Feb 21, 2009
Albany Times Union: Where in the world is Tedisco’s top staff?
UPDATE -- From DCCC Press:
Where is Career Albany Politician Jim Tedisco Hiding?
For more than eight days career Albany Politician Jim Tedisco has refused to support President Obama's economic recovery plan that would cut middle class taxes and save and create 76,000 jobs Upstate. Today we learn from the Albany Times Union that Tedisco is his also refusing to do his job in Albany.
According to today's Albany Times Union, in addition to seven Tedisco staff members taking leave in the midst of the state budget crisis to work on his campaign:
Several media inquiries to the Assembly minority office earlier this week related to government business were forwarded to the campaign.
[...]
As state leaders grapple with an estimated $14.2 billion deficit in next year's budget, there's concern in some GOP quarters the Assembly's top Republican will be too distracted by the campaign to represent the interests of the conference.
[...]
In late January, Tedisco was absent from the Assembly floor as government reform bills that he sponsored came up for a vote.
"It's clear that career Albany politician Jim Tedisco puts himself first. The state is facing a $14.2 billion deficit - which likely means even higher taxes for Upstate families - and Tedisco can't be bothered to show up to his taxpayer funded job," said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Jim Tedisco is the same career Albany politician who refuses to support President Obama's economic recovery bill, uses taxpayer funded cars, racks up $21,000 in taxpayer funded gasoline charges, accepts big pay raises, and has already voted for 221 tax increases. Times are tough, the last thing we need in Congress is a politician like Jim Tedisco who puts his political career ahead of his responsibilities to Upstate families."
Where in the world is Tedisco's top staff?
Assembly
Republicans take leave to help their boss run for
Congress
IRENE
JAY LIU, Capitol bureau
First
published: Saturday, February 21, 2009
ALBANY - These days, if you want to find a state
Assembly Republican staffer, you're better off calling the Tedisco
for Congress campaign office than the minority leader's government
office.
Seven Assembly minority office staffers have taken unpaid leaves of absence to work on Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco's campaign for the 20th Congressional District seat, including the conference's top three spokesmen: Communications Director Joshua Fitzpatrick and Director of Regional Information Services Adam Kramer, according to records from the office of the state comptroller.
Tedisco spokesman Dan Bazile will return to state service Monday after two weeks on the campaign.
Two other top aides, Executive Director Howard Becker and Director of Operations Brian Nevin, have also taken leave, with Nevin serving as Tedisco's congressional campaign manager. Administrative Aide George Stackman and Community Liaison Christopher Lyon also have taken leave.
The staffers' absences, which began about two weeks ago, has caused some confusion between the governmental and campaign sides of Tedisco's operation.
Several media inquiries to the Assembly minority office earlier this week related to government business were forwarded to the campaign. Tedisco campaign spokesman Adam Kramer explained that out of extra caution, Assembly minority staff have forwarded any questions that could be construed as political to campaign staffers.
Tedisco did not respond to a request for an interview concerning the Assembly staffing situation and his campaign.
Assembly Minority Chief of Staff William Sherman said that in briefing his staff, "I wanted to be clear that there is a bright line between the government and congressional campaign. ... We want to make sure everyone is doing the proper thing."
Gov. David Paterson has said he plans to call for a special election to be held March 31 - a day before the April 1 budget deadline. As state leaders grapple with an estimated $14.2 billion deficit in next year's budget, there's concern in some GOP quarters the Assembly's top Republican will be too distracted by the campaign to represent the interests of the conference.
Tedisco, who has received statewide notice as an advocate for fiscal restraint, lower taxes and greater government transparency, has kept a much lower profile around the Capitol in recent weeks .
In late January, Tedisco was absent from the Assembly floor as government reform bills that he sponsored came up for a vote. Instead, he voted remotely - a privilege given only to the Assembly speaker, majority leader and minority leader - as he accepted the GOP line for the congressional race.
Paterson said he intends to hold weekly meetings with legislative leaders to talk about the budget after the past week's legislative recess.
When asked last week whether Tedisco would be able to attend all the meetings, campaign spokesman Joshua Fitzpatrick replied Tedisco "has said from the beginning that he's a terrific multi-tasker. ... Absolutely. He's been going to them."
Fitzpatrick noted Tedisco has called for a more transparent process and greater inclusion for Republican leaders in budget meetings.
But when asked for a direct quote from Tedisco himself committing to being at every meeting, Fitzpatrick replied in a statement: "Since Governor Paterson, Speaker Silver and Leader Smith have a track record of not inviting Leader Tedisco to the Legislative Leaders' meetings, it is impossible to commit to attending future meetings that may or may not be held."
A GOP operative said that Tedisco's somewhat muted response to the question of minority participation in the leaders' meetings has concerned both Assembly minority staffers and members.
"If he wasn't invited to the meetings, Jim Tedisco the non-congressional candidate would be screaming bloody murder," said the operative, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He seems a bit too content to being shut out so that he can be out there campaigning. The Jim Tedisco of old would have been fighting it instead of accepting it."
The operative added there is hope that Tedisco would step down as leader if the demands of the campaign interfere with those duties: "I don't think anyone wants to push him out the door, because he's done a good job. They don't want to stab their leader in the back."
Assembly Minority Leader Pro Tempore Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said that he anticipates Tedisco will be "totally engaged on behalf of the conference," and that the Assembly GOP's interests will continue to be represented.
"I think that the conference will meet our responsibility individually and collectively. ... I don't see that changing whatsoever," Kolb said.
"I believe Jim will do the right thing for the conference - whatever that might be," he said. "I don't think that he'd put the conference at risk."
Want the latest updates? Follow the DCCC on Facebook and Twitter:
