot box.

If you dislike Barack Obama, organize to defeat his party. Try to unseat him in 2012.

But it's time to stop suggesting that every time you lose, it reflects a secret plot against the 'true America.'

The bottom line?

Yesterday was a huge victory for democracy, proof that voters don't want one-party rule, even in a progressive bastion like Massachusetts, and proof that we prefer dynamic politicians over dynasties.

If Democrats and Republicans pay heed, New York's 2010 campaign year will be far more dynamic.

Can Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Little work together?

Devastating economic news for the North Country today.

If three of the region's prisons close over the next year, slashing nearly five hundred jobs, it would undermine the region's already woefully thin prosperity.

Those corrections officer jobs, and associated civilian positions, literally anchor whole communities.

They boost school enrollment, allow volunteer fire departments to keep functioning, and spread cash through the retail economy.

There is already some indication that the cuts may be falling with disproportionate weight on this region.

And it's hard to understand why the Moriah Shock camp would be closed at a time when Rockefeller drug reform laws are increasing demand for that kind of rehabilitation-oriented program.

Two of the region's powerful state Senators -- Democrat Darrel Aubertine and Republican Betty Little -- have promised to fight hammer and tong to block at least part of these cuts.

Can they pull it off?

That may depend in part on whether they can work together.

The state Senate has a narrow Democratic majority, one that teeters constantly.

If Aubertine and Little were to form a serious and committed North Country caucus, they could throw a lot of weight around.

They seem to view this issue identically, so a partnership of convenience seems logical.

If they honestly believe that these cuts are unfair and inappropriate, it may be time for their offices to set aside partisan differences and past battles and unify around this fight.

It's hard to imagine a more important issue for the region.

School board association: Paterson "between a rock and a hard place"

Gov. Paterson's proposed budget asks for a billion dollars in cuts to school aid, five percent overall. That alone is expected to draw heated opposition from legislators, who restored much of Paterson's lesser proposed school aid cuts in last year's budget.
Paterson also wants to delay equalizing "foundation aid" to district across the state, and universal pre-K funding, and he wants to eliminate teacher training centers entirely.

The response from NYS School Boards Association Executive Director Timothy Kremer seems very measured:

Governor Paterson must feel like he is caught between a rock and a hard place. While he proposes a painful cut in 2010-11 school aid and further delays a permanent fix of the school funding formula, he accompanies his budget with a recommendation for a much-appreciated moratorium on an expensive set of unfunded mandates.

However, the fiscal implications of the proposed budget will vary widely from district to district. Those that are highly dependent on state aid, with limited reserves and little room to cut any further, are the most vulnerable. Their programs will be jeopardized.

The state’s fiscal crisis is a challenge of the highest order. Local school officials will do their part by protecting as best they can educational programs, improving quality, and optimizing every available resource.

For New York to develop economically, create new jobs, and introduce new technologies and other innovations, we will need a highly educated workforce. Public education is and must forever be the state’s number one priority.

Breaking: Moratorium on land purchases for the Adirondack Forest Preserve; could affect Finch Pruyn and Follensby

Governor David Paterson's budget would stop new spending on land purchases in the Adirondack Park for the next year.

According to the budget plan issued today, "moratorium on forest preserve and open space land acquisition" would continue through 2012.

Money from a sharply reduced environmental protection fund would instead be spent on stewardship, park revitalization, and farmland protection.

This is a move that local government leaders and the region's Assembly and state Senate representatives have called for for years.

The news comes at a time when the Adirondack Nature Conservancy is trying to orchestrate the state's purchase of tens of thousands of acres of former Finch, Pruyn land.

In the past, the Conservancy's executive director, Mike Carr, has acknowledged that servicing their debt load on the project is prohibitive.

It's unclear at this hour how this delay would affect that project, or the acquisition of Follsenby Pond near Tupper Lake.

We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

Breaking: Ogdensburg, Moriah Shock and Lyon Mountain prisons targeted for closure; 480 jobs at stake

State officials are proposing to close three more North Country prison, under the budget-cutting plan being laid out today by Governor David Paterson.

They include the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility in St. Lawrence County, Lyon Mountain Correctional Facility in Clinton County, the Moriah Shock camp in Essex County.

Roughly 480 high-paying government jobs are at stake.

"Closing an entire facility in an already poor area that's already reeling and facing devastation from other industries that are closing is just going to continue to force the North Country and St. Lawrence COunty's economy down," said Ogdensburg Mayor Bill Nelson.

"It is proposed to close [the facilities] next year," Sen. Betty Little's spokesman Dan Mac Entee told North Country Public Radio.

"Obviously the Senator is very concerned. It's not altogether surprising that upstate facilities are once again targeted for closure. Given the concentration of power downstate it's hard to fight back against something like that."

State officials will also target part of one other correctional facility in Wayne County, but the North Country clearly faces the brunt of the closures.

Here are details provided by New York state's Department of Correctional Services:

Combined, the closures are expected to save $3 million in operating costs in 2010-11 and $45.8 million in 2011-12, plus $14.1 million over the next five years by avoiding needed capital construction projects. Those savings will help cover the cost of the enhanced mental health and sex offender programs and help DOCS manage the state prison system within its budget.

Lyon Mountain (91 employees as of 12/31/09; 162 general confinement beds; 135 inmates as of 12/31/09), savings of $7.2 million in annual operating costs, plus $950,000 in capital savings by avoiding needed capital projects over the next three years, including replacing an existing retaining wall ($150,000) in 2010-11, repairing and repointing buildings 2 and 5 ($500,000) and installing metal siding in building 7 ($100,000) in 2011-12, and constructing a storage building ($200,000) in 2012-13.

Ogdensburg (287 employees as of 12/31/09; 612 beds – only 490 in staffed housing units; 474 inmates as of 12/31/09), savings of $23.9 million in annual operating costs and $12,431,000 in five-year capital-cost avoidance, including providing shower controls ($300,000), upgrading the site-wide security perimeter closed circuit television system ($800,000) and replacing the hot water boiler house ($9,431,000 plus the recurring annual cost to hire five additional employees to help operate it) in 2012-13, and rehabilitating the Flower Building basement ($200,000) in 2013-14. Ogdensburg’s other 122 beds are in unoccupied housing units that are no longer staffed, a result of the department’s 2008 housing unit consolidations.

Moriah Shock Incarceration (102 employees as of 12/31/09; 300 beds – only 200 in staffed housing units; 170 inmates as of 12/31/09), savings of $9.5 million in annual operating costs and $695,000 in five-year capital construction costs, including renovation of the water tower ($225,000) in 2010-11, upgrading HVAC air handlers to eliminate window air conditioning units ($45,000) in 2011-12, upgrading insulation of building 1 ($50,000) in 2012-13, and replacing the site-wide fire alarm system ($300,000) and replacing mess hall tables ($75,000) in 2014-15. Moriah’s other 100 beds are in unoccupied housing units that are no longer staffed, a result of the department’s 2008 housing unit consolidations.

Moriah Shock is located in the town of Moriah, a former iron-mining town where jobs and economic opportunity are scarce.

The facility houses low-risk inmates and the prisoners have offered a wide range of services to the region, including firefighting.

Facilities in Clinton and St. Lawrence County also provide hundreds of jobs, at a time when private-sector jobs are scarce.

NCPR will air Governor Paterson's budget address live at 11 am and will have full coverage of this story this afternoon during All Before Five.

That pelican, again

During my interview with ornithologist Gerry Smith this morning, his advice for bird watching along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River was, "Whenever you're standing by large water looking for birds, look at the water because anything is possible." He then recounted the story from a couple of years ago when a resident of the Thousand Islands spotted a White Pelican near Grenadier Island off of Mallorytown, Ontario. Susie Wood emailed me the photo this morning, and I thought I'd share it. It was taken by Bill Jackson.

As Gerry says, "We don't get white pelicans that often, but once in a while they wander in."

Gerry Smith is author of "Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail". Birders -- where are your favorite birding spots along the Seaway Trail?

What Maher Arar says about American justice

Events since 9/11 have been confusing, traumatic, divisive, and frightening. It's hard to peel away the layers of vitriol and animosity to find any clarity.

But the case of Maher Arar is as uncomplicated as it is harrowing.

Here are the facts, which are not in dispute:

In 2002, Arar was kidnapped by the American government from JFK airport in New York City.

Without any form of judicial review, the Canadian citizen was hustled off to Syria, where he was incarcerated in a tiny cell -- literally the size of a grave -- and tortured for a year.

Everyone now agrees that Mr. Arar was innocent of any involvement in terrorism or any other crime.

The New York Review of Books lays out the entire, sordid affair in their latest edition.

But here's the insult added to injury.

While the Canadian government has compensated Mr. Arar $10.5 million for their role in the affair, the US has denied him any form of apology or compensation.

The US courts have cited national security in denying him the opportunity to sue American officials.

This from the NYRB:

The seven-judge majority agreed, finding that any adjudication would likely involve classified information, and could not proceed "without inquiry into the perceived need for the [extraordinary rendition] policy, the threats to which it responds, the substance and sources of the intelligence used to formulate it, and the propriety of adopting specific responses to particular threats in light of apparent geopolitical circumstances and our relations with foreign countries."

This is truly Orwellian. The American government makes a mistake, which leads to the imprisonment and brutal torture of an innocent man.

Then, in denying him his day in court, justices argue that their first priority is to protect the very system which created the injustice.

The Obama administration has in many cases sided with the Bush administration's handling of national security post 9/11. And the threats to our nation are very real.

But in this case, vigilance has to be balanced with a sense of basic human decency.

