Originally Posted - June 20, 2006

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While we focus on relatively trivial scandals such as Ada Smith, Cynthia Mc Kinney, William 'Dollar Bill' Jefferson, Randy 'Duke' Cunningham and Patrick Kennedy, the corruption of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) is censored by most of the news media.

For most of a decade Speaker Silver has obstructed legislation to toughen and improve laws dealing with sexual predators and assorted other criminals. Speaker Silver all legislation that increases penalties, imposes mandatory sentences and restricts the options that allow trial attorneys to sue or run up larger legal bills serving their clients.

Year after year such legislation passes the state senate with strong bipartisan support, only to be bottled up in committee in the Assembly so it cannot come to the floor for debate. Or Speaker Silver has some 'poison pill' amendment added so Republicans will not agree to a final version of the bill.

Year after year Assembly Democrats re-elect Silver to the office of speaker knowing he will block such legislation as he has every year they have voted him the power to do so. These facilitators are as corrupt and responsible as the man they elect their leader.

We do not know what these Assembly members benefit from their relationship, though we should, but we do understand that since 2002 Speaker Silver draws an approximate seven-figure counselor's salary from the major NY Law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg. See the May 17, 2006 New York Post article SILVER'S SHAME http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/68676.htm.

He apparently has no caseload, nor represents any clients, (unless you count the trial attorneys who profit hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in fees for arranging reduced sentences for criminals, and suing the deepest pockets.)

Given the trauma experienced by most rape victims, the risk of HIV/AIDS infection, and the murder of some victims to protect the identity of their assailants, how does years of blocking legislation that would keep convicted predators in prison for many more years compare to the antics of Smith, Mc Kinney, Jefferson, Cunningham and Kennedy?

Where are most of the media, NY's feminists, and Attorney General Spitzer, especially now that the NY Post has published the Weitz & Luxenberg story? The trial lawyers are part of this evil, but are they alone powerful enough to muzzle the media, the feminists and Attorney General on the corruption in our Assembly, especially given the threat to our women and the children?

Some in the media do inform the voters (who could put a big political price to all of this) and write and publish the type of stories linked below. Compare the damage done by obstructing the types of legislation below to protect the profits of trial attorneys to the damages of those in the high profile scandals.

Yet with the exception of Bill O'Reilly even the bravest balk at calling on the voters to hold their legislators responsible for facilitating or opposing the corruption.

Either they act to protect our most vulnerable, or they facilitates the corruption by turning a blind eye, keeping silent and maybe they go so far as to re empowering Silver each time he comes up for re-election.

Please enable and encourage voters to do their part by informing them of how to influence Speaker Silver though their Assemblyperson.

If you are not in the media please use this article to encourage local media to serve their community by informing their audience of this scandal and whom to pressure to deal with the corruption. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/061406FewDareSee.html links to other relevant news articles.

http://www.newswatch50.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=6144F9D0-BAD2-4928-9D6D-87E1144EA3DB Assembly Committee Blocks Bill to Stop 'Double Dipping'

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060615/OPINION01/606150315/1014 Double dipping: State needs to get it right

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060616/OPINION04/606160374/1041/OPINION A bill to end 'double dipping' dies at the hand of the speaker

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/06/16/news-onsethics15-06-16.html Assembly Dems push reform bills

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16799743&BRD=1601&PAG=461&dept_id=479853&rfi=6 Officials to Assembly Dems: Pass the DNA databank bill

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/427722p-360627c.html City rape cases expiring at alarming rate 6-20-06

© 2006 North Country Gazette