The NY Post is correct in advocating a “Just say NO” to congesting pricing. 

 Bill Hammond writes about Medicaid déjà vu in today’s NY Torch Blog. 

 Will former VP Joe Biden flip-flop on his 1983 assessment of packing the US Supreme Court? 

 I am beginning to wonder how some of the democrats who are eagerly embracing the liberals most aggressive ideas sleep at night.  We live in the greatest, most accomplished country in the entire world, lifting up countries who need our help, ending two world wars, finding cures for diseases that used to wipe out towns and villages, yet, they embrace a political agenda that only destroys everything the United States of America has accomplished.  Maybe they should be required to live under the circumstance they profess they support for at least 6 months and then run for office.  Personally, I thank God every day that I was born in America, and I will fight to keep American values as professed by our Founding Fathers. 

 Mark Styne obliterates Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s latest policy by explaining that it could abolish citizenship. 

 This is a man who truly understands the 2nd Amendment:  Founder of Black Guns Matter Speaks Out: ‘Gun Control Is About People Control’

 Is this the type of personality you want in elected office?   If you said yes, shame on you.  No wonder there is so much division in politics today.  And before anyone objects to what I have said, rest assured, I would think the exact same way if anyone else had said what Stacy Abrams said. 

 Oh No!  Progressive group disputes right-wing report that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was quietly booted from its board. 

 This article is one that AOC should read to have a better grasp of America’s history.    No, the Electoral College Is Not a ‘Shadow of Slavery’s Power’  Problem is, even if AOC read it, it wouldn’t change her mind. 

Beto O’Rourke grilled by Penn State student: ‘When am I going to get an actual policy from you?’

 Even with video proof, the left denies there is a crisis at our border. 

John Gizzi, a long-time political reporter, has a great article on the what our new chairman, Gerard Kassar, foresees for the Conservative Party.

The good news today, is that the legalization of marijuana will NOT be included in the budget .  Counties are opting out and with legitimate concerns; the full-blown movement to legalize marijuana has slowed down and more reasonable people are listening to the levelheaded concerns.  Nassau County did an extensive study and issued a 107-page report that found “numerous potential public safety and public health concerns that need to be addressed well before Nassau County could begin to participate in any cannabis related businesses.”  The Nassau County Report is here. 

So far, legalizing pot isn’t paying off in Massachusetts. 

Former Lt. Governor, Betsy McCaughey, has some good advice for everyone: Stop ignoring the brutal downside of legal pot. 

Steven Malanga writes in the upcoming issue of City-Journal magazine about the marijuana delusion.

The Progressive Left wants you to believe that guaranteeing a living wage – raising the minimum wage – crime rates would be reduced.  A new report, by the National Bureau of Economic Research, directly contradicts past arguments.  Read more about it here.

The Beat opines on Mayor de Blasio’s good paying jobs. 

City Hall briefing on ThriveNYC raised more questions than it answered.  

Courtney O’Brien: Here’s How Republicans Plan to Keep SCOTUS at Nine Seats. 

Wednesday’s with Walter E. Williams. 

Reuters hasn’t fired Joseph Menn.  Why not?  Albeit, Reuters is facing ethical questions after admitting that their reporter (Menn) sat on/withheld/ buried/suppressed the fact that a now famous member of the “Cult of the Dead Cow” was actually Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, running for the US Senate against Sen. Ted Cruz (and a current declared candidate for US President.)  How do you let an employee cut a deal that keeps news that confirmed Beto’s membership in a cult known for its shady activity?  It doesn’t matter if he was an actual hacker; he was running to become one of one hundred men and women who confirm US Supreme Court Justices, ratify treaties, sit on prestigious committees and write the laws that ultimately control our lives.   Joseph Menn confirmed O’Rourke was a member in 2017 and buried the article.  Would we have known, had Beto won?  This really is outrageous, and we haven’t even mentioned that Beto wrote bizarre fiction under the pseudonym of “Psychedelic Warlord.”  Beto may have been a teenager when writing his fiction, but it is evident, to me, that his fascination with the death of living human beings hasn’t evolved.  When asked about late term abortions, it is important to listen to how the question is posed. Beto’s response was, “That should be a decision a woman makes. I trust her.”  Here is the Joseph Menn article dated March 15, 2019 that lets us know about Beto’s membership in the oldest hacker group in US history and may have inadvertently burst Beto’s bubble. 