If it's not safe to allow this case to go to trial, then the American government should issue Mr. Arar a formal apology and compensate him generously.

Is Big Tupper a feel good story? In every way.

The North Country isn't an easy place to live.

Whether you're struggling to find a job, or struggling to dig your car out of the snow to get to your job, our reality is not for the faint of heart.

Which is why we need as many stories like Big Tupper as possible.

I skied the revitalized mountain yesterday and I can't say I've had a better few hours in my ten years with NCPR.

The slopes were busy, the mountain was crewed by really helpful volunteers, and it was also just a great day to be outside.

The view from up there? Immense, grand: North woods and lakes stretching into mist. Kids in bright-colored jumpsuits, snowboarders grinning like devils.

The lessons are pretty obvious. In a low-population area like this, a handful of people can make a huge difference, but it takes a couple of big ingredients.

First, it takes as many souls as possible getting involved. And second, we have to learn how to check unproductive negativity.

I have too many gloom-and-doom conversations, with people convinced that we're done for. Kaput. Out of steam. Or else they're caught up in old rivalries.

One of NCPR's jobs, I think, is to report on real problems, real issues that we face.

But another important role we play is to share success stories, from one town and one valley to the next.

We have to make sure that people know that Big Tupper was possible, so that more Big Tuppers can happen.

So here's my challenge for this thread: What is the Big Tupper in your community?

What is the one important step that your town or village can take to recapture some of that energy?

If you don't have any ideas, let me suggest a day on the slopes at Big Tupper. It's the perfect place for inspiration.

Siena: Gillibrand losing support

A new Siena poll finds Senator Kirsten Gillibrand losing some love from New Yorkers. More people view her unfavorably, 32% to 30% (with an even bigger "don't know/no opinion" of 38%). She's described as favorable by just 37% of Democrats.

What might be the biggest number is how the moderate Democrat fares with independents: 44% of them view her unfavorably.

Those sentiments bear out in potential races. Just 29% of voters say they'd vote for Gillibrand in 2010. 45% say they'd vote for "someone else". According to the poll, Gillibrand would beat Harold Ford, Jr. in a run-off, 41% to 17%. But former Governor George Pataki would beat Gillibrand 51% to 38%.

Pollster Steven Greenberg says all these numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt. Gillibrand - appointed by Governor Paterson about a year ago - has never run for statewide office before, so many voters just don't know her...



Still, these numbers are worse for Gillibrand than in the last poll in December.

This Buffalo News columnist believes it's because all the people - from Sen. Schumer to female lawmakers to the White House - who came out to defend Gillibrand against a potential challenge from Harold Ford, Jr. made her look weak.

What do you think of Gillibrand and her record so far?

Snowmobiler injured on Great Sacandaga

Vermont has been hardest hit by snowmobile fatalities this winter, but northern New York has had some nasty accidents too.

On Sunday, a man from East Greenbush was flown to Albany Medical Center after sustaining head and back injuries on Great Sacandaga Lake, following a sled-collision.

Paul Smiths brags up their new tower tree

The folks at Paul Smiths College uncorked a fun little promotion of their new connectivity.

Verizon turned on their cell tower this month, a bushy looking critter that, according to the video (watch it below), means the college students don't have to climb real trees to get a signal.

We should all be so lucky.

Get outside!

Quoting Calvin's mom, my mom, your mom. It's a true January thaw day. In Canton at the moment it's 42 in the shade, a couple chickadees are singing their pring song, the grass over the septic tank looks green-ish. I don't think I'd risk walking down my wet icy driveway but if you can get outside in the sunshine for a few minutes, now's the time. These are the days no-wax skis are made for! Enjoy!

Lake Placid's Napier going to Vancouver Olympics

The US Bobsled and Skeleton federation announced its Vancouver line-up today.

John Napier, a young and fast-rising sledder from LP will captain the second of three four-man squads.

He'll also pilot a 2-man sled.

Napier is one of roughly 9-10 North Country athletes expected to compete in Vancouver and, based on his recent performance, could be one of the likelier candidates to reach a podium.

The shame in the North Country?

The last couple of years, I've been keeping a kind of informal mental tally of all the sex crimes reported in our broadcasts and in the region's newspapers.

An sickening number of these allegations -- and convictions -- involve men who are entertaining themselves with pornographic images of children.

A terrifying number of these cases involve men who actually tried to predate on young people.

There are, of course, the high-profile cases, including the conviction of former Assemblyman Chris Ortloff from Plattsburgh for trying to arrange a tryst with two little girls.

His case offered a particularly horrific insight into the mental state of one such predator.

In Saranac Lake, the director of the local youth center has been fired and faces criminal charges that he raped a 13-year-old girl.

Then there's Plattsburgh celebrity Raymond "Foxy" Gagnon who faces trial soon on kiddy-porn charges.

And then there's the state police academy trainer in Rutland, Vermont, who committed suicide recently, a day after his home computer was seized.

Investigators had accused him of using his academy computer to look at child porn.

It's important to say that people are innocent until proven guilty; and we've had some cases in the North Country where the facts didn't bear out the accusations.

Surrounding these prominently-reported allegations are the weekly -- sometimes, it seems, daily -- reports of other arrests for child-sex or child-porn charges.

We're just beginning our investigation into this bleak phenomenon. Is there truly an uptick in sexual crimes against children? If so, why?

Or is it only better reporting, better investigation by the media? Is this, in fact, a scourge we've lived with for a long time?

Are schools and other child-care organizations doing everything possible to screen predators?

We like to think of ourselves as a tight-knit, small-town culture. And there's a lot of truth to that self-image.

But my sense is that we have to do much much better with this fundamental challenge: protecting children and identifying the predators who live among us.

Big Tupper hearing delayed again

Adirondack Park Agency officials announced yesterday that the public hearing process for the Adirondack Club and Resort won't begin until spring or early summer.

Michael Foxman, the developer, had suggested that the APA review might resume this month, following a long period of closed-door mediation talks.

The delay comes just as locals have revived skiing on Big Tupper, which reopened this winter for the first time in 10 years.

Here's the treatment in today's Adirondack Daily Enterprise:

"I would say, from what I'm hearing, that it's a good three months away before it will be submitted," lead developer Michael Foxman told the Enterprise Thursday.

Pre-hearing conferences to determine the scope of the hearing on the project - which would raze and rebuild the Big Tupper Ski Area and develop the land around it with about 600 luxury housing units, a restaurant and a marina - were originally scheduled to begin sometime in January.

But at Thursday's state Adirondack Park Agency meeting, Holly Kneeshaw, acting deputy director of regulatory programs, said the agency doesn't expect the revised maps and reports to be submitted until March or April and the adjudicatory hearing to begin until sometime in the spring.

Did the APA unfairly harass John Maye?

Clinton County landowner John Maye has acquired some unexpected -- and in his eyes, unwanted -- celebrity, thanks to a four-year clash with the Adirondack Park Agency.

APA officials say they were trying to determine whether his cabin near the Saranac River had been built illegally.

The former forest ranger and property rights advocate says he was harassed deliberately by the state, in an effort to force him from his land on the Saranac River.

The goal? To free up the property so that it could be purchased by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

"The environmental groups make the snowballs and the Agency enforces them," he said. "The Agency throws the snowballs."

NCPR could find no indication that green groups intervened in Maye's enforcement case in any way throughout the APA's four year investigation.

But setting aside the question of collusion, there is a legitimate debate over whether Maye was mistreated by the APA.

Suspicions also remain about why the case was dropped abruptly in August 2008.

Critics point out that the Agency ended their investigation soon after receiving a letter from the town of Black Brook suggesting a conspiracy with environmentalists.

Here are some of the facts that we were able to determine:

1. Maye's case did drag on for a very long time and it appears that for roughly three years the APA simply dropped the ball.

There was no communication between the Agency and the Mayes. APA chairman Curt Stiles, who didn't arrive on the scene until 2007, blames the inaction on poor staffing.

"It's not inconceivable that things fall off the table or get lost in a crack," he said. "Or frankly you just don't have enough resources to stay focused on it and something else becomes more important."

That's a bleak picture, but not implausible. The APA often struggles with a massive case backlog.

2. Some of the delays during the four-year period were caused by John Maye himself, as he acknowledges.

First Maye refused to allow an investigator on his property (as is his legal right). He also failed to respond to APA inquiries.

He also requested -- and received -- a six-month adjournment of the case for health reasons.

These facts may complicate Maye's argument that the APA prolonged the case deliberately in order to harass him.

3. Critics have suggested that the APA's investigation was conducted incompetently and could have been settled at any time with a phone call to local officials, or perhaps by viewing the property from the Saranac River.

Public records reviewed by NCPR seem to contradict this account:

APA investigators did in fact talk to local officials, and acquired local records, which seemed to support the idea that the cabin had been built illegally.

They reviewed public health records (looking for septic tank approvals) and reviewed aerial photographs.

The one fact that remained in dispute -- the age of John Maye's foundation -- couldn't be settled without a close-up inspection.

All of which brings us to the summer of 2008, when the APA ended their investigation and closed the case.

Critics of the APA say this behavior is the smoking gun, evidence that after years of harassment and hidden agendas, state officials were eager to make the case go away.

Here again are the facts we were able to determine about this controversial chapter in the conflict:

1. In the summer of 2008, the APA received a letter from town officials raising concerns about collusion between the state and the Nature Conservancy.

2. Chairman Stiles traveled to Black Brook to talk with Supervisor Ricky Nolan, along with councilman Howard Aubin.

3. Local officials expressed their fears about a conspiracy, and they also assured Stiles that Maye's cabin was built on an old foundation, which means that it's legal.

4. Some have claimed that during that conversation, Stiles agreed to drop the Maye case.

But this account is disputed by both Stiles and Nolan. "I do not recall him actually saying that, no," Nolan says.

5. What's certain is that Nolan agreed to broker a deal with Maye that would finally allow an APA inspector to visit the site.

6. APA attorney Paul Van Cott visited the Maye property in July 2008. Critics say this visit was a sham, that the Agency had already decided to drop the case.

The APA say they were able to view the foundation and confirm that it was not new construction.

They also point out that after the visit they gathered legal affidavits from the Mayes and from a neighbor, attesting to the age of the structure.

7. In August 2008, the Mayes received a letter confirming that the enforcement investigation had been dropped.

Those are the facts. The various interpretations of these facts appear irreconcilable.

Glens Falls Post Star reporter Will Doolittle has expressed a firm opinion about this episode. He thinks the APA mistreated the Mayes and was then suspiciously eager to drop the case.

For my part, I'm just not sure.

The APA had been asking for a chance to look at that foundation for four years and they finally got it. That's a significant fact.

Is it possible that the APA also shifted its tone after Stiles' meeting with local officials? Sure.

Was this an increasingly controversial case that the Park Agency wanted to get off its books? I think that's very plausible.

Was this a shining example of efficient government oversight? No, probably not.

But does all this add up to evidence of a family being "under attack" by state officials, as the Post-Star suggests, possibly as part of a secret conspiracy?

Your views are welcome.

No, the APA did not conspire illegally with the Nature Conservancy

I don't usually write headlines like that one. It's not a journalist's place to reach conclusions. We offer facts. We offer different sides of stories.

We find good, thoughtful people -- hopefully -- and let them illuminate the issues in our communities. But this story is different.

Since at least 2008, some locals in the Clinton County town of Black Brook have alleged that the Park Agency is conspiring illegally with the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

They say the goal was to force former forest ranger John Maye from his property, so it could be added to the state Forest Preserve.

The claim was featured prominently in a story published last Sunday by the Glens Falls Post-Star.

According to Will Doolittle's account, the APA may have pretended to find fault with a cabin built on the shore of the Saranac River to harass Mr. Maye. (Doolittle describes the charge as "plausible.")

But here's the weird aspect of this case. No one -- not the locals and not other journalists who've given this story coverage -- offers any facts or evidence to support what really is a remarkable allegation.

So I looked in-depth at the case. I was the first (and am still the only) reporter to actually review the enforcement case file compiled by the Park Agency.

I interviewed more than a dozen people connected to the case or the APA's enforcement process.

Even staunch critics of the APA and the Nature Conservancy told me that the claims were not plausible. In the absence of any proof, the most common response was laughter.

There are a lot of reasons for this skepticism. The APA is a leaky, gossipy place, for one thing. There's a lot of staff turnover, and new political leadership whenever a new governor is elected.

Remember, the APA staff couldn't conceal the porn on their computers. Could they hide a complex, multi-year plot?

And would state employees risk their careers, their pensions, and likely their freedom to join in a conspiracy over a small chunk of land in Black Brook?

Nobody I've found thinks any of this makes sense.

That said, there is some evidence that the enforcement case was handled clumsily by the APA. Like a lot of enforcement cases, the process here was obviously slow and adversarial.

But our review of the file and other public records turned up some important new facts.

1. The APA did, in fact, conduct a reasonably thorough preliminary investigation, using Health Department and tax records, as well as aerial photographs. They also interviewed local officials. There existed a legitimate concern that a new cabin had been built inside an environmentally protected area. In their correspondence with John Maye, the APA asked repeatedly (and cordially) for permission to inspect the property so that they could settle the case promptly. He refused.

2. A lot has been made of the fact that this case dragged on for four years. Fair enough. But as I learned from looking at the case file, many of the delays were caused by Mr. Maye, who frequently failed to reply to APA correspondence. He once requested a 6 month adjournment for health reasons. Along with his refusal to grant investigators access to his land, I think it's reasonable say that both sides share some fault for the delay.

3. Mr. Maye is a prominent member of the Local Government Review Board, representing Clinton County. The LGRB is a politically influential organization, with an advisory (non-voting) seat on the APA commission itself. Howard Aubin, who has also pushed these conspiracy allegations, is also a member of the Review Board. It's noteworthy that the Review Board hasn't taken up their cause. What's more, the LGRB's executive director, Fred Monroe (chair of the Warren County board of supervisors) described their allegations as "hard to believe."

4. This case was dropped abruptly. Some observers, including the Post-Star's Doolittle, are convinced that the APA backed off after locals raised allegations about a conspiracy. But I've looked at the file closely and it's clear that state officials asked for one thing repeatedly over the four year period: access to the property. Shortly after Mr. Maye finally allowed an inspector on his land, in the summer of 2008, the case was indeed dismissed.

I look forward to your thoughts and questions. And tune in tomorrow morning for part two of my special report on the Maye case.

Too hot? Too cold? Minute by minute

Here's a cool map from NOAA to start your workday. It's like a weather real-time radar map, except it charts where in the world temperatures are above average or below average.

These days, you hear some people, mostly in the American South and Northeast, and in western Europe, saying, "global warming, what global warming?" But, according to the map, they're definitely not saying that in Labrador and Greenland.

Climatologists constantly warn people not to confuse weather with climate. Short-term weather events versus really, really long-term trends. It seems like it should be a no-brainer, right?

In football, if a terrible quarterback has a 4 TD day, no one proclaims him the next Joe Montana. No one predicts a journeyman infielder to be the next Cal Ripkin when he goes 4 for 4 with 5 RBIs in a single game.

So why do we have this problem with drawing a distinction between climate change and today's (or this week's, or this year's) weather?

Is Harold Ford Jr. the man to topple Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand?

Kirsten Gillibrand has had a pretty amazing ride. Corporate attorney turned giant-slayer, she shoved aside John Sweeney in the 2006 House race.

After beating Sandy Treadwell handily to win a second term, the Democrat was suddenly tapped by Governor David Paterson to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat.

From complete unknown to the pinnacle of New York politics in a few years. Wow.

That leap means there have been growing pains, including public feuds with downstate Dems and some quick shifts in her own political views.

Now Harold Ford Jr. enters the picture. He's a former rising star in the Democratic Party, who's been stuck in neutral for a few years.

New York state has always been fairly welcoming to carpetbaggers. So he's testing the water.
Fair enough.

But my sense, having watched Sen. Gillibrand from her first campaign swings through the North Country, is that her backtrail is littered with people who underestimated her.

When she was named to the Senate, some of the state's political reporters were predicting a quick downfall.

She was too conservative, too presumptuous, and too Upstate. She and her Accidental Governor would soon be distant memories.

But then something curious happened.

Everyone who poked at her armor came away frustrated, or with burnt fingers. Democratic and Republican contenders alike decided it wasn't worth it.

Why is she such a tough opponent?

For starters, ruthless diligence. Like Clinton before her, Sen. Gillibrand has made a science of locking down key supporters, from pro-choice and women's rights activists to core Democratic leaders.

It's hard to run a primary against a woman backed by Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama.

She's also built a robust war chest and from her perch in the Senate has every opportunity to out-fundraise almost any opponent short of Michael Bloomberg.

So is Ford the guy who can find a chink in those defenses?

It's hard to see how. If she's unknown, he's more unknown. If she's too conservative for Manhattan Dems, he's more conservative.

There are people in New York City who would dearly like to find a champion, any champion, who best Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primaries.

They know that if she wins election in 2010, she's a permanent fixture.

But if Ford is their best remaining option, that's an indication of just how well Sen. Gillibrand has cleared the political field.

Today's inscrutable car buyer

We all watch our own micro-economic indicators: the thickness of the monthly real-estate guide or how much sauce the pizza guy uses.

As a semi-amateur car guy, I keep an eye on the auto industry. And I was really happy to see this headline:

"GM may reopen some factories to meet higher demand"

Clicking on the link, my brain started flipping through the possibilities:

-This could be great news for Massena, where GM shut its engine plant last year
-That plant made the fuel-efficient Ecotec 4-cylinder engine
-Now that Americans buy cars while thinking about inevitably rising gas prices, that engine could be in demand
-Maybe GM is considering re-opening the Massena plant

The article's first sentence was encouraging:

General Motors Co. may reopen some shuttered factories because it can't produce certain vehicles fast enough

But my hopes were dashed halfway through the second sentence:

...plants building the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX crossover vehicles and the Buick LaCrosse sedan are at capacity and can't satisfy demand.

Those three "crossovers" (small SUVs) are actually the exact same vehicle. The frame, chassis and most of the technical parts are identical. The bodies are a little different, a curve here, an indentation there. The interiors also vary a little.

All four vehicles do, however, share one characteristic: 1990s fuel economy.

After my initial disappointment that Massena wouldn't benefit from GM's new uptick in sales, I was surprised and saddened that the company's popular vehicles suck gas like it's 1999.

To be fair, the Chevy and GMC entry-level models have a 2.4 liter engine that averages 20-some miles per gallon. That's better than, say, a Suburban or any other monstrous SUV, but still...

Who's buying these vehicles? Are you? Was I naive to think that Americans factor the rising price of gas into their decisions when buying a new car?

Maybe they're not hearing the same stories I do on the costs of oil and gas? Maybe they're not driving by the same gas stations showing ever-rising prices?

Somebody's missing something. Is it me?

The Conservative Industrial Complex strikes again

Word's out today that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is joining Fox News as a regular commentator and correspondent.

It's a great business move for the political phenom from Wasilla, who translated her surprise nomination as VP candidate into national superstardom.

