Joe Tries to Change the Subject

- Senator Bruno called a press conference to complain about what he sees as a lack of progress in his negotiations with Governor Spitzer and Assembly Speaker Silver on settling the franchise issue before the Dec 31 deadline. But the New York Times was having none of it. Bruno Won’t Talk About Role at Firm reads the headline of their account of the testy session with reporters. That refers to the story that the Paper of Record reported over the weekend; that Bruno is employed by Wright Investors’ Service, a Connecticut-based investment firm at which some state unions, including a number of local branches in and around Mr. Bruno’s upstate district, have tens of millions of dollars invested.

It's the latest appearance, at the very least, of conflict between Bruno's role as Senate Majority Leader and his outside business interests. Bruno must be quite an energetic guy for his, or any age. Leading his Senate Majority, flying around in state helicopters, hitting the punching bag at the gym, sitting in his box at Saratoga, spewing profanity at the Governor, launching investigations....and he has the time to conduct so much personal business as well! What the hell does he do for Wright Investors anyway ? Well, we don't know, because neither the company nor Bruno would specify beyond a vague description of "business development."

Presumably that does not mean using his influence in Albany to persuade and encourage unions to invest their monies at Wright, from whom he's been collecting a paycheck since the mid-90's. The Times notes that Mr. Bruno has cultivated ties to labor unions that are unusually close for a Republican, and has become personally involved in advocating for their positions. But Bruno as usual denied any impropriety, noting that he has "been accused of nothing wrong, not ethically, not morally and not legally.” Well, I guess it depends on who is doing the accusing. I guess the liberal rags like the Times and Times-Union don't count in his mind.

Regarding the franchise, Bruno's comments belie the impression given by some recent news stories that an agreement is near. With the Governor in the city for a Monday night fundraiser (with the Head Chef on staff in the kitchen), Bruno attempted to shift the blame for any delay on Spitzer and Sheldon Silver.

"I'm saying to this Governor, get your priorities straight. I'm saying to the Speaker, get your priorities straight. We are at the finish line. This is the last furlong of a race here in this state. The last furlong. I don't know how long the race has been, it's been one of the longest races that I know of, we've been going on three years trying to get it done.” [Capital News 9]

But the issue no longer revolves around which entity will operate the franchise, as Bruno has apparently accepted that it will be NYRA. And Tom Precious reports in Bloodhorse that Spitzer has quietly elicited the resignation of the NYRA Board of Directors, one of Bruno's main demands. “We can certainly live with something like that,’’ Bruno said of a reconstituted NYRA board.

However, the Senator still objects to the 30 year length of the extension, and wants NYRA to give up control of establishing simulcasting agreements, as well as their tote and marketing operations.

Allies of NYRA in Albany, however, say such an idea would be unworkable by taking major decision-making – and likely money – out of NYRA’s hands for such lucrative components such as simulcasting. [Bloodhorse]

That would be like, say, an investment company giving up its lucrative business from powerful NY state unions. VLT's at Belmont has emerged a key sticking point, as Silver appears to have dug in on this issue, one in which he doesn't appear to have any apparent vested interest other than the fact that the other two guys support it. It's probably merely a bargaining chip to be played in a grand deal involving numerous issues at the end of the year. And in fact, Silver has said that the franchise is not a top legislative priority.

In a [long] story on Spitzer in this week's New Yorker, Bruno called Silver the “biggest wimp in the world.” “He says I called him a wimp and I did...You can't be sensitive in this business. Step up. Show leadership.” [Journal News] And Bruno told reporters that it's been “three or four months" since he had a "substantive" conversation with Spitzer.

“His priorities are illegal aliens about to have licenses so they, some of them, can go terrorize people and go into public buildings and planes and go get guns." [NY Times]

Yeah Joe, that's just what the Governor wanted, I'm sure. It's a wonder that anything gets done when you read idiotic, and in the latter case, xenophobic bluster like that. But Bruno has his constituency in Saratoga to answer to, and he acknowledged that that puts him in a weakened position. “Maybe it’s [Spitzer and Silver] jamming me on a personal level." They'd be fools not to take advantage of that, and Bruno knows it. So despite the increasing enmity and harsh talk, the three will manage to get something done on the franchise before the end of the year. It's still in the bag.