Finally, some good news associated with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

NYC Specialized High School Admissions Don’t Reflect City’s Diversity.  Let me see if I understand the problem.  The NYC specialized high schools do not reflect the diversity of New York City, so Mayor de Blasio wants to scrap the admittance tests and institute a program called Discovery and offer free tutoring to talented, disadvantaged students who miss the test-score cutoff.  So, does this mean that the colleges playing in March Madness should no longer have the 68 teams play in a single-elimination tournament to determine the final four?  Maybe we should eliminate the playoffs leading up the Stanley Cup finals.  Why have division leader playoffs prior to the Super Bowl?  Should baseball eliminate the World Series because it isn’t diversified enough?  Americans play sports, American watch sports and Americans bet on sports, not because it is diversified, rather because it is competitive and the best rise to the top.  Shouldn’t education be just as important?  Why would anyone want to change the standards that have served those who attend the specialized high schools, and possibly harm those who are admitted when the do not have the foundation needed to succeed?   Mr. Mayor, diversity is not a solution to a problem that does not exist; NYC Specialized High Schools is the Gold Medal of Educational Olympics.   And one more note for you Mr. Mayor:  more Charter Schools will bring more diversity to New York’s specialized high schools. 

Really, Mr. Mayor, if you used your personal funds, would they have been put to better use?   

Young People’s Embrace of Socialism Shows Why We Shouldn’t Lower the Voting Age. 

If You Don’t Remember Cold War, Communism, Getting Free Stuff from Government Sounds Great. 

Destroying Norms: After Losing to Trump, Democrats Want to Pack the Courts and Change the Rules. 

Is recycling dying? 

Yancy Roy wrote in yesterday’s Newsday on the top issues in the NYS Budget debate.  Upon review, it would seem that one party control did not simplify the budget process and left the NYS Democrats with no one to blame for the morass, but themselves.  All of the voting members should absorb the message the Buffalo News Editorial Board wrote yesterday also:  Legislature budgets make promises our economy can’t keep.  Jimmy Vielkind writes in the Wall Street Journal (the WSJ is behind a paywall) that Cuomo fights with fellow democrats as budget deadline nears. 

If a bill has lingered in Albany for a quarter of a century, could there possibly be one iota of good in it?    It there was, it would have been negotiated and passed, long before 25 years have gone by.    Therefore, be very careful what you wish for. 

Today’s Siena Poll results indicate that New Yorkers’ do not like the direction our Empire State is taking with one party in control of both Houses and the Executive Branch.  Of course, Democrats disagree, however a strong majority of Independents and an overwhelming majority of Republicans believe the state is moving too far to the left.  The full Siena Poll and results are available here. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won’t be happy that she is consider the Amazon Slayer by most polled, albeit, she has taken credit for doing so.  Now that people understand the full economic loss, AOC is no longer a hero for slaying Amazon’s move to Queens.

The Nation gleefully opines  that congestion pricing is New York’s Green New Deal.  Obviously, The Nation isn’t concerned about the fact that the Green New Deal would be an economic disaster to our nation and impossible to realistically implement, but that doesn’t matter to news sites like The Nation, they just feed their readers the gobbledygook that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cooks up in her Ivory Tower in the hope of converting more non-thinking individuals into becoming climate-justice activists. 

Rebecca Hagelin opines in the Washington Times about what is really important to save our nation/planet:  Reject the curses of socialism by embracing the blessings of liberty.    Ying Ma opines on the Fox News Network that socialism brings equality, but it is the equality of scarcity.  (Except for those in control who live godlike lives, my assessment, not Ying Ma’s.)  Tom Del Beccaro has an Op-Ed here  on the nine steps from freedom to socialism to societal breakdown.  The video of his appearance this morning on Fox and Friend is here.

Bill Hammond:  Hospital Revenue Surge Creates Haves and Have-Nots. 

 Developers say proposed prevailing wage law is a business killer. 

Robert Knight opines in the Washington Times that the cowboy-way is under fire.  Perhaps, if the cowboy code was practiced in 2019, the world would be a better place. 

Larry Horist gives another perspective on HR 1 – the House Election Reform Bill. 