But as I've wrestled with here before: Is it good for the Republican Party or the conservative movement?

What happens when prominent leaders of the Right find it more lucrative and more rewarding to enter show business and the mainstream media?

Who's left to rebuild the party? We saw last month that Rudy Giuliani has officially chosen the biz world over the political world.

Mike Huckabee has also expressed doubts about his willingness to climb back into the ring.

The bottom line? American politics is ugly business. Winning elections is hard. Governing is even harder.

Palin could, of course, still emerge as a political force in 2012. But I doubt it.

Fox is arguably a more influential opposition force to the Obama agenda than the GOP. With her on the team, the network is even more powerful.

After joining the most active, well organized, and powerful conservative movement in the country -- where success is measured in ratings, not votes -- why would she go back?

The Saranac Laker who saved Einstein, dead at 78

Don Duso has been an icon, a fixture, a pillar in Saranac Lake for decades. He passed away over the weekend at age 78.

In Chris Knight's remembrance in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, we hear about a man who anchored the Winter Carnival, kept the fire department functioning, ran a local business, and oh by the way, saved Albert Einstein's life.

Duso also gained notoriety as a 10-year-old in the early 1940s when he helped rescue Albert Einstein, a frequent summer visitor to Saranac Lake, after Einstein's sailboat overturned on Lonesome Bay - a story Duso retold throughout his life.

Chris will have a remembrance of Duso tomorrow morning on NCPR.

Non-war-related cuts at Fort Drum?

The Associated Press cites anonymous military officials in reporting that Fort Drum could see up to 30% in cuts to its non-war budget - everything from lawn mowing to shortened recreation center hours.

The Watertown Daily Times reports the Jefferson County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals already lost a contract to provide shelter services on post. Managment Commander Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch told the paper:

As the country faces some stiff economic challenges, we are forced to reduce funding and exact a greater level of stewardship over our resources," he said. Starting this year, "performance levels for some installation services will be notably less than we've had in recent years and will remain at that level for the foreseeable future.

Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Bill Owens are at Fort Drum this morning, with assurances that Washington support for the Army base will remain strong.

The cuts are not terribly good news particularly for Owens, whose special election campaign in NY-23 featured a prominent "keep Fort Drum strong" plank. Owens will face a tough re-election bid this year.

Frankenpines the world over

Despite the success of "Frankenpine" -- the ersatz pine that delivers cell phone coverage to parts of Lake George -- fake tower trees remain controversial in the Adirondacks.

(I call Frankenpine a success because I can't see it even when I look. Which is, I guess, a great zen metaphor for responsible development in the Adirondacks...)

Now, the Daily Beast website has a photo gallery of less successful Frankenpines across the U.S. These surreal images were captured by Robert Voit.

For another take on this phenomenon, check out the paintings by Lake Placid artist Peter Seward.

What a peculiar alchemy. Artists capture images of an industry trying to imitate nature.

Three dead after snowmobiles fall through ice in Vermont

Three people died yesterday when their snowmobiles went through the ice of Vermont's Lake Dunmore, southeast of Middlebury.

The Associated Press reports the deceased are 50-year-old Kevin Flynn, his 24-year-old daughter Carrie Flynn and her three-year-old daughter Bryanna.

They were part of a six-person outing, riding three snowmobiles. A four-year-old passenger was pushed off the snowmobile he was riding before it went into the water. In all, five people fell through the ice about 100 yards from shore.

The four-year-old rushed to the shore for help.

According to reports, the two survivors were Kevin Flynn's wife Terry and Bryanna's six-year-old brother Jeremiah.

It's not clear how thick the ice was when the snowmobiles fell into the water. Rescue crews used a ladder, roof rake and 200 feet of rope to pull the family from the lake.

The AP reports this is only the latest in a string of snowmobiling fatalities in the Green Mountain State.

Since December 24th, three people--including a woman from New York State--died while snowmobiling in Vermont.

Is the APA colluding secretly with environmentalists?

Last week, NCPR reported on the close and sometimes controversial ties between the Adirondack Council -- a green group -- and the Adirondack Park Agency.

We quoted documents, made public through litigation against the APA, indicating detailed communications between the state and the Council regarding an enforcement case.

This morning, the Glens Falls Post Star published a lengthy article, written by veteran North Country news man Will Doolittle, exploring another relationship.

This time, it is suggested that the APA and the Adirondack Nature Conservancy were "colluding" to use an enforcement action to force a landowner named John Maye to sell his property.

One explanation...put forward by the Mayes themselves and by town officials in Black Brook, is that the agency's staff was trying to force the Mayes off their land so an environmental group could buy it.

The agency stopped, they say, only when that hidden agenda was exposed.

As the article lays out, the APA clearly handled this enforcement case clumsily, at the very least, pursuing the case relentlessly for four years before dropping it abruptly in 2008.

Doolittle has expressed his own views in at least one editorial, concluding that illegal collusion is occurring between the APA and green groups.

But the very serious allegation made here -- that the state worked secretly with the Conservancy -- strikes me as inconclusive. Perhaps even thinly supported.

(For the record, I've reported critically on the Conservancy's dealings in the Park in the past.)

The strongest element of the accusers' argument goes like this: Town officials raised a concern that there was a conspiracy afoot and shortly thereafter the matter was dropped.

Suspicious timing? Maybe. But in its letter to the APA, town officials offer no evidence for a link, asserting only that "a suspicion does exist."

The APA argues that the matter was settled because Mr. Maye finally allowed them to visit his property to assess allegations that he had violated environmental rules.

Unlike the case involving the APA and the Council, there are no documents and no internal sources (revealed in this article at any rate) that connect the Nature Conservancy to the state's handling of the Maye case.

As Doolittle points out, the Conservancy denies any involvement:

"That's completely inaccurate, absolutely false," said [Adirondack Nature Conservancy executive director Mike]Carr, of the suggestions of collusion.

"We work with landowners all over the world, all over the park. We would never even consider that."

Why am I skeptical about a link?

In looking into these allegations for NCPR, I have spoken with pro-development members of the APA board, commissioners with no ties to the Council or any other green group.

I have asked them on background, as a way of educating myself about the situation, whether they think this kind of illegal or unethical behavior goes on.

Their answer: Absolutely not.

It's true, as Doolittle points out, that the APA's enforcement committee, which oversees these cases, is chaired by former Adirondack Council board member, Cecil Wray, and also includes Council alum Richard Booth.

But members of that panel also include developer and hotel owner Arthur Lussi, as well local government leaders Frank Mezzano and Bill Thomas, all strong property rights advocates.

Why would they participate in such a conspiracy?

In today's article, Doolittle also quotes Black Brook councilman Howard Aubin extensively, who accuses the APA of wrong-doing.

I've spoken at length with Aubin about the Maye case. As a passionate anti-APA activist, he is sincerely convinced that the state acted illegally.

But Aubin acknowledged repeatedly in our conversation that he had no evidence to support his claims, nor does he offer evidence in Doolittle's article.

Despite my reservations about these specific claims, Doolittle's article makes one thing clear: Reforms are needed within the APA's enforcement process.

More has to be done at the Agency to make sure that misunderstandings and minor infractions don't fester and turn into bureaucratic swamps.

The APA has already reassigned chief enforcement attorney, Paul Van Cott, who handled these matters. That appears to be a good start.

Ironically, one reform worth considering might be to give the Park Agency more, not less, power.

As things stand, the APA has no authority to inspect private property, even when serious allegations have been made.

The Maye and the Douglas cases were clearly complicated by the fact that both landowners denied Agency staff access.

It's hard to see how state officials can carry out their regulatory responsibilities in a timely way without being able to visit parts of the Park where environmental violations may have taken place.

On Tuesday morning, we'll air an interview with Terry Martino, the new executive director of the Adirondack Park Agency, who talks about the distrust that state officials face.

Your thoughts? Comment below.

Rudy, 9/11 and the Right's War

Rudy Giuliani may have triggered a tipping point moment today in the national debate over the fight against terrorism.

He made a claim that has become a mainstay of Republicans and conservatives:

"We had no domestic attacks under Bush," he said on ABC. "We've had one under Obama."

Former White House spokeswoman Dana Perino made the same claim in November on Fox news: "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term," she told Sean Hannity. "

The claim was echoed by former Cheney-aid Mary Matalin, who said on CNN in December that Mr. Bush and Repubilcans "inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation's history."

Obviously, these claims are false. Because they've been repeated so often by opponents of the Obama administration, one has to assume that they are deliberate falsehoods.

The 9/11 terror attacks occurred roughly 9 months after George Bush took office. Not nine months after his election. Nine months after he took the helm of state.

To put that in context, the Bay of Pigs disaster occurred three months after President John F. Kennedy took office. Does Mr. Kennedy own that debacle? Absolutely.

The Fort Hood shooting, meanwhile, occurred 11 months after Barack Obama took office, followed by the attempted Christmas day attack a month later.

Mr. Giuliani lays those at the President's feet. Fair enough. But we all have to play by the same rules, by the same standards of accountability.

Put bluntly, American Presidents don't get redshirt-years, or warm-up laps. There are no training wheels in the oval office.

That said, it's perfectly fair -- appropriate and necessary, even -- for the two parties to disagree and debate national security.

But we won't win this fight if we're not honest about the facts. Right now too many Republicans are playing fast and loose.

Claiming that 9/11 didn't happen on Mr. Bush's watch represents a frightening level of denial, one that raises questions about the seriousness of purpose in GOP circles.

One suspects that a certain amount of mythology makes it difficult for some Republican leaders to confront what actually happened.

Republicans have long viewed themselves as the party most ardently devoted to national defense and security.

