North Country Gazette



A Matter Of Security

Posted on Tuesday, 12 of August , 2008 at 9:59 pm

EXCLUSIVE

By June Maxam

David Paterson has transitioned from the accidental governor to the hypocritical governor.

He needs to practice what he preaches.

And, he needs to be honest with the public and focus on the state’s security as much as his own.

While he’s telling the public the state is in a recession, Paterson is increasing the Governor’s security detail and potentially imperiling the state’s electric infrastructure to do it, according to informed sources.

Could that be why Paterson and David Sheppard, the acting the director New York State Office of Homeland Security got into a serious snit with Sheppard abruptly resigning in mid-July?

And just what kind of relationship does Paterson have with Congressman Charles B. Rangel, (D-NY), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee? Rangel, 78, was just outed by the New York Times and embarrassed into vacating one of his four rent-controlled apartments in Lennox Terrace, a plush Harlem high-rise, an apartment that he was using as a campaign office although state and city regulations require that rent-stabilized apartments be used only for primary residences.

Rangel’s neighbor at the Lennox Terrace is Paterson who maintains a two-bedroom apartment at the same address. But that’s not the rest of the story.

Paterson’s ordered executive state agencies to reduce spending by $630 million this fiscal year which translates into roughly a seven percent reduction in state agency spending on top of the 3.35% reduction already in the enacted budgeted.

He wants to cut over $500 million in health care for the elderly and low income, slash an eliminated $250 million in aid to localities and he’s implemented a hard hiring freeze with all new hires needing approval by the Division of the Budget.

While Paterson is putting the brakes on spending for everyone else, The North Country Gazette has learned that last week, the Governor’s Executive Services Detail was expanded by 24 state troopers. The Governor now has 80 personal body guards. There is no lieutenant governor.

The executive services detail which provides protection to the Governor in addition to the executive mansion, the state capital complex, the Governor’s Manhattan office and visiting dignitaries, had 200 troopers assigned to it, including the Capitol Police Force. Fifty of those 200 troopers had formed the specific detail. Is taking troopers away from other details to bulk up the Governor’s detail a smart move?

The North Country Gazette has also learned that Paterson has given unprecedented full time protection and chauffeur services, at taxpayers’ expense, to his chief of staff, Charles O’Byrne who replaced Spitzer’s soldier Richard Baum as the governor’s secretary.

NCG first exclusively reported the beefing up of the Executive Services detail on July 4 but so far, neither the State Police hierarchy nor the Governor’s office have made the announcement official.>

While Paterson has called for the reduction in projected agency spending, so far, 75 Financial Management Plans have been posted for public review but the Division of State Police is one of two executive agencies have not yet finalized their savings plans, the other being the Department of Correctional Services. The State Police is expected to spend $645.3 million this year.

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/07/04/pataki_probe/

In mid-June, State Police Supt. Harry Corbitt who Paterson appointed to replace Preston Felton, announced that the Governor’s security detail was being reorganized following his review of the policies and procedures.

The security detail had come under fire this spring after questions were raised about how former Gov. Eliot Spitzer was able to patronize prostitutes supposedly without the knowledge of those state troopers who were supposed to be guarding him.

Major Roderick Covington, 44, was replaced as the head of the detail, a post he had held since February 2007, a month after former Spitzer took office. Covington was replaced by Lt. Charles Day who has been assigned to the security detail since June 2006. He was promoted to major.

Where are the additional 24 members of the security detail going to be assigned? Reliable sources say they’re heading to Paterson’s new Manhattan office in Harlem. Wait a minute, Paterson already has an office in midtown Manhattan at 633 Third Ave., 3rd and 40th St., and he’s not giving up that office.

So, who will be using the Harlem office? Why is it being opened and who are the 24 Troopers going to guard? Answer, according to inside sources, Paterson’s pal, Charlie Rangel, who recently lost his office and headquarters.

But wait, WHERE are the 24 Troopers coming from? Reliable sources tell The North Country Gazette they were on the detail guarding the state’s electric infrastructure, one of the most important details in the state. If the bad guys get the electricity, 9/11 will look like a walk in the park.

Does Homeland Security know this? Homeland Security’s Sheppard quit last month because he couldn’t deal with Paterson. Inspector General and director of corporate security Daniel Wiese is gone at the New York Power Authority and not replaced; Gen. Sheppard is gone; and the 24 Troopers are gone. Who’s minding the store?

What’s really ironic about this latest move by Paterson is that he directed that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo open an investigation into the State Police after Troopergate when the allegations were levied against former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno that he was improperly using the services of the State Police as escorts, as chauffeurs. Isn’t that what Paterson has lined up these extra 24 members of the security detail to do in New York City?

And then there’s Paterson’s spending. While he’s telling everyone else that they have to tighten their belts and will “feel some pain” financially, reliable sources tell The North Country Gazette that since he took office, Paterson has awarded 50% raises to his entire staff, including the secretaries, some of whom are now believed to be in the six figure range.

There’s also the issue that the travel expenses of his office have risen over 50% compared to the same period last year.

Newsday reported that Paterson’s executive staff which numbers about 200 billed the state $186,367 for employee travel for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, from April 1 through June 30 compared to last year’s total of $63,916 for the first quarter. Newsday reported that since Paterson took office on March 17, total expenses billed to taxpayer-funded credit cards for travel had already exceeded $300,000.

The Office of Homeland Security was created in the wake of 9/11 to coordinator anti-terrorism efforts among the various law enforcement and government security agencies in the state and federal government.

It appears that Paterson may deliberately have forced out Sheppard just like he’s been engaged in a power play at the New York Power Authority.

Although Corbitt’s internal audit of the executive services detail recommended that the detail commander be selected by the state police superintendent, not the governor and Corbitt said that Paterson accepting the audit findings “wholeheartedly”, there’s absolutely no doubt that Paterson is manipulating the strings of the State Police and still controlling the security detail.

Despite the turmoil in this state during the past year, nothing has really changed, just the faces and Paterson is quickly showing himself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 8-12-08

Did you miss the last Troopergate commentary http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/08/15/pricks_and_police/

available only to paid subscribers?  Signup today for as low as $5.95 per month.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the NCG Daily Digest, delivered daily to your inbox. Beginning Aug. 15, 2008, selected special investigative reports and commentaries such as this one will be available only to paid subscribers. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/08/06/paid_reports/ For additional info, contact news@northcountrygazette.org

Bookmark and Share

Category: Government, New York State, Police, Politics

COPYRIGHT 2009 - NORTH COUNTRY GAZETTE All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of the publisher.