Katrina Trinko explains (in a very moving article of faith) to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, why we pray and offer thoughts and prayers after tragedies (New Zealand/ Netherlands). 

Welcome to my Weekly Wrap-Up for March 15, 2019!

THE BORDER CRISIS

America’s borders are a mess, but our elected “leaders” are just playing politics with our security – that’s the biggest takeaway from this week’s news. Say what you will about President Trump, but he understands the scope of this crisis and is determined to do something about it. If only Congress, including Republicans, would get serious about securing our borders. But as we saw in this week’s vote against President Trump, there seems to be little hope of that.

President Trump’s one-word response – “VETO!” – makes it clear that this battle isn’t over, and thank goodness for that. We can’t afford to not secure our borders.

It’s all politics here in New York too. Andrew Cuomo is launching new efforts to “protect immigrants from ICE” – law enforcement, as always with left-wing Democrats, is the enemy. But as usual the Governor is trying to have his cake and eat it too, playing all sides of this issue to placate both open borders extremists who are now the driving force for the Democrat Party as well as the dwindling number of Democratic “moderates” who are still useful to the left (and who can’t afford to vote for immigration insanity like a driver’s license for folks who are, in the politically correct parlance, “undocumented”).

So many New York conservatives I speak with are gravely concerned about America’s uncontrolled borders and want the immigration issue to be a top priority for the Conservative Party. I want to open this topic up to as many people as possible, so I’m making it our new Weekly Poll question – how important is the immigration issue to you personally? Let me know today!

TARGETING TAXPAYERS

I guess in reality law enforcement isn’t ALWAYS the enemy in the Democrats’ eyes – when government agents are attempting to crack down on taxpayers, it’s all systems go as far as the left is concerned. According to one report, “With New York facing a serious $2.3 billion budget deficit, the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance is getting increasingly fierce in chasing funds from wealthy residents fleeing its high taxes.”

Of course, everyone should pay the taxes they owe – you hear that, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? – but it’s fascinating to me, just how angry Democrats’ become when hard-working people decide they don’t want to play along with the left’s tax-and-spend games.

IN THE NEWS

President Trump condemns ‘horrible massacre‘ at New Zealand mosques

Ocasio-Cortez Slammed for Politicizing Terror Attack, Mocking Prayer, Blaming NRA

Co-Host of Gillibrand Fundraiser Charged in College Admissions Scam

Have a great weekend!

Governor Cuomo is completely out of touch with reality when to comes to New York’s college swim teams.  Put the petty politics aside, Governor, and let the swimmers swim. 

One thing is an absolute about Beto O’Rourke: Humility is not one of his attributes. 

Where does Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get her information from?  Perhaps AOC should hire a person who knows how to research from reliable sources. 

Cal Thomas opines on why socialism fails. 

Ben Shapiro opines on a major portion of what made America great in his column, What liberals forget:  Before the welfare state, Americans took care of each other.

El Salvador’s President-Elect Outlines His 3 Steps to Destroy MS-13, Other Gangs. 

Wow… Iran Wins Leadership Post at UN ‘Gender Equality’ Body, After Sentencing Women’s Rights Advocate to Prison, Lashing. The UN is long past its usefulness.

The Beat writes:  SCAFFOLD LAW ON TRIAL. 

What you haven’t heard about marijuana.

Welcome to my Weekly Wrap-Up for March 8, 2019!

FUSION VOTING

This week the Conservative Party and all third parties are under attack from the New York State Democratic party, who adopted a non-binding resolution to eliminate fusion voting in New York State. As you know fusion voting, which has existed in New York for decades, allows candidates who appear on multiple ballot lines to combine votes into a single total. Incredibly, many Democratic party leaders as well their functionaries in Board of Election offices throughout the state have argued that having fewer party choices on the ballot benefits the voter. On its face, this is a ludicrous argument

The entire crusade is rooted in cynicism. Despite denials, it’s clear that Governor Andrew Cuomo has been attempting to execute a political vendetta. Even top Democrats including Chuck Schumer, multiple members of congress and an overwhelming number of state legislators have come out against their own party’s foolish resolution.

What’s best for voters and our state? A healthy multi-party system allowing voters to cast votes for candidates that in the case of the Conservative Party reflect a clear view on issues. In fact, the Conservative Party is often the good-housekeeping seal of approval for candidates in the eyes of voters.