But unless they speak honestly about their track record, that reputation -- damaged severely by the mishandled wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- will lose all credibility.

Barclay mulls NY-23 run

Assemblyman Will Barclay announced today he's forming an exploratory committee to consider a run for Congressman Bill Owens seat. Barclay is the Oswego County Republican who ran against Darrel Aubertine at the beginning of 2008 when Jim Wright resigned.

Here's Barclay's press release:

State Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,I,C—Pulaski) today announced that he is forming an exploratory committee for purposes of considering a run for the 23rd Congressional District. Under federal election law, an individual who is considering running for a seat in Congress is allowed to raise and expend funds for the purposes of determining whether to run for Congress.

“Over the past several weeks, I have been honored to have been approached by numerous friends and supporters urging me to run for Congress,” said Barclay. “While I didn’t run during the special election due to family reasons, I am deeply disappointed with the outcome of that race and feel that this time I should more thoroughly investigate running. To that end, over the next couple of weeks I plan on traveling throughout the Congressional District to meet with party officials and various constituencies to discuss my potential candidacy. I am excited about starting this process and again I am honored to be urged to run.”

Tops takes first step to buy P&C stores

It's been all the talk in half a dozen North Country communities - who will buy the bankrupt P&C stores. According to the Watertown Daily Times, it's likely to be Tops Friendly Markets, based in Buffalo.

Today the creditors of P&C parent company, Penn Traffic, recommended bankruptcy court accept Tops $85 million offer for all of Penn Traffic's 79 grocery stores, including all the P&Cs in the North Country. The deal still has to be approved by the court.

It would be good news for workers because Tops uses the same union as the P&C.

It would also be good news for communities like Canton, where the loss of a grocery store would have meant travelling to Potsdam to buy food.

If you grew up in Buffalo, you know Tops very well, particularly by their jingle, "Tops Never Stops...Saving You More." Bummer I couldn't find one of those old TV ads on youtube. Anybody see one?

Live radio--right now--the way it used to be

Tune in to NCPR right now.

Barb Heller is hosting a live String Fever.

This means in our production studio there are seven musicians (and 14 microphones). I wish you could see this.

It's the way radio started in small towns and big cities.

And it's a beautiful thing to watch--and listen to. Maybe because it's so rare. But definitely because so many talented musicians are in one place, playing along with folks at home.

We'll try to get photos up ASAP, and video, too.

But right now, tune in and listen to the best of live radio.

Lake Placid's new tourism moniker: "Roost"

The Plattsburgh Press-Republican is reporting that the organization formerly known as the Lake Placid-Essex County Visitors Bureau is rebranding itself.

The organization will now be known by its acronym of ROOST, said President James McKenna.

“I think it’s a good thing. We struggled to come up with something we could use in an acronym. It better describes what we do. It’s really what we’ve been talking about.”

McKenna also acknowledged that some people in Essex County, who fund the organization, "didn't like that we had Lake Placid in our name."

Roost. Does that express the cozy, Adirondacky thing we want tourists to experience? Or is that what chickens come home to do?

Read Lohr McKinstry's full coverage here and offer your opinion.

The nose bleed seats

Three people asked me if David Sommerstein and I were in Albany yesterday for the governor's State of the State address. Apparently, they took my mention of us watching from here "up in the nose bleed seats" literally. I'm certainly happy to have provided such a sense of immediacy, but truly, we were in the NCPR on-air studio, craning our necks to watch the governor via NYS satellite hook up on the TV across the hall.

I was thinking metaphorically -- the North Country is sort of the nose bleed seats, far from the action, and we were laughing at ourselves, once again outside the loop. In the sports or theater world, of course, the nose bleed seats are cheap. But no one would say that distance from Albany is any guarantee of a "discount." Far from it, in many cases.

There's often a certain element of whining in this upstate/downstate convention.

But later in the day, I came to my other senses. Barb Heller has a bunch of Army surplus ski poles in her office...white with big baskets, like the ones my dad had in the 50s.

They popped into my mind as I was skiing in the woods across from my house. Then my dad popped into mind, his cast-off 10th Mt. Army skis, white with metal edges. I got thinking about how we used to ski out the back door on Mt. McGregor, where I grew up. Pretty often my little hickory skis would get wet and sticky, and I'd end up crying, in a truly whiny tantrum. Snowshoes were even more anger-producing for a little girl. On the other hand, we also roasted hotdogs on winter picnics, and hid caches of fudge under a special spruce tree.

The love of snow and the woods seems permanent, and now I have good wax. The twilight was deepening. It was just a little fugue of memories on the way back from a short ski after work; I was really glad to be so far away still, and still so close to the outdoors in winter.

Thousands gather to mourn slain officer

As reported on this morning's newscast, thousands will gather in Ottawa today for the funeral of Ottawa Police Constable Ireneusz 'Eric" Czapnik.

Czapnik died Dec 29th after being stabbed in a hospital parking lot. The father of four was 51.

After his death, his family had this to say:

Eric, who worked for 3 years as an Ottawa police officer, was a proud Polish Canadian who came to Canada in 1990. He was an engaged and dedicated police officer who truly enjoyed working in the community. He was a proud officer following in the footsteps of his father who was also an officer for over 30 years in Poland.

Although it's been 26 years since the last officer died in the line of duty in this city, Ottawa Citizen columnist Randall Denley thinks the career takes a heavy toll every day.

CTV will air memorial coverage beginning at 1:00, in English, French and Polish. Speakers will include Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White and family members.

The Ottawa Police department will provide a live web-cast here.

2010 won't be like 1994. It will be like 1996.

A lot of pundits are opining that 2010 could be a blow-out for Democrats, leaving their dominant majorities in both houses of Congress in tatters.

They're wrong. In today's Washington Post, Howard Kurtz points out that all the hype masks a fundamental reality: Republicans face as many retirements, and as many political problems, as Democrats.

As Chris Matthews put it with a suitably subtle headline: "Time to Panic?" It's so tempting to go there. Rough environment, Democrats bailing out--it must spell trouble! They're dropping like flies, as more than one report put it. Except. . . . there have been more Republican retirements so far.

Which means that there's little or no chance that the GOP will stage a "revolution" comparable to 1994, when Newt Gingrich stormed to power.

In that year, Democrats were retiring in droves, their leadership was in disarray, and they were largely unprepared for the Republican onslaught.

So if 1994 is a bad metaphor for this political climate, is there a better lens for understanding the upcoming political season?

1996.

That's the year that Republicans -- cocky and confident after their big wins in the last cycle -- lost eight seats, setting the stage for Gingrich's departure a couple of years later.

It's true that the GOP gained Senate seats in 1996, a feat the Democrats won't match in this mid-season election.

But that still left Republicans with only 55 seats, about the same amount of power that the Dems are likely to have when 2010 is done.

In the end, this election year isn't about the outsider GOP; it's about the all-powerful Democrats.

The challenge they face will be very similar to the one faced by Gingrich and his allies: What happens when you dominate Washington and your surging agenda loses some of its luster?

How do you hold majorities, and maintain momentum, over the long haul?

Republicans were largely successful at this bit of political aikido, maintaining power for another decade, until the first big Democratic revival in 2006.

It's worth noting again that the GOP held power in part by casting off many of the leaders who helped start their revolution. Gingrich went. So did Sen. Trent Lott.

Will Democrats be as nimble and aggressive as the post-1996 Republicans? Will Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid step aside?

Those are the big questions of this election year.

The truth about unfunded mandates

In all the rhetoric that gets tossed around about budget cutting and government waste, some of the most misleading stuff involves unfunded mandates.

It's true that unfunded mandates are a disaster. They work like this: The state of New York demands that local governments, school districts, and other public entities provide a certain service.

At first, Albany promises to bear the cost, or at least pick up part of the tab. But over time, the share of cash that comes from the legislature slows to a trickle, or ceases altogether.

That leaves towns and counties burdened with big obligations and nowhere to go for the money except local property taxes.

Some of those mandates are silly, or excessive, or inappropriate for our rural area. Is reform needed? Absolutely.

But there's another side of this coin, one that politicians don't like to talk about.

Most of those unfunded mandates translate into high-paying jobs (at least by North Country standards) and important services.

High quality special education for kids? That's an unfunded mandate. Mental health services for our neighbors. Same thing.

Here's where reformers are right: Albany needs to give local communities more power and discretion to decide which of these services are essential, especially if locals are paying the costs.

But we can't fool ourselves. If we cut these programs, we'll be wiping out paychecks, and making life harder for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Tough choices lie ahead. Albany has shown that it's not very good at making them. Can counties, towns and school districts do better?

The Privateers' logo

I know you've been waiting with bated breath for the Thousand Islands' new single A hockey team's logo... And you can listen to an interview with the team's owner about the league (and how you can revive your own hockey career) here.

What if North Country winters ended in 90 seconds?

It might look something like this very cool video made in Oslo, Norway.

I wonder if this isn't how the world, or Nature write large, experiences the seasons.

Not as long cycles, but as something more akin to inhaling and exhaling. Or waking and sleeping.

Time on the scale of geology, or at least of forests. If so, we humans must look awfully hectic, racing around with the metabolism and attention span of voles.

Can you tell I need to get out skiing today?

The Big Disconnect: Governor Paterson and the legislature

I just spoke with two North Country lawmakers who were in Albany for Governor Paterson's speech.

Assemblywoman Janet Duprey and state Senator Betty Little, both Republicans, offered qualified praise for the address, which drew more applause from GOP lawmakers than Democrats.

But when it came to the massive $8 billion dollar budget deficit, both women downplayed the severity of cuts to North Country jobs and institutions.

