Today we explore two topics all-too-familiar to people who follow politics in Albany (hopefully we will explore them in a such a way that allows us to learn, absorb, make changes and, finally, move on).  

 

After an update on the Empire State political front with Jimmy Vielkind of the New York Observer and Casey Seiler of the Albany Times Union,  Attorney George Carpinello of Boies Schiller Flexner joins me to talk about the aspects of the Bruno trial that surprised him (besides the verdict), as well as the  Supreme Court’s look at the honest services statute that Joe Bruno was tried under.  (Carpinello had joined me on this program at the beginning of the trial and was skeptical that Bruno should have been indicted at all.) 

 

Also — every single year, legislators propose cracking down on Medicaid Fraud as a way to raise revenue.  But no one has ever really explained how that works, or whether it works, so the State’s Medicaid Inspector General, Jim Sheehan, will be here to explain it all.  

 

It’s all coming up on today’s edition of The Capitol Pressroom. 

WBFO!  WRVO!  WROW!  WCNY!  WSKG!   Or via podcast anytime at www.thecapitolpressroom.org

 

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There were two other things I wanted to mention.   The first is how much all of us appreciate the email that we have received about the show, mail that has come to me directly, as well as the email that has come via my two blogsites:  (www.thecapitolpressroom.org and www.timesunion.com)   Your letters mean a great deal to the team that keeps this show running. 

 

Here is an abbreviated  note I received today from a listener Bob.  Bob?  Thank you!

 

I would like to open with a comment about your show. I think it is the best show available providing a well balanced presentation of the views on the critical issues currently effecting our state’s economic future. I enjoy your show & thank you for doing a superb job in making it such.

 

Obviously the state cannot afford to operate in deficit. David Paterson is correct in what he is doing. Sometimes I think he is the only man in our political leadership willing to make the hard decisions which have been put off for decades. We have chased many of our major private firms out due to the excess taxation. The Education & Health budgets absolutely need to be cut to keep taxation at a minimum & keep the private jobs we still have left here in NY. Although the Gov. is not popular with many people now, I think he will be if successful with the cuts.

 

Again, you do a fabulous job on your show. I listen to you while I run outside at night. You do a great job!

Bob

 

We all lead busy lives, so thank you for taking the time to write. 

 

Finally — I want to thank David Rubin for pinch hitting for me on Tuesday.   It is because of his generosity, I was able to spend about 4 hours with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver yesterday.  He took me (and by extension you) on an audio and video tour of the Lower East Side, the first stop for millions of immigrants trying to forge new lives in the US. 

 

I plan to  incorporate the Speaker’s tour into both a radio segment & a television program that explores three ideas:

 

- What are the characteristics that have made immigrants successful in America?

- What defines “an immigrant neighborhood”?  What are the pressures that change a neighborhood’s DNA? 

- And if a neighborhood changes, does the nature of their leaders change as well?

 

I’ll keep you posted.