Be assured that as State Chairman, together with our excellent party leaders on a state and local level, we will be closely watching any and all developments on this issue. We stand ready to use our influence in Albany and all tools and resources at our disposal to stop this attempt by the Democratic Party to further their goal of eliminating voices of opposition to the Governor’s mismanagement of New York State.

CPAC

A week ago today, I was in Washington attending the annual CPAC conference, and I was buoyed to see so many young people stand up for their conservative beliefs.

This Daily Signal article features nine young adults (including one young lady from New York) explaining why they’re conservative, and it reflects what I saw at CPAC – there is a new generation of Americans who are pro-life, who want economic freedom instead of socialism, and who understand that illegal immigration and open borders will destroy our country.

One of my goals as your chairman is to increase young people’s involvement. What do you think is the BEST way for the Conservative Party to attract younger voters in New York? That’s the question I want you to answer in our new Weekly Poll – and feel free to leave a comment with any thoughts you have on ways to grow our party.

QUICK HITS

Rep. Elise Stefanik offered a powerful tribute to Mike Long in a speech on the House floor.

The end-bail crowd is already making New York’s streets more violent.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dark money hypocrisy is being exposed.

Have a great weekend!

This is why we have high taxes; no regard for spending money that the state does not have. 

E. J. McMahon writes that jobs grow further apart in NY.   

Don’t slam the door on new hope for NYC’s kids: Lift the charter cap. 

Linda Sarsour is back in the news:  Sarsour denounces ‘typical white feminist’ Pelosi as speaker calls for condemnation of anti-Semitism.

Tammy Bruce opines on the left’s new arrogant heroes and their hypocritical views.

Oh no, another flip-flopper:   Kamala to CNN in 2008: Decriminalizing Prostitution Would Hurt Society’s Most Vulnerable 

Medicare for All Would ‘Result in Care for None,’ Doctor-Turned-Lawmaker Says.  

Uh Oh: Ocasio-Cortez Hit with More Ethics Trouble Over Boyfriend’s Congressional Email Account. 

House Democrats Eye Ditching Procedure That Gives Republicans a Voice.  

Dems’ anti-Semitic resolution morphs into ‘anti-hate’ resolution. 

Here’s what’s going on in the war between Ilhan Omar and Nancy Pelosi. 

Pelosi tries to explain the watered-down resolution that doesn’t mention Omar. 

Dennis Prager explains why race or ethnicity have little to do with why there is opposition to mass immigration, be it legal or illegal, to America.

Great News:  Colorado Drops Second Case Against Christian Baker.

New York is number 1 Again!  The problem is do we really want to be number 1 in paying the most in state and local taxes?

Digital Advertising is here to stay, it is about to surpassed print and TV.. 

The Daily Signal reiterates the problems that CPAC attendees learned about allowing illegal immigrants to be given drivers licenses. 

A middle school math teacher opines in today’s NY Post:  My students know they’re in charge — and there’s nothing I can do. Middle School is usually 7, 8 and 9th grade, quite young to have the upper hand in a classroom.  The NY Post editorial has this to say:  NYC’s ‘progress’ in cutting school suspensions comes at the expense of education.  Meanwhile the education advocates are demanding an additional $4 Billion of your tax dollars they say has long been owed to them under an order by the state’s highest court. By the way, Robert Jackson, who was the lead plaintiff in the original Campaign for Fiscal Equity case, is now a state senator.  Does anyone really think additional money will change the attitudes of the students in the first article of this paragraph?  This certainly does not help … warning cards to NYC students over 16 who possess marijuana. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seeks the controversial limelight again:  Defending Omar’s Latest Anti-Semitic Comment, AOC Questions US Intervention in Afghanistan Immediately After 9/11.  

The NY Post editorial board has this to say about Omar’s latest:  This isn’t even a wrist-slap over Omar’s anti-Semitic tropes. 

Townhall.com’s update: Fireworks: House Dems Have ‘Full-Scale Brawl’ Over Resolution That Indirectly Rebukes Ilhan Omar’s Reported Anti-Semitism

Wednesday’s with Walter E. Williams.  Mr. Williams opines on AOC’s Green New Deal and explains that our planet is not fragile.