Duprey suggested that most of the budget cuts should be made downstate.

Little acknowledged the likelihood of cuts to public schools and local government subsidies.

But she suggested that the deficit could be narrowed largely by eliminating public land purchases and eliminating wasteful state bureaucracy.

And she even proposed cutting taxes, a move that would boost the deficit even more, or require deeper spending cuts.

Both indicated that the battle for funds between upstate and downstate communities will continue.

Put bluntly, someone is wrong here.

If the North Country's delegation is right, we can keep on doing pretty much what we're doing.

That means public-sector jobs -- paid for in large measure by taxpayers downstate -- will continue as the foundation of our region's economy.

Five years from now, we'll still have roughly the same number of school teachers, state troopers, snow plow drivers, DOT crews, etc.

Or the Governor is right and this is a 'winter of reckoning.'

If so, the bill for all those jobs and services is just too high. His message: We can't afford it. The pain will be severe.

The pivot point for this debate will be the deficit number itself. If the economy perks up and that $8 billion gap shrinks significantly, the pressure will be off.

Otherwise, it's hard to see how the math works for business as usual.

Aubertine's Energy chair casualty of bipartisanship

In an effort to reach across the aisle of the State Senate, Democratic Conference leader John Sampson handed off Senator Darrel Aubertine's chairmanship of the Senate Energy committee to western New York Republican George Maziarz.

Aubertine's official statement about the change sounds amenable enough:

As I've said throughout my time in public service, a good idea is never a Republican or Democratic idea, it's just a good idea. Bringing a chair from the other side of the aisle will introduce new ideas to the process and enable me to continue in an active role within the committee.

Aubertine perhaps was the mostly likely candidate to lose a chairmanship because he had two - he'll remain chairman of the Senate Agriculture committee.

State of the State: "a winter of reckoning"

The governor just delivered a short, punchy speech to open the 2010 legislative session.

Paterson started by calling this a "winter of reckoning" and said our "years of living on the margins of our means" has to end.

He then gave a sketch of fiscal and ethical reforms that together, he said will be "integral" to New York's re-emergence as a national leader.

Missing from the 30 minute speech were the traditional laundry lists of specific geographies and programs that observers use to gauge a governor's attention to special interests or regions.

He did say the Empire Zone economic development program will be "in the past," to be succeeded by his Excelsior Jobs Program. Most of what he talked about comes under the heading high tech -- including closer relationships with universities and corporate R&D.



Paterson also referenced the gutting of the state's manufacturing sector, which he promised to "make whole again". The North Country has been hammered by layoffs and plant closures at General Motors, Alcoa, Corning, Pfizer, and other plants.



Paterson also spoke directly of the Upstate economy, vowing to make the region " the back office for corporate America".



Here's reaction from Stephen Acquario, of the NYS Association of Counties:

Today, Governor David Paterson introduced a blueprint for New York State to emerge from this recession. County leaders from across the state look forward to reviewing the details of many of these initiatives, especially the economic development programs. Fostering job growth is critical for New York State to come out of this economic downturn stronger than before. Linking higher education and our businesses in ways that create emerging industries would spur job growth in our communities. All efforts should focus on a renewed commitment to retaining and creating jobs in all areas of the state.

And the New York State School Boards Association:

Governor Paterson's speech today was short on specifics for education. Understandably, this tough economic climate makes it difficult to launch major new initiatives.

It is clear that the current system of funding and delivering public education programs and services in New York is unsustainable. State aid is no longer guaranteed. Federal stimulus money is ending in 2011. And with a projected state budget shortfall of $27.5 billion, public education for our schoolchildren is at risk.

We need reforms that will allow school districts to operate more efficiently and save local taxpayers money. We are calling upon legislators to eliminate costly state mandates, oppose cost shifts onto local taxpayers, and stop sweetening employee benefit packages.

School boards must do their part to hold down costs at the local level. We are strongly recommending that local leaders negotiate conservative employee compensation packages, and share programs among area districts.

Together, we must find a way to hold down costs while still providing students with the world-class education they deserve.

And Attorney general Andrew Cuomo, widely anticipated to be a challenger to Paterson's election bid this year:

New Yorkers now face great challenges that stem in part from the
failure of government to address their needs, as well as past failures
to address the excesses of Wall Street. It is now more urgent than ever
that we make New York more affordable; restore trust in government by
reforming Albany; create, attract and retain jobs throughout the State;
and not forget those in need.

Governor Paterson has properly acknowledged some of these challenges in
his State of the State address today. The key now, however, is to get it
done. To solve these problems in these times will require sustained
effort, seriousness of purpose and the ability to build a coalition for
change.

More, during All Before 5 and tomorrow's 8 O'clock Hour.

Live-blogging the State of the State: Populist Paterson

This State of the State address has to be seen as both a serious policy speech and the first, concrete step in Governor David Paterson's bid for re-election.

So far, my sense is that he's hitting both notes pretty well, sounding passionate and plainspoken while also laying out some bitter medicine.

Dispensing with the ceremonial mumbo-jumbo at the beginning of his speech struck my ear as a great rhetorical flourish.

Can this accidental governor lay out a credible agenda of his own, one that will give him a reasonable shot at re-election?

Read the full text of Paterson's State of the State Address.

Your comments welcome.

In the North Country, it's all about the women

In today's edition of WNBZ's local news, Jon Alexander reports on the surge in political power for women elected to office in Essex County.

The addition of the four supervisors from Essex, Crown Point, Ticonderoga and Minerva swell the total number of female supervisors in Essex County to seven – an all-time high.

According to Jon's reporting, New York state as a whole ranks 24th in terms of women's involvement in politics.

But I'm guessing that the North Country would far much better.

Most of our Assemblymembers -- Dede Scozzafava, Janet Duprey, Teresa Sayward, and Addie Russell -- are women.

State Senator Betty Little and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wield enormous influence in our region.

More examples? For the first time ever, a woman, Terry Martino, is executive director of the Adirondack Park Agency.

Women lead North Country Community College and the Adirondack Medical Center, two of the biggest employers in the region.

Last year's heated fight over Essex County's DA post was between two women.

"It’s obviously a sign of the times, it’s a generational shift,” newly sworn in Ticonderoga supervisor Deb Malaney told WNBZ. “Women have been in the work force for sometime now and we are coming forward to serve.”

Attitudes among men have also changed. Assemblywoman Janet Duprey told me once that her family tried to dissuade her from entering politics, because it wasn't something that "good girls" do.

“When I walked into the board of supervisors, some of the guys called me powder puff," Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward told WNBZ.

"I have never used a powder puff in my life. That’s what you were greeted with. I will say that there were men on the board at the time, like George Cannon, who took me under their wing.”

How does the gender revolution change the political culture in the North Country? And is it remarkable that a rural, generally conservative area leads the state in women's leadership?

Your opinions welcome below.

Gillibrand may face primary challenge

The New York Times is reporting former Tennessee Congressman, Harold Ford, Jr., may challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary this fall.

The article says Gillibrand still hasn't made gains with New York City Democrats, who were skeptical of her to begin with:

Some of the donors who have urged Mr. Ford to consider a run expressed alarm as Ms. Gillibrand, who as a congresswoman represented a conservative upstate district, has abandoned some of her previous positions on issues like gun control and immigration as she prepares to run statewide. Several executives interested in a Ford candidacy said that Ms. Gillibrand’s positions echoed Mr. Schumer’s and that the state needed a second independent voice in the Senate.

Gillibrand has amassed a lot of money for her 2010 election bid. Between that and Senator Chuck Schumer's support for her, Ford would face an uphill battle.

Gillibrand is one of the few powerful Upstate voices at the top of New York State politics.

WDT Seymour: Revisionist history on NY-23 race

The Watertown Times' political writer Jude Seymour dissects RNC chairman Michael Steel's new book and finds "a bit of revisionist history when it comes to discussing the 23rd Congressional District special election."

Seymour's biggest beef is with Steele's claim that Republican Dede Scozzafava was chosen as part of a backroom deal by Republican chairman and wasn't "suited" to the district.

She received the same level of support from voters in the 2008 election as former Rep. John McHugh did in the 122nd Assembly District.

She was for the Employee Free Choice Act, which Mr. McHugh supported. She was for abortion rights, as was Mr. McHugh. She was against cap-and-trade, which Mr. McHugh was criticized for supporting.

Seymour's full article is worth reading. Steele's attempt to wrestle with the NY-23 race in his book shows just how big a deal this continues to be within the Republican movement.

If there's one big thing that could trip up the GOP in 2010, it will be repeats of NY-23. And Republicans still aren't sure what went wrong.

A Republican surge in the Senate?

I've been scoffing at the idea of a Republican surge in the House, but we're now beginning to see the outline of a big GOP opening in the U.S. Senate.

The opening is created by a large slate of Dems expected to retire

Democrats from North Dakota and Connecticut are expected to step aside this year, and not seek re-election.

Democrats are also seen as at least somewhat vulnerable in Delaware, Illinois and New York, thanks to the political musical chairs that followed Barack Obama's election.

Finally, Senate majority leader Harry Reid from Nevada is seen as vulnerable, though Republicans have struggled to recruit a top-tier challenger.

The chances of a GOP takeover are slight, but the likelihood that Democrats will retain a 60-seat filibuster proof coalition now appears very slim indeed.

Which means that the pressure on the White House to advance their agenda will intensify over these final eleven months of Democratic supremacy.

New York's problem: too much good government

Tomorrow, NCPR will broadcast Governor David Paterson's state of the state address live at 1pm.

If Mr. Paterson is straight with the public -- as he has been in recent months -- he'll paint a pretty gloomy picture.

Even after sizable cuts in this fiscal year, New York state faces an $8 billion dollar deficit in 2010.

(To put that number in context, it's enough money to hire roughly 80,000 school teachers. So you can see how painful the deficit-cutting effort will be.)

As we wait for the bad news, too many politicians and too many editorial pages are pretending that our problem is bad government.

The message goes something like this: If we only clean up the waste, get rid of the frivolous spending and fraud, we'll be fine.

Cut through all that famous New York red tape and there will be plenty of money to go around.

Don't believe it.

The problem we face isn't that we have too much bad government. That would be easy. Our curse is that we have too much good government.

From mental health programs to nursing homes to public hospitals. From village police departments to fleets of snow plows to school teachers.

The overwhelming majority of our taxpayer dollars go to great causes, helping people, improving lives, and easing the struggles of our poorest, most vulnerable citizens.

The painful truth is, we're about to have less of that goodness. Probably a lot less.

Which is why it's important to have an honest discussion of where we go next.

Do we freeze the salaries of school teachers and local government workers, as one conservative group is proposing?

Do we scale back aid in our public schools for kids with special needs? Will some of our wonderful, small-scale school districts have to consolidate?

Will people living in far-flung rural areas have to make do with fewer services? A road plowed less often?

Will we all have to pay a little more in taxes?

My guess is that in the coming weeks a lot of politicians will try to dodge these questions.

They'll try to make this crisis about upstate vs. downstate, Democrat vs. Republican, public worker and school teacher vs. taxpayer.

That's a game that worked forever, in Albany and around the state. Screaming and pointing fingers was the only sure way to get a big slice of the pie.

The truth is, there was never enough to go around. Even in the good times we were living beyond our means, building debt.

But now the game's up. The good government pie has suddenly gotten a lot smaller and we're all going to have to take a skimpier piece. And we'll probably pay a little more for the privilege.

Painful? Sure. But if we're not honest with ourselves, it could still get a lot worse.

Steele: Not this year to GOP takeover of House

In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox, the GOP chairman waved off the idea of a Republican majority after the November elections.

His comments are pertinent to the North Country because of this comment:

"We're just now beginning to look at the races...I don't know who all the candidates are. We still have some vacancies that need to get filled."

Three of those "vacancies" are right here in the North Country. Democrats Scott Murphy (Glens Falls), Bill Owens (Plattsburgh) and Mike Arcuri (Utica) are among the most vulnerable Dems in the Northeast.

So far, Republicans haven't found credible challengers to pursue those seats. (Richard Hanna, who lost narrowly to Arcuri in 2006, is still on the sidelines.)

November may seem like a long way off, but all three Democrats are already hustling, building campaign chests, building organizations, and prepping to play defense.

Republicans could face one more New York challenge if Rep. Peter King challenges Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

That would open one more seat that the GOP would have to fight hard to retain. Without retaking (or holding) seats like these, a Republican surge is hard to envision.

Welcome the Thousand Islands Privateers!

A new professional hockey team will be unveiled tomorrow afternoon at 1 at the Bonnie Castle resort in Alexandria Bay. They're called the Thousand Islands Privateers, and they'll be playing in the single 'A' Federal Hockey League starting next November. Listen to an interview (and find out what the name means) with the owner here.

For the record, the North Country's highest level hockey team is the Adirondack Phantoms, who play in Glens Falls and are affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Another song of support

As years of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, it's been a long slog for regular military, guard personal and their loved ones.

Those sitting on the sidelines can't properly grasp those hardships, but many still want to do... something.

A friend of mine, Helen Takeuchi, co-wrote the following song with Hawaii musician/composer Wade Cambern.

It's sort of a Christmas-timed song, so my apologies for not posting this earlier.

A better-late-than-never YouTube version can be heard
here

Helen tells me "the audio at the end is clipped but please enjoy anyway".

To those who serve and the families who wait, thank you!
May you all be together again.

The APA and the Adirondack Council

When I started reporting yesterday morning's story about ties between the Adirondack Park Agency, a state regulatory agency, and the Adirondack Council, an independent environmental group, I was largely ignorant of the facts.

I didn't realize that of the eight members of the public appointed to the APA commission, three are former Council board members.

That's a lot of voting power.

After interviewing a wide array of sources -- both on and off the record -- I'm convinced that there's no conspiracy here, no deliberate effort to "stack" the APA board.

The three individuals with past ties to the Council, APA chairman Curt Stiles (former vice-chair of the Council's board), enforcement committee chair Cecil Wray, and Richard Booth, chair of the park policy and planning committee, all strike me as smart, ethical and devoted to the Adirondack Park.

They all have complex and varied backgrounds, ranging from academia to the corporate world to environmental activism. None are defined by their ties to the Council.

And APA officials are adamant in their claim that the Council doesn't enjoy special access to these or any other commissioners.

But the question remains: Is it appropriate for so many of the board's voting members to have that particular item -- a leadership role with one green group -- on their resumes?

Interviewed by NCPR, Blair Horner, with the New York Public Interest Research Group, was ambivalent.

It's noteworthy when a regulatory agency has such close ties to one group, according to Horner. He points out that a diversity of opinions and representation is usually better.

But he also notes that the three board members were appointed by two different governors -- one Republican and one Democrat -- and confirmed after review by a Republican-controlled Senate.

What's more, the APA board also includes sitting members who maintain ties to other interests, including local government (Frank Mezzano and William Thompson) and resort development (Arthur Lussi).

No one questions their ethics or judgments because of those relationships. So why should the Council connection be any different?

What we do know is this: The Adirondack Council has emerged as a uniquely influential group with ties to politicians in both the Democratic and Republican parties. (Two former Pataki era officials now sit on the Council's board.)

Is the Adirondack Park well served by the Council's unprecedented role inside the Blue Line?

Your comments and opinions are welcome below.

Conservative journalist to Tiger Woods: Convert!

It doesn't get much weirder than this. On Sunday, Fox News analyst Brit Hume -- one of the most prominent journalists in the conservative world -- offered golfer Tiger Woods some unsolicited advice.

Convert.

"He's said to be a buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that's offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"

Woods, of course, is reeling from a scandal involving his involvement with a number of women who aren't his wife.

But Hume's proposal, issued during a prominent Sunday morning Fox public affairs program, is frankly bizarre.

For starters, Hume's portrayal of Buddhism as lacking "forgiveness and redemption" is, well, factually wrong.

I'm tempted to use words like ignorant, or even bigoted.

This bizarro culture-war moment comes on the heels of sex-abuse scandals involving a number of prominent Christian conservatives.

Not to mention the news last week that family-values champion Karl Rove is divorcing his wife.

It's also worth noting that the divorce rate in the United States is roughly twice that of Japan, a largely Buddhist nation.

Singapore, another strongly Buddhist nation, has a divorce rate roughly a quarter that of the U.S.

Tiger Woods seems to have big problems in his life. His faith isn't one of them. Your thoughts?

Sandy Weill, North Country seasonal, isolated

Sandy Weill and his wife Joan emerged over the last decade as perhaps the ultimate example of the wealthy seasonal Adirondacker.

Their North Country philanthropy extended to Paul Smiths College, North Country Public Radio, and beyond.

But as the chief architect of Citigroup, the Weills also find themselves living in the shadow of the biggest financial meltdown since the Great Depression.

(Weill was also largely responsible for repealing post-Depression regulations designed to avoid another implosion.)

In a lengthy profile on Sunday, the New York Times paints a portrait of the Weills as largely isolated from the world they once helped to define.

“The most important thing to my husband was his reputation, ” says Mrs. Weill, who still feels angry at the portrayal of him in the press. “There are a few people I want to kill, but I am not going to name names.”

According to the article, Weill made an effort to return to Citi in a leadership role after the crisis began, but was rebuffed.

“I had 50 years of experience,” he says. “I think I was a pretty good student of the markets, and the business. I had a good feel of things. I felt that just because I retired didn’t mean my brain went to mush. Maybe I could help.”

No one responded to his offers.

The rejection stung. Citigroup had for so long been central to his life. It was hard to accept that he had no control or influence over it anymore. “It’s very hurtful. Even though he says, ‘No, no, it’s fine,’ ”says Joan Weill, his wife of 54 years. “I know him. The company means so much to him. It was his baby.”

The article points out that the Weills have maintained their devotion to philanthropy, and many of the trappings of their lifestyle, including a home on Upper Saranac Lake.

Read the full treatment here.

Republican revival in 2010? I'm still skeptical

2009 was a mixed-bag for Republicans. Big wins in New Jersey and Virginia were balanced against some stinging losses, including special-election defeats in two North Country House races.

But New York's GOP also scored some big wins downstate in county and municipal elections, suggesting that anti-incumbent and anti-Democratic sentiment are growing.

There's also growing evidence that the Democratic faithful -- always a more fickle lot -- are less likely to vote going forward.

If young people and minorities sit on the sidelines, while independents swing back toward Republicans, the moment would seem ripe for a big GOP surge.

So why am I skeptical?

First, let me say that I'm certain that Democrats will lose seats next year, in the House and Senate, and also in gubernatorial races.

That's typical in the first big election following a presidential race; and with the economy sour, and the nation deeply polarized, the pendulum swing could be significant.

What's more, a lot of Democrats have been elected in what amounts to hostile territory, riding the big waves of 2006 and 2008 into office. They're deeply vulnerable.

But can Republicans capture enough momentum, and enough public support, to begin a return to real power? That's where I'm skeptical.

Currently, the GOP's ranks are so thin that their only real power is institutional: the threat of filibusters and other delaying tactics, which can slow but not stop the Democratic agenda.

So Republicans need to win big to prove that their agenda, and their ideas, have real traction.

And here's where the picture looks fuzzy. I see four big hurdles that Republicans will have to clear in the next eleven months if they hope to win back a majority in the House.

1. They're broke. Politico has a great article up today showing that fundraising efforts are lagging dangerously behind the Democrats. It's tough to stage a national referendum on Barack Obama's tenure when you don't have the cash for a major media push.

“Republicans have been through two cycles of psychological shell-shock. Their members’ first instinct is self-preservation, first and foremost,” said Republican consultant Phil Musser. “The fundraising environment for members in the minority isn’t what it is for members in the majority. It’s damn hard to raise the dough.”

2. Recruiting and retention are lackluster. Incumbency is hard to overcome. So you need to hold onto all your sitting lawmakers, while praying for retirements on the other team. You also have to build a great bench to challenge for those open seats.

So far, Republicans are out-performing Democrats, but only slightly. Some pundits have touted Democratic retirements, but they still number under a half-dozen, when you exclude lawmakers who are running for higher offices.

3. Republicans are still really unpopular. Yes, Nancy Pelosi is unpopular. Barack Obama is controversial. But to capitalize on those facts, you need to offer an attractive alternative. So far, the Republican brand just isn't that appealing to Americans.

Lingering scandals around the country make it difficult for the GOP to emerge as the big change agent. And George Bush is still a factor in some voters' minds.

4. Perhaps most importantly, Republicans are divided. We saw what happened in the 23rd CD race when moderates and conservatives clash. Both factions lose.

A lot has been made about Democratic divisions over the health care bill and Afghanistan, but the GOP faces its own deep and intractable rifts. To win big, they need everybody on the same page, voting enthusiastically.

So how can Republicans overcome these hurdles? It will help if President Obama's popularity continues to slide or if the economy slides into a second dip.

But the GOP also needs more unified leadership, and a more deliberate, positive agenda.

Unless things get very bad indeed, "We're not the Democrats" won't be a strong enough message to shift the tide in Washington.

Local governments face pension scrutiny

We here at NCPR and the In Box have been poking at the "problem" of New York state's vast and vastly expensive local government system.

The Empire state has far more local government entities than most comparably sized states around the country, most of them levying taxes, hiring employees and providing services.

The obvious questions: are there two many of these entities? And are they spending our money wisely?

New York's Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli, has opened a new probe into the way local governments are handing out pensions.

Pension abuse became an issue in the North Country last year, when DiNapoli's office accused the Olympic Regional Development Authority of allowing an attorney to draw inappropriate retirement benefits.

This from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:

The state Olympic Regional Development Authority's lawyer has been wrongly receiving retirement benefits, according to an audit released Monday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

The lawyer, John Cansdale, may also have shortchanged his hours in his full-time job as executive director of the state Racing and Wagering Board, for which he received retirement benefits on top of those ORDA gave him.

The current inquiry focuses not on state agencies, but on thousands of local government entities that make use of the state's retirement pension. This from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

The move comes amid a state probe into fraud and abuse of the state's $117 billion pension fundand wide discrepancies among local governments as to who receives full- or part-time pension credits.

The pension fund, one of the largest in the country, provides benefits to state and local government workers outside New York City.

If pension funds are being misused, taxpayers have to make up the difference because they contribute to public workers' retirement benefits.

I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this kind of review, as state and local budgets tighten.

And we may also see legislative action to fix the number of state workers who are drawing full pensions while still employed, often by a government agency.

Does it really make sense to pay retirement to people who are still on the payroll?

Duprey faces Republican primary challenge

Republican Assemblywoman Janet Duprey angered a lot of people with her support for same-sex marriage, and her stalwart backing of Dede Scozzafava, a pariah among many North Country Republicans.

In interviews with NCPR, she predicted that she would be "primaried" in 2010 and now it looks like she has her first challenger.

David Kimmel, from Cadyville, will run on the Republican line, telling the Adirondack Daily Enterprise's Chris Knight that he'll bring a "warrior ethos" to the campaign and the job.

"We watch what's going on in Albany and can't believe how little is being done," he said. "It's as if they don't think any of us are paying attention. It's important to send a message that we are paying attention."

Even without the turmoil within the North Country's GOP, this is a tough season for incumbents of all stripes.

This could be a very competitive primary season. Read more about Kimmel in the Enterprise and listen for Chris's story Monday morning on NCPR.

My score for Barack Obama's first year? A solid, satisfied B

Not surprisingly, President Barack Obama's approval ratings have slipped a lot since January 2009, when he was elected on a wave of national euphoria.

Even critics of the Democrat were eager for a fresh start in the post-Bush years.

But it's a truism of politics than when people actually start governing and making decisions, they start making people unhappy. And Mr. Obama has done that.

Some pundits think his first year in office was pretty rocky; others have expressed cautious optimism.

Here's my scorecard:

1. Controlling the agenda. A-. The White House refused to get distracted by things it didn't want to set as top priorities, issues like same-sex marriage and the public option for healthcare. They dodged a bullet that Bill Clinton walked smack into. That's just good politics.

2. Obama kept his cool. A-. The President gets a lot of flack for being too cool. That's a pretty great negative to have. This begins to look like a guy who could keep hitting singles and doubles for four straight years. Maybe eight.

3. We're not in a Depression. A+. Liberals and conservatives both like to rage against the White House on this one; and it's hard to celebrate something that didn't happen. But all indicators 18 months ago were that things could get a lot worse. They didn't.

4. We haven't been hit by Islamic terrorists. B+. Obviously, the Obama administration wins this one ugly. The Christmas bomber was inept. But so were some of the shoe bombers and others who failed during the Bush years. The fact remains that in Obama's first full year, this White House kept the homeland safe.

5. Changing the tone in Washington. D. That lousy grade isn't for lack of bipartisanship. That was a ridiculous thing to promise. The problem is that Mr. Obama hasn't been nearly as innovative or fresh in his approach as many expected. We want Brain Trusts and innovative new ideas. Maybe in 2010?

6. Cutting the budget deficit. D. Yes, it's hard to stimulate the economy and reshape a structural deficit at the same time. But not impossible. We need to revamp our trade policies and big entitlement programs fast, to avoid banana republic status. Mr. Obama talks about weaning us from Middle East oil. How about also weaning us from Chinese debt?

7. The Wars. C. Mr. Obama promised a bold new plan for Afghanistan. He gave us a surge. If there's something really innovative buried in this effort, I can't find it. I'm not quite with the 'bring our boys home' crowd, but I expected more than this.

8. Avoiding scandal. A++. There's a reason Republicans have had to gin up scandals over Obama's birth certificate. By all accounts, he seems to be a decent, grounded family man, with a great wife and solid public ethics. That makes the other team squirm.

9. Healthcare. B. I know, I know, there's a lot of junk in this bill, and a lot of unfinished business. I base my grade on two factors. First, I'm convinced that the current system is horribly, immorally broken. Second, nobody else has been able to get this far with reform.

10. Reminding us what centrism looks like. A. I think it's an open question whether this is the kind of leadership Americans want anymore. Obama is turning out to be far more Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson, far less FDR and Jimmy Carter. Liberals are losing a lot of battles in this White House, and so are conservatives. Is that a good thing?

So, there it is. For a President who inherited two wars, a deadly dangerous economic crisis, and a deeply divided society, I'm giving Mr. Obama a solid, satisfied B.

Your thoughts? Post below.

New fears (and hopes) of prison closures

The Watertown Daily Times is reporting today that legislators in St. Lawrence County are worried that the region's prison-employment base could take another hit.

Donald Peck, a Republican from Gouverneur, told the newspaper that it would "devastate Gouverneur if that facility closed. I'm sure it would be the same for other communities."

According to the newspaper, roughly 1700 workers are employed in the Watertown hub. We also have prisons around Malone and across the Adirondacks, from Ray Brook to Moriah.

But inmate populations in New York state's prisons have declined sharply in recent years, and the trend continues.

That led to the closure of Camp Gabriels, near Saranac Lake, last July.

In late December, New York City announced that murder rates have dropped to an all-time low. This from CBS News.

The city that was once America's murder capital, with a record 2,245 homicides in 1990, is now boasting an all time low of 461 homicides.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly made the announcement Monday that the city is on track to post the lowest number of homicides since record keeping began in the 1960's.

The math is simple. Fewer criminals means fewer convictions means fewer men and women behind bars.

Add to that the Rockefeller drug law reforms, which route more offenders into drug and alcohol treatment programs, and the rationale for the North Country's vast prison complex gets pretty shaky.

The pressure to close prisons is increased by two factors: dislike for the "Siberia" treatment among activists and lawmakers in New York City; and the increasingly dire budget deficit.

Keeping prisons open just to keep jobs in place will be a tougher and tougher argument to make in Albany.

In mid-December, an activist group called "Drop the Rock" staged rallise around the state "calling for prison closures, reforms of work release, parole and merit time..."

A lot of downstate activists want more jobs in their own communities, as a way to further reduce crime.

So what do you think? Are prisons the bedrock for a strong economy going forward? Or are we likely to see more facilities, like Camp Gabriels, mothballed?

Hurray for First Night!

First Night celebrations took place across the region last night.

I joined in in Saranac Lake, where NCPR was a co-sponsor and where our own Barb Heller broadcast her blue grass show live from Ampersound.

Good crowds, tons of fun energy. It was pretty cool eating at the Blue Moon Cafe and watching bucket drummers parade past.

Poetry, music, food...all with picture-perfect snow falling on our mountain village. Doesn't get much better than that.

Congratulations to the organizers and to everyone who turned out...